My Genealogy Hound

Rufus M. Dail, farmer and stock raiser, is a son of William and Nancy (Overton) Dail, natives of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. William Dail moved to the State of Tennessee, and was there married when a young man. He settled on a farm in Anderson County, where Rufus was born, July 11, 1828, and remained there until his death, in 1877, at the age of eighty-four years. He served in the War of 1812, and drew a pension for his heroic performances during that event. Rufus M. Dail grew to manhood on the farm, and remained with his father until that time. He was married in June, 1853, to Miss Christina Skaggs, of Knox County, Tenn., and settled on a farm with his wife, up to the year 1879, when he moved to Arkansas, and located in Randolph County. He remained at that place for six years, and had brought his farm up to the highest grade of perfection, when he sold out and came to Lawrence County, arriving here in 1886. He has resided here ever since, and cultivates the soil, farming, on an average, seventy acres annually. Mr. Dail was elected and served as justice of the peace in Anderson County, Tenn., for eight consecutive years, and was also elected deputy sheriff, in which capacity he served four years. He was an old-time Whig originally, and since the war has become identified with the Democratic party. His family is composed of six children: Nancy J., wife of James Hill, of Lindseyville; Sarah Ann, single; Martha I., wife of Charles Basket; Naomi, wife of Thomas Howard, and Eden S. He has lost three other children: Leroy, who died at the age of twenty-five years; William R., who died in his twenty-fourth year, and James M., at the age of fourteen. Mr. and Mrs. Dail are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Mr. Dail was formerly a member of the Masonic fraternity. He is highly respected, and his valuable advice and aid in all enterprises regarding the advancement of his community are very much appreciated.