ELNATHAN G. DAVIS, farmer and trader
in live-stock, was born in Bedford County, Tenn., on the farm where he
is now living, December 29, 1825. His father, Elnathan Davis, was
born in South Carolina in 1795, and in 1817 was married to Rebecca (Sivley)
Davis, who was born in Tennessee in 1797. Of this union there were
eight children reared to maturity. The father died August 12, 1856
in Bedford County, Tenn., and the mother November 6, 1885. Our subject
received a practical education in the common schools, and has followed
farming as his chief occupation. He has been married twice, the first
time February 20, 1851, to Miss Mary E. Wilson, of Marshall County, Tenn.
The fruits of this union were two children: John W. and Cleopatra.
January 13, 1870, he took for his second wife Miss Jeffie E. Norton, daughter
of H. W. Norton. To this union was born one child, Eugene G.
Our subject, form physical disability, was exempt from the army, but the
Davis family was represented by other members. Mr. Davis is an old-line
Democrat, and a member of the I. O. O. F. He has 300 acres of as
fine fine land as the county affords, all well cultivated, and he and wife
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
WILLIAM G. DAVIS, farmer, was born
in Bedford County, Tenn., November 12, 1837, son of Elnathan and Rebecca
(Sivley) Davis, and of Irish-German descent. (For further particulars
of parents see sketch of Elnathan G. Davis.) Our subject was reared
on the farm and received a rudimentary education in the common schools.
He subsequently attended Fairfield College, at Fairfield, Tenn., and October
28, 1858, he wedded Miss Mollie J. Norvell, daughter of Dr. A. S. Norvell,
of Coffee County, Tenn. The fruits of this union were five children:
Charles E., born October 1, 1861; Willie J., born February 13, 1864; Frank
P., born July 8, 1867; Emma Smith, born November 18, 1869; and Lena Bell,
born October 28, 1871. Mrs. Davis was born in Shelbyville, Bedford
Co., Tenn., March 22, 1842. Her father, Dr. A S. Norvell, was born
June 8, 1813, and her mother was born July 13, 1819. The former died
in Coffee County, Tenn., February 29, 1876, and the latter died in the
same county April 28, 1886. They were married in the year 1839.
Mr. Davis has a farm of 140 acres in a fine state of cultivation.
He is a Democrat in politics, and he and wife are worthy members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South.
J. B. DICKENS is a son of Daniel
and Matilda (Putnam) Dickens, who were born in 1814. The father died
October 13, 1874. The mother was drowned June 20, 1870, while crossing
Duck River in a canoe. Our subject was the youngest of their eight
children. He was born in Bedford County, Tenn., October 13, 1852.
The names of the children are Jasper N., Andrew J., Nellie F., William
C., Nancy J., Elizabeth C., Newton and or subject, who was married December
12, 1872, to Jennie Foster, who was born November 21, 1852. To them
were born a family of four children: Malcolm A., born in 1873; Clara
A., born in 1876; Matilda F., born in 1880, and Sarah G., born in
1884. The mother was the youngest of seven children, their names
being Eliza J., Almira M. Malcolm A., Sarah G., Caldonia T., Mary A., and
Jennie. Our subject has been a fairly successful financier, and is
one of he few men who have made their property through their own exertions.
He and wife are members of the Methodist Church, and he is a Republican.
HENRY C. DICKERSON was born June
13, 1854, in Bedford County, Tenn. His father, Capt. James W. Dickerson,
a native also of Bedford County, was born October 15, 1815. He married
Miss Nancy Young, a native also of Bedford County, born in 1822.
To this union were born nine children, of whom our subject is the sixth.
Capt. James W. Dickerson, or subject's father, held several county offices,
and since the war has followed agricultural pursuits, and now lives near
Wartrace. The mother died October 12, 1871. Our subject was
educated in the country schools, and lived with and assisted his parents
on the farm until he reached his majority, when he was elected to the office
of constable of his civil district, and sever four years. In 1884
he was the Democratic nominee for sheriff of his county, but was defeated
by a very few votes. July 11, 1883, he was appointed deputy internal revenue
collector by Col. John T. Hillsman for the Fifth Collection District of
Tennessee, which office he now holds. On December 30, 1855, he married
Miss Mary E. Shofner, a native of Bedford County, and a daughter of P.
