James Harry Douglass (1818 - 1878)

Born 22 Apr 1818 in Cages Bend, Sumner, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret G (Rodgers) Douglass — married 8 Mar 1838 in Wilson, Tennessee

Husband of Harriet S (Watson) Douglass — married 2 Feb 1860 in Sumner, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Nov 1878 at age 60 in Hendersonville, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

James Douglass served in the United States Civil War.
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): 34th Texas Cavalry Regiment

James "Harry" (Harvy?) Douglass was born April 22, 1818 to Alfred Mason Douglass and Cherry Ferrell Douglass. James grew up on the family plantation in Cages Bend, Sumner county, Tennessee^[1] near the burial place of his great great grandfather, Col Edward Douglass, in the Cage Cemetery^[2]. His father, Alfred Douglass died when James was only 4.^[3] James, his sister Louisa and infant brother, Alfred William were left to be cared for by their mother, Cherry Ferrell Douglass. The cause of Alfred's death is unknown but assumed to be an illness of some kind since he did write a will shortly before his passing. James lived near other Douglass, Cage and Ferrell family members in the bend of the Cumberland River named for his great uncle, Maj. William Cage^[4].

Life in Sumner County

James H Douglass was a prominent horse breeder as were his neighbors and cousins Orville Cage and his father, Reuben Cage ^[5] It is almost certain that son, Burtis Ferrell Douglass, who because a well known horseman in North Texas, would have gained his interest in horses from his father, James and cousins, the Cages.

First Marriage 1838

He married 1st, Margaret Rogers (Rodgers) of Wilson, Tennessee. ^[6] She was the mother of six children. Margaret passed away in 1857 and is buried in Cages's Bend, Sumner, Tennessee.

James H Douglass is found in the 1840 census for Sumner County, Tennessee and three legal actions that were settled in Sumner county provide additional evidence that James and Margaret were living there at that time.

• Douglass, James H. Lawsuit - Loose Records
• Douglass, James/Cherry 1844 Lawsuit - Loose Records
• Douglass, Margaret Lawsuit - Loose Records

Source: Sumner County All Name Index Lawsuits Loose Records

Second Marriage 1860

When his wife Margaret died in 1857, and his mother, Cherry Douglass died in 1858, James married 2nd, Harriet Cage (nee Watson) the widow of his neighbor and cousin, Orville Cage^[7] James and Harriet were married February 2, 1860 around the time James moved his family to Grayson county, Texas. James H Douglass and Harriet Watson Cage were married in Sumner County by Rev. Burchett F Ferrell,who had married his sister, Louisa Douglass.

Move to Texas 1859/60

James, Harriet and his children are found in the 1860 census of Grayson county,^[8] living near present day Sherman, Texas. Tax rolls indicate he may have been in Grayson county by 1859.^{[9] [10]} James, Harriet and his children lived in Texas during the period of the Civil War. He and four sons served in the Confederate Army during the war. ^[11]

Return to Tennessee 1865/70

By 1870, James, Harriet and the youngest children were once again living in Sumner county , Tennessee near Gallatin.^[12] James and Harriet had one son, Noel that was born 1863 in Texas, and a daughter, Louise born 1871 in Tennessee. ^[13]

Letters from James H Douglass, written in 1875 - 1876, living then in Hendersonville, Sumner, Tennessee to his son, Burtis Ferrell Douglass, in Fannin county, Texas revealed the hard times of Reconstruction. James talked about how little work and money was available. He also spoke of Harriet's poor health and the passing of Burtis' younger sister, Jessie who it seems had been afflicted with some type of respiratory illness. He also mentioned that Lou, Burtis' youngest sister missed him. After the death of her parents, Louisa "Lou" Douglass would move to Texas to be near her brothers, Alfred, Burtis and Orville.

Harriet Douglass died 23 Sep 1876 and was interred in the Hendersonville Presbyterian Church cemetery.^[14] James died 21 November 1878^[15], his burial location is thought to be in Cage's Bend and possibly unmarked as the children living in his household were still minors. His minor children, Noel and Louise went to live in the household of Harriet's brother in law, John Dunn,^[16] who had married Harriet's sister, Margaret Donelson Watson^[17]. Harriet and Margaret Watson were the daughters of Thomas S Watson, neighbor and business partner of Pres Andrew Jackson. Noel died sometime between 1880 and 1900.^[18] He is buried near his mother, Harriet. His headstone has no dates.^[19]

Obituary of James Douglass

JAMES H. DOUGLAS born Sumner Co., Tenn., April 22, 1818; died Nov. 21, 1878 ^[15]

Children of James and Margaret Douglass 1840-1853

1. Alfred Mason Douglass 1840 - 1912
2. Charles D. Douglass 1843 - 1861
3. Burtis Ferrell Douglass 1845 - 1922
4. Horace F. Douglass 1848 - unk perhaps killed in the civil war
5. Orville Cage Douglass 1851 - 1929
6. Jessie Rogers Douglass 1853 - 1875

Children of James and Harriet Cage Douglass 1863-1871

1. Noel Douglass 1863 - 1900
2. Louisa Douglass 1871 - 1957

DNA Matches

auDNA

Comparing Kit T824570 (David Douglas) and T379443 (Martha Brown) (Full Siblings). Match on 51 segments, and all 22 Chromosomes, Largest segment = 153.0 cM, Total of segments > 7 cM = 2,507.4 cM, 51 matching segments.

