GOODSPEEDS' - MADISON COUNTY, ARKANSAS (file 2 of 2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HINDSVILLE. Location.-Hindsville is situated on Section 16 of Township 17 north, Range 27 west, on a small branch of Brush Creek and in the fertile and beautiful Vaughan's Valley, ten miles west of Huntsville, on the Fayetteville road, at its intersection with the road from Wesley to Eureka Springs. Founding and Growth.-John Hinds, from Warren County, Tenn., one of the earliest settlers of the valley, was the original owner of the site of the town. No regular survey into streets and lots was ever made. In 1868 F. G. Berry bought ground at the cross roads and opened store in partnership with S. W. Peel. This was virtually the beginning, there being but two houses at that time, owned by John Hind and S. F. Hayden. After Mr. Hind's death the property came into control of L. W. Routh and Robert Smyer, by whom lots were sold to various persons. Joseph D. Beavers, Anderson Sanders, Southerland & Youngman (now Mark Youngman), successively engaged in business. Berry & Peel have been succeeded by Berry & Lane, and Joseph D. Beavers retired some years ago. There are two drug stores, of which Drs. Henry Southerland and Simon Ellis are the respective proprietors. Dunaway & Dutton and W. A. Dudley are the local blacksmiths. In 1875 the first steam mill in the valley was built by Zimri Vaughan and J. G. M. Seitz, two miles west of Hindsville. It is now operated by Whitner & Smyer, successors to John Kennan. In 1883 the steam mill at Hindsville was built by John Keeney, Tolbert Lane, Albert Smyer and F. G. Berry; the present proprietors are James Harris and Thomas Lane. The town has a population of about 100. page 459 Little Spring Lodge No. 230, F. & A. M., was organized in 1868, and chartered November 3, 1869, with C. S. Fritts, W. M.; D. R. Johnson, S. W.; L. C. Denney, J. W.; F. G. Berry, S., [p.459] and eleven other members. Present membership, forty-six. The society has erected a substantial hall. Hindsville Chapter No. 81, R. A. M., was organized in 1881, with ten members, of whom J. C. Keeney was first H. P. There are twenty-four members at present. Spring Vale Chapter, O. E. S., No. 28, was chartered in 1884, and has a membership of sixty. ST. PAUL. Old St. Paul was founded by John C. Sumner, cousin to Charles Sumner, the great orator and statesman. He was a native of Vermont, removed thence to Texas, and from there to Arkansas, about 1837. A man of natural shrewdness and political capacity, and a Democrat of the most pronounced type, he used to influence the councils of his party, and represented the county in the Legislature. He was postmaster at St. Paul until the Civil War. For a time there was one mail a week from Fayetteville, and afterward St. Paul became a station on the line from Ozark to Huntsville. Old St. Paul never made any great pretensions to village honors, and now comprises a store, blacksmith shop and several houses. Solomon Lodge No. 293, F. & A. M., at St. Paul, is one of the oldest in the county. Among the charter members were S. N. Welton, William Tucker, R. Stanford, A. L. Thompson, H. G. Brashears, W. R. Brashears, D. M. Cluck and others. The hall, a substantial frame, two-story building, was rebuilt in 1885, having burned October 6, of that year, mainly through the efforts of A. L. Thompson, H. G. Brashears, William Tucker and W. R. Brashears. The membership is about forty. page 460 The New St. Paul is situated upon Sections 4 and 5, Township 13 north, Range 26 west, originally entered by Fielding Salyer and William Ake. The former came from Floyd County, Ky., in 1849. Ake subsequently removed to Texas, and at the time when the town was first thought of J. P. Salyer was sole owner of the site. In the spring of 1887, when it was decided to extend the Fayetteville branch of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway, this farm was noticed with favor by the projectors of the road as its terminus. The river at this point pursues its course [p.460] at the base of the hills on the south, thus leaving a wide and sloping area, well situated for the purpose. In March, 1887, the town was surveyed by George W. Chase. The streets are uniformly sixty feet wide, numbered from First to Eleventh in order, from the river north, and from A to G, east and west, Madison Avenue being between B and C. H. F. McDanield and the railway company each received a one-third interest in the town in consideration of their services in laying it out, and in May, 1887, at St. Louis, a division of the property under this arrangement was effected. The railroad was opened to the town from Powell, eight miles distant, July 15, 1887. At that time the house of Mr. Salyer was the only dwelling in the place. A. B. Lewis built a box shanty in June, 1887, and opened the first store. The first house was built by Charles Fierce, in the same month, and was also occupied as a store building. July 20, 1887, J. P. Salyer began business, and G. H. Davis a little earlier. The first year of its history finds St. Paul provided with more than a dozen places of business, as follows: J. P. Salyer, groceries and hardware; Price & Barrow, Coleman, Ogden Bros., general merchandise; William R. Brashears, groceries and dry goods; Lowry & Knight, drugs and dry goods; W. N. Russell & Co., N. F. Gilliland, R. S. Cardin, Guter & Tweedy, J. H. Davis, groceries; D. C. Pritchard, Charlesworth & Harrigan, feed; R. A. Hazlett, livery; Sweitzer & Samuel, wagon manufacturers; F. P. Sunday, W. L. Gilmore, blacksmiths; George Rivercomb, Glendale Hotel; M. E. Geater, Riverside Hotel; William Dixon, City Hotel; Miller & Shanklin, lumber and grist-mill. The population is about 300. The prospect of steady improvement is most encouraging. The St. Paul Republican was first issued under that name July 22, 1887, by the original founder and present proprietor, Augustus Lowe. The removal of the plant from Huntsville to St. Paul was made July 16, 1887. Mr. Lowe established the paper at the former place in 1885, issuing the first number July 18, under the name of the War Eagle Republican. The politics of the paper is sufficiently indicated by the title. It is one of the few Republican papers in Northwestern Arkansas and of the most aggressive in the State. [p.461] SMALLER TOWNS. Wesley, situated upon Section 26, Township 16, Range 28, in the fertile valley of Richland and Lamar Townships, bears the surname of its first postmaster. Ten lots, constituting the site of the town, were surveyed April 1, 1872, but there had been some village indications previous to that date. The Wesley Joint Stock Company has a large general store. The most important feature of the town is the substantial two-story brick building recently erected by the Masonic order and school district. Mate Trammel Lodge No. 93, F. & A. M., was instituted November 6, 1867, with the following members: Hezekiah Caldwell, W. M.; Daniel Boone, S. J.; William P. Clark, J. W.; W. R. Lawson, John Clark, G. T. Trammel, Levi Phillips, W. M. Phillips, N. R. Shofner, B. B. Davis, Martin Counts, James Malloy, James Stewart, Elisha Dodson, Frederick King, James Churchwell, C. S. Fritts. Drake's Creek is named from the family of that name; it is situated at the mouth of Drake Creek, on Section 29, Township 26, and Range 27. The leading business enterprise of the county is the general store of Johnson & Kennan at this place. During the year ending May 16, 1887, $20,000 worth of fruit, eggs and produce was shipped through this firm from Huntsville, Marble, Kingston and other points in the county. The regular business of the firm amounts to $40,000 a year. Johnson, Kennan & Co.'s mill for the manufacture of felloes, wagon bows, etc., at Drake Creek, employs eight men. David Dickey is engaged in the business of saddlery; J. C. Calico is postmaster; John Sisemore and James M. Counts, justices of the peace. The Grand Army of the Republic and Masonic orders are represented. The latter, Johnsonville Lodge, No. 427, was instituted November 25, 1885. Charter members: