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 2 > Part 51
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS -- TALLAPOOSA COUNTY, 999
August 16, 1852, in Tallapoosa county. He was educated at Roanoke col- lege, Va. While at that school in 1870, be was appointed a cadet at West Point. After entering West Point academy, the seat of the congressman from whom he received his appointment was contested, and that gentle- man was notified, by the secretary of war, that he must withdraw the appointment. Mr. Bulger returned to Roanoke college, and graduated in 1872. Returning home, he began the study of the law under his brother, William D. Bulger, and was admitted to practice in the fall of that year, after about four months' study. He has practiced law at Dadeville ever since that time. In 1836 he was elected to the state sen- ate by the democratic party from the tenth district, composed of Talla- poosa and Macon counties, and served four years. He was married in 1876, at Wetumpka, to Mollie Bass, daughter of Col. John G. Bass, and to this marriage there have been born two daughters and a son, viz. : , Tommie Heulette, Bessie K., and Michael J. The mother of these chil- dren died September 6, 1888. Politically, Mr. Bulger is a democrat. He is a Knight of Pythias, a Knight of Honor, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south.
DR. A. J. COLEY, a leading physician of Alexander City, Ala., is a son of A. J. and Mary A: (Whatley) Coley, the former of whom was a native of Greene county, Ga. When a young man he removed to Jones county, where he married in 1842. After living there two years he came to Alabama, settling five miles north of Alexander City, in Tallapoosa county. Nine years afterward he removed to within a mile of Alexander City toward the east, where he lived till his death, October 5, 1891. He was a farmer by occupation and a man of good moral character. He was a thrifty and industrious man, and when a boy he hired out by the month as an overseer to support his family. He accumulated considerable prop- erty and always kept his debts paid. He was one of the original stock- holders in the Alexander City bank, owning about $10,000 worth of the stock. During the late war he served in the state troops. His father, John Coley, was a native of North Carolina, and his mother was a native of Virginia. He and his wife reared nine children, viz. : Nancy E., wife of R. M. Thomas, who lives five miles east of Alexander City; William J., deceased; Lydia A., wife of Dr. J. C. Mcclendon, who lives five miles north of Alexander City; John W, who lives three miles east of Alex- ander City; Sarah J., wife of W. T. Thompson, Smith's Station, Lee county, Ala. ; Dr. A. J .; Mary L., wife of J. A. Thomas, living about three miles west of Alexander City; E. A., living on the old homestead, and L. B., druggist of Alexander City. The mother of these children still lives at the old home. Dr. A. J. Coley was born May 18, 1858, at the old homestead. His education was received at the academy in Alexander City. He began the study of medicine in the fall of 1877 with Dr. J. C. Mcclendon and attended Jefferson Medical college at Philadelphia during the years 1878-89, and 1879-80, graduating there in the spring of 1880.
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While there he gave special attention to surgery and to the study of anatomy. He began the practice of medicine at New Site, Tallapoosa county, remaining there until September of the same year. During the winter of 1880-81 he went to New York city, and took lectures at the uni- versity of New York and the of college Physicians and Surgeons, and studied diseases of women and children in the outdoor department of Bellevue hospital, when he returned to Alexander City and has been engaged in the practice of medicine ever since. He was married October 28, 1885, in Alexander City, to Emma E. Thomas, daughter of J. O. Thomas, and by this marriage he has three children, viz. : Levis. James P. and Alonzo J. Politically he is a democrat. He is a Knight of Honor, and is past dictator of his lodge. He is a member of the State Medical association and of the board of censors of that association. He is also a member of the Tallapoosa county Medical society. He is health officer of the county, and has been a censor of the medical society for the past eight years. He is a most successful practitioner of medicine, and is half owner of the livery stable of Nolen & Coley. He is a man of fine appear- ance, and is very popular with his fellow-citizens.
R. A. J. CUMBEE, probate judge of Tallapoosa county, is a son of Reuben and Sarah (McCall) Cumbee, the former of whom was a native of Newberry district, S. C. Some years after his marriage, which took place in his native district, he removed to Meriwether county, Ga. About 1829 he came to Alabama, locating at first in Chambers county, and afterward settling near the eastern line of Randolph county, where he died in 1867. He was a quiet farmer and a deacon of the Baptist church. The grandfather, McCall, of Mrs. Sarah Cumbee, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was severely wounded. The McCalls were North Carolina people, the mother of Mrs. Cumbee being born in Richmond county. To the marriage of Reuben and Sarah Cumbee, there were born 'ten children, seven of whom are now living. viz .: Charles, a farmer in Arkansas; John, a merchant, farmer and Baptist minister of Stroud, Ala .; R. A. J .; Sarah, wife of King Benint, of Heard county, Ga .; Margaret, wife of Reuben Adamson, of Randolph county, Ala. ; Emeline, widow of Frank Qualls, of Arkansas; Mattie, wife of George Qualls, of Arkansas. Nathan was wounded in the battle of Sharpsburg, and died in the hos- pital. He was a member of the Thirty-fifth Alabama infantry. Mary, deceased wife of James Cook, and William, also deceased. The mother of these children died in 1866. R. A. J. Cumbee was born June 9, 1833, in Meriwether county, Ga. He received an academic education. At the age of fifteen he was converted, and began to think of preaching. At twenty he began to prepare for the work of the ministry, spending two years in the common school. He then attended a high school at Milltown, Cham- bers county. He was ordained to preach by Fellowship church at Bacon Level, Randolph county, and that church and one in Heard county. Ga., were his first charge .. He preached there until the war began, and, in
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1001
PERSONAL MEMOIRS-TALLAPOOSA COUNTY.
1861, he enlisted in company F, Fourteenth Alabama infantry, as a private soldier. Soon after enlistment, he was made third lieutenant of the company, and he saw service in Virginia. He was in the battle of Seven Pines, and in the seven days' fight, being wounded in the shoulder on the last day of the seven at Gaines's farm. After a furlough at home he rejoined his regiment and participated in the bat- tles of Salem Church, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness, and again on Gaines's farm, where he was again wounded. He was in all the bat- tles around Richmond, and was at Appomattox at the surrender of Lee. He brought home with him a piece of the historic tree under which the surrender was made. During the war he did considerable preaching, and baptized several hundred soldiers. Returning from the war he preached and taught school in Chambers county, being located at Fre- donia until 1876, when he removed to Tallapoosa county and preached at , Dadeville and Alexander City, and at several other places. He has also preached in Lineville and Ashland, both in Clay county, for the past two years. During his ministry he has baptized 4,000 persons and has married 600 couples. In 1880 he was the nominee of the democratic party for probate judge of Tallapoosa county, and was elected, He served six years, reducing the public debt of the county between $200,000 and $300.000. In 1886 he was a candidate for the nomination and led all four candidates by 280 majority on the popular vote, but was defeated by the two-thirds - rule in the convention. In 1892 his friends urged him to again become a candidate and he was elected as a nominee of a democratic mass meeting by a majority of 167. After the election the Dadeville New Era, on August 4, 1892, published the following description of a popular recep- tion to Mr. Cumbee: "Last Tuesday Dadeville was full to overflowing with people who come to town to get the election news, and Judge R. A. J. Cumbee came in on the train from Alexander City. When he alighted from the hack at the Ridgway house the people rushed toward the hotel in one solid body to greet him. Cheers rent the air, and as he crossed the public square to the court house a perfect avalanche swept on behind him, and such enthusiasm has never before been seen in our town, and it continued late into the night. His popularity is astonishing and his elec- tion is among the wonders of the present age. Since 1880 he has held the hearts of the people of Tallapoosa county under adverse circumstances and to-day he is the most popular man in the bounds of east Alabama." Mr. Cumbee was married in Heard county, Ga., in 1857, to Mary R. Stodg- hill, by whom he had one child, Sarah E. wife of S. H. Gillam, who lives five miles east of Dadeville. The mother of this child died in 1872, and Mr. Cumbee was married in 1873 in Bacon Level, Randolph county, to Catharine E. Trent, by whom he has one daughter, Annie Pearl, who is a graduate of the Judson institute, the Baptist female school of the state. The mother of this child died in 1889. Politically Mr. Cumbee is a demo- crat, but being a member of the farmers' alliance was elected as a mass
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
meeting candidate, and is the first of that party ever elected in Tallapoosa county. His friends thought he was badly treated in 1886 by his exclu- sion under the two-thirds rule, when in point of fact he was the choice of the people, and in 1892 they rallied to his support in such numbers as to elect him. He is a fine preacher and always preaches, no matter what his regular line of duty may be. On November 17. 1892, Judge Cumbee was married to Miss Fannie Bonner, a daughter of William Bonner, of Fredonia, Ala., and the best wishes of the entire community are with him for his happiness and prosperity.
