Crenshaw County AlArchives Biographies.....Merrill, Thomas L. 1843 - living in 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 18, 2004, 12:16 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) THOMAS L. MERRILL, farmer and miller of Beat No. 9, was born in the neighborhood where he now resides, in 1843. He is a son of Jacob and Hollan (Merrill) Merrill, their fathers being cousins. Mr. Merrill was born in Georgia, and Mrs. Merrill probably in North Carolina. They were married in 1818 and came to Henry county, Ala., about 1820, and soon afterward to Covington county, and lived near Andalusia for about eight years, and then removed to the neighborhood of Leon in the winter of 1829-30, settling in the woods, and here Mr. Merrill made a fine improvement and here spent the rest of his life, dying in 1857, aged about sixty-five years. He was one of the first settlers in Covington, and was an industrious, prosperous man. He served a short time in the war of 1812. Both he and his wife, who died in Texas in 1880, were members of the Missionary Baptist church. At the time of her death she was nearly eighty years old. The paternal grandfather of Thomas L., Robert Merrill, was probably born in Maryland. whence he removed to Georgia, and in 1819, came from that state to Alabama. Here he died before the recollection of our subject. For some years prior to his marriage he followed sailing upon the ocean. Benjamin Merrill, a brother of Robert, died near Andalusia, where he settled about 1819. His wife died at Leon. He was the maternal grandfather of our subject and his wife was Rachel Lewis. The subject was the youngest but one of a family of four sons and five daughters: Green B., deceased, served for a short time in the Thirty-seventh Alabama infantry; Henry, deceased, was a lieutenant in company C, same, regiment, and died at Columbus, Miss., in 1862; William Reed, deceased, was in the same command three years; Thomas L.; Jane, the deceased wife of Josiah Rhodes; Martha, widow of S. T. Smith, who was killed in time of the war; Rachel, widow of John R. Shaw, of Texas; Sarah, deceased wife of Wesley Richards; Rebecca, widow of Alfred Martin of Texas. The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm in what is now Crenshaw county, with but a limited education. In April, 1862, he joined company C, Thirty-seventh Alabama infantry, his first fight being near Abbeville, Miss., and he was then in the siege of Vicksburg, after which he was paroled and went home for thirty days. His command having been re-organized at Demopolis, he went to north Georgia, fought at Look-out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and all the way down to Atlanta in front of Sherman, and was afterward sent to Mobile and encamped at Spanish Fort. After Hood's defeat in Tennessee he was sent to Johnston in North Carolina, and surrendered with him. He was never wounded during his entire service. After the war he engaged in farming. In 1866 he married Margaret, daughter of Hugh and Tabitha Cameron. Mr. Cameron died in Crenshaw county, and his widow is still living. He was a farmer, and was one of the first county commissioners of Crenshaw county. Mrs. Merrill was born in Georgia and was brought to Alabama when a child. Mr. Merrill is the owner of 1,900 acres of fine timber land. He has been a farmer all his life, and for the past fourteen years he has run a saw and grist mill. He has been a life-long democrat, and is now secretary of Chapel alliance, No. 895. While he is not a politician, yet he always takes great interest in politics, and is always ready to bear his share of the burden of party support. Mrs. Merrill has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, for many years, and both Mr. and Mrs. Merrill are exemplary members of society. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 785-786 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb