- C - CAMPBELL, Charles - Soldier of the American Revolution, aged 76, and a resident of Lauderdale County; private Virginia State Troops; enrolled on October 7, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance $*0 - Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol.xiv, sen. doc. 514,23rd Cong., 1st sess. 1833-34. History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume 3 By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen CAMPBELL, William P. - Banker, was born in the County Donegal. Ireland, December 2, 1842, and came with his parents, four brothers and two sisters to America in 1851. The family located upon a farm near Franklin, Tenn., and there the two old people spent the rest of their lives. The oldest son, Joseph L., color-bearer of the First Tennessee Infantry, was killed at Chickamauga, and a portrait of him forms the frontispiece in a recently published history of Tennessee. Wm. P. Campbell was educated at Franklin, Tenn., became a clerk in a dry goods house at Nashville when sixteen years of age, and came to Florence at the age of eighteen. September 1, 1862, he entered the Confederate service as a private in Company F, Fourth Alabama Cavalry, and served to the close of the war, participating in all the engagements for which the Fourth Regiment is somewhat famous in history. He was captured at Selma in April, 18*15, by Wilson's Cavalry; escaped, rejoined his command, and surrendered finally at Wheeler's Station. Upon his return to Florence he arrived at the south side of the Tennessee River, the possessor of but one dollar in the world, and this he gave to the ferryman to carry him over. To his best friend, Mr. I. W. McAlester, he was indebted for clothes and money furnished while in the army. So if the road to ultimate prosperity appeared to young Campbell as one of great length, it is not to he wondered at. He went at once into the store of McAlestcr & Ervine and clerked for them six years, applying his net earnings to the liquidation of his wartime indebtedness. In 1872, he engaged in the dry goods business for himself, and, in 1880, organized the banking house of W. P. Campbell & Co., in the management of which he has made money and reputation as a financier. He is largely interested in agriculture and manufacturing: is treasurer of the Florence Land Company, president of the Florence Compress Company, a member of the Legion of Honor, and an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Notwithstanding the fact that the Campbells started in life minus the advantages of wealth, it appears that they have all succeeded reasonably well. One of the brothers, John, is connected with the Nashville Cotton-Seed Oil Company, at Nashville: Andrew is cashier of the First National Bank of Natchez. Miss., and Patrick is a prosperous merchant in the capital city of Tennessee. William P. Campbell was first married in Florence to Miss Sarah Andrews, in 1871. She died in January, 1877, leaving one child, Sarah. January 20, 1886, Mr. Campbell led to the altar the beautiful and accomplished daughter of Capt. Alexander D. Coffee and the granddaughter of the famous Gen. John Coffee. Source: Northern Alabama Historical & Biographical by T.A. DeLand and A. Davis Smith 1888 Birmingham AL CARMACK, C. - Had long represented the people of Lauderdale in the House, and with such acceptability that for several years he had desired to retire, but his fellow-citizens persisted in electing him. He told me in 1838 that he hoped he would be beaten the ensuing year, as then he would have a good excuse to decline any further attention to public affairs, which did not suit his taste. Mr. Carmack was a plain, unpretending gentleman, rather re served in his intercourse with the members investigated closely all the subjects upon which he was required to act and vote, and took his course from the stand-point of honest conviction ; and this, once determined upon, no whispers of policy, or anything short of principle, could change him. He was much respected in Legislative circles, and invited frequently to the social meetings of his fellow-members. Here, while his strict temperance habits were maintained, he would relax the reserve of public intercourse, and enjoy the freedom of such occasions with lively jest and anecdote. Soon after this year he removed to Mississippi, where he remained in private life until 1851, when the State called a Convention to consider the political questions then culminating. He was elected as a Union man, and on the assembling of the Convention, he was made its President. The labors of this position were no doubt too much for his physical ability, which was always below medium condition, and on his way home, after the adjournment, sickened and died. He was a Democrat, not because anybody else was or had been, but solely from principle, and wherever his principles led him, he went. This course of action frequently separated him from friends of the policy school, but did not on his part produce any misunderstanding, or ill blood. He was a Christian gentleman without austerity, and had universal charity toward his fellow-beings. Reminiscences of Public Men in Alabama 1872 CARTER, Jesse Francis - After working his way through school, paying expenses of his living and of his education and with the aid of his versatile and brilliant talents, Jesse Francis Carter has won an enviable position as a lawyer at Bamberg. He was born near the little town of Lodge in Colleton County, September 12, 1873. His father, Miles McMillin Carter, was a native of the same county and spent his active life as a farmer. He is of an old South Carolina family of English descent. He married Janie Irene Kinard, a native of Barnwell County, and daughter of Jacob Francis Kinnard, also an old South Carolina family of Scotch-Irish descent. Miles Carter after his marriage moved to a plantation in Colleton County where his six sons were born, all of whom are still living, named: Jesse Francis and Bert Dean Carter, attorneys at law in Bamberg under the firm name of Carter, Carter & Kearse; Joseph Edgar Carter of Wilmington, North Carolina; Alonzo B. Carter of Maxton, North Carolina; Wilbur Lee Carter of Greensboro, North Carolina; and Miles J. Carter of Florence, Alabama, all of whom are engaged in some phase of insurance work, Wilbur Lee and Miles J. owning controlling interests in the business which they conduct. Jesse Francis Carter as a small boy had opportunities to occasionally attend a log cabin school in Colleton County, a term of only a few weeks each year. He was thirteen when his father died, at which time he took charge of the farm and assisted his mother in rearing his infant