Henry Lee Montgomery, Dr.
Birth – 26 Sep 1866, Mississippi
Death – 17 May 1952, Yell, Arkansas

While talking to another online researcher about my Crawley family line (Rick Lawrence), he shared with me some memories from him and his mother about Dr. Lee, who was the area doctor. I enjoyed hearing about them, and he granted me permission to share them on my blog.

Memories of Dr. Lee Montgomery

My mom, who is 74 this month (Sept 2002), recalls that Dr. Tom Montgomery lived in Bluffton, while his brother Dr. Lee lived in Gravelly. Dr. Lee was their family doctor…

She [told] me that my father had the back of his head split open in a sawmill accident in the late 1940′s and that Dr. Lee sewed him up. She said my dad used to imitate Dr. Lee perfectly. If you owed him $3.00 and handed him a five, he would say, “Now son, that should just about cover it” and keep the change.

I thought this morning about Dr. Lee’s house…it’s on the road to the Mulberry area from Gravelly….

Dr. Lee was of course the doctor for that area of the valley. He was treating my mother’s older brother for measles and was getting better when he suddenly got sicker and complained his side was hurting. Dr. Lee was sent for but before he could get there he died. A knot was discovered on his side just before he died so he probably had a ruptured appendix along with his measles. This would have been in the early 1930′s. Mom also told me this morning that Dr. Lee’s wife was a slight or petite woman and suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis. She and another woman, a cousin of mine named Tommy Rhoades had that real bad back then. Anyway, Dr. Lee had a housekeeper who helped care for his wife and of course the general housekeeping chores. She doesn’t remember if the woman lived there or not nor can she remember her name. I asked if she was black or white and of course she was white. For your edification, there were no blacks living in that area of the valley back then as the citizenry would run them off (or worse). Apparently, after the Civil War, what few slaves were in the area did not stay around and went to Little Rock or elsewhere. My uncle lives over in Rover and there is a spot on his family land that is believed to have been the site of a couple of slave graves.

My mom’s brother, Weldon Charles “Uncle Dick ” Parker, remembered that Dr. Lee use to park his car in the driveway of Bill Byrd’s Garage in Gravelly, much to Bill’s chagrin. One day, several of the boys including my uncle, rigged up a smoke bombed on the car. When Dr. Lee got in it, it exploded and of course smoked like he had blown up the engine. Uncle Dick said he was real mad when he found out what the boys had done…and he never parked his car there again.

Mom remembered that her family called Dr. Tom “Uncle Tom” whenever they saw him. Mom always assumed that he must have been an uncle to her mother. Actually, he would have been a cousin by marriage only.

My Uncle Dick Parker, one of the culprits involved in putting the smoke/cherry bombs on Dr. Lee’s car (which, by the way, was a 1940 Plymouth) reminded my mom that Dr. Lee usually prescribed the same medicine for almost everything (that was minor of course). It was some type of cherry red liquid – who knows what – that he would put into a water glass and have you fill up 3/4′s of the way with water and then take a drink every so often. If your throat got dry or your face turned red, then you would wait a little longer before you used it again. Another Uncle Dick, Uncle Dick Jones (he wasn’t actually my uncle…just everyone called him that – he was actually my Uncle Walter Jones’ older brother) accidentally drank the whole concoction one time. He said his throat never did get dry nor did his face turn red so he figured the medicine wasn’t any good and would never you use it again.

My Uncle Dick, also remembered what I had told you earlier about how if he told you that you owed him a couple dollars and you said that all you had was a $5 he would say, “Why, why that ought to just about cover it”. Uncle Dick said Dr. Lee used the term “Why, why” a lot, like someone who would use “You know” or By Gad”, etc. “Why, why” was his “by” word or phrase. He also was not very tall and was a little portly.

William had quite a rich history and an interesting life. I’ve run across many biographies, journal entries, stories and other tales of his life’s adventures both online and in family records passed down. The following is one of the biographies written of his life that I’ve found in a PDF located in several places online. I made the effort of typing it so it was more easily consumed than the large PDF file. I believe it is properly sourced at the end of the file. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

WILLIAM FURLSBURY CARTER
1 May 1811 – 11 October 1888

William Furlsbury Carter was born on the 1st of May 1811 at Newry, Oxford County, Maine. He was the second son and fourth child of the John and Hannah Knight Libby Carter family. He had ten brothers and sisters.

About 1831, at twenty years of age, he married his first wife Sarah York. While living in Oxford County, Maine, three children were born to them:

It was on the 17th of November 1834, that William Furlsbury Carter was baptized by Elder Daniel Bean and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother had joined four months earlier, as had his older brother Dominicus and younger brothers John “H” and Richard Carter and sister Eliza Ann.

By the year 1836, William had left Maine and traveled to the Ohio Valley. On 6 October 1837, while traveling from Kirtland, Ohio to Far West, Missouri, one of the oxen in his team died and he was forced to adjust the harness of the remaining animal to pull the entire load as a mate could not be purchased. He carried a letter of recommendation from chairman Joseph Smith and J.G. Williams, clerk of the Ohio Conference.

On the 9th of April 1838, William Furlsbury Carter was ordained a Seventy at Far West, Missouri. On the 26th of May 1839 at Quincy, Illinois, he was appointed one of the Seventy Messengers to the Nations by Joseph Young, Chairman of the Council of Seventies. In 1842, he was recommended to preach the Gospel in Hancock County, Illinois, particularly in Nauvoo, Lima or Morleyville, and other places.

William Furlsbury Carter was a member of the Nauvoo Legion, serving as drum major in the 3rd Regiment Second Cohort under the leadership of Colonel Jonathan H. Hale. He was ordained President of the 20th Quorum of Seventies on the 30th of September 1845.

William Furlsbury Carter received a Patriarchal blessing at the home of Isaac Morley on 24 February 1845. Among the many blessings promised his descendants recall the words “…The Lord has blessed thee Brother William with the bounties of nature… Thy genius shall be blessed and released in ornamenting and decorating the building of the Temple of the Lord… Though hast naturally the gift to work in ore and in fine steel and thou shalt yet have the blessing to work in silver and fine gold… Thou shall have the gift by nature to proclaim the Gospel…”

It is believed by his posterity that his life proved a fulfillment of these blessings for he was a blacksmith, wagon-smith, horse-shoer, mechanic and a carpenter. He repaired musical instruments, guns, watches, clocks, he forged knives and tools of all kinds, made hobbies, chins and parts for broken equipment. He was a musician and more than all else a missionary who traveled around the earth on one such trip.

“On 17 November 1846, he and his wife Sarah York Carter received their endowments at the Nauvoo Temple at about the same time as other Carter family members did. Shortly after he became an exile when the mob forced the Saints to leave their homes in Illinois and seek new ones in the wilderness,” recalls the Carter family historian.

William Furlsbury Carter then built a home and blacksmith shop at Kanesville, Iowa, where two children were born and where he accepted and lived the doctrine of plural marriage. Before his new shop was burned by another mob, he had so much business from California bound gold seekers that he frequently had to empty the coins from his pockets as they burdened him at his smithing and forging.

Not permitted to cross the plains to Zion in the tops of the mountain valleys with the first wagon trains to cross in 1847, 1848 or 1849, as he was needed to prepare the wagons and horses and equipment of other emigrants, William Furlsbury Carter was happy to arrive in Utah in 1850 with his two wives and children, in time to be included in the Census of the Great Salt Lake County (on page 53)

William Furlsbury gave his age as 39 and birthplace as Maine in response to the census takers questions; Sara said she was born in Main 38 years ago, Roxena said Pennsylvania 20 years ago and Peter, Abiah, Lyman were reported born in Maine 18, 16, 14 years ago respectively. Martha age four months completed the enumeration as reported in the book “First Families of Utah” by Annie Walker burns and J. Emerson Miller.