COL. WALTER R. DAWSON was born in Upson county, Ga., in the year 1832. His father-Gen. L. G. Dawson-was born in Edgefield district, S. C. Gen. Dawson removed from South Carolina to Upson county, Ga., and afterward to Chambers county, Ala., in the year 1835, where he resided to the time of his death, which occurred in 1848. He reared a large family consisting of eight sons and four daughters, six of whom are yet living-W. P., is a wealthy planter of Elmore county, Ala .; O. H. P., is a considerable planter in Claiborne parish, La .; L. H. is a planter and ยท resides at Waverly, Ala. , Mary (Mrs. Townsend) resides at Waverly, Ala .; George W. is a merchant of Camp Hill, Ala .; Col. W. R. Dawson was married in the year 1852 to Miss Louisa L. Griffeth, the beautiful and amiable daughter of Mr. Lewis Griffeth, a merchant tailor of the city of Philadelphia, Penn. Col. Dawson's family consists of five daughters, all born in Chambers county, Ala., and all living, viz .: Dinnie (Mrs. R. T. Parker) and Glennie (Mrs. Church Corprew) reside in Dadeville, Ala. Mary E. (Mrs. B. F. Walker, and Mattie P. (Mrs. Henry Spinks), reside in Camp Hill, Ala., and Kate A. (widow Garrett) resides in Atlanta, Ga. The Dawson family, for several generations, have been planters, and have been distinguished by pious and upright lives. Gen. Dawson's family have ever taken a lively interest in the political history and affairs of the country, especially Col. W. R. Dawson, who has frequently represented his county in state, district and county conventions, and always as a democrat. He has also represented his county in the state legislature. The Dawson family, with which the colonel is connected, have been democrats politically. and Baptists religiously, for generations, and of the most pronounced type. Col. W. R. Dawson is a deacon of the Baptist church, and is widely and favorably known for his loyalty and liberality to his church and denomination. He is a planter in easy circumstances, and resides at Camp Hill, Ala., a pleasant village on the S. & W. R. R. in Chambers county, Ala.
ALBERT G. HOLLOWAY, planter of Alexander City, Ala., is a son of William and Matilda ( Bailey ) Halloway, the former of whom was a native of Virginia, and who, when quite young, removed to Jasper county, Ga., where he married and reared a family of five children. He was a farmer, a very quiet man, served in the war of 1812, and died in Jasper county in 1826. His children were as follows: Saleta, deceased; Sarena,
W. R. DAWSON.
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-TALLAPOOSA COUNTY.
deceased; William R., a farmer, of Coosa county; Sophronia. widow of William F. Clark, and Albert G. The latter was born September 26, 1824, in Jasper county. Ga. . He received an ordinary education, and began life for himself in 1843, traveling and teaching vocal music. The next year he went to school, and taught music until 1851. making that his regular profession. He then located at Fish Pond, seven miles south of Alexander City, and has since lived there. He established himself in the mercantile business, and continued in that line up to the war. He was very successful, and made considerable money, but through the war he lost all he had made, except his land. After the war he commenced merchandising again, and continued until 1886, when he sold out. From 1875 to 1884, he was in business in Alexander City. Ho was elected a member of the legislature in 1874, and he was re-elected in 1876. In 1874 he served on the committee on county lines, which formed the county of Cullman. He also served on the committee on agriculture, and on the ways and means committee. He was largely influential in securing the passage of the present school law of the state. He was married, in 1857, two miles from Alexander City, to Patience Thomas, daughter of Sea- born J. Thomas, by which marriage he has eight children. viz .: Berry Judson, deceased; Ida L., wife of J. W. Coley, Alexander City, Ala .; Ella E., single; Emma L., wife of J. J. Phillips, Sylacauga, Ala. ; Will- iam A .; Helena B., wife of E. A. Ward, Birmingham, Ala .: Lois D., of Birmingham, Ala., and an infant, who died unnamed. Politically, Mr. Holloway is a democrat, and he is a member of the Primitive Baptist church. He was formerly a Mason, but has not kept up his connection with that order. He has a farm of 600 acres of land, and a plant of mills four miles from Alexander City.
