James Dudley Fooshe (1844-1940)

James Dudley Fooshe

James Dudley Fooshe, known as J. D. Fooshe, (March 29, 1844 - January 11, 1940) was a soldier, author, farmer, philosopher, Methodist churchman and one of the last surviving Confederate veterans in Richmond County, Georgia. He was a prolific writer of articles that dealt with reminiscences of the American Civil War and his philosophy of religion, social conduct and political economy.

Early life

He was born March 29, 1844, in Abbeville District (now Greenwood County, South Carolina). He grew up near the Coronaca community, where Methodism made rapid strides during the 19th century. His parents were John Wright Fooshe (1815-1888) and Martha Ann Richardson (1820-1883), descendants of up-country South Carolinians.

Ancestry

Five Generation Pedigree
Self	Parents	Grandparents	Great grandparents	2nd Great grandparents
James Dudley Fooshe	John Wright Fooshe (1815-1888)	John Fooshe (1781-1843)	Charles Fooshe (1753-1823)	John Foushee (c1721-1779)
				Alphia Thornton (c1725-)
			Martha Pulliam (-1852)	John Pulliam, Jr. (c1738-1798)
				Sarah Fooshe? (-1812)
		Anna Smith (1788-1839)	William Smith (1765-1824)	John Smith (c1739-1776)
				Anne (c1743-)
			Lucy Wright (1768-1847)	Thomas Wright, Jr. (c1731-)
				Anne Morgan (c1733-1808)
	Martha Ann Richardson (1820-1883)	Dudley Richardson (c1789-1826)	Rev. William Richardson,Jr., RS (1743-c1797)	William Richardson (c1721-)
				Ann Nancy
			Agnes Ann Crawford (c1761-)	Crawford
				Unknown
		Henrietta Fooshe (1790-1839)	Charles Fooshe (1753-1823)	John Foushee (c1721-1779)
				Alphia Thornton (c1725-)
			Martha Pulliam (-1852)	John Pulliam, Jr. (c1738-1798)
				Sarah Fooshe? (-1812)

Family

Fooshe married in Abbeville County, South Carolina December 31, 1866 on Mary Ann Fuller (1848-1918), daughter of Jones Fuller (1848-1868) and Narcissa Harris (1807-1860) who bore him twelve children:

1. Ida Gilmore Fooshe (1867-1892) was born October 22, 1867 in Abbeville County, South Carolina, and died on September 13, 1892 in Waterloo, Laurens County, South Carolina. She married Harrison Calvin Fuller (1852-1938) on October 22, 1890 in Laurens, Laurens County, South Carolina, son of Solomon Tillman Fuller (1819-1872) and Mary Ann Babb (1820-1912). He was born June 10, 1852 in Waterloo, Laurens County, South Carolina, and died March 26, 1938 in Waterloo, Laurens Co., SC.

J.D. Fooshe Family about 1890

2. Fannie S. Fooshe (1869-1869) was born and died in Abbeville County, South Carolina. She is buried in Coronaca Cemetery, Greenwood County, South Carolina.

3. James Franklin Fooshe (1871-1960) was born November 11, 1871 in Abbeville County, South Carolina, and died March 19, 1960 in Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia. He first married Alice Beckham (1872-1903). He secondly married Mae Sanders (1874-1965), daughter of Cotesworth Pinckney Sanders (1845-1919) and Clara Elizabeth Wilson (1850-1925). She was born January 25, 1874 in South Carolina and died March 5, 1965 in Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia.

4. Maggie Fooshe (c1872-c1872) was born and died in Abbeville County, South Carolina. She is buried in Coronaca Cemetery, Greenwood County, South Carolina.

5. George Waddell Fooshe (1873-1948) was born November 17, 1873 in Abbeville County, South Carolina, and died January 12, 1948 in Hollywood, Broward County, Florida. He first married Sarah Antoinette Tucker about 1900, daughter of William Anthony Tucker (1826-1904) and Sara Jane Scudder (1833-1878). She was born November 19, 1876 in Amite County, Mississippi, and died May 9, 1957 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. He secondly married June Van Keuren (1892-1979) before 1948, daughter of William H. Van Keuren and Fanny McCutcheon. She was born November 7, 1892, and died March 1979 in Hollywood, Broward County, Florida.

