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 92
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
they moved to Stewart county, where Mrs. Pendrey died, about 1840, aged about fifty years. Mr. Pendrey died in 1849, aged sixty-three. Both of these people belonged to the Presbyterian church from their youth. Mr. Pendrey was a prosperous planter, but being left an orphan early in life, had but limited opportunities for securing an education; being a great reader. he acquired a great deal of useful information, in fact, he was a self- made man. His parents came from Ireland to this country prior to the Revolutionary war and died in Georgia. James P. Pendry was one of a family of fifteen children, only four of the sons and five of the daughters reaching maturity. He is the only son who has lived in Alabama, and is the only son now living. There is now but one of the daughters living. While he was in his minority he attended school but nine months in all, and at different times, so that his time thus spent was but little better than frittered away. At eighteen, on the death of his father, he began life for himself as a farm hand for a few years, in Stewart county, Ga. After about three years, he purchased a farm and lived upon it until 1865, when he and his single sister removed to Covington county, now Cren- shaw county, and engaged in farming. In 1857, he married Sarah, daughter of Fortunatus and Linnie Webb, who came from Georgia to Coosa county, and later, to what is now Crenshaw county, where they both died. Mrs. Pendrey was born in Harris county, Ga .; was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and died in 1862. She had one son and two daughters, the son only, now living, Dr. John F. Pendrey, physician and merchant, of Rose Hill. In September, 1865, Mr. Pendrey married Louisiana, sister of his first wife, who was born and educated at Columbus, Ga. Since 1855, he has been living within a few miles of his present farm, and since 1872 where he now resides. Prior to 1872, he carried on faaming exclusively, and since that time he has been engaged in both farming and merchandising. From 1858 to 1862, he held the office of justice of the peace. In February, 1862, he joined company A, Sixth Ala- bama cavalry, as a private, and, though offered a commission, declined to accept it. He started for Corinth, Miss., but was turned back by command and fought at Pine Barren; was soon afterward ordered to the Tennessee army, and was with Hood on his retreat from Tennessee. Afterward, he was under Gen. Forrest, and surrendered with him at Meridian, Miss. Mr. Pendrey is one of the largest land owners in the county, owning some 3,500 acres of pine-timbered land. He inherited $450 from his father's estate, which he lost by locating in an unhealthy locality, hence, all the property he now has, has been acquired through his own exertions. Mr. Pendrey has always been a great reader, and is one of the best informed men in the county. He is a thorough-going business man and has met with phenomenal success. He became a Mason at Rose Hill, in 1859, but has not taken active part since the war. He has been postmaster at Leon for eighteen years; though he is not a poli-
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tician, his views on politics are well known, and he always does his part toward the success of his party.
DR. THOMAS L. QUILLIAN, physician and surgeon, of Honoraville, was born in Habersham county, Ga., in 1830. He is a son of Henry K. and Aley (Hancock) Quillian, the former a native of Franklin county, Ga., born in 1808, and the latter born in North Carolina in 1805. When a girl Mrs. Quillian came with her parents to Habersham county, Ga., where she was raised and married. Both she and her husband received a common school education, and when Dr. T. L. Quillian was twelve years old they removed to Macon county, Ala., and still later to Auburn, where Mr. Quillian died in December, 1873. The subject's mother had died in 1853. Both of these people were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a tanner and shoe manufacturer many years at Auburn and at Society Hill. He was postmaster at Auburn some years, was for a short time a justice of the peace, and was the first sheriff of Gilmer county, Ga. He was a Mason a good many years, and was a liberal supporter of all public enterprises. He was a whig until the war came on, but was never a politician. He was one of a family of six sons and two daughters, he being the oldest. Their father, Clemonds Quillian, was probably a Virginian, but spent the greater part of his life in Whitfield county, Ga. He was a farmer, and was at one time tax collector of Murray and also of Whitfield county, Ga. For a good many years he represented