Biography of Richard Madison Duck, Independence Co, AR

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SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas. 
Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
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page 664 

Richard Madison Duck, farmer and stock raiser, Oil Trough. Ark.
Prominent among the many enterprising and industrious farmers of Independence
County appears the name of Mr. Duck, whose birth occurred in Rutherford County,
N. C., on the 2d of November, 1816. He is the son of Robert and Margaret
(McClure) Duck, both natives, also, of North Carolina. The paternal grandfather
was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and the maternal grandfather was a
captain in the Continental army, and participated in the hattle of King's
Mountain. Richard Madison Duck received his education in his native State, and,
after remaining upon a farm until about seventeen years of age, sought
employment at the carpenter's trade. At the end of a year he found work with a
carpenter and cabinet-maker by the name of Smith, a New Englander, with whom he
worked about one year, receiving all his instruction from this man. The
thorough drilling he obtained enabled him to become very proficient in his
trade as a carpenter, and this business he followed until he came to Arkansas,
which was in the year 1850. Mr. Duck selected as his wife Miss Martha Jane
Redwine, of Chattooga County, Ga., and was united in marriage to her on the 22d
of December, 1842. They became the parents of nine children, five daughters and
four sons: Olivia D., born on the 15th of January, 1844, and the wife of John
Bratton, of Searcy County, Ark.; George A., born August 19, 1845, and died May
13, 1886; Melvin Lafayette, born August 17, 1847, married, and now resides in
the Lone Star State; James B., born August 23, 1849; Robert D., born on the
29th of December, 1851, and now resides with his parents; Nancy A. married
Jesse McCroskey, who died in February, 1885; Mary S. married Elijah Nichols,
and now resides at Oil Trough; Martha Jane resides at home, and Margaret O.
married Alfred P. Aydelott, of Independence County, Ark., and now resides on a
farm in Christian Township. After coming to Arkansas Mr. Duck purchased a tract
of land in Searcy County, in partnership with Samuel P. Williamson. This tract
consists of about 300 acres, some fifty-five acres under cultivation, and Mr.
Duck soon became the owner of 260 acres. Later he sold this tract, and in 1860
moved to Independence County, bought land in Liberty Township, and there lived
until after the [p.664] war. He was in the Confederate service, enlisting in
the latter part of 1861, in Col. Crabtree's regiment of Arkansas Volunteers,
and served principally on detached service, as tanner and shoemaker for the
army of the Confederacy. In 1865 he was mustered out, and in 1869 he bought the
farm upon which he is now living. There were at that time 113 acres in the lot,
but at present he has 233 acres, with about 100 acres under cultivation. He has
a fine orchard, with fruit of all kinds in abundance. Mr. and Mrs. Duck have
been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1845, and he has
contributed liberally to the support of the church. Mr. Duck is also a member
of McGuire Lodge No. 208, Oil Trough, Independence County, Ark., of which he
was one of the charter members, and the only one now living. He is Democratic
in his political views, and is a friend to progress.