After the end of the Reconstruction Era in 1877, Black Americans experienced profound racial divisions and systemic discrimination in their lives in America. Yet, acts of selflessness and bravery that went beyond these boundaries were rare and remarkable. Such was the case of an act by Lumis Little, a Black farmer, in Sugar Valley, Georgia, whose courage on Sept. 6, 1913, earned him the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Despite the oppressive social conditions of the Jim Crow South, Little risked his life attempting to save William Hall, a man of a different race, from a well filled with lethal dynamite fumes. His action not only challenged the prevailing racial narratives of his time but also illustrated the profound humanity and heroism that could emerge even in the face of deep-seated inequality.
Little was born enslaved likely between 1850 and 1863, though the exact date of his birth remains uncertain due to limited records. An email from Douglas Chambers, Managing Director of the Carnegie Hero Fund at the time, to Norman Littles, Little’s great-grandson, identified his birth date as May 10, 1863. His first known documented appearance in the U.S. census record is 1900, where his age is listed as 38. He lived during a time of intense racial tensions in Georgia, where the abolition of slavery (13th Amendment, 1865) and the citizenship rights granted to Black Americans (14th Amendment, 1868) were met with violent resistance and systematic disenfranchisement through Jim Crow laws. This background offers a glimpse into the challenges Little likely faced as his life changed from enslavement to farm ownership of approximately 50 acres in Sugar Valley, a rare accomplishment for Black Georgians during this period.
Little’s birthplace in Georgia is unknown. The book Climb the Hills of Gordon (1962) by Jewell B. Reeves contains an interview she conducted with Mr. Edgar Miller, a close friend of the Little family. In the book, she asked him about Black residences of Sugar Valley. When she asked him about Little, he simply remarked, “Oh, he just drifted in from South Georgia.” Perhaps Little viewed the opportunity granted by the end of slavery as a chance to leave behind his life of enslavement and start anew in Sugar Valley, hoping to embrace the thought of freedom that came with this transition period in the histories of Georgia and the South, and American History.
On Sept. 6, 1913, Little attempted to save Hall from a deadly well accident. Despite warnings Little had given to R. Lafayette Worley, another farmer, the day before the incident about the dangers of lethal fumes that would result in Worley’s plan to dynamite and enter a 26-foot well, Worley proceeded with dynamiting the well and entered it anyway. He was overcome by the lethal fumes. Hall, attempting to rescue Worley, entered the well and met the same fate. When Little arrived at the scene on the day of the incident, about 15 men were present, but none were willing to enter the well. According to Hero Fund Case Investigator Jas. S. McGill’s report on the incident, Little turned down an offer of money to enter the well, saying “he would go for the sake of saving a life.” Little may have been driven by a profound sense of duty. “Little fastened himself to the well-rope … and then he was lowered into the well,” detailed the case report.
Once at the bottom of the well, he tied another rope around Hall and was then hoisted up to safety. Little was unconscious by the time he reached the surface. Little was given medical treatment but a physician at the scene reported that he was only semiconscious two hours later. Eventually he was helped home, where he was disabled four or five days. Hall was dead when removed from the well shortly, the original victim died two days later.
The Rev. Edward G. Mackay of Calhoun, Georgia, reported Little’s act to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The Commission recognized Little’s bravery by awarding him the Carnegie Medal on Oct. 30, 1914, becoming part of an elite group of individuals who were recognized for risking their lives in civilian acts of heroism. At the time of the Hero Fund investigation, Little was married and had two daughters, ages 20 and 16. He told the investigator that his plans for the 50-acre property included buying a team of mules and improving his house.
In the correspondence between Little’s descendants and the Hero Fund, Chambers wrote, “He received financial assistance through the Carnegie Hero Fund, including a $1,000 grant distributed over several years, helping him to improve his livelihood, including the purchase of a mule, wagon, and improvements.” His recognition through this national award symbolizes a shift in societal recognition, giving prominence to the heroism of a Black man in an era dominated by racial discrimination. Little had never heard of Andrew Carnegie but was inspired only by human kindness, which brings its own reward.
