Jackson County AlArchives Biographies.....Norwood, John H. 1828 - ************************************************ 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: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 8, 2011, 6:10 pm Source: See below Author: Smith & De Land, publishers JOHN H. NORWOOD, Probate Judge of Jackson County, was born in Bellefonte November 23, 1828. He was a son of Henry and Aletha (Caperton) Norwood, natives of South Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The senior Mr. Norwood was in the War of 1812, and held the rank of lieutenant. He came to Jackson County in 1820, and here was an extensive planter and slave owner. He took a prominent part in the Indian wars of his time, holding the rank of captain in the Creek War and colonel in the Seminole War. lie subsequently served several terms in both branches of the State Legislature, where he acquitted himself with the highest honor, and to the entire satisfaction of his constituency. He died in 1840, holding the rank of major-general of the militia. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, received such education as could be obtained in the schools of the country, and spent three years in Irving College. He read law in the village of his nativity, and was admitted to the bar in 1852. After having practiced three years he was appointed Probate Judge, and served under that appointment twelve months. He was then elected to the office and held it until March, 1861, when he resigned and entered the Confederate Army as first lieutenant in Captain Bradford's company, Second Alabama Regiment. During that summer he resigned this position, returned to his home and raised five companies, and with them joined the Forty-third Tennessee Regiment, of which he was elected lieutenant-colonel. He was captured at Fort Donelson, imprisoned at Fort Warren, and, in July of the same year, exchanged at Richmond, Va. After this he went to Vicksburg in General Loring's Division, participated in the fight at Port Gibson and the bombardment of Vicksburg. After the fall of that city he went to East Tennessee and was subsequently engaged at Ringgold, Resaca, and all the fights of the Atlanta Campaign. In 1864, under the direction of the War Department, he recruited a brigade in Alabama, and commanded it to the close of the war. At White's Landing he surrendered, leaving the service with the rank of brigadier-general. Returning to his native village, he resumed the practice of law, and in 1865 was elected to the State Senate, where he took an active part in the legislation of that important session. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1875, and took a prominent part in the proceedings of that assembly. In 1886 he was elected Probate Judge. His term will expire in 1892. When not in the discharge of the duties of the various offices to which his people have called him, the Judge's extensive law practice has been diversified by the attention given his farming interests. Judge Norwood was married December 25, 1856, to Miss Margaret, daughter of John Netherland, who came to Alabama in 1820. The family are communicants of the Presbyterian Church. and the Judge belongs to the Masonic order. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land 1888 PART III. HISTORICAL RESUME OF THE VARIOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE. CEREAL BELT. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/jackson/bios/norwood856gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb