Lt. James Lauderdale

c. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Lt. James H. “Jim” Lauderdale   (1836-1913) joined the Battery May 15, 1862, and remained with the Battery throughout the War until the parole at Meridian, MS.  He may have been instrumental in the creation of the Lookout Artillery along with Watkins and Barry, as he is listed as enrolling officer for some of the men who were captured.  At times, he served as commanding officer of the Lookout Artillery.  Later in life, he witnessed the pension applications of several men in the Battery.  He married Catherine Florence Howard in 1873; they resided at 571 Union Street, Selma, AL.  Their children included James Howard Lauderdale (circa1878-1920+), Katherine Florence Lauderdale (1876-1964; wife of Crawford Phillips); and Octavia Lauderdale (b. 1881 Feb. 17, married Jno. T. Slatter).  James Lauderdale and his wife are buried at the Live Oak Cemetery; in Selma, AL, along with their daughter, Katherine Phillips.

Lauderdale Plot at Live Oak Cemetery, Selma, AL

Memorial record of Alabama:  a concise account of the state’s political military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people.  Brant & Fuller, 1893:     James Lauderdale. Local agent for the Western Railroad of Atlanta at Selma, was born in Rhea County, Tenn., in March 1836.  His father, James Lauderdale, was a native of Tennessee, and his father, also named James Lauderdale, was of Scotch descent and among the early inhabitants of east Tennessee.  When the present Mr. Lauderdale was a mere child his father removed from Rhea count to Bradley county, Tenn., and aided in removing the Indians from the portion of the state, and there aided in organizing Bradley county, of which he was elected sheriff.  He subsequently represented that county in the lower house of the Tennessee legislature for several years.  At the time of his death, which occurred in 1852, when he was fifty-one years of age, he was engaged in farming.  He married Jane Johnson, a native of Tennessee, who died about a year before him.  She bore her husband six sons and three daughters.  Each of the sons participated in the Civil war as Confederate soldiers, the youngest enlisting at the age of fifteen.  When his father died Mr. Lauderdale was just thirteen years old, and for the next succeeding two years made his home with his uncle for about two years.  He received what would at the present day be called a common school education, and at the age of seventeen returned to Bradley county and accepted a position as clerk in a store owned by Reynolds & Hughes at Cleveland.  This position he held two years, and then became local agent at Cleveland for the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia railroad, and held the position eighteen months.  He then resigned to enter into a co-partnership with Reynolds & Hughes at Cleveland, in the dry goods business, the name of the new firm being J. Lauderdale & Co.  This continued until the breaking out of the war, and in 1861 Mr. Lauderdale became a private in an artillery company, known as Lookout Artillery, R. L. Barry, Captain.  Soon after the organization, Mr. Lauderdale was chosen first lieutenant.  This command was active in the field in the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, and participated in the Georgia campaign from Dalton to Jonesboro, where it fought its last battle.  For a brief period after the war, Mr. Lauderdale held a clerkship with the Southern Express company at Macon, Ga.  He was then appointed to a position under John M. Bridges, agent at Atlanta for the State railroad of Georgia, holding this position for eight months.  He next secured the appointment as a southern passenger agent for the Atlanta & Washington Railroad company, for two years, but at the end of this time the republican party secured control, and he was removed.  He was next made agent for the Selma & Meridian railway at Meridian, Miss., remaining one year.  Soon afterward he was offered the agency of the Southern Express company at Jackson, Miss., whither he went: but on reaching that city, decided not to accept the position.  A few months later he returned to Selma, Ala., and accepted at that place the agency of the Western railroad of Alabama, holding the position from 1871 to 1880, when the management of the road changed his to Columbus, Ga., where he remained one year.  He then was made agent of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia railroad company, and of the Memphis & Chattanooga railroad company at Chattanooga, Tenn, where he remained until February 1885.  He then resigned to accept the agency of the Western railroad of Alabama at Selma, which position he holds at the present time.  Mr. Lauderdale is a thorough railroad man, of much executive ability, and a faithful employee.  He is an honest and highly respected citizen, a master Mason, and a member of the Presbyterian church.  He has never sought notoriety, but has held several positions of trust and responsibility with credit to himself, and he has never asked for promotion.  In 1873 he married Miss Florence Howard of Dallas County, Ala., by whom he has one son and two daughters.  He has been a resident of Selma for the last twenty years, with the intermission of four years, and he and his family enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them.

1866 December 3:   We had the pleasure of a visit yesterday from Mr. James Lauderdale, General Passenger Agent of the Atlanta and Washington Railroad Line.  Mr. Lauderdale was formerly connected with the Southern Express office in this city, and we always found him exceedingly polite and obliging.  In his present position he is very useful to the companies commanding most direct, most interesting, and cheapest line of travel between Georgia and the Capital, and we believe those traveling northward will consult their advantage by patronizing this route

1883 Jan 30:   Mrs. James Lauderdale’s Funeral, Many friends of Captain James Lauderdale followed the remains of his deceased wife to the cemetery yesterday, and mingled their tears with his as the sad and impressive service was uttered.  Before leaving the residence of Mrs. Howard, whither  the remains were taken on their arrival, the beautiful and solemn service of baptism was performed.  Captain Lauderdale, who is a member of the Presbyterian church, stood with his babe in his arms and his little boy Jimmie by his side and in the presence of the dead covenanted to train the little ones for the Lord, Rev. Dr. Hooper baptizing the one and Rev. Dr. Bachman the other.  The pall bearers, Messrs. W. P. Armstrong, Geo D. Lawrence, A.M. Fowlkes, H. Lavender, M. Watson, J.W. Stillwell, E.P. Galt and H.L. McKee, bore the casket to the hearse and thence to the Presbyterian church, where Rev. J.W. Bachman and Dr. Hooper the pastor, conducted the service.  The sweet and solemn words of the hymn, “Cast thy burdens on the Lord,” were rendered by the choir as introductory, when Dr. Bachman read appropriate selections of Scriptures, and delivered a short and impressive sermon.  The pall hearers again took up the remains and bore them to their last resting place, where, in the presence of a ……..they were committed to their mother earth. – Selma Times.

Headstone of Lt. Lauderdale at Live Oak Cemetery, Selma, AL

DEATHS – CAPT. JAMES LAUDERDALE, special to The Advertiser – Selma, AL, Jan. 4 – Capt. James Lauderdale, age 70, one of the oldest and best known residents of Selma, died at the home of his son, J.H. Lauderdale, 626 Lapsley Street, this evening at X o’clock after an illness of several months.  He was born near Knoxville, Tenn, but moved to Selma after the civil war.  Throughout the war he served with different Confederate commanders and made a brilliant war record.    Early in life he entered the railroad business and was one of the few old time railroad men left in the South.  For the past thirty-five years he served as agent of the Western Railway of Alabama and the Atlanta and West Point Route at this place.  He unloaded the first train the system operated into Selma.  During the past few years, Captain Lauderdale has not been active in railroad work but held his title as agent of the road here.  Last summer as he was going to his home Captain Lauderdale was run down near the corner of Broad and Selma Streets by a buggy, and suffered fracture in one of his hips.  About two weeks ago he suffered a stroke of Paralysis and since then had been growing weaker until the end came tonight.  He leaves three children, J.H. Lauderdale and Mrs. G. C. Phillips of Selma, and Mrs. J. T. Slatter of Birmingham, besides numerous other relatives.  The funeral service will be held Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock.

•Daughter Katherine Florence Lauderdale married Crawford Phillips; they appear to have one child:  Florence O. Phillips, who married Aubrey Rice.

•Daughter Octavia Lauderdale married John. T. Slatter.  They had a daughter, Anne, born 1909.  Anne Slatter had a Broadway career under the stage name of Anna Dale.  Anne married Benjamin Cobb Fowlkes; she died 1994 Maryland.

•Son James Howard Lauderdale (died before 1930) married Ella Warthan of Covesville, Albermarle Co., Virginia.  They lived in Selma, Birmingham, and finally in the D.C. area.