CAPT. ALEXANDER W. BECKWITH, an energetic farmer of Maury County, Tenn., was born October 4, 1830, son of Jonathan and Dolly C. (Madison) Beckwith, both natives of Virginia. The father was a physician of Fredericksburg, Va. In 1823 he moved to Lauderdale County, Ala., and engaged in the practice of medicine. His death occurred in 1856. The mother died in 1847. Our subject grew to manhood on the farm, and received a good-education at the St. Joseph College, Nelson County, Ky. At his father’s death he took charge of the plantation, and continued to do so up to the time of the late war. In 1861 he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-seventh Alabama Regiment, as first lieutenant, and remained as such until after the battle of Shiloh. He was then made Captain of the company, but at the end of eight months was discharged on account of ill health. He then returned home for a short time, but soon joined Johnston’s cavalry company, Roger’s command, remaining with them about six months, and then on account of his bad health returned home, where he remained until the close of the war. He then began farming on his plantation, but in 1866 he moved to Mississippi and remained there until 1874, when he removed to his present place, where he has remained ever since, steadily engaged in farming and stock raising. November 14, 1866, he wedded Mary Mason, a native of Alabama, and to them were born five children, only two of whom are living, viz.: Alexander W. and Jonathan. Mr. Beckwith is a Democrat in politics, and himself and family are leading members of the Methodist Church.

Source: History of Tennessee: From the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall Counties. Nashville, Tenn: Goodspeed Pub. Co, 1886.