When Dominicus settled in Provo, Utah, William Furlsbury followed them in the spring of 1852. He then, as he held his religion in a sacred trust, felt he must answer the call to serve as a missionary to India. He left Provo on October 22, 1852, in company with a group of other Elders taking the southern route to California.

Some of the entries he made in a diary are still preserved and serve to recall some of the problems of travel experienced over one hundred years ago before we had transcontinental railroads and airplane passenger service to practically all points of the globe. The microfilm at the Salt Lake Archives is somewhat blurred on the first few pages but after about three weeks of illegible travel entries we can read it quite readily.

W. F. CARTER DIARY EXTRACTS

Monday Nov. 15, Traveled 18 miles today. Heavy sandy road. Crossed the Rio Virgin 8 times today. Fine weather, Poor feed. 10 Indians camped with us.

Tuesday Nov. 16, Traveled nineteen miles over a mountain that took from 10-24 men with ropes to help the horses pull our wagons up. We traveled from the Rio Virgin to Muddy Creek. Bad road, fair weather.

Wednesday, Nov. 17, Traveled up the Muddy 4 miles stopped until 12 o’clock. Filled kegs and cans with water and started onto the desert. Traveled until ten in the evening and camped for the night. Good feed, good road, fine weather.

Thursday Nov. 18, Traveled to Las Vegas 52 miles from the Muddy. Rainy Friday night.

Saturday Nov. 20, To Cottonwood springs 17 miles, rough road, camped in 4 inches of snow, frosty night.

Tuesday Nov. 23, We came in sight of Brother Sherwood’s Company… camped at 7 miles spring with Amassa Lyman Company bound for the Great Salt Lake City. Bros Murdock, Rich and Gerraud were with them returning from their mission to the Society Islands. We layed by today (Wednesday) and had a meeting with good instructions.

Saturday Nov. 27, Left Bitter Springs. Middling good road. Traveled 33 miles to Mahobby [Mojave] River.

Thursday Dec. 2, Reached the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains and went down the Cajun Pass 8 miles. Camped for the night. Friday traveled to San Bernardino. Fine weather, good road. Cool and frosty night stayed with Brother Hide. This is a beautiful valley the most fertile I have ever seen. Sunday preaching by the missionaries. Good will prevails amongst the Saints. Traveled to the Warm Springs and took a bath.

Thursday Dec. 9, Very warm and beautiful weather. The brethren are busy sewing wheat. I saw beets that weighed 3 pounds and onions that weighted a pound or more, young peach trees were 9 feet tall. Sixty Saints were re-baptized.

Saturday Dec. 18, At San Gabriel traveled to Pueblo [LA].

Tuesday Dec. 18, Traveled to the coast three miles from the landing secured a room from a Spaniard named Diego Sepulvedo at $10.00 a day. Grapes, oranges, peaches and figs are raised here [LA] in abundance. This is a beautiful country with large herds of cattle, horses and sheep. Paid 15 cents for a meal at San Pedro. Stormy weather spent the day reading. Brother Pratt and family arrived here from the Islands.

I saw a big whale today playing and spouting. There was an interesting exhibition today as the Spaniards with their oxen yoked by the horns 3 yoke to the cart were drawing goods to the Pueblo of the Angels. It took seven men to drive them. From the landing up the hill they used goads and whips and much shouting and hollering.

San Pedro has no harbor. Vessels anchor a mile from the shore. There are only five buildings and they are owned by the government.

Wednesday Dec. 29, I shipped on board the Brig Fremont-Capat and next day at ten o’clock weighed anchor and sailed from San Francisco. Light breeze and foggy in the morning, calm in the evening. Stiff breeze through the night. The brethren are all seasick but one.

San Francisco is literally alive with people. They pay no regard to the Sabbath. Trading, drinking, gambling and all manner of wickedness is carried on. A large ship went ashore on Stony Point at the entrance of San Francisco Harbor a few minutes after we passed her. I saw her when she went on the rocks. She buckled and sank the next day.

1853 Wednesday Jan. 12, The missionaries met at 10 a.m. to make arrangements for collecting means for to take them to their places of destination. Bro. West and myself went aboard the ship Wilson going to Sacramento City where we stayed all night at a tavern… good fare. Traveled 16 miles to Salmon Falls where we were received kindly and treated first rate.

1853 Saturday Jan. 15, Went to Mormon Island and saw Bro. Brown wash out some gold which he gave me to remember him by… about 25 dollars. I saw a great many pore men in the diggings. Sacramento has been destroyed by fire and inundated by water… both purifying elements. Paid 3 dollars for supper, bed and breakfast. Flour is 50 cents a pound, beef 40 cents. Several of the brethren gave us money for our trip to our missions.

On 29 January 1853, William Furlsbury Cater and his companions were aboard the American clipper ship “Monsoon” and sailing westward away from the California coastline. They had managed to solicit $200 need for fare from the generous miners in the Sacramento Valley. Finally, after a long and tedious voyage they arrived at Calcutta, India on the 26th of April 1853… a three month voyage. The Gospel had been preached to passengers and crew alike on the westward journey across the Pacific.

“William Furlsbury Carter was appointed to work with William fotheringham at Dinnapore, India. The heat was so intense and the climate caused poor health so that Furlsbury could not travel, he actually could hardly walk. None of the Elders could have success in their labors as the people were divided into classes and if they joined the L.D.S. Church, they would lose their caste and become outcasts with no means of likelihood,” the Carter historian records.

“Benares was their Holy City, a beautiful place with over 40 temple buildings. People tried to go there to die as they thought that would insure a quick passage to their heaven. The few who at first accepted the Gospel lived on weeds and roots and tried to beg food as no one would let them work to earn a living. They had peculiar customs and beliefs.

Most of the people in Calcutta, India stayed in their houses during the daytime because of the heat. It was often 120 degrees even in the coolest part of your cabin William Furlsbury told his family in later years. A white man could not stay out in the sun for very long at a time; the people of India cheat and treat Americans with contempt. But the poor people would act as virtual slaves for a few pennies a day; money was a rare ting among the poorer classes. They lived on curry and rice.

William Furlsbury reported seeing many strange sights in India. After a few weeks in Singapore he and a companion returned to Calcutta where it was decided by the authorities that he should return home while he was still able to do so as his health condition was steadily worsening. Dr. Haffnagle, the American Consul at Calcutta, paid his fare on the ship “John Gilpin” bound for Boston, Massachusetts, via Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and the Atlantic Ocean.

After some days they reached a cooler climate and William F.’s fever abated. His despair of ever reaching America alive diminished notwithstanding many delays for repairs as the ship leaked badly. William wrote in his journal on October 22, 1853, just one year after leaving his family and friends at Provo, Utah:

“I have had many dark and lonesome hours and days since I left my home and no one can realize unless they pass these same circumstances, which will be rare if ever, I have not heard from home since I left, while crossing the different seas I have witnessed heavy gales, wind, thunders, storms and squalls… almost without number… the ship has twice sprung a dangerous leak in heavy seas.

