William Jasper Beard MD (1836 - 1911)

From: "Jim Young"

Subject: [BOSSIER] Dr. W.J. Baird - Lena Graham Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:54:21 -0500

Dr. W.J. Baird of Plain Dealing filed a Confederate Pension Application on 22 April 1908. He was born 30 September 1836 near Port Gibson, Mississippi and enlisted at Port Gibson on 19 March 1862. He was wounded in the shoulder at Hatchie River near Oxford and was captured on 2 December 1862 at Abbeville, Mississippi. He was held as a prisioner in St. Louis, paroled in Springfield, Illinois and released at Alton, Illinois on 12 March, 1863. W.J. Baird & Lena Graham were married on 9 February 1892 at Red Land by Rev Jas. Mading. He died on 1 February 1911 of kidney & bladder trouble at the North Louisiana Sanitarium in Shreveport and is buried at Plain Dealing. Lena Graham Baird of Plain Dealing filed a Widows Application on 30 January 1917. She was 45 and had been a resident of Louisiana for 45 years

I have collected more than one source of biographical data on my Great Great Grandfather, William Jasper Beard, that all have glaring errors and unverifiable facts that might or might not be true. He has had a colorful reputation handed down in our family – everything from he went to war (Civil War) and never returned or that he married 8 women and had 20 kids or that he changed the spelling of his name after the civil war because of mysterious falling out with other Beard family members. One second cousin even told me that he found his wife remarried when he returned from the war so, devastated, he left her and their antebellum plantation to make his fortune elsewhere. (That’s a movie plot.) Like all family stories there are kernels of truth so I will lay out the facts that I have been able to verify and examine the inconsistencies and omissions.

William Jasper Beard was born in 1836 in Claiborne County Mississippi to parents Clark E. Beard [1805-1840] and Susannah Frisbee [1814-1874]. Clark died suddenly without a will sometime in 1840. The earliest probate record I found was date October 1840. Since he died without a will there are extensive records at the Claiborne County Chancery Court that deal will his estate and the guardianships of his minor children, namely William Jasper ( W.J.) and Mary Jane. There are annual reports for each year until William Jasper reaches his majority that detail the expenses his mother and stepfather pay for his upkeep and schooling at Oakland College. On Feb. 2, 1859 W.J. filed a document with the court ending the guardianship. In it he states that he is twenty-one which is evidence that he was born in 1836 on or before Feb. 2 of that year. (He later gives Sept. 30, 1836 as his date of birth on his confederate pension application.)

Mary Jane apparently died within a few years of her father as she disappears from the court records in 1844.

On November 29, 1855 W.J. married Sarah W. Foster (daughter of Shadrach Foster[1783-1850] and Amaila Cox[1801-1894]) in Claiborne County, Mississippi and they have my grandfather Calvin Chambliss Beard on Feb. 21, 1857. I found a land grant showing W.J. and Sarah acquired a good bit of acreage in Mississippi in 1860. The land grant was for 317 acres and was dated October 1,1860. This is evidence that he was in Claiborne County in 1860. I can’t find W.J. or Sarah on any 1860 census so this is the only documentation for his whereabouts in 1860. (None of the bios I have read of his later career mention his first wife Sarah or their son Calvin.)

His next documented action is enlisting for confederacy. His civil war pension application states he enlisted on March 19, 1862 at Rocky Spring/Claiborne County. I have found the records that document this. He enlisted in the MS 38th Calvary. The application also states he was wounded and then captured at Abbeville on Dec. 12, 1862 and was sent to Alton prison. He was later released on March 12, 1863 and prison records confirm this and that he signed the Oath of Allegiance.

Here is where family stories do contain a kernel of truth. He does not return to Mississippi and wife Sarah and son Calvin [1857-1932]. The next documentation I have for him is an ad under the name of W.J. Baird in a Shreveport, LA paper called “The South-Western” dated Oct. 7, 1868 advertising his services as a Physician, Surgeon, Obstetrician and Occultist.

