Goodspeed's Henry County Biographies - J surnames
William A. and Sol. Jones,
farmers and stock dealers, and sons of Thomas and Louisa H.
(Terrell) Jones, were born in Benton County, Tenn., the former
in 1827 and the latter in 1834. There were seven children in the
family, only three of whom are now living. The father was born
in North Carolina in 1804, and was of Welsh ancestry. He
received a limited education, and immigrated to Hickman County,
Tenn., when about seventeen years of age with his father,
Solomon Jones, who went there at a very early time, when the
country was a vast wilderness abounding in wild animals, and who
died about 1841. Thomas was married in 1824, and soon after
removed to Benton County, settling on a large farm one mile west
of Camden, where, in April, 1840, Mrs. Jones died. She was a
native of Wake County, N. C., born 1806. In 1842 Thomas Jones
married Mary Ann Smalley, and to them were born six children,
all living. In 1859 Mr. Jones removed to Texas and there died in
1863. He was a man of considerable ability, and was sheriff of
Benton County six years. Our subjects were reared at home and
received their education at Camden. In 1856 W. A. was elected
circuit court clerk of Benton County, and in 1860 was elected
county court clerk. The following year he enlisted in Company A,
of which he was made captain, and at the reorganization of a
battalion, which became the Fifty-fifth Tennessee, he was
elected lieutenant-colonel, and held this position during the
remainder of service. He was captured at Island No. 10 April,
1862, was taken to Columbus, Ohio, and from there to Johnson’s
Island, near Sandusky, Ohio, where he was exchanged in September
of the same year. He returned home in 1865, and resigned his
position as county court clerk, but in 1866 he was again elected
circuit court clerk, which position he held for four years. He
then spent about five years in the mercantile business, after
which he organized a stock store at Camden, which is still in a
flourishing condition, and the first of the kind in the State.
In 1872 he purchased 200 acres of land two miles west of Paris.
Both brothers own 330 acres of good productive land; in fact, as
good land as there is to be found in the county. May, 1861, Sol.
Jones enlisted in the Confederate Army, Company C, Fifth
Tennessee, and in October of the same year was transferred to
his brother’s company, and upon W. A.’s promotion to
lieutenant-colonel, Sol. Was made captain of the company. He was
captured at Island No. 10, but was soon exchanged, when he
rejoined his command and was re-elected captain, which position
he held during the remainder of the service. He was in many of
the principal battles and surrendered under Gen. Johnston. He
returned home, and April 11, 1867, married Mary A. Atkins,
daughter of John and Mary S. Atkins, half sister of Hon. J. D.
C. Atkins, of Paris. He then settled on the farm, on which he
still resides. Mrs. Jones died January 13, 1868, a devout member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. In politics W. A. and
Sol. Are both Democrats, and are ardent advocates of
prohibition. The former cast his first presidential vote for
Franklin Pierce and the latter for James Buchanan.
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