John W. Moon, Ouachita County, AR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Contributed by Carol Smith. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ouachita County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas John W. Moon, one of the best known farmers of Marion Township, was born in Madison County, Alabama, May 25, 1836, a son of Jackson and Sarah (Moon) Moon, also natives of Madison County, the former born in 1814, a son of John and Mary (Lewis) Moon. John Moon was born in Pennsylvania in 1789, and was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was with Gen. Jackson, at the battle of New Orleans. He was a son of John and Mary (Horn) Moon, the former of whom was a son of a Quaker (to which sect all of his ancestors belonged), of English descent, who resided in Pennsylvania. He and six brothers enlisted in the Revolutionary War, contrary to the creed of the Quaker religion, for which they were ex-communicated. Mary Horn (the great-grandmother of our subject) was a daughter of John Hoof, of Pennsylvania. She died at the advanced age of one hundred and twelve, when the subject of this sketch was five years old. Jackson Moon was an old planter of Alabama, owning several hundred acres of land and a number of slaves. He was married to the mother of our subject in 1835. She was the daughter of Joshua and Sarah (Perkins) Moon the latter lived to be ninety seven years of age. The results of this union were two children, John W. and Nathaniel J, whom death was caused by falling from a wagon in 1858. The father died May 31, 1839, and his widow afterward married Mr. W. C. Renfroe, of Alabama, and lived until 1870, dying in Texas. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm in Alabama until 1849, when his mother and stepfather moved to Arkansas, locating in this county. When he was eighteen years of age he commenced working for himself at farm labor, and also by working in a grist and saw mill in Bridge Creek Township. He was married on September 15, 1866 to Elexa Frances Tyson, who was born in Henry County, Tennessee in 1846, a daughter of Uriah and Sarah M. (Lewis) Tyson, natives of Tennessee. The fruits of this union have been nine children, all living, viz: William Uriah (teaching school and living at home), James N., John R., Sarah A., Samuel E., Mary F., Martha B., Van T. and Clara L. Mr. Moon owns 647 acres of land, of which 200 acres are under cultivation, and devotes his attention chiefly to the cultivation of cotton and corn. He is also engaged in raising horses and cattle. Mrs. Moon is a consistent member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Socially Mr. Moon is a member of the Masonic order, and politically, belongs to the Democratic party. He takes a great interest in politics, and is well known throughout the county, where he is highly respected. Mr. Moon enlisted in June 1861, in the Third Arkansas Cavalry, in which he served until the close of the war, through which he was color bearer and held the rank of third lieutenant. The principal battles in which he participated were: Thompson's Station, Corinth, Iuka, Knoxville, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and others, following Sherman to the sea, east battle of Johnson's Army at Smithville. He was wounded at Thompson's Station in the back of the neck, and returned home November 10, 1865. He was in all of the battles of his brigade, with the exception of the skirmishes. He carried the colors of his regiment through the last three years of the war, and had two flags shot to pieces in his hands, and many narrow escapes.