Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/658

NAME JONES 636 JONES fields of science, art, history, and belles lettres, as well as in events (political and otherwise) then current. On January 1, 1815, he disposed of his interest in the Star to Colonel Henderson. After successfully devoting himself to the medical profession for many years. Dr. Jones finally abandoned active practice in order to devote himself to the management of his agri- cultural interests. Interest in military matters was one of his life-long characteristics. Almost immediately after his arrival in North Carolina, and before he removed to Raleigh, he was an officer of a regiment in Johnston County. Among the papers left by him is an autograph letter from President John Adams, dated Philadel- phia, July S, 1798, addressed to "The Officers of the Johnston Regiment of Militia in the State of North Carolina," and thanking them for their regiment's patriotic tender of serv- ices in the event of a war with France, then imminent, but which was happily averted. War with Great Britain being averted in 1807, the services of the cavalry company commanded by Captain Jones were not needed then, but he continued his labors in training this troop and brought it up to so high a state of discipline that his talents wtrt recog- nized by his being promoted to succeed Adjutant-General Edward Pasteur, when that gentleman resigned on June 7, 1808. That his capability was fully recognized is evi- denced by the fact that he was re-elected by succeeding General Assemblies as long as he would hold the commission. It was during the administration of William Hawkins that the War of 1812-15 came on. Soon after the beginning of that conflict, Adjutant-Gen- eral Jones, seeking more active service, sent in his resignation on January 23. 1813, and accepted a commission (dated December 14, 1812) as major-general in command of the Seventh North Carolina Division of Militia, his jurisdiction extending over the forces of eight counties. In the Star, a Raleigh paper published July 9. 1813, appears a stirring and patriotic address issued by General Jones, setting forth the' details of his proposed expedition, to assist the neighboring state of Virginia, in resisting a threatened military and naval demonstration. Just when his expedition to Virginia was preparing to start, however, news came that Admiral Cockburn had arrived with a large sea and land force at Ocracoke Inlet, on the coast of North Carolina (July 11, 1813), and was preparing to march inland. Thereupon General Jones temporarily abandoned his expedition to Virginia, and took command of all the militia of North Carolina, by com- mission from Governor Hawkins. He col- lected a large force and repaired to the coast with such celerity that the British admiral abandoned his purpose to march inland, and sailed away. In the Fall of 1814, General Jones was commissioned quartermaster-gen- eral of the detached militia of North Caro- lina which marched to the relief of Norfolk, Virginia, and this was his last participation in military affairs. Peace coming soon there- after, he thenceforth devoted his talents to the more pleasing pursuits of a tranquil life. Owning a large number of slaves who could not be profitably employed within the limits of a town. General Jones determined to remove from Raleigh and take up his abode in a rural neighborhood. North northwest of Raleigh, about sixteen miles, on the old stage road and mail route running northward via Oxford and Warrenton, North Carolina, and Petersburg, 'irginia, was a country neigh- borhood, of healthy altitude and fertile soil, known as the West Forest section. In that pleasant locality, about the year 1820, Gen- eral Jones took up his abode on a plantation of 615 acres which he had purchased from Davis Battle. There, for about a decade, he kept open house to friends from far and near, in his hospitable mansion. In the cause of public education, few more indefatigable workers than General Jones could be found in North Carolina. For thirty years from 1802 until his removal to Ten- nessee in 1832, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina. That he was no figure-head the old records of that institution fully attest. In the Raleigh .Academy he also took a deep interest, and was a trustee of that school for some years. It was about the year 1832 that General Jones removed with his family to Bolivar, Tennessee, though he had paid visits to that locality before. He owned about 30,000 acres of land in that state. Here he erected a spacious mansion, which he called "Pontine," this name probably being derived from the Pontine Marshes, adjacent to the city of Rome. At Pontine the closing years of his life were spent, "retired from public employment, and enj oaring, with ample wealth around him, the otium cum dignitate of the typical Southern planter," to quote the lan- guage of his ardent a'imirer Judge Sneed. The site of Pontine is now owned by the State of Tennessee, being occupied by the