Goodspeed's Biographies Goodspeed's History of Greene County -- 1887

A. J. Stephens

A. J. Stephens, sheriff, was born twelve miles south of Greeneville, in 1843, being the son of Samuel L. and Mary J. (Farnsworth) Stephens, the former born in this county April 2, 1805, the son of Andrew Stephens, of Pennsylvania, but a resident of Greene County since 1790. Samuel died April 26, 1874. The mother was born in Greene County October 13, 1820, being the daughter of Thomas Farnsworth. She is a Lutheran, and is still a resident of this county.

Our subject was educated in a mill, and attended Richland Creek Academy. In 1862 he joined the Fourth Tennessee Federal Infantry, and was captured while en route for Kentucky, and taken to Knoxville and put in the Confederate service, but ran away at the first opportunity, and helped raise Company E Second Federal North Carolina Mounted Infantry, of which he was chosen Second Lieutenant, serving until August 16, 1865, when, by special order of the war department, he was mustered out at Knoxville.

He then established a wool-carding machine at Little Lick Creek, running it for three years, and then engaged in iron mining for two years. He was then a farmer and mill-wright until August, 1886, when he became sheriff. He is a Republican.

In 1867 he married Martha E., a daughter of John Susong. She was born in Greene County in 1843, and is a Presbyterian. They have had four children.

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