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 89
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matters, and was in religion a member of the Primitive Baptist church. His father, Windal Taylor, was probably born in North Carolina, but was one of the first settlers in southern Alabama. He settled in what is now Crenshaw county, while the woods were full of Indians, wolves and bears. He was a farmer, raised a large family, and died before the subject's recollection. His widow died at a great age, just before the war. The maternal grandfather of Windal W., Silas Carter. was also one of the first settlers of southern Alabama, and both he and his wife died before the recollection of our subject. The mother of Windal W. Taylor died in 1888, and was the mother of six children, who reached mature years, viz. : Elizabeth, deceased wife of Samuel Rogers, of Texas; Wil- liam, joined the army, but was rejected, and was killed during the war on a train near Mobile; Mary, wife of Allen Driskell, of Clarke county; Windal W .; Washington, a private soldier in the Forty-second Alabama infantry, who took sick and died during the siege of Vicksburg; John J., who was in the service a short time. In March, 1861, our subject mar- ried Matilda A., daughter of John W. and Eliza Jones, who were early settlers in Covington county, where they still live. Mr. Jones was all through the war, a private soldier in the Forty-second Alabama infantry. Mrs. Taylor was born in Covington county, and died in October, 1889. She was the mother of eleven children, ten of whom are living, viz. : John W .; Florence, wife of William Caton; Mary, wife of J. T. Hardidge; Rebecca, wife of James Dunn; William Windal; James; Samuel T., deceased; Augusta; Alonzo; Hughey, and Matilda Alice. Mr. Taylor was married, in 1890, to Nancy Wiggins, who has borne him one child, Viney Lee. Soon after his first marriage, Mr. Taylor joined company B, Eighteenth Alabama infantry, recruited at Auburn, and spent the first few months on the coast at Mobile. He was sent to Mobile, fought all the way down to Atlanta in front of Sherman, back with Hood to Ten- nessee, and on the retreat to Mississippi, and at Fort Blakely, and at Spanish Fort, where he surrendered, in the spring of 1865. He was not wounded nor captured until the final surrender, and saw nearly four years of hard service. After the war he resumed farming and milling. He purchased the mill of his father on the farm on which he now lives. His present grist mill he built about twenty years ago. He owns over 400 acres of land, all of which he himself acquired by his industry and energy. He was county commissioner, in the third district, for ten years just prior to 1888. He is a member of the Primitive Baptist church, and ranks among the best citizens of Covington county.
CRENSHAW COUNTY.
JOHN D. BAILEY, farmer of Beat No. 3, was born in Columbus, Ga., in 1836. He is a son of Dawson and Louisa Bailey, natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married and soon after removed to Columbus, Ga.,
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where they both died, the mother when John D. was an infant, the father about a year later. Both were liberally educated and were Presbyte- rians. Mr. Bailey was a machinist by trade and occupation. John D. Bailey was the youngest of three brothers, viz .: Stephen, who went north at the breaking out of the war and has not been heard of since. Duncan, a farmer of Barbour county, Ala .. was a lieutenant in the late war, and John D. The latter was raised on a farm by relatives and by James Moore, Chambers county, Ala, receiving a good education at West Point. He began life for himself when a mere youth, beginning at such work as he could find to do. In 1856 he came to what is now Crenshaw county and engaged in farming. At the breaking out of the war he joined company B, Fourteenth Alabama infantry, serving in the Virginia army. His first fight was at the first battle of Manassas. He served continuously with Lee's army from the first to the last, fighting in all the principal battles of that army. He was wounded in the thigh at Fredericksburg and at Gettysburg he lost the little finger of his left hand. After this battle he was home on furlough thirty days. His posi- tion was that of sergeant. He surrendered with Lee at Appomattox, and came to Atlanta with his brigadier general, H. Clay King, who was sentenced to be hanged for the murder in Memphis, Tenn., of D. H. Poston, but now serving in the penitentiary at Nashville on a commu- tation of sentence by Gov. Buchanan of that state. After the war he resumed farming, and in the fall of 1866 married Serena, daughter of Simeon R. and Linnie A. May, natives of Alabama, where Mrs. Clay still lives, aged about sixty-six. Mr. May was a farmer, served in the late war, was a Mason, and died in 1879. Mrs. Bailey was born in the vicinity and is the mother of ten children, as follows: Wilhelmina. wife of Robert H. Webster; John; Mollie, wife of Clay Bright; Herbert; Cordelia, deceased; Lizzie, Viola, Lula, Edward and Robert. Mr. Bailey has lived in the same neighborhood since 1856, and since the war on his present farm of about 400 acres, mostly under cultivation. He has acquired all his prop- erty by his own exertions, has always been a farmer, has never held nor aspired to hold an office. He became a member of Helicon lodge, No. 201, F. & A. M., in 1858, now Lapine lodge. He has been a Methodist from his youth, while his wife is a Baptist, as were also her parents. She was one of a family of eleven children, ten of whom are living, Both Mr. Bailey and wife are exemplary members of society and are highly respected.
