My Genealogy Hound

JESSE W. SPARKS, clerk and master of the Chancery Court of Rutherford County, Tenn., was born in Nacogdoches County, Tex., January 1, 1837. His father, James Sparks, who was a soldier in the battle of San Jacinto, where he lost four brothers, was born in South Carolina, and died in Texas in 1840 or 1841. The mother, whose maiden name was Massey C. Wadlington, was a native also of South Carolina. Jesse W. spent his boyhood days upon a plantation in his native State with his parents. At the age of seventeen years he in company with three lads in his neighborhood, were sent to this State to complete their education, their objective place being Nashville, but they entered the Union University of Murfreesboro instead and from this institution our subject graduated in July, 1860. Early in 1861, upon the breaking out of the late war, Mr. Sparks enlisted as a private in the company commanded by Capt. Richard S. Walker (at present one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Texas). Soon after entering the service Mr. Sparks was promoted, through the influence of Judge W. B. Ochiltree, to a second lieutenantcy in the Regular Confederate Army, with orders to report to Gen. Van Dorn, at San Antonio, Tex. Soon after complying with this order he was ordered by Van Dorn to muster in and organize a lot of troops at Houston, Tex., which he proceeded to do, and among them were the afterward famous Texas Rangers, of which regiment Lieut. Sparks was made adjutant, serving as such about one year, when in 1863 he was promoted to major with instructions to report to Gen. Kirby Smith west of the Mississippi River. Complying readily with this injunction, Mr. Sparks served under Smith as major in the adjutant-general’s department until he was made lieutenant-colonel of a cavalry regiment and served in this capacity with ardent vigor until the surrender of his regiment at Houston. Tex., June 5, 1865. Returning to his home in Texas, Maj. Sparks soon made preparations for removing to this State and county. In December, 1865, he started for here and after being captured, imprisoned and released various times by the Federals whom he encountered on the way arrived in the spring of 1866 and locating on a farm, followed agricultural pursuits successfully until 1875, when he was appointed to his present office, which he has filled by appointment until the present time, and it may be truthfully said that Maj. Sparks has discharged the duties of this important office in a faithful and highly efficient manner. The Major is and always has been an uncompromising Democrat in his political view, and this together with his generosity, natural wit and affable manners, has made him justly popular in Rutherford County as an official and citizen. April 18, 1866, he was united in marriage to his present wife, who was Miss Josephine Bivens, a native of this county. The result of this union has been six children, all of whom are living: Jesse W., Henry B., Docie, James, Fannie and Ingraham Twohig. Maj. Sparks is a Mason of the Royal Arch and Scottish Rite degrees, and is justly recognized as an enterprising and reliable citizen.