Biographical Sketch of Dr. William M. Dodson, Camden County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Dr. William M. Dodson is one of the oldest settlers of Auglaize Town-
ship, Camden County, Mo., and was born in Tennessee January 11, 1811,
being a son of James and Lucy (Davis) Dodson, who were born in Virginia
and Tennessee, respectively, the former's birth occurring about 1772,
and his death on the 23rd of December, 1832.  When he was about eleven
years old he removed to Tennessee with his parents, and located in what 
is now Sevier county.  Here he grew to manhood on a farm, and after his
marriage, in 1804, he became a disciple of Esculapius, and eventually
became an eminent physician.  From East Tennessee he moved to Middle
Tennessee, and located on a branch of Duck River, where he erected a 
very fine grist mill, and resided here about eight years.  He next took
up his abode in Jackson county, Ala., thence about seven years later,
to Jefferson county, Tenn., and from there to Hawkins county, and fin-
ally to Boone county, Mo.  He died in Camden county, while on his way
with his family to Springfield, but left his wife and children in fair-
ly good circumstances, he having been the owner of a number of slaves
and considerable real estate.  The mother was born in 1787, and died
November 8, 1847, both she and her husband having been consistent 
members of the Baptist church.  Five of their ten children are living
at the present time: William M., Dr. James N. B., Lucy (Estes), Zilpha
(Brockman), and Benjamin D., a farmer and merchant of Richland.  James
N. B. was the first clerk of Camden county, and is now living, retired
from active business life, in Nevada, Mo.  Dr. William M. Dodson was
almost a man grown when he came to Missouri, and his education was 
acquired in the common schools of Alabama and Hawkins county, Tenn.  He
began the study of medicine after coming to Missouri, being under the
instruction of his father, and after the latter's death continued his
medical studies under his brother James, taking a course of lectures at
Lexington, Ky., in the winter of 1836-37.  He commenced practicing in 
the summer of the latter year, at Glaize City, Mo., continuing there
until 1847, when he moved to his present location, where he has pract-
iced the healing art, off and on, up to the present time.  He was the
only physician in the county for many years, and as he was very 
successful, his practice extended over a circuit of forty-five miles.
February 21, 1843, he was married to Mrs. Mildred E. Bagerly, a native
of North Carolina, born in 1817.  She and her first husband came to
Missouri in 1840, and here the latter died in 1842, after which his
widow came to Camden county, to take the boat for Kentucky, but here 
met and married Dr. Dodson, by whom she is the mother of two children:
Lucy E., the widow of Dr. J. W. Armstrong, and Penelope, wife of Josiah
Traw.  Dr. and Mrs. Dodson are active workers in the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, South, of which he has been a member since 1845, and is now
a deacon, and he has always kept his home well supplied with church and
medical journals, and has kept thoroughly up with the times.  He is a
Democrat in politics, and although he has often been urged to run for
office, he has invariably refused.  During the late war he was appoint-
ed chaplain of a company in the Confederate States army, but resigned
on account of ill health, and joined his family in Texas, whither he 
had moved them in 1861.  They returned to Missouri in July, 1866, where
they have since made their home.

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