Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 2, Part 5

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 2 > Part 5

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J. R. Hearn. In endeavoring to trace the genealogy of Mr. Hearn, we find that his paternal ancestors came originally from the land of thistles and oatmeal. He was born on Blue Grass soil in 1832, and was the fifth of six children that grew to maturity, born to Joseph and Rebecca (Austin) Hearn, the latter being a Kentuckian, in which State the father was occupied in tilling the soil. In the fall of 1834 they came to Arkansas, settling on the Mississippi River below Osceola, which country was then almost a complete wilderness in- habited by Indians and wild animals, and here Mr. Hearn opened a woodyard, and began farming in a small way. Later he sold this property and bought some wild land near where Elmot now is, on which place he died in 1850, before having made any improvements. The opening of the farm then : devolved upon our subject, who was then about !

eighteen years of age, and for five years he strug- gled manfully to get the property in good shape for farming, his labors being reasonably successful. He was married when about twenty-three years of age, at which time Miss Eliza Boyles, a daughter of W. J. Boyles, became his wife. After the cele- bration of this event he rented land and continued farming in this manner until the death of his wife's parents in 1871, when he moved on their old homestead, which embraced a tract of 160 acres, only fifteen of which were under the plow. He has since cleared and put under cultivation forty acres, and owing to the fertility of the soil finds no trouble in raising a bale of cotton to the acre. In his conduct of this estate he gives each detailed portion of the work his personal close supervision, and this care and method ever exer- cised have contributed to place him among the foremost farmers of this vicinity, as he is one of the most intelligent citizens. He is not active in politics, but uses his own judgment in support- ing the various candidates for office. He is at present holding the office of justice of the peace. In 1868 he had the misfortune to lose his estima- ble wife, she having borne him three children: Howard Hazzard, William Akin Percy (who mar- ried a Miss Fleming, and resides on his father's place), and Thomas Elliot. His union with his present wife took place in the year 1872, her maid- en name having been Susan E. Morrow. The six children which have been given them are Editha Lee, Joseph Guilford, Luther May, James Hale. John Franklin and Lillie Bruce.

Jerry L. Hearn is one of the native-born resi- dents of Mississippi County, Ark., and on account of long acquaintance and a thorough knowledge of his many sterling qualities, he is held in high esteem by the residents thereof. He was born in the year 1851, and was one of the sons of Jerry Lynch, but at the age of eleven years was adopted by G. A. Hearn, an old settler of the county. and spent one year in Osceola, attending school. then moved with his adopted father to Clear Lake. where G. A. Hearn died in 1881. Here Jerry L. Hearn spent the most of his youth, and after attaining manhood was married to Miss Sarah

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MISSISSIPPI COUNTY.

Mobley, also a native of the county. When twen- ty-two years of age he purchased a farm of 108 acres near Clear Lake, and ever since then has devoted much of his time and energies to putting his farm in good condition, all necessary buildings forming a prominent feature of the improvements. By his perseverance and industry his lands now aggregate 300 acres, with forty acres one mile west of Blythesville, and the amount of land on these two farms comprises 120 acres. He has been the owner of the property where he now makes his home since 1875, his surroundings being exceptionally pleasant, and has everything conven- ient and comfortable about his home. He has always been active in politics, and in 1884 secured the contract to carry the mail from Blythesville to Osceola; does also a good trade in carrying pas- sengers and doing business for the people of those places. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a member of Chickasawba Lodge No. 134, of the F. & A. M. The following are the children born to his marriage: Lizzie, Mattie, Minnie and Harry.

Dr. Elliott Hickman (deceased). On the 10th of December, 1858, there died at his home in Mis- sissippi County, Ark., a man who was thoroughly conscientious in the discharge of every duty, and who had given to his county the best energies of his life. In the community in which he lived, and among the people who knew him best, the influence of his pure and noble life is still felt to a remarka- ble degree. His birth occurred in North Carolina in 1782, and, at the age of seven years, he was taken to the State of Tennessee by his father, who settled in the immediate vicinity of Nashville. His father, William Hickman, was an old veteran of the Revolution, and for services rendered during that war he received an extensive land grant in the State of Tennessee. Our subject attended school in Nashville, and in early youth entered the drug store of his brother-in-law, Roger B. Sap- pington, who at that time was a leading physician, a prominent citizen, and the only druggist in the place. He remained with Dr. Sappington, study- ing under his directions, and after the completion of his medical studies settled in Franklin, Will-

