Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Rufus H. London *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rufus H. London was born October 30, 1840, in McMinn County, Tenn., and is a son of John J. and Juda (Burnett) London. The father was born in Virginia December 23, 1809, and died May 28, 1876. The mother was born September 28, 1813, in Roane County, Tenn., and died August 22, 1877. In early life they went to North Carolina from Virginia, and in 1830 went to Tennessee. They were married in Crawford County, Ark., January 3, 1847, and settling on Lee's Creek engaged in farming the remainder of their lives. Of their twelve children only five are living: M. L. London, Sr., our subject, R. C. (of Oregon), Mrs. Ruth C. Hale and Mrs. Juda L. Barker (of Prairie Grove, Ark.). The [p.1168] grandparents of our subject, John and Bethuna (Clarridy) London, were born in Virginia, and from there went to Burke County, N. C. The former enlisted in the War of 1812 under Gen. Jackson, and served twenty-three months, during that time receiving a wound in the shoulder. The grandmother died in 1836 in East Tennessee. The maternal grandfather, John Burnett, was born in 1765 in Roane County, East Tenn., and died in Crawford County, Ark., November 12, 1871, aged one hundred and six. His wife, Sarah (Oliver) Burnett, was born in Roane County, Tenn., in 1766, and died September 22, 1872. John Burnett accompanied John J. London to Crawford County in 1847. He was a farmer by occupation, and served throughout the War of 1812 under Gen. Jackson. Rufus H. London was seven years of age when his father settled in this county, and was reared when the school advantages were of little importance. November 12, 1861, he married Buena Vista Lewis, a native of this county, born April 13, 1847, and daughter of James M. and Catherine Lewis. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were born in Kentucky and Tennessee, and died in 1854 and 1858, respectively. They were married in Arkansas, and their four children are residents of this county, viz.: Mrs. London, D. W. Lewis, J. B. Lewis and Mrs. Melissa Maxwell. Mr. London enlisted April 27, 1861, in Company A, Third Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army, and served until the surrender, June 7, 1865. He received a flesh wound in the hip at Honey Creek, and participated in the following battles: Oak Hill, Pea Ridge, Virdigris, I. T., Rabbit Ford, I. T., Poison Springs, Ark., Prairie De Hand, Ark., Moscow, Ark., and Saline River, Ark. Mr. London is a self-made man, and has 320 acres in his home place, 160 acres being well improved. He has a comfortable frame house, and owns 120 acres in Section 18. Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and are the parents of the following children: Marcus L., born in Denton County, Texas, in 1862; J. C., born in 1865; Ruth C., born August 20, 1867, now deceased; John J., born November 1, 1869; Mattie L., born July 29, 1871; Josephine, born October 5, 1873; Rufus H., born November 15, 1875; David B., born December 4, 1878; Lula F., born December 13, 1880; Juda B., born March 8, 1883; Jarvis L., born January 29, 1885, now deceased, and Willie P., born July 8, 1886. Mr. London is a member of the Dripping Spring Lodge No. 245 and the Farmers' Alliance, Lodge No. 1340. In politics he is a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for Stephen Douglas in 1860. ----------------------------------------------------------------------