A publication written in 1890 called, Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana: Comprising a Large Fund of Biography of Actual Residents, and an Interesting Historical Sketch of Thirteen Counties, (which can be read on Google Books) includes a biographical sketch that states he attended Missouri Medical College in St Louis in 1859-1861. I was not able to find any corroborating evidence of this even after much searching.

(Please note this publication, included elsewhere in this profile, is full of errors.)

Before Oct. 5, 2023, I had only read this information as it was posted on LAGENWEB W J Baird 1890 bio - Bossier LAGenWeb. On Oct. 5 I stumbled across the actual book on Google Books. His bio is on page 125, but page 119 has a list of the physicans with their graduation years and his is shown as 1868 not 1861. Once I had the correct date I was able to find a record of his graduation dated Feb. 28, 1868. Online records from the Becker Archives Database include the school's publication from 1868 and it lists WJ among the graduates. The list of graduates was also published in the local newspaper, “The Daily Missouri Republican”, on the same date. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. His thesis was on Erysipelas (An infection of the upper layer of the skin and superficial lymphatics caused by bacteria.).

I have no records to account for his whereabouts from 1863 to 1867. Although I did locate a record for a William J. Beard with an oath of allegiance who was picked up in McNairy, Tennessee on May 15, 1864. I have not been able to find him on the 1870 census in Louisiana or anywhere else.

A year or so after starting to practice in Louisiana, he apparently made a trip to Texas because he met a young school teacher named Lucy Fullenwider and married her in Texas on Oct 16, 1871 again using the name of W.J. Baird. (I have not been able to find any divorce records for W.J. and Sarah but she later remarried so they surely did divorce.)

However, W.J. did not actually disappear from Mississippi. He kept in contact with his mother, half brothers and sisters all throughout the rest of his life. In fact, census records show many of them later moved to be near him when he became coroner in Bossier Parish in the late 1870s.

I have not been able to find any reason for his name change from Beard to Baird. All prior legal documents spell his name as “BEARD” before 1868 and all documentation spells his name as “BAIRD” after this point. No other Beard family members changed the spelling of their name.

The 1880 census shows W.J. and Lucy in Shreveport with 2 children. His occupation is listed as physician. They have a third child in 1881. He and Lucy divorced on Jan. 28, 1891 on the grounds of adultery (his). He then married Malena Graham on Feb, 9, 1892. He was 55. She was 20. By 1900 they are living in Plain Dealing, LA and they have three children. He died in 1911 while serving as coroner in Bossier Parish when his youngest child was only five years old.

CONCLUSION I am not sure what to think about all these conflicting facts. Family stories revere him because he was a doctor, but he was also considered a rogue. It looks like he was both.

It seems that he changed his name after the war to distance himself from his first marriage and maybe even the fact that in 1863 he signed the oath of allegiance to the Union or maybe to obscure what he was up to in the years just after the war. He most certainly was a doctor and was apparently successful. I can only speculate that he did work under Dr. Medlet to learn his skills. His degree required three years of medical study, attending classes and/or working under another licensed physician. I haven’t been able to find a Dr. Medlet or anyone at all by that name which makes me wonder if it is a typo in the error ridden biography.

He definitely wasn’t the best husband. Descendants of his and Lucy’s son, Harry Frisbee Baird, have told me that Harry was so upset by W.J.’s and Lucy’s acrimonious divorce, he left the country and went adventuring in Mexico and Manaqua, Nicaraqua. W.J. did maintain a pretty close relationship with his half siblings so presumably also with is mother, although she does not mention him in her will.

I also know that his oldest son, my great grandfather Calvin who remained in Mississippi, had many business dealings with W.J.s half brother, Daniel Webster Bailey, so I hope that means W.J. had a relationship of some sort with his oldest son. An indicator that he did is that Calvin named his oldest son William Jasper. Additional grandsons, and great grandsons, from the BEARD family lines were subsequently named William Jasper. His half sister Hester Bailey McGuffey even named her son William Jasper. I haven’t found any other William Jaspers on the BAIRD line.

A publication written in 1890 called, Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana: Comprising a Large Fund of Biography of Actual Residents, and an Interesting Historical Sketch of Thirteen Counties, (which can be read on Google Books) includes a biographical sketch that states he attended Missouri Medical College in St Louis in 1859-1861. I was not able to find any corroborating evidence of this even after much searching.

(Please note this publication, included elsewhere in this profile, is full of errors.)

Before Oct. 5, 2023, I had only read this information as it was posted on LAGENWEB W J Baird 1890 bio - Bossier LAGenWeb. On Oct. 5 I stumbled across the actual book on Google Books. His bio is on page 125, but page 119 has a list of the physicans with their graduation years and his is shown as 1868 not 1861. Once I had the correct date I was able to find a record of his graduation dated Feb. 28, 1868. Online records from the Becker Archives Database include the school's publication from 1868 and it lists WJ among the graduates. The list of graduates was also published in the local newspaper, “The Daily Missouri Republican”, on the same date. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. His thesis was on Erysipelas (An infection of the upper layer of the skin and superficial lymphatics caused by bacteria.).

I have no records to account for his whereabouts from 1863 to 1867. Although I did locate a record for a William J. Beard with an oath of allegiance who was picked up in McNairy, Tennessee on May 15, 1864. I have not been able to find him on the 1870 census in Louisiana or anywhere else.

A year or so after starting to practice in Louisiana, he apparently made a trip to Texas because he met a young school teacher named Lucy Fullenwider and married her in Texas on Oct 16, 1871 again using the name of W.J. Baird. (I have not been able to find any divorce records for W.J. and Sarah but she later remarried so they surely did divorce.)

However, W.J. did not actually disappear from Mississippi. He kept in contact with his mother, half brothers and sisters all throughout the rest of his life. In fact, census records show many of them later moved to be near him when he became coroner in Bossier Parish in the late 1870s.

I have not been able to find any reason for his name change from Beard to Baird. All prior legal documents spell his name as “BEARD” before 1868 and all documentation spells his name as “BAIRD” after this point. No other Beard family members changed the spelling of their name.

The 1880 census shows W.J. and Lucy in Shreveport with 2 children. His occupation is listed as physician. They have a third child in 1881. He and Lucy divorced on Jan. 28, 1891 on the grounds of adultery (his). He then married Malena Graham on Feb, 9, 1892. He was 55. She was 20. By 1900 they are living in Plain Dealing, LA and they have three children. He died in 1911 while serving as coroner in Bossier Parish when his youngest child was only five years old.

CONCLUSION I am not sure what to think about all these conflicting facts. Family stories revere him because he was a doctor, but he was also considered a rogue. It looks like he was both.

It seems that he changed his name after the war to distance himself from his first marriage and maybe even the fact that in 1863 he signed the oath of allegiance to the Union or maybe to obscure what he was up to in the years just after the war. He most certainly was a doctor and was apparently successful. I can only speculate that he did work under Dr. Medlet to learn his skills. His degree required three years of medical study, attending classes and/or working under another licensed physician. I haven’t been able to find a Dr. Medlet or anyone at all by that name which makes me wonder if it is a typo in the error ridden biography.

He definitely wasn’t the best husband. Descendants of his and Lucy’s son, Harry Frisbee Baird, have told me that Harry was so upset by W.J.’s and Lucy’s acrimonious divorce, he left the country and went adventuring in Mexico and Manaqua, Nicaraqua. W.J. did maintain a pretty close relationship with his half siblings so presumably also with is mother, although she does not mention him in her will.

I also know that his oldest son, my great grandfather Calvin who remained in Mississippi, had many business dealings with W.J.s half brother, Daniel Webster Bailey, so I hope that means W.J. had a relationship of some sort with his oldest son. An indicator that he did is that Calvin named his oldest son William Jasper. Additional grandsons, and great grandsons, from the BEARD family lines were subsequently named William Jasper. His half sister Hester Bailey McGuffey even named her son William Jasper. I haven’t found any other William Jaspers on the BAIRD line.

