J. B. Carson, one of the early settlers of Lauderdale County, is a son of S.
M. and Jane (Carpenter) Carson. The father was born in Virginia in 1800, and
the mother in Kentucky in 1799. They were married in Kentucky, and in 1825
they moved to Tennessee and located in Carroll County, living in Carroll and
Henderson Counties until 1836, when they moved to Mississippi, then moved to
Shelby County, Tenn., and in 1849 to Lauderdale County. Six of the seven
children born to them are living. Both parents were strict Presbyterians, and
Mr. Carson a Whig. During the time of the militia, he was commissioned colonel
by Gov. Cannon; he was sheriff of Henderson County for two terms, and made
farming and merchandising his business. His wife died in 1865, and he died in
1885. J. B. Carson, our subject, is of Scotch-Irish descent and was born
September 10, 1830 in Carroll County, received a good education, and, after he
was grown, farmed and taught school for three years. In 1854 he was elected
constable of his district, and four years later, tax collector. In 1861 he
went into the Confederate service, Company K, Ninth Tennessee Infantry, as
third sergeant; the same year he was appointed quartermaster of his regiment,
but resigned in 1863, and went on post duty, but in 1864 was discharged on
account of ill health. After the war he engaged in merchandising, and in 1858
he married Louise A. Stuart, who only lived about a year, and since then he
has never remarried. Before the war he was a Whig, but now a Democrat, and has
held the office of tax collector a term; he is now county coroner, and has
been for six years. While not a member of any church, he is of Presbyterian
faith, and has been a citizen of Lauderdale County for thirty-seven years,
being widely known and highly esteemed.

Goodspeed’s Biographies of Lauderdale Co., TN