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 87
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Prestwood; James; John E., of Geneva; Henry; Virginia; Annette. Mr. Flitcher has ever since coming to Alabama lived in Covington county, and for thirty years on his present farm. He owns 800 acres of land in different tracts and has 130 acres cleared. For about three years he was a merchant at Andalusia, and for many years was in the saw mill business. He now has a grist mill. He has been in public life for many years. He was constable in 1853; justice of the peace in 1859; tax assessor and collector in 1864; superintendent of education in 1868; tax collector in 1871; county commissioner in 1871-72-73; and probate judge from 1874 to 1880. He has since than been justice of the peace for some time. He is a member of farmers' alliance, No. 960. He has been secretary and is now one of the executive committee. He was before the war a whig, but since that party became extinct he has been a democrat. During the civil war he was not subject to military duty, having had asthma for the last forty years. His wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, having joined that church in 1860. Mr. Fletcher is one of the oldest settlers in the county, is the only one of his father's family who came here, and he is well known and highly respected by all.
RUSSELL RAVENEL GANTT, farmer and timberman, of Beat No. 1, and was born in Lexington, S. C., in 1828. He is a son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Gunter) Gantt, the former born in Newberry district, S. C., in 1802, and the latter in Lexington district, S. C., in 1806. They spent all of their lives in South Carolina, the former dying in 1877, and the latter in 1887. He was a farmer and a lumberman, was industrious and pros- perous, and accumulated considerable property. He was in early life a militia officer, served in the Florida war, and took some active part in the late war, but did not go into the field. He was in religion, a Universalist. His father was Joseph Gantt, a native of Newberry district, where he died. He had one son in the Revolutionary war. His father was of Scotch-Irish origin, but came from Germany to America in colonial times. Russell Gunter, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of one of the Carolinas, was a farmer by occupation, was in the war of 1812, was of German ancestry, served for some years as justice of the peace, raised a large family of daughters, only one son, and died in Lexington district at a very advanced age. Russell R. Gantt, was the third in a family of seven sons and six daughters. He was the only one who came . to Covington county, but all of the sons but one were in the late war: Caswell, who was in company C, Twentieth South Carolina infantry, was captured in Virginia and confined a time as prisoner of war; Russell R .; Ulysses G., served in the artillery and was captured near Atlanta, and was in Camp Chase until after the surrender; Elijah Monroe, was in a South Carolina regiment and served in South Carolina most of the war; Adolphus, was in company I, Twentieth South Carolina infantry, a short time, serving in South Carolina; Israel, was in company I, and afterward in company F, First South Carolina, and served in the army in Virginia,
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Virginia, dying during the early part of the war; Joseph, died young. R. R. Gantt, in March, 1861, joined the Twenty-second South Carolina, was crippled on James Island, and spent the summer at home, on furlough. In the fall he rejoined his company in Virginia, and fought at Kingston, N. C., also at the siege of Petersburg, at Cold Harbor, and was in many minor engagements. He was wounded in the head by a shell at Bermuda Hundred, and his life was nearly despaired of for fifteen days, but in July he rejoined his company, and in the explosion at Petersburg he was again wounded by a minie ball, which disabled him for the rest of the war. In June, 1863, his brigade, under Gen. Evans, was sent to reinforce Gen. Pem- berton, at Vicksburg. but reached there just before the city fell, and then retreated to Jackson, fought there and afterward returned to Georgia, and then to Charleston, spent the winter on Sullivan Island, and in the spring went to Virginia. After the war had ended, he returned to farming and milling, and in 1872 moved to Covington county, where he has since lived, engaged in farming, and to some extent in milling. He has lived on his present farm ten years, six miles northeast of Andalusia, where he owns eight hundred acres of land, besides which, he also owns several hundred acres in several small tracts. While he has always been a democrat, he has never been a politician nor office seeker. He is one of the leading farmers of the county, and is industrious, honest and popular. In 1858, he married Elizabeth Gantt, daughter of Israel Gantt, our subject's father and Israel Gantt being cousins. Israel and Martha Gantt were also natives of South Carolina, but came to Covington county about 1870, and there lie buried. Mrs. Gantt was born in Lexington district, S. C., and died June 11, 1892. She was a Missionary Baptist, and was the mother of five children, four of whom are living, viz .: Pollard, Joanna, wife of Wesley Garvin; Pickens and Burnett.
