USA > Alabama > Memorial record of Alabama. A concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people. Volume I > Part 73
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B. F. REA.
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anoke, Ala., Frances M., deceased; B. Franklin, a physician of La Fay- ette, Ala., and Sarah, deceased. The mother of these children died of typhoid fever in 1865. Politically Dr. Rea is a democrat. He is a master Mason, and an elder in the Presbyterian church. He has served as pres- ident of the Chambers county Medical society several years, and at the same time, president of the board of censors. He has always been fond of languages, and has never given up, or neglected, his Latin and Greek, as is too frequently done by professional men, and he has devoted much time to the study of some of the modern languages, and has given as much time to speaking and writing them correctly, as to his own lan guage.
CHEROKEE COUNTY.
JAMES F. BURNETT, a prosperous young business man of Cedar Bluff, Ala., is a son of W. E. J. and Mary (Brandon) Burnett, and was born in Thomasville, Ga., March 28, 1856. W. E. J. Burnett was born in Alexan- dria, De Kalb county, Tenn., but in 1837, while yet a lad, was brought to Alabama by his parents, who settled at Gaylesville, in the eastern part of Cherokee county, where John S. Burnett, father of W. E. J., carried on mercantile business for a number of years, and thence moved to Cedar Bluff, and then to Rome, Ga., where he continued in business until his death. W. E. J. Burnett grew to manhood in Cherokee county, was married, in 1850, near Chattoogaville, Ga., and immediately thereafter took up his residence in Cedar Bluff, where he carried on merchandising until 1855, and then moved to Thomasville, Ga., for the improvement of his health, but where he died a year later, leaving a family of three sons and their mother to mourn his loss. The children are John L., a lawyer of Centre, Ala .; W. H., in charge of and a large stockholder in a cotton factory at Spring Garden, and James F., who was but three months old when his father died. The mother now lives with this, the youngest. child. James F. was reared in Cherokee county, was educated at the Gaylesville high school and at the Nashville Business college, and began his business life, in 1880, as a member of the mercantile firm of R. Law rence & Co., at Cedar Bluff. In 1886 in partnership with his brother, John L., he started his present general merchandise business under the firm style of James F. Burnett & Bro., and in February, 1891, the other brother, W. H., was taken into partnership and the firm name changed to that of Burnett Bros. The firm have been very successful and now do a business of about $30,000 per year, and keep constantly on hand a well selected stock of assorted merchandise, valued at $6,000. James F. Bur- nett is the secretary and treasurer of the Cedar Bluff Land, Mining & Man- ufacturing company, and he is personally interested in valuable mineral lands near the town. In politics he is a democrat and is zealous in his devotion to the party. He was delegate to the last two state conven-
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tions and also to the congressional convention, and his influence is felt thorughout the political circles of his county. He is a master Mason and is treasurer of Cedar Bluff lodge, No. 486; also a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, of which he is a steward, and in the Sunday school of which he is an earnest worker. The mother of this family is a fine- looking lady, and, having been left a widow in their infancy, has done a noble work in rearing them to a ripe maturity and useful citizenship. His son, John L., is considered to be one of the best lawyers of his sec- tion and has twice been a member of the house of state representatives and once of the senate, while W. H. and J. T. are filling substanial and respectable positions in the walks of life.