iamson County, where he entered upon the prac- tice of his chosen calling. After a residence of a few years in this place he was married to Miss Julia Ann Dudley, a Virginian by birth, and a daughter of Col. Guilford Dudley, of Revolution- ary fame. Col. Dudley wrote a history of that war, which was published in the Southern Literary Messenger, and it was pronounced one of the best of that period. During that war his property in North Carolina was entirely destroyed by the British, but he removed to Tennessee, retrieved his fortunes to some extent, and became one of the noted men of Middle Tennessee. In 1812-15, Dr. Hickman was appointed by Gov. William Carroll superintendent and surgeon of the war hospi- tal at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tenn., and here he resided until 1835, when he moved his family to Memphis, where he was engaged in fol- lowing his profession up to the year 1840, when he bought a tract of land of about 1,000 acres, 120 miles above Memphis, in Mississippi County, Ark .. the place being now known as Hickman's Bend. Here he instituted many improvements, and soon had his home surrounded by many comforts and luxuries. From the gallery of his old home could be had a most magnificent view of the river as it sweeps around the bend many miles above, and disappears in the south behind wooded points and fertile fields of cotton. In this lovely home among magnificent giant forest trees he dispensed his hospitality in an exceedingly liberal manner, and became noted throughout all the region for his polished manners. Although a slave-owner, he would never employ an overseer, and among his humble retainers, he was happy in making them happy. His advice was given freely to all, and in him they ever found a kind and liberal friend in- stead of a hard taskmaster. His memory is still loved and reverenced among his old servants who are still living. Hickman Township and Hickman's Bend were named in his honor. His estimable wife survived him until November 11, 1862, when she too died. Their children's names are as follows: Frances, who married Col. Elliot H. Fletcher [see sketch]; Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Murphy, a mer- chant of New Orleans; William, Julia Ann, who

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

died when just entering womanhood; Sarah, and | justice of the peace and school director for two Thomas, who died in 1863; seven children died in infancy.

D. W. Hicks. It was in 1873 that Mr. Hicks first became a resident of Mississippi County, Ark., and since then he has become one of the truly hon- ored and respected residents of this section. His birth occurred on Blue Grass soil in 1845, and he was the fourth of a family of eight children born to Armstrong and Mary (Duerson) Hicks, who are both residing in Kentucky, and are each eighty- two years of age. The father was a miller. Like the majority of youths, D. W. Hicks learned his father's occupation, and attended the common pub- lic schools near his home until sixteen years of age, at which time he enlisted in the Confederate army under John H. Morgan, and was an active partici- pant in the battles of Hartsville. Tenn., Snow Hill, Tenn., Lebanon, Ky., and in numerous minor engagements. He was with Morgan on his Ohio raid in 1863, and was at the battles of Corydon and Buffington Island, but was captured at Richmond, Ind., and sent to Camp Chase, where he was held a prisoner for twenty-three months. After being released at the end of May, 1865, he returned to his home in Kentucky, with the consciousness of having been one of the tried and true soldiers of the "lost cause." His career as a soldier was marked by fearlessness and courage. He worked in a roller factory for six months, then went to New Orleans, where he remained a short time, after which he returned to Kentucky, and made his home at Hickman for five years. Since that time he has resided in Mississippi County, Ark., the first five years of his residence here being spent in farming in the vicinity of Osceola. In 1878 he came to Chickasawba Township, where he farmed on rented land for some time, being also engaged in teaching school. His first purchase of land was in 1886, amounting to 113 acres, at Shady Grove, but he has since bought fifty at Hickman's Bend, a fine place, all of which is under cultivation. This year (1889) he is farming eighty acres of corn and cotton. He is always interested in enterprises that will reflect credit upon this section, and al- though not an active politician he has served as

years. He is a member of Chickasawba Lodge No. 134, of the F. & A. M. In 1882 his mar- riage with Miss Mary Lillard was celebrated. She was born in Tennessee., is a member of the Meth- odist Church, and has borne Mr. Hicks a son named James. Mr. Hicks is expecting soon to make a visit to his parents at Hickman, Ky., whom he has not seen for sixteen years.

J. N. Hill (deceased). In the year 1878 there died at his home in this county, J. N. Hill, who had been a prominent resident of the county since 1867, and who, during his residence here. was closely identified with the agricultural interests of the community in which he resided. He had first come to the county in 1858, when a boy, with his father, John Hill, but in 1865 returned to his State of Tennessee, and was married there the same year, to Miss Julia Helmes, a daughter of William Helmes, of Mount Zion, Tenn., ber birthplace being in Lebanon, Tenn. Upon per- manently locating in Mississippi County, Ark., at the above mentioned date, he settled on the Ellis place, which was owned by Maj. Ferguson, of Nodena, and in 1871 bought the place on which his widow is now residing, which continued to be his home up to the time of his death. He was an industrious, frugal farmer, and, with the assistance of his worthy wife, succeeded in accumulating con- siderable property. Endowed with good common sense, and of a sympathetic nature, he was among the foremost in every commendable enterprise, and his death was keenly felt by all who knew him. His first purchase was eighty acres of land. and his estate at the time of his death amounted to about 700 acres, of which 220 were under the plow, the principal crop being cotton. At the time of his death he left a widow and four chil- dren to mourn his loss. the eldest child being but nine years of age: Ella E .. a young lady; C. F .. who resides with his mother, and is an assistant on the plantation: G. W., a lad at home. and Agnes, the youngest of the family.