J. S. P. Johnson, W. M.; R. W. Young, S. W.; G. N. Powell, J. W.; H. C. Johnson, J. C. Johnson, B. F. Johnson, D. M. Dickey, J. V. Roberts, John G. Cobb. page 462 Aurora, on War Eagle Creek, in Bowen Township, comprises ten houses; the general stores of W. J. McElhaney & Co., Sisemore & Son, the drug store of John Williams, M. D., two blacksmith [p.462] and two wood shops. John W. Upton was the first merchant, and his business was established in 1874. Johnson Bros. followed shortly afterward. J. R. Robinson, the first blacksmith, located here in 1875. Infanta Lodge No. 437, was organized November 23, 1886, and has sixteen members. The charter members were J. B. Morris, W. C. Cluck, H. A. Reynolds, J. B. Scott, R. M. Wood, J. B. Guinn, J. W. Rawlins, S. B. Smith, H. C. Ledbetter and William Easterling. The Independent Order Knights of the Horse was organized in 1884 by Charles W. Dennis, G. W. C. The grand president of the order is G. B. Scott, of Aurora. There are several other local organizations in the county. Marble, in the township of that name, is situated upon Section 7, Township 17, and Range 24. A post-office of this name was established during pioneer times by Jacob Owens, at his store a short distance above the present location of the village. The first predecessor of Mr. Owens was Gabriel Hudson, who kept the office at his house. The village has been built since the war. Its first merchant was William Wilson. Owens & Williams, Sanders & Wann, -- Owens, Owen Boydston, Boydston & Wall and E. O. Wall have successively been engaged in business, Howard Bros. & Co., Walter Schubert & Co. and H. F. Schubert being the genealogy of the rival establishment since 1885. W. N. Rutledge, postmaster, carries a line of hardware. The local blacksmith is W. S. Ross. A building used for school, church and society purposes was built in 1876. The lodges that meet here are as follows: Madison Lodge No. 335, F. & A. M., instituted in 1876, with a membership of eleven, among whom were R. J. Taylor, W. A. Gage, Jacob Owens, R. I. Marshall, Hosea Paiher, Henry Ray, Dallas Coker, J. P. Boatright and Riley Williams. Marble Lodge No. 92, I. O. O. F., instituted in October, 1885, with six members and officers, viz.: N. L. Sanders, N. G.; W. G. Holland, V. G.; D. M. Boydston, Secretary; W. R. Hedgpeth, B. J. Disney and James Curnell. page 463 Delaney.-Twenty-five miles from Fayetteville, on the railroad leading to St. Paul, is a lumber shipping point of some [p.463] importance. In February, 1887, William N. Jones opened the first store in a tent. Three stores, Jones & Thompson, Cartner & Reed, and J. S. Stuart, now divide the trade for which one was then sufficient. Dr. W. P. Dapney is the proprietor of a drug store, and J. H. Smith is the local blacksmith. There are a number of steam saw-mills on Davney and Delaney Creeks, in the immediate vicinity. Combs' Station is so named in honor of Capt. H. Combs, the postmaster, and former owner of the site of the village. The business of Elliott & Thompson, now Jones & Thompson; of Pickens & Hiller, and of Allen & Cartner, respectively, general merchants, has been established since the opening of the railroad in 1887. Hurst & Hansburg are engaged in the drug business. There are two steam saw-mills here. Powell, during the short time that it was the terminus of the railroad, enjoyed a "boom," and although its former prestige cannot be restored, enjoys comparative prosperity. There are several stores. Clifty is the trading point for a large section of country north of Huntsville and Hindsville, and is situated in California Township. There are the usual features of a diminutive country village. Whitner, in Prairie Township, near Hindsville, is the location of a mill and several stores. Mill Branch Medical Springs, a prospective health resort on a branch of Kings's River, was laid out in July, 1887. Gilbert Hudson is the projector. MILITARY RECORD [p.464] The Mexican War.-Adjt.-Gen. A. Wood, of the Arkansas State Militia, and a resident of this county, organized a company in 1847 for service in the Mexican War. It numbered more than 100 men, of whom only about thirty returned at the close of the campaign. The company was originally enlisted for service as cavalry, but, having been detailed as part of Gen. Scott's command, it served as infantry. Many died of fever at Vera Cruz, and many more were sacrificed in the severe battles that ensued before Scott's triumphant entry into the capital. Very few of these veterans still survive. [p.464] THE CIVIL WAR. The Opening Developments of the Civil War-the secession of South Carolina and the firing upon Fort Sumter-divided public sentiment in Northwestern Arkansas but little different from its effects elsewhere throughout the country. While Democracy throughout the State was overwhelmingly of the Breckinridge type, the supporters of Douglas were numerous in the Northwest, and in Madison County their leader was Isaac Murphy. A resident of the State since 1834, he was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature in 1846 and re-elected in 1848. Here he became known as a man of sterling integrity, and rapidly acquired political influence. After a residence of six years in California he settled in Huntsville in 1854, and in 1856 was elected to the State Senate from Madison and Benton Counties. The Legislature of 1860-61 passed an act for the election of delegates to a State convention to take into consideration the advisability of secession. February 18, 1861, was fixed upon as the date of election. On the 11th day of February Mr. Murphy was prevailed upon by citizens of Huntsville to announce himself as a candidate from that county. Two others were in the field, one of whom was avowedly in favor of secession. Isaac Murphy and H. H. Bolinger, the Union candidates, were elected by a large majority, the former receiving all the votes in a poll of several thousand, except 144. This expression of public opinion is the most conclusive evidence of the loyalty of the people of Madison County. The convention assembled. An ordinance of secession was voted down by a majority of five. May 6, 1861, after a brief period of adjournment, it reassembled upon the call of President David Walker. The ordinance of secession was resubmitted, and adopted with but five dissenting votes on the first ballot. Four of those who had voted in the negative successively changed their votes, but Mr. Murphy steadfastly refused to do so, amid a storm of abuse and notwithstanding the persuasions of former friends. He returned to his home at Huntsville; and while, in the rapid revulsion of feeling which at once resulted, his course was not generally approved, the sterling character of the man did not fail to be appreciated. page 465 Home Guards.-Two companies were recruited in Madison County in the spring of 1861, to repel the threatened invasion of the State, one by Patrick Sanders, at Huntsville, and another by Larkin Bunch, at Kingston. They rendezvoused at Huntsville, and became part of Col. D. W. Carroll's regiment, of Pierce's brigade. In the battle of Wilson's Creek, August 10, 1861, the regiment suffered considerable loss, and the companies returned home with greatly depleted numbers. Regular Confederate Troops.