REUBEN T. EWING, an experienced and extensive farmer of Cherokee county, Ala., is a descendant of an old English family that made settle- ment, in the persons of two brothers, in the Old Dominion, in its early colonial days. The descendants of these two brothers scattered in later years, and among them were ten brothers who went to Tennessee, and an eleventh, Samuel Ewing, the grandfather of Reuben T. Ewing, chose Newton county, Ga., as his place of residence, where he married a Miss Whaley and reared his family. Of this family, one son, Green B. Ewing, married Miss Rhoda Martin, and continued to reside in Newton county until 1852, when he came to Alabama and located in Cherokee county, where he resided until 1867, and then removed to Colbert county, Ala., where his death occurred in 1869. His widow then returned to Cherokee county, where she died in 1883, the mother of five sons and four daughters, of whom two are now living in Texas and five in Alabama, the other two being deceased. The father of Mrs. Rhoda (Martin) Ewing was George Martin, who was born in Abbeville district, S. C., served seven years in the Revolutionary war and was an early pioneer of New- ton county, Ga. Reuben T. Ewing was born in Newton county, Ga., June 24, 1824. When a young man he had resolved to make his home in Texas, and was on his way thither when he stopped in Coosa county, Ala. Being charmed with the country, he decided to make it his home, and there was married, in 1851, to Miss Mary S. White, who died in 1857, leaving four children: Nancy C., Martha M., Rhoda A., and Mary T. When the Civil war broke forth, Mr. Ewing took his children to Cherokee county, and placed them in the care of his mother, and then enlisted in company C, Seventh Alabama infantry, for twelve months; most of which time was passed at Pensacola, Fla. His term of enlist- ment expired just before the battle of Shiloh, and his regiment was dis- banded; but he, with others of his late regiment, took part at Shiloh, without being a member of any company, but simply as an independent volunteer. Returning to his home, he enlisted in company C, Forty- eighth Alabama infantry, and was sent to Virginia as a private, was soon after appointed captain, and then elected first lieutenant. He saw serv. ice in the seven days' fight around Richmond at Slaughter Mountain,
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second Manassas, Sharpsburg, the Wilderness, Gettysburg, in the second series of battles around Richmond and in the trenches at Petersburg; was at the surrender at Appomattox. Throughout all these engagements he sustained but one serious injury-a wound in the left hip at the second battle of Manassas. Finally returning to his home in Cherokee county at the conclusion of hostilities he married, in December, 1865, Mrs. Mary E. Bishop, née Tate, but no children have blessed their union. Mr. Ewing has confined himself almost exclusively to farming since residing in Cherokee county, taking no particular active part in politics until 1892, when he was elected representative of Cherokee county, to the state leg- islature, on the reform, or Kolb ticket, by a majoirty of 1,064. He has always been, however, a Jefferson democrat. He has served several times as worshipful master of A. F. & A. M. lodge at Centre, and is a consistent member of the Missionary Baptist church. His farm comprises 640 acres of good land, located about three and a half miles from the town of Centre, and he is regarded as one of the useful and substan- tial citizens of the county.
HON. JOHN LAWRENCE, one of the most extensively known and re- spected residents of Cherokee county, Ala., was born in Jefferson county, Tenn., November 2, 1825, and is a son of James and Chelnessa (Doherty) Lawrence. Chelnessa Doherty was a granddaughter of Gen. George Doherty, who served in the Creek war of 1812-15, as the history of that period will show. The Lawrence family is an ancient one of England, and the progenitor of the American branch came to this country early in the colonial days and made his home in Virginia. Several mem- bers of this family took part in the Revolutionary war, and on the return of peace Thomas Lawrence, the great-grandfather of the gentleman whose name is at the head of this sketch, settled in North Carolina, where he reared a family. In due course of time the descendants of Thomas Law- rence scattered, two of his sons going to Georgia, one to South Caro- lina, and the one named James, settling in Jefferson county, Tenn. The James last mentioned married a Miss Cate of Tennessee, and reared a large family, among whom was James, the father of John Lawrence above named. In the year 1839, James Lawrence came to Alabama and settled near Cedar Bluff, his son John being then fourteen years of age, and here James died in 1856. John Lawrence was reared on the farm. His literary education was acquired in the common schools and at a college in Jefferson county, Tenn .; after leaving college he taught school for a short time, then read law and was admitted to the bar, but never entered into practice. He preferred a mercantile life, and carried on business at Gaylesville, Ala., from 1851 until 1854, when he removed to Cedar Bluff and remained there, and on a farm on the Chattooga river near there until the fall of 1862. He then located on his present farm of near 600 acres, near Cedar Bluff in the Coosa valley, where he wields great in- flueucne in political matters, and is looked on as one of the best informed
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men of his region. Not only does he have cultivated his home place of near 600 acres, but has a large interest in other farming lands, timber lands, etc., controlling, in all, about 1,850 acres. The first marriage of Mr. Lawrence took place in June, 1854, at Cedar Bluff, Mrs. Emily E. Watt (née Hampton) becoming his wife, and of the offspring two sons, James R., and George G., reside on the old homestead. Mrs. Lawrence departed this life February 18, 1887, and on the 22d day of December, 1887, Mr. Lawrence chose for his second companion Miss Martha A. Cate, daughter of the late William T. Cate, sheriff of Hamilton county, Tenn., the marriage taking place at Chattanooga, that county; Sheriff Cate had been in the employ of the Federal government at Chattanooga, but met a terrilbe death at the hands of a murderous gang of desparadoes in 1882. To the second marriage of Mr. Lawrence have been born two children-Nellie C., and Samuel Cate Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence is a sound democrat and holds the full confidence of his party. In its inter- ests he was elected a member of the Alabama state convention of 1865, for the reorganization of the state government; in the fall of the same year he was elected to the state legislature to represent Cherokee county, and served two terms-1865-6, and 1866 7 ;- in 1872 he was again a candidate, but met with defeat by defections in the party organization; in 1878 he was elected and served one term. Mr. Lawrence is a Free- mason, and has been a member of the Missionary Baptist church since 1849, and was chairman of the democratic executive committee for Chero- kee county for twelve or fifteen years. The family is well known through- out northeastern Alabama and is highly respected.
