Page 81 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

194 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

Ifather died in 1856, when seventy-three y e w of first child dying in her fourth year. Mr. M d -

/age, and the mother's death occurred in her fifty- ding is a prominent member of the K. of H. and

eighth year. The names of their children are: 8.of P. I n politics he ia a stanch Democrat,

William S. (a prominent farmer in Jefferson Coan- and that party has a valuable ally in him, owing

ty),Melka (wife of Capt. W. S. Maloomh, a farmer t o his influence in that county, and it was through

iand extensive stock raiser of Arkansas County),Mrs. this faot that Madding postoffice was established
W. 8. Wilcox (widow of Capt. Wilaox, now resid- in 1887.

ing in Arkansas County), Emily (also in Arkansas John T. Marsh, commission merchant, Pine

County), D. F. (farming in Jefferson County), and Bluff, Ark. Amongst the representative classes

George L. (the principal in this sketch). George L. : that go to make op our commercial fabric, that of

aame with his parents to Red Fork, Ark., and was com~nissionmerchant forma an important part. I n

there educated. He was just intending to prepare this line of business is found a thoroughly repre-

for a collegiate course when the war interrupted his sentative firm in that of Messrs. Marsh & Atkin-

plans, and he was forced to do without. Two of I eon, the well-known commission merchants. Mr.

his brothers were killed while in the Confederate Marsh owes his origin to Troup County, Ga.,

army: John a t Bowling Green, Ky., and Albert where his birth occurred on March 28, 1843, hav-

a t Oak Hill, Mo. Wheu twenty years of age ing been born to the union of John J. and Cath-

George commenced in life for himself. He was I erine ( G d w i n ) f i s h . John J. Marsh was a

employed by others for about two yearn, when his native of North Carolina, grew to manhood in that

spirit of independence began to n e a d itaelf. and Stata and later went to Georgia, where he met and

he entered into an agreement with another party married Miss G d w i n , a descendant of a noted

to farm on shares. After this venture he farmed Georgia family. He was a farmer and followed

on rented land up to the year 1870, when he came this pursuit in Georgia until 1848, when he moved

to New Gascony, Ark.; and entered into commer- to Louisiana,locating near Vernon, Jackson Pariah.

cia1 life with a capital of $175. He remained at I n 1850 he moved to Claiborne Parish, relrred his

New Gascony i1nt11 the year 1888, and was very family there and received his final summons about

successful in his various enterprises. At the pres- 1 1880. He served through two of the Indian wars,

ent time he owns 2,100 acres of very fertile land / and for his bravery and gallant conduct was pro-

in Jefferson County, and 1,100 acres in Arkansas moted to the rank of major. John T. Marsh grew

County. Out of this he has placed 1,500 acres to manhood in Louisiana, and like most of the

under cultivation. Besides his large farming in- youths of that vicinity as he grew up he devoted

terests Mr. Madding has established a branch store his time and attention to farming, receiving in the

at Corner Stone, which haa been running four meantime agood common school education. Wheu

years; one a t Swan Lake, which has been estab- I eighteen years of age he enlisted in the Uonfeder-
lished for two years, and one upon his farm a t i ate Army, SeventeenthLouisiana Infantry, as pri-

Mad*, which place has been named after him vate (June, 1861). and served until cessation of

Iia8 a mark of honor. He deals in supplies of every hostilities, when he was paroled in June, 1865, at

nature, and has established a trade amounting to Alexandria, La. He partioipated in the battle of

over $80,000 annually, and his name throughout I Sbiloh-Farming, Port Gibson, where he received a
Jefferson County is one of the most substantial gunshot wound in the side, but only disabled for a
Ifinancially in that section. I n 1876 he was mar- short time,when he participated in the following en-

(ried to Miss Atlanta Massey, a daughter of Maj. gagements: Black River, Choctaw Bayou, and was

M. M. Massey, formerly of Humphrey8 County, in the whole siege of Vickshurg. He was captured,

Tenn., hut now of Arkansas Uounty, Ark. Five paroled and was afterward in t,he engineer depart-

children were born to this union: Clara A,, Fred- ment. After the war he returned home, tilled the

erick E., George T., John W. and Charles J., the soil for a year, and in 1866 went to New Orleans,

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