A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 74

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II > Part 74

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

For his wife Mr. Biggar chose Mrs. Dicy E. Womack, a daughter of Philip Blevins, from Meigs county, Tennessee, where Mrs. Biggar was born. December 12, 1846, was the latter's birthday and by her first husband, James Womack, she has a daughter, Melissa J., wife of J. H. Bell, of Montague county. Mrs. Bell's children are: Daisy, Donnie, Bes- sie, Grady, Troy, Ressie, Ruth, Frank, and Fay. Walter Franklin Biggar is our subject's only child. He resides near his parents, is mar- ried to Lizzie Daniels and has issue, Joe, William and Roy.

In politics the Biggars have manifested little interest, but have ever allied themselves with Democracy and in church matters they are Methodists. Industry and upright dealing have been our subject's chief traits of character and he has not only been the architect and builder of a good home but he has proved himself a sterling citizen, a good neighbor and a sincere friend.

362

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

JOHN G. POINDEXTER, M. D. The dis- tinction of being the oldest citizen and the sole survivor now resident of the community of old Bridgeport belongs to the gentleman whose name initiates this biographical article. The years of his connection with the locality now immedi- ately tributary to Bridgeport number thirty and his professional and mercantile career span the important eras in both the life of the old town and of the new. Unconsciously has his work as a citizen contributed to the substantial awakening and development of his commercial and agricultural locality and it is with confi- dence in his integrity and high regard for his character that his fellow townsmen refer to him.

August 7, 1876, Dr. Poindexter established himself in the community of old Bridgeport, a young man, educated and equipped for the practice of his profession. He had passed his youth in Denton county, where his father owned a farm and the country schools provided him with the elements of a common school education. The family located permanently in the Lone Star state in 1865 and their coming hither from Lawrence county, Missouri, was only a return, after an exile of four years, to the empire state of the west. In 1855 their first entry into the state occurred and one year was spent in Liberty county before the family self-imposed its exile to the moss-covered com- monwealth whose surface is irrigated by the waters of the "Big Muddy."

Hawkins county, Tennessee, sent this worthy family out to help settle the frontier and from the vicinity of Mooresburg did their journey begin. Near this little town was our subject born on the 20th of May, 1850, and in the same locality did his father's birth occur in the year 1812. The latter was James Poindexter, a son of Thomas Poindexter, who aided as a colonial soldier in the establishment of American in- dependence, chose farming and millwrighting as a vocation in civil life and settled in Hawkins county around the close of the eighteenth cen- tury and there passed away. He married Miss Mary Elizabeth Williams and brought up his family in the faith of the Missionary Baptist church. His family consisted of sons, namely : John, William, George, James and Robert.

James Poindexter married Paulina P. Black- burn, a daughter of Berwin Blackburn, born in Hawkins county, Tennessee, in 1825, and is still living with her son Dr. John G. As farmers the young couple began life and as farmers they concluded their companionship together. The husband passed to his reward in 1882.

Two children only reached years of responsibil- ity and they yet survive, namely: Thomas Poindexter, of the vicinity of Beaumont, Texas, and the subject of this review:

Upon reaching the age of twenty John G. Poindexter quit the home of his boyhood and employed with the cattle firm of Bell & Stev- ens, drovers from Texas to Bates county, Mis- souri. He was engaged in this work for some two years and with the proceeds of his labor to defray his expenses proceeded to prepare him- self for a professional career. He entered Louis- ville Medical College in 1874, and completed his course with graduation in 1876 and located for a few months in Gordonsville, Grayson county, whence he came to Wise and estab- lished himself at Bridgeport, as previously stated.

A few years subsequent to his locating in the old town of Bridgeport Dr. Poindexter opened a drug store and for twenty years the drug business was a prominent adjunct to his profession and a prominent factor in his. busy career. He removed to the new town when events determined that it was to be the domi- nant place and opened up his stock here, re- maining with the trade until 1904, when he dis- posed of his stock and the substantial stone business house which he had erected and has since more closely allied himself with his pro- fession.

As a citizen he has sought no favors in poli- tics, has supported the dominant party at the polls and has ever shown a liberality toward enterprises fostered and encouraged only by public support. He is a Master Mason, Past Noble Grand of the I. O. O. F., and for thirty- five years has held a membership in the Metho- dist church. The doctor's first wife was Miss Sallie C. Cannon, of Kentucky. They had two children ; one died when quite small and the other in his sixth year, Carl W. Dr. Poindexter married for his second wife Miss F. M. Green in Wise county and by her had one child, Wil- liam A., who is now going to school. Dr. Poin- dexter is a cousin of William A. Poindexter, of Cleveland, Ohio.

ALEXANDER J. SEALE. There have been exciting and interesting chapters in the life history of Alexander J. Seale, and his rec- ord also contains an account of untiring indus- try and perseverance in business affairs, but now he is living a retired life, enjoying in well earned ease the fruits of his former toil. He was born in Greene county, Alabama, November 4, 1838, his parents being Anthony and Peggy

363

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

W. (Jenkins) Seale, whose marriage, was cele- brated in Alabama, although the father was born in Georgia, while the mother's birth oc- curred in South Carolina. The paternal grand- father was also a native of Georgia and was of English descent. On leaving the Empire state of the south he removed to Greene county, Ala- bama, where he conducted a good plantation, owning a number of slaves who performed the active work of the farm. His children were as follows : Benton, Richard, Jerry, Jarva, William, Anthony, Mrs. Cynthia Ashley and Mrs. Sarah Anderson.

Anthony Seale, father of our subject, spent the days of his childhood and youth in the state of his nativity but was married in Ala- bama, after which he took up his abode in Mis- sissippi. He wedded Peggy W. Jenkins, a daughter of Benjamin Jenkins, of Virginia, who on leaving the Old Dominion became a well known and influential planter of Missis- sippi, where he lived for many years. There he figured prominently in public life, serving as justice of the peace and in other positions of trust and responsibility. He held membership in the Missionary Baptist church and his genu- ine personal worth gained for him the esteem. and friendship of many. His children were: James, Jackson, Richard and Peggy W., the last named becoming Mrs. Seale.

Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Seale took up their abode in Mississippi, where he purchased a plantation, on which he reared his family and continued to make his home until 1866, when he was called to his final rest. His farm was located near Tupelo, Mississippi, and he was a representative and extensive plant- er and slave owner of that locality. In his business affairs he prospered because of his capable management and untiring industry. He was opposed to the secession movement but was too old to take an active part on either side. His farm lay in the path of the contend- ing armies and both the northern and southern troops foraged off his place. At the time of the battle of Tupelo there was scarcely anything left upon the plantation. Horses, hogs, cat- tle and chickens were all killed to feed the troops. The rail fences were burned and the work of devastation was carried on until the plantation was practically in ruins. Follow- ing the war his slaves were freed and his prop- erty destroyed, so that he was left a poor man. He had at one time enjoyed all the advantages and conveniences that wealth can secure and because of his old age he could not bear up under the strain, death coming to his relief in

1866. He was an intelligent, broad-minded man, who had been charitable to the needy, sympathetic with the afflicted, and his friends and neighbors knew him for one whose fidelity to principle was above question. In all of his business dealings he was straightforward and reliable, nor was he ever known to take ad- vantage of the necessities of his fellow-men in any trade transaction. His political allegiance was given to the Democratic party and he was true to his professions as a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist church. His wife survived him and later the plantation was sold and she brought her family to Texas, joining her son, Alexander J., in this state. He then looked after the family interests and kept the younger members of the household together. Mrs. Seale spent her declining years with her son, passing away in Texas in the faith of the Mis- sionary Baptist church, of which she had long been a devoted member. By her marriage she had become the mother of eight children: Alexander J., of this review; Mrs. Elizabeth Bardon ; Peggy, the wife of J. Bird; Eliza, the wife of L. Bird; Mrs. Jane Young; Mrs. Mar- tha Edwards; James, a farmer; and Jerry, a well-to-do stock-farmer of Hopkins county, Texas. All came with their mother to this state.