Gilmer county, Ga., in the legislature. He was of Scotch parentage, and was probably of the first generation born in this country. The maternal grandfather of our subject, William Hancock, removed from North Carolina to Georgia when Mrs. Quillian was an infant, and died in Habersham county, as also did his wife. Dr. Quillian was the youngest of a family of two sons and one daughter, viz .: Parmelia A., deceased wife of W. K. Jones, and William Clemonds, who was a harnessmaker by trade, and was in the late war with Bragg and died in northern Alabama in 1874. Thomas L. was raised partly on the farm and partly in the shop with his father. He was principally educated at Auburn and at Dahlonega, Ga., receiving a good academic education, and then read medicine with Dr. James E. Ellison, of Macon county, Ala., and in 1854 graduated from the Augusta Medical college and practiced in Hamilton county, Tenn., one year. He then went to Dalton, Ga., and in 1856 came to what is now Crenshaw county, Ala., five miles northwest of where Rutledge is situated, and has since then practiced in this vicinity. He has lived for twenty-five years on the present farm, ten miles northwest of Rutledge. He is one of the oldest physicians of the county, and one of its most prominent planters. He owns 353 acres of fine land. He was married in 1860 to Sarah A. Bozeman, who was born in Lowndes county, Ala., and who was a daughter of Eldred and Jane Bozeman, who came from Georgia to Alabama at an early day. Mr. Bozeman died in what is now Crenshaw
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county very suddenly while attending church. He was a resident of Butler county at the time. Dr. Quillian had three children by his first wife. They were Mary Beulah, wife of E. J. Pollard; Henry Etheldred, of Montgomery; Frances Clements, wife of W. H. Dry, of Butler county. In 1881 the doctor married Sarah W., daughter of James and Mary Daniel, a cousin of his first wife, who was born in Lowndes county. In January, 1862, the doctor joined company I, First Alabama cavalry Clanton's), and operated in north Alabama and Mississippi, fighting at Shiloh and in minor engagements in that part of the country, but on June 7, 1862, at Saltillo, Miss., he was discharged on account of ill- health. Since that time he has been continuously engaged in the practice of medicine. He is a prominent member of the Crenshaw county Medical society. He is a member of Camp Creek lodge, No. 251, F. & A. M., having been a member since 1864, and secretary many years. He was worshipful master several times. He has been a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, south, for a good many years, while his wife is a member of the Primitive Baptist church. Both stand high in social esteem, and strive to advance the community in all religious and educa- tional matters to the extent of their ability.
A. V. RUTLEDGE, a prominent planter of Rutledge, was born in what . is now Lee county, Ala., in 1845. He is a son of Dudley A. and Cathe- rine Stubbs) Rutledge, both of whom were born in Georgia near Augusta. They were liberally educated and were married there. Soon after their marriage they removed to Chambers county, Ala., and later to what is now Lee county, where Mrs. Rutledge died abont 1850. In 1865 Mr. Rutledge removed to Crenshaw county, where he died about 1883, aged sixty-nine years. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church from their youth. Mr. Rutledge was a prosperous farmer, and was married four times. He served as county commissioner at Crenshaw county two terms, and was in the home guards a short time during the war. He was an industrious and honest man. His father, William Rutledge, was of Irish ancestry, and lived in Georgia a prosperous farmer many years. Both he and his wife died in that state. A. V. Rutledge was the sixth of nine children, viz .: William, killed in the late war; James, was in Stonewall Jackson's corps, and was killed at Spottsylvania Court House; Henry, was captain of company H, Fifty-ninth Alabama, was killed at Drewry's Bluff. The city of Rutledge was named in his honor; Ulysses, was in the same company with his brother Henry, from the beginning of the war, and was killed at Petersburg; the subject was a twin brother of Ulysses; Dudley A., was in company H, Fifty-ninth Ala- bama, and is now a prosperous farmer of this county; the daughters are, Mary Elizabeth; Emma, wife of J. D. Flowers of Butler county ; and Lula, wife of J. H. Reddock. Mr. A. V. Rutledge was raised on a farm, and received a fair English education, principally at Pleasant Hill academy. Early in 1861 he enlisted in the First Alabama for one year, serving at
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CRENSHAW COUNTY.