DR. ALLAN KIMBALL, now deceased, but formerly a distinguished citizen of Tallapoosa county, was a son of Abingdon and Mary (Allan) Kimball. The. Kimball family was of Irish origin, and emigrated from their native land, in the last century, to Granville county, N. C., where Allan Kimball was born and reared. When a young man, he removed to Washington, Wilkes county, Ga., and there studied medicine under a Dr. Reese. Afterward he took medical lectures at Lexington, Ky., where he graduated. He then located in Columbia county, near Augusta, and com- menced the practice of his profession in partnership with Dr. Nathan Crawford, whose daughter he afterward married. He practiced there several years, or until 1836, when he moved to a point eight miles below Tallassee, then in Tallapoosa county, but now in Macon county. Here he practiced for three years, when, on account of its being a sickly locality, he moved higher up, twenty miles north, to what is now Roxana, in Lee county. Here he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1872, and his family afterward removed to Dadeville, where it has since resided. Mr. Kimball was married February 25, 1829, while practicing in Columbia county, Ga., to Mary Ann Crawford, daughter of his part-
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
ner, Dr. Nathan Crawford. Miss Crawford belonged to a noted family. Her parents were Dr. Nathan and Mary ( Marshall) Crawford, the former of whom was a life-long practitioner of medicine. He was the son of Charles and Jane (Maxwell) Crawford. To this family belonged Will- iam H. Crawford, the distinguished United States senator from Georgia, and also George W. Crawford, who was secretary of war under President Taylor. William H. Crawford was a cousin of Mrs. Kimball's father, and George W. Crawford was first cousin to her. The Crawford family came' from. Scotland at an early day and at first located in Virignia. They were of the nobility in Scotland. Mrs. Kimball was one of ten children, and she had ten children, viz .: Mary Isabella, Mrs. Hilliard H. Burns, of Roxana, Ala .; Eugenia, wife of Col. D. B. Culberson, member of congress from Texas, living in Jefferson, Tex .; AnD. A., wife of Dr. R. E. Rowell, of Jefferson, Tex .; Amorest P., died in infancy; Lunsford, ' of Roxana, Ala .; Nathan C. was a lieutenant in the Forty-seventh Ala- bama infantry, and was killed in the last fight in which his regiment was engaged, at Deep Bottom, before Richmond. October 7, 1864; Aurelia Stella, deceased; Charles B., who was a private soldier in the Forty- seventh Alabama, and was killed in the first battle in which his regiment . was engaged, at Cedar Run, August 9, 1862; Pamela. J., wife of James Johnson, Dadeville, Ala., and R. Gertrude, wife of Dr. G. W. Vines, Dadeville, Ala. Dr. Kimball served Tallapoosa, county in the lower house of the legislature during 1844 and 1845, and also in the senate in 1853. He was one of the delegates in the secession convention, and worked and voted against the ordinance; but after the ordinance was adopted, and the state had seceded from the Union, he did all in his power to aid her in sustaining the position she had taken. Before the war he was a whig and was strongly devoted to his party and its prin- ciples. In the campaign of 1860 he sustained and voted for Bell and Everett for president and vice-president of the United States. His widow still lives in a comfortable home in Dadeville. She has always been a superior and fine looking woman, and is remarkably well pre- served and most highly respected. Her daughter, Mrs. Johnson, lives with her in Dadeville.
J. P. OLIVER, planter of Dadeville, Ala., is a son of Florence M. and Sarah Glenn Oliver. He was born June 15, 1842, in Chambers county, Ala. He received an academic education, which was supplemented by a course at the A. & M. college. He was at college when the war broke out, and in 1861 went from school into company E, Sixth Alabama infantry, and after a short period of service at Pensacola, was ordered to the army of northern Virginia, where he remained until he was wounded. He was in the seven days' fighting at.Cold Harbor, and all the battles up to Sharpsburg, where he received a severe wound in the right arm. He then returned home and went into the newspaper busi- ness, buying an interest in the Tallapoosa Times and Banner. He con-
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J. P. OLIVER.
