My Genealogy Hound

S. S. McDonald, a prominent agriculturist of Smith County, was born in 1828 near Greenville, Jackson (now Putman) Co., Tenn. He is one of a family of eight children, born to James P. and Susan (Edleman) McDonald. The father is of Irish descent and was born in 1809 in Jackson County. He was raised in comfort and without any knowledge of work, despite which fact he was of an industrious, active temperament and labored most successfully in after years. He is now eighty years of age, an honorable and respected old gentleman. He lives on his own farm about ten miles east of Carthage. He married at the age of eighteen. Miss Edleman was of Dutch extraction, born in North Carolina about 1807 and died in 1875, leaving five children. Mr. McDonald was married the second time to Mrs. Evaline Bolton. The subject of this sketch received but a limited education in the common schools of Smith County. He remained with his parents until after his majority, when, with his father’s assistance, he purchased the farm upon which he was born. In 1862 he sold the place. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, Capt. McDonald’s company, Twenty-eighth Regiment. He was a first-class teamster and was appointed driver of a six-mule team, which capacity he served in for two years, when he became ill with typhoid fever while in Walker County, Ga., and was taken on to Cherokee County, Ala., and left five miles west of Alpine with a family, where he was sick for three months. He returned home and bought an interest in the farm with his father, upon which the latter is residing. Three years later S. S. sold his interest and invested in a place containing 297 acres, where he is now living. It is situated near sand shoals of Cumberland River, in Smith County. In 1870 he married Fanny, daughter of Robt. J. and Fanny (Cook) Glover, of same county. Mrs. McDonald was born in 1848 at place of marriage. This union resulted in the birth of five children: Alva Wright, Edna Winfried, Mattie Lelia, Willie Sydney, and Callie May, the first child died in infancy in 1872. Mr. Mc Donald returned from the war a poor man, but by continued industry and judicious management has succeeded in accumulating some very good property, and with his brother owns the ferry that crosses Caney Fork of Cumberland River. His farm is moderately well cultivated and improved. Previous to the war he was a Whig and is now a stanch Democrat. His first presidential vote was for Gen. Winfield Scott in 1852. He was at one time a member of the Grange as was also his wife. Mr. McDonald has not united with any denomination but favors the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; his wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.