“I have traveled through lands where the cholera has swept off thousands between morning and evening and dead bodies floating in the streams bespoke the great mortality of the inhabitants of that land. I feel it in my heart to praise my Heavenly Father for the preserving care he had over me the past year and the blessings he has bestowed upon me.”

Health much improved by the cooler climate of the North Atlantic, William Furlsbury docked at Boston on the 11th of November 1853. It was with happiness and thanksgiving that he journeyed to his birthplace in nearby Maine to visit relatives. He soon returned to Boston and purchased a ticket to Cincinnati, Ohio as that was as far as his funds would take him. There he sold his extra change of clothes and bag to get fare to Hancock County, Illinois, where his brother and sister lived.

On arriving at Lima, Illinois, he learned his father had been dead for over a year. There were recent letters from Utah though that brought word of his family’s good health in Utah. He rejoiced at this first news of his family in over 14 months. A son Edward M. Carter had been born during his absence. He arranged to cross the plains with the first group of emigrants leaving in the spring of 1854.

The captain of the wagon train had objected at first to his joining them, thinking no doubt that Furlsbury’s recent illness and age 43 [apparently his illness had caused much loss of weight and a poor physical appearance] would cause him to be a burden. Possibly it was the intercession of a 27 year old English convert Elizabeth Howard that gained him a place in the company. She is reported to have asked, “Why can’t we take that old man along with us?”

The woman was from a well-to-do family and when asked why she always wore silk dresses on the trail she replied they were the only kind she had. A friendship developed between these two Saints and William F. was able to repair several wagons and shoe the horses on the journey to the satisfaction of all involved. At Echo Canyon the company divided, Captain Kearns taking part and leaving Furlsbury to bring the rest in by another route which proved to be the faster road.

Captain Kearnes on arriving at Salt Lake is said to have asked Miss Howard for an extra two hundred dollars for her transportation to Utah. William Furlsbury interceded with President Brigham Young on the matter.

The solution was soon seen. William Furlsbury and Elizabeth were married at the Salt Lake Temple on 10 September 1854 and preceded on to Provo to join Sarah York Carter and Roxena Mecham Carter and the children he had not seen for almost two years. He was soon at work for the Perpetual Immigration Company, making and repairing wagons and pursuing his blacksmithing trade. Early in 1855, while working at a lathe, turning parts for chairs, tables and other household furniture, he nearly lost his life when struck in the head by a piece of wood that flew out of the lathe. He credits his recovery to faith in prayer.

William Furlsbury Carter left Provo about 1862 and spent the next two dozen years between Mona, Juan County and Santaquin, Goshen and Benjamin, Utah, where he alternately operated a store, a blacksmith shop, farms and a threshing machine which he manufactured out of parts made in his own blacksmith shop.

The Cater family biographer writes “… he lived true and faithful to the Gospel to the end of his days testifying to his great faith in Jesus Christ. He was particularly pleased to learn that he was the second L.D.S. missionary to circle the earth and the first one to carry the Book of Mormon around the world.

He departed this life on Wednesday, October 11, 1888, at 11:00 a.m. at the residence of a daughter Mrs. Arletta Cater Chatwin of Santaquin, Utah. Funeral services were conducted by Bishop George Holliday, Counselor Openshaw, and Elders Levi Openshaw and William Chatwin. Burial was at the Santaquin Cemetery. Death resulted from a general decline in health due to age and hardships endured throughout his life.

William Furlsbury Carter married five times: (1) Sara York, 1831; (2) Roxena Mecham, 12 March 1846; (3) Cordelia Hanna Mecham, 31 January 1847; (4) Elizabeth Howard, 9 October 1854; and (5) Sally Ann Mecham, 2 December 1856.

It would appear that Cordelia died soon after her marriage. There is no record of a child born to this marriage.

The index card in the Early Church Information File at the Salt Lake City Archives Room spells his name as “Foulsberry”. It gives his baptism date as November 1835 by Daniel Bean. It shows he was ordained a High Priest on 1 December 1860 by D. Carter. Other spellings as Firlsbury, etc. are all apparently in error as family descendants who should know verify the correct spelling as Furlsbury, but no one knows what the name means or how it originated.

One unidentified progeny hazarded the guess that it was a contraction of an early day New England expression having to do with the unfurling of the flag at the burial grounds. Another claims it is derived from the sea-coast custom of watching departing ships go over the horizon until their furl (flag or sails) sinks (or is buried) beneath the horizon.

Carter Pioneers of Provo, Utah, compiled by Arthur D. Coleman, pub. By J. Grant Stevenson, 260 East 2100 North, Provo, Utah 84601.

Submitted to the Nauvoo Visitor’s Center, 1 August 1996 by Helen R. Cole, Box 781, Thatcher, Arizona, Ph. 520-428-5149

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

The following are two published histories of Dr. Lee Montgomery, the first published in the History of Yell County, the second as part of The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. The second is similar, but more detailed than the first, though is does mistakenly use “Hessing” as his wife’s maiden name, which was “Herring”.

DR. H. L. MONTGOMERY A popular physician of Herring Township, was born in Mississippi on 29 September 1865, and is the son of John M. and Martha Strickland Montgomery who were natives of McNairy County, Tennessee and Marshall County Mississippi respectively. To this Mississippi family were born 13 children son of a Methodist Minister, this family emigrated to Arkansas in 1879 first locating in Faulkner County. The doctor received the greater part of his education in 1880 and began practice in 1881 on the Arkansas bottoms, thence South Bush in 1883-1884, and attended lectures in Little Rock, in 1885-1886. On 12 August 1887 he was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Herring who was born in this county 28 December 1867. Her parents Bright W. and Arah Ivey Herring were natives of Haywood County Tennessee and were born 8 January 1832 and 9 May 1836. Her father was captain of Co. F of the 3rd Arkansas Regiment of Cavalry, and belonged to the Masonic order. The doctor and wife were parents of two children: Lawrence E. and Ohma. In religion he and wife were Methodist Episcopal Church South. As a medical advisor the Doctor was held in high esteem by his patients and honored throughout his community.

