Smith County Mississippi Biographies and Biographical Sketches

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CAUGHMAN, Rev. Levi J. Biography

Rev. Levi J. Caughman, of Burns, Smith county, Miss., was born in Edgefield district, S. C., in August, 1849, the eldest in a family of five children born to James D. and Mary E. (Wise) Caughman. Both of the parents were natives of the same district. The father moved with his family to Smith county in 1858 and engaged in planting. In 1801 he enlisted in the Confederate army and served gallantly until he was killed at Atlanta. Our subject grew to manhood in this county and received such an education as was afforded by the common schools. In 1806 he married Miss Elizabeth Jamison, a daughter of John Jamison. In 1807 he engaged in planting which he has followed successfully until the present time. In 1871 he became a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and iu 1878 he began preparing for the ministry. He was ordained in 1880, and since that time has been in charge of several churches of this denomination. Iu 1883 he was elected county treasurer of Smith county, and filled that office with such satisfaction from January, 1884, to January, 1880, that he was again elected to the same office in 1887 and served from January, 1888. to January, 1890. Early in the history of that body he became an active member of the Farmers’ Alliance, in which he has held offices ever since. Iu 1888 he acquired an interest iu a cooperative store at Burns and has been actively identilied with that enterprise. He owns about five hundred acres of land, which, with other property, has been accumulated by his own unaided efforts, having relied solely on his own business ability and perseverance to make his way in the world. He is a member of the Masonic order. Mr. and Mrs. Caughman are the parents of nine children. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]