Clay County AlArchives Biographies.....Northen, Thomas February 17 1845 - living 1893
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 15, 2004, 7:54 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   THOMAS NORTHEN, M. D. - Dr. Thomas Northen, a practicing physician, of
Ashland, Ala., was born in Chambers county, Ala., on the 17th day of February,
1845. His father, William S. Northen, was born in Georgia, emigrated to Alabama
and settled in Chambers county, about 1840. About 1842, he was married to Mrs.
Vicy Anne Bunch (nee Wilson), from which union were born six children, viz.:
Amanda C., deceased; Thomas, the subject of this sketch; Margaret A., deceased;
Sarah E., who was married to Samuel E. Whitlow, and now resides at Bartlett,
Texas; Ephraim D., deceased, and George W., now of Holland, Texas. When William
S. Northen first came to Alabama, he was engaged in farming. Later, he became
interested in the mercantile business, in which he was finally unsuccessful,
losing almost his entire fortune. He afterward became the victim of disease and
died on the 29th of May, 1855. From this time, Thomas assisted in the care and
support of the family, and was thus deprived almost entirely of the privileges
of attending school. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted as a private soldier
in the Confederate army, joining company I, Thirty-seventh Ala. His first
service was under General Price, in Mississippi. He participated in the battles
of Iuka and Corinth and the siege of Vicksburg. He was surrendered at Vicksburg
and returned home, remaining until the Vicksburg prisoners were exchanged. He
then joined his command at Demopolis, Ala., and was there selected as one of the
color guards of his regiment. His command was soon ordered to Chattanooga, and
he was present in the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. On
Missionary Ridge he received a wound in the right hand, which disabled him for
active service in the field. In May, following, he was retired from active
service for six months. This gave him an opportunity to attend school, of which
he availed himself. At the expiration of this time, he rejoined the army at
Mobile and was assigned to duty in the commissary department of Baker's brigade.
He went with this command to North Carolina and was present at the surrender of
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, at Greensboro. He then returned home and attended
school for a short time, after which he began to teach. He soon became prominent
as a teacher, and his services were solicited by the leading schools of the
section at that time. After ten years, he abandoned teaching and began the study
of medicine under Dr. M. J. Eley, of LaFayette, Ala. He graduated with
distinction from the Atlanta medical college, in February, 1878. He moved from
his home in Chambers county, to Lineville, Clay county, Ala., where he soon
built up an extensive and profitable practice. He remained here ten years, after
which he moved with his family to Oxford, Ala. In 1889, he returned to Clay
county and settled at Ashland, where he still practices with devotion his
profession. Dr. Northen was married on December 13, 1866, to Miss Josephine C.
Wilson, who became the mother of ten children, viz.: Charles S., a physician of
Ashland; Arthur A., a druggist; Cora; Ola; Cressie W.; Eva, deceased; William
L.; Vicy A. O.; Allen G. Thurman and Pattie, deceased. The mother of these
children died on the 29th of July, 1891. Politically, Dr. Northen is a democrat,
is a master Mason and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. He is a
member of the state medical association, and was at one time one of the
counsel-ors of the association. He is president of the Clay county Medical
society, and health officer for the county.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 648-649


This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/

File size: 4.1 Kb