Biography of William Thomas Clifton, St Francis County, AR

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Submitted by: Paul V Isbell
        Date: 14 Nov 2008
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Transcribed by Lisa Hamilton from 
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SOURCE:  Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern 
Arkansas. Chicago:Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.
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William Thomas Clifton, an active carpenter of Forrest City, was born in
Elerton, Jefferson Co., Alabama, near Birmingham, March 23, 1823, being a son of
Amza H. and Adeliss (Goode) Clifton, natives of Virginia and North Carolina,
respectively. The paternal grandfather of our subject, William Clifton was a
Scotchman by birth and came to America about the close of the Revolutionary War,
settling in North Carolina, where he married a Miss Martha Rice, daughter of
John Rice. Mr. Rice was in the employ of the United States Government as a
surveyor under President Monroe, and assisted in moving the Indians west,
receiving 5, 000 acres of land for his services, part of which tract is the land
on which Memphis in now situated, and to this day it is known as the Rice grant.
The father of Adelissa Goode (Thomas Goode), was a soldier and served seven
years in the Revolutionary War, and was commissioned colonel in Gen.
Washington's body guard, and his grandson, Thomas Goode Clark, was a soldier in
the late war, and fell at the battle of Gettysburg, together with his son; the
pine boards which marked their resting place are now among the relics at the
Libby Prison War Museum. Mr. Amza H. Clifton was born in Caswell County, N. C.,
and was married in 1821 at Hopkinsville, Ky. he settled in Jefferson County,
Alabama, moved to Tennessee about 1828 and located in Covington, Tenn. where he
lived about ten years, and then moved to Mississippi in 1837. In 1840 going to
Memphis, Tenn., he resided their until his death in 1849. William T. Clifton
gave his attention to the carpenter's trade under his father's instruction until
of age, and in 1845 came to Arkansas, but remained only a short time, in 1847
making another trip. IN 1848 he was married to Miss Araminta Cathey, and settled
in Mount Vernon near the present site of Forrest City, where he has since lived.
He and wife are the parents of three children: Mattie C. (wife fo Joseph M.
Davis, of this city), William a. (a confectioner of Morrllton, Ark.), and
Mollie, now Mrs. Ritter of the same place. Mr. and Mrs. Clifton are members of
the Baptist church. He is a strong Democrat and a prominent citizen.