PRESTON J. GANTT, a planter and lumberman of River Falls, was born in Lexington district, S. C., in 1854. He is a son of Alfred and Sarah Anne (Jackson) Gantt, both of whom were natives of the same dis- trict in South Carolina. There they were educated and lived until 1867, when they removed to Covington county, Ala., and lived at Hamptonville for some years, but are now living at Evergreen. Mr. Gantt is about sixty-four years of age, and his wife about fifty-five. He is a Presby- terian, and she a Baptist. In South Carolina he was engaged in the manufacture of lumber for some years, but is now principally engaged in farming. He has always been energetic and prosperous. Early in the war he volunteered in the Confederate army as a private soldier, and participated in many of the most important battles of the war. On October 19, 1863, he was captured in northern Virginia and imprisoned at Point Lookout, Md., till June, 1865. He was neither wounded, nor captured, nor diseased while in the service. Upon his return home he found everything dilapidated and to a great degree destroyed, it having been in the line of Sherman's march to the sea. His father, Zebulon
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Gantt, died in Lexington district, when the subject of this sketch was a boy. He was of Scotch descent, was a lumberman by occupation. He had two sons and six daughters, the two sons both serving in the war. Clement Jackson, the maternal grandfather, was also a native of Lexing- ton district, was a farmer and merchant, raised a large family, had four sons in the late war, and died in Barnwell district, S. C. James, who now resides in South Carolina, served all through the war, was shot in the left leg, and lost its use; Middleton was shot through the shoulder, and died in the hospital in Virginia; J. P. was shot in the left arm and lost its use. He now resides in South Carolina. Preston J. Gantt is the eldest of three sons and six daughters, viz .: Anne, wife of Lawrence J. Salter; Eliza J., wife of Shehane Gant, of Evergreen; Anderson; Donie, wife of Harry Burt, of Evergreen, and three others who died young. Mr. Gantt was securing a good education, which was cut short by the war. He came with his parents to Alabama, and remained with them till he was twenty-three years old, when he began working at the timber business, and is now superintendent of the shipping department of the Frierson mills. He also is engaged in farming, owning 1,200 acres of land, covered for the most part with fine pine timber. In 1879 he married Lena, daughter of William and Mary Dunson, natives of Georgia, where Mr. Dunson died. Mrs. Dunson afterward removed to Alabama, and died in Troy. Mrs. Gantt was born in Georgia, and has three children. Mr. Gant is a member of the Andalusia lodge, No. 434, F. & A. M. He was a charter member, and was treasurer a good many years. He is of good family, and stands high amongst his neighbors and friends.
WILLIAM T. KNOWLES, farmer and timberman of Beat No. 2, was born at Clay Hill, Pike county, Ala., in October, 1832. He is a son of Richard and Martha Jane (Oliver) Knowles, the former a native of Geor- gia, and the latter of Ora, Laurens county, S. C. Both of these people came with their respective parents to Alabama at an early day, married in Pike county, and removed Coffee county in 1842, where Mr. Knowles died in September, 1890, lacking only twenty days of being one hundred years old. His wife died in 1886. She was a member of the Missionary . Baptist church from her youth up. Mr. Knowles was a prosperous farmer all his life, always industrious, enterprising, and active in public affairs; courteous, genial and generous till his deatlı. He was one of a family of five sons and three daughters born to Richard Linsey Knowles, a Georgian by birth who at an early day removed to Alabama, settling at Clay Hill where he died before the war. He was a wealthy planter, was a self- made man, though uneducated, and of Irish parentage. His wife also died at Clay Hill. William Oliver, grandfather of our subject on the mother's side, was raised an orphan boy in South Carolina. He married in this state and came to Pike county, Ala., and thence to Montgomery county, where he died, at a great age, after the war. He was a wealthy planter, was in the Indian war with Mr. Knowles, and raised a large family. He
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was married twice, and both wives died in Montgomery county. William T. Knowles was the eldest of four sons and six daughters, only five of whom are living, the subject being the only one in this county. He was reared on the farm, and at the age of seventeen engaged in teaming for his father, with whom he remained until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1855 he married Matilda, daughter of Allen Daniel, a Georgian. Mrs. Knowles had two children, and died in Coffee county before the war. These children were Richard, and Willie Elizabeth, wife of Jasper Thompson. Mr. Knowles was married, the second time, to Pollie E., daughter of Bradford C. and Mary Carter, both natives of Georgia, whence they removed to Coffee county, Ala., and where Mr. Carter died in 1888, Mrs. Carter is still living. Mrs. Knowles was born in Georgia and is the mother of six children. The first and second born died in infancy; William; Florence; Horace; Clara. In July, 1861, Mr. Knowles joined company B, of Hilliard's legion, and spent three months at Mont- gomery, and then some months at Chattanooga. He went then to Knox- ville and Cumberland Gap, then through the Kentucky campaign and back