J. M. BARNES, a Christian minister, and president of Highland Home college, was born in Montgomery county, Ala., February 10, 1836. He is a son of Alkana and Mary (Lumpkin) Barnes, the former born in Prince George's county, Md., in 1797, and the latter in Lancaster county, S. C., in 1811. Mr. Barnes was reared from the age of seven years in Edgefield district, S. C., receiving a limited education, and afterward moving to Montgomery county, Ala., where he was one of the early settlers. He
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married and spent the rest of his life in Montgomery county, dying December 18, 1861, and Mrs. Barnes dying August 25, 1891 at Highland Home. Both were members of the Christian church, she from 1828 and was reputed to be one of the best bible scholars of the day. She was a very active and influential christian worker. Mr. Barnes was a carpenter, built the first mill and the first two court houses in Butler county, and many houses in Montgomery county. He accumulated a considerale for- tune by working at the bench, and afterward became an extensive planter; he was a man of great independence and was very proud of his native state. His father, Henry Barnes, was also born in Prince George's county, whence he removed to South Carolina, where he died. His father was a native of Holland, and served as a captain in the Revolutionary war. The maternal grandfather of J. M. Barnes, Thomas Lumpkin, was born in Virginia and removed to South Carolina, where he married, and at an early date removed to Montgomery county, Ala., living some years above Montgomery and also some years in the twenties in what has since been known as Lumpkin Hall, near Strata, where he died about 1838. He was a well educated nian, a practical and prosperous farmer, a man of great influence and active in public matters. J. M. Barnes was the third of two sons and four daughters, viz .: Lumpkin; Jane, died in infancy; J. M .; Mirianna, deceased; Frances M., widow of the late Col. M. L. Kirkpatrick; Mary E., wife of Prof. Samuel Jordan, of Highland Home college. J. M. Barnes was reared on a farm in the woods. He received his early education at home and in the vicinity, graduating from Bethany college, Va. He then engaged in teaching at Strata, Ala., where he taught until his father's death, after which he took charge of the estate until the close of the war. He again engaged in teaching at Strata, where he built up a splendid school and associated himself with his two brothers- in-law, mentioned above. Not finding Strata congenial to their health, they, in 1881, removed their school to Rocky Mount, where they founded Highland Home institute, which began its first session on the first Mon- day in November, 1881, with about seventy pupils, which number was increased to over 100 the first year. The school steadily in- creased in patronage and successs until 1889, when it was formally chartered as Highland Home college, with Prof. J. M. Barnes as president, Prof. Samuel Jordan as principal, and Col. M. L. Kirkpatrick in charge of the preparatory department. The main building is 50x100 feet in size. There is a fine campus of eight acres surrounding the buildings. This college is in a prosperous condition and is one of the most popular educational institutions in the state. It has been built up solely by the efforts of the above named three persons. Prof. Barnes has been regu- larly ordained minister of the Christian church since 1865, and has organized and helped to support more churches than any other person in the state. He is known for his energetic working in the cause of religion and also of education. During the last year of the war he belonged to
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the state troops and was stationed at Pollard for a few months; but was not called into active service. He was married in 1869 to Miss Lucy R. Culler, daughter of John and Ruth Culler; the latter of whom was born at Cusseta, Ala., but who was reared and educated in South Carolina. She died March 10, 1877, leaving one son, Prof. E. R. Barnes, now a professor in the college. In 1879 Prof. Barnes married Ethel, daughter of Rev. John and Sally Rawdon, natives of South Carolina, whence they removed to Alabama. Mr. Rawdon was a Baptist minister for many years, and a wealthy planter. He died at Childersburg, in 1861. His widow is still living. Mrs. Barnes was born and educated at Talledega and is the mother of six children.
