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 II pt 1 > Part 50
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432
MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
Mr. Kelley and lived at Monticello. Mo., where Mr. Kelley was killed during the war as a Confederate soldier, and Mrs. Kelley and family fled as refugees to Alabama. She is the mother of four children by her last marriage, two of whom survive, viz .: Edwin, born in January, 1875, and Maud, born in March, 1877. In August, 1868. Mr. McDuffie was _ elected probate judge of Lowndes county, and served twelve years, and he has been a member of all the republican state conventions since the war, and he was a delegate from his congressional district to the national republican convention at Philadelphia in 1972, and to that at Cincinnati in 1876. He was an alternate delegate at large to the Minneapolis con- vention in 1892, but did not attend. In 1985 he was a candidate for con- gress against Col. Davidson. He contested the election, but was not seated. In 1833 he again made the race for congress against Congress- man Turpin, contested the election of Mr. Turpin, and was seated. 'In 1890 he was again a candidate for congress, and is now contesting the election of his opponent. He was elected a member of the state consti- tutional convention of 1875, but did not qualify. He is a member of Montgomery Odd Fellow lodge, and .of the W. B. Wood post, G. A. R., at Montgomery. and of the Sons of the American Revolution.
TERRIE M. MCPHERSON. druggist and pharmacist of Fort Deposit. was born in Lowndes county in 1864. He is a son of Duncan and Susan (Hamilton) McPherson, the former of whom was born near Raleigh, N. C .. and the latter in Lowndes county. Ala. Duncan McPherson received a common school education and came to Alabama a young man. He mar- ried in Lowndes county, and spent the rest of his life there except a few years in Montgomery county. He was a farmer, a liveryman and a mer- chant. He died at Fort Deposit in 1834. aged fifty-nine years. He was in the service of the Confederate States for a short time on the coast. In religion he was a Methodist, and in life he was an honest and industrious inan. His father. John McPherson. was a native of Scotland, but came to the United States after his marriage and lived and died in North Caro- lina, as also did his wife. They were the parents of five sons and one daughter, viz. : Duncan, Dr. Malcomb, who was surgeon in an Alabama command. and was killed near Chattanooga: Sanderson; Hugh, who also served in the war: John, who disappeared in North Carolina, and was never heard of afterward, and Irene. All came to Alabama except John. Mrs. Susan McPherson is still living with her son Terrie. She is a daugh- ter of John and Martha Hamilton, both natives of Georgia, but early set- tlers in Lowndes county. Ala .. where Mrs. Hamilton died. Mr. Hamilton died in Coosa county. He was a farmer by occupation, and was a soldier in the late war. He and his wife were Methodists. Duncan and Susan McPherson reared a large family of children, eight in all. Of these eight Terrie M. was the third. . Their names are as follows: Carrie, deceased; Hamilton H .. Terrie M., John G., railroad agent in Texas: Irene, deceased: Willliam W., railroad fireman in Arkansas: Duncan A., railroad agent at
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS -- LOWNDES COUNTY.
Cuthbert, Ga., and Bettie. Terrie M. McPherson was educated at Fort ' Deposit and attended the junior year at the Agricultural and Mechanical college at Auburn. Ala. He then spent two and a half years in the drug business at Fort Deposit, and afterward five years at. Montgomery, when he returned to Fort Deposit. where he has remained in business ever since. He is one of the prominent business men of the city. He was married, in 1889, to Miss Carrie Little, daughter of Rufus J. and Lizzie Little. natives
of Lowndes county. Mr. Little was a merchant at Fort Deposit. He served in company G. Sixth Alabama cavalry, when a mere youth, with Gen. Forrest. and was severely but accidently. wounded in Tennessee. Mrs. McPherson was born in Lowndes county and was educated at Mar- ion seminary. Mr. McPherson is a member of Fort Deposit lodge, No. 291, F. & A. M .. and of Chevalier lodge, No. 40. Knights of Pythias, and he is the keeper of the record and seal. Both he and his wife are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south.
