Butler County AlArchives Photo person.....Bethune B. McKenzie 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 14, 2004, 12:29 pm

Source: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 566
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/butler/photos/gph296bethuneb.jpg
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   BETHUNE B. MCKENZIE.-The great-grandfather of the subject of of this mention
emigrated with his family from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, to the United States
in 1784, but died on shipboard with ship fever. His wife and five children
landed at Baltimore, from which place they proceeded to Richmond county, N. C.
There were three sons, Kenneth, John and William. Kenneth married Annie
Harrington and remained on the homestead, John and William emigrated to Kentucky
and Indiana. Kenneth had three sons, James, Daniel and Braton B. Daniel
emigrated to Barbour county, Ala., in 1828, and was married to Amanda Burch in
1834, and the subject of the present sketch was born from this union on October
11, 1837, near Louisville, Ala. He had only one brother, John, who resided until
his death at Meridian, Miss. He has three sisters living - Mrs. Sue Flournoy,
widow of Robt. Flournoy, and Mrs. James Hobdy, living at Louisville, Ala., and
Mrs. W. H. Norton, living at Fort Valley, Ga. Bethune B. McKenzie received the
solid ground work of his education at the Louisville academy, presided over at
that time by Prof. A. R. McDonald, now of Montgomery. He afterward entered the
freshman class of Howard college, and graduated there in 1858. He expected to
continue his education by the study of law, but ill-health prevented. It became
necessary for him to pursue some active outdoor work, so he concluded to spend
his life on a farm. In October, 1858, he married Miss C. E. Flournoy, the
daughter of Gen. Thos. Flournoy, of Eufaula, and began farming in 1860. On the
breaking out of the civil war in 1861 he entered the Confederate army as a
private in company H, Seventh Alabama regiment. This was a twelve-month regiment
and did not reorganize. In 1862 he entered into the organization of the
Thirty-ninth Alabama regiment as first lieutenant, company C. But the campaign
around Tupelo and Ripley, Miss., and the subsequent Kentucky campaign convinced
him that he was physically unable to stand infantry service. He therefore
resigned, went home and raised a cavalry company, which was, with two other
companies, ordered to Virginia and formed a part of the renowned Jeff. Davis
legion. His command was under Gen. Hampton and took an active part in a number
of battles, including second Cold Harbor, Trevilian Station, Reams Station, Bell
Field, Bentonville, and many of lesser note, in all of which Capt. McKenzie bore
himself as became a brave soldier and a prudent officer. He was present at the
little farm house near Durham, N. C., on the 26th of April. 1835, when Gen. J.
E. Johnston surrendered to Gen. Sherman, having been detailed as Gen. Johnston's
escort. He was sitting not more than fifteen feet from the two generals when the
papers were being written and signed. After returning home from the war he was
elected from Barbour county as a delegate to the constitutional convention
called to rehabilitate the state with the United States government, and was the
youngest member of that body. While his diffidence and inexperience prevented
his taking a prominent part in that convention, he was an active worker, and
although two conventions have been held since, our present constitution contains
many clauses grafted thereon by his watchfulness. The war being over, farming
was no longer a desirable life under the changed condition of things. He then
began the work of civil engineering. He was engaged in the survey and building
of the road from Eufaula to Clayton; was engineer-in-chief of the Georgia
Central, and afterward was assistant engineer of the L. & N., having charge of
the track department from Decatur to Mobile. In 1881 he abandoned railroading
and embarked in the lumber business at Dunham, and after a year became
associated with H. S. Perkins and Dr. W. N. Morton, under the firm name of
McKenzie, Morton & Co., a partnership which lasted until 1884, when Messrs.
McKenzie & Perkins bought the other member's interest and organized the Dunham
Lumber company. Of this company Mr. McKenzie was elected president, and after
Mr. Perkins' accidental death, in 1888, W. H. Calhoun and F. Stollenwerck became
identified with the enterprise and are still members of the firm. This company
does a very extensive business, owning 10,000 acres of timber land, sixteen
miles of standard gauge railroad, and operates a mill with a capacity of 50,000
feet of lumber per day, the entire output being shipped to eastern markets.
Captain McKenzie has distinquished himself in business affairs as a man of
exceptionally good executive ability, able to manage successfully enterprises
that require more than ordinary acumen and tact, and his honor and integrity in
all of his transactions have won for him the universal esteem of his fellow
citizens thronghout southern Alabama. He is a gentleman of very pleasing
address, tall and dignified in personal appearance, and posesses the rare but
happy faculty of being able to preserve his equanimity at all times and under
the most trying circumstances. His benevolence is only bounded by his means, and
no one in Butler county has contributed more freely to the advancement of the
county morally or materially than he. In politics he is a democrat. He never
stoops to the methods and tricks of the professional partisan, but believes in
advancing the interest of his party by means that are both dignified and
honorable. Fraternally he belongs to the F. & A. M., in which he has taken a
number of degrees, including that of Sir Knight; in religion he has been for a
number of years a consistent member of the Baptist church, of which his wife is
also a communicant. The following are the names of the children born to him:
Edgar F., engineer on the L. & N. railroad, resident of Mobile, Caroline, wife
of U. C. Vinson, Georgiana, Ala.; Anna, wife of Samuel T. Suratt, ticket agent
for all roads centering in the Union depot at Montgomery; Amanda, wife Dr. W. W.
Maugum; D. B., graduate of Alabama university and civil engineer in the employ
of a railroad; Fannie, Lou, Kenneth, and Susan-the last four living with their
parents at home.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 566-568

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