-Five companies of regular Confederate troops were organized in the county in the summer of 1862. That from Huntsville was commanded by John W. Moody; from Bowen Township, by John Parks; from St. Paul, by Hiram Combs; from Hindsville, by Samuel Phillips; from Kingston, by H. M. Moore. They rendezvoused at Elm Spring, Benton County, and, with five other companies from this section of the State, were organized as the Third Arkansas Infantry, of which S. W. Peel was elected colonel, T. D. Berry lieutenantcolonel. For some unexplained reason Peel was removed and followed successively by Cols. Fitz Williams and Adams. The latter was very unpopular. He led the regiment in the battle of Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862; this battle was disastrous to the Confederates, and resulted in the complete demoralization of their forces. Many survivors of the Third Arkansas deserted to enlist in the Federal service. The five companies furnished by Madison County were reorganized in different regiments, and from this time it is impossible to trace their history. It may be stated in a general way, however, that many of them continued in the field until the close of the war, and were principally engaged in the campaigns in the southern part of the State. page 466 In the summer of 1864 John Carroll, recruiting officer, Confederate States Army, organized a company in Madison County, of which he was himself elected captain; J. T. Holt, first lieutenant; William Roark, second lieutenant; W. A. Gage, orderly sergeant. This, with two other companies formed in Benton County, was constituted Maj. James Cooper's battalion, which was assigned to duty in Texas. Capt. Carroll's company was detailed individually as body guard to Gen. Stanwatie, a Cherokee chief in command of a large force of Indians and whites, at [p.466] Shawneetown, Choctaw Nation. The company returned in a body in the summer of 1865. This was a cavalry company. Regular Federal Troops.-The following historical sketch of the First Regiment, Arkansas Infantry Volunteers, is from the report of the adjutant general of the State: "In November, 1862, authority was given by Maj.-Gen. Schofield, then commanding the Army of the Frontier, to Dr. James M. Johnston, of Huntsville, Madison Co., Ark., to raise infantry troops from the State. This authority was general, one regiment to be completed, however, before another was undertaken, and such a course was to be pursued until a different policy should be determined upon. "Early in the war Dr. Johnson's Union sentiments were avowed, and in April, 1862, being able no longer to remain at home in safety, he left Huntsville with Isaac Murphy, now (1867) governor of the State, and his brother, F. M. Johnson, afterward major First Arkansas Infantry. Arriving at an outpost of the old 'Army of the Southwest,' at Keitsville, Mo., he promptly reported to Gen. Curtis, then in command of this army, and was placed upon his staff as a volunteer aid. Subsequently he rendered valuable services to Gens. Schofield, Totten and Herron, and accompanied the 'Army of the Frontier' on its first march into Northwestern Arkansas, in October, 1862, under the command of Gen. Schofield. Returning with this army to Elkhorn Tavern, he received the authority alluded to, and marched with the army in the campaign that terminated in the battle of Prairie Grove, and, on the establishment of Fayetteville as a post, opened a recruiting office at that place for the First Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. Recruiting proceeded with rapidity, and on the 25th day of March, 1863, the regiment was raised, and Dr. Johnson was mustered into the service as its colonel. The following communication from Maj. F. M. Johnson, then in command, gives some accounts of the subsequent services of the regiment: HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARKANSAS INFANTRY, ttt FORT SMITH, ARK., JUNE 26, 1865. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report: 'At the time of the muster in of J. M. Johnson as colonel of this regiment it numbered thirty-six commissioned officers and 810 enlisted men, recruited in the previous [p.467] sixty days in Madison, Washington, Newton, Benton, Searcy and Crawford Counties. It participated in the battle of Fayetteville, under the immediate command of Lieut.-Col. E. J. Searle and Maj. E. D. Ham, on the 18th day of April, 1863, and marched for Springfield, Mo., on the 25th day of that month. On the 6th day of July it was ordered to Cassville, Mo., where it shortly afterward arrived, and on the 17th day of August joined the Army of the Frontier, under the command of Maj. Gen. Blount, at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, pursued the rebels under Cooper and Stanwatie, to Perryville, in the Choctaw Nation, and returning to Fort Smith, was the first regiment to enter the garrison, on the first day of September, 1863. Shortly afterward, by order of Brig.Gen. McNeil, the regiment proceeded to Waldron, and remained there until February, 1864, when it was again ordered to report at Fort Smith, to take part in the movement southward, under Brig.-Gen. Thayer; left Fort Smith with the frontier division on the 24th day of March 1864, forming part of the first brigade, under Col. John Edwards; participated in the battle of Moscow, losing three men killed and several wounded; entered Camden on the 16th day of April, 1864, and was engaged in a reconnaissance of the enemy after the battle of Poisoned Springs; left Camden on the 26th of April, and, as part of the right wing of the Union army, was engaged with the enemy at the battle of Saline River, where it repulsed a strong flanking party with considerable loss to the enemy, and losing no men itself. On the first day of May, 1864, the regiment arrived at Little Rock, and proceeded thence to Fort Smith, where it arrived on the 17th day of the same month, since which time it has been engaged in escort and guard duty on the frontier. The greatest aggregate was in November, 1863, 979 officers and men; the lowest in March, 1865, 774; present aggregate, 788, thirty-one commissioned officers and 757 enlisted men.' Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) F. M. JOHNSON, Major, Commanding Regiment. A. W. BISHOP, Adjutant General, Arkansas. "Aside from the operations of the regiment embraced in this brief resume, detachments were frequently sent out to succor Union men, a duty which, from their familiarity with the country, they were particularly well qualified to discharge. In September, 1863, it became known at Fort Smith that several hundred men of this class had gathered together from the surrounding country, upon and near Magazine Mountain, whither they had been compelled to flee for security, and though generally having arms of their own, were much in need of ammunition. To relieve them, Capt. William C. Parker, of the First Arkansas Infantry, was directed to proceed with sixty men to their rendezvous, which he did, accomplishing the object for which he was sent. On his return, while crossing Haguewood Prairie in Franklin County, he was suddenly confronted by the rebel general Shelby's command, then moving northward on his well-known [p.468] raiding expedition into Missouri. A stubborn fight ensued, Capt. Parker slowly falling back until he reached the timber, where the unequal contest was still carried on until, finding himself nearly surrounded, he directed his men to escape as best they could. In this encounter he lost twenty-two men, killed and taken prisoners, but killing and wounding nearly the same number of the enemy. Capt. Parker himself succeeded, with the rest of his men, in arriving safely at Fort Smith, when, instant measures being taken by Col. Johnson to advise Col. Harrison, then commanding at Fayetteville, of Shelby's march northward, the intelligence was quickly circulated through Southwestern Missouri, and Shelby's movement was in a great measure frustrated. "As early as the summer of 1862 bands of Union men similar to that relieved by Capt. Parker had, in various portions of Western Arkansas, consorted together, and, though compelled by oppression and violence to leave their homes, were accustomed to take refuge among the hills and in the woods, and no extent of persecution succeeded in driving them from the State. Commonly known as 'Mountain Feds,' they were true to the Union under the most discouraging circumstances, and from time to time gave valuable assistance to the organized forces operating in various portions of the State. To those in command at Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Van Buren, Clarksville and Dardanelle they were especially serviceable, and though it would be difficult, if not impossible, now to recount their exploits, they will long be remembered in Arkansas as men whose loyalty was put to the severest tests, shining out conspicuously when the Federal arm was not outstretched for their relief. Many of them entered various Arkansas regiments, the First Infantry among the number, as the Union army advanced; but not until the rebellion