James H. Akin
James H. Akin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | James Houston Akin[1] August 12, 1832 |
| Died | January 21, 1911 (aged 78) |
| Occupations | Farmer, politician |
Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 6 |
| Parent(s) | Samuel W. Akin Millie Biffle |
Major James H. Akin (August 12, 1832 – January 21, 1911) was an American Confederate veteran, farmer and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1899, representing Williamson County, Tennessee.
Early life
Akin was born on August 12, 1832, near Hampshire in Maury County, Tennessee.[1][2] His father was Samuel W. Akin while his mother was Millie Biffle.[2] He had eight siblings, and he grew up on a farm.[2]
His paternal great-grandfather, William Akin was born in Scotland and immigrated to South Carolina.[2] His paternal grandfather, Reverend John Akin, who was a Methodist minister, served in the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783 and settled in Maury County in 1808; he emancipated his slaves upon his death in 1821.[2] His maternal grandfather, Jacob Biffle, also served in the American Revolutionary War.[2]
Career
Akin became a farmer and stock raiser in Maury County in 1847.[2] During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, he joined the Confederate States Army and served as the captain of Company E of the 9th Battalion Tennessee Cavalry.[2] He was stationed at Fort Donelson.[2] In 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major.[2] After the war, he returned to farming in Maury County until 1881.[2] From 1882 onward, he became a farmer in Williamson County, where he owned a 420-acre farm.[2]
Akin was a member of the Democratic Party.[2] He served as the tax collector of Maury County from 1870 to 1872.[2] He then served as justice of the peace in Williamson County from 1882 to 1890.[2] He served as a floterial representative for Maury and Williamson counties in 1890 and 1891, as well as Maury, Williamson, Giles and Lewis counties in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1895.[2] He served as a proper member of the state house from 1899 to 1901, representing Williamson County.[2]
Personal life and death
Akin was married three times. He married his first wife, Marinda Cecil, in 1859; they had three children, but only one daughter, Bettie Jones, survived to adulthood; she died in 1867.[2] He married his second wife, Sophia Burnett Kernan, 1881; they had a son, Andrew Kernan, and two daughters, Ethel Johnson and Jimmie Hatton; she died in 1893.[2] He married his third wife, Lena Oden, in 1900.[2] He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and a Freemason.[2]
Akin died on January 21, 1911,[3][4] at his home near Thompson's Station in Williamson County. He was interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 McBride, Robert M.; Robison, Dan M. (1979). Biographical Directory of the Tennessee General Assembly. Vol. II. Nashville, Tennessee: Curley Printing Company. pp. 6–7.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Allison, John (1905). Notable Men of Tennessee: Personal and Genealogical, with portraits. Atlanta, Georgia: Southern historical Association. pp. 148–150. OCLC 2561350 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Maj. James H. Akin". Confederate Veteran. Vol. XIX, no. 3. Nashville, Tennessee. March 1911. p. 137. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Ashby's Calvary Meet". Daily Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas. May 18, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved September 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
The death of Maj. James H. Akin was announced and the president of the organization was directed to send a letter of sympathy to his widow and daughter.
- 1832 births
- 1911 deaths
- People from Maury County, Tennessee
- People from Williamson County, Tennessee
- Farmers from Tennessee
- Confederate States Army officers
- Tax collectors
- Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- American Freemasons
- 19th-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly
- Tennessee politician stubs