Dr. H. L. Montgomery, the popular physician of Herring Township, was born in Mississippi on September 29, 1865, and is a son of John M. and Martha (Strickland) Montgomery, who were natives of McNairy County, Tenn., and Marshall County, Miss., respectively, and were married in the latter State, and to them were born a family of thirteen children. His father a Methodist minister for many years, and a member of the Masonic fraternity, emigrated to Arkansas in 1879, locating in Faulkner County, and himself and wife worship as members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The Doctor received the greater part of his education at Oxford, Miss., and began his medical studies in 1880 and commenced practice in 1881 on the Arkansas bottoms, thence South Bush in 1883-84, and attended lectures at Little Rock in 1885-86, and on August 12, of the next year, was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Hessing, who was born in this county December 28, 1867. Her parents, Bright W. and Sara (Ivey) Hessing, were natives of Haywood County, Tenn., and were born January 8, 1832, and May 9, 1836, and were the parents of ten children. Her father was captain of Company F, of Third Arkansas Regiment of Cavalry and belonged to the Masonic order. The Doctor and wife are the happy parents of two children: Lawrence E. and Ohma. In religion he and wife worship with the same denomination as did their deceased parents – Methodist Episcopal Church South. As a medical adviser the Doctor is held in high esteem by his many patients, and is honored throughout his community for his courteous and gentlemanly dealing with his fellow-men. Mrs. Mongomery is the owner of a fourth interest in a 213-acre tract of land in this county.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Judge J. E. McCall, an agriculturist of Herring Township, was born in Alabama, March 11, 1826, and is a son of John and Sarah (McCall) McCall, who were born in Richmond County, N.C., in 1800 and March 4, 1804, respectively, but were wedded in Alabama. The father, on his arrival in Alabama, was elected county commissioner of Lowndes County, and was justice of the peace of Lowndesboro Township for many years, and died in this State in 1849; his widow, still surviving and living in Alabama, is eighty-six years old, and of the Presbyterian faith, having been connected with that church for over seventy years. The subject of this sketch was united in marriage, in Dallas County, MO., December 29, 1860, to Miss Fannie Wood, born in Johnson County, this State, January 4, 1839, daughter of Isaac and Anna (Denton) Wood, and they became the parents of four children: Sarah (born August, 1886, and deceased), Paul (born December 16, 1867), John C. (born October 1, 1872) and William P. (born in 1874). In 1861 he enlisted in the Missouri State Guards, serving six months, when he entered the Confederate Army, and joined Company G, Eleventh Missouri Regiment of Infantry, and took part in the following battles: Elk Horn, Prairie Grove, Helena, Pleasant Hill, Jenkins Ferry, and was paroled at Shreveport, June, 1865. When peace was once more restored to the land he came to Arkansas and engaged in farming, which has been his occupation ever since, and owns 285 acres of land, cultivating sixty. In 1884, as an appreciation of the esteem in which he was held by his fellow-citizens, he was elected county judge, served two terms, and thus earned his present title of Judge. He has been a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal denomination for twenty-two years, and himself, wife and sons are members of a church of the same faith, and he socially belongs to the Masonic fraternity.

Goodspeed Biography and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas, Yell County, pg. 164.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Sinai and William Neal’s son James Preston Neal had told a story of he and his brother (my 3rd Great Grandfather William Thomas Neal) as boys having had the opportunity to meet Samuel Houston and welcomed him over to their parents home. When Samuel Houston inquired of his mother (Sinai) and her family names, “… she told him that she was raised on Gasper River, Warren County, Kentucky; that her father was Robbert Herrald; that her mother was an Edmiston; and that she was related to the Marshalls, Cannons, and Loves; and that her first husband was William Neal, a son of Uncle Tom and Mary Neal….” [Washington County Historical Society Flashback (Vol. 5, No. 6 - Dec 1955)] Samuel Houston, in turn, said that they must be related, as they had similar family names.

The clue from this story, put me onto Sinai’s connection with the Harreld family, where I was helped along with the history of Captain Robbert Harreld. The following is a rough compiling of my notes on the life of Robbert. I’m afraid they all run together and may not be sourced completely, so I present them as I have them. Hopefully I’ll be able to organize them better at a future date.

Robert had grown up in the Southwestern part of Virginia and was old enough to take part in the last years of the Revolutionary War. He received land in Kentucky and moved there as early as 1782; settled in that part of Lincoln County that afterwards became Logan and then, Warren County. (Source: Harrison) Robert served as a horse master in the building of the road through Cumberland Gap during the Revolution in 1780 and received a 300 acre land grant on the Green River in Lincoln (now Warren) Co, KY, on July 10, 1786. – 1810 Warren Co, KY Census with a family of 9 and 8 slaves Robert appears in the 1820 Warren County, KY Census (34-3) Died 1824 Warren Co, KY Robert had Indian troubles in Southwest VA. He came with Daniel Boone to Logan’s Station, and took his first land in 1782. 1827 Tax Lists, show his son only. March, 1782, his heirs appeared in court action. He was in the Revolution. He married Margaret Edmiston in 1780. She was first married to a Dr. (Captain) John Montgomery, who was slain by Indians. She was carried away captive by the Indians with other women from the camp. Her little black servant was left behind, but only after she had been scalped. She remained bald the rest of her life and she lived to be quite old. Margaret might have also had an infant child. Captain Robert Harreld, with others, under the command of General Ben Logan, rescued her. Robert and Margaret became parents of twelve children. Margaret’s father was Rev War Colonel, William Edmiston. See “My Forsythe Saga” by Phillip Wheeler, p 36. Lived in Washington Co, VA, then Lincoln Co, KY which became Logan Co, and then Warren Co, KY. His estate was settled 1851. Records in Bowling Green, Ky.

Robert Harreld Story: By Lewis P Summers– (By Kristin Hawkins – May 2, 2000, copied from her “Harreld, MyFamily.com” file)
“I presently live about three miles from where Robert Harreld grew up here in Washington County, VA, and pass the old farm several times each week.. Benjamin Logan lived about three miles from where I live and about six miles from Robert Harreld… In 1775, Blacks Fort was built at Wolf Hills (later Abingdon, VA) because the Indians were causing a lot of trouble in the area.. Many times people would have to go to the fort and stay several days for protection. Once, when they thought it safe to go back to their farms, people were leaving the fort and Rev Charles Cummings and his party were about halfway between the fort and his farm, the Indians attacked them and killed one of his servant men. The same morning, some girls came out of the fort and the Indians tried to capture them. One of the girls was a younger sister of William Casey, a friend of Robert Harreld. Robert was nearby when William Casey learned that his sister was in danger and by firing their rifles alternately, the two young men were able to hold the Indians at bay until the girls made it back into the fort. So, Robert Harreld had faced the Indians before he went to Ky.”
Note: This story is told in the History of Southwest Va. by Lewis P Summers of Abingdon, VA.

Most of Robert and Margaret’s children eventually wound up in central Mississippi, at least for a time. Robert Harreld had grown up in the Southwestern part of Virginia and was old enough to take part in the last years of the Revolutionary War. He received land in Kentucky and moved there as early as 1782; settled in that part of Lincoln County that afterwards became Logan and then, Warren County. The Harreld family home was outside of what is now Bowling Green, Kentucky. All of their children were born in that location. Their son, (1) Edmiston, purchased land in the western-central part of Madison County as early as 1829. He never married and spent a good deal of time in Louisiana on business ventures. Edmiston was instrumental, with the Mosby Family, in enticing his brother, Dr (2) William Edmiston Harreld to move to Madison County and set up his practice. Dr Harreld completed his medical studiews in Lexington, Kentucky in the late 1820′s and settled for a time in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1835, Dr Harreld gathered together a group of men in Madison Co, M., and joined the ranks of the Confederate Army only to return to practice when the citizens petitioned his company. (3) James Harreld came to Madison County in the early 1830′s following his brother, Edmiston. He later returned to Illinois and died in Alto Pass, Illinois. He was married twice, was considerable well-to-do and an early member of the Legislature. (4) Margaret Montgomery (Harreld) Davis, after the death of husband, moved to the area of Nashville, Tennessee, where some of her children married. She then appeared in the census in Ralls County, Missouri, and in Hannibal, Missouri in the house of Hiram and Nancy Edmiston where she died. In the 1850′s she escorted two of her grandchildren from Missouri to Madison County to visit Dr Harreld. Mrs Davis returned, but Anna Edmiston and Virginia Graham stayed in Mississippi and married. (5) Dorcus L Harreld, came to Madison Co, Mississippi, after the death of Mr Parson and lived with Edmiston and Dr Harreld. (6) Margaret Edmiston Montgomery Harreld also lived the last years of her life in the home with Dorcus, close to her son, Dr Harreld. Her remains were left under a section of Fulton Street in Canton, MS, when the city extended the street through the north side of the old Canton Cemetery. Her monument, which was moved by the Parson’s Family to the new Canton Cemetery, is located flat on the ground to the left of the entrance gate that comes off of Academy Street. It reads as follows: Margaret Edmiston Consort of Robert Harreld was born in Virginia Feb 22, 1762 and departed this life in Miss March 2, 1848 aged 81 years She’s gone from our sight like a gladning ray of light the earth but hath past away all pure to its source in heaven.
Notes from James W Rhodes of Oklahoma, great grandson of John William Harreld (author of the following).
Page 1 — John Edmiston died in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He had four boys and one daughter. The daughter married a Mr Steele. The boys were William, Samuel, Andrew, and Robert. All lived in Washington County, Virginia. Andrew and Robert were killed in the battle of Kings Mountain. Maj or William Edmiston (sometimes spelled Edmonson) was born in 1734 in Cecil County, Maryland. Records of Washington County, Virginia. His will probated August 20, 1822. Will Book No 5 , Page 57. In 1782, came with Daniel Boone to Logan’s Station, Kentucky, and took his first land. He was twice married — First, to Margaret Montgomery by whom he had 8 children. Margaret Edmiston, who first married Jon Montgomery and then Robert Harreld, is the oldest child. Margaret Edmiston-Montgomery-Harreld was born Feb 16, 1762. Her first husband, John Montgomery, was killed by the Indians along with hers and his only child. She was scalped (above shows another way the story went) and then rescued by Capt Robert Harreld, whom she later married. Her brother-in-law, Capt Robert Montgomery was killed at River Raisin in 1813. She is believed to have married Capt Robert Harreld about 1780 in Virginia. Capt Robert Harreld died about 1825 as tax lists of 1827 shows his sons as taxpayers. His heirs are named in deeds settling the estate in 1851 as a record in Bowling Green, Ky, shows. He took up land in Kentucky as early as 1782 in Lincoln County which later became Logan County , and later Warren County. After Logan County was formed in 1792, he still owned land in Lincoln Co. Capt Robert Harreld lived in Southwest Virginia, now Washington County. See…Summers History of Southwest Virginia and State of Va. Library-Report of Revolutionary Soldiers-Year of 1912.

