In a message dated 8/27/00 9:38:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time, ldillard@cfl.rr.com writes: << Subj: [DALELIST] A Sketch of the life of "Thomas Andrew Byrd" Date: 8/27/00 9:38:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time From: ldillard@cfl.rr.com (Lawrence Dillard) Reply-to: ALDALE-L@rootsweb.com To: ALDALE-L@rootsweb.com Nature >From the Memorial Record of Alabama Volume I Publisher Brant & Fuller Madison Wis. 1893 Pages 804 and 805 Thomas a. Byrd.- This native born and enterprising merchant and farmer of Dale county Al. was born at Newton, 18 September 1840, and is a son of Burtis and Mary (Anderson) Byrd. Burtis Byrd was a native of North Carolina, born in 1814, but in 1830 came to Alabama, and located in Dale county, near the present town of Newton, began farming and married. Shortly afterward he moved to Barbour county to avoid the depredations of troublesome Indians. When the Indians had been removed to the west of the Mississippi river he returned to Dale county, and erected the first business building in Newton, and in company with R. Yelverton laid a stock of general merchandise. He then, in order to facilitate trade, put in circulation a petition for the building of a bridge over the Choctawhatchee river, but the settlers were slow to subscribe to the scheme, when Mr. Byrd constructed the bridge at his own expense, and demanded a toll for passengers until the enterprise had paid for itself, when the gates were torn down and the bridge made free. In 1848, Mr. Byrd moved to Honeytown, near the present town of Ozark, and bought a farm. He was elected sheriff of Dale county three times on the democratic ticket, and was the incumbent of that office at the time of his death, which occurred in 1852. Mrs. Mary (Anderson) Byrd was born in South Carolina, in 1816, came to Alabama with her parents, in 1820, and was married in Dale county, in her seventeenth year. Of her ten children, seven grew to maturity, and six still survive. She, like her husband, was a devout member of the Missionary Baptist church, in which faith she died, in 1889, in her seventy-third year. Her father erected the first frame and painted house in Dale county, the lumber for which was cut with a whipsaw; he also erected the first mill in the county. Thomas A. Byrd was reared on the home farm, and secured a sound general education. At the age of twenty he enlisted in the Confederate army, 23 April 1861, in the seventh Alabama Infantry, which was assigned to Gen. Bragg's army. At the end of his term of enlistment for one year, he returned to his home, and enlisted in the fifty-third Alabama cavalry, under Col. Hannan, and took part in all it's marches and engagements until the battle of noonday creek, when he was shot through the ankle with a rifle ball. Returning home, he worked the first year after his recovery on his mother's plantation, and then went to Crenshaw county, where he lived two years on a farm. Returning to Dale county in 1869, he bought a tract of 120 acres, to which he has added from time to time, and now owns and cultivates a tract of 520 acres. In 1891, in company with his son, Edward R., he opened a general store in Daleville, in which the transactions amount to $20,000 or $30,000 per annum. The marriage of Mr. Byrd took place 19 October 1865, to miss Catherine Mullins, daughter of Lewis and Catherine Mullins. The lady was born in Dale county, in 1845, and she is now the happy mother of twelve children, born in the following order: Fannie E., wife of J. Ellis, of Coffee county, Al.; Benjamin B., who married Miss Ella Stephens, and who also resides in coffee county; Edward R. in partnership with his father; Mary E.; Hattie B.; Mattie; Cora O.; Georgia; Edward L.; Wilhelmite; Dovey, and Tommie (a baby girl). Mr. and Mrs. Byrd and four of the adult members of their family are members of the Missionary Baptist church. In 1871, Mr. Byrd was made a Mason, and now affiliates with Dadeville lodge. No 144. While he has never been an aspirant for public office he was nevertheless elected by the democrats, in 1889, to the office of county commissioner, which position he filled one term with credit to himself and satisfaction to the citizens. He is public spirited and progressive, and his business reputation without a blemish. ==== ALDALE Mailing List ==== 750,000 men from the South faced 2 million men from the North . 2 million men could not defeat 750,000 Southern troops what did defeat them was disease, hunger, lack of money and supplies.  >>