brothers. His mother died when he was twenty years of age, after which he attended the graded schools at Bamberg, also a classical institute, and as a means of support taught a number of summer terms. He finally entered Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1900, and after teaching for a while, he graduated with the degree A. B. from the University of Nashville in 1903. In 1904 Mr. Carter entered the Law School of the University of South Carolina and took two years' work in one, receiving his LL. B. degree in 1905. He then located at Bamberg, and has rapidly made his way to the front as a lawyer. In 1908 he again took special post-graduate work in Chicago. He is engaged in general practice and is a member of the firm Carter, Carter & Kearse of Bamberg, South Carolina. Mr. Carter owns and as a means of recreation conducts some small farming interests in the neighborhood of Bamberg. In college and university Mr. Carter gave all the time he could to literary and debating societies. He won several debates, including the debater's medal of his society at the University of South Carolina. He was also a winner in the oratorical contest, and was president of his literary society in the University of Nashville and was made permanent secretary of his class at graduation. He is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, and has held many of the offices in both orders. He is a member of the State Bar Association and was attorney for the local board of Bamberg County during the war, also government appeal agent, a member of the State Council of Defense, and a leader in the second Red Cross campaign and in many other war activities. He is a member and deacon of the Missionary Baptist Church and teacher of its Men's Bible Class. Mr. Carter has never been a seeker for political honors, but is one of the most influential men in his party in Bamberg County and is the present chairman of the democratic county committee, serving his second term in that office. Mr. Carter is president of the Home Building & Loan Association, which has an issued capital of $200,000. This is a recently organized company, Mr. Carter being one of the organizers. The company starts off with bright prospects. In 1911 Mr. Carter married Lydia Jenkins, a daughter of B. M. Jenkins of Kline, South Carolina. They have three daughters: Lydia Frances, Janie Elizabeth and Martha Jaudon Carter. [History of South Carolina, Volume 5, Edited by Yates Snowden and Harry Gardner Cutler, 1920 – Transcribed by (Therman W. - AFOFG] CLARK, Thomas Marion - "Mountain Tom" Co B 2nd MTD Inf USA (joined and deserted) He became leader of "Clifton Shebang" and outlaw gang of bushwackers of Al and Tn. was captured by Wm Blair and put into jail. An angry mob stormed the jail, took Clark out and hung him. Legend told that he is buried under Tennessee Street because he said that "no one runs over Tom Clark" Contributed by Sandra Hughes (Find-A-Grave) COFFEE, John - was among the early settlers of this county. He was Gen. Jackson's right arm through all his campaigns against the Creeks, and led the mounted Tennesseans at the battle of New Orleans. He was a planter in this county for twelve or thirteen years, and died here July 17, 1833. Capt Alexander D. Coffee, of this county, is his son, and nearly all his children and descendants reside here. His wife was a sister of Mrs. Gen. Jackson, and died a year or two ago. CONNER, Joseph C. (D.D.S.) - General Administrator of the County of Lauderdale, was born in Owen County, Ky., March 9, 1838, and was educated at Elkton, in his native State. He began the drug business in Nashville in 1852, and there read medicine, attended lectures, and studied dentistry. He began the practice of dental surgery in 1850, and in 1861, came to Florence. He entered the Confederate service as a non-commissioned officer in Co. F, Fourth Alabama Cavalry, and served to the close of the war. During the last year, he was acting assistant-surgeon. He was under General Forrest about a year and a half, and the rest of the time in the general cavalry service. He surrendered at Selma in 1865, returned to Florence, and again took up the practice of dentistry. He was one of the organizers of the Florence Land, Mining and Manufacturing Co.. and has been one of its board of director from the first. He is also a director in the Home Protection Fire Insurance Co., of Huntsville; the Synodical Female College, of Florence: of tin Southern Charcoal and Chemical Co., of Florence of the W. B. Wood Furnace Co. ; and secretary of the Cypress Mills Co. He is also interested in agriculture, deals extensively in real estate, and altogether, is successful in the accumulation valuable property. He was married in Lauderdale County in 1870 to Miss Mary H. Key, daughter of W. H. Key Esq., a planter of this county. Source: Northern Alabama Historical & Biographical by T.A. DeLand and A. Davis Smith 1888 Birmingham AL CRITTENDEN, Moses H., business man, was born August 31, 1851, in Lauderdale County; son of Wm. H. and Octavia (Ingram) Crittenden. He was educated in common schools of Florence; studied medicine for a short time; in 1873 removed to Birmingham, where he engaged in mercantile and real estate business. He is a Knight of Pythias. Married: November 14, 1878, to Sallie J. Goodrich, of Kentucky. Children: 1. Lula O.; 2. Erllne, m. J. Q. Smith; 3. Inez, m. Homer E. Starks, Montgomery. Residence: Birmingham. Source: Goodspeed Biographies McNairy County TN CUNNINGHAM, Benjamin Weakly, teacher, fanner and legislator,was born March 19, 1870 at Rogersville, Lauderdale County, son of Jonathan and Susan (Taylor) Cunningham, of that county, the former was first lieutenant Co. I. 27th Alabama Infantry regiment, C S Army, member Alabama house of representatives 1878-77. 1887-88, and in the state senate. 1890-98: grandson of Jonathan and Allie (Kance) Cunningham, who came to this stale from North Carolina, and of Benjamin and Soasn (Westmoreland) Taylor, natives of Virginia. He was educated in the county schools, and graduated, 1892 from the State normal college, Florence. He taught in the public schools of Alabama and Texas from 1892 to 1900. In 1900 he entered upon farming as a profession. He is also interested in a mercantile business at Center Star. On June 19, 1909 he was elected to the legislature to fill the unexpired term of John L. Hugston, appointed probate Judge of Lauderdale County. Married: December 12, 1906, at Cherokee, to Turner Goodloe. daughter of Willis P. and Turner (Goodloe) Rutland, of that place. Residence: Center Star. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Vol 3 by Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen