James Madison Dodson and son William Madison Dodson

Biographical Sketches of Dodson and Dotson Pioneer Families


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Dodson Family History - written by James William Armstrong [born 1866] while he was a Representative to the Missouri State Legislature. Armstrong was a descendant of Wm. M. Dodson. He typed it on the backs of legislature letterhead)

Among the first families to take up residence in South Central Missouri was that of Dr. James Madison Dodson, who located on the Wet Glaize, in what is now Camden county, in February 1832.

This founder of the Dodson family in Missouri, was a descendent of one of two brothers who settled at a very early date on the Tennessee River in what is now northern Alabama. This settlement occurred long before there was any civil government west of the struggling colonies along the eastern coast of the United States. England, France and Spain all layed claim to the large and indefinite region embraced in the territory west of the Allegany Mountains.

Thus it was that these two brothers took up residence in "No Man�s Land" or at any rate in disputed territory, but as none were making any effort to govern, each hoping that if any development should occur that would make this territory of value to them, to be able to make some showing of a claim that might be recognized. By negotiation, treaty and purchase this vast domain finally became part of the United States of America, and was afterward organized into sovreign states, which for rapid progress and development are the marvel of the ages and are today the greatest granary and food depot in the world.

But while this was still "no man�s land" and a veritable wilderness so far as subjection to the will and purposes of civilization were concerned, it was discovered by the two Dodson brothers who viewed it as a goodly land with marvelous possibilities. Here was an opportunity to establish an inland empire, beyond attack from sea and practically secure from inroads by land.

They were evidently descendants of the feudal lords of an older and more primitive civilization. At any rate they claimed for themselves and appropriated to their own use a large body of land, crescent shaped, bounded on one side by the Tennessee river and by rather distant mountains on the other.

When conflicting claims of different governments beyond the seas were all settled, these two brothers were in actual possession. Since they had come from England, though they claimed Irish blood, it was not only easy but perfectly natural for them to welcome a government that would both recognize and protect them in their claim on account of actual possession. They set out with hearty good will to make their possessions both more valuable and secure by setting up constitutional and orderly government.

Their descendents seemed to have been many and a number later took up residence a little further north and aided in the establishment and development of the great state of Tennessee.

The immediate founder of the Dodson family of which we are descendents was of a family of sixteen brothers and no sisters. His father was married twice, each wife bearing him eight sons. His last wife and the mother of Dr. James Madison Dodson was a Miss Priscilla Jones, and it is said that at least some of his family were very much opposed to this marriage on account of the fact that Miss Jones was a seamstress and had to work for a living. I quote direct from a later descendant of the family: "The family were not pleased with the match because she was a seamstress in the family and any white woman who had to work for her living was not worthy to mate with one of the aristocracy that had hundreds of negroes and big plantations. You know the old erroneous idea that once existed, prevailed at that time. Any way she must have been a very fine woman, for there has been a "Priscilla" in every family down to the present."

It is perhaps worthy of note that notwithstanding the objections raised on account of Miss Jones being compelled to work for a living, one of her seems was deemed worthy to mate with one of the proud Davis family.

Of the sixteen brothers, I am able to give the names of only four -- Jerry, Thomas, Elihu and James Madison from whom we are descended, who married Miss Lucy Davis, a cousin of Jefferson Davis, United States Senator from Mississippi, Secretary of War in the cabinet of President Pierce and finally President of the Southern Confederacy.

James Madison Dodson was born in Alabama in 1772 and died in Camden county, Missouri, Dec. 23, 1832. His wife, Lucy Davis Dodson was born in Jefferson county Tenn. and died in Camden county, Nov. 18, 1847. Both are buried at Glaize city where they died.

It was perhaps on account of the extreme fecundity of this family that prompted his removal from Alabama and Tennessee. It is readily apparent that no plantation, however large could submit to constant division and long remain sufficient in constituent parts to satisfy the needs and desires of an ever growing family. Prior to his removal to Missouri he moved several times in Tennessee and at least once in Alabama, but was unable to acquire enough land in one body to satisfy his ambition to settle his own family of ten children -- three sons and seven daughter -- about him.