6. Fuller Wright Fooshe (1875-1967) was born January 29, 1875 in Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina and died March 12, 1967 in Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida. He first married Marie Gorham (1876-1978) (born January 22, 1876 in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri - died January 1978 in Florida. He secondly married Lula Unknown and thirdly Mattie Paterson (1899-1996), known as Pat, (born July 3, 1899 in Wilkinson County, Georgia and died November 16, 1996 in Perry, Houston County, Georgia.

J.D. Fooshe Family 1916

7. Anna E. Fooshe (1879-1969), known as Annie, was born October 6, 1879 in Abbeville County, South Carolina and died January 17, 1969 in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. She married Allen Bynum King (1876-1926) born August 1876 in Pitt County, North Carolina and died January 11, 1926 of Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina. He was the son of John King, Jr. (1830-1910) and Sarah Frances Bynum (1837-1902) of Pitt County, North Carolina.

8. Mattie Mae Fooshe (1882-) was born May 1, 1882 in Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina. She married Standford Stith (1870-) February 10, 1904 in Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina, son of Richard Stanford Stith (1825-1895) and Ariana Medora Phillips of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. He was born March 7, 1870 in Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi.

9. Hattie Lee Fooshe (1884-1955) was bron April 11, 1884, Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina and died October 13, 1955 in Savannah, Chatam County, Georgia. She married William Clarance Dunn (1880-1981), known as Will, April 28, 1913. He was born April 29, 1880 in Abbeville, Abbeville County, South Carolina and died February 20, 1981, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. He was the son of James Robert Clarence Dunn (1853-1909) and Margaret Malinda Nance (1855-1891) of Abbeville County, South Carolina.

10. Claude Richardson Fooshe (1886-1957) was born April 12, 1886 in Greenwood County, South Carolina and died December 18, 1957 in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. He married Lura Denkham (1890-1989) born September 24, 1890 in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa and died March 7, 1989, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California.

J.D. Fooshe Family 1934

11. Mark Yates Fooshe (1887-1940) was born November 30, 1887 in Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina and died October 8, 1940 in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia. He married Ida Ruth Pulliam (1892-1966) in Greenwood, Greenwood County, South Carolina, daughter of John Benjamin Pulliam (1862-1951) and Sallie Buchanan (1866-1918) of Greenwood County, South Carolina. She was born June 9, 1892 in Greenwood County, South Carolina and died November 19, 1966 in Miami, Dade County, Florida.

12. Ruby L. Fooshe (1888-1975) was born October 25, 1888 in Coronaca, Greenwood County, South Carolina and died 1975 in Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. She married Alexander O'Neall King (1885-1916) on February 28, 1906, son of Benjamin Franklin King (1855-1934) and Lila Clayton O'Neall (1860-1927) of Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina. He was born October 12, 1885, and died August 16, 1915 in Evensville, Rhea County, Tennessee.

Confederate Veteran

He joined Company A, James Battalion of South Carolina in the army of the Confederate States of America and served throughout the American Civil War; being wounded during the first Maryland invasion and taken prisoner by the Union army. Shortly paroled, he was furloughed to recover from his wounds and returned to service only to be wounded again at the Battle of the Wilderness. He again recovered and returned to service, this time, in the Quartermaster Corps as secretary to Dr. Simon Baruch (1840–1921), father of Bernard Mannes Baruch (1870-1965), the noted presidential advisor.

Progressive Citizen

He was born into the Methodist Church, saw it divided into North and South, and heartily approved the merger that made Methodists one church again. On the argument for reuniting the church, he stated: "I fought for the Confederacy and lived to see it become greater under the flag of the United States. I want to see our churches exercise the same forbearance that we who once fought with bullets instead of doctrines, have exercised."

He was a champion of a reunified nation and the up building of a better United States. His words shadowed the differences of a divided nation and called for the advancement of one nation standing together in all things.

Life in Georgia

Taking up residence in Richmond County, Georgia at the age of 60, he took a sand hills plantation and turned it into one of the garden spots of the county. He became a noted authority on bee culture and promoter of diversification in agriculture. At age 70 he planted a peach orchard and lived long enough to replant it twice.