JOHN W. BEALL, a prominent merchant of Luverne, was born in Russell county, Ala., in 1856. He is a son of Samuel P. and Susan . (Lawhorn) Beall, the former of whom was born in Abbeville district, S. C., in 1826, and the latter in Georgia, opposite Eufaula, Ala., in 1836. She received a liberal education. Mr. Beall went with his parents to Muskogee county, Ga., and worked for some years in the Muskogee gin factory. He married and lived in Georgia until 1855, when be removed. to Russell county, Ala., and there engaged in farming until 1857, when he removed to Elba, Coffee county, and continued farming until 1866. He then removed to Crenshaw county, where he followed merchandising until 1874, when he returned to Elba, and there followed merchandising until his death, in 1882. He was an enterprising and successful merchant and business man, always working for the good of the community, and his party. He was a Mason from the time he was twenty-two years old, and a prominent Baptist for many years. His father was born in 1788, and removed from Abbeville district, S. C., to Muskogee county, Ga., after- ward coming with his son to Alabama, where he died, aged ninety-three. His wife died when she was about eighty years old. Mr. Samuel P. Beall did some light service during the last two years of the late war. He was not himself subject to field duty, but had three brothers who performed active service in the field, viz .: Joshua, who was a private soldier in the Fifty-third Alabama mounted infantry through all the war in the Virginia army, and now resides in Bullock, Crenshaw county; William W., served in the army until his death, in 1862; George P., served all through the war in the army of Virginia, was then a merchant in New Orleans for some years, and is now deceased. Mrs. Beall, who is still living at Elba, had four brothers in the Virginia army. Her father and mother died in Georgia, where they reared a large family. John W. Beall is the eldest of a family of four sons and eight daughters, the others being Mary, wife of J. J. Hammond, of Elba; Sallie; Emma, wife of J. M. Beard, of Brantley; Laura, wife of L. D. Ogletree, of Troy; Ella, wife of Ham Tatum, of Troy; James H., Duke, Minnie, and three others who died young. John W. was reared principally at Elba and Bullock, and gradu- 47
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
ated from Moore's commercial college at Atlanta, Ga. In 1878, he engaged in business with his father, under the firm name of S. P. Beall & Sor, which firm prospered until the death of the father, when the subject carried on the business alone with success at Elba, until 1889, when he removed to Luverne. Here he has since been recognized as one of the leading merchants of the place, transacting a business of about $75,000 per year. He is also the owner of 1,600 acres of fine timbered and farming lands in Coffee county. His father started in 1866, with $2,500, and in 1874, lost $4,500 by fire at Bullock, and a few years later lost $9.500 by fire at Elba. Mr. Beall is a thorough-going business man, and is otherwise well adapted to his calling. In 1880, he married Mary, daughter of Angus Vaughan, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Beall was born and educated at Elba, and has five children liv- ing. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. Beall is a member of the Luverne lodge, No. 488, F. & A. M., and was once W. M. of Elba lodge, No. 170. He is a member of Thomas M. Bragg chapter, No. 99, R. A. M., at Rutledge, and he is P. V. C. C. of Luverne lodge, No. 84, K. of P. Mr. Beall's associations indicate the standing in society which he maintains, showing that he is one of the most popular and highly respected citizens of Crenshaw county.
JOSEPH W. BRADLEY, general merchant and lumberman of Bradleyton was born at Arcadia, Montgomery county, Ala., in November, 1352. He is a son of Durham and Elizabeth (Le Flore) Bradley, natives of South Carolina, but who when young removed to Alabama, where they were brought up in the woods among the Indians without the advantages of an education. After marriage Mr. Bradley settled in the woods in Montgomery county, where he still resides, and is one of the oldest settlers of the county now living. He followed tanning and shoe-making many years, but later turned his attention to farming. He served some time in the late war. His father, John Bradley, came from South Carolina about 1828, settling in what is now Crenshaw county, where he died only a few years ago, aged nearly one hundred years. His wife died when Joseph W. was a boy. Grandfather Le Flore died in South Carolina, and his widow and her two children came to Alabama at an early day. The mother of Joseph W. Bradley reared a large family of children and died in 1865. He was the third of this family, and when his mother died, being then fourteen years old. left home and began life for himself. He spent a few years with his uncle, J. W. Le Flore, then went to Escambia county, where he married and lived twelve years and where he engaged in the timber business. Afterward he returned to Arcadia and engaged in merchandising in company with his brother, W. E., for two years. He then built a water mill a few miles west of where Bradleyton now is, where he established a post office called Bradleyton. This mill he operated until the railroad was built, when he moved to the railroad, engaged in merchandising and built a good steam saw mill, gin and grist
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CRENSHAW COUNTY.