Sources

1. ↑ Sumner County Tax Lists 1802-1870
2. ↑ Cage Cemetery, Cages Bend Rd
3. ↑ Douglass Cemetery 4-5
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #10553899
5. ↑ Making the American Thoroughbred: Especially in Tennessee, 1800-1845, James Douglas Anderson, Balie Peyton Plimpton Press, 1916
6. ↑ "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHS-B68S : 22 December 2016), James Douglas and Margarett Rodgers, 08 Mar 1838; citing Wilson, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,115,925.
7. ↑ Cage Cemetery 4-15, Sumner, Tennessee.
8. ↑ 1860 US census, Grayson, Texas Texas
9. ↑ "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QG-W9TQ : 21 July 2016), Douglas, 1859.
10. ↑ "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch UN(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QG-WDK7 : 21 July 2016), Duglass, 1865.
11. ↑ "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F9KT-K6T : 4 December 2014), James H. Douglass, Private, Company H, 34th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Alexander's) (2nd Pa, Confederate; citing NARA microfilm publication M227 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 10; FHL microfilm 880,023.
12. ↑ 1870 US census, Sumner, Tennessee
13. ↑ 1870 - 1880 US census records
14. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #5732326
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} [https://www.tngenweb.org/records/tn_wide/obits/nca/nca6-06.htm DEATH NOTICES FROM THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 1877-1879, January 11, 1879, page 64
16. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #44268546
17. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #44268937
18. ↑ 1880 and 1900 US census
19. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #44283444

See Other:

Death Records

• Find A Grave Memorial# 150517999

• Death Notices from The Christian Advocate, Nashville

General References

• Ancestors of Jessie Graves Douglass

• Historic Sumner County, Tennessee, By Jay Guy Cisco, 1909, Chapter 11 Descendants of Col Edward Douglass 1713 - 1795

Census Records

• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLT-W23 : accessed 11 August 2015), Alfred M Douglass, Gallatin, Sumner, Tennessee, United States; citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT1-K4J : accessed 11 August 2015), James Douglass, Not Stated, Sumner, Tennessee; citing p. 374, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 534; FHL microfilm 24,549.

• James H Douglass,"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MC69-FWV : accessed 10 July 2015), James H Douglass, Sumner county, Sumner, Tennessee, United States; citing family 2, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVHF-SQW : 4 August 2017), James H Douglass, Sumner county, Sumner, Tennessee, United States; citing line number 6, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 444,863. (Slave schedule)

• Jas H Douglass, "United States Census, 1860," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXFF-SHQ : accessed 10 July 2015), Jas H Douglass, [Blank], Grayson, Texas, United States; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing p. 27, household ID 167, NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 805,295.

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MD84-8ND : accessed 11 August 2015), James Douglass, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 8, family 44, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,065.

Land Records

• Sumner County Tax Lists 1802-1870 D-F

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8R-91F5 : accessed 15 August 2015), Jas H Douglass, 1872; citing Grayson County, Texas, United States, State Archives, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,282,225.

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8R-SQ2B : accessed 15 August 2015), J H Douglass, 1873; citing Grayson County, Texas, United States, State Archives, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,282,225.

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8R-SJCV : accessed 15 August 2015), J H Douglass, 1875; citing Grayson County, Texas, United States, State Archives, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,282,225.

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8R-S5S4 : 25 May 2014), James H Douglass, 1876.

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QG-WWKL : 21 July 2016), James H Douglass, 1864.

• Grayson County; an illustrated history of Grayson County, Texas. James H Douglass, page 134

Marriage Records

• "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKH3-PSPX : accessed 19 August 2015), James H Douglass and Harriet S Cage, 1860.

• Marriages of Sumner County, Tennessee, 1787-1838 Edythe Johns Rucker Whitley Genealogical Publishing Com, Jun 1, 2009 - Reference - 150 pages

• "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNZB-SGN : 4 December 2014), James H Douglass and Harriet Cage, 02 Feb 1860; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing p. , Sumner, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.

Military Records

• "Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ4P-DVY : accessed 11 June 2016), James H. Douglass, 1863; from "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing military unit Second Cavalry, State Troops (Six Months, 1863-64), NARA microfilm publication M323 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1961), roll 16.

• "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FST8-14X : 4 December 2014), James H. Douglass, Private, Company F, 2nd Regiment, Texas Cavalry State Troops (6 months, Confederate; citing NARA microfilm publication M227 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 10; FHL microfilm 880,023.