Biography of R. J. Carter, Randolph Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bridgette Cohen Date: 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company R. J. Carter, cotton grower and stock raiser, Pocahontas. Ark. Mr. Carter is one of those wideawake, thorough-going gentlemen who are bound to make their way in the world with very little help from outsiders. He is the son of Minatree and Matilda (Mock) Carter, the former a native of South Carolina, and one of the early pioneers of Northeast Arkansas, where he died in 1857, at the age of fifty-five or fifty-six years. The mother was also a native of South Carolina, and died when about fifty-three years of age. She was partly of German descent. Of the nine children born to their marriage, three are now living, and R. J. Carter was the fifth in order of birth. He was born in Randolph County, Ark., in 1833, and grew to manhood in that and Greene Counties. He made his start in life by following the occupation to which he had been trained in early life, farming, and in 1861 was united in marriage to Miss Mary D. Kuykendall. To this union were born three children, only one, Min., who is twenty-seven years of age, now living. Those deceased are Florence and Norah. In 1862 Mr. Carter entered the Confederate service, and was on duty for three years. He was at the battles of Jenkins' Ferry, Pleasant Hill, Camden and Helena. He returned to his family at the close of the war and continued tilling the soil in Greene County, Ark., for fifteen years. He then came to Randolph County, settled on 500 acres and engaged in farming and stock raising. He is also the owner of 240 acres in Clay County. He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Masonic fraternity, Master Mason and a Knight of Honor. He is also a member of the Baptist Church. Min. Carter, son of R. J. Carter, was born in Clay County, Ark., in 1862, was reared on the farm until sixteen years of age, when he entered the State University at Fayetteville, Ark., where he attended one year. He then entered Batesville College, where he graduated in 1884 with the degree of B. S. Returning to Pocahontas, he engaged as a salesman in the store of R. N. Hamil for two years. He then embarked in the drug business for himself, and this continued until April, 1889. He was married in November, 1888, to Miss Mazie Esselman, a daughter of Dr. Esselman, of Pocahontas. Both are members of the Roman Catholic Church.