Edmondson was born sometime in December 1874 on the Compton Plantation in Davidson County, Tennessee. He did not know the date of his birth because of a fire that destroyed the family Bible. Edmondson was one of six children born to Orange and Jane Edmondson who had been previously enslaved before they worked as sharecroppers. Due to privilege regarding race and color, mulattoes on the plantation were given more respectable jobs where as the Edmonson's mainly worked in the corn fields and handled livestock. The Edmondson family worked on the plantation and earned a mere 12 dollars a month. During these times in the corn fields he would see "angels in the clouds" and believe it was God talking to him. Edmondson had little or no formal education.