The son of Barrett C. Downs and Sarah Ann Hickman Cox Downs, who were "pioneers of Bryan County," Emmett (Emmitt) Thomas Downs was born September 3, 1833 in Bryan County, Georgia. He had five siblings. He was the great-grandson of Revolutionary War Adjutant Colonel William Downs Sr. and great-great-grandson of Captain Sir Henry Downs of England and Lady Jane Douglas Downs of the Douglas Clan of Scotland. Emmett was a farmer and Confederate veteran. He served as a private in Company A of Georgia's Hardwick Mounted Rifles who defended the Georgia coast and Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River. He was later transferred to Company K, 7th Georgia Cavalry, when the Hardwick Mounted Rifles was absorbed into the new 7th Georgia Cavalry. Possibly captured, perhaps at the Battle of Trevillian Station in Virginia (family tradition says at Bull Run), he may have been confined to a Union prison, probably the one at Elmira, Chemung County, New York.

On June 20, 1857 in Bryan County, Emmett married Edna Josephine Pate Downs, his brother Isaiah Benjamin Downs' stepdaughter, and they had twelve children, among whom were: Edna Josephine Downs Bell, Margaret Tullulah Downs Slater, James Ainsworth Downs, Ann Terrisa Downs Clanton, Sarah Elizabeth Downs, Carlich (Collock) Hammond Downs, William Carlton Downs, Mary Caroline Downs Shuman, Jesse Melville Downs, Emma Frances Downs, and two infants. Emmett was a Mason. He died November 27, 1912 in Bryan County at age 79 and is buried in Little Creek Cemetery in Bryan County. His sister Caroline Rebecca Downs Milton is also buried at Little Creek. Emmett's ancestry was Scots and English. The colonial blacksmith shop and tools on his land later were sold to Henry Ford and moved to Michigan.

Thanks so much to Nevada McClelland Bell and Bell and Downs family researchers for much of this information. Any errors, however, are mine alone. Please go to the "edit" link on this site with any corrections or additions.