ROBERT LAWRENCE, of Cedar Bluff, Ala., and next to the youngest. of the family of fourteen children born to James and Chelnessa Lawrence, is a native of Cherokee county, Ala., born November 15, 1849. Notwith- standing the fact that his early educational training was interfered with by he outbreaking of the late war, he succeeded in acquiring a fair share of general knowledge. He began his business career in 1870 by starting, in company with his brother, a merchantile establishment in Cedar Bluff, which was carried on under the firm name of W. H. Lawrence & Co. until 1872, when the partnership was dissolved and Robert engaged in farming for two years. In 1875, in company with R. A. Russell, he again embarked in merchandising, under the firm title of R. Lawrence & Co., and with various changes of title, he still continues most prosperously in the business-Mr. J. F. Burnett having succeeded Mr. Russell in 1880 and re- tiring in 1886, since when Mr. Lawrence has done business on his sole ac-
count. He carried a general stock of an average of $5,000 and does an annual trade amounting to $20,000. He is also interested in farming land, 450 acres of which he rents out. He is full of enterprise and fully awake in increasing the prosperity of his town and county. In 1888 he was vice- president of the North Georgia and Alabama exposition, held at Rome, Ga. He himself worked up the exhibit for Cherokee county, of which
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CHEROKEE COUNTY. 639
he made a grand success, taking a number of valuable premiums. To quote from a report published by the exhibitors: "The magnificent ex- hibit, especially of minerals and woods, from Cherokee county, Ala., at- test the activity of Mr. Lawrence and his colleagues in trying to pre- sent his county to the world in its proper light." April 8, 1889, Mr. Lawrence, with others, organized the Cedar Bluff Land, Mining & Manu- facturing company, with a capital stock of $200,000, the object of the company being the building up of Cedar Bluff and the development of the mineral resources of northern Cherokee county. In November, 1889, Mr. Lawrence took another active step toward bringing before the public the advantages of his county and town, purchasing at that time the Tele- phone, a Cedar Bluff journal, as a medium through which to proclaim the merits of the section. The following year he christened the paper The Industrial Free Press, and it now has a circulation of 600 copies. The policy of the paper has been such as to incur the enmity of the alliance leaders-nevertheless it is a flourishing newspaper. Mr. Law- rence was married May 27, 1884, to Mrs. M. F. Lawrence, née Watt, and is now the happy father of one child-Theodore Robert. He and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church, in which both take a deep interest. In politics, Mr. Lawrence is a straightout democrat, is a non-residing member of the New York Reform club, was for several. years an active member of the Cherokee county democratic executive committee, and is altogether a diligent worker in the party's interests.
DR. GEORGE D. W. LAWRENCE, son of James and Chelnessa Doherty Lawrence and brother of Hon. John Lawrence, was born in Jefferson county, Tenn., January 10, 1828, and in 1839 was brought to Alabama by his parents. After a proper course of educational training he taught school a few years, and then, in 1851, began the study of medicine under his uncle, Dr. George W. Lawrence, an eminent physician of Gaylesville, Ala. In 1853-4 he attended his first course of lectures on medicine at Augusta, Ga., attended his second course in 1855-6, and graduated in the class of the last named year. He located for practice in Gaylesville, but in 1859 removed to Cedar Bluff, where he still resides and where he has gained a most enviable reputation as a surgeon and physician. Anterior to the Civil war he had been surgeon-general of the state militia, but during the progress of the war ill health prevented his entering the field, and his services were confined to the performance of the duty of post physician. He has been a member of the county Medical society for a. number of years and is now filling the position of county health officer. The doctor was married at Cedar Bluff, October 10, 1856, to Miss Sarah F. Hampton, seven children being the result, and named as follows: James, deceased; William J., a physician of Turkeytown neighborhood, Etowah county, Ala. ; Fannie, wife William A. Barker of Cedar Bluff; Glenn, deceased; Waldo, of Cedar Bluff; Sextella, deceased, and Jere,
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deceased. The parents are members of the Missionary Baptist church and are always preparad to aid in its works of charity and evangelism.