Alexander J. Seale was reared in Mississippi amid affluent surroundings and remained under the parental roof until twenty-one years of age, when his father established him in a mercantile business. This was in the spring of 1861 and, he was just getting well started when, owing to the continued progress of the Civil war, he could no longer content himself to remain at home and in the fall of 1861 closed the doors of his store and enlisted in the Confederate army for ninety days. The regiment, the Seven- teenth Mississippi Infantry, was attached to Barkstall's brigade and on the expiration of his term of service Mr. Seale was mustered out, but almost immediately re-enlisted for three years' service. His command was at- tached to Lee's army until the close of the war and was at Appomattox Courthouse at the time of the surrender. Mr. Seale went to the front with Captain Holder's company of one hundred and twenty men, only seven of whom lived to return home. He was in twenty-five hotly con- tested engagements together with many skir- mishes, and he knows the entire history of war in all of its hardships and horrors. He was never off duty and was often found in the thickest of the fight, proving himself a valiant soldier and a faithful defender of the cause that

364

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

he espoused. When the war was over he re- turned home to find that his store and goods had been destroyed by fire and the old home- stead too was in ruins, the house having been burned to the ground, while the place was en- tirely stripped of all of the indications of mod- ern progressive farming. Realizing the neces- sity of at once making arrangements whereby he could earn a living and gain a new start in life Mr. Seale came to Texas in 1866, hoping that he would find better opportunities in this state. He first located in Hopkins county, where he bought land and improved a farm, re- maining thereon for six years, when he sold out and came to Johnson county. Here he pur- chased land that was partially improved and as the years passed by his efforts resulted in making this a valuable property. Prospering in what he undertook, he was enabled to add to his realty possessions until he owned three good and well developed farms in Johnson county continuing to make his home there until 1898, when he sold two of the farms, but retained the ownership of the old homestead. He then went to Concho county and carried on general mercantile pursuits in Paintrock for a period of three years enjoying a good patronage that made the venture profitable. On the expiration of that period, however, he came to Belcher and was al- lied with its business interests as a dealer in dry goods and groceries for two years. He has since lived retired, however, having ac- cumulated a comfortable competence that now enables him to enjoy a well earned rest.

Mr. Seale was united in marriage to Miss Naoma Harris a native of Georgia, in which state her father died, after which the mother came with the family to Texas, settling in Johnson county, where she bought a farm. The members of the Harris family were: Wil- liam and John, who are deceased; Mrs. Mag- gie Lankford ; Mrs. Lane Walraven ; Mrs. Sue Norris ; and Naoma. Mr. and Mrs. Seale have but one child, Viola, who is now the wife of Dr. L. L. Craddock of Belcher, where he is success- fully practicing his profession. The wife and mother died April 25, 1902, in the faith of the Christian church, of which she was a most de- voted member.

Mr. Seale has never wavered in his allegiance to the Democracy since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, yet he has never. been an aspirant for office. Since eighteen years of age he has been numbered among the faithful members of the Christian church and in the Masonic fraternity he has attained the Royal Arch degree. In the varied relations

of life in which he has been found he has ever been loyal to honorable principles and manly conduct and his genuine personal worth has made him a man whom to know is to esteem and honor.

ELI ARMSTRONG. Long before Mon- tague county became a thickly settled district Eli Armstrong took up his abode within its borders and as a representative of its farming interests has done his full share toward mak- ing it a well developed and improved part of the state. He is a native of Alabama, born on the 8th of January, 1844, his parents being Wesley and Harriet (Gothard) Armstrong, the former a native of Tennessee and the lat- ter of Alabama. The paternal grandfather, John Armstrong, was born in Tennessee and was a prominent agriculturist of that locali- ty, giving his entire time to his farming inter- ests, so that he led a quiet and uneventful but useful life. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist church and his principles were in keep- ing with the highest standards of manhood. He removed from Tennessee to Alabama, where he spent his remaining days. His chil- dren were: Wesley, William, John, Elias, Na- thaniel, Asa and Caroline.

Wesley Armstrong at the time of his mar- riage took up his abode in Alabama, where he developed a good homestead property and there spent his remaining days. His politi- cal support was given the Democracy and he too held membership in the Missionary Baptist church. His integrity was above reproach and many of his strong traits of character were qualities worthy of emulation. His wife died in 1863. She was a daughter of David Gothard of North Carolina, who was also connected with agricultural pursuits. In his family were nine children: Mrs. Harriet Armstrong; Mal- lery, a farmer ; John; George; James; Smith ; Mrs. Charity Green, whose second husband was a Mr. Gothard; Mrs. Caroline Seals, and Narcissa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were born ten children; Levi, of Alabama, who was a cripple but aided his country by hospital service in the Civil war; Mrs. Amanda Wil- liams; Eli, of this review ; Mrs. Louisa Jimer- son: Parlee, now Mrs. Pilgreen; Barney, a farmer; Mrs. Virginia Jimerson; and Lafay- ette, Wesley and Jeff, all of whom follow agri- cultural pursuits. By a second marriage the father had one daughter, Mrs. Alice Nelson.