was suppressed did some of them cease their irregular though necessary warfare. * * * * "In November, 1863, while this regiment was stationed at Fort Smith, about 300 of its men were vaccinated with spurious vaccine matter, a large number of whom were permanently disabled; and many others, whose disability unfitted them for duty, it became necessary to discharge. "On the 30th of October, 1863, while this regiment was on duty at Fort Smith, a mass-meeting of Union men was held at that place for the purpose of inaugurating measures that should lead to the restoration of civil government in the State, at which Col. Johnson was unanimously nominated to represent the people of Western Arkansas in the Congress of the United States. In November he was elected, and again in October, 1865, for the Third Congressional District. Though thus a member-elect of the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses, and necessarily called away from his regiment in his efforts to secure the recognition of the State government by Congress, he served with the regiment when not thus occupied, and with it was mustered out at Fort Smith on the 10th day of August, 1865." Following is the official roster of the First Arkansas Infantry, in which several Madison County names appear: James M. Johnson, colonel; Elhanon J. Searle, lieutenant-colonel; Elijah D. Ham, Francis M. Johnson, majors; William B. Waterman, surgeon; Thomas B. Drake, Harvey H. Bolinger, Robert B. Campfield, assistant surgeons; Francis Springer, chaplain; John M. Leard, chaplain; Francis M. Sams, adjutant; William Patterson, adjutant; Crittenden C. Wells, Jonathan H. Hewes, regimental quartermasters. Companies B and G were recruited entirely in Madison County. Their respective officers were as follows: Company B, Elitle Haynes, captain; Francis M. Johnson, first lieutenant; Albert K. Berry, second lieutenant. Upon the resignation of Capt. Haynes in 1863, and the promotion of Lieut. Johnson in 1864, Thomas H. Scott and Felix G. Eubanks succeeded to their respective positions. Company G, George W. R. Smith, captain; John Johnson, first lieutenant; Simon P. Smith, second lieutenant. The county was also represented largely in Company A, and in the First Regiment Arkansas Cavalry. page 470 In the autumn of 1863, in accordance with orders from Maj.-Gen. Schofield, then commanding the Department of the Missouri, several companies of Union men were organized in Northwestern Arkansas, the general government issuing arms and ammunition, and when on active service furnishing them with subsistence. A company of this character was organized in Madison County by Capt. John W. Bivens. It was in active [p.470] service more than a year, and participated in frequent raids upon the enemy and in skirmishes without number. After the unsuccessful attack upon Fayetteville, and the subsequent order for the withdrawal of Federal forces from Arkansas, arrangements were made for the organization of companies of militia; commissions for Madison County were granted to John M. Bivens, March 27, 1865; George W. Seamans, April 18, 1865; Elitle Haynes, April 18, 1865; John Wilkinson, April 18, 1865; Bethel Counts, April 20, 1865; all of whom had the rank of captain, but the conclusion of hostilities rendered the organization of companies unnecessary. page 471 Operations in the County.-There were no military movements of importance in Madison County. In December, 1862, Herron's command (Federals) passed through the county after the battle of Prairie Grove, and encamped several days at Huntsville. This was the first appearance of a large body of armed troops in the county. Skirmishes, impossible to enumerate, were of such frequent occurrence as to excite but little notice at the time. In the autumn of 1863 Col. Brooks, with a force of 600 or 700 Confederates, was met near Marble by Gen. O'Neall with about 1,000 Federals and a number of mounted howitzers. Brooks was en route northward, but was repulsed with severe loss, and pursued to the Arkansas River. Capt. Bivens' company and several others from the Federal post at Fayetteville, to which they were attached, were stationed at Huntsville nearly a year at the close of the war. Bushwhackers were numerous. November 16, 1862, a party of twenty-five men was detailed from Elkhorn Tavern to escort the daughters of Isaac Murphy to their home near Huntsville. On the following day they were attacked by a superior force, within two miles of Huntsville, and put to flight. On the 17th inst. Maj. Johnson was dispatched with a detachment of 200 men, with orders to penetrate as far as Huntsville, and ascertain the strength of the enemy. When within ten miles of the town he was met by accredited loyal citizens, who confirmed the reports of the survivors of the previous expedition. His scouts reported that Huntsville was garrisoned by not less than a brigade, and that cannons were planted in the streets. The major at once retreated, and with such precipitation that several horses were drowned in crossing White River. The [p.471] sequel would seem to indicate that even a reconnoitering party may be deceived. It transpired that the escort was attacked by a small band of Missourians under Jackman, who had moved northward immediately. SCHOOLS. Early Schools.-The earliest educational efforts of the county resulted in the erection of a school and church house in every thickly settled community. One of the earliest of these first school-houses was built a short distance northeast of Huntsville; another in the Alabama settlement, on the site of Alabama Church; another in Bowen Township, a mile from Aurora; another at the old Cumberland Presbyterian camp- meeting ground, near Kingston; another within two miles of Hindsville, Prairie Township; another near old St. Paul, in the southern part of the county. These buildings varied but little in appearance, construction and appointments. They were usually constructed of logs, with puncheon floors, slab seats, without glass windows. As enlarged and repaired, several of these early temples of learning do service in a similar capacity to this day. Teachers.-Among the early school-masters were John F. King, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, who taught near Kingston; Thomas McCuistion, county surveyor, from 1836 to 1848; John Wilson, Arkansas Wilson, - Carlton and Isaac Murphy, at Huntsville. Schools were supported entirely by voluntary subscription. J. R. Berry relates that in 1846 he taught a three months' term for $15 and board, from which the rate of pay may be inferred. No great amount of learning was required in the teacher; and when two or more applicants appeared for the same school the one who gave the best evidence of muscular development was invariably employed, other things being equal. Text Books.-Webster's "blue-back" spelling-book, Smiley & Pike's arithmetic, Kirkham & Smith's grammar, were among the first text books. The Bible was used as a reader, and in some schools English history was a branch of study. The course in mathematics terminated with the "rule of three." Writing books consisted of foolscap, with a copy "set" by the teacher. page 472 Public Schools.-The public school system of the State was established under the constitution of 1868. The county is [p.472] divided into a number of school districts, as the topography of the country and general convenience of the people require. The erection of districts, apportionment of funds, and levying of special taxes, is under the supervision of the county court. Previous to the war the distribution of sixteenth-section funds, seminary and saline (State) land funds, were distributed under the direction of a county commissioner, elected by popular vote. D. L. Saunders and P. W. Newton filled this position. The office of circuit superintendent was created with the common- school system; its incumbents were W. H. H. Clayton and A. S. Prather, the term of the latter expiring in 1874. Since that date, under the present State constitution, the local executive authority in county school matters is vested in a county examiner, appointed by the county court for a term of two years. This office has been held by the following named persons: O. S. Ragland, 1874-76; D. W. C. Bolinger, 1876-78; Frank Nantes, 1878; N. J. Carlock, 1878-82; R. S. Andrews, 1882-84; J. H. Bohlen, 1884-88. Statistics.