Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Carmichael, Jesse M. October 29 1837 - 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, 3:14 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) JESSE M. CARMICHAEL, judge of third judicial district of Alabama, was born in Macon county, Ga., October 29, 1837. He was a son of Daniel and Martha A. (Coleman) Carmichael, the former of whom was born in South Carolina, January 13, 1819. The grandfather of Daniel Carmichael immigrated to America just before the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, settled in Robinson county, N. C., and served as a soldier in the great struggle. He had come to this country with a colony of Scotch emigrants. The grandfather of Jesse M. served in the war of 1812, and afterward figured in politics to a certain extent. Daniel Carmichael was taken to Georgia by his parents, who settled on a farm in that state. At eighteen years of age he married and settled on a farm in Macon county, Ga. In 1842, he removed to Alabama, and settled at Sylvan Grove, Dale county, where he engaged in farming. In May, 1857, he was elected judge of probate of Dale county, holding the office three terms by successive re-elections, but he was discharged from office under the reconstruction act of 1868. He still survives, and lives a retired life in his country home, near Newton, Dale county. His wife was born in Abbeville district, S. C., October 12, 1818, and was taken by her parents to Georgia. They settled in Newton, but afterward removed to Macon county, where she was married when she was eighteen years of age. She is the mother of eleven children, all of whom reached maturity, and seven of whom now survive. One, the wife of Capt. Williams, lives at Columbia, Ala. The rest all live in Dale county. Their mother, early in life, united with the Methodist Episcopal church, and is still living, peacefully and pleasantly, in her country home. Jesse M. Carmichael came, when five years old, with his parents to Alabama, where he grew up on the farm. At the age of twenty-three, he enlisted in company E, Fifteenth Alabama infantry, and was mustered in at Gordonsville, Va., in April, 1862, under James C. Canty, colonel. He served in the Virginia army, and was in numerous skirmishes and battles, among them, the famous battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, where he was wounded in the right hand, the wound necessitating the amputation of the hand five days later. He then, disabled for active service, returned to his home, and engaged in farming, and in 1864, participated with a company for home protection against marauders and thieves and bushwhackers, all classes of whom then infested the country. In March, 1865, he, with a company of nine men, defended the town of Newton against a band of five times that number of bushwhackers, putting them to flight without the loss of a man, but killing three of the bushwhackers and wounding several others. He followed this course of life in connection with his farming until the surrender of the last Confederate army, and then followed farming for a year or two more, when he took up the study of the law under Judge A. L. Milligan, and after one year of close application, he was admitted to the bar in 1866, and immediately began the practice of the law, forming this year a law partnership with W. D. Wood. About this time he became clerk in the office of judge of probate, and kept the records of that office six years. In after years, he was a partner of Hon. D. F. Cassidy, of Anniston, Ala., now judge of the circuit court of that place, and he has also been a partner of Judge W. T. Mauldin. All through reconstruction days, Mr. Carmichael was engaged in writing articles for the county newspapers. At one time he was part owner of the largest paper in the county, and was subsequently its editor and manager. In 1870, he was elected to the legislature from Dale county, and in 1872, he was elected to the state senate, during one session of his term introducing and securing the passage of twelve different bills of a general character. He also served on numerous committees, and was chairman of the committee for the examination of the management of the asylum for deaf, dumb and blind, and made a report, which was published in the catalogue of the college. After his term as senator expired, in 1876, he was elected secretary of the senate. In 1877, he was appointed judge of probate, and held that office until 1880, when he was elected auditor of state, and was re-elected in 1882. During his four years in that office, he instituted numerous necessary and salutary reforms. In 1884, he was a presidential elector for the third district, which office he filled with ability and credit. In 1886, he was elected judge of the third judicial district, the largest district in the state, and he has held that office up to the present time. In 1892, he was the nominee of the democratic party for re-election, and was re-elected by a very large majority. Mr. Carmichael was married in September, 1860, to Miss Amanda J. Smith, daughter of Wesley and Marguerite (Lollers) Smith, who was reared in Barbour county, Ala., but who lost her father while she was yet very young. She was married in her eighteenth year, and was the mother of four children, all of whom survive. Their names are Lillie, Archibald, Charles D. and Pauline. All are graduates of good schools and all are married. Lillie is the wife of W. H. Simons, and has four children; Archibald married Miss Anna Sugg, resides in North Alba, and has one child, named after the subject of this sketch; Charles D. is an Ozark attorney and married Miss Fannie Bowen, and has one child, Sibert B., and Pauline is the wife of A. T. Borders, an Ozark attorney. The mother of these children died July 8, 1870, and Mr. Carmichael married, October 1, 1871, Miss Mary Smith, sister of his first wife by whom he has had four children, but one of whom survive, viz.: Malcolm. Mrs. Carmichael was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, her death occurring in 1885. Mr. Carmichael married for his third wife Miss Emma Beard, December 17, 1885, daughter of W. F. and Elizabeth (Donaldson) Beard. Her father was born in Jones-county, Ga., in September, 1817, but while young he came to Alabama with his parents, in which state he lived until the war broke out, and in which he lost his life, dying September 16, 1864. Her mother was born in Barnwell district, S. C., and removed to Lowndes county, Ala., where she was married at the age of eighteen, and became the mother of eleven children, seven of whom survive, as does their mother, who lives at Elba, Coffee county By his third marriage Mr. Carmichael has no children. He has made a grand success of his life, even though deprived of the use of his right hand while a young man. He has filled the high offices in the state which he has held with ability and credit, and has been a potent factor in the up-building of his county and state. He is the owner of 1,500 acres of good farming land, and other property and lives in a most comfortable home, surrounded by numerous friends and neighbors, all of whom honor him for his sterling worth. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 806-809 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 7.6 Kb