W. and Nancy Shofner, born January 1, 1860. He is a member of Shelbyville
Lodge of F. & A. M. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. Our subject has two brothers, William J., a prominent business
man of Union City, Obion Co., Tenn., and John W. Dickerson, a prominent
farmer of this county. This is one of the prominent families of Bedford
County.
REV. A. G. DINWIDDLE, D. D., was
born July 13, 1840 in Montgomery County, Tenn. His father, William
Dinwiddle, was born October 15, 1810 in Kentucky. He was by profession
a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and was also
a farmer. He died April 4, 1872. The mother, nee Mary Cole
Alexander, was born in Kentucky, June 15, 1814, and it yet living
in Montgomery County, Tenn. The subject of this sketch was reared
on a farm and received fair early educational advantages. He was
principally education under Prof. L. E. Duke, of Chapel Hill, N. C., then
conducting an academy at Asbury, Montgomery Co., Tenn. At the age
of nineteen he engaged in the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, and has since been so engaged. He joined the Tennessee Annual
Conference in October, 1859, and was appointed junior preacher to the Wesley
Circuit, where he remained one year. Thence in 1860 he was appointed
junior preacher to the Dover Circuit, and at the close of that year he
was ordained deacon by Bishop Early. His third year's work was on
the Bellefonte Circuit in northern Alabama and on November 19, 1861, he
was married to Miss Rachael Odil, of Columbia, Tenn. In 1862 he was
appointed to the Trinity Station, Alabama. After the war, in 1865,
he was appointed to the Sante Fe Circuit, in Maury County, Tenn.
Thence, in 1866, he was appointed to the Duck River Circuit, which
pastorate he held two years. In 1868 he organized the Bulleoka Institute
and was appointed principal of the same, also retaining the appointment
of junior preacher on the Duck River Circuit. In 1869 he was relieved
of the pastoral charge and appointed to the full principalship of the Culleoka
Institute which he held until May, 1870. In October following he
was appointed to the Savannah District and remained there four consecutive
years. He then took pastoral charge of Pulaski Station for four years.
Thence he was appointed to Cedar Hill, Robertson, Co., Tenn., for one year.
In 1879 he was appointed to the Lebanon Station, which he held until 1882,
when he was appointed to the Murfreesboro Station, and June 7, 1885, received
the honorary degree of D. D., from the Soule College of Murfreesboro.
In October, 1885 he was appointed to the Shelbyville Station, where, as
elsewhere, he has enjoyed great success in his work. He has a family
of five children: Emma, Willie H., Mary B., Maggie L., and Frank
G.
JAMES N. DRYDEN, a native of Tennessee,
was born January 6, 1835, son of David and Malinda (Guest) Dryden, natives,
respectively, of Tennessee and Georgia. The father was born in 1800
and was by occupation a farmer. The mother was born August 27, 1806,
and is still living with our subject at the extreme old age of eighty.
Our subject like the average country boy, assisted his father on the farm
and attended the district school. At the age of twenty-one he began
farming for himself on the farm where hs is now living. September
27, 1855, he married Nancy C. Stephenson, of this county, and this union
resulted in the birth of four children. William J., Martha M. B.,
Lucinda E. M. and David O. Mr. Dryden is a very influential man in
this section of the country. He is also a man of strong religious
sentiments although he is not a member of any church. Mrs. Dryden
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, Mr. Dryden
is a Republican.
NATHANIEL L. DRYDEN was born January
22, 1839, and is one of three children born to the union of Thomas and
Mary H. (Dickson) Dryden. The father was born in Virginia in 1796,
and when a youth he, with his father, immigrated to Tennessee and settled
in Bedford County. He was married in 1824 and became the father of
eleven children. The father and mother of out subject were members
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The former died in 1863 and
the latter in 1876. Our subject was born in Bedford County, Tenn.,
and was given an education in the country schools of the day. In
1867 he wedded Miss Sarah J. Llewellyn, a native of Indiana. To this
union were born eight children: Hubert E., John W., Mary L., Annie, Maggie
H., David D., Thomas F. and Nathaniel L., Jr. Daniel D. died March
31, 1884. Mr. Dryden owns 373 acres of land in the Twentieth District,
and deals in cattle, sheep, etc. He is a member of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, and a leading man in the county. The family
is of Scotch-Irish descent.
BENJAMIN F. DUGGAN, M. D., is a
son of John and Sarah A. (Burroughs) Duggan, and is of Scotch English descent.
The father died a few weeks before out subject was born. Benjamin
F. was born January 22, 1820, on Martin County, N. C., and was apprenticed
to learn the tailor's trade at the age of ten years. Six years later
he began business as a journeyman, and at the age of eighteen he immigrated
to Tennessee and began working at his trade at Beech Grove, and while here
was ordained as itinerant minister of the Methodist Protestant Church.
In 1883 he received the degree of D. D. from the college located at Westminster,
Md., and was one of the commissioners that formed the basis of union of
the Methodist and Methodist protestant Church in 1875-77 at Baltimore,
Md., and has been a member of the general conference of his church at Baltimore
in 1850; Lynchburg, Va., in 1858, and Montgomery, Ala., in 1867.
About 1850 he began the study of medicine, and entered the Nashville University
in the fall of 1853 and graduated in 1877, and located in Unionville.
He was married, October 23, 1838, to Nancy A. Elliott, who has borne him
five children: Benjamin F., Solon S., Algie A., Sarah A. and Salome
J. Our subject has been successful in life, but has also met with
many adversities. In December 1861, he became commander of Company
A, Fifty-fifth Tennessee Infantry, and was acting colonel from February
until the fall of Fort Donelson. When the regiment was organized
our subject was made surgeon, and continued in the capacity until the battle
of Shiloh.
H. C. DWIGGINS was born October
8, 1844, in Alabama. His father, R. S. Dwiggins was born in this
State about 1820 and died about 1880. The mother was Ann (Watkins)
Dwiggins. Our subject as the eldest of two children born to their
union. When about fifteen years old he began milling for his father
at Shelbyville. His father built the first three steam mills ever
erected in Tennessee. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in Company
D, Fourth Tennessee Calvary, and served until the close of the war.
He was in several noted battles, but was not wounded or captured during
service. After his return he followed the milling business for his
father until 1871, when he erected a mill at Branchville, which he has
conducted in connection with merchandising ever since. He was the
founder of the village of Branchville, and succeeded in getting a post
office in 1876. He has done much to assist in the prosperity of the
county, and is a man of influence and a highly honorable gentleman.
October 8, 1873, he wedded Mary Curtiss, of Richmond, Tenn. She is
a daughter of James H. and Teresa Curtis, and was born in 1854. They
have six children: Cassie C., Ethel E., Robbie E., Mamie L., Harry C. and
one unnamed. Mr. Dwiggins is a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a Democrat.
He has been school director for twelve years , and is still holding
the same office.
HENRY C. DYER was born October 25,
1844, and is the son of William H. and Harriet (Brown) Dyer. The
father was born in Bedford County in 1817. He was a farmer and stock
raiser and a successful man in business. He was the father of seven
children, four of which are living: James H., Mary J., Henry C. and Emily.
Mrs. Harriet Dyer died in 1856, and in 1874 Mr. Dyer was married the second
time Mr. Dyer was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and died October
1, 1880. Our subject was born in Bedford County, and education in
the common schools. His first employment was farming, and this, in
connection with stock raising, he has always followed. In 1871 he
was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Evans, daughter of Nathan Evans of
this county and one child as blessed their union, Mary B. Mr. Dyer
owns 705 acres of good land, and is a leading farmer of the county.
He and wife are worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
JAMES H. DYER, son of William and Harriet (Brown) Dyer, was born April 8, 1841, in Bedford County. He received a good, practical education in the schools of the county and followed agricultural pursuits. In 1872 he was married to Miss Belle Arnold, who bore him seven children: Annie H., James H., Thomas, Roy, Grace B., Harry and Ernest G. Harry died April 26, 1873, and Ernest G. died June 4, 1880. Mrs. Dyer is the daughter of Thomas and Nancy A. Arnold. Mr. Dyer owns 600 acres of fine land in the Twentieth District of Bedford County. He is respected as a man of sound judgment and good sense. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and is one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of the county. His farm is well adapted in the raising of corn, wheat, hay and clover.