Solomon was the son of Jason and Elizabeth 'Betsy' Hicks Matlock, who were said to be the parents of 20 children! His father, Jason, was a charter member and first pastor of one of the oldest churches in Polk County, Ocoee Baptist Church of Christ, as it was called in the early days. Now called Old Ocoee Baptist Church, it is still an active church, and while not the same building, it is still located on the same spot where those early worshipers attended.

Solomon married Martha (maiden name not know) probably in 1859, for she is just sixteen, and the newlyweds are in the household with his parents in 1860. Just a conjecture: Solomon had a much older sister, Candace, who married Absolom Selvidge and lived next door - who had a daughter, Martha, age 6 in 1850. She is gone from that household in 1860 and a 16 year old Martha has married Jason Matlock and living next door with his parents in 1860 - did Solomon marry his first cousin? (Wouldn't be the first, nor the last!) Martha did marry Thomas Nelson Lawson, but it wasn't until 5 Feb. 1863 and they moved to Texas !

Solomon enlisted in Co C 3rd Tenn Inf. CSA and according to his War records did not die in battle, but died of TB. Some early family 'historian' recorded that Solomon died in 'Vicksburg', but it was really Lynchburg - they just got their 'burgs' mixed up. Like most historical and genealogical errors, that one has spread through nearly all Matlock research.

The Diuguid Cemetery records state that his father's name was Jason and that he was a Baptist preacher 3 miles from Benton, so that proves exactly who this S. S. (Solomon Summey Matlock) is. And his CW papers state that his belongings were sent to Jason Matlock a Baptist Minister in Benton, Tennessee

Had it not been for dedicated recorders like Darrell Landrum who made so many pictures of the grave markers in the Confederate section of this old Diuguid cemetery which had been active since 1820, we may never have known where our Polk County, TN Solomon Matlock died and is interred. We sincerely thank him for his preservation efforts! (Bio written by Marian Presswood. Thank you for the kind words)