mill, all of which he still operates, and witli success. His saw mill is one of the best paying mills in the county. He employs twelve men all the time and does an annual mercantile business of $30,00). He owns about 1,500 acres of land from which his saw-mill is supplied. He is one of the most energetic, through-going and progressive business men in the county and it is to these qualities that his success is due. He was the first railroad agent at Bradleyton and has been postmaster ever since the post office was established. He was married in 1875 to Martha, daughter of William and Mary Forshee, natives of Escambia county, where they spent all their lives. Mr. Forshee was a timber man. He was all through the war and was captured and imprisoned for some time. Mrs. Bradley was born in Escambia county and has one daughter. Her grandfather, Samuel McGowan, and his wife are, perhaps, the oldest couple in southern Alabama and are living in Escambia county and are nearly one hundred years old. They were among the first settlers of that county. Mr. McGowan was one of the wealthy men of the county, and has given his children a good education and a good start in life. Mrs. Bradley is a member of the Christian church. Mr. Bradley is a member of Helicon lodge, No. 201, at Lapine, F. & A. M.
DR. WILLIAM T. BURGAMY, practicing physician and surgeon of Rut- ledge, was born in Putnam county, Ga., in 1834. He was a son of John and Martha (Purifoy) Burgamy, both of whom were born in Georgia, the former in 1809 and the latter in 1814. They were both born in Georgia and spent their lives there, the latter dying in Spaulding county in 1856, the former in Fayette county in 1861. Botn of them were Methodists for many years. Mr. Burgamy was a successful and practical farmer, an old line whig; was a justice of the peace some years and a public-spirited man in many ways. His grandfather, William Burgamy, was of French ancestry, was a Revolutionary soldier and died in Georgia at an advanced age. Dr. William F.'s grandfather married three times, but of his son John but little is known. Grandfather Purifoy was of English descent, and died before the doctor was born. His wife, Martha, died at her grandson's house in Georgia, leaving a large family. Three of the sons were physicians and Methodist ministers, viz .: Archibald, Tillman and McCarroll. Dr. W. F. Burgamy was the second of ten sons and three daughters, viz. : Dr. Tillman P., who was educated in medicine at Jeffer- son Medical college, Philadelphia, and at Atlanta, Ga. He practiced medicine with success a good many years and died in 1891 at Birmingham, Ala. ; Dr. William F .; Eli G., who was in a Georgia regiment during the war and died at Savannah, Ga., in 1863; Rev. John C., who served in the Twelfth Georgia volunteers, Virginia army, and he is now a Methodist minister in Texas; James W., died during the war and nothing was ever heard of him; Emery G., a teacher in Texas; Matthew C., and McCarroll, twins, the latter dying young; McCarroll; an infant died too young to be named, and soon after its mother, the daughters were, Mary, deceased
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wife of Henry Scroggins; Martha J., wife of Elisha Kendall of Georgia; Pierce A., deceased wife of John McMullen, also deceased. Dr. William F. Burgamy was reared on the farm and received a good English and Latin education. He then read medicine with Dr. James Crouch at Griffin, Ga., and in 1854 and 1855 attended Jefferson Medical college and graduated in 1857 at Atlanta Medical college. The same year he came to Montgomery county and established himself in a practice there, remaining thus occu- pied two years. He then removed to what is now Crenshaw county and soon afterward to Rutledge, and has resided there ever since, with the exception of 1869 and 1870 when he was in Lowndes county. He is now one of the oldest practicing physicians in this vicinity, having practiced medicine thirty-five years continuously. He was married in 1860 to Sarah C., daughter of John C. Bellamy, a South Carolinian, who died in Florida. Mrs. Burgamy was born in Jefferson county, Fla., was a mem- ber of the Methodist Epispocal church, south, and died in 1889, leaving two children, viz. : Lulu A., wife of D. O. Shows, and Mollie, widow of John Jefcoe, deceased. Dr. Burgamy was married November 18, 1890, to Mildred Presley, daughter of William Presley, a native of Butler county, Ala., who served in the late war, and has been a farmer all his life. Early in 1861, Dr. Burgamy joined company B, Thirteenth Alabama infantry and served about eight months in the Virginia army as lieutenant, and then served about eight months in Hilliard's legion in the Tennessee army, when he was discharged on account of ill health. In 1864 there, was a call for all physicians, thirty years or over, who had practiced seven years, and under this call he served until the end of the war, a portion of the time in command of his company, but was not commissioned. During this time he was in a battle in northern Alabama, during the raid there, and this was the only battle in which he participated. After returning home he resumed his practice; he is a member of the State Medical asso- ciation and the State Medical society. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and are esteemed and useful members of society.
