Biography of Whitmill Leggett, 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 685 

Whitmill Leggett, a pioneer of Independence County, Ark., was born on
the 10th of January, 1829, in the old log cabin on the place where he now
lives. He is the son of Whitmill, Sr., and Elizabeth (Masters) Leggett, the
father a native of North Carolina, and the mother of Pennsylvania. The elder
Leggett came to Tennessee and served about two years in the War of 1812, under
Gen. Jackson. He got his brother to take his place while he came on and settled
in what is now Ruddell Township, Independence County. The county was then a
territory, and called Lawrence County. He was among the very first settlers of
this locality, and erected a little log cabin of rough character. Everything
was wild and unbroken, [p.685] a few Indians were here, and the woods abounded
in wild animals. The clothes and shoes were all home-made, and one pair of
shoes was to last through the year. Although they experienced many hardships,
they at the same time enjoyed themselves most thoroughly. He moved to the farm
where Whitmill Leggett, Jr., now lives, in about 1825, and bought the land of
the government. There were no improvements whatever at that time, but he set to
work, and after several years of hard work had made considerable changes. He
died on this place in 1855. The mother died in 1864. They were the parents of a
large family of children, two now living: Jeremiah, and Whitmill, who was
reared and educated in the district where he now lives. He has followed the
duties on the farm from early childhood, and this he continues at the present
time. He owns 240 acres of land, with 150 under cultivation, over half of which
he has cuitivated himself. In the conduct of his estate, Mr. Leggett gives each
detailed portion of work his personal and close observance, and the care and
methods ever exercised have contributed to place him among the foremost farmers
of the vicinity, as he is one of the most intelligent citizens. He had one
brother, Zechariah, who was killed at Chickamauga during the war. Mr. Leggett
was married, in 1855, to Miss Virginia Leaneave, by whom he has two children
living: Rebecca and Lou May. He was married the second time, in 1873, to Miss
Victoria Ann Mack, who bore him three children: Emma A., Rachel C. and
Whitmill, Jr. Mr. Leggett is a Royal Arch Mason, and has been a member of that
fraternity for over thirty years. Mrs. Leggett is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, as is her daughter, Emma A.