JOHN S. WATT, one of the thriving and intelligent farmers of Cherokee county. Ala., is a son of W. B. and Emily E. (Hampton) Watt, and was born at Cedar Bluff, November 16, 1844. W. B. Watt was a native of Georgia, but when a young man came to Alabama and settled in Cherokee county about the year 1840. He was one of the founders of Cedar Bluff, and furnished the money for entering the town on the official records. He was a merchant, and, although he was comparatively a poor man when he started in trade, he realized a competency through his business tact, thrift and energy. Shortly after locating near Cedar Bluff he mar- ried Miss Hampton, with whom he lived most happily until called away by death in 1853. He was a member of the Baptist church and was uni- versally respected by his fellow-citizens. His three children are named Mary F., who is the wife of Robert Lawrence, of Cedar Bluff; John S., whose name opens this sketch, and Emma, married to G. L. Hardwick, also of Cedar Bluff. When the recent civil war broke out John S. Watt was a student at Union college, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and there was but one more term to pass before graduation. The school was closed in con- sequence of the oncoming hostilities. Mr. Watt returned to his home, where he passed a year and then enlisted in company H, Forty-eighth Alabama infantry, and served until the battle of Sharpsburg, when his health failed and he was discharged for disability. Returning to his home once more, his health was restored and he entered Tansill's cavalry brigade, with which he served until the surrender at Kingston, Ga. While in the infantry he fought at Cedar Run, second Manassas, Har- per's Ferry and Sharpsburg; his cavalry duty was chiefly that of scout- ing, but in this arm of the service he attained the position of adjutant. Since the close of the war he has followed his vocation of farming in Cherokee county, settling in 1880 on his present farm of 500 acres. The marriage of Mr. Watt took place Nov. 1, 1872, in Cedar Bluff, to Miss Emma C. Williamson, and two children now gladden his home-Lillie L. aged eighteen years, and Nellie, aged seven. In politics Mr. Watt is an ardent democrat, but is no office seeker, although he has served his party as delegate both to state and congressional conventions. He is a master Mason, and has filled the office of secretary of his lodge. A sin- cere Baptist, he so conducts himself as to merit the respect of his fellow citizens. His farm is well tilled and is a model of neatness, while his roomy dwelling is delightfully situated in a beautiful grove.
COL. D. N. WILLIAMSON was born at Cedar Bluff, April 7, 1848, and was reared in Jefferson county, but, before he was fifteen years of age, he enlisted in 1863, in company E, Nineteenth Alabama infantry, and thus served his time in an heroic endeavor to serve his country, while other lads were at school. He was assigned, with his company, to the Tennessee army, took part in the Atlanta campaign, and at Jonesborough was
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wounded in the right arm. After having passed a short time at home on forlough he joined the army at Tupelo, Miss., went with it to the Carolinas, and took part at Bentonville and in several minor battles. After the restoration of peace he returned to the old homestead in Cherokee county and has been employed in farming every since. The farm comprises 320 acres of fertile land, beside which Mr. Williamson is the owner of other land nearer Cedar Bluff, the home being about a mile and a half from the town. He is also a stockholder in the Cedar Bluff Land, Mining & Manu- facturing company, and also runs a cotton-gin and mill at Cedar Bluff. Mr. Williamson was united in marriage at Cedar Bluff, in December, 1875, to Miss Mary J. Camp, who died in June, 1890, the mother of seven children, named as follows: Josie, Charlie, Belle, Bertha, Divi, Clifton and John. The second marriage of Mr. Williamson took place at Cedar Bluff in February, 1891, to Miss Alice J. Smith, to which union no children have yet been born. The parents of D. N. Williamson were George J. and Martha J. ( Daniel ) Williamson-the latter being the widow of a gentleman named Langston at the time of her marriage with Mr. Williamson, to whom she bore three children, viz. : Thomas J., now of Rome, Ga .; Emma C., wife of J. S. Watt. of Cedar Bluff, and D. N. Williamson. The father of George J. Williamson came from Rutherford county, N. C., to Alabama in 1836, and settled in Cherokee county, where he ended his days. George J. was born in Georgia, but was married in Cherokee county in 1840, and died in 1859. D. N. Williamson is & master Mason, in politics is a democrat, and as a citizen is looked upon as being one of the best in the county.
