Dr. Thomas F. Jones

 
The Courant American
Cartersville, Georgia
November 16, 1899, page 1
 
Transcribed by:  
 

Dr. T. F. Jones Passes Away.
Death Occurred at Home, Monday Morning Last.
Heart Paralysis The Trouble
Brief Sketch of His Life –Funeral Is Largely Attended –Veterans in Body.

The community was overspread with sorry (sic) on Tuesday morning when the news became current that Dr. Thomas F. Jones was dead, for no man in Bartow county had more friends and fewer enemies than this solid, clever citizen.  The news was rather a surprise to many, as the doctor had been attending to his affairs in apparent good health.  It was known, however, by his family and physician that he has been in a feeble way for several years, though his energies never forsook him and with that courage and resolution that has ever characterized his life, he pursued his daily duties.  His final illness dates from Saturday morning, which ended in death from paralysis of the heart at 8 o’clock on Monday.

Dr. Thomas F. Jones was born at Laurens, S. C., April 3, 1832, and was, therefore, in his 68th year when he died.  His father was Gen. Thomas F. Jones, a man prominent in his state and commander at one time of the state militia.

He moved from his native state to Bartow county about the year 1857.  He first bought a farm of Dr. Benham, five miles west of Cartersville, later owned and occupied by Maj. William Milner.  He also conducted a drug store in Cartersville.

His first marriage was in Greenwood, S. C., to a Miss Reynolds, who was a sister of Mrs. S. W. Leland, and who only lived a short while.

On September 11, 1860, he was married to his cousin, Miss Louisa J. Young.

When the civil war broke out he entered the service first infantry but afterward in a body of partisan rangers that later became known as the 13th Georgia Cavalry, and was finally attached to the famous Gen. John H. Morgan’s command.  He was captain of a company, and became one of Morgan’s most trusted officers, often being in command of important detachments for work requiring both daring and skill.  Dr. W. I. Benham was a Lieutenant with him and Mr. George G. Leake, of Atlanta, was one of his comrades in arms.  Dr. Jones with a force of one regiment, was trusted with a dangerous work in the latter years of the war, that of scattering, subduing or capturing a band of bushwhackers that numbered several thousand in the mountains around Murphy and Hiawassee.  From the latter place his forces merged on three roads and with a dash and valor superb met foes in great numbers in ambush and routing, killing and capturing, broke them to pieces with little loss to his own force.

He went to South Carolina after the surrender and spent a year or more and was of aid to his people there in meeting the hard affronts of reconstruction days.  Returning to Bartow, he settled near Kingston, where he enjoyed an extensive practice.  Between Gen. Pierce M. B. Young, who was his cousin and brother-in-law, and himself there was a marked and growing attachment.  He visited the general while the latter was minister to Guatemala, a trip which he greatly enjoyed.  Gen. Young’s death four years ago was much lamented by all who knew him but was a marked blow of sorrow to his relative and life-long friend, Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones leaves besides his refined, amiable and devoted wife, five grown children, Misses Carrie and Emma, Mr. Thomas F. Jones, Jr., Misses Mamie and Lula Jones.  He leaves two brothers, Mr. William Jones, of Laurens, S. C., and Mr. Henry Jones, of Floyd county besides a sister, Mrs. Griffin, of South Carolina.

After the death of Gen. Young, who had owned and controlled it, Dr. Jones and his family moved to the Dr. Young old homestead, the largest and one of the most valued farms on the Etowah river.  It is four miles west of Cartersville.  By purchase the original homestead has lately had added to it the Judge Wat Harris farm, lying east and southeast of it.

Dr. Jones’ most marked traits of character were his high sense of honor, his liberality and kindness of heart, his frank and open manner, his courage and his positive convictions.  These made him friends and strong ones. His death will be a loss strongly felt by his family and the community.

He was a man of intellectual; culture, a ripe scholar in Greek and Latin, and as a physician he ranked among the best of his section.  His literary education was from a university of Columbia and his medical training was obtained at Charleston.

The funeral took place from the Presbyterian church at 2:30 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, services conducted by Rev. E. M. Craig, and the remains were interred at Oak Hill on the same lot with and near those of Gen. Young.  A large concourse attended the funeral and his brethren, the Freemasons and his war comrades, the P. M. B. Young Camp of Confederate veterans attending in body made a solemn and impressive show.

The following gentlemen acted as pall bearers: Maj. A. F. Wooley, Dr. W. I. Benham, Capt. Thomas J. Lyon, Mr. John S. Leake, Capt. John J. Calhoun and Dr. F. R. Calhoun.

The Masonic lodge, after attending the funeral, and before adjourning, on Tuesday, appointed a committee to draft suitable resolutions in his memory. [Several more notices of Dr. Thos. Jones death can be found on page 8 of this issue.  One states “Dr. Jones descended from revolutionary ancestry, on both sides of his house.”]

 

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