He was in the limelight of the fight for prohibition and public education. He believed in good roads, education for all who would take it, and the homely virtues of thrift which the hard days after the Civil War had impressed upon him. He practically abandoned the growing of cotton while cotton was still “King” and became an enthusiastic champion of terracing, heavy fertilizing and grafting fruit trees for which he became noted for the high grade of his farm products, especially peaches.

He was critical of newfangled ways of approaching social and economic problems, but never critical of material progress. The slaughter in 1934 of millions of pigs to relieve overproduction was labeled by him "a crime in the sight of God." A similar outburst of wrath greeted the plowing up of cotton, while many of the measures of relief were seen by him as a "sure way to make a nation of loafers instead of workers." At age 90, he tired of his hand writing and learned to use a typewriter. To those who smiled at the idea, he retorted: "When a man quits doing something new, he is already dead."

The same philosophy led him to replant his peach orchards for a third time at age 93. He had just begun to gather fruit from the last orchard when he died at Gracewood just outside of Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia at age 95. He was buried at Magnolia Cemetery, Richmond County, GeorgiainAugusta.

Quotation: "When a fellow gets as old as I am, he appreciates more than anything else the solitude of home and the quiet friendship of those he sees often."

James Dudley Fooshe

Memoirs of J. D. Fooshe appeared as a series of articles in The Augusta Herald, Augusta, Georgia in the Spring of 1936:

1. Confederate Army Camp Life In Early War Days Is Related
2. Reminiscences of the 'Sixties'
3. Wounded, Captured, Mr. Fooshe Sends Letter Home by a Spy
4. Exchanged, Mr. Fooshe Given Furlough and Allowed to Come Home Until Wound Was Better
5. Becomes Member of Courier Staff of Chief Supply Man for General Lee's Forces
6. Carpet-Baggers Flock to South
7. J.D. Fooshe Tells of His Early Life on Farm After Civil War
8. Three Lifetime Lessons Early in Married Life
9. Compares Present Conditions With Those of Many Years Ago
10. J.D. Fooshe Adds Raising of Bees as Sideline to Farming
11. Bee Industry One of Finest Nature Studies, Says Fooshe

References

• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "First Peaches Brought To City, Saturday, May 11, 1918, p. 3.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "J. D. Fooshe Offering Fine Carmen Peaches," Sunday, June 26, 1927.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Augustans To Attend Conference Meeting," Thursday, November 17, 1927, p. 5.
• "The Augusta Herald," Augusta, GA, "Fooshe Appointed As Commander of Veterans' Camp," abt. 1927.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Local Veterans To Leave Monday," Friday, May 31, 1929, p. 2.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Mr. Fooshe Celebrates His 86th Birthday," Tuesday, April 1, 1930, p. 9A.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "88th Birthday of J. D. Fooshe Celebrated With Reception," March 1932.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, GA, "Honor Veteran on 88th Birthday, March 1932 and "Thanks His Friends," April 1932.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "City Bred People Find Real Life on the Farm," Monday, May 23, 1932, pp. 1 & 2.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Notables Gather In Augusta To Pay Honor To Leader," Friday, June 3, 1932, pp. 1 & 2.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Dixie Verterans' Annaul Session Here On April 26," Friday, April 21, 1933, p. 9.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Local Methodists Are Delegates To State Conference," Friday, May 26, 1933, p. 10.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Gracwood, Ga., Citizen Observes 90th Birthday," @March 30, 1934.
• "The Augusta Herald," Augusta, GA, "Mr. J. D. Fooshe Is Honored on His Ninetieth Birthday," @March 30, 1934.
• "The Augusta Chronicle," Augusta, Georgia, "Last of Confederate Veterans Assemble at Reunion in Chattanooga," Tuesday, June 5, 1934, p. 12.
• "The Augusta Herald," Augusta, Georgia, "MR. J. D. FOOSHE IS DEAD: Noted Confederate Veteran Expires at Age of 95, FUNERAL FRIDAY," Thursday Afternoon, January 11, 1940, p. 1
• "Soldier, Planter, Philosopher: The Life of J. D. Fooshe," by Samuel Taylor Geer, (Dallas: Samuel T. Geer, 1999).