My Genealogy Hound

Ridley R. McDonald, a well known resident and native of Smith County (formerly Jackson County), was born in 1830 near the present line between the two above mentioned counties. He is a son of James Porter and Susan (Edleman) McDonald. The father was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in 1809 in Jackson County and is at present living at the head of Hurricane Creek. The mother was of Dutch origin, born in North Carolina in 1807 and departed this life in 1875. The subject of this sketch received a limited education in the common schools of his native county. In 1853 he began farming, renting land for that purpose; about 1857 he was enabled to purchase a farm in Putman (now Smith) County, and remained on same about twenty-five years. He then bought his present place of residence, which is a farm of about 220 acres, situated on the Cumberland River. In 1853 he married Ruth, daughter of Robt. and Charity (Knight) Warren. Mrs. McDonald was born in 1837 on Caney Fork in Hill Bend. To their union eleven children were born, of whom seven are living: Leonard H., Lou, Landen A., Alfred A., Minoa Bostick, Bebie and Sidney. In 1863 Mr. Mc Donald enlisted in the Confederate Army, at Chestnut Mound, in the Twenty-eighth Tennessee. He was in active service about ten months, when he was honorably discharged at Shelbyville, Tenn., at which time he was a cavalier. He never participated in an engagement. He is a Democrat, previous to the war was a Whig and voted first time for Gen. Winfield Scott. Mr. McDonald is a self-made and highly respected man. By hard work, both day and night, he has become the possessor of a 300-acre farm, which is well cultivated and productive. His wife and the eldest five children are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.