JOSEPH NORWOOD, of the firm of Norwood & Hattemer, general mer . chants, of Fort Deposit, was born in Darlington county, S. C., in 1854. He is a son of Hon. James H. and Mary R. (Brooks) Norwood, the former of whom was born in Darlington county, S. C., in 1824, and the latter in Greenville county. S. C., in 1834. They were both liberally educated, and the former graduated from Wake Forest college, North Carolina. and practiced law in South Carolina for twenty-five years with marked success. He was a member of the legislature of South Carolina several times, and , was collector of internal revenue after the war. He served about two years in "Hampton's Legion " during the late war, and in 1866, removed to Lowndes county, and was for some time engaged in the practice of the law at Greenville, but for some years he has resided at Montgomery and has devoted his time to planting. being one of the most prominent planters of Lowndes county. He is a Mason, and takes an active interest in the general welfare of the county. He is one of a large family born to Joseph Norwood, who was probably born in North Carolina, but who died in South Carolina, and his wife, Sarah McIntosh, also died in the same state. John W. Brooks, the father of Mrs. Mary R. Norwood, was a native of South Carolina, and both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Joseph Norwood's mother is still living, and has had four chil- dren, of whom he was the eldest. The other three were John W. B., deceased; James H., died when an infant, and Florence, wife of Fred S. Rauschler. of Denver. Col. Joseph was educated at Greenville. S. C., high school, and also at Greenville, Ala. He attended the Agricultural and Mechanical college at Auburn one year, and at seventeen engaged as as a clerk in his father's store at Fort Deposit. From 1878 to 1881, inclusive, he was railroad agent at Fort Deposit. He then engaged in merchandising as a member of the firm of Lightfoot & Norwood, which afterward became Norwood & Tyson, which continued until 188%. when it was succeeded by the present firm, which is one of the strongest firms
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA,
in southern Alabama, doing a business of $100,000 annually. Mr. Nor- wood also owns one of the best cotton gins and grist mills in the county, the gin having a capacity of thirty bales per day. He also owns 8,000 acres of land in Lowndes county. He was married, in 1830. to Miss Virginia Tyson. daughter of John A. Tyson, and a sister of Judge Jolin R. Tyson, of Montgomery. She was born in Lowndes county and is a grad- uate of Marion institute, at Marion, Ala. Mr. Norwood is one of the most thorough-going business men in the county, and is a very pleasant and popular man. He is a member of Fort Deposit lodge, No. 291. F. & A. M., and he and his wife are members of the Baptist church. He has not been an office-seeker, and is not a politician, but always performs his part toward party support.
SEYMOUR H. POWELL, one of the original settlers and since prominent planters of Lowndes county. was born in Oglethorpe county, Ga., in ' 1817. He is a son of Seymour and Martha Ursula (Cowling) Powell, who were also natives of Georgia, where they received a fair English educa- tion, and lived until 1819, and then came to Alabama, settling in the woods where Lowndesboro is now situated, and lived there the rest of their lives, he dying in 1834. and she in 1867. Mr. Powell was industrious, energetic and serupulously honest in his transactions with his fellow-men. He was one of the leading farmers and best known men of his day. He served as circuit court clerk some years. when the county was in its infancy, and was a most efficient and satisfactory official. He was one of a large family born to Seymour Powell, and probably died in Georgia. Slaughter Cowling, the father of Mrs. Martha U. Powell, was a school teacher for many years. but for some years before his death he was blind. He and his wife both came from Alabama with Mr. Powell, and died in this state. Mr. Cowling was of Dutch descent. Seymour H. Powell is the second of a family of nine children; William F. was in the late war in the Virginia army. and is now deceased: Josiah W., another brother, was also in the war. Seymour H. Powell was reared on a farm with a fair English education, and at the death of his father, he being ·the eldest son, the main burden of the family support fell upon him for some years. In 1552 he married Josephine J. Rice, daughter of Rev. William and Charlotte Rice, who were early settlers of the county, where they died after the war. He was a Methodist minister for many years. He had one son. Wesley, who was in the late war. Mrs. Powell was born in Lowndes county. and has borne nine children, viz. : William S. : Kate E. : Charlotte R., wife of S. A. Tyson; Benjamin S. ; Frank C., of Birmingham: Martha U .. deceased; James M., of Cincin- nati, Olio; the eighth died in infancy, and Gaston. Mr. Powell has lived in the neighborhood of his present home for seventy-three years. He grew up among the Indians, and has been a planter all his life. He now owns about 700 acres of land. While he is decided in his political opinions he is not a politician. He and his wife have been Methodists for any years.
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-LOWNDES COUNTY. 435
DR. JOHN A. PRITCHETT. physician and merchant of Hayneville. Ala., was born near this place July 19, 1949. He is a son of Dr. Edward Hill and Frances A. (Swanson) Pritchett. both natives of Pittsylvania county, Va., where they were reared and married. Dr. Pritchett graduated in medicine from the university of Pennsylvania, and about 1846 came to Lown- des county. Ala., where he spent the rest of his life. He lived some years in the country, and later moved to Hayneville. where he was engaged in merchandising in connection with his practice until his death in 1883. His wife died in 1867, and he afterward married her sister. Dr. Pritchett was a man of superior intelligence and a man of fine attainments, and excellent business qualifications. He accumulated a good fortune. He was very successful as a physician as well as a business man. Early in the war he enlisted and served a short time as a private soldier, but was soon made a surgeon of the Thirty-fifth Georgia infantry, serving in that capacity through the war in the Virginia army. He was not a politician, was a master Mason, was a member of no church. and was held in high
esteem by all who knew him. His father, Maj. John Pritchett, was a native of Virginia, where he and his wife, Sarah Inge, both died, having reared a large family of children. He was a major in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Norfolk, Va., a portion of the time. His father belonged to a Huguenot family, settling first in Brunswick county, Va., but died in Pittsylvania county. John Swanson, father of Mrs. Frances A. Pritchett, was a native of Virginia, was of English origin, was a merchant, farmer and tobacco manufacturer. His wife was a Miss Cook. of Halifax county, Va. Dr. John A. Pritchett is the eldest of a family of three, one son and two daughters. The daughters are Fannie, wife of Charlie Rog- ers, railroad agent at Letohatchie, and Lucy, wife of Prof. James Kilgore, of Texas. Dr. Pritchett received his early education at Hayneville, Ala., and vicinity, and then took a course of study at the university of Vir- ginia, graduating in medicine in 1870. Since that time he has practiced his profession in, Hayneville, among the people with whom he was reared. He is now recognized by the leading members of the profession as one of the most brilliant and successful of the physicians in the state. He is a prominent member of the State Medical association, and is presi- dent of the Lowndes county Medical society. On the death of his father he assumed charge of his mercantile business, and has continued to con- duct that business ever since, under the firm name of Pritchett & Co. In February, 1585, he married Bettie Cook. daughter of Philip and Meliora Cook, natives of Alabama. Mr. Cook died about 1867, and Mrs. Cook somne years before, both in Lowndes county. Mrs. Pritchett was born in Lowndes county. Dr. Pritchett, while not a politician nor an aspirant for political honors, is yet a liberal supporter of his party, and is a mem- ber of the Protestant Episcopal church.
ELI T. ROBINSON, retired planter of Benton, Ala .. was born in Lown- des county, in 1-51. He is a son of Hon. Cornelius and Martha W.
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
(De Jarnett) Robinson, both of whom were born in Anson county. N. C., the former in 1805, and the latter in 1512. They were liberally educated and came with their respective parents to Alabama, he in 1817, his par- ents settling in Autauga county, and afterward removing to what is now Lowndes county, where they probably died, Mr. Robinson was a wealthy planter and reared a large family of children. Hon. Cornelius Robinson lived in Autanga and Montgomery counties before moving to Lowndes county, where he was a very extensive planter, and for some years prior to the war was in the commission business in Mobile. He served in the Creek war as captain, and afterward was general of militia in Lowndes county. During the late war he was on Gen. Bragg's staff until his health failed, when he returned to his home and was appointed to the Confederate congress by Gov. Eli Shorter to fill an unexpired term, but after a few months' service retired on account of ill health. He then, lived on his plantation in Lowndes county until his death, which occurred in 1867. He was one of the most prominent men in the county, and a leader in all public matters, either of local or state interest. His widow is still living, and is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. Her father, John P. De Jarnett, was a native of North Carolina, a wealthy planter, and spent all his life in his native state. His widow came to Alabama and died in Lowndes county. Eli T. Robinson is the youngest of a family of ten children. of whom only he and one sister are now living. Three of the brothers were in the late war, viz. : Cornelius B. was a second lieutenant in the Third Alabama infantry, and died in 1866; Mumford De Jarnett was in the militia by special call various times, was in delicate health, and was superintendent of education of Lowndes county at the time of his death in 1878; John W. was in the Third Ala- bama infantry all through the war, and afterward followed farming until his death in 1884. Eli T. Robinson was reared on a farm and began life for himself at the age of nineteen, as a planter, and continued this line of work for eight years. Since then he has been in the insurance business, etc. He was married in 1870 to Emma C., daughter of Dr. John N. of Connec- ticut, and S. R. Kendall of South Carolina, whence they came to Ala- bama and died in Benton, where Dr. Kendall practiced medicine for many years. Mrs. Robinson was born and educated in Benton, and is now the mother of five children. Mr. Robinson has 1,500 acres of land, which he has acquired mostly by his own efforts, and he is one of the leading planters in the county. He was a member of Rising Star lodge of the
order of K. P., until that lodge ceased to exist. He is now a member of Lowndes lodge, No. 2.770, K. H., at Benton. Mumford De Jarnett, the great-grandfather of Eli T. Robinson, on his mother's side, was a French Huguenot exile, who settled in North Carolina and served under Gen. Marion in the Revolutionary war as a captain.