B. F. WOOD, the eldest of the family of eight children born to Richard W. and Ludicia (Tucker) Wood, is a native of Cherokee county, Ala., and was born December 13, 1843, at Round Mountain. The father, Richard W., was born in Spartanburg, S. C., but when a young man went to Newton county, Ga., where he passed several years. In 1840 he came to Alabama and taught school in Cherokee, Tallapoosa and Talla- dega counties, but finally settled near the place where his son B. F., now has his residence. He was first married in Talladega county, Ala., to a Miss Childers, who bore him two children- one of whom, Georgia A., is now Mrs. Prince, of Bell county,
Tex. £ His second marriage took place in Cherokee county Ala., to Miss Ludicia Tucker, and this union was blessed by the birth of eight children, in the following order: B. F., with whose name this para- graph is started; Mary C., married to William Arthur, of Lookout Moun- tain, Cherokee county, Ala .; Sarah A., wife of James Vaughn, also of Lookout Mountain; Reuben T. Wood, Cherokee county, Ala. ; James W., of Gaylesville, Ala .; Malvina, now Mrs. Henry Cox, of Lookout Mountain; Alabama C., wife of John McEnery, of the same place, and John Forrest, deceased. The father of this family followed school teaching as a voca- tion and was well known throughout the county; he was a whig in politics
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and in religion a Methodist, in which faith he died in June, 1870; his widow still resides in Cherokee county. B. F. Wood was quite a young man when the Civil war broke forth, but, fired with patriotic ardor, he at once enlisted in company B, of Forrest's cavalry, and served through- out the conflict until taken prisoner. His first engagement was at Green- ville, Ky .; he was also in the Fort Donelson fight, but made his escape when the garrison surrendered; he was accidentally shot in the foot just before the battle of Shiloh opened, and on recovering joined Gen. Joe Wheeler's cavalry at Columbia, Tenn .; took part in the battle of Shelby- ville, where with 1,000 others, he was taken prisoner and sent to Louis- ville, thence to Camp Chase, Ohio, to Fort Delaware, to Point Lookout, and finally to Elmira, N. Y., where he was confined until after peace had been declared-his detention lasting from the date of his capture, June 27, 1863, until his release June 18, 1865. Since the close of the war Mr. Wood has resided on his farm of 340 acres, three miles northwest of Ceder Bluff, and the tidiness and general appearance of the place give evidence that he knows how to manage it. In politics Mr. Wood is a solid democrat and is active in his work for the welfare of that party and has the full confidence of its members. In 1884 he was elected county tax collector and served one term of four years; in 1892 he was the nomi- nee on the straight democratic ticket for probate judge, but was defeated by a coalition. He is a master Mason, a member of Gaylesville lodge, No. 256; he is also a steward in the Methodist Episcopal church, south, Mr. Wood was happily married, November 22, 1868, to Miss Sarah E. Dean, who has borne him nine children, of whom five are living, viz. : Florence E., John F., Dora M., Minnie H., and Hoyt Mc.
CHILTON COUNTY.
BENJAMIN J. BALDWIN was born in Montgomery county, Ala., November 3, 1822, and attended school in his neighborhood until he was about eighteen years old, when he entered the university of Virginia, where he remained two years, after which time, he returned to Mont- gomery, Ala., where he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He practiced law only about one year, when his health became bad, and he moved to the country, abandoned the practice of law and engaged in farming. Mr. Baldwin has considerable landed interest in Montgomery, Bullock and Chilton counties. He has proven himself a skillful and suc- cessful farmer. In 1874, he moved from Bullock county to Verbena, Chilton county, where he has resided ever since. He is a public spirited citizen, has been a delegate to many state and county conventions. He was married first in February, 1845, to Antoinette L. Alford, daughter of the late Julius C. Alford of Georgia. She died in 1849, leaving no living children. He was married the second time, in 1854, to Mrs. Martha J. > Jones, whose maiden name was Barnett, and by her he had five children,
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of whom, but two survive, to wit, Dr. B. J. Baldwin of Montgomery and Frank B. Baldwin of Verbena. Mr. Baldwin's father was named William and he married Celia Fitzpatrick, sister of the late Governor Fitzpatrick, of Alabama. Mr. B. J. Baldwin, the subject of this notice, is the only one of his father's family now living. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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