Bio: Devereaux J. Ferguson,, Desoto Parish Louisiana
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890
Submitted by Gaytha Carver Thompson
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Devereaux J. Ferguson, through good management and energy has become the owner
of 300 acres of land, and by his own efforts has cleared and put under
cultivation 200 acres of this land. It is situated twelve miles southeast of
Mansfield, and on account of the admirable manner in which is conducted and
to the improvements which ve been made it is more valuable than many
larger farms. Mr. Ferguson was born in Brunswick County, Va., in 1830, his
father and mother, Lockett and Cherry (Garner) Ferguson, having been born in
Greenville County, Va., and Northampton County, N. C. respectively. Their
lives were spent in the former State where they both passed to their long home
shortly after the close of the Rebellion both being members of the Baptist
Church, and the former a farmer. He was also a soldier in early wars and was
a son of Berriman Ferguson who was born, spent his life and died in the Old
Dominion, being of Scotch-Irish descent. The mother's father, John Garner,
spent his life in North Hampton County, N.C.
The subject of this sketch is the eighth of ten children, and his early life
was spent on a farm, his education being received at Stony Mount Academy,
Virginia. In 1853 he moved westward to De Soto Parish La, the journey
overland taking him three months and here he was married in 1858 to Miss Lucy
daughter of Francis and Phoebe Powell. Mrs. Ferguson was born in
Mississippi, and died in 1872 having borne a family of seven children, four
now living. His second union took place in 1874; his wife being Mrs. Lucy
Ferguson, widow of his brother and a daughter of Burrell Ridgeway, who
immigrated from North Carolina to Alabama in which State he died. Mrs.
Ferguson was born in Alabama. Mr. Ferguson has lived on his present farm
since 1853, and has a very comfortable and present home. From 1863 until the
close of the war he served in Company E Second Louisiana Calvary, and during
this time was in several engagements in Louisiana. He is president of the
Shady Grove Farmers' Alliance, and has identified with the popular issues of
the day. His wife is a Baptist.