History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas

(Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1889)

FRANKLIN COUNTY
Richard W. Hill was born in Limestone Township, of this county, December 14, 1838, and is a son of Robert and Mary E. (Warren) Hill, natives of Tennessee, who came to Arkansas in 1836, and located in Mulberry Valley. Here the father farmed until his death in 1855. Our subject is the only surviving son of a family of three sons and two daughters who grew to maturity. One of his brothers died in the Indian Territory, and one in Texas, both leaving families. The sisters, Mrs. William Dickerson and Mrs. J. Hill, live in this county. Richard W. grew to manhood upon the home farm, and in May, 1861, enlisted in the State troops. In August of the same year, upon the disbandment of his regiment, he joined the regular army, and served as a private under Col. Gordon until the end of the war. He participated in the fights at Pilot Knob, Mo., Big Blue, Jefferson City, Kansas City and Independence, besides numerous skirmishes. He returned home in May, 1865. In 1856 he was married to Mary E. Courts, daughter of Robert E. Courts, and a native of this county. He then located sixteen miles north of Ozark, where he has a fine farm of 810 acres, over 600 of which are good valley land. He cultivates 380 acres, and devotes six acres to fruit growing. He is a well-to-do and successful farmer, and has one of the best farms in this vicinity. Mrs. Hill died in 1872, leaving one daughter, Martha E., wife of E. M. Fowler. Mr. Hill afterward married Mary Anderson, daughter of Cane Anderson, and a native of Tennessee. To this marriage three children have been born: Jennie, Robert E. Lee, Samuel J. Tilden and Joseph E., who died January 2, 1888, aged twelve. Mrs. Hill died January 10, 1888, a member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Hill is a Royal Arch Mason, and has held several official positions in the Blue Lodge.

Notes: Mrs. William Dickerson is Nancy Hill and Mrs. J. Hill is Mary Jane Hill, husband of Joseph Hill son of William Allison Hill and Winea Louisa Warren.

Robert J. Gray, vice-president of the Citizens' Bank, of Eureka Springs, was born four miles west of Clarksville, Johnson Co., Ark. He is a son of William and Emma (Crothers) Gray. William Gray was born in Maryland in 1813, and came West as an army surgeon in 1835. He was an eminent and successful physician. During the Mexican War he served in the volunteer army service. He was elected colonel and given charge of Fort Gibson for ten months. After 1835 he served in the regular army as surgeon for several years. He was of Scotch-English descent, and was finely educated, having graduated from Harvard College. While a resident of Johnson County, Ark., he represented the county in the State Legislature, and was a candidate for re-election at the time of his death, which occurred on May 16, 1851, at Clarksville, Ark. His widow was born in New York, and is still living with her son, the subject of this sketch. Both parents were consistent members of the Episcopal Church. In 1852 the mother married John F. Hill, a veteran of the Mexican War, and a colonel in the Confederate army during the Civil War. He died in Clarksville in February, 1882. He was a Mason of high standing, and at one time was a member of the State Senate. Robert J. Gray was reared in Clarksville to the age of thirteen years, when, in 1859, he started in company with relatives across the plains to California, reaching there after a six months' trip. He remained on the frontier, engaged in farming, mining, etc., for eighteen years, when he returned to Arkansas. Locating at Clarksville, in 1876, he engaged in merchandising with John F. Hill, and continued for three years. In the spring of 1880 he came to Eureka Springs, and for seven years was engaged in the liquor business, after which he was elected vice-president of the Citizens' Bank, and was acting president of the same for six months. Mr. Gray is also a member of the firm of Freeman, Gray & Co., dealers in produce and stock. His marriage with Anna Doss, of Eureka Springs, was celebrated on June 20, 1883. Mrs. Gray is a native of Tennessee, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Gray is a Mason, a member of the K. of P. and I. O. O. F.

Notes: John F. Hill is John Fry Hill, son of Mark Hill and Rachel Fry.

THE CIVIL WAR.
page 397
Regular Confederate Troops.–Company E, Sixteenth Arkansas Infantry, was the first company of regular Confederate troops formed in Carroll County. It was organized in October, 1861, at the militia muster at Green Forest, and numbered ninety-three men. The officers were Captain, W. S. Poynor; first lieutenant, A. S. McKennon; second lieutenant, W. W. Wilson; junior second lieutenant, James H. Berry. This company, with one each from Searcy, Conway and (at present) Boone, rendezvoused at Carrollton, and were there organized as a battalion, under Lieut.-Col. Moore, ignorant of the fact that they lacked one company of having the required number for this. The “battalion” proceeded to Fayetteville, and reported to Gen. McCulloch, who declined to recognize their organization. They were detailed to Trott's store, Benton County, and there organized, with three companies from Johnson, one from Washington, one from Madison and one from Pike, into the Sixteenth Regiment of Arkansas Infantry, under Col. John F. Hill.

Notes: John F. Hill is John Fry Hill, son of Mark Hill and Rachel Fry.

COUNTY OFFICERS.
Sheriff.–The incumbents of this office, elected for two years, have been as follows: P. M. Johnson, 1836-46; Joseph Bowen, 1846-48; B. Vaughan, 1848-58; T. D. Berry, 1858-60; E. Drake, 1860-64; W. K. Henderson, 1864-66; Lee Taylor, 1866-67; B. Vaughan, 1867-68; A. K. Berry, 1868-71; G. W. R. Smith, 1871-74; J. Gilliland, 1874-76; B. Vaughan, 1876-78; J. J. Taylor, 1878-80; J. C. Long, 1880-84; C. C. Hill, 1884-88.

Notes: C.C.Hill is Christopher Columbus Hill, son of Joseph Hill and Emeline Jones. It is believed that this list applies to Madison County.