Other records of Capt Robert Harreld. Summers History of Southwest Va – 1746, Washington County – 1777 – Book 17. Also, Drapers ‘Kings Mountain”. All from Linda Carol Strahan’s family tree– Robert and Margaret Harrald of Warren Co, KY, on May 17, 1820, by agent and attorney John Harrald, sold their claim to the land transferred by Wm Edmiston, Senr. of Washington Co., VA, by deed April 28, 1809 (except one undivided third of property and undivided 13th part, Gen William Campbell Edmiston 12th part, Vance Greer (Hetty Esther’s son-in-law) 12th part, James Gillespie & wife Patsey Gillespie, and John Beatty and wife Sally Beatie. Witnesses were William E Kennedy and Thomas Buchanan (Lincoln Co Deeds 101-B-1, p 103). Also, she has listed an Infant Harreld, b January 30, 1799.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Andrew Alexander Crawford would have been the husband of my 3rd Great Grandmother’s older sister Rachel.

Andrew Alexander Crawford was born November 11, 1812 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He was the son of John Crawford and his first wife, Margaret Buchanan. See decendants of Alexander and Mary McPheeters Crawford by Forbes and Sammis and Decendants of the Buchanan Families of Washington County by Allan S. Humphries. Both his grandfathers were Revolutionary War patriots. His paternal grandfather William Crawford served as Private and patriot manufacturing and supplying arms to the Continental Army, Augusta County, Virginia. His maternal grandfather, Andrew Buchanan, also from Augusta County, Virginia served in the Continental Army and attained the rank of Captain.

Andrew first married Minerva Buchanan. It’s thought she was the daughter of Moses Buchanan. They had one child, Robert who later became a lawyer in Spearfish, South Dakota. Minerva was murdered by a negro slave named Caroline. Robert was just a small child. See an account of this murder and trial written by Mrs. Maurice Cruse in Flashback, Vol VII, #4 Jul 1957.

Andrew then married Rachel Tinnin, the daughter of Hugh and Betsy (Rutherford) Tinnin. In April of 1849, Andrew, in the company of 85 men from Washington and surrounding counties left for the gold fields of California. Lewis Evans was captain of this group of “Fourty Niners”. Andrew suffered from scurvy on the trip. Some men were never heard from, but Andrew made the trip home safely. He managed to bring each child a gold nuggett. In the year of 1859, he was serving as Justice of the Peace in Washington County, performing marriages, etc. Then in the first part of the Civil War, he was serving as County Judge. He then enlisted in the Confederate Army and fought in the battle of Pea Ridge and other western battles. He died at Rienzi, near Corinth, Mississippi from heat exposure during the Battle of Shiloh, May 23, 1862.

In the memoirs of Col., J.P. Neal, who was married to Lucy Tinnin, Rachel’s sister, Col. Neal mentions a house raising in the Prairie Grove valley in 1839. The house was on the east side of Cane Hill and belonged to Andy Crawford. He also mentions that the morning after the battle of Prairie Grove he was climbing a hill and met 200 Federal prisoners under guard on Andy Crawford’s farm. It was later the Mike Nail place. We don’t know how Rachel managed after the war, but she had lost her husband and oldest son, Hugh when it was over. She may have been homeless after it’s destruction. It was with the aid of the Catholic Sisters that she was given a milk cow to help provide for her children. Later in the 1870 Federal Census, she was living with her children in the home of William D. Crawford, Andrew’s brother and his family.

The only child of Andrew and Minerva was Robert, born about 1838. Rachel Tinnin was born in Mississippi January 15, 1826 and died 1903 or 1904 according to her widow’s pension records. The children of Andrew and Rachel were: Hugh, born about 1845 and died unmarried in the Civil War. Margaret, born about 1847 and married John “Lum” Henson. Susan “Sug” born about 1853 and married first: Isham House and second: H. Covey. Martha Halbert (Mattie) Crawford, born Feburary 11, 1854 – died January 16, 1899 in Floyd County, Texas, married John Washington Smith November 11, 1877 in Washington County, Arkansas (See J.W. Smith Family). Andrew Neal Crawford, born March 13, 1856 – died in Florida, married Laura Baird, children: Mrs. C.M. Garrett, Mrs. P.W. Wybrecht, Mrs. S.K. Booth and Alvin A. Crawford from his obituary. Lucy Crawford, born August 30, 1856 – died December 10, 1938, married Alexander Cruse, January 13, 1878 see To Kimberly, with Love by Lillian Cruse Woods and Buell Beverly Woods. Emily (Emma) Crawford, married first: George McKinzie on September 9, 1880, second: Huff, this family moved to Belton, in Bell County, Texas. Alice Crawford married Frank Parkhurst on January 25, 1880, she died leaving at least one daughter.

Source: Ruth Lee, History of Washington County Arkansas, Shiloh Museum, Springdale, Arkansas, 1989 – Family History Library – US/CAN 976.714 D3n

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

While my sister was in college she took a class on the subject of genealogy. As part of her family research she collected a few items that made great additions to my collection of family history material. One of these items was a typed letter from Mable T. Overnolts, president of the Santiam Historical Society and Museum committee in 1991. She wrote the following in response to my sister’s inquiry about J.K. McCall and his wife Miss Azle:

1985 E. Cedar St.,
Stayton, OR 97383-1437
April 03, 1991

Dear Lisa,
Your letter of May 20th to the Stayton Public Library was passed on to our Santiam Historical Society at 260 N. 2nd Ave, Stayton, OR. The Library has moved into their new building at 515 N. 1st Ave., tele 503 769 3313 as of spring of 1990.

