Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties named herein, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties., Part 121

Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 836

USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties named herein, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. > Part 121

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The first settler in the Martin settlement, at the present northern boundary of the county, was James Martin, from Kentucky. There was a large family of the Martins, and some of them were early settlers of the territory farther north. The first

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settlers of the "Lick Creek Settlement," were William F. Moore, from Alabama, and Jesse J. Shell, from Louisiana. The latter died while a member of the legislature. James Nelson settled on the military road leading to Little Rock, on the place where his son John W. now resides. Near the Martin settlement were the pioneers, Josiah S. McKiel and Col. Elisha Burke, both from North Carolina. Burke's widow and younger children are living on the same place at this writing. Burke at one time represented this county in the lower house, and at another time this and Monroe Coun- ty in the upper house of the State legislature. Bailey Kendall, from Kentucky, was the first set- tler west of Big Creek at the village of Trenton, and John C. Swan, from Kentucky, near the pres- ent village of Marvell. Thomas Locke and the father of James M. and Ellis Ward, and Benjamin F. Bonner, all from Tennessee, were the pioneer settlers of the northwest part of the county. The extreme southern part of the county, the lowlands, were not settled until much later than the uplands. The Indians all moved away from this part of Arkansas prior to 1836. A part of those moved to the Indian Territory from Georgia and other States, and crossed the Mississippi at Helena in 1837.

Upon the approach of the Civil War of 1861-65, many of the best and most conservative men of Phillips County deplored a disruption of the Union of the States, but after the war had actually begun, all the citizens became unanimously in favor of dis- union and the establishment of a Southern Con- federacy. The first companies raised in the county for the Confederate service were the Yell Rifles, commanded by Pat R. Cleburne; the Phillips Guards, commanded by Capt. W. S. Otey; the Tappan Guards, by Capt. J. C. Tappan; the Pat. Cleburne Guards, by Capt. Thomas Quinlin; the La Grange Guards, by Capt. D. C. Govan, and the Trenton Guards by Capt. J. W. Scaife. These were all raised early in 1861. Afterward other companies were organized in the county, sufficient in number, together with those named, to compose three regiments -- the Second, Thirteenth and Fif- teenth, Confederate States army. It must be remembered that at that time Phillips County

contained the greater part of what is now Lee County, and it turned out for the Confederate ser- vice the three regiments above mentioned, two major-generals-Pat R. Cleburne and Thomas C. Hindman-and six brigadier-generals: D. C. Go- van, J. C. Tappan, C. W. Adams, L. E. Polk, Dandridge McRea and Arch Dobbins.

The county remained within the Confederate lines until July, 1862, when the Federal army under Maj .- Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, first occupied Helena, and from that time forward to the end of the war the town was strongly garrisoned by Federal troops. On December 15, 1862, Brig .- Gen. W. A. Gorman, then in command at Helena, reported that an out- post of his, consisting of twenty-three men and a commissioned officer belonging to the Sixth Mis- souri Cavalry, were captured at a point four miles out on the St. Francis road, near the residence of Turner. On January 3, following, he again reported that on the first day of the month twenty five or thirty Texas rangers had captured another of his outposts, consisting of twenty-six men and a commissioned officer of the Twenty- eighth Iowa Regiment. In this report he censured the men captured, and recommended the officer to be disgracefully dismissed. On January 12, 1863, Lieut. James B. Bradford, with twenty- five men of tlie Second Wisconsin Cavalry, was sent out to a point on Lick Creek, about twelve miles west of Helena, where he was confronted by superior numbers, and being overpowered he and four of his men escaped and returned to Helena, and afterward some more of his men also, having made their escape, returned to Helena. On May 25, 1863, a skirmish between small forces at Polk's plantation, a few miles from Helena, took place. A few other small engagements were had in the county between the contending forces, aside from the battle of Helena. Helena was strongly forti- fied by the garrison occupying it, and was a very advantageous military post for the Union army, especially for keeping the communication of the Mississippi open to points below. In the western part of the town, on the ridge south of the present court house, was Fort Curtis, armed with siege guns, and there were redoubts armed with field-

