My Genealogy Hound

William P. Elrod, merchant of Rutherford, Tenn., was born in Alabama in 1842. He resided with his father until 1861, then enlisted in the Confederate Service, Fourth Tennessee Cavalry, and was wounded in the right foot while retreating from Dalton to Atlanta, which unfitted him for further service. He served under Gen. N. B. Forrest. After his return home he entered school at Bowling Green, Ky., and remained one session. In 1867 he and James Mitchell opened a grocery store at Woodbury, Tenn., but after two years followed the same business four miles from the town. Here he remained two years when he removed to Alabama, but only resided there a few months. He has since followed general merchandising in Rutherford, Tenn., and has been quite successful. He owns 350 acres of land near the town besides an interest in 300 acres in Gibson County and in Arkansas. In 1866 he married Jennie Hamilton, who was born in Gibson County, and lived only about six months after her marriage. In 1870 he married Esther O’Daniel, who was born in Tennessee. She is a daughter of Stephen and Clarkie O’Daniel, and became the mother of seven children, three of whom are dead. Mr. and Mrs. Elrod are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and he is a Democrat and a member of the I. O. O. F. His parents, George and Thirza (Keys) Elrod, were Tennesseans. The father was a farmer and moved to Alabama after his marriage and there resided until his death, which occurred in 1882. His wife died seventeen years earlier. He took for his second wife a Mrs. Warren, who bore him one child. By his first wife he was the father of ten children.