"KILLEBREW, Joseph Buckner, educator, was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., May 29, 1831; son of Bryan Whitfield and Elizabeth (Ligon) Smith Killebrew; grandson of Buckner and Mary (Whitfield) Killebrew and of Mathew and Judith (Pleasants) Ligon, and great grandson of Joseph Ligon, a member of the Virginia troops in the Revolutionary war, who was wounded at Guilford C.H., March 15, 1781. The Whitfields came to Virginia from the Isle of Wight, and the Killebrews (Killegrew) from England about 1690. They both removed first to North Carolina and thence to Tennessee in 1795. The Ligons removed from Halifax county, Va., to Tennessee, in 1814. Joseph Buckner Killebrew was graduated at the University of North Carolina, A.B., 1856, A.M. 1859, studied law, 1856-58, and became a planter near Clarksville, Tenn., in 1858. He was married in 1857 to Mary Catharine Wimberly and had four sons and two daughters. He entered journalism in 1871 as part owner and an editor of the Union and American, Nashville. He also edited the Rural Sun, Nashville, 1872-78; was commissioner and secretary of the Tennessee bureau of education, 1872-81; secretary of the National Agricultural association, and state commissioner of agriculture, statistics and mines, 1871-81; agent of the Peabody education fund; state superintendent of public instruction and originator of the liberal public school law of Tennessee. He had charge of the department of minerals and woods in the Atlanta exposition, 1895, and the same year was made industrial commissioner of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis railway. He received the degree of Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1878, and was elected president of the Industrial League of Tennessee. He published reports covering the agricultural and educational history of Tennessee during a formative period, and served as an editor on the Standard Dictionary (1890-93), and prepared Resources of Tennessee and The Culture and Curing of Tobacco for the 10th U.S. census report."

 

The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume VI

 

J. B. Killebrew was appointed Regimental Quartermaster, 91st Tennessee Infantry, October 11, 1861.  The 91st Infantry was a home defense formation in Montgomery County.

 

Joseph Buckner Killebrew published "Recollections of My Life - An Autobiography" in 1896.  This a two volume unpublished manuscript available in some libraries, including the Clarksville -Montgomery County Library.  It has a wealth of personal and professional information as well as insights about events and citizens of Tennessee during his lifetime.

Submitted by ACDOGGETT@aol.com