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pieces, and protected by rifle-pits on the suburban hills north and west of the town, so as to effectu- ally guard every avenue of approach. One of the redoubts was on the summit of Graveyard Hill. The Confederate General, T. H. Holmes, com- manding the District of Arkansas, seeing the im- portance of Helena to the Union army, and the advantages it might be to the Confederate army, conceived the idea of capturing it. To this end he concentrated his army, consisting of the commands of Gens. Price, Marmaduke and others, at Claren- don, on White River, from which place he advanced upon Helena, and reached Allen Polk's plantation, five miles therefrom, on the morning of July 3, 1863. The plan of attack was for Gen Price, with his two brigades, McRea's and Parson's, to assault and take Graveyard Hill at daylight, Marmaduke, assisted by Walker's cavalry brigade, to take Rightor's Hill by daylight, and Gen. Fagan to take the battery on Hindman's Hill by daylight. Gen. B. M. Prentiss was in command of the garrison, and was well informed of the approach of the Con- federates, and consequently in readiness to receive them. Arrangements had been made to hold an old-fashioned celebration in Helena on Saturday, July 4, but Gen. Prentiss issued an order to dis- pense with it, and for every man to be at his post of duty.

Accordingly, at 3 o'clock, A. M., of July 4, the Confederate army advanced upon the town, at- tacked and drove in the outposts, and by daylight the battle raged furiously. The battery on Hind- man's Hill and the redoubt and battery on Grave- yard Hill were captured by storm, after which a large force of Confederates passed through the ra- vine between these hills into the suburbs of the town, where, being exhausted and confused, they were surrounded and captured by the Federalists. The battle continued to rage until 10:30 A. M., when the Confederate commander, finding his army losing ground, retired from the field and left all in possession of the garrison. It is said that the hardest fighting took place on Graveyard Hill. In the summarized reports of the battle by the re- spective commanders of the armies, Gen. Holmes said that his whole force consisted of 7,646 effect-

ive men and officers, that his loss was 173 killed, 687 wounded and 776 missing, making a total of 1,636. Gen. Prentiss said that his whole garri- soned force consisted of 4,129 effective men and officers, assisted by the gunboat Tyler, commanded by Lieut .- Com. Pritchett, which rendered him valuable assistance, and that his loss consisted of fifty-seven killed, 146 wounded and thirty-six captured, making a total of 239. He reported the Confederate loss at 400 killed, 354 wounded and 774 captured in addition to the wounded, mak- ing a total of 1,528. It will be seen that, in the aggregate, Prentiss reported the Confederate loss at 108 less than Holmes did, but that they differed widely as to the number of killed and wounded. Of course, Prentiss had the best opportunity to know how many were killed, as they were all buried by his men, but it appears to be an extraor- dinary number in comparison with the number he reported as wounded. No other attack was ever made upon Helena.

Helena, the county seat of Phillips County, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River, at the foot of a range of hills, which bounds the city on the north and west, the distance from the river bank to the hills on the west being about half a mile. The site of the greater part of the city, especially the business part, is com- paratively low and level. Many of the streets and business houses, and some dwelling houses, have been elevated on made land several feet above the original level. The origin of the town has been given in connection with the organization of the county. Among the early merchants of the place, who were doing business here in 1836, were John J. Bowie, F. H. Cosset and George W. Fereby. There were about half a dozen business houses in the town at that time. William B. R. Hornor, mentioned among the early pioneer settlers, was a lawyer and kept a hotel in Helena at a very early day. B. A. Porter, another of the pioneers, engaged in the lumber business about the year 1836 and erected a saw-mill in Helena. Later he moved into the country, but still continued his lumber business in the town. Waldo P. Craig erected another saw-mill about the year 1837.

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PHILLIPS COUNTY.

The growth of Helena from its inception to the year 1838 was very slow and gradual; then, in consequence of the financial panic of 1837, the place began to decline, and for a few years more people, it is said, moved away from the town and the country round about than came into it. The population of Helena in 1840 was 250 souls. In 1844 the town and country began again to pro- gress, but the growth was so slow that in 1860 the population of Helena had only reached about 800. It did not suffer much during the war period of 1861-65, for the reason that it was constantly held by Federal troops from its first occupancy by them in July, 1862, to the close of the war. Had it been occupied alternately by the contending ar- mies it would have suffered much more than it did.

Since the close of the war, its growth has been gradual, but much more rapid than before. In 1880 its population, according to the United States census, was 3,652 and it is now estimated at 5,000. It contains at this writing, Baptist, Catholic, Pres- byterian and Methodist churches, four schools, cotton-seed oil mills, lumber mills, cotton gins and compress, planing mills, a foundry and machine shop, an opera house capable of seating 800, three banks, gas-works, an efficient and well-equipped fire department, street railways, a telephone ex- change, gas-works, two express offices, two rail- road depots, ferry-boats for crossing the river, many stores of all kinds, several wholesale houses, four weekly and one daily newspaper, and all the other attributes of a city of its size.