Little’s act of heroism is significant in Georgia’s and the greater South’s, diverse history because it represents the courage and humanity of a Black man during a period marked by intense racial discrimination and segregation. The South was characterized by racial segregation and violence against Black people, with very few stories of Black people being recognized for their contributions or heroism. When, in fact, during Reconstruction, a number of Black people were elected to U.S. Congress. Governor P. B. S. Pinchback was promoted from his elected position as president pro tempore of the Louisiana Senate to lieutenant governor, and later, governor of Louisiana. Jefferson F. Long became the second Black man, and the first from Georgia, to be elected to the House of Representatives. Jonathan Jasper Wright was appointed to the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1870, making him the first African American to hold a judicial position at such a high level in the United States. Little’s actions stand out as a rare example of a Black man being nationally recognized for his bravery at a time when racial prejudices were deeply entrenched in parts of America. This recognition challenges the dominant stories of the period and serves as a testament to the presence of moral courage and integrity among Black Southerners, even in the face of systemic racism and oppression. His story, therefore, enriches the historical narrative of the American South by highlighting the acts of bravery and humanity that surpass racial barriers.
Little’s actions also hold broader significance in American history as they resonate with the country’s ideals of heroism, courage, and equality. At a time when the United States was struggling to define its identity post-Civil War and Reconstruction, stories like his serve as powerful reminders of the capacity for selflessness and bravery among ordinary citizens. His deed exemplifies the American spirit of helping others at great personal risk, aligning with the values celebrated by the Hero Fund Commission. By receiving national recognition, Little’s story becomes part of the larger American narrative of heroism, one that includes individuals from all backgrounds who have acted selflessly for the greater good. His act also reflects the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality in America, illustrating that the fight for justice and recognition has been a continuous and shared effort by people of all races and backgrounds.
Aside from occasional mentions by his oldest grandson to one of Little’s great-granddaughters living in Michigan, his significant contributions to the histories of Gordon County, Georgia, and the South, and the broader context of American History were unknown to his descendants — grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren — living across the nation, until February 2002. It was purely by chance that his great-grandchildren, while researching their family history in the genealogy section of the main library in Calhoun, Georgia, that they discovered his heroic act and the fact that he had received the Carnegie Medal.
While reviewing U.S. census records in the library that February in 2002, a couple of Little’s great-grandchildren engaged in a conversation with Mrs. Kathleen Rutherford, an elderly volunteer who regularly assisted visitors in the library’s genealogy section. During their discussion, his great-grandchildren mentioned they had relatives from Sugar Valley. Mrs. Katherine Rutherford asked if they knew Lumis Little, to which they replied that he was their great-grandfather. Mrs. Rutherford retrieved and shared with them a book titled History of Gordon County containing the contents of a page recognizing Little for risking his life to save a local Sugar Valley resident. His great-grandchildren were amazed to learn of this heroic act, as they had never heard the story before.
Upon obtaining a copy of Little’s death certificate, his great grandson discovered that Little was buried in Russell Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Sugar Valley. When his great-grandson visited the cemetery, he found no headstone or grave marker for Little’s final resting place. He contracted a local headstone maker, and after the contractor obtained authorization from the church’s pastor, his greatgrandson had a headstone placed in the church’s cemetery. Ironically, Little’s great-grandson also found the wore headstone and burial site of William Hall, the man Little attempted to save in 1913, in the cemetery.
Little’s heroic deed becomes an important part of the historical fabric of Georgia, the South, and the United States. His actions and subsequent recognition by the Carnegie Hero Fund provide a powerful example of bravery and moral integrity that challenges the prevailing racial dynamics of his time, offering a more inclusive and comprehensive view of American history.
– Norman Littles, a great grandson of Carnegie Hero Lumis Little