My Genealogy Hound

A. G. SCALES, an old and prominent citizen of this county, was born in Tennessee October 14, 1821. His father, Joseph G. Scales, was born in North Carolina about 1795, and came to Tennessee with his father when seventeen years old. He was of English extraction and a farmer by occupation. Our subject’s mother, Frances Webb, was born in Virginia about 1801, and came to Tennessee, where she married Joseph G. Seales in 1815, and became the mother of sixteen children, five of whom are yet living. Mr. Scales died in 1870, and his widow followed him in 1875. October 16, 1845, our subject wedded Miss Martha E. Lavender, a native of Tennessee, born December 5, 1821, and the daughter of Nelson and Nancy (Bugg) Lavender. To our subject and wife were born eight children. William N., Fletcher A., Laura M., James A., Allie A., Joseph D., Charles E. and Samuel W. Mrs. Scales died April 22, 1863, and he took for his second wife Eliza L. Westervelt, a native of Pennsylvania, born November 20, 1839, and the daughter of Dr. Peter A. and Ann W. (Gribble) Westervelt. By this last union Mr. Scales became the father of five children: Frank B., born in 1867; Peter S., born in 1869; Risdon G., born in 1871; Willis C., born in 1875, and Frances H., born in 1882. Our subject was reared on a farm and lives in sight of his birth-place. He started out to make a living for himself when quite young, and by close application and hard work accumulated considerable wealth, which he retained until the close of the war. He was chairman of the Vigilance Committee organized during the war. His farm was often made the camping grounds of both armies at different times, who destroyed his fences and carried off his stock and also his slaves, who numbered about thirty, leaving him nothing to cultivate his farm. About the close of the war he was elected justice of the peace in this district. He was substantiated before the United States Court as a loyal man and succeeded in getting a claim of $1,260 some time after peace was declared. He has donated money for the erection of churches in all directions. He has a fine farm of 300 acres lying on both sides of the Farmington & Fayetteville Pike. He takes great pride in rearing fine stock and has some fine blooded animals at his place. He has been trustee of the Male and Female College at College Grove from its beginning. He is a Democrat, and he and wife are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.