to Knoxville and to Missionary Ridge. He then went to Virginia with Longstreet and fought in the Wilderness and at the siege of Peters- burg. He was captured at Hatcher's Run thirteen days before the sur- render of Lee, and was a prisoner at Point Lookout three months and thirteen days, when he was discharged at Mobile, and returned to his home. He was never wounded in the whole time of his service, although he participated in many hard fought battles and skirmishes. He then engaged in farming in Coffee county about a year, and then in milling at Greenville about a year, then in Wilcox county one year. and then in Conecuh county a year. Since then he has been engaged in the same business in Covington county, and for twenty-one years at his present location. His business has been all this time, farming, milling and cutting timber. He owns about 5,000 acres of timber land individually, and owns in connection with James A. Prestwood about 1,600 acres of timber land. Mr. Knowles started in life after the war with nothing and is now one of the most extensive land owner in the county. He has been active and industrious and has always given strict attention to his own affairs. He was a justice of the peace for eighteen years consecutively until 1890, when he declined longer service. He has never sought office. One of the peculiarities of Mr. Knowles is that he has never shaved, and during the war he never had his hair cut, and at the close of the conflict it extended below his waist. Mr. Knowles is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and is one of the reliable and substantial men of the county.
BENJAMIN H. LEWIS, attorney at law at Andalusia, was born in Pike county, Ala., in 1855. He is a son of Benjamin H. and Emily (Glawson) Lewis, the former a native of Henry county, Ala., the latter of Houston 46
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county, Ga. Mrs. Lewis came to Pike county with her parents when she was twelve years old, married and remained there the rest of her life. Mr. Lewis died September 15, 1882, and Mrs. Lewis May 29, 1890. Both were members of the Missionary Baptist church. He was a millwright by occupation, and was a patentee and proprietor of the Lewis wheel. He was major of Pike county state troops before the war, and when the war broke out he raised a company known as the Brundidge Guards, and with them joined the famous Fifteenth Alabama infantry, commanded by William C. Oates. This company was one of the best and ablest of the Alabama troops, being especially selected for their fine physique and courage. There were but three married men in the company. It fought all through the war, and first under Beauregard in the first bat- tle of Bull Run. Mr. Lewis fought bravely until the fall of 1861, when he was taken sick and removed to a hospital, where he remained nearly all winter, and in the spring of 1862 he resigned and returned home. After his recovery he served in the state troops until the close of the var. He was a prominent Mason, a member of Harrison lodge, No. 246, at Henderson, Ala. He was also a royal arch Mason. He took great interest in educational matters. He was the only son of John Lewis, a native of North Carolina, who removed to Alabama at a very early day, when it was yet a territory. He died at what is now Geneva, April, 1873, aged sixty-three. He had served in Floyd's army against the Indians in Georgia and Alabama and for several years in the regular army, taking great delight in that kind of life. James Glawson, the maternal grand- father of Benjamin H. Lewis, was a native of Ireland, and his wife was a Miss Bowers, daughter of the well known Ben Bowers, the famous hatter, the first marshal of Troy, Ala. He died in Pike county, Ala., at the age of ninety-three. Mr. Glawson was a farmer, raised a family of seven or eight children, and died at Henderson, Ala. Benjamin H. Lewis was the fourth of nine children, viz .: James L., of Coffee county; John T., of San Antonio, Texas, both of them saw-mill men; Josephine, deceased; Benjamin H .; Jesse B., of Henderson, Pike county; Anna G., wife of William O. Copeland, of Brundidge, Ala .; Arabelle C., wife of G. F. Emerson, of Geneva, Ala. ; Ella E., wife of Charles M. Logan, of Hender- son, Ala., and one other child which died in infancy. Benjamin H. was reared on a farm, received an academic education at Troy, and remained at home until he was twenty-three years old. He then taught school two years, and read law with Hon. W. D. Roberts, of Elba, Ala., and in May, 1882, was admitted to the bar. After practicing at Elba a short time he removed to Andalusia, where he now has a fine practice. He has author- ity to practice in all the courts of the state, and in the Federal court at Montgomery, and is the leading lawyer of his county. He is not a poli- tician and has rarely sought office. Considering all things, the success of Mr. Lewis in life is something remarkable. He started in life with nothing, being somewhat in debt when he came to Andalusia. Since then,
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by industry, economy and perseverance, he has not only paid his debts but has in addition accumulated a considerable property, owning now more than 800 acres of land in Pike, Crenshaw and Covington counties, some of it being fine pine timbered land. Besides all this, he has a fine home in Andalusia. On March 28. 1881, he met with a misfortune, which came near being fatal, falling and maiming his right arm for life. He is one · of the able, prosperous and popular men of Covington county, and is very highly esteemed.