The Helena Weekly World, a nine-column folio, was established in 1870, and is now ably published by William S. Burnett, its editor and proprietor. The Helena Daily World, a seven-column folio was established in 1871, and is published from the same office and by the same party as the Weekly World. It is claimed by its proprietor to be the oldest daily paper in the State excepting the Ar- kansas Daily Gazette. These papers are Demo- cratic in politics and both are well edited. The Helena State was established October 19, 1889, by B. M. Barrington. It is a seven-column quarto, is published every Friday, and is also Democratic in principle, neat in appearance, and edited with

ability. The Southern Review, an eight-column folio, now in its fifth volume, is published weekly at Helena by the "Benevolent Church Aid and Relief Society," an associatien of the colored peo- ple. Rev. J. T. White is editor and manager, and J. E. Harris, business manager. The People's Friend. a six-column folio, is published weekly at Helena, by M. Kline, a colored man. It is now in its second volume. These "colored" papers bear but little upon the subject of politics.

Helena was incorporated as a city of the second class, but efforts are now being made to secure its incorporation as a city of the first class.

Directly west of Helena is the old graveyard on one of the hills partially surrounding the city. The land was owned by individuals, but by consent the people buried their dead there from the set- tlement of Helena until the close of the Civil War. The summit of the hill is not less than 100 feet above the level of the city. After Gen. Curtis oc- cupied the place in 1862, he built a redoubt on this hill, as well as upon other commanding posi- tions, and cut the timber off of them to strengthen the defenses of the city. It is said that the hardest part of the battle of Helena was fought in this graveyard, it being a very large tract of hill land. Monuments and headstones were knocked to pieces by the cannonading. After the close of the war, the timber having been removed, the ground be- gan to wash into gullies, and soon began to dis- turb the sleeping dead. Then the remains of some persons who had friends and relatives living sufficiently near, were disinterred and buried else- where, but the remains of all others were left to their fate. Some of the gullies now reach a depth of from thirty to forty feet, graves have been com- pletely washed away and human skulls and bones can be seen in great numbers bleaching in the gullies. Now and then a grave can be found un- disturbed. It is only a question of time, however, when all will be washed away, unless otherwise removed. An improvement company, which has been organized in the city, has purchased the lands which contain the old graveyard, and contemplate leveling down the hills and using the earth to fill up the hollows and depressions of the site of the

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city, and laying out the lands thus made level into an addition to the city. This can be done largely with the aid of the washing of the rains. These hills contain no solid rock formation, consequently the earth can easily be loosened up and removed. This will be a great improvement to the city, both in filling up the low places and in removing the unsightly gullies.

Evergreen Cemetery, owned by a company of that name, lies at a proper distance north of the city, but it is only partially fenced and is not kept in a neat and proper condition, the stock at large being allowed to overrun it. Next to this is the Catholic Cemetery, and still farther is the Hebrew Cemetery. A small tract of land on Confederate Hill contains the remains of about 300 Confederate soldiers. This hill is one of the highest points on Crowley's Ridge, just north of the city. This cemetery is kept in order by the Phillips County Memorial Association, managed mostly by the ladies. Among the most noted men buried here are Gen. Pat. R. Cleburne, Gen. T. C. Hindman, Col. Paul F. Anderson and Maj. R. H. Cawley (a Presbyterian minister when he entered the military service).

Poplar Grove, the second town in size in the county, is situated on the Arkansas Midland Rail- way, seventeen miles west of Helena. It was laid out in 1872 on lands belonging to N. S. and B. Y. Turner. The first business, a general store, was established in 1873, also the postoffice, with James R. Turner, postmaster. The same year several business and dwelling houses were erected. It now contains six general stores, a drug store, a milli- nery store, four churches (two for the whites and two for the blacks), one cotton-gin and grist-mill combined, one saw-mill, two blacksmith shops, one livery stable, two hotels, one undertaker's shop, a white school taught ten months in the year (four months free and six months on subscription), a colored school taught four months each year (free), and a lodge each of Knights of Honor and Knights and Ladies of Honor. The school at Poplar Grove is very popular, and the people are proud of it. There are two teachers, a music teacher and ninety pupils in attendance. A number of

the pupils are from the country, and board in the village. Large quantities of cotton and cotton-seed are shipped from this point. The population of the village is about 400.

