My Genealogy Hound

Hon. John A. Fuson, an eminent practicing physician and surgeon of the Fourth District, was born in 1815 in Champaign County, Ohio. He is the third of seven children (three living) of James and Martha (Sneed) Fuson, both of whom were natives of Patrick County, Va. The father was of English descent, born in 1792. Two years after marriage he moved to Champaign County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming, occasionally preaching. He died in 1863. The mother was of French origin, born about 1795, and died in 1885. The subject of this sketch received a limited education in the common schools of his native county, remaining with his parents until he was twenty-two, when he came to Tennessee, and settled at Alexandria, DeKalb County, where for three years he studied medicine under direction of Dr. Thomas J. Sneed, at the expiration of which time he began practicing at Liberty, in 1842. In 1847 he married Martha L., daughter of John W. and Lucy W. (Flowers) Allen, near Rome, Smith County. Mrs. Fuson was born in White County, in 1826, and became the mother of eleven children. The eight surviving ones are James; Lucy Jane, wife of Chas. McCaverty of West Virginia; John A.; Elizabeth, wife of Isaac N. Fite; George M.; Wm. Francis; Josephine, wife of Chas. Williams, and Joseph Benjamin. In 1856 the Doctor purchased a farm in the Fourth District of DeKalb County, and moved his family there. He has always had an extensive patronage; is one of the most skillful and popular practitioners in the section. He has accumulated considerable property and wealth, but has lost heavily by security debts. He owns 300 acres of well cultivated and improved land. His son, William Francis, is now taking a large portion of practice off the Doctor’s hands, and has been successful and prosperous. In 1854 the Doctor was elected to represent De Kalb County, in the General Assembly of 1855-56. He was elected in 1865, for 1865-66. He was senator for De Kalb and Wilson Counties one term. His official career was satisfactory and highly creditable. He was the author of the Small Offense law. Previous to the war he was a Whig, casting his first presidential vote for Wm. H. Harrison in 1840. He was a stanch Union man, and now a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and the five eldest children are Methodists.