A publication written in 1890 called, Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana: Comprising a Large Fund of Biography of Actual Residents, and an Interesting Historical Sketch of Thirteen Counties, (which can be read on Google Books) includes a biographical sketch that states he attended Missouri Medical College in St Louis in 1859-1861. I was not able to find any corroborating evidence of this even after much searching.

(Please note this publication, included elsewhere in this profile, is full of errors.)

Before Oct. 5, 2023, I had only read this information as it was posted on LAGENWEB W J Baird 1890 bio - Bossier LAGenWeb. On Oct. 5 I stumbled across the actual book on Google Books. His bio is on page 125, but page 119 has a list of the physicans with their graduation years and his is shown as 1868 not 1861. Once I had the correct date I was able to find a record of his graduation dated Feb. 28, 1868. Online records from the Becker Archives Database include the school's publication from 1868 and it lists WJ among the graduates. The list of graduates was also published in the local newspaper, “The Daily Missouri Republican”, on the same date. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. His thesis was on Erysipelas (An infection of the upper layer of the skin and superficial lymphatics caused by bacteria.).

I have no records to account for his whereabouts from 1863 to 1867. Although I did locate a record for a William J. Beard with an oath of allegiance who was picked up in McNairy, Tennessee on May 15, 1864. I have not been able to find him on the 1870 census in Louisiana or anywhere else.

A year or so after starting to practice in Louisiana, he apparently made a trip to Texas because he met a young school teacher named Lucy Fullenwider and married her in Texas on Oct 16, 1871 again using the name of W.J. Baird. (I have not been able to find any divorce records for W.J. and Sarah but she later remarried so they surely did divorce.)

However, W.J. did not actually disappear from Mississippi. He kept in contact with his mother, half brothers and sisters all throughout the rest of his life. In fact, census records show many of them later moved to be near him when he became coroner in Bossier Parish in the late 1870s.

I have not been able to find any reason for his name change from Beard to Baird. All prior legal documents spell his name as “BEARD” before 1868 and all documentation spells his name as “BAIRD” after this point. No other Beard family members changed the spelling of their name.

The 1880 census shows W.J. and Lucy in Shreveport with 2 children. His occupation is listed as physician. They have a third child in 1881. He and Lucy divorced on Jan. 28, 1891 on the grounds of adultery (his). He then married Malena Graham on Feb, 9, 1892. He was 55. She was 20. By 1900 they are living in Plain Dealing, LA and they have three children. He died in 1911 while serving as coroner in Bossier Parish when his youngest child was only five years old.

CONCLUSION I am not sure what to think about all these conflicting facts. Family stories revere him because he was a doctor, but he was also considered a rogue. It looks like he was both.

It seems that he changed his name after the war to distance himself from his first marriage and maybe even the fact that in 1863 he signed the oath of allegiance to the Union or maybe to obscure what he was up to in the years just after the war. He most certainly was a doctor and was apparently successful. I can only speculate that he did work under Dr. Medlet to learn his skills. His degree required three years of medical study, attending classes and/or working under another licensed physician. I haven’t been able to find a Dr. Medlet or anyone at all by that name which makes me wonder if it is a typo in the error ridden biography.

He definitely wasn’t the best husband. Descendants of his and Lucy’s son, Harry Frisbee Baird, have told me that Harry was so upset by W.J.’s and Lucy’s acrimonious divorce, he left the country and went adventuring in Mexico and Manaqua, Nicaraqua. W.J. did maintain a pretty close relationship with his half siblings so presumably also with is mother, although she does not mention him in her will.

I also know that his oldest son, my great grandfather Calvin who remained in Mississippi, had many business dealings with W.J.s half brother, Daniel Webster Bailey, so I hope that means W.J. had a relationship of some sort with his oldest son. An indicator that he did is that Calvin named his oldest son William Jasper. Additional grandsons, and great grandsons, from the BEARD family lines were subsequently named William Jasper. His half sister Hester Bailey McGuffey even named her son William Jasper. I haven’t found any other William Jaspers on the BAIRD line.