ELI W. ROBINSON, a prominent planter of Lowndesboro, was born in the house in which he now resides, in 1849. He is a son of William and
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437
PERSONAL MEMOIRS-LOWNDES COUNTY.
Eliza J. ( Ware) Robinson, the former of whom was born in North Caro- lina, February 8. 1799, and the latter in Georgia. They came to Alabama when young, he in 1817, received a liberal education, were married April 15, 1825, and settled in Lowndes county on the river, and later on the place on which Eli W. now resides, taking possession of the house built . by the distinguished ex-congressman, Dixor. H. Lewis. Here Mr. Robin- son died in 1832. his wife having died in 1876, aged sixty-nine. Both were members of the Protestant Methodist church for many years. He was a wealthy planter, and one of the best known citizens of the county. In his private affairs he was industrious, and a good manager, and in public matters he was active and public spirited. He was one of the nine children born to Todd and Martha Robinson, who were probably natives of North Carolina, but in 1817 came to Alabama, and settled in Autauga county, when. that county was a wilderness. They both died in that county, he in 1838. aged seventy-three. and she in 1833, aged fifty-eight. One of the sons. Todd Robinson, went to California at an early day, and became a member of the supreme court of that state. He was one of the most prominent lawyers of the state. Another son. Cornelius. was at one time a member of the Alabama legislature from Lowndes county. and a grandson, Todd Caldwell. was once governor of North Carolina. Nothing is known of grandfather Ware. father of Mrs. Eliza J. Robinson. Martha Terry, wife of Todd Robinson. was a daughter of James and Ann Terry the former of whom was born in 1746, and the latter in 1756, and died in 1816 and 1801. respectively. Eliza J. Robinson was a sister of Dr. Robert J. Ware, a once prominent citizen of Montgomery and a member of the legislature. Eli W. Robinson is the youngest of a family of twelve children, viz. : Robert T., deceased: Henry W .. of Texas: William, who was killed in the battle of the Wilderness as captain in a Texas regiment; Gilbert M., who was in the late war as a soldier in the Third Alabama infantry, was once captured, and is now deceased; Cornelius. was a cap- tain in the Third Alabama infantry all through the war, now deceased; James R., killed when a young man at Mobile: Charles. died young; Martha J., deceased; Todd. died young: Mary E .. wife of Capt. Thomas Brown, and Kittie A., deceased. and Eli W. Mr. Robinson was reared on the farm upon which he now resides. near Lowndesboro. He began life for himself at twenty-one years of age. working on a farm and then farming for himself. In 1878 he married Juliet Isadora McCain. daughter of William and Bettie MeCain. natives of Montgomery county, Ala., but now of Elmore county. Mr. McCain was in the Tennessee army during the late war. and is now a planter. His mother was a Miss Furgeson, of Kentucky. From 1873 to 1881 Mr. Robinson lived in Elmore county, and then lived one year in Benton. Returning to the farm upon which he was born, he has lived there ever since. He carried on merchandising two years at Lowndesboro, and now has a store at Robinson's Switch. He is extensively engaged in planting, owning 3, -00 acres of land, all in
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA,
Lowndes county. A portion of this land was inherited, but the most of it he has himself acquired by his own industry. While Mr. Robinson has always liberally supported the party to which he belongs, yet he has never neglected his private or domestic affairs for politics. He and his wife are both members of the Missionary Baptist church.