You are in luck. I am Mable T. Overnolts (retired R.N.) now president of the Santiam Historical Society and Museum committee. We have taken the building vacated by the Library that was built in 1927-1928 by the Stayton Community women’s club, and turned it into a much needed museum.

We, my husband Marvin & I, sold our east lots in Stayton to JK & Azle in 1957 where they built a fine three bedroom house at 847 E. Virginia St.

After the Oct 12, 1962 storm in our area that “downed” trees and buildings, Mr JK McCall broke out with a case of “Shingles” over his left scapula (shoulder blade) area and up the neck into his hair line. He suffered untold agony for nearly a year, and was not very well there-after.

He loved to go hunting with his sons into the John Day river area of central northern Oregon and fishing in the Lakes Wikiup, Paulina, Diamond and others of Central Oregon in the Mt. Jefferson area.

Of the children, I believe Jack (Buster as I knew him) is gone, Faye Fasholtz Ware is gone as of (Oct 7, 1912-Aug 4, 1988), surviving her are sons Charles of Seattle, John of Yakima, Wash; She was buried in Lone Oak cemetery here in Stayton. Robert Lee McCall born May 22, 1896 died March 7, 1989 at age 92. Born at Gravelly, Ark., moved to New Mexico in 1923 then to Eugene, OR. 1933 and came to Stayton in 1943. Farmed east of town about 4 miles out. He was a farmer and Army veteran of World War I. He married Etoyle Montgomery on Feb. 7, 1920 in Ark.

Survivors include wife;, sons, Robert W. of Stayton, Harold Dean of Baker, sisters, Sina Skinner of Carlsbad, NM, G. Dewey of Stayton, half brothers Charles W. of Stayton and Jim Bill of Cottage Grove.

Hope this is of help to you. A contribution to the Santiam Historical Society would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely, (Signed Mable T. Overnolts)

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

I’m always trying to collect tid-bits of history, those morsels of stories that give meaning to the names and dates that public records make available. James Preston Neal was a historian and a well-known figure in his day. Not only was much written about him, but much history was written by his hand.

In an effort to connect with more of his decedents, I’m posting some histories written of him below. I am unsure of copy-write – other than the sources I list along with the histories – and share with the intent to learn more about this great individual. Feel free to leave a comment following the histories.

JAMES P. NEAL, THE FOUNDER OF PRAIRIE GROVE

(Editor’s note: Among the documents loaned to our Society by the late James P. Neal Jr., are two manuscripts giving the history of the Neal (Neel) family. These manuscripts – No. 1 in ink and No. 2 in pencil – were evidently written by members of the family. We are publishing them exactly as written, although we are unable to identify the author. – WJL)

No. 1

Thomas and Mary Neel were born in Northern Ireland in 1760 and 1762. They were married there and one or more of their children were born there. They came to America about 1780 and probably landed somewhere on the Virginia coast.

Many of their relatives and neighbors had preceded them to America and had settled in Chester and Lancaster counties, Pennsylvania, eastern Maryland, and Virginia. The first of these had come over about 1730. John Neel came about 1730 and settled in Lancaster County, PA. One or more brothers came with John. These were probably the uncles of Thomas Neel, in whom we are interested.

Thomas Neel, having purchased a Virginia land warrant, found a site to his satisfaction, surveyed the land, and obtained title under his soldier’s land warrant. This land was on the Gasper River in Logan County, Kentucky, now Butler County. Here Thomas and Mary Neel found a haven of rest. Their Huguenot ancestors had been driven from France by religious persecution to Northern Ireland and thence to America. Far away from kings and religious intolerance, to a virgin land never before trampled by white men, they erected their log cabin and began clearing their land. Their hardships from travel, sickness and Indians were amply repaid by this final haven of rest and home.

Thomas and Mary Neel reared a family of three boys and seven girls. The boys were: William, James, and John; the girls were Ann (Neel) Moody, Mariah (Neel) Garrison, Sarah W. (Neel) Nounce, Susanna (Neel) Mehand, Mary (Neel) Hutchison, Jean (Neel) Slops, and Rachel (Neel) Porter.

Thomas Neel died in Butler County, Kentucky on December 8, 1843. Mary Neel, his widow, died in Butler County, February 1, 1846. They are buried side-by-side in the Richelieu cemetery, near their homestead. When I visited their graves in July 1937, the marble slabs were black and crumbling. That of Thomas had fallen down and part of the inscription crumbled away. The inscriptions were as follows:

“In memory of Thomas Neel who was born in Ireland —– 10th, 1760 and died —– 8th, 1843, aged 83 years. He lived a consistent life and died the death of a Christian.”
“In memory of Mary Neel, consort of T. Neel, who was born in Ireland Dec. 22nd, 1762 and died Feb. 14th, 1846, aged 83y. 1m. and 22d. She lived a consistent life and died the death of a Christian.”

William Neel, son of Thomas and Mary Neel, married Sinai Harrold at Bowling Green, Kentucky, January 27, 1817. From this union two sons were born; William Thomas Neel and James Preston Neal.

William Neal died in Butler County, Kentucky, November 27, 1821. His widow, Sinai Neel (born Harrold), married the Rev. Andrew Buchanan at Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1828, and with her two sons, William Thomas Neel and James Preston Neel, moved to Washington County, Arkansas, in 1829. Here husband, Rev. Andrew Buchanan, pre-empted the land on which the town of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, is now located.

James Preston Neal married Adaline Bean, daughter of Mark Bean of Cane Hill, Arkansas. They moved to Austin, Texas, where he practiced law. Four children were born to them at Austin; Eleanora, Mark B., Samuel B., and Beauregard. Adaline Bean Neal died at Austin in 186–. Their daughter Eleanora married Richard H. Hyde of Lovelady, Texas; Samuel B. Neal married Maggie Mock at Prairie Grove, Arkansas; mark and Beaure died without issue.

William Thomas Neel, brother of James Preston Neal, married Lucy J. Tinnin at Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Their children were Andrew Buchanan, William Thomas, Hugh Tinnin, Joel Perry, and Annie. William Thomas Neel was a Captain in the 6th Arkansas Confederate Volunteers and was killed in 1865.

James Preston Neal married his brother’s widow, Lucy J., at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, January 1869. They had three children; James Preston II, Sinai B., and Jay Dudley.

James Preston Neal II married M. Etta Wrightsman at Pawnee, Oklahoma, December 10, 1895. Four children were born to them: Barbara, Eugen Preston, Jessie, and James Preston III. Barbara Neal died August 1923. Eugene Preston Neal married Martha Brown at Tulsa, Oklahoma, February 193–. They have two children: Jame Stanley and Eugene Wrightsman. Jessie Neal married Alexander Humple at Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 1937. James Preston Neal III married Desha Thompson at Cincinnati, Ohio, October 1932. They have one child: James Preston Neal IV.

No. 2

Col. (James P.) Neal was 9 years old when he came to Washington County. He studied law in the office of Judge David Walker at Fayetteville and after being admitted to the bar became the law partner of Judge Walker. In 1847 he volunteered in the Mexican War and was elected First Lieutenant in Captain Enyart’s company of Arkansas Mounted Volunteers and served throughout the war. He was mustered out of service with his company at Comargo, Mexico. He returned to Fayetteville and resumed the practice of law. He married Adaline Bean, the daughter of Mark Bean of Cane Hill, and with his wife moved to Austin, Texas, where he practiced law at the outbreak of the Civil War. His wife Adaline died at Austin in 1861. After the war he moved to Huntsville, Texas, and practiced law. There he married, but his wife and children from this marriage were lost in the yellow fever epidemic, which swept the South after the war.

