Biography, William R Lawson Madison County, AR

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Submitted by: Carole Hammett & Rhonda Jameson
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Capt. William R. LAWSON, postmaster at Wesley, Madison Co, Ark., was born in
that county February 8, 1839, and is the son of Maxwell and Anna (GRAY)
Lawson, natives of Campbell County, Tenn. 

The father was born May 5, 1802, and died in Madison County, Ark., January 26,
1872. The mother was born March 17, 1807, and died September 13, 1887. They
were married in Campbell County, Tenn., and moved to Madison County, Ark., in
1832, and here passed the residue of their days. He was a farmer all his life,
and a Democrat in politics. During the muster of militia in Tennessee Mr.
LAWSON was captain. Mrs. LAWSON was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church.
To their union were born nineteen children, eight of whom are now living. 

Capt. William R. LAWSON was the fourth of this family. He was educated in the
home school and at Wesley. In the spring of 1861 he enlisted in Capt. WILSON'S
infantry company, and the same year it was organized and made into Company I,
of the Sixteenth Arkansas Infantry, Confederate service, and served as a
private one year. 

He was then commissioned first lieutenant, and in 1863 he was commissioned
captain of a company of cavalry, which was called Capt. LAWSON'S Company of
Cavalry, and served in taht capacity until the close of the war. He
surrendered at Jacksonport, Ark., and during the time of service participated
in the battles of Pea Ridge, Elk Horn, Corinth, Farmington, Iuka, Marks' Mill,
Port Hudson, Jenkins' Ferry, Prairie Hand and Moscow; was also in other
skirmishes. 

At Corinth he received a slight flesh wound from a bursting shell, which
injured him above the left knee. He was a prisoner twice; the first time being
kept a prisoner two months, and was then exchanged. Soon after this he was
again taken, but only kept for a short time. 

After the war Capt. LAWSON returned to Madison County, Ark., and engaged in
various kinds of employment. He later began merchandising and farming, which
occupations he has carried on ever since in connection with stock raising. 

He was married October 8, 1866, to Miss Tolitha C. GIBSON, a native of Madison
County, Tenn. [nb: should read Ark.], born March 6, 1842, and the daughter of
Green and Rhoda GIBSON, natives of Tennessee, but old settlers of Madison
County, Ark. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawson, four now living:
Mortimer C., Oscar S., Lelia M. and Beulah G. Green M. died at the age of ten
years. Mr. LAWSON is a Democrat politically, is a member of the Masonic
fraternity, and has been postmaster twelve years." (Goodspeeds History of NW
AR...)