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From: Archives <>
Subject: Ga-Terrell-Morgan-Webster Co. Bios (Kendrick)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 12:45:11 -0400


Terrell-Morgan-Webster County GaArchives Biographies.....Kendrick, William Callaway 1831 - living in 1913
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher October 20, 2004, 12:45 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 849-850

WILLIAM CALLAWAY KENDRICK, M. D., who is also entitled to the term
“Honorable,” having served a number of terms in the state legislature, is a
prominent physician and surgeon of Dawson, where his professional knowledge and
skill have met with ample recognition. A son of James Cornelius Kendrick, he was
born May 17, 1831, on a farm lying seven miles south of Morgan, in Morgan
county, Georgia.

His grandfather, James Burwell Kendrick, was born and reared in Virginia and
there married Mary Dowd, who was born in Ireland and at the age of ten years
crossed the ocean with her parents, who settled in Virginia. About 1805,
accompanied by his wife and children, he migrated to Georgia, locating in Morgan
county. Buying a tract of land that was still in its primeval wildness, he
began, with the help of slaves, to clear and improve a farm and was there a
resident until his death.

One of a large family of children, James Cornelius Kendrick was born in
Virginia, but while very young was brought by his parents to Morgan county,
Georgia. Left fatherless when a lad of ten years, he subsequently made his home
with an uncle until sixteen years old, when he joined the militia, and for two
years served under General Jackson in the Indian wars. In his youthful days he
was converted, and for many years he was a preacher in the Missionary Baptist
church. He was also an agriculturist, being engaged in farming in Morgan county
until 1836, when he purchased land in Meriwether county, and operated it
successfully with slave labor for some time. Selling his holdings in that
locality in 1850, he purchased a plantation in Sumter county, eleven miles west
of Sumter, and continued in his free and independent occupation. At that time,
and for a number of years afterwards, there were no railways in Southern
Georgia, and the planters had to team their cotton to Macon, which was the
nearest market and depot for supplies, bringing back with them all needed
articles for the household, the round trip consuming a long week. After the
close of the war he removed to Webster county, from there coming, in 1881, to
Dawson to live with his son, Dr. William C. Kendrick, and died at the doctor's
home at the venerable age of eighty-four years. His wife, whose maiden name was
Mary Butler, was born in Green county, Georgia, a daughter of John Butler, and
died in 1877, at the age of seventy-three years.

Mr. and Mrs. James Cornelius Kendrick reared eleven children, as follows:
Butler; Burwell and John, twins; James B.; Catherine; William Callaway;
Meredith; Benjamin J.; Melissa; Marian; and Isaac W. Five of the sons served in
the Confederate army. William Callaway serving as surgeon, with the rank of
captain; Burwell, Benjamin and Meredith each raised a company, of which he was
commissioned captain. Benjamin was killed, in 1862, at the battle of Big Creek
Gap, Tennessee, and Meredith was killed at the engagement near Marietta,
Georgia, June 4,1864. Isaac, who at the breaking out of the war was a youth in
his teens, served as a private in the army. Burwell, the second son of the
parental household, settled in Texas and at his death, which occurred at a ripe
old age, left ninety-five descendants.

William Callaway Kendrick spent his youthful days on the home farm and was
reared amid pioneer scenes. When he was a boy the women slaves used to card,
spin and weave, and all the family, as well as the slaves, dressed in homespun.
He obtained his rudimentary education in the rural schools of his neighborhood.
Having decided to enter upon a professional career, he began the study of
medicine with Dr. W. J. Reese, of Sumter county, and was graduated from the
Metropolitan Medical College, in New York City, in the class of 1855. The
following year Doctor Kendrick was engaged in the practice of medicine in Lee
county. Georgia, and the next two years was similarly employed in Talbotton.
Going from there to Arkansas, the doctor was located at Fort Smith until 1861,
when he returned to Georgia, and enlisted as a private in the Twelfth Georgia
Volunteer Infantry, in the company commanded by Captain Miles A. Hawkins. Going
with his regiment to Virginia, he was soon promoted to surgeon, and with his
command joined the Army of the Tennessee, with which he was connected until the
close of the conflict.

Returning then to Georgia, Doctor Kendrick settled in Webster county, where
he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession until 1881. Locating
in Dawson in that year, the doctor has here continued his labors as a physician
and surgeon with characteristic success for more than thirty years, with the
exception of the time he has been obliged to devote to his official duties.

Doctor Kendrick cast his first presidential vote, in 1852, for the Whig
candidate, Winfield Scott. In 1876 he was elected as a representative to the
state legislature from Webster county, and after his re-election to the same
position, in 1878, voted for Ben Hill for United States senator. In 1888 the
doctor was elected to represent Terrell county in the state legislature and was
honored with a re-election in 1892, and again in 1896, and in the latter year he
cast his vote in favor of Sam Jones as United States senator. Since early
manhood Doctor Kendrick has been an active member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons. He is a past master of Furlow lodge, Sumter county,
and is a member and past master of P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229; a member of
Lawrence chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and has served as a member of the finance
committee of the grand lodge of Masons.

Doctor Kendrick has been twice married. He married first, in 1855, Nancy
Kendrick, who was born in Talbot county, Georgia, a daughter of Burke Kendrick.
She passed to the higher life in 1876. Their only child, Herschell V. Kendrick,
died at the age of twenty-one years. The doctor married second, in 1877, Emma
Corinne Foster, who was born in Lee county, Georgia. The doctor and Mrs.
Kendrick have five children, namely: James B.; Juniata, wife of Dr. T. M.
Meriwether; Mary B.; May Belle, wife of R, D. Smith; and Lessie Estelle, wife of
Will C. Page.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/terrell/bios/gbs358kendrick.txt

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