Rev. Joseph
Woodruff Bozeman (b. November 01, 1833, d. date unknown)
Notes for
Joseph Woodruff Bozeman:OUR GREAT UNCLE
REV. JOSEPH W. BOZEMAN, D.D.
Rev. Joseph Woodruff Bozeman, D.D., wrote the genealogy book entitled "Sketches of the Bozeman Family" which was published in Meridian, Mississippi in 1885. The following is what he wrote of himself in that book.
The writer of these sketches, born in Lowndes county, Alabama, November 1. 1833. Spent my boyhood from six years old in Winston county, Mississippi, at Coopwood, my fathers homestead, 12 miles southeast of Louisville, and grew up there upon the farm, in a remote rural district, where I had but limited opportunities for getting an education. I did regularly the labor of a farmer's son until the year l854, when, in my twenty-first year, I began a course of education that continued several years in schools and colleges. My boyhood teachers were three uncles, Perry Woodruff, Rev. Nathaniel E. Woodruff, and Isaac Leatherwood; also, Elliott Watkins, Noah P. Beaman, and Rev. C.C. Lee. In the Fall and Winter of 1854 1 took a course of elocution under Prof. Samuel Copeland. During 1855 to 1857-inclusive I attended school in Coosa County Alabama, taught by Professors Walkley, Michael Savage, Revs. B.T. Smith and A.T. Holmes, at Central Institute. My noble kinsman, Col. David W. Bozeman, furnished me the means of getting an education as though I were his son. The Spring of 1858, I spent with my father, and taught a school at Enon church in Winston County, Mississippi. In October I entered the University of Virginia, where I was a student three years in the literary departments. In August, 1861, 1 took a school at Ebenezer, Holmes County, Mississippi. Next year I taught near Goodman, in the same county . March 5, 1862, I married Miss Mary Ella Snead, of Richmond, Virginia, and returned at once to Goodman, Mississippi. In 1863 I taught at Plattsburg, in Winston County, Mississippi, and afterwards in Richmond, Virginia. In 1864, April 24th, I was ordained a Baptist preacher by Drs. J.B. Jeter, J. L. Burrows, D. Shaver, W.E. Hatcher, J.B. Solomon, and Henry Watkins, and took charge of the Belvidere- now Pine Street - church, Richmond. Toward the close of the year I returned to Mississippi, and in March, 1865, became pastor of the Baptist church in Lexington, where I remained nearly six years, serving Lexington with Oregon all the time, and with Acono and Harland's Creek part of the time.
October 1, 1870 , I took the pastorate of the Baptist church in Aberdeen, Mississippi, where I served till December 1, 1879, nearly ten years. A part of my time there I was also engaged in school teaching -three sessions as Principal of Public Schools, and one year as Professor of Languages in the Mississippi Military Institute. A short time I was Superintendent of Public Schools for Monroe county. Several years, while pastor of the Aberdeen church, I preached once a month at Muldon, afterwards at Trinity and Bethel. In 1878 I preached once a month, as pastor, at West Point, Mississippi.
While in Aberdeen I lost my first wife, who died of peritonitis August 25, 1872, leaving four children. On the 19th day of August, 1875, I married my second wife, Miss Julia A. Evans, of Aberdeen, daughter of Wm. G. Evans.
December 1, 1879, 1 became pastor of the First Baptist church in Meridian, here I still serve at this date, August 12, 1885.
I have attended Southern Baptist Conventions as follows: in Richmond, 1859; Memphis, 1867, St. Louis, 1871; Mobile, 1873, Nashville, 1878, Lexington, Ky. 1880, Columbus, Miss., 1881; I have attended the Northern Baptist Anniversaries in Chicago, 1871, and New York, 1882. My attendance upon Mississippi Baptist State Conventions was in Jackson, 1866; Holly Springs, 1867; Meridian, 1868; West Point, 1870; where I preached the Introductory Sermon; meridian again, 1872; Aberdeen, 1873, where I was pastor Starkville, 1877; Okolona, 1880; Meridian the third time, 1881, where I was pastor; Sardis, 1882, where I preached the Introductory Sermon; Crystal Springs, 1883; Kosciusko, 1884; Aberdeen again, 1885. 1 have preached College Commencement sermons in Jackson, Tennessee 1872; Marion, Alabama, for the Howard and the Judson 1873; Starkville, Mississippi, 1875; Aberdeen, 1877; Oxford, 1878, University of Mississippi at which time that institution conferred upon me of Doctor of Divinity; Meridian, 1871; the Missionary Sermon at College, 1880; also an address in place of L.Q. C. Lamar, who failed expected; Commencement Sermon, Clinton, 1883, before Mississippi College and Central Institute combined; Shuqualak, 1885; also Rose Hill, 1885.
