Biography of Isaac Harrison, Saline Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Leon Rowland Moore Date: 5 Nov 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** Source: Goodspeed's History of Saline County Isaac Harrison, a farmer of Kentucky Township, was born in Cocke County, Tenn., December 18, 1829, and is the third in a family of ten children born to Abner and Mary (Jester) Harrison. Of this number only three are now living: William (a wealthy farmer of Saline Township and an ex-Mexican soldier), Rachel (the wife of Joseph Jones, a farmer of Travis County, Tex.) and Isaac (the subject of this memoir). Abner Harrison was a native of Tennessee and was of old English stock. His wife was also a Tennesseean, and of excellent family. The former was a farmer, and when he came to Arkansas located in what is now Marble Township. He cleared a small farm of Government land, and subsequently bought 179 63/100 acres, eighty of which he cleared and improved. The remainder of his life was spent on this farm, where he finally died in 1855. His estimable wife was called to her last home ten years before him. Mr. Harrison was a determined man who allowed no one to turn him from his idea of right or wrong, and was bitterly opposed to the war between the States. He belonged to the "Tookahoe" family of Harrisons, and was a rigid old school Baptist. Isaac Harrison was reared on the farm, and the days that he should have spent in the school room were passed in helping his father to break the forest soil of Saline County. He was a bright, intelligent boy, and his interest and determination to study was awakened by reading the "Life of David Crockett" and later on the "Life of History of the Jews." At the age of eighteen, making up his mind to "paddle his own canoe," he engaged as a farm hand, and also worked in the State quarry. In the spring of 1849 he joined a large body of emigrants at Fort Smith, and with them started across the plains for the "gold country." There were 350 in the party, and fifty soldiers under the leadership of Capt. Lacy, United States topographical engineer of Fort Smith. They remained together until the western border of Indian Territory was reached, where seventy-one men, including Mr. Harrison, left the main party and started on more rapidly for California. October 28, 1849, arriving at San Francisco, the members separated, each having his own plans and thinking his idea of getting rich the surest and quickest. Mr. Harrison first worked for awhile in the city of the "Golden Gate," being employed as well-digger for $6 per day. He then worked in the timber of the Red Woods, and from there went to the Calovarus gold diggings. After a short stay he emigrated to the South Yuba River, where he sold goods during the summer of 1850, and learned to write from an old copy book which some on had thrown away. During the last days of 1850 he worked in the Volcano diggings, forty miles east of Sacramento, and at that place engaged in the grocery business, meeting with very good success. Just as the outlook appeared so brilliant and the future promising a continuance of his prosperity, he was suddenly taken ill, so he gave up all thoughts of business and decided to take an ocean voyage. After an extended trip Mr. Harrison returned to his adopted soil, Arkansas, arriving at his father's house in the possession of $2,000. For one year after his return, he engaged in the mercantile business in Hot Springs, and on June 17, 1852, was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Lindsay. Miss Lindsay was a native of Arkansas, and the daughter of John Y. Lindsay, who came to Saline County, Ark. (then the territory of Missouri), in 1825, and was one of the fathers of twelve families who cut the road to Collegeville in 1825, to this settlement. Mr. Lindsay was among the early Baptist Ministers in the county, and was a life member of the Kentucky Church, which was organized in 1832, being the second church of the Baptist denomination established in the county. He cleared and improved the farm, where our subject now resides. After his marriage, Mr. Harrison came to Saline County, and resumed his occupation of farming, but in 1853 moved to Hot Spring (now Garland) County, where he bought and improved a farm, living there until 1861. He then enlisted in a company under Capt. Gregory, and a company from Union, Ark., one from Saline and Jefferson Counties, and one from Baltimore, Md., were organized into the Second Arkansas Battalion, at Evansport, under Maj. Bronaugh. Soon after joining, Mr. Harrison was made second lieutenant, and in May was promoted to the office of captain, holding that position after the Seven Days' fight around Richmond. Robert Bronaugh was in the first Confederate troops to cross the Chickahomiuy, and attack the Federals at Mechanicsville, where Capt. Harrison lost one quarter of his men. In September, 1862, Capt. Harrison was discharged and came home, where he immediately set about to raise a cavalry company, in the Saline and Hot Spring Counties. In January, 1863, he joined in the organization of a regiment at Camden, Ark, and was made captain of the regiment, assisting Capt. Trig in commanding a battery. This position he held with honor, until he surrendered his company in Benton, June, 1865. Mr. Harrison was in the four months' blockade on the Potomac River, in the winter of 1861; in the division that covered Johnston's retreat from Yorktown; in the engagements at Williamsburg, West Point and Seven Pines. Subsequently he was in the Seven Days' fight. Capt. Harrison organized his cavalry company within the lines of the Federal army, had his shoe and blacksmith shop in the woods, and was obliged to move his camp every few days to cover signs. After the organization of Crawford's regiment, he led the attack in the battle of Poison Springs, later at Marks' Mill, and at Jenkins' Ferry. He was with Price on his raid through Missouri, and led the attack at Pilot Knob. He participated in the battle at Boonville and Jefferson City, also with Price, in his last engagement at Newtonia, MO. After leaving the main army, in the Indian Territory, Capt. Harrison surrendered to Maj. White, of the Third Missouri Cavalry, and arrived in Saline County, in June 1865. After such a brilliant war career it might not seem that the Captain would be content to go back to the humdrum of farming, but the day following his return home found him quietly working in the harvest field, as though he had never been on of the moss daring and courageous participants in the war. Since then farming has been his principal occupation, but he has served as a member of the legislature from Saline County in 1867-69. He is a member of Ionic Lodge No. 477, A. F. & A. M., and was initiated in the Masonic order at Benton in 1852. In 1853 he joined the Hot Springs Masonic lodge (No. 64), and in 1854 was elected worshipful master, serving one year. In 1866 he served as worshipful master, and in 1867, 1868, and 1869 again filled that office, four years in succession. Mrs. Harrison died September 22, 1877, leaving three children to mourn her loss; Philadelphia (Shelleto, born January 22, 1867), Sarah (Jones, born July 13, 1859), and Hannah I. She was a devout member of the Baptist Church, and was a bright, lovely woman, commanding the respect, and esteem of all who knew her. Mr. Harrison's second and present wife was Miss Ellen Darity, a native of West Virginia. To this union one child has been given, Carrie B., born February 2, 1889. After his return from Hot Spring County, Mr. Harrison bought is father's old farm on the Middle Fork of the Saline River, eighty acres of which he still owns, and in December, 1869, purchased the place where he now lives. His landed interests include over 839 acres in the county, and something over 200 acres under cultivation. It would be a difficult matter to find a more enterprising farmer and citizen than Mr. Harrison, always ready to contribute to all schools and churches, and, in fact, one of that class of men whose opinion is always accepted, and whose influence is always felt. In the year 1888 he was elected moderator of the Saline Baptist association, the oldest, Baptist association south of the Arkansas River, and he wants no greater inscription on the slab that marks his last resting place on this earth than that he was once moderator of this association.