Eli Armstrong remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority and in 1862 he enlisted in Company B of Colonel John

365

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

P. West Cavalry Regiment, in which he con- tinued until the close of the war, his service being mostly in Mississippi and Georgia, where . he participated in many skirmishes and in a number of hotly contested battles, but was never wounded nor captured. . He was at New- man, Georgia, when Lee surrendered, and mounting his horse he rode homeward. He saw much hard service and underwent many of the deprivations, trials and exposures inci- dent to life on the tented field.

Soon after arriving at home Mr. Armstrong resumed farming, in which he continued until 1867, when he came to Texas, first locating in Smith county. There he rented a farm, which he conducted for ten years. During that time he was married and with renewed impetus took up the work of improving and cultivating his place, his home being main- tained thereon until 1877, when he removed to Montague county, purchasing land and im- proving a farm. Here he remained four years, after which he sold out and bought one hun- dred and sixty acres where he now resides. The latter tract was raw land but he at once began its cultivation and has made substan- tial improvements thereon, including the erec- tion of commodious dwelling and good out- buildings. He has also planted an orchard, has secured the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and now has a desirable farm and home, seventy-five acres of his land being under cultivation. There is also good pasture land and he raises various crops such as are adapted to the soil and cli- mate.

In the year 1869 Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Copeland, who was born in Sevier county, Arkansas, June 28, 1851, her parents being Gilmore and Sarah (Jackson) Copeland, both of whom were na- tives of Tennessee, in which state they were married. Later he removed to Arkansas, where he bought and settled upon a farm, there remaining for a number of years, when his wife died, and later he sold the property and came to Texas, settling in Smith county. He bought land there and improved a good farm and after a number of years he again disposed of his land but remained in Smith county up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1867. He was a wagon maker by trade and to some extent followed that pursuit but gave the greater part if his attention to farming. He entered the Confederate service in Smith coun- ty and was in a cavalry regiment which was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi department.

He saw some hard service and was never wounded nor captured. After the close of the war he returned to Smith county, where his death occurred about two years later. He vot- ed with the Democracy and was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. In his family were three children: Mary E., now Mrs. Arm- strong .; Serepta, the wife of S. J. Morris; and Archibald, a railroad man.

Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have become the parents of one son, Walter, who was born Sep- tember II, 1870, and is now operating the homestead farm. He married Miss Lydia Car- lile, a native of Wood county, Texas, and a daughter of James and Nancy (Stagner) Car- lile. This marriage was celebrated in 1895 and has been blessed with two interesting chil- dren: Henry H., born in June, 1897; and Anna M., born January 19, 1900. Eli Arm- strong and his wife are members of the Mis- sionary Baptist church and they have done many good deeds, not the least of which is the care that they have given to a little orphan girl, Katie Allred, whose parents died when she was three years of age, at which time Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong took her into their home and have reared and educated her, giving her the loving attention which they would have be- stowed upon a daughter of their own. In busi- ness relations Mr. Armstrong is thoroughly re- liable and honorable and has never been known to take advantage of the necessities of his fel- low-men in any trade transaction. His suc- cess has come as the direct result of his honora- ble dealing and unfaltering integrity and he is today a representative farmer of Montague county.