DR. JOHN. H. RUSSELL, physician and surgeon of Sandy Ridge, Lowndes county, was born in this county in 1922. He is a son of Robert and Louisa W. ( Stone ) Russell, the former of whom, was born in Oglethorpe county, Ga., in 1799, and the latter in Clarke county, Ga .. in 1805. They both came to Alabama when young, he in 1817. and they were married in 1822, in Lowndes county, where they spent the rest of their lives, she dying when Dr. Russell was an infant, and he in 1888. He was a farmer by occupation, and was deputy sheriff when this county was a part of Montgomery county. He was a member of Sandy Ridge lodge, F. & A. M. ' No. 222, and he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church seventy years. He was married twice, and reared two families of children. He was of the very first settlers in this part of the county, then a vast cane brake and an unbroken wilderness. His father, Robert Russell, lived and died in Georgia, and the wife of Robert Russell was a member of the distinguished Rutherford family of North Carolina, where Mr. and Mrs. Russell were probably born. Warren Stone, the father of Mrs. Lucinda Russell, was born in Maryland, whence he removed to Georgia. He came to Alabama in 1818 and settled on the Alabama river in what is now Lowndes county, being thus one of the first settlers in that county, owning there a large tract of valuable land, and becoming one of the county's most popular and wealthy citizens. He was a man of education and culture, lived in good style, and was married several times. He died in 1849. Dr. Russell is one of six children by his father's first wife, only two of whom are living, an elder brother of the doctor, the Hon. Robert W. Russell, a prominent farmer of Lowndesboro, who was a member of the legislature in 1884-85. A half brother, now a farmer of Evergreen, was all through the war as a soldier in the Sixth Alabama infantry and served in the Virginia army. At Antietam he had an arm broken, and at Appomattox he had the other arm broken. He was captured at this time and taken to Washington. where the Federal surgeons removed the ball. Dr. Russell was reared on a farm, and received a common school educa- tion. He then attended Emory college at Oxford. Ga., a short time, and then entered the junior class of the university of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he stood at the head of his class, and delivered the address for the Chi Delta society of that institution. He then read medicine with a cousin. Dr. Thomas M. Stewart of Georgia. after which he attended the Reformed Medical college of the south, at Macon. Ga .. at which was taught the eclectic system, and in 1-57, graduated from the Metropolitan college of New York. He began practice in Sumter county, Ga., in 1555. and soon afterward and before graduating, located at Union Springs,
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-LOWNDES COUNTY. 439
Bullock county, Ala .. where he married, in 1856, Miss Theresa H. Lassater, daughter of Lenore Lassater, who was born in North Carolina and died in Clarke county. Ala. Mrs. Russell was born in what is now Bullock county, Ala., and died in 1887, having borne eight children, viz. : Robert L., who married Miss Clara Crenshaw, of Mobile, Ala. : Mary L., who died in the second year of her age; Dr. W. Payne. a graduate of Atlanta Medical college, who married Miss Mildred Brewer, of Hayneville, Ala .; Kate Coleman, wife of H. W. Haynes; Elizabeth B. ; Elmira J .; J. W. Stone, and Maria G. After living a short time in Union Springs, Dr. Russell spent two years in Dale county, and since then he has been a constant resident of Lowndes county. and is one of the oldest physicians of the county. He has also been engaged in farming for a good many years and in merchandising at Sandy Ridge. He was a county commissioner for some years after 1866. and in 1888-89 he was a member of the lower house of the legislature, serving on the committees on temperance and health. He was the choice of the Kolb faction, in 1892, for membership in that body. He has been an active worker for his party. and is an able stump speaker. He was at one time worthy master of Sandy Ridge lodge, No. 222, F. & A. M., but is now dimitted. and he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for a good many years.
HON. ROBERT W. RUSSELL. planter of Lowndes county, was born in this county, while it was a part of Montgomery county, in 1824. He is a son of Robert and Louisa (Stone) Russell. the former of whom was born in Oglethorpe county. Ga., in 1799, and the latter in Clarke county, Ga., in 1805. They both came to Alabama when young, married in this state, settled in Lowndes county, where they spent the rest of their lives. Mrs. Russell died in 1835, Mr. Russell married again and died in 1888. He was a planter all his life and prosperous before the war. He was a Mason and a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he was active in all public matters. He was one of the earliest settlers in Lowndes county, in which he lived about sixty-five years. His father died in Georgia. Mr. Russell had one brother, William, who came with him to Alabama, and died in Monroe county. Warren Stone, the father of Mrs. Louisa Russell. was a native of Maryland, whence he removed to Georgia, and in 1818 or 1819 came to Alabama, locating in what is now Lowndes county, being thus one of the very first settlers in that county. He died there in 1849, his wife having died some days before. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years. He had ten children, four sons and six daughters. all of whom lived to have families of their own. Mr. Stone was one of the wealthy planters and prominent citizens of his time. Robert W. Russell was the eldest of a family of six children. four sons and two daughters, viz .: Robert W .; Martha J., deceased wife of William Pierce of Arkansas: Dr. John H. : William, died when young; Mary Caroline. died young; Edward Ruthland, died young. Hon. Robert W. Russell was reared on a farm with about two years
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