Transcribed from Goodspeed’s History of  Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketches of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, etc., etc. (Chicago and Nashville:  The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887), pp. 962-987.  See footnote below for on-line access.

Thomas B. JONES was born in New York [North Carolina], in Rutherford County, September 9, 1835, the son of Andrew J. and Rhoda (CALAHAN) JONES, both being of Welsh descent and natives of North Carolina. The father was born in 1812, and died in Sevier County, Ark., in August, 1875. The mother was a few years younger than the father, and died about the year 1843, in East Tennessee. The parents were married in their native State and lived in North Carolina after their marriage about seven years, after which they settled in Cocke County, where the mother died about 1843. The father remained in Cocke County about four years; in the meantime, in 1846, he was married to Miss Susan BUSLER, and in 1848 he immigrated to Georgia and settled in Walker County. He remained there until 1857, and in the meantime was high sheriff of Catoosa County four years (two terms); was also engaged in farming. In the spring of 1857 he went to Arkansas and settled in Sevier County, where he died. He was a Democrat and a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. The mother was a member of the same church. Our subject is the third of six children. He remained in Georgia until 1865, engaged in farming. In 1865 he settled in the suburbs of the city of Chattanooga, at the foot of Lookout Mountain. Here he purchased a small farm, and rented a large farm near by, of 600 acres, to which, for thirteen years, he gave his exclusive attention. In February, 1887, he sold out a portion of his possession near Chattanooga, and came to Bradley County, near Charleston, and bought a farm of nearly 200 acres. He now owns property at Chattanooga worth over $5,000, and the farm he now lives on cost him $3,500. Our subject is a stanch Democrat, and a believer of the Baptist persuasion. On April 2, 1857, he was united in marriage to Miss Maria A. BRUMETT, a native of Tennessee, born June 3, 1836. This union has resulted in the birth of four children — two sons and two daughters — one son dead. Our subject entered the Confederate States service in the spring of 1863, enlisting in Company D., First Georgia Regiment of Volunteers. E. M. DODSON was captain of the company. Col. SMITH commanded the regiment. He served with credit until the close of the war; was on the coast the most of the time, but took part in several skirmishes and battles. On the first day of the battle at Chickamauga Creek, late in the evening he received a wound in the right arm, which disabled him for several weeks.

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This biography was transcribed by Sherry Pollard. We thank her for transcribing all the Goodspeed’s biographical sketches.

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