E. R. Oldham was born at Eylau, the residence of Dr. Samuel Oldham, which was
then in Haywood County, but is now in Lauderdale County, on 24th of April,
1844. His father was James Oldham, son of Dr. Samuel and Cornelia C. Oldham,
both of whom were native Virginians. Cornelia C. Oldham was a Miss Honyman.
James Oldham came with his parents to Tennessee in 1835, and they settled the
farm so well known as Eylau. E. R. Oldham’s mother was a Miss Helen C. Owen,
daughter of Rev. Thos. and Mildred Owen (a Miss Nelson). Rev. Thos. Owen
moved from Virginia to Tennessee about the year 1830, and settled near
Brownsville, in Haywood County. E. R. Oldham’s father and mother were married
at her father’s residence on the 16th of February, 1843. They had four
children, only two of whom, James Oldham of Ripley, Tenn., and the subject of
this sketch, are now living. His father’s family were prominent
Episcopalians, and his grandfather, Dr. Samuel Oldham, contributed largely
toward establishing the present Episcopal Church at Ripley; his mother’s
family were Baptists; his grandfather, Rev. Thos. Owen, being a prominent and
much beloved minister of that denomination. His father favored the old Whig
party, while all the rest of the family were Democrats. A few years after his
parents’ marriage, they settled on their farm, situated on Hatchie River, near
Durhamville. His education was acquired mostly under the teaching of Judge
Byars, of Covington. In 1862 he stopped school and entered the army. He was
a member of Company M, Seventh Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry. The principal
battles in which he participated were Briton’s Lane, Corinth and Franklin. He
was in Vicksburg during the Federal siege of that place, and with Forrest’s
command during many of his raids and smaller battles and skirmishes. While he
was never wounded, still he always kept his place and served with credit. He
was married at Fulton, Tenn., on December 8, 1876, to Mattie Lindsay Bacon;
his wife was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on February 24, 1858. They have four
children, all living: Edward Lindsay, born November 4, 1877; Thomas, August
30, 1879; James Honyman, September 21, 1881; and Rosa Lea, May 21, 1885. His
occupation is milling, ginning and farming, in the pursuit of which he has
attained moderate success.

Goodspeed’s Biographies of Lauderdale Co., TN