R. A. JEFFRESS, of Colorado, one of the honored pioneers of Western Texas, whose labors have been of material benefit in the im- provement of this section of the state, comes of English ancestry. His father was Colonel William C. Jeffress, a native of Nottoway county, Virginia, and was born September 30, 1823. He pursued his education in Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, that state, be- ing graduated in the class of 1843. He was a lawyer by profession but being well-to-do did not engage actively in the practice of law ex- cept for a brief period. He owned a number of plantations and had about seventy-five slaves before the war. After the inauguration of hos- tilities between the north and the south he raised a company of artillery in his native coun- ty and during the early part of the war was under command of General Humphrey Mar-

366

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

shall, who later became a member of the Con- federate congress and his command was trans- ferred to General Joseph E. Johnston's army, with which forces Mr. Jeffress remained until the close of the war. He participated in the battle of Chickamauga, one of the most noted engagements of the entire war, and although he participated in a number of hotly contested battles was never injured. He was married three times: first to Miss Bettie Clark of Prince Edward county, Virginia, in December, 1846. She died in 1852 leaving one child, R. A. Jef- fress. His second marriage was to Miss Mar- garet Moseley of Charlotte county, Virginia, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. but one of the daughters died in infancy and the mother passed away in 1863. Colonel Jef- fress last marriage was to Miss Sally Thornton, of Milton, North Carolina, in 1866. By this marriage there were three children, two sons and a daughter. Colonel Jeffress was a tall, fine-looking man of unusually good address, was a fluent speaker, an entertaining conver- sationalist and a most companionable gentle- man. He continued his residence in the county of his nativity until called to his final rest on the 22nd of August, 1895.

Robert Alexander Jeffress was born in Not- toway county, Virginia, August 16, 1848, and began his education in Chestnut Hill school- house near his father's home, his first teacher being Wirt Davis, who taught him to read and write. The teacher was a remarkable man in many ways. His presence in the school-room inspired the pupils with awe, for he displayed a most determined manner. A native of Vir- ginia, he afterward went to Mississippi, where he successfully taught school, while later he went to California, being there at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. His sym- pathies were with the north and he enlisted in the Union army, was promoted to a cap- taincy and after the close of the war was sta- tioned with his command at Fort Griffin, in Shackelford county, Texas. He is still in the United States army and judging the man from the standpoint of his success as a school teach- er he certainly must have been a splendid sol- dier.

Mr. Jeffress next became a student in Union Academy, situated near the town then known as Blacks and Whites but now called Black- stone, Virginia. There he acquired the great- er part of his education but later attended the Virginia Military Institute. He went to Lex- ington, where he remained for several days. The war was in progress and the barracks of

the school had been burned, which caused the school to open later in Richmond, being lo- cated there temporarily. Mr. Jeffress remained there for a time in 1864, but accommodations were so poor that he returned home. His fa- ther afterward gave him the choice of returning to the institute when it was again placed in good running order at Lexington or to go west, as he was then thinking of doing. Mr. Jeffress made choice of the latter course and from that time forward has been dependent upon his own resources, working his way upward through the inherent force of his character and his recognition and utilization of opportunities. He left home in May, 1869, and went to Helena, Arkansas, joining a friend, Rev. Thomas Ward White, who then had charge of the public schools in Helena and is now at New Birming- ham, Texas. Mr. Jeffress assisted Rev. White in the school for a short time and afterward accepted a school thirty miles west of Hel- ena in Phillips county, where he taught for one session. Having trouble to get his war- rants cashed and secure money he became dis- couraged and returned to Helena, where he ob- tained a position in a store, selling feathers, buttons and ladies' goods. That did not prove congenial and he made arrangements to leave Helena but with no definite point in view. He had his trunk packed and put on the cab and all the time was debating whether to return to Virginia or to go to Texas. When the cab was on the way to the depot he decided in favor of the latter place and told the cabman to drive him to the New Orleans depot, where he secured a ticket for Texas over the Mor- gan road to Brashear City, thence proceeding to Galveston. He was caught in a storm on the passage. This was his first experience at sea and at length he arrived safely at his destination in February, 1870. He went to La- Grange, Fayette county, traveling by stage the most of the way and in that vicinity taught school for one session. He afterward went to Bastrop and while on his way in search of a school in that county he accidentally met his old Virginia friend, Major Louis C. Wise, now of Abilene, Texas. He was very home- sick and discouraged about that time and was more than delighted to meet Major Wise, who was then teaching at Hills Prairie, Texas, and who invited Mr. Jeffress into the school-house, saying that he had only one more class to hear and would then be through for the day and invited Mr. Jeffress to spend the night with him. The latter accepted the invitation and while seated in the school-house he saw in that

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 74

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co. Number of Pages: 972

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 972