-The first school district in the county, Huntsville, No. 1, with ten others, was erected Thursday, November 13, 1868. The number was increased to fourteen December, 11, 1868; to twenty-one January 4, 1869; to thirty-four January 25, 1869. There were ninety- two districts in 1881, with an enrollment of 4,299. The State fund was $3,124.97 State scrip, and $1,553.11 in cash. The districts numbered ninety-four in 1882. In 1883 the State fund was $3,199.59 in cash, $1,903.28, scrip. In 1884, $5,612.10 in cash, and $1,458.81 State scrip, was apportioned among eighty-four districts. The same number of districts, in 1885, received $5,548.68, cash; $448.32, scrip. The following financial exhibits are from the report of C. C. Sanders, county treasurer: STATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL FUNDS OF MADISON COUNTY, FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885. Amount Received.: Balance on hand June 30, 1884 Total.: $3,605 75 Amount Received.: From common-school fund, State Total.: 5,083 81 Amount Received.: From district tax Total.: 790 91 Amount Received.: From poll tax Total.: 2,007 63 Amount Received.: From sale or lease of sixteenth sections Total.: 431 86 Amount Received.: From sale or lease of houses or sites Total.: 10 00 Amount Received.: From all sources Total.: 412 44 page 473 Amount Received.: Total Total.: $12,342 40 Amount Expended.: For teachers' salaries Total.: $6,767 43 Amount Expended.: For building and repairing Total.: 148 59 Amount Expended.: For treasurer's commissions Total.: 167 26 Amount Expended.: For other purposes Total.: 431 86 Amount Expended.: Total Total.: $7,515 14 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of common-school fund Total.: $4,268 07 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of district fund Total.: 510 91 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of funds from all other sources Total.: 48 28 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Total Total.: $4,827 26 YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1866. Amount Received.: Balance on hand June 30, 1885 Total.: $4,827 26 Amount Received.: From common-school fund (State) Total.: 4,036 03 Amount Received.: From district tax Total.: 926 37 Amount Received.: From poll tax Total.: 2,141 05 Amount Received.: Other sources Total.: 39 10 Amount Received.: Total Total.: $11,969 81 Amount Expended.: For teachers' salaries Total.: $7,470 24 Amount Expended.: For building and repairing Total.: 430 69 Amount Expended.: For treasurer's commissions Total.: 142 85 Amount Expended.: Total Total.: $8,043 78 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of common-school fund Total.: $3,430 35 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of district fund Total.: 495 68 Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Of funds from all other sources Balance in County Treasury Unexpended.: Total Total.: $3,926 03 SUMMARY OF COUNTY EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR 1885. Enumeration, white 5,664 Enumeration, colored 20 Total 5,684 Enrollment, white 3,172 Enrollment, colored 8 Total 3,180 Number of districts 58 Number of districts reporting enrollment 57 Number of districts voting tax 21 Number of teachers employed 65 Number of school-houses 78 Value of school-houses $5,620 00 Number of institutes held No report. page 474 Number of teachers attending No report. [p.474] FOR 1886. Enumeration, white 6,019 Enumeration, colored 14 Total 6,033 Enrollment, white 3,219 Enrollment, colored Total 3,219 Number of districts 100 Number of districts reporting enrollment 58 Number of districts voting tax 30 Number of teachers employed 59 Number of school-houses 90 Value of school-houses $8,000 00 Number of institutes held 2 Number of teachers attending 105 The enrollment by districts, apportionment of State fund and special tax levy, for the year 1888, where assessed, are shown in the following table: No.: 1 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 90 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 90 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 180 Apportionment State Fund.: $ 195.08 Special Tax Rate.: 3 No.: 2 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 47 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 89 Apportionment State Fund.: 96.45 No.: 4 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 43 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 59 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 102 Apportionment State Fund.: 110.54 No.: 5 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 63 Apportionment State Fund.: 68.27 No.: 6 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 45 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 34 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 79 Apportionment State Fund.: 85.64 No.: 7 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 62 Apportionment State Fund.: 67.19 No.: 8 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 16 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 14 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 30 Apportionment State Fund.: 32.52 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 9 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 60 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 52 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 112 Apportionment State Fund.: 121.38 No.: 10 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 69 Apportionment State Fund.: 74.78 No.: 11 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 46 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 81 Apportionment State Fund.: 87.78 No.: 12 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 11 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 32 Apportionment State Fund.: 34.68 No.: 13 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 34 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 75 Apportionment State Fund.: 81.28 No.: 14 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 82 Apportionment State Fund.: 88.87 No.: 15 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 54 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 48 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 102 Apportionment State Fund.: 110.54 No.: 16 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 65 Apportionment State Fund.: 70.44 No.: 17 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 57 Apportionment State Fund.: 61.77 No.: 18 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 73 Apportionment State Fund.: 79.12 No.: 19 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 45 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 44 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 89 Apportionment State Fund.: 96.45 Special Tax Rate.: 1/2 No.: 20 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 73 Apportionment State Fund.: 79.12 No.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 45 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 55 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 100 Apportionment State Fund.: 108.37 No.: 22 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 60 Apportionment State Fund.: 65.03 No.: 23 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 56 Apportionment State Fund.: 60.69 No.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 57 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 20 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 77 Apportionment State Fund.: 83.45 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 64 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 73 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 137 Apportionment State Fund.: 148.47 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 22 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 57 Apportionment State Fund.: 61.77 No.