I was baptized at Enon church, Winston County, Mississippi, October , 1849, my uncle, Rev. Nathaniel E. Woodruff; married first by Rev. Dr. L.W. Seeley, Richmond, Virginia, March 5, 1862; second, by Rev R.N. Hall in Aberdeen, Mississippi, August 19, 1875. My stature is small, 5 feet 6 inches in height, 150 in weight; complexion, dark; hair, black; eyes, brown; blood, Dutch, English, and Irish.
Reverend Joseph W. Bozeman published his book on August 25, 1885 entitled "Sketches of the Bozeman Family." Rev. Bozeman is a relative of mine but, he is not one of my ancestors. His great grandfather, Samuel Bozeman is my great, great, great, great grandfather. Much of my writing, about the Bozemans, has been gleaned from that book and from pamphlets written by my great aunt, Lou Emma Price Ritter, in 1931. I did a limited amount of research in census records and the Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Rev. Bozeman's book was transcribed October 27, 1981 and entered into the Family History Center archives by one of his descendants, Mary Stark, 239 Deerfield, Houston, TX 77022. A republished version of the original copy of the book is in the Library at Meridian, Mississippi.
Ancient history written by Rev. Bozeman reveals the probable background of the Bozeman family before they emigrated to North America, even before the United States was born. It is thought that the Bozeman ancestry came from Holland. That, however has not been authenticated. The form of the name and some characteristics of the family indicate that origin. The name is written Bozeman, Bozman, and Bosman. On the eastern shore of North Carolina there were three brothers, Levin, Joseph, and John, who wrote the name Bozman, without an "e" as did John Leeds Bozman, author of a History of Maryland. As to the name itself, we have the following information:
The famous surgeon, Dr. Nathan Bozeman says, in 1858, "When I went to the office of the Dutch Consul in London, he at once recognized my name as Dutch, and said the English version of it was angry-man. After leaving England, I traveled through Belgium and Holland and in Brussels, where there are many Dutch. I even saw our name, though spelled without an "e". Dr. Bozeman thinks they came over with the Knickerbockers to New York, and then moved south to the Carolinas. His son, Dr. Nathan Gross Bozeman, says that an accomplished lady told him that she knew a gentleman in China, who came from Holland, whose name was Bozeman."
The celebrated philologist, Matthias DeVries, Professor in the University of Leiden, Holland, wrote to Rev. J.W. Bozeman, D.D., of Meridian, Mississippi in October, 1882, as follows: "That your honored name, Bozeman, draws its origin from the Dutch Bosman, is more than probable, the English pronunciation of our Bosman being rather Bozman from which Bozeman is but a different form of writing. The Dutch name Bosman was originally written Boschman; but as a final ch after s is dropped in our pronunciation, we write Bosch, but pronounce Bos. It is easy to conceive that the name Boschman, in course of time, would be written without the ch, as is now the case. Boschman corresponds with Buschman which is a very common name in Germany, and it corresponds with the English Bushman. The original meaning must have been Woodman, one who dwells in the woods. The name Bosman is even today, October 14, 1882, not uncommon in Holland. As to historical persons of the name, I only know the navigator. He was William Bosman, born in Utrecht, January 12, 1672, who entered into the service of the Dutch East India Company, and was named Chief Commercial Agent at Axim, and afterwards of the castle in St. George d'Elmina. There he lived fourteen years, and after his return to his native country he published a description of those foreign lands under the title: "An Accurate Description of the Gold, Tooth and Slave Coast of Guinea." The book was published at Amsterdam in 1704, and was reprinted in 1809."
