Alexander Miller McPheeters was born in Raleigh, NC, one of 11 known children of Rev. William McPheeters and his (3rd) wife, Margaret Ann Curry McDaniel. He was the paternal grandson of William McPheeters (1729-1807) and Rachel Moore (1736-1826) of Augusta Co, VA and a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, William McPheeters (1690-1773) of Ireland who settled in Augusta Co, VA.

His father, Rev. William McPheeters was a distinguished Presbyterian minister and well-known educator and was married 3 times; Alexnder's mother, Margaret McDaniel, being his 3rd wife. The only other known children was by his father's 2nd wife, Lavinia Moore, who had a daughter who died in 1810. That same year his father was invited to Raleigh, NC to become the first pastor for the City of Raleigh and founder of First Presbyterian Church. Within two years of his arrival, the 34 year old minister married 18-year old Margaret Ann Curry McDaniel of Beaufort Co, NC. She would become mother to his 11 children.

In 1807, Rev. McPheeters took charge of the Raleigh Academy, whose best days were over by 1827. McPheeters later declined the presidency of Davidson College, N.C., and in 1840, was a trustee of the University of North Carolina. In 1845, he and Joseph Gales founded The Raleigh School for the Deaf and the Blind, to show that the deaf and blind could be taught. Rev. McPheeters died in 1842 at age 64. His bride, Margaret, remained a widow 20 more years until her passing in 1862 at age 68. They are both buried in City Cemetery.

Raised in Raleigh, "A.M" McPheeters went went into business early on, becoming a Commission Merchant by the time he was 32. His business frequently had him between Raleigh and the port city of Norfolk, VA where he was known to stay. at the National Hotel.

In 1861, he met and married 21-year old Sarah Frances "Fannie" Leftwich of Liberty, Bedford Co, daughter of Thomas Lumpkin Leftwich and Mildred Otey Turner. Fannie was from a long line of Leftwich descendants in Bedford County. The couple set up housekeeping in Bedford Co, VA for many years, but by 1880 had returned to Raleigh.

A. M. McPheeters and Fannie Leftwich would become parents of 9 known surviving children:

* Thomas Leftwich McPheeters (1861-1863)
* Alexander M. McPheeters, Jr. (1864-1940)
* Mildred Murphy McPheeters INMAN (1867-1946)
* Sarah "Fanny" McPheeters (1870-1901)
* James Turner Leftwich McPheeters (1873-1887)
* Samuel Brown McPheetres (1875-1938)
* Susan Adalia Leftwich McPheeters (1881-1972)
* Marguerite Lilly McPheeters McKEE (1884-1963)

A.M. McPheeters remained a businessman all his life, and was still working as a stockbroker in his 70's. He died in 1903 at the age of 75. His bride of 42 years survived him another 11 years, passing in 1914 at age 74. They are both buried in City Cemetery with simple markers.

Daughter Mildred M. McPheeters became the (2nd) wife of wealthy and renown Atlanta businessman Samuel M. Inman and is buried in Atlanta.

Son, Samuel Brown McPheeters, became an attorney and removed to St. Louis where he married Helen Marguerite Wood (1888-1987) and died there in 1938.

Son, William L. McPheeters married Isabelle "Belle" Randolph Nash of Atlanta and was an executive in the Insurance industry, eventually removing to Cleveland Heights, OH where he died in 1948.

Two of Alexander Miller McPheeter's brothers were quite prominant -- William Marcellus McPheeters,MD, Maj, CSA (1815-1905) and Rev. Samuel Brown McPheeters (1819-1870), for whom one his sons was named.