Elkanah Burson was one of Wilcox County's most notable citizens

 Elkanah Burson

This coming Sunday – January 23 – will mark 190 years since the birth of one of Wilcox County’s most prominent men, Elkanah Burson. Burson died in 1915, and he is largely forgotten today. But in his lifetime, he was one of the most respected and influential citizens in all of Wilcox County.

Burson was a descendant of the English settlers who established the British colony of Georgia in the 1730s. Eventually, one of Burson’s ancestors moved to Alabama in the 1820s and settled about four miles southwest of Snow Hill. This became known as the Burson Plantation, and it was here, on Jan. 23, 1832, that Elkanah Burson was born to Joseph and Elizabeth Burson.

As things go, Jan. 23 came to be a very important date in the life of Elkanah Burson. On that day in 1876, he married Elefare Christiana Barge, and on that day three years later, in 1879, they moved into their home one mile west of Furman. Burson built the house himself, and it was there that he passed away 36 years later, at the age of 83 from a “paralytic stroke.”

Burson was buried in the Palmer Cemetery at Furman, and if you go to his grave today, you will see that it prominently features an engraved Masonic square a compass. This should come as no surprise because during his life, Burson was one of the county’s most prominent Freemasons. As a member of Widow’s Son Lodge No. 72 at Furman, Burson served as the lodge’s secretary for about 30 years.

At the time of his death, he was the oldest member of the lodge at Furman, where he had been a member for 60 years. During that time, he not only served as the longtime secretary, but also as the lodge’s treasurer and as its Worshipful Master. His death impacted the lodge to such a degree that the stations of the lodge were draped in mourning and members of the lodge wore badges of mourning for 30 days after his death.

It should also be noted that Burson was in his twenties when the War Between the States kicked off and like many young men of that time, he joined the fight. He enlisted as a private in Co. C of the 44^th Alabama Infantry and “served faithfully and valiantly throughout the war, was twice wounded and once made prisoner and received the merited promotion to sergeant, lieutenant and captain,” according to his obituary. Sources say that the 44^th Alabama fought at Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Chickamauga, Knoxville, Petersburg and Gettysburg.

After the war, Burson returned to Wilcox County, where he became a merchant and farmer. He also served as a Justice of the Peace for many years and also represented Wilcox County in the state legislature in the 1880s. Even when he was well into his eighties, Burnson’s mind was as “fresh as of yore” and he enjoyed entertaining visitors.

In the end, if anyone in the reading audience has any additional information about Burson’s remarkable life, please let me hear from you. I’m especially interested in details about his military service and life as a Freemason. My feeling is that the information above is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the interesting life of Elkanah Burson.