Parents
James Lewis Adams is a well known citizen. He is a farmer and a lumber dealer of Munford, Tipton County, Tennessee. A native of Roberson County, Tennessee, born on June 24, 1838. He is a son of Rev. Louis and Lucinda (Thacker) Adams.
The father was born in Virginia on October 11, 1798; and the mother in Kentucky on October 1, 1803. His father, by his own efforts, acquired a good education in youth, In his early life, he commenced farming; however, in 1828, he quit the farm. Afterwards he prepared himself for a broader work, that of preaching the Gospel. He entered the ministry in the Methodist Church and joined the Tennessee Conference. For twenty-two years he was an itinerant, preacher of that conference.
In 1850 he was transferred to the Memphis Conference, and was an itinerant preacher of that conference for fourteen years. In 1803 he located and sustained superannuated relations with the conference. He was a devout man and an able preacher. Whereby he relied largely upon the inspiration of the moment for his simple heartfelt utterances instead of tedious preparation, which was one secret of his success. He died January 23, 1878, and was buried at the old family graveyard one mile west of Munford. The mother died July 29, 1880, and was buried by her husband.
Life
James Lewis Adams received a good education in his youth. He commenced farming when young, and moved, with his parents, to Tipton County. They settled sixteen miles southwest, of Covington.
In 1861 he entered the Confederate service, in Company A, Fifty first Tennessee Infantry, and was placed in Gen. Cheatham’s division. He took part in the battle of Perryville, Ky., in the retreat from Dalton to Atlanta, and at Franklin, Tenn., where he was severely wounded and captured. And after being sent to Nashville, Louisville and Camp Chase Ohio, he got a parole at Richmond. Va. on March 5, 1865. He returned home and resumed his farming and lumber business, and has met with good success.
July 19, 1863, he married Mary C. McFadden, born in Rutherford County, February 10, 1842. They had three sons and a daughter were born to this marriage; two sons are dead. Mrs. Adams died August 9, 1884.
Overview
Mr. Adams is an enthusiastic Democrat, and an active and worthy member of the Methodist Church. He is a generous and upright man.
[Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee (1887)]
