USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of western 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 mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 42
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On June 18, 1828, at Little Rock, in an unfor- tunate rencounter with Gen. E. Hogan (who was the assailant, and a man weighing over 270 pounds. and of Herculean strength, while Judge Scott did not weigh much over 130 pounds), Judge Scott was felled to the floor by Gen. Hogan. Upon re- gaining his feet he drew a sword (which he usually
carried, it being a present from Maj. William Ball) and with it he gave Gen. Hogan four wounds, kill- ing him almost instantly, but not before the Gen- eral had taken it from Judge Scott, and made a deadly thrust at him, piercing through the cravat around the latter's throat. Immediately surrender- ing to the United States marshal, Judge Scott had his case examined in the proper courts, which at once discharged him, the killing being regarded as justifiable. Judge Andrew Scott would have been a man of marked distinction at any time or in any locality in the United States, and was pecu- liarly so in his day and in the Western country. His history constitutes an important part of that of his adopted State, and the vigor of his intellect his calm conservatism and the clearness exhibited in his judicial opinions published in the Supreme Court reports will give him prominence, especially with the bar and bench of the State forever. Capt. John R. Homer Scott is a well-known man through- out the State of Arkansas, and is a most honorable old gentleman. He is a man of ability and modest merit, declining at two general elections calls through the newspapers from a large number of citizens, to run for Congress in the Fourth Dis- trict. He has outlived nearly all his cotemporaries in this State, and yet he is a man of much vigor of mind and body. Among those cotemporaries in Arkansas who were his early friends and school- mates, and who were not only well-known in the State, but many of them throughout the country. a few names may be found in the first part of this sketch. Such was his moral integrity and social position, that though licensed, but not a practicing lawyer, he has several times been elected special judge of the circuit court, a distinction conferred upon him purely as a matter of honor. At the trial in Pope Circuit Court of the State vs. P. O. Cheaney for the seduction of Miss Head, when the gray-haired old men, with wives and daughters. heard the young lady, as a witness, tell the truth- ful story of her dishonor, their honest hearts burned with indignation, and quite a number of them called upon Capt. Scott to take a fee to assist the prosecution, so anxious were they that such a mon- strous crime, both legally and socially, should be
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punished, and female virtue and purity protected. Of course he declined to act as they desired, but who would not be proud of such evidence of respect and coufidence coming from those who have known him as neighbor and friend for many years.
The North Iowa Times says: "The St. Louis Republican of a recent date publishes an interest- ing paper that was recently read before the St. Louis Historical Society by Gen. Truman A. Rosier, of St. Genevieve, Mo., relating to a few former residents of the latter place, viz .: Ex- Senator George W. Jones, Ex. Gov. Henry Dodge, Gen. A. C. Dodge, Ex-Senator Lewis F. Linn and Judge Andrew Scott. Dr. Linn was in the United States Senate representing Missouri from 1833 to 1843. Henry Dodge, after serving as captain in the Black Hawk War and filling several minor offices, was elected to Congress from Wisconsin, was afterward governor of the State, and then United States Senator from 1851 to 1857. Augus- tus C. Dodge, his son, was born in St. Genevieve, Mo., in 1812, and after filling several offices of lower grade, moved to Iowa Territory, and after this became a State, was elected as United States senator, being cotemporary with his father, who, as before stated, represented in the same capacity the adjoining State of Wisconsin. Gen. Dodge was afterward sent as minister to Spain, and was the first of our ministers to address the court in the Spanish language, as he did in his valedictory to Queen Isabella. Besides the two Dodges, father and son, Dr. Linn, a half brother of Gen. Dodge and Hon. George W. Jones, above named, the little village of St. Genevieve had also the Hon. John Scott, a delegate to Congress from the Territory of Missouri, and afterward a member of the Lower House of Congress for the State of Missouri. Hon John Scott was the father of George Dodge Scott, now living in Dubuque, Iowa, and brother-in-law to Hon. George W. Jones, before mentioned. The late Hon. Lewis V. Bogy was also reared in St. Genevieve, and died some years ago while a senator in Congress from Missouri, his residence being at the time of his death in St. Louis. Hon. James H. Relf was once a resident of the same old French village,