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 79 Apportionment State Fund.: 85.64 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 28 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 23 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 50 Apportionment State Fund.: 54.18 No.: 29 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 20 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 51 Apportionment State Fund.: 55.27 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 49 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 67 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 116 Apportionment State Fund.: 125.72 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 70 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 112 Apportionment State Fund.: 121.38 Special Tax Rate.: 3 No.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 51 Apportionment State Fund.: 55.27 Special Tax Rate.: 21/2 No.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 28 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 16 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 44 Apportionment State Fund.: 47.68 No.: 34 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 45 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 85 Apportionment State Fund.: 92.12 No.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 65 Apportionment State Fund.: 70.44 page 475 No.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 44 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 83 Apportionment State Fund.: $ 89.93 No.: 37 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 29 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 60 Apportionment State Fund.: 65.02 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 38 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 28 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 55 Apportionment State Fund.: 59.60 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 47 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 89 Apportionment State Fund.: 96.45 Special Tax Rate.: 1 No.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 52 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 43 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 95 Apportionment State Fund.: 102.95 No.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 76 Apportionment State Fund.: 82.36 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 51 Apportionment State Fund.: 55.27 No.: 43 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 60 Apportionment State Fund.: 65.02 No.: 44 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 66 Apportionment State Fund.: 71.52 No.: 45 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 12 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 23 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 35 Apportionment State Fund.: 37.93 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 46 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 66 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 67 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 133 Apportionment State Fund.: 144.14 Special Tax Rate.: 4 No.: 47 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 13 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 6 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 19 Apportionment State Fund.: 20.59 No.: 48 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 79 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 69 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 148 Apportionment State Fund.: 160.40 No.: 49 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 60 Apportionment State Fund.: 65.03 No.: 50 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 46 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 48 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 94 Apportionment State Fund.: 101.89 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 52 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 12 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 15 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 27 Apportionment State Fund.: 29.26 No.: 53 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 66 Apportionment State Fund.: 71.52 No.: 54 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 142 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 126 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 268 Apportionment State Fund.: 290.45 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 55 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 61 Apportionment State Fund.: 66.12 Special Tax Rate.: 3 No.: 56 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 56 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 92 Apportionment State Fund.: 99.70 Special Tax Rate.: 2 No.: 57 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 50 Apportionment State Fund.: 54.19 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 58 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 19 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 7 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 26 Apportionment State Fund.: 28.18 No.: 59 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 19 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 23 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 42 Apportionment State Fund.: 45.52 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 60 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 72 Apportionment State Fund.: 78.03 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 61 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 44 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 38 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 82 Apportionment State Fund.: 88.87 No.: 62 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 71 Apportionment State Fund.: 76.95 No.: 63 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 47 Apportionment State Fund.: 50.93 No.: 64 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 28 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 61 Apportionment State Fund.: 66.10 No.: 65 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 52 Apportionment State Fund.: 56.35 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 66 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 22 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 46 Apportionment State Fund.: 49.85 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 67 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 11 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 8 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 19 Apportionment State Fund.: 20.59 Special Tax Rate.: 3 No.: 68 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 34 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 58 Apportionment State Fund.: 62.85 No.: 69 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 19 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 45 Apportionment State Fund.: 48.77 No.: 70 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 57 Apportionment State Fund.: 61.77 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 71 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 62 Apportionment State Fund.: 67.19 No.: 72 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 46 Apportionment State Fund.: 49.85 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 73 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 53 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 50 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 103 Apportionment State Fund.: 111.64 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 74 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 26 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 22 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 48 Apportionment State Fund.: 52.04 No.: 75 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 51 Apportionment State Fund.: 55.27 SCHOOLS. No.: 76 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 49 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 58 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 107 Apportionment State Fund.: 115.96 