Biography of John E Douglas, 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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CIVIL - Twenty-third Arkansas Infantry - DOUGLAS - JOHN - E. - - - 1 18 1837 - 
UNK  - LOUGHRIDGE Cemetery

John E. Douglas has attained to a position of credit as a farmer and surveyor of
St. Francis County. A native of Tennessee, he is the son of John E. and
Elizabeth (Sparks) Douglas, who came originally from Alabama and Tennessee,
respectively. The principal of this sketch was born on January 18, 1837. His
father died when he was less than two years old and his mother then came to
Arkansas and settled in St. Francis County where she was shortly after married
to Curtis G. Tyer. Young John lived with his mother after her second marriage,
and had the advantages of a good education in the subscription schools of the
county, at the age of seventeen engaging in teaching in order to raise money
enough to enable him to continue his studies, as he was very desirous of taking
a thorough course in civil engineering. Three years later he was offered the
position of assistant teacher in St. Francis Academy, where he completed his
education, acquiring a superior knowledge of surveying, in both its theoretical
and practical phases. Following this he resumed teaching until the breaking out
of the war, when he enlisted in the Twenty-third Arkansas Infantry and served in
Price's famous raid through Missouri. After the war Mr. Douglas again turned his
attention to the instruction of the young, continuing it until 1868, when he
bought 120 acres of land and commenced farming. He was married on March 7, 1866,
to Miss Mary A. Casbeer. They are the parents of six children: Charles M.,
Thomas E., Nathaniel E., Effie D., Lucy A. and Leta J. Mr. Douglas owns a fine
farm with good buildings, his large orchard containing all kinds of choice
fruit, and also owns forty acres of desirable land in Cross County. In 1880 he
was elected census enumerator, and the same year was made county surveyor, which
position he has held since that time with a faithfulness and ability which have
rebounded largely to his personal esteem and worth. Mr. Douglas is a member of
the Knights of Honor and is an enterprising citizen, contributing liberally
toward those enterprises which tend to the development or improvement of the
community, physically, morally or intellectually.