Colonel O.G. Finley was born in Kentucky in 1787 and came to Tennessee when a young man, locating in Lebanon in 1807. He was a son of Samuel Finley who was born in the north of Ireland and was of Scotch desent. At what date he came to America is not known. He was married to Mary Gains of Kentucky or Virginia. Col. O.G. Finley wedded Mary Lewis Johnson of Sumner County, Tennesse in 1811, daughter of Jesse Johnson of North Carolina who was a Revolutionary solider. His wif Mary Lews was also born in North Carolina and they came to Tennesse, locating in Sumner County at an early period. Col. O.G. Finley’w wife died in 1830 leaving him the following children :: Jesse Johnson Finley, William M. Finley, John B. Finley, Foster G. Finley, Sarah A Finley and Mary Finley.
Col. Finley served in the Creek war and was a member of the state Senate about 1812 or 1813, when Knoxville was the capital of the State. He was a leather manufacture, and retired to his farm near Lebanon in 1830. He was a man of strong character, reared in Kentucky when it was a frontier state. He reciveved a limited early education, but owing to his fondness for books and thirst for knowledge he became a finely educated man and was pronounced by Rev. Dr. Lindsly, president of the Nashville University , “one of the best red historians in the State.” As the epitaph on his tombston indicates, he was “an honest man”.
Jesse Johnson Finley his eldest son was born in Wilson County, Tennessee November 18, 1812 and recived an academic education. He was a captain of mounted volunteers in the Seminole War and afterward studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1838. He located in Arkansas in 1840 and was elected to the State Senate in 1841. He removed to Memphis Tennessee in 1841. And began practicing law. He was elected Mayor of Mephis in 1845, but a year later removed to Florida and was thre elected to the State Senate in 1850 and was appointed candidate for presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1852. He became judge of the Western Judicial Circuit of Florida in 1953 and was elected to the same postion two more terms in a row without opposition. In 1861 he was elected judge of the Confederate States Court, but resigned this postion of honor in 1862 and enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army, and arose to the rank of captain, colonel and brigadier general. In 1871 he located in Jacksonville Florida and in 1874 was elected to the United States Congress and re-elected in 1876, but declined to be a candidate in 1878. He was again elected in 1880 but was now practicing law in Ocala, Florida. He had four Children :: Lucius Finley, 1st son of the General(also a Confederate who served with Arkansas Marmadukes) Samuel Y. Finley 2nd son of the general (who was the first Mayor of Gainesville Florida and also served in the Finley Brigade), Mary Sidney Finley Born 1839-died at a young age. 3rd child and 1st daughter of General Finley. Gaston Finley Born 1841-Died 1873. 4th child 3rd son of General Finleys. Also served with the CSA. Elizabeth Finley born 1842-died in infancy. 5th child 2nd daughter of General Finley. Emily Finley born in 1846-died in infancy. 6th child 3rd daughter of General Finley. Arthur Finley born 1847-died in infancy. 7th child 4th son of General Finley. Charles A. Finley, Born April 22, 1840 Died May 22 1934. 8th child 5th son of General Finley. Reserve Corps during the Civil War.

Napoleon B. Finley born 1814 died 1826 (Finleys of America by Arthur Finley France Sr.)

William M. Finley third son of O.G. Finley was born in Lebanon Tennessee October 11, 1816. He recived a academic education and in 1836 volunteered and served as a private in the Seminole War. He returned home in 1837 and began studying medicine, and in the following fall entered the Cincinnati College of Medicine but in 1838 removed to Translyvania University at Lexington Kentucky where the title of M.d. was conferred upon him in 1839. He traveled over the Lone Star State but in 1840 located in Arkansas. In 1842 he was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature. In 1843 he removed to Clarksville Tennessee where he practiced medicine for Thirty years. In 1871, owing to impaired hearing he gave up his profession and purchased and located on the old family homestead. He was married to Mrs. V.C. (Conrad) Boyd. They had two children:: Virgie Lee Finley and Jessie C Finley

Mary Eliza Finley (i) born 1818-died 1826 (Finleys of America by Arthur Finley France Sr.)

John B. Finley forth son of O.G. Finley, was born in Lebanon Tennessee in 1820. He recived a practical education and showed a profciency for military tactics. He was said to have possessed a “splendid physique” and at the commencement of the Civil War was made Captain of a corps of men from Arkansas where he then resided. Owing to disease he was compelled to resign his command and after several painfull operations died at Searcy, Arkansas in 1868. He had recived during his life the degree of doctor of medicine and ranked high in the community where he practiced.

Foster G. Finley 5th son of O.G. Finley was born in Lebanon in 1822 and received a fair English education He was reared on his fathers farm and immigrated to Arkansas in 1843 He soon returned to Wilson County. He served in the Army of Tennessee during the Civil War. He was noted for his “generous hospitality and kindness of heart”

Sarah Ann Finley born 1823-died 1888 7th child of O.G. Finley (Finleys of America by Arthur Finley France Sr.)

Mary Eliza Finley (ii) born 1826 died 1857. 8th child of O.G. Finley.




MY NOTES ON JESSE

Grandfather: George or Samuel Finley (believe to be George after further research)
Father: Obadiah Gaines Finley
Mother: Mary Lewis Johnson
--named after Grandfather on Mothers side Jesse Johnson
Wife: Amanda Yearger
Children: Lucius Finley,Samuel Yearger Finley, Mary Sidney, Gaston Finley, Elizabeth Finley, Emily Finley, Arthur Finley, and Charles A. Finley (new information provided by Dan Fowler of Virginia) ( In my research I came across 2 other children but have been unable to find official records that George or Maggie(Margret?) ever exsisted)