Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Capt. John F. Winfrey

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Capt. John F. Winfrey was born in Monroe County, Miss., February 22, 
1823, and is a son of John F. and Mary Ann (Cottrell) Winfrey, natives 
of Buckingham County, Va. They went to Madison County, Ala., with 
their parents, when young, where they were afterward married, and 
lived until 1829, with the exception of 1822 and 1823, which they 
passed in Monroe County. They then came to Crawford County, when the 
country was an unbroken wilderness, with only a few white settlers. 
Mr. Winfrey purchased a small piece of improved land of Stephen Coose, 
where Lillie is now situated, but after raising one crop removed to 
what is now known as the Shaw farm, and is owned by John Sharp. This 
is situated on the river bottom, and in 1833 the water rose so high 
that he was obliged to move upon Frog Bayou, just above Rudy, where he 
farmed until his death, in December, 1860. He was a Whig in politics, 
and fought in the War of 1812. His father, Henry Winfrey, was a man of 
good education, who often drew up public documents, and died in 
Northern Alabama in 1818. He was of English descent. The mother of our 
subject was a daughter of Maj. Richard Cottrell, who was born in 
England, and when young came to the United States with his parents, 
being reared in Virginia. He located in Crawford County in 1854, where 
he lived until his death. He was twice married. His first wife, the 
grandmother of our subject, died in Alabama. John F. [p.1215] Winfrey 
is the fourth of a family of eight children, and being reared, as he 
was, in the wilderness, he received a very meager education. When 
twenty-five he left home and obtained a position as watchman on a 
steamboat running from Little Rock to New Orleans. He soon purchased 
the bar, conducting it for a year and a half, but in 1850 went to 
California with 106 others, and spent five years in mining, with the 
exception of a short time in 1852, when he returned home by water for 
a visit. In 1858 he married Margaret E., daughter of William and 
Elizabeth Snyder, natives, respectively, of Virginia and Kentucky, and 
early settlers of this county, where Mrs. Winfrey was born. Mr. and 
Mrs. Snyder lived on Mountain Fork of Lee's Creek, in Lee's Creek 
Township, for many years, and there died. To Mr. Winfrey and wife 
eleven children have been born, three sons and one daughter now 
living. Richard B. is now serving his second term as assessor of 
Crawford County. Mollie is the wife of T. E. Cathey. William E. and 
Sandy E. are the two youngest. Since his marriage Mr. Winfrey has 
lived upon his present farm of eighty well-improved acres. Before the 
war he was a Whig, but is now a Democrat, and after being elected 
sheriff in 1874 filled that position satisfactorily for four years. He 
served in the Confederate army four years. The first three months he 
was with Capt. Stewart's State troops, and the remainder of the time 
commanded Company E of the Third Arkansas Cavalry, operating in 
Cherokee Nation and Arkansas, and participating in the battles of 
Wilson's Creek, Prairie Grove and many skirmishes. He and his wife are 
active members of the Methodist Church, South.