His brother, Captain William T. Neel of the 6th Arkansas Volunteer Regiment, was killed during the Civil War. In 1868, Colonel Neal returned to Washington County, Arkansas, and married his brother’s widow Lucy J. Neel, nee Tinnin, and engaged in farming and merchandising. He platted the town of Prairie Grove and erected the first store building, win which he conducted a general merchandising business. He secured a flower mill by donating four acres of land for its location. He donated the land for the Methodist Church. His stepfather, Andrew Buchanan, organized the Cumberland Presbyterian Church here and donated the land on which the church and cemetery are now located.

Col. James P. Neal had an unusual knowledge of the early history of the county. He wrote many articles for the county and state papers, depicting incidents and history of those early times.

… The state was under “carpet bag rule” for several years after the war until free elections were re-established. The southern part of the Prairie Grove valley was attached to the Hogeye voting precinct. As that town has saloons, election day was always a nightmare to the men of the Valley. In 1871 Colonel Neal, John Mock, Dr. Rogers, Col, M.F. Lake and other leading men of the Valley succeeded in getting the Prairie Grove voting precinct established.

William Rogers built a blacksmith shop across the road and a few hundred feet southeast of the school house. This shop housed the first post office and voting place. In 1872 Colonel Neal conceived the idea of founding the town of Prairie Grove. He erected a stone building on what afterwards became the northwest corner of Buchanan and Mock streets and opened a general merchandise store. A little later he secured the location of a flour and grist mill, by donating four acres of land for its site and other inducements such as the use of water from the spring. This four acres was at the southwest corner of Buchanan and Mock streets. The company that built the mill was composed of McFetridge, Baggett and Rogers. After the mill was in operation, Baggett and Rogers sold their interest to McFetridge.

In 1875 the plat of the town was made and placed on record. The first lot sold was to Neal Kidd. This lot is on the northeast corner of Buchanan and Mock streets. Neal Kidd erected a stone building on this lot and opened a general supply store for farm needs. He had harness, saddles, farm implements and such. This was the second business house built.

The third was built by McFetridge and his son-in-law, John Ewing, on the southeast corner of Buchanan and Mock streets. Ewing opened with a stock of general merchandise. The building of the mill established Prairie Grove as the business center of the valley. H.C. and G.W. Crowell purchased the store and stock of goods from Colonel Neal. Other businesses that opened within the next few years were: B.A. Carl & Son’s store; D.F. McMillan’s general store; A.B. Rich & Son, general store; Robert Crowell, drugs; Dixon & Cummings, harness and saddles; Nees & Son, general store; Dorman & Welch, tombstones; Wm. Gillis; and Dr. W.B. Blanton. G.H. Crowell opened a hotel and livery stable. Dr. C.G. Garrison began the manufacture and sale of his own patent medicines and erected a building for this purpose at the north end of Mock street on Garrison avenue.

Source: Flashback published by Washington County Historical Society, Fayetteville Arkansas
Vol. IX, No. 3, July 1959. Page 7-9

Col. James P. Neal

Col. James P. Neal, one of the old residents of Washington County, Ark., who is now retired from active business life, was born in Butler County, Ky., March 24, 1820, and is a son of William Neal, and a grandson of Thomas Neal. The latter was a Virginian, whose ancestors were Irish, and one of the early settlers of Kentucky, in which State William Neal was born, reared and married. His wife ‘s maiden name was Sinai Harreld, whose parents were also Virginians, of English ancestry. After Mr. Neal’s death, which occurred when James P. was a child, she married again, and in 1829 moved to Arkansas with her husband, Rev. Andrew Buchanan, a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, locating on the land on which the Colonel now resides. Here Col. Neal was reared on the farm, and in 1847 volunteered in the Mexican War, marching through Texas into Mexico. He arose to the rank of first lieutenant, and served in this capacity until the close of the war, being mustered out at Comargo in 1848. Previous to his entering the army he had read law, been admitted to the bar, and had practiced his profession in Fayetteville, and after returning home he resumed his profession, which he continued until 1851, when he was elected mayor of Fayetteville, and held the office until 1854. In 1849 he was married to Miss Adaline Bean, daughter of Capt. Mark Bean, and cousin of the late Col. Tom Bean, the Bonham, Tex., millionaire. In 1854 he moved to Austin, Tex., owing to his wife’s failing health , where she died in 1863. During the war Mr. Neal was actively engaged in furnishing the Confederate army with supplies. He was a presidential elector, and voted for Jeff Davis for his second term. In 1868 he returned to Prairie Grove, Ark., then made historic by the battle of December 7, 1862, between the Federal and Confederate forces, commanded respectively by Gens. Blunt and Hindman. In 1869 he was married to the widow of his brother, Col. William T. Neal, who was killed by the Federals in a skirmish near Clarksville, Ark., in 1864. In 1871 he established the town of Prairie Grove, built the first store and engaged in merchandising, being also appointed postmaster of the town. He held this position until 1887, when he was obliged to resign on account of failing health, and is now living at his beautiful suburban residence, free from the cares of business life, surrounded by the lovely groves and grand old trees made memorable by the incidents of the battle, where that famous old spring comes bubbling forth with its crystal water, where both Federals and Confederates slaked their thirst and bathed their bleeding wounds. Col. Neal has held many positions of trust, and has done muc h to build up the town. His donations of real estate to public and charitable buildings have been munificent. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a worthy and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His first union resulted in the birth of six children, only two of whom (Nora and Sam Bell) grew to mature years. To his present union three children have been born: James Preston, Sinai Belle and Jay Dudley. Mr. Neal has written and published many interesting sketches of the early times in Arkansas.

Source: WASHINGTON COUNTY_page 995 (Accessed from an online link that is no longer active)

James Preston Neal

James Preston Neal (1820-aft 1889) husband of Adaline Bean (daughter of Mark Bean and Nancy Sparks) was a veteran of the Mexican War. He volunteered in 1857 and marched through Texas into Mexico. He arose to the rank of first lieutenant, and served in this capacity until the close of the war, being mustered out at Comargo in 1848. In 1851 he was elected Mayor of Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas and held that office until 1854. During the Civil War he was actively engaged in furnishing the Confederate army with supplies. His brother, Col. William T. Neal, who was killed by the Federals in a skirmish near Clarksville, Johnson County. Arkansas in 1864. In 1871 he established the town of Prairie Grove in Washington County, built the first store and engaged in merchandising, being also appointed postmaster of the town. He held this position until 1887, when he was obliged to resign on account of failing health. He authored and published many interesting sketches of the early times in Arkansas.

Source: History: Col James P Neal: Washington Co., Arkansas Biography By Kristin Hawkins – May 3, 2000 Source: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Co unties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889 –

DR. JOHN M. MONTGOMERY
Dr. John M. Montgomery, Sr., one of the oldest practitioners in the county of Yell, and like many other prominent citizens of the county, a native of Tennessee, was born in Giles County on March 11, 1823. He was reared on a farm in Hardeman County, Tenn., and his early opportunities for an education were limited. In 1841 he began for himself as a farmer, but feeling the need of a better education he entered the college at Bethel, Tenn., in the fall of that year. He remained there until March, 1843, when his father died, and he was obliged to return home to take care of the estate.