Marvell is situated on the Arkansas Midland Railway, twenty-one miles west of Helena. The first store was opened there in 1870, by Messrs. Dade & Emby. It now has five general stores, four groceries, a furniture store, an undertaking establishment, a foundry and machine shop, two blacksmith shops, a church used by the Presbyteri- ans, Baptists and Christians, a colored Baptist and a colored Quaker church, a school-house, livery stable, hotel, and a cotton-gin, huller and grist-mill combined. The postoffice was established in 1872, with G. H. Cowan, postmaster. About 3,000 bales of cotton are shipped annually from this place. It has a lodge each of Masons and Knights of Honor. The population is about 300, one-third of which is colored.

Trenton is a small village three miles south of Poplar Grove, and contains a steam saw and grist mill and cotton gins. Cotton and cotton-seed are shipped from here; it also has a hotel, two or three general stores and a population of about 150.

Barton is a station on the Arkansas Midland Railway, thirteen miles west of Helena, having a population of about fifty. It has a saw-mill and two or three small stores.

For the year ending June 30, 1889, the schol- astic population of Phillips County was as fol- lows: White, males, 904, females, 842, total, 1,746; colored, males, 3,360, females, 3,137, total, 6,497. Pupils taught in the public schools: White, males, 545, females, 413, total, 958; colored, males, 2,262, females, 2,151, total, 4,413. This shows only a small percentage of the scholastic population taught in the public schools, but it is partially accounted for by the fact that several private schools, especially in Helena, are main- tained and patronized There are 36 school dis- tricts in the county, and the number of teachers employed during 1888 were: White, males, 15, females, 13, total, 28; colored, males, 33, females, 18, total, 51; aggregate, 79. The average monthly salary of teachers for the last year was: White,

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males, of the first grade, $60, females, of the same grade, $44.25; second grade, white, males, $41.80, females, $36.75. The average term in the several schools for the last year was four months, and the amount of money spent for the support of the pub- lic schools was $14,881. The value of the school property in the county is at least $40,000. The public school-house in Helena is probably the , largest one of its kind in the State. It is a two- story brick, handsome and substantial, contains ample rooms, and on the top thereof is a grand tower, in which is a fine town clock, which strikes every hour of the day. It was constructed in 1886, at a cost of $24,000. There is also in Helena a very large and commodious public school-house for the colored people. In addition to the public schools in this place is the private school taught by Prof. W. S. White, which is a mixed graded school,' in which pupils are prepared for college. This school has been established for twelve years, and has now about fifty pupils. There is also the Catholic Convent school, the "Academy of the Sacred Heart," and a Kindergarten school, taught by Miss Wendland. In addition to the above, the colored people have two or three private schools, all well sustained. The scholastic population of Helena school district is 2,000. Five teachers are employed in the white public school, and the same number in the colored public school. There is also the Southland Institute, about nine miles northwest of Helena, a school for the colored peo- ple, conducted by Prof. Beard.

The Presbyterian Church in Helena was organ- ized long before the Civil War, and the present frame church edifice was also erected before that period. During the war it was used by the Fed- eral troops as a hospital. For some time the church has been without a regular pastor, but during 1888 Rev. A. E. Grover, of Mason, Tenn., has preached for it every alternate Sabbath. He has recently been called to and has accepted the pastorate of the church. The membership at this writing is about fifty, and the Sunday school of forty pupils is progressing finely under the super- intendence of J. R. Graham. This is the only church of this denomination in Phillips County.

The Methodists and Baptists were probably, as they have been everywhere, the pioneer Christian workers in the county, both of the societies or- ganized in a very early day. Of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, there is Helena Station, with a membership of from 150 to 175, with Rev. E. M. Pipkin, pastor. This station has a large' brick edifice, erected in 1884, which ranks among the finest in the State. The Sunday-school con- nected with it has about seventy-five scholars, and is doing good work as the nursery of the church. The La Grange Circuit, containing several appoint- ments, with an aggregate membership of about 150, with Rev. W. E. Bishop, pastor, is also in Phillips County. These constitute all the churches of this denomination within the county. The names of the Baptist Churches in the county are: Helena, Marvell, Barton, Salem, New Hope, Cy- press and Level Valley. These have an aggregate membership of about 300, and those reported hav- ing Sunday-schools are Helena, Salem and New Hope. Rev. W. H. Barnes is pastor of the church at Helena.

