Miles L. Sifford, 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 Miles L. Sifford, farmer and mechanic of Buena Vista, Marion Township, was born January 14, 1832, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, a son of John and Elizabeth (Derr) Sifford, natives of North Carolina. The father was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1776, his parents being originally from Germany, who emigrated to the country before the birth of their son, and in time for the father (grandfather of our subject) to participate in the Revolutionary War. John Sifford (the father of our subject) was a wagon maker by trade, residing about two miles from Catawba Springs, where he had moved previous to his marriage, and where he died in 1851. The mother was born in 1788, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Derr, natives of North Carolina. She died in 1862, at the age of about seventy-five years, a worthy member of the Lutheran Church, as was also her husband. They were the parents of fifteen children, ten of whom are still living at last accounts, viz: Solomon (a farmer and mechanic of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina), Aaron (a farmer and blacksmith, residing in Lincoln County, North Carolina), Jonas (a farmer of Lincoln County, North Carolina), Michael engaged in farming in York District, South Carolina), Daniel (a farmer of Gaston County, North Carolina)Miles L. (the subject of this sketch), Max Amelia (who married Stephen Morris , of Lincoln County, North Carolina), Melinda (now Mrs. McIntosh, widow of Alexander McIntosh of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina), and Mariah (now Mrs. Little of the same county). Mr. Sifford our subject, was reared on his father's farm, and brought up to farm labor, and also learned the blacksmith and wagon maker's trade in his father's shop, hence he school privileges were extremely limited. He left home in 1857, and the same year was married and commenced farming for himself in Lincoln County. In 1861, he enlisted in the Fifty-second North Carolina Infantry, but the following year he was detailed and sent to Richmond, where he was employed on Confederate works, until the close of the war. He received a furlough in April , 1865, and was at home at the close of the war. In 1870 Mr. Sifford came to Arkansas and located in this county, and in 1872 he purchased his present farm of one quarter section of land, within 100 yards of the post-office of Buena Vista, which was then unimproved, with the exception of his home. In 1857, he was married to Miss Martha Elizabeth Holiman, who was born August 22, 1838, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, a daughter of Moses and Calla (Lowe) Holleman, natives of North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Sifford have had six children all living, namely: Winfield (a farmer of Fannin County, Texas), Luther (farming in the same county), and Anna Lee, Laura and Loris (all at home). Mrs. Sifford is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,and an earnest Christian woman. Mr. Sifford is a stanch Democrat in politics, and is a member of the County Wheel.