Madison County, Alabama Biographies   LEDBETTER, EMMETT WALTON, banker, was born October 31, 1868, at New Hope, Madison County; son of J. M. and Mary (McDonald) Ledbetter, who lived at New Hope and at Anniston. He was prepared in the common country schools, and was graduated from Southern University, B. S., 1890. He entered the banking business at Anniston in 1890; became cashier of the Bank of Piedmont; served as councilman of Piedmont, 1894, and 1897-1898; as mayor of Piedmont, 1896; councilman of Sylacauga, 1901; cashier of the Bank of Sylacauga; and was a delegate from Talladega County to the constitutional convention of 1901. He was a private in the Anniston Rifies, 1890; is a Democrat; and a Methodist. Residence: Sylacauga. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer LEDBETTER, W. G., business man, was born in 1851, in Madison County; son of John W. and Elizabeth (Glover) 'Ledbetter, natives, respectively, of Virginia and South Carolina, the former of whom was born in 1811, and came to Alaba'ma in 1821; grandson of Archie Ledbetter. He was reared in his native county, and, due to the outbreak of the War of Secession, received but a limited education. After the war, he went to New York, and for nine years was connected with a wholesale hat business. For five years after that time, he engaged in the manufacture of tobacco in Lynchburg, Va., then moved to Winston, N. C., and continued the manufacture of tobacco in that place for four years. He came to Alabama in 1887, and located in Anniston, where, during the same year, he assisted in the organization of the bank of that city. He was elected vice-president of the bank of Anniston for two years, then was elected president, and has continued to hold the latter position. On the organization of the Piedmont Land Improvement Company in 1890, he was chosen vice- president, and in 1892, was elected president of the company. He was made a director of the Anniston Land Company when it was organized; was the organizer of the Ledbetter Land Company and is president of the Woodstock Iron Company. He is a Baptist and a Mason. Married: in 1877, to Sarah Draper, a native of Oxford, daughter of Daniel D. and Caroline (Woods) Draper, natives of South Carolina. Children: 1. Ruth; 2. Ralph; 3. Grace; 4. Willie G. Three other children are deceased. Residence: Anniston. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer LEFTWICH, JABEZ, representative in congress,born 1762, was a native of Bedford County, Va.; educated in the common schools; colonel of a regiment in the War of 1812; and a representative in congress from that State, 1821-25. He removed to Madison County, about 1827, and represented that county in the general assembly, 1835 and 1836. He died in 1855 and left numerous descendants in the State. Last residence: Madison County. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer LEWIS, DAVID PETER, lawyer, governor of Alabama, was born in 1820, in Charlotte County, Va., and died July 3, 1884, at Huntsville; son of Peter C. and Mary Smith (Buster) Lewis, of Virginia. His father was of Welsh and his mother of English ancestry. He moved to Madison County with his parents in childhood, and grew up there, receiving a college education. He studied law in Huntsville; was admitted to the bar; and settled in Lawrence County where he built up a successful practice. He represented Lawrence County in the State constitutional convention of 1861, and voted against secession, but signed the secession ordinance after it had been passed by the convention. He was elected to the Confederate provisional congress at Montgomery by the convention, but resigned his seat. In 1863 he was appointed judge of the circuit court of Alabama by Gov. Shorter, and after holding the position for several months, passed through the army lines to Nashville, Tenn., where he remained until the close of the war. He returned to Alabama in 1865, and settled in Huntsville in the practice of his profession. He was elected governor of Alabama to succeed Gov. Lindseys by the Republican party, in 1872, and served until 1874. The turmoil of the reconstruction period had not yet subsided when he entered the office, and he was unfortunate in the period of his incumbency. He doubled the taxes on the people, and recognized a body of Republicans claiming to be legally elected, and since known in the history of the state as the "courthouse legislature," and appealed to the military authorities, still dominant in Alabama, to uphold his action. The matter was finally referred to the attorney-general of the United States for settlement, and under his decision the Democrats had the majority. The Republicans, however, gained the ascendancy and secured a majority for the election of their chosen candidate, George E. Spencer, to the U. S. senate. The radical state officers under Gov. Lewis spent a total of about one hundred fifty- five thousand dollars more of the state money than the officers under the succeeding administration. After serving his term of office, Gov. Lewis resumed the practice of law in Huntsville. He was never married. Last residence: Huntsville. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer LOWE, RARTLEY M., merchant, brigadier general state militia, was born in Edgefield, S. C., and died in New Orleans, La. His parents were from Maryland, of an old family which came over from England with Lord Baltimore. His father, who had been a captain in the Revolutionary Army, moved from South Carolina soon after Gen. Lowe's birth, to Florida and accepted service with the Spanish government for which he received a very large grant of land. Gen. Lowe subsequently moved to Huntsville, and became a successful merchant at that place, until the financial revulsion of 1837 swept away his fortune. He was elected a brigadier general of Alabama militia, under the major-generalship of Benjamin Patteson. After his reverses at Huntsville, he moved to New Orleans, and engaged in the factorage and commission merchant business, and continued in that business until his death. Married: to Sarah Sophia Manning. Children: 1. Sophia, b. in Huntaville, m. Col. Nicholas Davis of Huntsville; 2. Dr. John Thomas, b. November 6, 1824, d. about 1893, was graduated from the University of Alabama, A. B., A. M., 1851, and from the University of Pennsylvania, M. D., 1846, served as chief surgeon of Gen. Loring's division of infantry, C. S. Army, War of Secession, and prfcc- ticed medicine at Aberdeen, Miss.; 3. Robert Joseph, b. July 11. 