Notes:

James Postell Douglas, Confederate artillery officer, the oldest son of Alexander and Margaret Tirzah (Cowsar) Douglas, was born near Lancaster, South Carolina, on January 7, 1836. He moved with his family to Talladega, Alabama, in 1838 and to Texas in 1847. In January 1848 the Douglas and Cowsar families settled at Tyler, where Douglas attended such public schools as were available. Generally, however, he was self-educated; he learned Latin with the aid of a neighbour in Talladega. Among his earliest jobs was delivery of the mail from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Nacogdoches, Texas. When his father died in 1854, the seventeen-year-old became head of the Douglas household, served as principal of the Tyler Male Academy by day, and read law at night. Although licensed to practice law, he purchased a half interest in and edited the Tyler Reporter, now the Tyler Courier Times, in 1859.
With the outbreak of the Civil War Douglas was commissioned by Col. Elkanah Greer to raise a fifty-man company in Smith County to man half a field artillery battery to be attached to Greer's Third Texas Cavalry. The other company was raised in Dallas County by John J. Good. Douglas was commissioned first lieutenant and named second in command of the battery on June 13, 1861. He was promoted to captain and commander in July 1862. The battery, first commanded by Captain Good, was variously known as the First Texas Battery, the Dallas Light Artillery, the Good-Douglas Battery, and Douglas's Battery , and became the only unit of Texas artillery to serve east of the Mississippi River. It is said to have been the first Confederate unit to volunteer "for the duration of the war." After receiving its baptism of fire with Benjamin McCulloch's Army of the West at the battle of Elkhorn Tavern in March 1862, the battery was transferred to Mississippi, where it saw action at the battle of Corinth. Thereafter it took part in all of the major battles of the Army of Tennessee: Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the battles for Atlanta, and John Bell Hood's disastrous Tennessee campaign of 1864. Covering Hood's retreat from Nashville, the battery lost its guns when they bogged in the mud and were overrun by Union cavalry. Douglas barely escaped capture by riding away on the horse behind his younger brother. On February 16, 1864, the Confederate Congress offered a formal vote of thanks to the battery. Douglas's battery was paroled at Mobile, Alabama, on May 12, 1865, and Douglas returned to Tyler.
He resumed his work with the Tyler Reporter and in 1870 was elected to the Senate of the Twelfth Texas Legislature, where he was noted for his anti-Reconstruction attitude and activities. He was the organizer and first president of the Texas branch of the Cotton Belt Railroad, the so-called Tyler Tap, which was later sold to Jay Gould. Douglas was also instrumental in the establishment of the Texas and St. Louis and the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroads. He owned a chain of canning factories, the first in Tyler, to market produce from his farms. As a planter, he was greatly interested in agricultural experimentation and owned a large peach orchard, said to be the first in East Texas.
Douglas was married twice, first on March 24, 1864, to Sallie Susan White, who died on August 22, 1872, and subsequently to Alice Earle Smith, on July 7, 1874. Four children were born to the first marriage and six to the second. Douglas died on November 27, 1901, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery at Tyler. His wife, Alice, died on June 28, 1955, and is buried beside him.

James married Sallie Susan White on 16 Mar 1863. Sallie was born in 1844 in Griffin, GA; died on 22 Aug 1872; was buried in Elkins Cemetery, Near Old Omen, TX. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Obituary
Brother Douglas is no more. He was born in the State of South Carolina, Lancaster District, October 27, 1807, and embraced salvation by faith in his native place. In the great revival of "33 , and joined the M.E. Church, the church of his choice. Two years afterwards , he was united in holy matrimony to Miss Margaret T. Cowsar, daughter of James and Hannah Cowsar and in 1837 he emigrated to Alabama, where he was licensed to preach in 1845; moved to Texas in the spring of 1848 and in December same year ordained Deacon by Bishop Andrew and traveled an itinerary and then located in this place (Tyler) where he was taken sick August 4th and died of typhoid fever 19th inst. Aged 45 years , 9months and 23 days . Parson A. Douglas was a man of sanguinary temperament and more than ordinary zeal and was manifest in his preaching and exhortations , and many souls were converted and built up under his ministry. He was, however , the subject of severe trials, and passed through some fiery ordeals in the last few years. That he has been misrepresented and sometimes persecuted, none can doubt. That he did not bear his afflictions alluded to, with as much composure and faith in Christ as the church desired is what Brother Douglas often confessed and bemoaned with the deepest penitential sorrow. He was ardently loved by the members of the quarterly conference and Preacher in-charge. The writer visited him in company with Rev. B. H. Hamilton in his sickness and conversed about his prospects of the future he , he melted to tears and lamented his leanness, and promised if God spared him "to live a new life. A few days before his departure he remarked to Rev. Mr. Tunnel that "all was well" Rev. B West also visited but the writer does not recollect the conversation on the subject of religion between them. His friends are satisfied that is at rest, beyond the trials and changes of life. He was buried with Masonic honors. He leaves an afflicted wife, four sons and two daughters to mourn his loss. May the his children meet the expectations of a kind father and indulgent mother and be the "Salt of the earth and the light of the world: As he has brothers and sisters, and relatives in South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, etc. it is earnestly desired that the Nashville and Louisville Christian Advocate, Charleston Ch. Advocate and New Orleans Ch. advocate will please copy the above. T. O. Ellis Tyler Smith Co., Texas Aug 30 '53 (1853 )

Alexander married Margaret Tirzah Cowsar in 1835. Margaret (daughter of James Cowsar and Hannah Nelson) was born in 1810 in Lancaster, SC; died in Sep 1862 in Tyler, Texas; was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Obituary
Died in Tyler on the 27 Inst. , Mrs. Margaret T. Douglas in her 48th year. She was born in Lancaster District, South Carolina, was married to Rev. Alexander Douglas in 1834, joined the Methodist E. Church same year; moved to Ala. in 1838; thence to Texas, and settled at Tyler in 1848. The deceased was one of the first settlers in Tyler. Her name stands registered as one of the chartered members of the Methodist church here. Left a widow years ago with her children to raise and educate, with but limited means , she deserves great credit for her prudence and economy. In the discharge of such responsible duties. For two years her three sons have been in the army and she has been left to struggle almost alone. But in all this a merciful God has sustained her; naturally meek and quiet in her disposition, she consequently said but little openly about her prospects for the future. A few hours before she died, the writer called to see her--finding her sinking rapidly, I asked her if it should be the will of god to take her, "whether she was ready to go! Her reply was "Oh, yes, yes." Thus passed away a good Christian, a worthy citizen, an affectionate mother, in every way a model woman. Heaven bless her children. J.W. Fields

Notes:

He was a Revolutionary soldier , having fought in Georgia with the minute men and also in the the Battle of Long Cane.

Alexander married Jane Elliot?chester Co. Jane (daughter of ?daniel Elliot) died about 1795. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James + Hannah Nelson. Hannah (daughter of Daniel Nelson and Margaret Hood) was born before 1827; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]