NORMAN MCINTOSH, planter of Beat No. 6, Covington county, Ala., was born in Greene county, Ala., in 1843. He is a son of John and Dorcas (Shiver) McIntosh, the former a native of Scotland, the latter of Georgia. John McIntosh, when about fifteen years old, was brought to the United States by his parents, who lived in South Carolina until 1818 and then removed to Alabama, settling in Barbour county, where the father of Norman married, and subsequently moved to Greene county. Here he lived until about 1854, when he removed to Coffee county and died there in 1865. His widow is still living, aged eighty-two years. She has for many years been a member of the Missionary Baptist church, Mr. McIntosh followed overseeing in early life, and later he became a farmer and was a very successful one. He was a hard-working man, and was one of a large family born to Angus McIntosh, who as previously stated came to this country from Scotland, in 1798, he and his wife both dying in South Carolina. Jackson Shiver, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was probably a Georgian by birth, but he became a very early settler in Barbour county, Ala. Here he died when Mrs. McIntosh was a little girl. His widow died in Coffee county, having lived some years with Mr. McIntosh. Norman McIntosh was one of thirteen children. only five of whom are living. Four of the sons were in the late war, viz. : John, who enlisted in the first company raised in Coffee county, died at Island No. 10; Kinreth, who was in the same company with his brother John, and who was killed on picket duty at Memphis, Tenn .; William, who served as a private soldier four years in the western army; and Nor- man who, in December, 1862, joined company A, from Brundidge in Hilliard's legion. He served in the Virginia army, and fought in nearly all the prominent engagements fought by that army from that time until Longstreet went to Tennessee, when he accompanied that general, and returned with him to Virginia. He was wounded near Richmond and was furloughed home for sixty days. Afterward he traded positions with a comrade and joined Clanton's command in Alabama, and served at Pollard until the close of the war. After the war he became engaged in farming in Coffee county, where he remained until the year 1870, since when he has been engaged in the same business in Covington county, and he has also been engaged in the timber business for some years. Com- mencing after the war with nothing, he now owns in two tracts about one thousand acres of good farming land. He is one of the leading farmers
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of the county, and is one of the most industrious and enterprising citizens. In 1877 he was married to Amanda, daughter of Raymond and Mary Jane Nixon, both natives of Georgia. They were married in Georgia, moved thence to West Florida, and from there to Covington county, Ala., in 1861, where Mr. Nixon died in 1876, Mrs. Nixon still living. Mrs. McIntosh was born in Georgia and has five children. Mr. McIntosh is a member of Andalusia lodge, No. 434, F. & A. M. and stands well in the community, esteemed by all his neighbors and friends.