The Catholics have a small church organiza- tion in Helena, with Rev. Father J. M. Boetzkes, priest. They have just completed a nice and com- fortable brick church edifice, worth about $10,000.

The colored people have three Baptist and one Methodist Church in Helena, and several other or- ganizations throughout the county. There may be a few other church societies in this county which have not been mentioned.

Capt. J. C. Barlow, dealer in hardware, stoves, etc., of Helena, Ark., was born in Scott County, Ky., January 3, 1836, and is a son of Thomas J. and Mildred (Cantrell) Barlow, natives of Scott and Bourbon Counties, Ky., respectively. The paternal grandfather was born in Old Virginia and the grandmother in North Carolina, but at an early period they moved to the wilds of Kentucky, mak- ing their way thither on horseback, the grand- mother carrying a large cane which she pretended was a gun, and used in frightening away the In-

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dians. She was reared on the farm once owned by Daniel Boone in the "Old North State." The grandparents on both sides died in Kentucky, and were farmers by occupation. Thomas J. Barlow was also a farmer, and after living a useful and well-spent life, quietly breathed his last in Ballard County, Ky., in 1873, his wife's death occurring in Scott County, Ky., she having borne him six children, three of whom are now living: Frances A. (wife of John W. Allison, of Bourbon County, Ky.), Joseph C. and James M. Edward was in the Confederate army and died at Montgomery, Ala. Thomas died in Kentucky and William also died there when quite young. Mr. Barlow was mar- ried twice and by his last wife had a family of three children, Clifton J. being the only one alive. J. C. Barlow was reared and favored with the advan- tages of the common schools in Scott County, Ky., but in 1859 came to Helena, Ark., and became a salesman in a dry-goods establishment, this work receiving his attention until the opening of the war, when he enlisted in the Phillips County Guards, and subsequently got a transfer to the Yell Rifles, with which he served until the fall of 1861, when he joined the Second Arkansas Battery, remaining with them until the close of the war. After serving for some time as first lieutenant of artillery he was appointed to the rank of captain by the secretary of war, and was a participant in all the engageinents of his regiment. After the war he clerked in Memphis, Tenn., for about one year, then returned to Helena and has since been conducting a hardware establishment, this enter- prise meeting with good success under his able management. He has the largest stock of goods in the town, and receives a most liberal share of public favor. He filled an unexpired term as mayor of Helena, is president of the Phillips County Fair Association, and since August 22, 1882, has held the position of colonel of the Arkansas State Guards, receiving his appointment from Gov. F. J. Churchill during the political troubles of that year. He was married in 1869 to Miss Mary J. Porter, a native of Helena, and in 1876 took for his second wife Mrs. Mary Grant, by whom he has three children: Fannie A., Harrell E. and Jo-

seph C., Jr. Capt. and Mrs. Barlow are members of the Episcopal Church.

Rev. J. M. Boetzkes, rector of St. Mary's Church, at Helena, Ark., was born in Prussia, Germany, and received his education at Muenster University, Westphalia, from which institution he was graduated in 1855, and was ordained sub- deacon September 8 of the same year. The fol- lowing year he embarked to America, taking pas- sage at Havre, France, and landed at New York City after a two weeks' ocean voyage, and came directly to St. Louis, where he was ordained deacon a few months after his arrival. On Sep- tember 8, 1856, he was ordained a priest of the Catholic Church, and during the late Civil War was in the service for some time in Scott County, Mo., acting as chaplain. Here he built a stone church, which was demolished during the latter part of the war. He was in the hospital service in St. Louis for about a year, and in 1865 returned to Europe, but a few months later came back to the United States and settled in the city of Philadel- phia, where he occupied a position in the diocese until 1875, at which time he came to Helena, Ark. Here he was the means of erecting a fine brick church at a cost of $12,000, and on July 21, 1889, it was dedicated, the corner-stone being laid July 22, 1888. The convent at Helena has been built several years, but since Father Boetzkes' arrival he has improved it wonderfully. It is a day and boarding-school and is controlled and managed by nine Sisters of Charity who have made it one of the best institutions of the kind in the West. The training includes a comprehensive collegiate course and thoroughly fits a young lady for any position or vocation in life, the branches taught being mu- sic, the languages, all branches of mathematics, chemistry, botany, calisthenics, etc. The building is beautifully situated and commands a view of the Mississippi River, as well as the surrounding coun- try and the grounds are tastefully laid out with magnolia and other shade trees.

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Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 836

Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 836