Pensacola, being in the bombardment of Fort Pickens, in the fight at Santa Rosa island,. and other battles, receiving two slight wounds. At the expiration of his year he enlisted in company H, Fifty-ninth Ala- bama as artilleryman for two years, and served most of the time in the army of Virginia, but was at Chickamauga, Knoxville, and other battles fought by General Longstreet's corps. He was captured at Appomattox, three days before Lee surrendered and was imprisoned at Newport News until August. During the time of his service he was home on furlough once. After coming home he resumed farming, which he has followed ever since, and he is now one of the leading and most practical farmers in his county. He owns over 800 acres of land, in different tracts, most of which is under a fair state of cultivation. He has acquired all his property by his own industry and good management. He raises all of his own supplies, cotton being with him a surplus crop. In 1874, he married Belle, daughter of W. W. and Mary Perdue. They were both South Carolinians, but removed to Lowndes county, Ala., where Mrs. Purdue died. Mr. Purdue is now living in Crenshaw county, and has always been a prosperous farmer. Mrs. Rutledge was born in Lowndes county and has six children. Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and spare no pains to secure for their children a good education. Mr. Rutledge is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and while he is not in the strict sense of the word a politician, yet he always performs his duty toward the support of his party.
THOMAS A. SIKES, farmer of Rutledge, Ala., was born in Sumter district, S. C., in 1831. He is a son of William and Frances (Jones) Sikes, the former a native of North Carolina, born about 1805, the latter born in South Carolina, about 1815. In about 1834, they removed to Bar- bour county, Ala., and in 1838, to Pike county, and after living four years in Coffee county, they returned to Pike county. In 1847, they removed to Florida, and in 1848 back again to Alabama, settling this time in Cren- shaw county, where Mr. Sikes died in 1863, and Mrs. Sikes in 1891. Both of these people were very devotional members of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years. Mr. Sikes was a good farmer, but on account of rheumatism, with which he was afflicted for many years, he was not able to serve in the Indian war of 1836. He was then living in Barbour county. His father died when he was quite a small boy, and then he was bound out to a man who was dissipated, proud and cruel, and young Sikes soon left for better appointments, going to his mother in South Carolina, where he lived until his marriage. The maternal grandfather of our subject, William Jones, was the father of five children and died in South Carolina. Mr. Thomas A. Sykes was the second of a family of six sons and five daughters. The eldest son, John H., was killed at Richmond, Va., in July," 1863, while serving as captain of his company, which belonged to a Florida regiment; Joseph A., the youngest, ran away at sixteen and
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
served in the Tennessee army, and later in the boy company at Mobile. After the war he removed to Texas and died there. The subject was reared on the farm, attending school only about seven months in all. He is therefore a self-made man. In March, 1855, he was married, in what is now Crenshaw county, to Louisa, daughter of Smith Summerland, a South Carolinian, who removed to Crenshaw county at an early date. He is now living, at the age of seventy-eight. He served during the late war for a short time in, what was known as "old man's company." Mrs. Sikes was born in Montgomery county, and is the mother of eleven children, viz .: William Smith; Martha, wife of G. P. Kendrick; Emma F., wife of F. A. Huston; John Thomas of Newton; Mary E., wife of Eugene Dan- iel; Erskine B; Walton; Shorter; Lena, and two deceased in infancy. In March, 1862, Mr. Sikes joined Hilliard's legion, and served in the Tennessee army until Longstreet returned to Virginia, and from that time to the close he served in Virginia, fighting at Drewry's Bluff, at Petersburg, and at other battles. He put in a substitute to work in the tunnel there and secured a furlough home, and at the expiration of his leave of absence started back to join his command, but at Columbus, Ga., he was pronounced unfit for duty, and was at Macon when Lee surren- dered. After returning home he resumed farming, and since 1872 he has lived at Rutledge for the purpose of educating his children. For some time he was engaged in the livery stable business, and also in the grocery business, but conducted his farm all the time. He owns 440 acres at Rutledge, and at one time he owned over 1,100 acres of land, all of which he had acquired by his own unaided efforts. He is one of the leading farmers of the county, and one of its most enterprising and industrious citizens. In 1868 he was elected tax collector, and served seven years. He was county treasurer six years and was a most creditable officer. He is a member of Rutledge lodge, No. 357, F. & A. M., and has taken the royal arch degree in Thomas M. Bragg chapter, No. 99, at Rutledge. Both he and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church. Not having enjoyed the best of educational advantages himself when young, it has been his chief desire to give his children at least a fair education, and he so highly appreciates the value of learning that he has always been a hard and careful student since attaining his majority, when he has had time and opportunity to apply himself, realizing that knowledge can not like riches take to itself wings and fly away.