Joseph M. Hill, a prosperous farmer and en- terprising citizen of Frenchman's Bayou, was born at Nashville, Tenn., in 1857. He was the young-

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est child born to John H. and Lina Ann (Cottles) Hill, who moved to Mississippi County, Ark., from Nashville, in 1858, and settled on French- man's Bayou, where he purchased 600 acres of land. The father cleared up about 100 acres of this land, and was engaged extensively in stock rais- ing until his death, in 1869, his wife dying the same year. Joseph M. Hill attended the schools at home for some time, and then entered an acad- emy at Covington, Tenn., and later one at Canton, receiving in his youth as good an education as could be obtained. Upon reaching the age of eighteen he began farming for himself on rented land, and being a young man of perseverance and a determination to succeed in whatever he under- took, he soon placed himself in an independent position. In February, 1884, he was married to Miss Mollie Woodward, of Tennessee, a daughter of Lewis Woodward, a well-known and prominent citizen of Tipton County, in both political and church matters, who died in 1886. This union gave Mr. and Mrs. Hill three children: Nellie, Mary and Joseph Nelson, comprising one of the happiest families in Mississippi County. Mr. Hill is a member of the K. of O. at Louise, Ark., and is spoken of by his friends as certain to be one of the leading men in this county at some future day. His brother, Bethel L., attended the same schools, and afterward farmed for a while. He was mar- ried to Miss Ralph, of Tennessee, and as he grew to mature age became a very prominent man in local circles. He served two years as justice of the peace, and in 1886 was elected assessor of Mis- sissippi County, remaining in that capacity until his death, in 1889, at the age of thirty- four years. The father of these boys entered the pulpit after moving to this county, and attained a wide-spread celebrity for his forcible sermons and versatility as an expounder of the Gospel.

R. D. Holt. Island No. 10, formerly in the Mississippi River, and the scene of a heavy artillery duel during the War of the Rebellion, was the birthplace of the subject of this sketch. There he was born in 1848, and some years later he : came with his father, R. J. Holt, to Mississippi County, Ark., and settled on his present property.

Here the elder Holt died in 1863, leaving a wife and five children. The mother, whose maiden name was Miss Mary Bone, was a native of New Madrid, Mo., and there she grew to womanhood. R. D. Holt and his brother John, who now lives near, took hold of the home place after the death. of the father, and although there were but fifteen acres cleared at that time, they went to work and soon cleared about 100 acres, each brother owning a half interest, in addition to which they each have a farm of from eighty to 160 acres. The farm lies on Lake Como, in the southwest part of the county, in what is called the Nauvoo settlement, named thus on account of the Mormons having settled there early in the 50's. R. J. Holt. the father of R. D., was one of them at that time, he having previously been a Methodist, and after a few years of Mormonism he returned to his old faith, in which he died. Those who adhered to the faith went to Salt Lake, and among the last to go was one Sol. Spain, who got away just before the blockade in 1861. On the property of Mr. Holt there are eleven well-defined Indian mounds, which have never been explored. The largest is about fifteen feet high, and over 100 feet in cir- cumference at the base. This is now used as a burying place by Mr. Holt, whose father, mother, brother and sister, an uncle, a brother-in-law and his wife and two children are buried there. His brother has one child buried there, and a sister has two children. Mr. Holt was married in 1871 to Miss Sophrona Barney, of Mississippi County. and the daughter of John Barney, one of the pioneers of Mississippi County, Ark. Three chil- dren are the fruits of this union: Mary, Leroy and Mattie, all at home. Mr. Holt is a member of the Wheel.

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

present day. After reaching manhood Mr. Holt was absent for about fourteen months, but returned, firm in the settled belief that Mississippi County was the place for him. In connection with his brother, R. D. Holt, Mr. Holt has opened up 160 acres of land, and is now the owner of 226 acres, with about 112 acres under cultivation. His prin- cipal occupation is cotton raising, and he averages about three-fourths of a bale to the acre, at a cost of $6 per acre. He has progressive, modern ideas of farming, and is a man who will succeed in any undertaking. He was married, in 1878, to Miss Virginia Ashburn, daughter of Jason Ashburn, who came to Mississippi County in 1835, and who was one of the pioneer settlers of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Holt have been born four children: Cordy, now a young man; Harry, Phinney and Ivey. Mr. Holt is a member of the Masonic lodge at Frenchman's Bayou, and also of the Methodist Church.