but afterward moved to Potosi, Washington County, where his death occurred. He was a mem- ber of Congress from Missouri, and a brother of Mrs. Dr. Linn. George W. Jones, the brother- in-law of Judge Andrew Scott, is still living in Iowa, and is a man of great distinction, having held with honor to himself and country many offices, both military and civil. He was born in Vincennes, Ind., in 1804, and removed to St. Genevieve in 1808 or 1809, being a drummer boy in the War of 1812, whilst a student of Transyl- vania University, Lexington, Ky. He acted as an officer in the body-guard of Gen. La Fayette in 1824, when that famous General was on a visit to the United States. Having had the office of United States clerk tendered him without solicita- tion, by Judge Peck, he removed to, and was elected a delegate to Congress from the Territory of Michigan in 1835, being that year appointed pension agent by Gen. Cass. He married at St. Genevieve Miss Josephine Gregoire, a descendant of an old and highly respected French and Ger- man family who had moved to Upper Louisiana in very early times. He was second to Jonathan Cilley of Maine, who was killed in Washington City in 1838 in a duel with Graves of Kentucky. He was surveyor-general of Wisconsin and Iowa from 1839 to 1841, and clerk of the United States Court from 1841 to 1845, after which he was re- appointed surveyor-general by President Polk. When Iowa became a State in 1846 he was elevated from that office to that of United States senator, where he remained until 1859, when he was ap- pointed minister to Bogota, United States of Columbia. He returned home after the com- mencement of the Civil War, and was soon after arrested by order of Secretary Seward, on an un- warranted charge and confined in Fort La Fayette until Secretary Stanton relieved him in February, 1862."
Judge Andrew Scott, who is spoken of in the foregoing article, together with his wife, both of whom died and were buried in Pope County many years ago, have very recently been disinterred and removed to Russellville, where they have been re- interred by their son, our much-esteemed and
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respected fellow-citizen, John R. Homer Scott, who also removed, at the same time and to the same place, his wife and daughter from the Dover Cemetery. He had all placed in solid stone vaults, cemented, and air and water tight. Over all of them he has erected the most beautiful and costly Italian marble monument to be found in the coun- try, with a very handsome statue of superior Italian marble, manufactured in Italy, ten feet and one inch high, and resting on the top of the monu- ment is a figure five feet and one inch high, repre- senting Hope, with an anchor and cord fully and elaborately chiseled and executed by a master hand, exhibiting the most superb sculptural polish of anchor, cord, drapery and life-like form and feature that can be placed upon marble. Rever- ence for our ancestors, living or dead, has in all ages been regarded as the greatest of all virtues; and this handsome monument erected by Capt. Scott, chiefly in honor of his father, is a most worthy tribute by a noble son to the memory of his distinguished sire. Of the late Mrs. Scott, (wife of Capt. John Scott) who sleeps beneath the same monument, and a lady greatly admired for her many excellent qualities, a prominent minister of the gospel upon reading the inscription to her memory on the monument, said: "I knew her well; all that is there said in her praise is true, especially of her boundless charity. For years I have lived a near neighbor to her, with a wife gradually dying of consumption, and as often as the day came, the good Mrs. Scott came to see her, and never did she come with her charitable hand empty. All her words were kindness and sympa- thy."