WILLIAM SPORT, farmer and miller of Beat No. 8, was born in Marion district in 1822. He is a son of Jonathan and Margaret (Bailey) Sport, both of whom are natives of South Carolina and lived in Marion county till 1842, when they came to what is now Crenshaw county, Ala., settling in the woods near where William Sport now lives. Here they spent the rest of their lives, Mr. Sport dying in 1856 and Mrs. Sport in 1858. He was at the time of his death about eighty-one years old. Mr. Sport . was a farmer all his life and a hard-working, honest, and respected man.
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CRENSHAW COUNTY.
Both he and his wife were for many years members of the Methodist Episcopal church. His father was William Sport, a Scotchman, who came to America, a young man during the Revolutionary war, and served in the Light Horse Guards. He afterward married in South Carolina and lived in the state the rest of his life. The maternal grandfather of William Sport Bailey probably died in South Carolina. William Sport was the eldest of a family of one son and three daughters, viz. : Mary Amanda; Sarah Anne, widow of Joseph Boykin, deceased; Thaney, de- ceased wife of Abel Boykin. William Sport was reared on the farm and remained with his parents till he was twenty-four years old. In 1847 he married Sarah Jane, daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth Singleton, natives of South Carolina, but who removed to Florida when Mrs. Sport was an infant. Here Mr. Singleton died, while Mrs. Sport was still a child, and then Mrs. Singleton came to Alabama and died in Clarke county during the war. Mrs. Sport was born in Marion district, S. C., and is the mother of twelve children, two of whom died in in- fancy. The names of the others are as follows: John Solomon; William G .; Thomas Benjamin; Malachi; Daniel W .; Joseph Nathaniel; Sarah Anne, wife of Andrew Hardidge; Amanda E., widow of Gabriel Wallace, deceased; Martha, deceased wife of William E. Strippling; Eliza, died a child. Mr. Sport has made three settlements in this neighborhood and has improved three farms. Since 1870 he has lived on his present place on Conecuh river, where he owns over 600 acres of good farm- ing lands. In 1884 he erected a water power or grist mill which he has since operated. During a portion of the war he served in the state troops on the coast near Mobile. Mr. Sport was one of the earliest set- tlers in Crenshaw county, where he is well known and highly respected. He has always been hospitable, charitable, generous, and kind to the poor. Beside raising a large family himself he has reared and educated several orphans, having had under his care twenty-two children in all. He is a whole-souled and good-hearted man, and his wife possesses. the same good qualities, and hence it would not be possible for them to be otherwise than highly respected by the entire community.
DR. STEPHEN S. THROWER, physician and surgeon of Bradleyton, was born near this place in 1840. He is a son of Thomas Whitfield and Ellen Lawrence Thrower, the former born near Griffin in 1801, the latter in Edgefield district, S. C., in 1807. Mr. Thrower came to Alabama when a young man, where he married and where his wife died. In 1830 he married the mother of Stephen S., who was then a widow. Soon after this marriage Mr. Thrower settled in the woods, where Stephen S. was born. Here he improved a farm, lived upon it until the death of his wife in 1887, after which he lived with Stephen S. until his death, April 23, 1890. Dr. Thrower's parents were members for many years of the Missionary Baptist church. The former was a Mason in good standing, and a member of Helicon lodge, No. 201. He was somewhat conservative
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
in politics, but was a member of the democratic party. He was a pioneer settler in this part of the country, and suffered the privations and hard- ships incident to their life in the woods and on the outskirts of civiliza- tion. He was one of six children born to Leon Thrower, a Virginian by birth, who removed to Georgia, and then, in 1828, came to what is now Crenshaw county, Ala., where he died while Stephen S. was still a boy.
He was of English descent, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and
served some years as justice of the peace. Stephen Lawrence, maternal grandfather of Dr. Thrower, was a South Carolinian, and came to Cren- shaw county at an early day. He was also of English descent, and had a large family of children, was a farmer by occupation, served as a
boy. Dr. Thrower is the third in a family of eleven children, six of the soldier in the Revolutionary war and died while Dr. Thrower was still a
sons being in the late war, viz .: William M., served in Hilliard's legion from March, 1862, was captured near Richmond in 1864, and was impris- oned at Point Lookout until 1865; Starling J. was a sergeant in the same command, was captured at Hatcher's Run, and was imprisoned at Point Lookout until June, 1865; James was in the Fourteenth Alabama infantry from July, 1861, until he died in front of Richmond in 1862; Benjamin F. was in the First Alabama cavalry and died at Shiloh in 1862; George W.
