Benton Co., AR - Biographies - Capt. William Marion Keith

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        Date: 20 Jun 1998
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SOURCE:  Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.
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Capt. William Marion Keith. In giving the genealogy of the prominent families of Benton County.
Ark., the biographical department of this work would be incomplete without mentioning the Keith
family, who first became represented in this county in December, 1866. Gabriel Keith, the great-
grandfather of our subject, was a Scotchman, who came to America at an early day and served in a
Virginia company in the Revolutionary War. His son William was born in Buncombe County, N.C., and
served in the War of 1812 under Jackson, being at the battle of New Orleans. He was a farmer and
a minister of the Baptist Church, and at the time of his death, August 28, 1853, was in
comfortable circumstances. He was married to Sarah Allen, of Scotch descent, who was born in
North Carolina, and died there in 1872 at the age of eighty-five years, and John Keith, the
father of Capt. William M. Keith, is their son. John was born in Buncombe County, N. C., October
29, 1814, and followed the occupation of farming throughout life. He was a Mason and a member of
the Baptist Church. His death occurred in his native county March 29, 1854. He was married to
Elizabeth Edwards, who was born in Washington County, Tenn., September 22, 1815. She is now
residing in Benton County, Ark., and is a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Erwin) Edwards, who
were born in Virginia and Tennessee, and died in Tennessee in 1850 and 1849 at the ages of
seventy-three and seventy-six, respectively. Alfred F., Riley C., James A. and William M. Keith
are the brothers of John Keith, and were all soldiers in the Mexican War. William M. was killed
at Matamoras, Tex., March 16, 1846. At the age of fifteen years William Marion Keith removed with
his father to North Carolina, and grew to manhood in Buncombe County. He was born in Washington
County, Tenn., December 29, 1835, and received no educational advantages whatever. At the age of
twenty-three years he entered Morris Hill College, being at that time unable to read, and
remained in that school from March, 1857, till April, 1861, when he volunteered in the
Confederate army in Company B, Sixth North Carolina Volunteers (afterward the Sixteenth North
Carolina Volunteers), and entered service as first lieutenant, and afterward was promoted to
captain. He operated principally in Virginia, and participated in the battles of the Wilderness,
Seven Pines, the seven days fight at Richmond, Cedar Mountain, second battle of Manassas (where
he received a dangerous wound, breaking his collar bone, arm, and dislocating his shoulder),
Sharpsburg, Harper's Ferry, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Seminary Hill, siege of
Petersburg and Appomattox Court House. He saw Gen. Jackson, who was shot by one of the men in Mr.
Keith's brigade, ten minutes after he received his death wound. After the close of the war he
returned home and, in 1866, with his wife, who was a Miss Harriet McMahan, born in North Carolina
in 1837, and whom he married in 1862, removed to Benton County, Ark., where his wife died
September 10, 1868, leaving two children: Aurelius H., who died in the Indian Territory February
16, 1887, at the age of twenty-four years, and Bregetta Valencia, wife of James L. Craig,
residing at Eldorado, Ark. After coming to Arkansas Mr. Keith engaged in farming and teaching
school, and has continued those occupations almost continuously up to the present time. He is
considered one of the first educators of the State, and is a man of native talent and ability.
April 11, 1869, he was married to Sarah M. Carl, a native of Benton County, Ark., born May 15,
1843. Her father, Thomas Carl, was born in New York State, March 24, 1802, and is still living,
being one of the oldest settlers in the county. [p.856] He has numerous descendants: eleven
children, eighty-nine grandchildren, 100 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren
living. Mr. Keith, by his last marriage, is the father of three children: Harriet Amna. Nancy
Elizabeth and Robert E. Lee. In 1879 Mr. Keith represented Benton County in the lower house of
the State Legislature, having for his opponent Hon. A. M. Rodgers, one of the most popular men in
Benton County. Mr. Keith is an Odd Fellow, a member of the Baptist Church, and a stanch Democrat.