CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: JAMES P. DOUGLAS - Smith County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
28 August 2001
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson

JAMES P. DOUGLAS.

James P. Douglas, of Tyler, was a native of South Car­olina, born at 
Lancaster, January 7,1836. In 1848 with his parents he removed to 
Tyler, where he was educated.  He taught school a year or two and then 
edited the old Tyler Reporter until the outbreak of the war in 1861 
when he promptly enlisted, and was chosen first lieutenant of the 
Douglas-Good battery of artillery. A year later he be­came captain, and 
in 1863 was promoted major.  He was one of the bravest and most 
fearless artillery officers in the army. After the war he practiced 
law, and for several years was a member of the Senate of Texas.  He was 
the originator and creative force behind the Tyler Tap Railway and the 
Kansas and Gulf Short Line Ry., which two roads have largely made Tyler 
the city she is today.  Major Douglas was the father of the fruit and 
truck industry in Smith county, built the first canning factory here, 
and no man did more work to ad­vance the interests of Tyler and East 
Texas. He was mar­ried in 1868 to Miss Sallie White, by whom he had 
four child­ren. In 1874 he married Miss Alice Smith, daughter of Jno.
B. Smith, and they have three children. Major Douglas was commander of 
the Albert Sidney Johnston camp, U. C. V., of Tyler until his death, 
November 27, 1901. He was buried in Oakwood cemetery.