FRANCIS M. CODY, a prominent citizen of Rutledge, Ala., was born near where Luverne now stands in 1829. He is a son of John and Me- lissa W. (Hill) Cody, the former of whom was born in Warren county, Ga., in 1803, and the latter in Darlington district, S. C., in 1797.' Mrs. Cody was married three times, her first husband living about two months, and her second about two years, after marriage. They both died in South Carolina. She came to Pike county, Ala., where she and Mr. Cody were married, Mr. Cody having come to Alabama with his parents at a very early day, and being with them among the very first settlers of the state. Soon after his marriage he located in the woods near where Luverne now is, and improved a farm, and in 1856 removed to Butler county, but in 1861 returned to Pike county, dying in January that year. Mrs. Melissa Cody survived until 1882, when she died in Crenshaw county,.
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CRENSHAW COUNTY.
Ala., at the age of eighty-six. For many years he followed farming. and he also was for some time a bookkeeper, and also a merchant on his own account. He was of a large family born to John Cody, a native of Geor- gia, but who at a very early day came to Pike county, where he died about 1830. He was a farmer and had served in the war of 1812. His father was a direct descendant of one of three brothers who came from Ireland, and one of whom settled where Cleveland, Ohio, is now situated, and from this one the celebrated William F. Cody, Buffalo Bill, is a direct descendant. One of the three brothers went west and the other went to Georgia. Lewis Hill. the maternal grandfather of Francis M. Cody, was born in North Carolina, when young went to South Carolina, and still later, but yet at an early day, came to Alabama, located in Pike county, but afterward moved to Barbour county. Ala .. and died there about 1850, aged ninety years. He served as a soldier in the Revolution- ary war, was of Scotch descent, and raised a large family of children. Francis M. Cody was the eldest of a family of five sons and one daughter. The other members of the family were: George W .. who was in company C, Fifty-ninth Alabama infantry, and died at Knoxville, Tenn., after a few months' service; Jackson Van Buren was in the Seven- teenth Alabama infantry from May, 1861; Columbus Jefferson was a lieutenant in the same regiment from May, 1861, and died about 1883; Martin McComb served in a Charleston, S C., command from 1861, and now lives in Houston, Tex. ; Louisa, widow of William P. Harbin, who was a member of the Fifty-ninth Alabama infantry. Francis M. Cody was reared on a farm, was educated at the country schools in the vicin- ity, and finished his education at Helicon academy. He then clerked six years in Montgomery and then returned to Pike county and engaged in merchandising at Millville and Valleyton two years. He then engaged in farming until the breaking out of the war. In the meantime he had married Martha F., daughter of George and Celia (Stokes) Reese, natives of Virginia and Alabama respectively. They, however, moved to Texas, where they died. Mr. Reese was a merchant and speculator, and a pros- perous business man. Mrs. Cody was born in Lowndes county, and is the mother of six children, viz: Mollie L., wife of Smith W. Sikes; James M., Fannie W., wife of Oscar Centill; John D .; Tennent Lomax; Cuba Estell. In May, 1862. Mr. Cody joined Hilliard's legion, afterward the Fifty-ninth Alabama infantry, and was on the Kentucky raid, when he lost his health and was discharged at Knoxville, Tenn., in 1863. He was then at home a few months, and joined Love's cavalry, but upon ex- amination he was discharged. He then made application at Greenville, Ala., to join the Seventeenth Alabama infantry, and was again rejected. After the war was over he farmed a short time and then engaged in the collecting business in Montgomery, and in 1867, on the formation of Crenshaw county, he was made the first clerk of the county, and served in that position for nineteen years. Afterward, although solicited by
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