Looking for anyone with ties to Garland's who lived in Union County, Georgia.

I and other family researchers have been trying to track down the first husband to an elusive ancestory, Dollie/Dolly Rebecca Tow. We know she was married to a Garland based on her name listing in inheritance papers for her grandparents, Martin B. Lance & Jerusha Fletcher Lance of Henderson County (or Buncombe County), North Carolina. We know she was still listed as a Garland in the 1880 census for Forsyth County, Georgia living in the household of her sister, Nancy Melinda Tow Hite and Nancy's husband, Andrew Jackson "A.J." Hite.
I think I'm on the right track for Dolly's first husband...the unknown Garland.

While recently reviewing the 1880 Census for Union County Georgia I found a Caroline Garland and her family living very near some of Dollie's siblings and other family members.

In the 1880 census, Caroline Garland is listed as 35 (though I think it actually is 5-5 and not a 3-5) and a widow. In the household are daughter Mary (age 30 and widowed), son Elisha (age 30 and MARRIED), son Jason (age 22 and single), son Jefferson (age 17 and single), and son Marshall (age 9 and single). Notice Elisha's says "married," but where's his wife???

I went back and checked on Dollie Rebecca (Tow) Garland who is listed in the 1880 census in Forsyth County, Georgia in the household of her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy M. (Tow) Hite & Andrew Jackson A.J. Hite. Dollie is listed as 18 years old...and MARRIED! However, there is no husband for her listed in the household.... Could Elisha be her first husband? If so, why are they separated? Elisha would be about 12 years her senior if his and her birth ages are correct. Nancy has had one child (Frances R[ebecca]) who is 4 I think it says. Could Nancy have been pregnant and Dollie gone to help???

Also, I recently noticed Caroline Garland lived one household before Benjamin Austin Harkins and his family (this is the same BAA. Harkins who lived near William Tow at various other times....is my g.g. grandfather). One household BEFORE Caroline are Samuel & Mary Tow and family...Samuel was the son of William Tow and Samuel's wife, Mary Jane Wallace Tow is the step-daughter of Benjamin Austin Harkins'being the daughter of his second wife, Lavina "Vina" Millsaps Wallace1 Harkins2.

In the household before Samuel & Mary Jane Wallace Tow is the Henderson Poston family. Henderson and Ann Poston are the parents of Birdie Poston who is listed in the household before them along with his wife...Mary Jerusha Tow Poston...daughter of William & Rebecca Lance Tow.

I should note that in the 1870 and 1880 censuses I only found one Garland family living in Union County, Georgia...and that was Caroline Garland's family both times.

In the 1870 census for Union County, Georgia I found:

Garland, Caroline, age 35, born in GA
Garland, Mary A., age 21 (female)
Garland, Elisha, age 18 (male)
Garland, Minna, age 16, (female)
Garland, Jasper, age 14, (male)
Garland, Minda, age 13, (female)
Garland, Jefferson, age 4, (male)
Garland, William, age 2, (male)

Now to put an extra spin on this in our family briar patch, living in the household BEFORE this Garland family is Martha Bishop...that would be Martha Tow Bishop, oldest child of William & Rebecca Lance Tow AND oldest sister of Dollie Rebecca Tow. In this household are Martha (age 30), Alfred (age 8), Mary C. (age 6), Rebecca (age 4), and Jane (age 3).

Also, three households AFTER the Garland family in the 1870 census is James Tow (age 25), Nancy (age 25), and Pernecy/Pernica Seabolt (age 24) listed as a housekeeper. This is the same Pernecy/Pernica that will marry William Tow (father of James W., Marth Jane, Dollie Rebecca, etc.) within two years. This is also the census we have William's household first listed without first wife Rebecca Lance Tow (having died in 1869). Also the conflict with a "James" age 27 and "Dolly" age 25 in William's household and not sure if James Washington Tow (above) and wife Nancy were somehow counted in William's household as well as their own.

Back to the Garland's, more info for those interested, in the 1880 Census (Coopers Creek District) of Union County, Georgia...

Garland, Caroline, age 55 (she has jumped in age 20 years from previous census), born in NC?
Garland, Mary, age 30
Garland, Elisha, age 30
Garland, Jason, age 22
Garland, Jefferson, age 17
Garland, Marshall, age 9

What's funny is that there wasn't a "Mr. Garland" in the 1870 census or the 1880 census, but Caroline had had a child, Marshall, age 9 who had been born AFTER the 1870 census if that was correct. I wouldn't say we've figured out which one is Dollie's first husband. Are Jasper and Jason the same person? William from 1870 would have been 12, but the other ages are off as well...esp. Caroline's whose age reflects a 20 year difference between 1870-1880.

We know that Dollie R. Garland is listed in the 1880 census as 18 years old (born abt. 1862 which conflicts with the birth info. she gives in 1900 census as 1864) and living in Forsyth County, GA in the household of her sister (Nancy Melinda) who has married Andrew Jackson "A.J." Hite. Nancy and A.J. married in 1871 (when Dollie would have been about 9).

I think the best bets would be Elisha, Jasper/Jason, or Jefferson...but if it's one of them did they divorce Dollie? Did she go to visit or help her sister Nancy and her husband died?

We know that Dollie's sister, Nancy was married in Lumpkin County, Georgia...but I've yet to find Dollie's marriage listed...though I think I've looked in Lumpkin County marriage records. Have also looked in books on Union County, GA marriages..but I know for a fact those books are missing data AND have wrong data. The Tow/Towe surname has been misspelled many times so it's possible it is misfiled...but I have also tried looking up "Garland" and nothing matching.

I'm hoping someone out there in cyberland ties into this line and might have a notation about a Garland relative in Union County, Georgia marrying a Dollie Rebecca Tow.

Thanks in advance!
Tony Pope
Pope1966@aol.com