Seventh Generation

557. Alexander Dawson (A. D.) Bedwell⁸⁴ was born on 28 Jun 1844 in Mississippi.^65,84 He died on 28 Jan 1922 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi.^65,84 He was buried in Raymond Cemetery, Hinds County, Mississippi.⁶⁵ He was a farmer. He was Baptist. He served in the military in the in CSA. Company B, 22nd Mississippi Infantry. Fought at battle of Shiloh, Tennessee..

• A.D. Bedwell was wounded at New Hope Church, Georgia on May 31, 1864 while fighting Sherman during the Atlanta campaign. His regiment was part of Featherstone's brigade at New Hope, and was attached to Leonidas Polk's Corps of the Army of the Mississippi, later known as Stewart's Corps. Sherman referred to the New Hope area as the "Hell's Hole". He was surrendered at Citronelle, Alabama as part of Taylor's Army on May 4, 1865. According to his children, he died still hating navy blue.

• 1870 Census for Hinds County, Mississippi, shows A.D. Bedwell, 25, a farmer who owns $125 in real estate and says he was born in Georgia, as head of household: Mary J., 20; John, 3; and Demetra, 1.

• 1880 Census for Hinds County, Mississippi, shows Alexander D. Bedwell, 35, a farmer, as head of household consisting of: wife Mary J., 31; son John R., 12; son Demetra E., 10; son William W., 8; son James D., 5; son Alexander D., 3; and son Isaac S., 1. They live next door to the Cockerhams, Mary J.'s parents.

• Mystery: 1880 Census for Collins, Drew County, Arkansas, lists an A.D. Bedwell working as a farm hand for a Daniel Gaston and family. A.D. Bedwell is shown as age 35, born in Mississippi with parents born in Alabama and Scotland. These facts exactly match Alexander Dawson Bedwell, and the combination of birthplace and parents birthplaces seems to fairly unusual. Why was he in Arkansas working outside his home farm/home state? One clue might be provided by the fact that older sister Arabella Bedwell Lee and family were living in Drew County at the time. Also, brother J.D. Bedwell is also in the county at the time of this census, working on the Jeter farm.

• In 1900 Census for Hinds County, Mississippi, he lists his mother's place of birth as Scotland. In that census, Minnie Bedwell, 13, a niece, is living in A.D.'s household.

Alexander Dawson (A. D.) Bedwell and Mary Jane Cockerham were married on 21 Oct 1865 in Hinds County, Mississippi.⁸⁴ Mary Jane Cockerham⁸⁴ (daughter of William Washington Cockerham and Avaline M. [--?--]) was born on 31 Jan 1849 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi.⁸⁴ She died on 16 Aug 1919 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi.⁸⁴ She was buried in Raymond Cemetery, Hinds County, Mississippi.⁶⁵ Alexander Dawson (A. D.) Bedwell and Mary Jane Cockerham had the following children:

+1795	i.	John Randolph Bedwell.
1796	ii.	Edgar Dimetrius (Demetra) Bedwell84 was born on 3 Mar 1870 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi.84 He died on 16 Dec 1942.84 He was buried in Raymond Cemetery, Hinds County, Mississippi.65 • 1930 Census for Clinton, Hinds County, Mississippi shows Demetrius E. Bedwell, 60, single, a retail grocery clerk, living as a roomer in a private residence.
+1797	iii.	William Washington Bedwell.
+1798	iv.	James Monroe Bedwell.
+1799	v.	Alexander Dawson Bedwell Jr..
+1800	vi.	Isaac Lewis (Ike) Bedwell.
+1801	vii.	Mary Avalyn Bedwell.
+1802	viii.	Robert Lafayette Bedwell.
+1803	ix.	Gertrude Bedwell.
1804	x.	Ruth Bedwell84 was born on 27 Jul 1889 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi. She died on 16 Mar 1891 in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi. She was buried in Dry Grove, Hinds County, Mississippi.
+1805	xi.	Maude Elizabeth Bedwell.