Signed: Matthais DeVries
There were Bozemans in various sections of North Carolina before the Revolutionary war, in the counties of Halifax, Chowan, Washington, Richmond, Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, and probably Montgomery. A goodly number of Bozemans of North Carolina were brave soldiers in the Revolution, all of them on the side of the colonies. Doubtless, the Bozeman family was among the earliest permanent colonists of North Carolina. They may have come from Europe direct to North Carolina, but for several reasons, it is believed that they settled first in Maryland. John D. Bozeman, of Quitman, GA wrote November 5, 1882, that his great grandfather was Joseph E. Bozeman, and that he and Nathan Bozeman were emigrants from Europe to Maryland. The Meady Bozeman branch say that their ancestors came first to Maryland. Those who spell their name Bozman say that their forefathers came over to Maryland with Lord Baltimore. James E. Bozeman, of Dawson, GA wrote on November 26, 1882 "Our great uncle Etheldred Bozeman's eldest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Market, lives near me now, and she says that her grandfather's name was Joseph Edward Bozeman, and that her great grandfather's name was Nathan Bozeman. My grandmother on my mother's side said that he was called Nat Bozeman and that he was of the family that emigrated from Germany or Scotland and settled in Maryland. I can not tell you the colony that they came with."
Mrs. Major Baxter, of Memphis, TN wrote in October 1882, that her first husband, Col. John Bozeman, of Georgia had relatives in Maryland, at Port Tobacco, whom he used to visit on his trips North. Their name was Maddox or Mattox. Samuel Bozeman, of Lauderdale County, Mississippi says, in 1882, that his father Meady Bozeman, brother of Col. John Bozeman, used to speak often of Maryland, as though his ancestors had lived in that State. John Leeds Bozman, who wrote a history of Maryland, was born August 25, 1753 at Oxford, Talbot County, Maryland, and he lived and died in the State.
Thus, a number of traditional lines point to Maryland as the original home of the Bozeman family in America. A list of the European emigrants to Maryland would probably confirm this conclusion. George W. Marshal, L.L.D., F.L.A., of England, editor of the Genealogist wrote in 1883: "I suppose you have consulted Hotten's list of emigrants, and the indexes of Whitmore and Durrie." "No, I have no access to them," said Rev. Joseph W. Bozeman.
Rev. Joseph W. Bozeman further wrote: My own American ancestors were possibly as follows: Great, great, great, grandfather, probably Nathan Bozeman, emigrant to Maryland; great, great, grandfather, probably Joseph Edward Bozeman, of Maryland; great grandfather, certainly Samuel Bozeman, of North Carolina; grandfather Joseph Bozeman of NC, GA, and AL; father Jefferson Richardson Bozeman of GA, AL, and Mississippi.
More About Joseph Woodruff Bozeman:
Baptism: October 1849, Enon Church, Winston Co., Miss..
Ordination: April 24, 1864, Baptist Preacher.
More About Joseph Woodruff Bozeman and Mary Ella Snead:
Marriage: March 05, 1862, Richmond, Virginia.
More About Joseph Woodruff Bozeman and Julia A. Evans:
Marriage: August 19, 1875, Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Children of Joseph Woodruff Bozeman and Mary Ella Snead are:
- Albert Snead Bozeman, b. January 02, 1864, Richmond, Virginia, d. date unknown.
- Jessie Bozeman, b. February 15, 1867, Lexington, Mississippi, d. date unknown.
- Joseph Woodruff Jr. Bozeman, b. November 08, 1869, Lexington, Mississippi, d. date unknown.
- Mary Ella Bozeman, b. August 25, 1872, Aberdeen, Mississippi, d. date unknown.
Children of Joseph Woodruff Bozeman and Julia A. Evans are:
- William Evans Bozeman, b. October 15, 1878, Aberdeen, Mississippi, d. date unknown.
- James Bozeman, b. September 23, 1883, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, d. date unknown.
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