ROBERT H. MILLER, of the firm of Cawthorn, O'Neal & Miller, timber manufacturers, Covington county, Ala., was born in Escambia county, in 1864. He is a son of Robert H. and Carrie C. (Floyd) Miller, the former a native of Georgia, the latter of Escambia county, Ala. Mr. Miller received a good common school education and came to Escambia county, where he married and has since resided. He was in the late war, and is a prosperous farmer. His wife died in 1882. She was a daughter of Thomas Floyd, who was one of the early settlers of Escambia county, where he spent the rest of his life, dying about the time Robert H. was born. He raised a family of two sons and two daughters. Robert H., was the youngest of six sons and six daughters, viz .: Thomas R. and George, both of whom were in the late war, the latter dying of measles. at Fort Pickens: Mary, widow of Henry Clements; Frances, wife of John Clements; Sis, wife of James Kennedy; Jane, wife of Briant Mansel; Margaret, deceased wife of James Mansel; John of Texas; Delaney, wife of Hezekiah Howerton; William; W. R., and Robert H. During his minority he had in all about three months schooling, and upon attaining his majority he worked as a laborer at any thing he could find to do. For about two years he was engaged in the logging business in Escambia. county, and in 1880 he came to Covington county and purchased what is now the Lindsey, Simmons & Bro.'s mill, which he operated about three years alone, when he took in a brother for a partner for about two years. He then engaged in merchandising for about two years at Castleberry, after which he purchased an interest in his present mill with James A. Prestwood, and subsequently became sole proprietor, and still later the present firm was formed. The mill belonging to this firm is one of the best in the county, having a yearly capacity of from 12,000 to 14,000 pieces. The mill is connected with the Conecuh river by a pole road on which is run a pole engine to haul the timber to the river, a distance of about five miles. This firm owns about 1,200 acres of timber land. Beside his interest in the milling business, Mr. Miller also owns a farm of about 400 acres, on which he resides. While he started poor, and while he is yet a young man, he is nevertheless one of the best equipped men in the county. He possesses rare business qualifi- cations, which together with his indomitable will and indefatigable energy must necessarily carry him forward to any success he may desire. In 1880 he married Mrs. Rosetta Webb ( née Dixon ;, who was born in.
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Escambia county, and who is the mother of two children. Mr. Miller is not a politician, but still he performs his duty as a member of his party; and for his many excellent qualities he is highly esteemed by all.
WILLIAM J. MOSELEY, clerk of the circuit court of Covington county, was born in Talledega county, Ala., April 19, 1840. He is a son of John and Anne (Dean) Moseley, the former born in Georgia in 1810, and the latter in Talledega county, Ala., about 1818. Mr. Moseley was brought up on a farm, was well educated, following farming for a livelihood, and was tax collector of Dallas county, where he lived for twenty-four years before his death in 1888. He was a member of the primitive Baptist church, as is his widow, who is still living in Dallas county. Grandfather Elijah Moseley was a native of Georgia, but removed to Alabama in 1820. settling in Dallas county, where he died before William J. was born. He was a pioneer, served in the Indian war, and raised a family of six- teen children. The maternal grandfather, Jared Dean, was born and died in Talledega county. William J. Moseley was the third of a family of twelve children. One brother, Rev. P. L. Moseley, now of Ozark, a minister of the Missionary Baptist church, was in the cavalry service during the late war, and was slightly wounded at Four Mile creek, near Mobile. William J. was reared on a farm with but limited advantages for securing an education in early life; but later on he took an academic course finishing at Marlin, Tex., in 1876. In March, 1861, he joined com- pany C, Fifth Alabama infantry, spent a short time at Montgomery, when he went to Virginia and fought in the first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, his first fight, and then at Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor and Malvern Hill, where he was wounded five times and lost his left leg. He was then taken to Richmond, where he was taken care of by a cousin for a short time and then taken home. In 1863 he was elected tax assessor of Dallas county, and the same fall was appointed revenue collector, and held both positions till the surrender, when he was relieved by Federal authority. In 1866 he was again elected tax assessor and held the office till the fall of 1868. In 1871 he went to Texas and taught school and also attended school until 1877. when he went to Montgomery, La., on Red river, where he taught school for eight years. In 1886 he came to Covington county, Ala., and taught school till 1889, when he was appointed clerk of the circuit court, which position he still retains. He was married February 1, 1886, to Cynthia, daughter of Kent Tillis. Mrs. Moseley was born in Coffee county, Ala., and both she and her husband are members of the Missionary Baptist church. Mr. Moseley is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is also a member of the farmer's alliance.
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