Rev. James F. Jernigan, pastor of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South, of the Osceola Cir- cuit, was born in Henry County, Tenn., May 18, 1851, being sixth in a family of seven children born to Rev. W. H. and Dicy (Moore) Jernigan, natives of Middle Tennessee. There the father followed farming for a long time, but being con- verted, he began preaching nearly fifty years ago. James' paternal grandfather, Jesse, and his wife, Rebecca, were pioneers of Western Tennessee, go- ing there from Middle Tennessee in 1823, where the old gentleman lived, following farming and carpentering, till his death, which occurred in Jan- uary, 1857, at the age of eighty-three years. Rev. W. H. Jernigan later removed from Tennessee to : Independence County, Ark., and settled near Sul- phur Rock, where he brought a tract of 200 acres. On this land he has made many improvements, pro- viding a comfortable home for the family till about 1883. The mother died August 10, 1878, at the age of sixty four years. The estate still belongs to the family, but Mr. Jernigan, Sr., makes his home with his youngest son, L. C. Jernigan, a merchant at Sulphur Rock. In 1865 this estimable man : (our subject's father) taught the first free school | in Independence County. He was a teacher for a

long time in Tennessee, and has always been active in school and church work. He has continued preaching up to the present, and during the sum- mer of 1888 assisted his son in a series of pro- tracted meetings, covering a period of nearly three months. On the 23d of July, 1889, at the house of his youngest son, he made the remark, that for- ty-nine years previous a chain of two links had been formed; subsequently seven links more had been added, and to this increasing chain thirty- eight more links, representing his grandchildren. were added, making in all a chain of fifty-four links. During this long period there have been but eight breaks in this family chain, the death of five children and three adults. This respected pioneer has lived in Northeast Arkansas thirty years, and during that time has never had a chill: in fact, as will be seen from the above, the health of the entire family has been remarkable. Our subject remained at home, working on the farm, till about the age of twenty three years, during which time he attended school in the vicinity of his home, and in 1872 was a student at a five- months' session at Spring Hill Academy, Henry County, Tenn. From his sixteenth year, when he was converted, he has been a diligent student of the bible, and works on theology, feeling from that early age that there were fields for labor in the coming years, in which a knowledge of those books would be his greatest if not his only help; and so with these years of preparation, by private study and his father's help, he became well qualified for active usefulness. He entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, White River Conference, which was held in 1874 in Searcy, White County, Ark., his first charge being Salem Circuit, Fulton County, where he remained one year. He was then changed to West Point Cir. cuit, White County, and thence, after one year, to Pleasant Valley Circuit, Jackson County. In 1878 he was changed to Newport Station for one year: thence to Lee County, for one year; in 1880 to Clay County, Boydsville and Oak Bluff Stations; in 1881 to Corning Station, same county; in 1SS2-83. Jamestown Circuit, Independence County; in 1884 -85, at Vanndale Circuit; in 1886-87, in Marion

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Circuit, Crittenden County, and in 1888 back to Sulphur Rock Circuit, his old, boyhood home. In 1889 he was appointed to Osceola Circuit, in Mississippi County, which charge he is filling at the present time. Brother Jernigan can justly be called a revivalist, for in all these years his min- istry has been marked with wonderful success. In 1882, 175 conversions resulted from his efforts, and two-thirds of this number united with the church; in other years nearly as many, and this year (1889) during about eight months' labor he had 118 accessions to the church. He has held pro- tracted meetings at Carson's Lake, Golden Lake, Pecan Point, Mill Bayou, Dunavant's Chapel, Louise Chapel, Elmot and Osceola, and at all these meetings great interest has been manifested, and many conversions made. Indeed, the degree of interest manifested among the people who have been attending his various meetings is sufficient to impress a thoughtful person as being wonderful. Religious matters have here been the chief topic of conversation, and the thoughts of almost all seem to dwell on the "big meetings." Brother Jerni- gan has been married twice; the first time Novem- ber 14, 1877, to Miss Kate D. Shoup, a native of Marshall County, Miss., who came to this State with her parents in her youth. She died Septem- ber 9, 1878. He married the second time, October 11, 1881, Miss Lizzie I. Camp, a native of Tennes- see, born in Memphis, and the daughter of Dr. M. V. and Sallie C. (Shed) Camp. Her mother died in 1888, but her father is at the present time a prominent physician of Walnut Ridge. He was on the editorial staff of the first secession paper published in Alabama, and later served as captain in the Confederate army. Brother Jernigan at present resides at Walnut Ridge, where he has a pleasant home, presided over by his estimable wife. In personal appearance, as will be seen by a glance at the accompanying portrait, he is a man of striking personal appearance, with an intellectual expression superior to the average. Slightly above the ordinary height, also inelining somewhat to stoutness, with an erect carriage, it is apparent that physically he has been generously endowed by nature, and as a result makes a commanding pres-

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Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 2, Part 5

Author: Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1044

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1044