1836, attended the University of Alabama, studied law and was admitted to the bar, lawyer at Huntsville, represented Madison County in the State legislature, 1859, enlisted in the first company raised in north Alabama, for the C. S. Army, was assigned to the Fourth Alabama regiment, commanded by Col. E. J. Jones, became a victim of camp or typhoid fever after the forced march to Ma- nassas, and died in 1864, m. Matilda Holding, left two sons, one of whom is Robert Joseph (q. v.); 4. William Manning (q. v.). Last residence: New Orleans. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer  LOWE, ROBERT JOSEPH, lawyer, was born January 31, 1861, at Huntsville; son of Robert Joseph and Matilda (Holding) Lowe, of Huntsville, the former a lawyer, who served in the State legislature, 1859-1861, enlisted in the Fourth Alabama regiment, C. S. Army, as a private, and died as a result of camp fever brought on by the forced march to Manassas; grandson of Gen. Bartley M. and Sarah Sophia (Manning) Lowe (q. v.), and of Richard Holding, of Huntsville, who came from North Carolina to Alabama and became an early settler of Madison County. He was educated in private schools of Huntsville, was graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama, LL. B., 1881, and was admitted to the bar at Huntsville, that same year. In the fall of 1881, he moved to Birmingham, and began the practice of law. In 1884, he became associated with William H. Smith, former governor of Alabama, and David D. Smith, his son, in the law firm of Smith and Lowe. He continued in that firm for about ten years, then practiced alone. He was a member of the State legislature, from Jefferson County, 1888- 1889; and a member of the constitutional convention of 1901 from the state at large. He served as first sergeant of the Madison County rifies, 1879, 1880; as first lieutenant of the Birmingham artillery, 1882; and as captain of the latter, 1883-1886. He was elected chairman of the Democratic county executive committee, 1898-1900; chairman of the state executive committee, 1898, 1900 and 1902; chairman of the Democratic caucus of the constitutional convention; was a delegate from the state at large to the national convention in 1900; and was temporary chairman of that delegation. Married: (1) in May, 1892, at Athens, to Harriett Emily Pryor, who was killed in a storm at Birmingham, March 25, 1901, daughter of Senator Luke Pryor (q. v.) ; (2) in April, 1902, at Eufaula, to Carrie (Cochrane) Jackson, daughter of Judge John Coch- rane, of Eufaula. Child, by second marriage: Robert J., b. March 24, 1903. Residence: Birmingham. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer  LOWE, WILLIAM MANNING, lawyer, representative in congress, was born January 16, 1842, in Huntsville. and died October 12, 1882, at Huntsville; son of Gen. Bartley M. and Sarah Sophia (Manning) Lowe (q. v.). He attended the public schools at Florence; the law department of the University of Tennessee, from which he was graduated in 1860; and was a student at the University of Virginia in 1861, when he volunteered as a private in the Fourth Alabama infantry, C. S. Army. He was dangerously wounded at the first battle of Manassas, and on his recovery served as lieutenant colonel on the staff of Gen. Clanton, in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, until captured at the battle of Franklin. He was held prisoner at Camp Chase and Fort Delaware until three months after the surrender. He was elected solicitor of the Huntsville circuit in 1865, and held the position until ousted from office by the reconstruction measures in 1868. In 1870, he represented Madison County in the State legislature; was elected a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1875; was elected as a Greenback Democrat to the Forty-sixth congress, 1879-1881, and successfully contested the election of Joseph Wheeler to the Forty-seventh congress, 1882. in which he served until his death. Last residence: "The Grove," Huntsville. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer LOWRY, SAMUEL, H., physician, was born October 16, 1850, in Huntsville; son of John T. and Virginia H. (Miller) Lowry, the former of Scotch-Irish descent, a merchant and planter at Huntsville, a member of the firm of Lowry, Hamilton and company, merchants, and of the lumber firm of Mayhew and Lowry, who served in the commissary department of the C. S. Army, War of Secession, and died in 1886; grandson of Rev. Samuel and Elizabeth (Tate) Lowry, the former a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian- church. He attended the schools of Huntsville and the University of Virginia, where he began the study of medicine and was graduated from the Bellevue hospital medical college, New York, M. D., 1873. He began the practice of his profession later in that year in partnership, with Dr. Dement of Huntsville, and has continued in that place. He has served as health officer of the city of Huntsville and the county of Madison; has acted as secretary of the county board of censors; is a member of the Madison County medical society; a member of the college of counsellors of the State medical association; and a Knight of Pythias. Married: November 26, 1890, in Huntsville, to Jimmie L., daughter of Robert L. Pulley of that place. Children: 1. John Tate. Residence: Huntsville. Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer   ©2009 Genealogy Trails