was captured at Hatcher's Run and was then imprisoned at Point Look- was in the Fifty-ninth Alabama infantry from the beginning until he
out, Md .; Setphen S. received a good academic education and read medi- cine until April 1st, 1862, when he joined the Fourth Alabama artil- lery of Hilliard's legion, and acted as sergeant all through the war, in east Tennessee, until after the battle of Chickamaugua, where he joined
Longstreet's corps, went to Virginia and fought in numerous severe
engagements until April 3d, 1865; he was captured and taken to Point Lookout and remained there till June, 1865. He was wounded at Peters -. burg, May 17th, 1864, and was in the hospital at Raleigh, N. C., a short time. He also received several other, but minor wounds. His first fight of any consequence was at Chickamauga, where eleven of his company were killed and thirty-three wounded, some of whom afterward died. After the war he taught school and studied medicine, graduating from Atlanta Medical college in 1868. He has since then practiced medicine among the people with whom he was reared, being one of the leading physi- cians of the county. He is a member of the State Medical association, is a member of the Crenshaw Medical society, and was at one time its president. He has also been engaged at different times in merchandising at Bradleyton. He also has considerable planting interests, owning
about 600 acres of land. He is a member of Helicon lodge, No. 201, F. & A. M., and is P. W. M. of that lodge. He was married July 1st, 1869, to Nancy H., daughter of William Oliver. She was born in Montgomery county and died on March 1st, 1876. Her father was a native of North Carolina, and her mother of South Carolina, but they moved early to
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-CRENSHAW COUNTY.
Alabama, settling first in Pike county and later in Montgomery county. Mr. Oliver, though a man of limited education, is yet a man of close ob- servation and of rare judgment and talent for his opportunities. Dr. Thrower had four children by his first wife. On Sepember 28th, 1878, he married Cynthia M., daughter of John A. and Cynthia M. Ramsey, the former a native of Alabama, and the latter of South Carolina. Mr. Ram- sey was once tax collector of Pike county, and died during the war while serving in the army of Virginia. Mrs. Thrower was born in Brundidge, Pike county, Ala., and died March 22d, 1890, leaving two children. The first wife of Dr. Thrower was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, while his second wife was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, to which he also belongs. From the above brief narra- tive it is evident that Dr. Thrower is one of the most prominent citizens of the county as also one of its leading physcians.
JUDGE B. A. WALKER, probate judge of Crenshaw county, and Primi- tive Baptist preacher at Rutledge, was born in Jackson county, Tenn., in October, 1819. He was a son of John N. and Sarah (Cason) Walker, the former born in Abbeville district, S. C., in 1792, the latter in Edge- field district, April 15, 1794. They removed with their family, early in the present century, to Jackson county, Tenn., where the former received a good education, and where they were married in 1816. They continued to reside there until 1831, when they removed to Montgomery county, Ala., and in 1836 to what is now Crenshaw county, where Mrs. Walker died in 1861, Mr. Walker dying in 1871. Both were members of the Christian church from 1834. Mr. Walker was a school teacher for many years, and later a farmer. He was tax collector of Lowndes county nine years, and was justice of the peace some years. He served with Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, and his father served in the same war with Gen. Jackson, and was killed at the battle of New Orleans. Mr. Walker was a whig in politics, and was quite a worker for his party. He was opposed to secession, but afterward went with his state. He was a public-spirited man, and spared no pains for the advancement of the pub- lic wellfare. He was one of a large family born to Horatio Walker, who was probably a Virginian by birth, but who removed to Jackson county, Tenn., early in the present century. There he spent the rest of his life. He was of Welsh descent, and a teacher by profession. William Cason, the maternal grandfather of the judge, was a Virginian, married Nancy Watts, and afterward removed to South Carolina, then to Ohio, and still later to Tennessee. Both Mr. Carson and wife died in Jackson county, Tenn., at an advanced age. Judge B. A. Walker is the second in a family of six sons and five daughters, viz .: James M., died in Texas, in 1874; B. A .; Matilda, wife of T. H. Bozeman; Larkin C., died in 1861; Oliver H. P., died in 1876; Edna E., deceased wife of Sumter Dean: Sallie, died in 1841; Ann, died in 1842; William H., who served nearly all through the war in the Virginia army; F. L., served a short time at
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