Capt. Scott's grandfather was Andrew Scott, a native of Scotland who came to New York and he and his brothers having lost their parents at sea, and being without friends or means in the new world were bound out as apprentices. He died in St. Genevieve, Mo. He was married, in Maryland to Miss Elizabeth Ferguson. Capt. Scott's pa- ternal uncles were John Scott (delegate in Con- gress from Missouri from 1816 to 1819), the prop of the family, in his father's old age and an emi- nent criminal lawyer in Missouri. He married
Miss Parr first, and then married a sister of Hon. George W. Jones by whom he had two children: George D. Scott of Dubuque, Iowa, and Emily, now Mrs. Wilson, wife of Samuel F. Wilson, an attorney of San Francisco. Cal. The other uncle, George W. Scott, married Miss Nancy Dodge. daughter of Gen. Henry Dodge, and was United States marshal for the Territory of Arkansas under President Monroe. Capt. Scott's maternal uncles were George W. Jones (of Dubuque, Iowa. as above stated), Augustus Jones (lately living at La Grange. Tex. (now deceased), who was United States mar- shal'of Missouri under President Jackson), John Rice Jones (who was the first postmaster gen- eral of the Texan republic), and Myers F. Jones (who was several times a member of the Missouri Legislature, but who removed to Texas in 1841. in which State he received his final summons). Capt. John Scott was a graduate from St. Joseph's Col- lege, Bardstown, Ky., in 1827. Among others of his classmates at this college were Robert W. Johnson (afterward United States Senator from Arkansas and William F. Pope (who was killed in a duel in Arkansas by C. F. M. Noland). Capt. Scott read law in the office of his father at Little Rock in 1828-29, and was admitted to the bar in 1848, but has never practiced. In 1828 he moved with his father to Pope County, Ark., and there he has resided ever since, with the exception of two years, 1834-35, after his marriage, which he spent in Johnson County. He carried on a farm for several years, and from 1847 to 1853 he was engaged in merchandising at Dover. During the war he lost fifteen negroes, and from 1867 to 1872 he was again engaged in mercantile _pursuits. He is the owner of two farms, one on the Arkansas River consisting of 500 acres and the other. con- sisting of 600 acres, near Dover. One-half of each is under cultivation. He owns lots and buildings at Eureka Springs, and is worth, all together, not less than $40,000, all the result of his own indus- try and perseverance. One of his first expeditions to make money was to take a flatboat, loaded with cattle and corn, down to New Orleans. In 1853 he crossed the plains to California with several hundred head of cattle, obtaining fabulous prices
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for them, realizing $100 per head. In 1838 Capt. Scott became a Master Mason in Franklin Lodge No. 9, Johnson County, but was- a member of no other secret organization. He was a Whig in poli- tics until the formation of the Democratic party. and then became a Democrat from necessity. In 1878 he was a member of the State Democratic Central Committee. He opposed secession until it became an accepted fact. Capt. Scott has held many positions of trust and honor, and it may truth- fully be said of him that the offices which he has had the honor to fill, sought the man and not the man the office. From 1842 to 1850 he was clerk of the circuit, county and probate courts and ex-officio recorder of Pope County. In 1873 he was State Senator for Pope, Conway and Searcy Counties, and in 1874 he served as a member of the Constitu- tional Convention (of the State of Arkansas) from Pope County. He has served twice as a special judge of the circuit court at Dover. Many years previous to this (in 1830) he served as deputy United States marshal under his uncle, George W. Scott (United States marshal for the Territory of Arkansas), and in that capacity took the first cen- sus of Pope County. In 1836 Capt. Scott com- manded a volunteer company of United States Cavalry under Gen. E. P. Gaines, during the Flor- ida War, and hence his title of captain. In 1861 he raised a company for State service, which was transferred to the Confederate service, and he com- manded a squadron of four companies, serving in the army until, in consequence of sickness, he was compelled to retire from the field. He par- ticipated in the battles of Elk Horn and Farming- ton. He was married in Johnson County, Ark., on December 11, 1834, to Miss Nancy Evans Jami- son, a native of Potosi, Mo., born May 16, 1816, and the daughter of Judge George Jamison of Johnson County, Ark. Her father was a native of the Keystone State, of Scotch descent, and was a millwright by trade. Her mother, formerly Miss Mary D. Logan, was of a Kentucky family, originally from Pennsylvania. She was a cousin of James Logan, who was a member of the Legisla- ture from Missouri and Creek agent at Verdigris, Indian Territory. Mrs. Scott was a charming,
pleasant lady to meet and was remarkably hand- some. She died on October 13, 1878, in full com- munion with the Methodist Episcopal Church Sonth. By his marriage Capt. Scott became the father of three children: Andrew H. Scott (who was born at Dover, Ark., on December 18, 1840, taking his literary degree at Exeter College, N. H., and his medical degree from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. He is now one of the first physicians of Little Rock. He married Miss R. Kate Embry, daughter of Col. Ben T. Embry, who is a merchant and planter of Atkins, Ark. They have four children: Ben Embry, John R. Homer, Leonora and Andrew Horrace), Mary Eliza Scott (born at Dover on August 11, 1844, and died September 4, 1860, and whose birth is erroneously stated in the work of the Encyclopedia of the New West as being in 1834), and Leonora Augusta, (born at Dover on October 16, 1847, and educated at Little Rock and Fayetteville. She married H. Clabe Howell, a merchant, a member of the Legislature and a native of Kentucky. He died June 21, 1884, leaving these children: An- drew R. (a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Pennsylvania, living at Little Rock), Emma Scott, Augustus H., Henry A., Kate E. and Mary. Mrs. Howell was married, the second time, on July 2, 1SS7, to George Eller Howell, a nephew of her former hus- band. One child, Elbert Homer, was the result of this union. Capt. Scott is not a member of any church, but is a believer in the Christian religion. Besides his own children, Capt. Scott has raised about nine orphan children.