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PERSONAL MEMOIRS-TALLAPOOSA COUNTY. 1009
tinued the publication of this sheet until the surrender, when he moved it to Wetumpka, and changed its name to the Elmore Messenger. The business not proving profitable, Mr. Oliver sold out his paper, and taught school at Dadeville for two years as principal of the Dadeville Masonic Female institute. He was about this time elected a member of the state board of education, which had charge of all educational matters in the state, and by virtue of this office, he became a regent of the Ala- bama university. In 1874 he received, from the A. & M. college, the degree of master of arts. After he retired from the profession of teach- ing in 1869, he began the practice of the law with his half-brother, Col. J. M. Oliver, now of La Fayette, Chambers county. He had studied law somewhat before the war, and also while he was engaged in newspaper work, and had been admitted to the bar in 1867. After two years' prac- tice, the partnership was dissolved, and he formed another partnership with Felix L. Smith, with whom he practiced until 1878, when he retired from professional life and engaged in farming. He had always given great attention to agricultural matters, and was one of the charter mem- bers of the state agricultural society. He has been, for some years, also a member of the farmers' alliance, and was, for three years, secretary of the Alabama state alliance. In 1888 he was one of the electors on the Cleveland ticket, and is now a member of the Kolb state executive com- mittee. Mr. Oliver is a thrifty, progressive planter, and takes great interest in live stock and experimenting in fruits. He has on his plan. tation, near Dadeville, a fine herd of Jerseys, in which he takes great pride, and numberless varieties of grapes, apples. pears, etc. He was married in Dadeville, Decemebr, 1862, to Miss F. J. Hatcher, by whom he had two children, Wilbur H., a successful farmer living near Dade- ville, and Jessie S., wife of J. H. Lovejoy of Gadsden, Ala. The mother of these children died in 1870, and Mr. Oliver married Mrs. Helen E. Vaughan, a daughter of C. Corprew. By this marriage he has three chil- dren, Clfiton E., Alma and Verna. As has been stated before, Mr. Oliv- er is a member of the people's party, believing that party to represent the true principles of democracy, which, in his opinion, the democratic party has abandoned. In 1892 he took an active part in the campaign, stumping the county in favor of the Kolb party ticket, being nominated on it for superintendent of public instruction. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, is a Knight of Honor and a member of the Masonic fraternity, being the chief officer in these honored orders.
E. C. PUGH, merchant of Dadeville, Ala., is a son of W. W. and Mary (Arnold) Pugh. W. W. Pugh was a native of Georgia, and was born and reared near Milledgeville. He was of Scotch descent, was married to a Miss Whitus, and in early days, probably in 1837, came to Alabama, settling in Macon county, near Notasulga. He was a planter by occupa- tion. During the war he ran a hat factory, making hats for the soldiers. 59*
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MEMORIAL RECORD OF ALABAMA.
He was a quiet man, not caring for politics or public honors. He was a Union man during the war, and was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. After the death of his first wife, he married in 1842, again, near Notasulga, and to this marriage there were born seven children, viz. : John W., living near Dadeville, Ala .; Mary A., wife of Dr. W. H. Tyler, who lives on the old homestead, four miles fromn Dadeville; Augusta A., wife of Amos Hicks, of Thaddeus, Ala .; A. F., of Anna, Collin county, Tex .; O. C., Allen A. and Simeon M., deceased. The mother of these children lives on the old homestead four miles from Dadeville, the father having died April 24, 1871. The Arnolds were also from Georgia, and the wives of Mr. W. W. Pugh were cousins. E. C. Pugh was born April 20, 1856, in the southern part of Tallapoosa county. He received an academic education at the Camp Hill school. In 1878 he taught school at New Site and in the fall removed to Dadeville. He then began clerking for B. R. Crabbe at $12 per month and board, and he' remained thus engaged until 1881, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Crabbe, and continued the business under the firm name of E. C. . Pugh & Co., for two years. In 1883 Mr. Crabbe died, and Mr. Pugh bought the interest of the widow of Mr. Crabbe. He continued the busi- ness alone until 1889, and at that date the firm of W. H. Knight & Co. was formed, Mr. Pugh being one of the partners. After one year, he bought out Mr. Knight's interest, and the firm name changed to Pugh, Stone & Co., which is the style at the present time. Mr. Pugh has been a very successful business man, going to Dadeville with only 50 cents, and now he has a comfortable competence. The firm carries an average of about $10,000, and transacts a yearly business of about $85,000. Beside his interest in the store, Mr. Pugh owns real estate, two two- story business buildings and a fine residence property. He is president of the Murphy Wagon Manufacturing company, in which he owns consid- erable stock. He was one of the organizers of the Tallapoosa County bank in 1885, and was for several years one of the directors. He has served for some years as and is now a member of the town council. He was married in 1882, November 26, in Dadeville, to . Alcie D. Gillam, daughter of Robert G. and Mary Gillam, and by this marriage he has four children, viz .: Lillian, Robert G., Mary T2, and Clifton C. Politic- ally, Mr. Pugh is a democrat. He is a Knight of Pythias and a Knight of Honor, and is assistant dictator of his lodge. He is one of the most successful business men of the town of Dadeville, and has paid the strict- est attention to his business, not having been absent more than fourteen days in fourteen years.
D. A. G. Ross, planter of Camp Hill, Ala., is a son of Wiseman and Elvira (Harper) Ross, the former of whom was born in Hancock county, Ga., in 1800. He was reared, and married, in Jones county, in 1826, and lived there until 1840. He then came to Alabama, settling in Chambers county, fifteen miles west of La Fayette, near. the Tallapoosa county
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