No.: 78 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 73 Apportionment State Fund.: 79.12 No.: 79 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 60 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 49 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 109 Apportionment State Fund.: 118.13 No.: 80 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 41 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 74 Apportionment State Fund.: 80.20 No.: 81 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 21 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 48 Apportionment State Fund.: 52.04 No.: 83 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 22 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 52 Apportionment State Fund.: 56.36 No.: 84 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 38 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 14 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 52 Apportionment State Fund.: 56.35 No.: 85 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 74 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 53 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 127 Apportionment State Fund.: 137.63 No.: 87 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 17 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 20 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 37 Apportionment State Fund.: 40.10 No.: 88 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 62 Apportionment State Fund.: 67.19 No.: 89 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 35 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 68 Apportionment State Fund.: 73.69 Special Tax Rate.: 21/2 No.: 90 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 34 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 66 Apportionment State Fund.: 71.53 Special Tax Rate.: 2 No.: 91 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 43 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 68 Apportionment State Fund.: 73.70 No.: 92 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 39 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 30 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 69 Apportionment State Fund.: 74.78 No.: 93 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 38 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 27 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 65 Apportionment State Fund.: 70.44 No.: 95 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 36 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 25 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 61 Apportionment State Fund.: 66.11 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 96 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 32 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 24 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 56 Apportionment State Fund.: 60.69 No.: 97 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 33 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 75 Apportionment State Fund.: 81.28 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 98 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 43 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 23 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 66 Apportionment State Fund.: 71.52 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 99 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 31 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 40 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 71 Apportionment State Fund.: 76.94 Special Tax Rate.: 5 No.: 100 ENROLLMENT. Male.: 42 ENROLLMENT. Female.: 38 ENROLLMENT. Total.: 80 Apportionment State Fund.: 86.70 page 476 Huntsville Academy.-About the year 1857 a female seminary building was erected about one-fourth of a mile south of Huntsville, upon land donated for the purpose by John Sanders, who, with Dr. V. L. Sanders, was the principal mover in the enterprise. The Misses Pearson, of Washington County, conducted the school until compelled to suspend by the war, during which the building was burned. The present academy building, a frame structure two stories high, 61×36 feet in dimensions, was erected in 1881 at a cost of $4,000. The active supporters of this work were Dr. M. Knight, by whom the subscriptions were obtained, W. S. Laurey and W. A. Gage, under whose supervision the building was constructed. The first board of directors consisted of W. J. Sams, A. A. Brodie, Dr. J. E. Plummer, W. A. Gage and J. M. Caldwell. Dr. M. Knight, W. A. Marrs and W. S. Laurey were added in 1884, and, Mr. Caldwell having retired, the present board numbers seven. J. T. Walker, E. D. Tingle, John Sullivan, G. W. Stuckey and W. C. Adair have served as principals in the order of their names. CHURCHES. Cumberland Presbyterian.-King's River congregation is the oldest in the county. At the date of the first settlement of that valley a camp ground was established near Kingston, an arbor and other conveniences provided, and here Revs. Buchanan and John F. King preached. The latter was succeeded by Revs. E. Brown, J. G. Henry, A. G. Kendall and J. C. Long, present incumbent. Elders J. G. Brown, John Wiggins, J. D. McCracken, Samuel King and G. D. Neill constitute the present session. Alabama Church was founded before the war, and has as its pastors, Revs. John F. King, Henry Ray and E. Brown. This was also a place for camp meetings. Since the war Revs. Silas Suttle, A. G. Kendall, W. D. Rudolph, E. Brown, J. J. Henry and J. C. Long have successively officiated as pastors. A reorganization was effected in 1878. page 477 Marble Church was organized by Rev. Henry Ray, before the war. The membership has increased from fifteen four years ago to forty-eight at present, under the pastoral care of Rev. J. C. [p.477] Long. The session is constituted as follows: Elders, Posey Parker, Louis Parker, James Hammond, Bradfield Horrell, James Quall; deacons, Jacob Davis, Nicholas Hudson. Huntsville Church was a strong organization at an early period in the history of that town, when Abner Adams, H. C. Berry and William Boatright were elders. The Presbyterian element seems to have been weak at the close of the war, and not until December 25, 1881, was a reorganization effected. Revs. John F. King, John and Andrew Buchanan preached before the war; J. C. Long is in charge at present. The elders are F. M. Sams, L. R. Parks and W. R. Phillips; deacon, Noel Stringfield. A handsome and substantial brick church edifice, 50×34 feet in dimensions, was dedicated January 1, 1888. Hindsville Church was organized about the year 1876 by Rev. A. G. Kendall, its first and present pastor, W. D. Rudolph having served in that capacity several years. Present elders: James Harris, A. W. Walker, W. D. L. Keefer, Lafayette Banks. Harmony Church, in War Eagle Township, was organized by Revs. A. G. Kendall and J. C. Long, the latter continuing as pastor. D. W. Sanders, D. W. Phillips and John Boatright were the first elders. Spring Hill Church, in Prairie Township, Rev. J. C. Long, pastor; A. I. Berry, Thomas Fullerton, Phillip Smith, Frank Place, elders; Frank Lehmaster, deacon, has recently enjoyed a very successful revival. It was organized since the war by Rev. A. G. Kendall, who was the first pastor. Pleasant Grove Church, in War Eagle Township, James Cain, J. M. Hawkins, D. W. Phillips, elders; M. I. Phillips, deacon, was organized in 1886 by Rev. J. C. Long, the present pastor. Kingston Church is the most recent addition to the number, having been organized in 1887, with about twenty members, of whom J. R. Combs, James Arms and -- Combs were elected elders, and James Sanders, deacon. Rev. J. C. Long is pastor. Wesley Church, Lamar Township, was organized before the war by Rev. Luther Bell; a reorganization has recently been effected by Rev. William Washbourne, pastor at present. page 478 All these churches are embraced in the geographical limits of Washington Presbytery. Methodist Episcopal Church, South.