In 1831 he moved to Boone county, Missouri, but found nothing that suited his preconceived idea of a permanent habitation. He made a trip to South Missouri and found conditions more to his liking. When he started from Boone county he had intended to locate in Greene county, Mo., near where Springfield is now located, but on account of a spring thaw in February, 1832, he stopped at what was afterward Glaize City, Camden county, He died in December of the same year and as soon as land was surveyed and sectionized his family entered a large body of land on the Wet Glaize creek. He left his family in fairly good circumstances with a number of negro slaves.

The older children were partially educated in Alabama and Tennessee, and after the death of the father his two oldest sons went to Kentucky and competed their medical course. This was Wm. M. and James N. B. Dodson.

Following are the children of James Madison and Lucy Davis Dodson:

Priscilla, who died at age 15 or 16.

Mary, often called Polly, who married William Donoho, moved to Texas where she died at Clarksville, leaving one son, James Donoho.

William Madison, born in Jackson county, Alabama, Jan. 11, 1811; married Mildred Elvira Bagerly, a native of North Carolina, Feb. 21, 1843. She (whose maiden name was Lovelace) and her husband came to Missouri in 1840, living in Henry county until 1842 when he died. The widow came to Linn Creek in Camden county to take a boat for Kentucky, where she met and married Dr. Dodson, who was at that time engage in the wholesale of staple merchandise and the practice of his profession.

James Napoleon Bonaparte, born in Jackson county, Ala., June 10, 1813 -- married Miss Louisa Harrison in Phelps county in 1843, who died in 1846, leaving one child, Eliza, who died in 1860. In 1848, he married a Mrs. _____ who died in 1861. In 1862 he was again married to Mrs. Margaret Johnson who died in 1884, he himself dying March 17, 1893. He had only the one child.

Lucy, who married John G. Estes and had the following children who I call to mind: Priscilla, who died before marriage at the age of about 18; Polly, who married William Smith; Andrew who married _______ Foster; Susannah who married Alex A. Russell; Zilpha, who married Thomas Foster; Lucy, who married Wm. R. Simpson; Penelope, who married James P. Gibson; also another daughter who died soon after marriage to _____ Popelewell.

Elizabeth, who married John B. Harrison and had one child, Lizzie, ho became the wife of Judge R. W. Fyan.

Penelope, who married Berry B. Harrison and had three children, Lucy, Lycurgus and James B.

Zilpha Davis Dodson, born Dec. 23, 1825, died July 1892. She married Dr. John Brockman. She survived both her husband and children and has no living descendants.

Benjamin Davis Dodson, born Jan 26, 1827, and died April 29, 1902. He married Joe Ann Hester Sprout of Greene Co., Mo., whose children were John, who died at 11 years of age; James Napoleon Bonaparte who married Montez Stroud of Pea Ridge, Ark. Their children were Lola, wife of William R. Morgan of Nevada, Mo.; Joe Ann who died in young womanhood and Isabelle who married Morris Peterson of Illinois; Benjamin D. who was about 30 years old at time of death, but was never married; William Madison who married Sallie Titterington and had one child, Hester, who married I. N. Evrard now of Marshall, Mo., Dean of faculty of Missouri Valley College; Joe Ann, who was older than Benjamin and William, married John O. Morrison. Their children were Benjamin, who died in childhood, Roberta, wife of Roy Rhinehart of Nevada, Mo.; John O. of Columbia, Mo., and Dr. George Morrison now of Richards, Mo., neither of whom are married at the present time; Joseph R. who married Hattie J. West. Their children: Blanche, wife of A. T. Gay of Quincy, Ill. Benjamin Davis, who married Leslie Allison of Berkeley, Calif. where they now reside; William Pruett, who married Valentine Cook and reside in Berkeley, Calif.; Thomas and James S neither of whom are married at this time.

Upon the death of Joe Ann Hester Sprout Dodson, her husband Benjamin Davis Dodson married widow Isabelle Craig, whose maiden name was McFail. To this union was born one child, Belle, wife of Fred S. Schaklett of Nevada, Mo.

The youngest of this older Dodson family was Susannah, who married John Lenox. Their children: John Mary and Laura -- Mary married a Mr. Tangney and Laura married Dr. J. M. Perkins. After the death of her husband, Susannah married Obediah S. Williams and had two children, Dr. Ralph Williams and Maud, who married and lived in Texas.



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