He left home in 1844, and on January 1, 1845, he was married to Miss Angelene G. Strickland, daughter of S. S. Strickland of Tippah County, Miss. The Doctor settled in the last named county, and was there engaged in farming and teaching school until 1853, when his wife died leaving him with four children-three sons and a daughter: James Scott, Mary G., Samuel J. and John M. The eldest died in Texas, and the remainder are married, and two are living in Arkansas. The other is in the Lone Star State.

After the death of his wife Dr. Montgomery was given a circuit and began preaching for the Methodist Church, leading the life of an itinerant preacher for two years. He was at this time located in North Mississippi, and during this time he began reading medicine. In the fall of 1854 he took a course of lectures at Memphis, Tenn., and later began practicing in Marshall County, [p.172] Miss. He took a second course of lectures in 1855 at Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated in 1855.

In the fall of that year, October 17, he was married to Miss Martha C. Nichols of Marshall County, Miss. He continued the practice of medicine for five years in that county and then removed to Fayette County of that State, where he remained until 1865, when he removed to Abbeville on the Mississippi Central Railroad, continuing his practice at that place for fifteen years. From there he moved to Conway Station, Faulkner County, Ark., continuing there five years, and in the fall of 1885 he came to Rover Township. Yell County, Ark.

On December 3, 1887, he moved to Gravelly Hill, where he now resides and where he has continued his practice until the present time. During all this time he has also given his attention to ministerial work. When he came to this township he bought a tract of partially improved land, and since then he has erected buildings, and made many important changes. Part of this tract he has sold off into town lots. He is the father of twelve living children, all grown up and married but two. He is a Jacksonian Democrat in politics. He is one of a company endowing the academy at this place.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Hugh Tinnin
James Tinnin of Scotland, born 1758, died 1844, married Hannah. James is listed in D. A. R. Patriot Idex as pensioned and PVT. of North Carolina. He had one son, possibly others of Orange County, North Carolina, Hugh Tinnin, married Isabella Thompson, who was a sister of Laurence Thompson of Scotland. Hugh and Isabella has the following children: 1. Azaria, 2. Hugh, 3. Laurence, 4. Thomas, 5. John 1770-1835; married to Elizabeth Moore, 6. Lemuel, 7. Mary Jane married Richard Harrison, 8. Sarah married Andrew Allen.

John Tinnin married Elizabeth Moore in Nashville, Tennessee. Her mother was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They had the following children: 1. Rachel, born 1798, 2. Hugh, born 1800/died December 13, 1869 in Burleson County, Texas, 3. Graville moved to Austin, Texas, 4. Asa was living in Hinds County, Mississippi in 1830 census, 5. John moved to Lampasas, Texas, 6. Brown, born 1805, married Susan Fletcher, stayed in Mississippi, 7. Martha, married John E. Shephard in 1843, 8. Jane married John Carr and moved to Austin, Texas.

Hugh Tinnin, born in 1800, died in Burleson County, Texas. Hugh first married Betsy Rutherford. Their children were: 1. Rachal, born January 15, 1826, died in 1903 or 1904, she married Andrew Alexander Crawford of Washington County, Arkansas (see A. A. Crawford_. 2. Elizabeth, born August 17, 1827, 3. Lucy Jane, born August 12, 1828 in Clinton, Mississippi. Lucy married first to Col. William T. Neal, second to Col J.P. Neal. Her tombstone inscription says she came to Arkansas in 1836. Both William and James Preston Neal were prominent figures in Washington County, Arkansas having come to that county with their mother and stepfather Reverend and Mrs. Andrew Buchanan in 1829. James P. Neal was a noted lawyer. 4. Granville, born 1829.

Betsy (Rutherford) Tinnin died and Hugh married her sister, Fanny Rutherford. Fanny died in 1846. Their children were 1. John, born July 7, 1836, 2. Harriet, born July 22, 1839 in Arkansas. She married Richard Barron August 16, 1869 in Washington County, Arkasas. See “Joseph Barron And His Decendants” by Jack L. Barron. 3. William born August 13, 1840, 4. Emaline, born 1842, 5. Hugh, born December 12, 1843, died February 21, 1846.

Hugh Tinnin married third to Helen Mary Kirkpatrick. Helen was born in 1825 in Kentucky. She died June 24, 1893, buried in Oak Wood Cemetery in Austin, Texas. Their children were 1. Albert, b. May 8, 1849, d. 1875 2. Mary Melvina, born August 15, 1850, died May 25, 1851, 3. Cleopatra (Miss Clippy), born May 24, 1852, married Henry Roberts, 4. Pinckney, born March 12 , 1854, died August 30, 1916, married Effie Littlepage, 5. Susanella, born August 25, 1855, 6. Matison, born February 1, 1857, died February 14, 1931, 7. Eddie, born August 25, 1860, died May 29, 1861.

Matison Tinnin who was born February 1, 1857 married Elizabeth Angeline Willoughby, January 13, 1884. Their children were: 1. Helen Mary, born October 23, 1885, died March 24, 1979, 2. Elmira, born October 28, 1887, died September 2, 1877 married William Lawrence Ilfrey, born December 29, 1897, died May 8, 1977, both are buried in Baytown, Texas. Their children are William Tinnin Ilfrey and Allen Ilfrey BA BS University of Texas. 3. Hugh, born March 30, 1889, died april 12, 1962, married first to Ruth Dawson, their children were: Elizabeth, Mary Jane and Dawson. He married a second time to Mattie Mae Carter, born December 7, 1896, their children were Helen Lou and Dorthy Jean, Ph. D., married Troy L. Joyner.

Hugh Tinnin moved with his family from Mississippi to Washington County, Arkansas in about 1836. His first wife was Betsy Rutherford and when she died he married her sister, Fanny Rutherford. Betsy probably died while the family still lived in Mississippi. Fanny died in Washington County where he found his third wife, Helen Mary Kirkpatrick, whose family had moved from Kentucky to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Letters addressed to him were addressed to Mr. Hugh Tinnin, Esquire, Boonsboro, Arkansas. Federal Census shows his residence in Mountain Township.

John Carr, Tinnin’s brother-in-law, persuaded Tinnin to try his lot in Texas. The Tinnins took a route that would avoide the swollen streams and evade Indian attacks as much as possible. In order to finance the trip they stopped off along the way to buy supplies for soldiers quartered at various camps. The family and many of the slaves they brought with them fell ill with malaria fever. This delayed their progress and it took the greater part of 2 years to make the trip.

The Tinnins arrived in Texas in 1850. Hugh bought about 500 acres of fine bottom land south of the Colorado River – land that is completely within the boundaries of Austin. He had about two miles of river frontage. The old crossing where cattle were driven up the Chishold Trail was on Tinnin land. It was called the Tinnin Ford.

Hugh and Helen Mary made a trip to Burleson County to look after some property they had there. Hugh fell ill, died, and had to be buried there. Helen returned to Austin. Later, a son by his first wife, came to Texas to claim his portion of the estate. A general division was made to all the surviving children: thus a very large plantation was broken into many parts. See “Women In Early Texas” Edited by Evelyn M. Carrington, PhD.

This information was developed from boxes of old letters and papers belonging to Hugh Tinnin’s family of Austin, Texas. The greatest contributor was Miss Helen Tinnin (Matison’s daughter), Dorothy Jean Joyner and Allan Ilfrey. Mattie Mae Tinnin, age 90, of Austin made it possible for me to collect it all.
- By: Ruth Lee