My Genealogy Hound

M. S. Wilkes’ birth occurred in 1821. His parents, John and Polly (Halliburton) Wilkes, were born in Virginia and Tennessee, respectively. The father was brought to Tennessee when quite young, and became a moderately prosperous farmer. He was a Whig and served as magistrate a number of years. He came to Gibson County in 1836 and died in 1873. He served in the Creek war under Jackson, and he and wife were members of the Missionary Baptist Church. She died about 1853. At about the age of twenty M. S. Wilkes began doing for himself, and was married to Mary Flowers, who was born in North Carolina in 1818. She came with her parents, Henry and Daisy Flowers, to Tennessee when quite young, and by Mr. Wilkes became the mother of six children, three of whom are dead. Mr. Wilkes located on his present farm in 1845. It contains 165 acres of land and produces corn, cotton and small grain. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving in the Forty-seventh Tennessee Regiment, and was lieutenant of his company. In May, 1863, he received his discharge, owing to sickness in his family, and returned home and began farming. He and Mrs. Wilkes are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and he is a Democrat in politics. The Wilkes family are natives of England. The grandfather came to the United States at an early day and was in the Revolutionary war and was present when Cornwallis surrendered his sword.