CAPT. GEORGE W. ALDERSON
Is a son of Davis Alderson and Catharine Alderson, nee Thrasher, whose
family line is given in the record preceding this. He was born near
Union, Monroe county, (then) Virginia, January 7, 1820. Captain
Alderson has been twice married, and the father of nineteen children.
His first marriage was with Lydia, daughter of Rev. Andrew Patterson,
Baptist clergyman of Washington county, whose wife was Elizabeth
Cole, from Smyth county. Lydia Patterson was born December 17,
1824, became the wife of Captain Alderson, December 24, 1840, and
died on April 1, 1866. Secondly, Captain Alderson married Mary,
daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Reed, of Washington county, and
widow of John Ketron. This marriage was solemnized July 7, 1868, at
the home and birthplace of Mrs. Alderson, near Abingdon. The Reed
family are among the oldest in Washington county, Hugh Reed the son
of John Reed.
The children of Captain Alderson's first marriage are: Elizabeth K.,
now Mrs. S. P. Edmondson, of Friendship, Virginia, Davis, twice
wounded at Cedar Run, near Culpeper C. H., died of wounds at Flint
Hill, Virginia, September 17, 1864; two infants, died unnamed, Andrew,
who was also a soldier in the Confederate army at age of fourteen years,
and in battle of Saltville, now living in Texas, Ann E., now Mrs. T. J.
Tilson, of Hunt county, Texas, Thomas R., now a merchant at Campbell,
Hunt county, Texas. Virginia C., now Mrs. Henry Swift, of Hunt
county, Texas, Miriam M., now Mrs. John Minich, of Wood county,
Texas, George, deceased, Lydia J., now Mrs. John Roberts, of Washington
county, William K. H., now in Hunt county, Texas, Christopher
Dayton, now of Washington Territory. The children of the second
marriage are: Mary A., Davis, deceased, Maggie, John J., Martha
and George.
Captain Alderson filled the office of magistrate two years in Washington
county. He was some time captain of militia previous to the
war, and captain and commissary of subsistance at Abingdon during
the entire four years of that war. He had eight nephews in active service,
two of whom were killed, one falling on the Gettysburg campaign, the
other in battle at Winchester, fall of 1864. Captain Alderson resides on
the farm he cultivates, near Moab.