-Huntsville Circuit includes a number of appointments throughout the central part of the county. The preachers upon this circuit since the war have been as follows: Revs. Collins, Brice, Stockton, Fair, Summers, Myatt, Johnson, H. C. Jolly, B. C. McCurry. O. H. Tucker, J. P. Calloway, H. Cummins, J. N. Villines, T. A. Martin and W. H. Corley, present incumbent. The territory was reorganized immediately after the war by Rev. Jacob Shook. A church was built at Huntsville before the war, and since 1876 the society has been invested with the title to a half interest in the Masonic Hall. The present membership is eighty-five. The stewards are F. C. McCurry and W. A. Marrs. McConnell Chapel, formerly known as Hopewell, is a property owned exclusively by the church and built principally by Abraham McConnell. Membership, forty-six; stewards, Thomas Keeling, John Withrow. Arbor Church, in Bowen Township, near Aurora, has forty-seven members. Stewards, L. E. Parker. The Withrow Church, four miles east of Huntsville, has but a small membership. Samuel Withrow is steward. Alabama Church is one of the oldest organizations in the county, and camp meetings of more than local influence were frequently held here. J. B. Presley and Wiley Burns are the stewards. Pleasant Home Church was organized in 1886 by T. C. McCreery, and a neat house of worship has been erected. Stewards, T. Epperson, William Bailey. Membership, forty. The church on Bohannan Mountain, of which Eli Yarbrough is steward, was organized many years ago, and has a membership of twenty-three. Hindsville Church forms part of Goshen Circuit, on which Rev. John H. Sturdy is pastor. page 479 Kingston Mission has had the following named pastors in recent years: Revs. Young, Grant, Brice, King, Bradford, Dernick, Jenkins, Sewell, Burns, Frost, Matthis and Pierce Merrill, at present in charge. Little's Chapel, on Sweden Creek, was built on Government land, and the title is unfortunately unsecured. There are thirty-four members here, and the steward is James Smelley. Bluff Spring Church, in King's River Township, [p.479] J. F. Bell, steward, has a membership of twenty-three. The class at this place was organized more than forty years ago. About 1843 James Doak gave five acres for a camp-meeting ground; tents and a large stand for public speaking were erected, which were burned during the war, and the meetings have been discontinued. An arbor was built at Bluff Spring in 1880. Pleasant Hill was organized in 1888 with eleven members. Clifty Mission, Rev. Robert Hardcastle, pastor, includes a number of small organizations in the northern part of the county. White River Circuit, principally in Washington County, embraces several appointments in Valley and Hilburn Townships. About 1840 Henry Raynor bought three acres of land from John C. Sumner, at old St. Paul, and John Bivens built thereon, under contract, a shed 60×40 feet. Camp meetings were held here for a number of years. Jacob Sexton was one of the first preachers. Methodist Episcopal.-St. Paul Circuit, Rev. J. B. Orwig, pastor, comprises three organizations, St. Paul, Bollinger's and The Cove. There is a membership of forty at St. Paul, and services are held at a school-house known as White River Chapel. A church building is in course of erection. The membership at Bollinger's is forty-three and at The Cove twenty-seven. Aurora and King's River, with other points throughout the central part of the county, constitute a circuit under the care of Rev. Wren. Protestant Methodist.-A church was organized in 1872 in Lamar Township by Rev. Clark Mason; his successors have been Coleman, Smalley, William S. Bartholomew and A. S. Wood. B. B. Davis, Henry N. Sanders and Lawson Pitts were among the first members. The present numerical strength is thirty, and Pleasant N. Gipson is steward. page 480 Christian.-Fairview Church, in Lamar Township, was organized about 1853. Robert Graham, now a professor of theology at Lexington, Ky., was one of the first preachers, and after him Wesley W. Lucas, until his death in 1874. Elders Smith, Baxter and Gage were among the first members. In 1884 this church and the Whitehouse Church in Washington County were consolidated under the name of Wesley Church, with a membership [p.480] of eighty, by elders D. W. Lucas and Daniel Boone. Rev. T. J. Giddings was pastor for a time, but since his withdrawal a vacancy has existed. Rev. Walker Moore has been called. War Eagle Church was organized in 1859 by Elder Royal, disbanded in 1861, reorganized in 1867 by S. Bell, and has about fifty members. Lollar's Creek Church was organized in 186- by Elder Joel Roberts, Joseph Thomas, James Sisemore and C. S. Hawkins being among the first members. Preachers, John Posey, Daniel Cluck, William Johnson, Daniel Boone and David W. Lucas. The church building was erected in 1870. Whorton's Creek Church was constituted in 1870 by Elder Wiley McElhaney. Present membership, forty. Mill Creek Church, Hilburn Township, was organized in 1866 by Elders Joel Roberts and Wiley McElhaney, with about twenty members, since increased to 125, under the care of Elder D. M. Cluck. Robert Graham, of Fayetteville, organized a church here as early as 1840, but it disbanded during the war. Hickory Grove Church, Elder Robinson, preacher, was organized by him in 1885, and has a membership of 100. Primitive Baptist.-New Hope Church at Kingston was constituted February 12, 1832, by Elders S. Wheet, William Poston and Berty Hachel, with ten members: Isaac Counts, Martha Counts, Elizabeth McElhaney, Joseph Bush, William Gage, Clara Gage, Joshua Whorton, Neely Whorton, and two others whose names are unknown. The church building was erected in 1886 and 1887, and is owned exclusively by this organization. Elders S. G. and Albert Grigg are in charge. The membership is sixty-five. page 481 Richland Church was organized at the residence of John Titsworth about 1833, and continued to meet there about ten years. Among the first members were John Titsworth and wife, Martin Johnson and wife, Jacob Gray and wife, Elijah Drake and wife. There have been a number of preachers, among them Revs. S. Wheet, L. Bishop, David Gage, Young Lamar, Graham Jackson, James Mayfield, Stephen Strickland, Job Hob, George Mainard, Thomas Willis, Clark Johnson, Thomas Dotson, A. P. F. Crawford, F. G. Eubanks, John G. Taylor, Gabriel H. Loving. [p.481] A log church house was built about 1843, and the present place of worship in 1855. Concord Church, in Prairie Township, G. H. Loving, pastor since 1878, has fifty members. Rock Spring Church, in Valley Township, Daniel Blevens, pastor for many years, has a membership of sixty-one. Drake's Creek Church was constituted in 1874 or 1875 by Thomas Dotson and John Clement. Benjamin Drake and Jasper Duncan are in charge at present, and the number of members is eighty-one. Mount Pleasant Church, in Richland Township, was constituted in 1878 by Thomas Dotson and F. G. Eubanks, the present pastor. Hartford Church was constituted in 1885 by J. R. Loving, Benjamin Drake and Jasper Duncan. Washington Association, organized in 1839, embraces all these churches. Free-Will Baptist.-The first Free-Will Baptist Church west of the Mississippi River was constituted in 1832 by Samuel Whiteley, at the house of David Pickett, on War Eagle, with seven members: Ann and Sallie Whiteley, Polly Pickett, Malinda Combs, John Clarke, Ann Perrott, and one other whose name has not been ascertained. This is now extinct. Big Fork Church, near Aurora, is an old organization, constituted by Isaac or Samuel Whiteley in 1833. F. W. Blackburn and Robert Lee were also among the early preachers, Jesse Guinn being the present incumbent. Mount Pleasant Church was constituted in 1880. Center Point Church was constituted in 1875 by Isaac Whiteley and James Curnutt, with J. M. Green and George Brown as its first deacons. King's River Church at Marble is an early organization. Harvey McCammich and Gilbert Hudson were among the first members. James Curnurt is the present pastor. Mount Zion Church, in King's River Township, is under the care of Rev. John Bowen. Missionary Baptist.-Antioch Church was constituted in June, 1888, with six members. C. J. Lester is pastor. There are others in different parts of the county.