James R. Shinn. In all ages of the world, industry, perseverance and energy where intelli- gently applied, have achieved a result which could have been gained only by having one object in view and improving every opportunity to ultimately at- tain that object. Mr. Shinn's operations as a farmer have resulted satisfactorily, and he is now the owner of about 170 acres of good farming land with seventy under cultivation. He was born in Pope County, Ark., on April 3, 1842, a son of L. C. and Nellie (Tucker) Shinn, who were born in North Carolina in 1814 and 1818, re- spectively, in which State their marriage also oc-
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curred. To them the following children were born: Elizabeth M., Martha I., James R., Mary A., Silas M., Eliza M., Sarah J. and Laura A. (deceased). L. C. Shinn was a farmer and stone mason and after his removal to Arkansas in 1841 he followed these callings. He entered here 160 acres of tim- berland, and soon cleared enough space to build a log cabin. He improved his property in other ways afterward and erected him a good frame residence in which he died on September 7, 1885. He was justice of the peace of Clark Town- ship for three or four terms, and was a member of the Christian Church, of which his wife was also a member at the time of her death. James R. Shinn commenced life for himself as a farmer on rented land, and his first crop was put in with one steer. In 1861 he enlisted in Company E, Fifteenth Ar- kansas Regiment, C. S. A., and participated in the engagements at Elk Horn, Corinth, Grand Gulf and Baker's Creek, being wounded in the last named engagement by a gunshot in the right breast. He was then paroled and returned home, where he was married, in 1865, to Miss Jemimah E. Smith, a North Carolinian by birth, born August 14, 1846. Their union has been blessed in the birth of thir- teen children: Charles L., Joyce L., Dosey F., (wife of James Sasbee), Amanda M., James R., Psyche, Lulu E., Jessie L., Elizabeth M., Katie and George D. James W. and Thomas J. are deceased. Mr. Shinn has served several years as justice of the peace of Clark Township, is a lib- eral contributor to worthy enterprises, and he and his wife are earnest members of the Christian Church. His property is improved with fair build- ings and every thing about the place shows that a man of thrift and industry has charge of affairs.
Hon. N. D. Shinn has long been connected with the farming interests of this section, and as an honest man and law abiding citizen, has no superior. He was born in the Old North State, August 27, 1819, to Silas M. and Elizabeth (Lit- tle) Shinn, also of that State. The father was surveyor of the county in which he lived, and was married in his native State, his union resulting in the birth of thirteen children, four now living: Thomas J., Silas M., N. D., and Eliza (wife of C.
F. Reed). The following are the names of the children that are deceased: B. D. R., Jackson, L. C., James M., John O., Sarah, Peeny M. and a pair of twins, who died unnamed. After the fa- ther's death, which occurred in North Carolina, about 1821 or 1822, the mother moved westward, and in Pope County, Ark., passed from life, in 1852, an earnest Christian, and a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. N. D. Shinn was married in Montgomery County, N. C., in 1837, to Miss Hester Brooks, who was born there in 1822, a daughter of William and Tempey (Tucker) Brooks. Seven sons and two daughters have been born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Shinn, the following of whom are living: James M. (re- siding in Texas), Alphus M. (a farmer, of this county), Marion R., Henry L., Alexander B. and Jennie (wife of J. F. Munday, of Russellville). The following are those deceased: William E., John F. (who was killed in the battle of Corinth, Miss.), and Pauline V. In 1839 Mr. Shinn came to this State, from North Carolina, and settled on some Government land, which he improved, being now the owner of 1,200 acres, 500 acres being river bottom land, with 350 acres under cultivation. His home place consists of 700 acres, and of this 150 are under cultivation. This land is very valuable, for in addition to being a fine farming tract, it is all underlaid with coal. In 1877 he erected, on his land, a good frame residence, and his other build- ings are substantial and commodious. He has an excellent apple, peach and pear orchard near his residence, and on his river bottom farm is a fine, steam cotton-gin. He has always been a stanch Democrat, and the admirable services he has ren- dered his party were recognized at different times, and he has served in a number of different official capacities. He first held the responsible position of probate judge for six years, was justice of the peace of his township about the same length of time, and was elected to the State Legislature from Pope County in 1874, receiving 1,200 of the 2,223 votes cast. He and his worthy wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and he has attained to the Chapter in the Russellville Lodge, of the A. F. & A. M.
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Zachariah Sinclair, farmer, Hector, Ark. Among those who deservedly rank among the progressive and substantial agriculturists of Pope County, is the above mentioned gentleman, who is the owner of an excellent farm in this county. His parents, James R. and Nancy C. (Noel) Sinclair, were na- tives of North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively, and were married in the last named State. They removed to Arkansas in 1839, settled in Pope County, where, after living until 1855, they took up land. The twelve children born to this union are named as follows: Mary T. (wife of P. H. Brant), Zachariah, Virginia (wife of G. A. Bishop, deceased), Sarah A. (in Searcy County), Franklin P. (in Center Township), James H. (in Hector, Ark.), William (deceased), and four others who died in infancy. At the age of eighteen years, Zachariah began working for himself as an agriculturist, and in 1862 he was married. The fruits of this union were two children: James A. (deceased). and Will- iam Francis. Mrs. Sinclair died in 1865, and in February, 1867, Mr. Sinclair was married to Miss Winnie E. Bishop, a native of Tennessee. About 1870 Mr. Sinclair homesteaded the land on which he now resides, consisting of eighty acres, of which he has thirty acres under cultivation. He is also the owner of twenty acres in the bottom along Illi- nois Bayou, of which he has about fifteen acres under cultivation. His principal productions are cotton and corn. In connection with his farming industry Mr. Sinclair has been employed to some extent with his carpenter trade, also wagon-making, al- though he has never served an apprenticeship at either. To his last marriage were born these chil- dren: Siney C. (wife of A. D. Poe), George W., John W., Margaret E., Martha E., Rhoda J., Ella M., Henry W. and Lulu J. Two are deceased.
Harrison Smith, a prosperous merchant at London Station, Ark., was born in Tennessee Jan- uary 16, 1841, to John W. and Malinda (Neill) Smith, who were born in South Carolina and North Carolina in 1818 and 1821, respectively. They were married, in Tennessee, December 12, 1839, and their union was blessed by the birth of nine children, six being now alive, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest. The other
members are Wyatt (a farmer in Sebastian County, Ark.), Narcissa (wife of John Maxwell, of Sebas- tian County, Ark.), Louisa (wife of Edward Gif- ford, of Polk County, Fla.), Lutitia (wife of J. C. Williams, of Catoosa County, Ga.), Anna (wife of Dr. S. C. Burgess, of London, Ark.), and the following children who are deceased: Thomas M., Penelton and George. The parents of these chil- dren were Baptists. The father is now residing in Tennessee. The mother died in November, 1583. The former was a soldier in the Confederate Army for a short time during the Rebellion, and was in the hospital service. H. Smith, the immediate subject of this sketch, began life for himself in 1865 on rented land, and the same year was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Lee, a native of South Caro- lina, born July 30, 1811, a daughter of Richard and Lettie (Smith) Lee. Mr. Smith enlisted in Company A, Forty-third Regiment of Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army, August 7, 1861, and was on active duty until the close of the war, when he returned home, and, as above stated, began following the plow as a means of livelihood, an occupation which received his attention until 1880. In 1872 he moved to Arkansas, and until 1878 was a resident of Woodruff County. In 1882 he moved to Dover, and after following the life of a merchant in that place for two years, has since followed the same occupation at London Sta- tion, where he carries a stock of general merchan- dise to the amount of $2.500. He is the owner of twenty-four acres of land, besides some town lots. and on one of the latter he has a comfortable frame residence. He also owns the store in which he does business. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and are among the substantial citizens of the county.
L. M. Smith, proprietor of the Russellville steam grist-mill, planing-mill, cotton-gin and wool- carding-mill, was born in Mississippi in 1836, and was the third in a family of seven children, born to John and Prudence (Marshall) Smith, the father a native of the Palmetto State and the mother of the Bay State. The father was a bricklayer and plasterer by trade, and came to Mississippi when about thirty-five years of age. There his death
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occurred in November, 1858. The mother died in Arkansas in 1882. L. M. Smith was reared in Mississippi until about ten years of age, and then, without permission of his parents, left home sud- denly and engaged with a party of railroad sur-
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