Washington Co., AR - Biographies - James S. Gwinn

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James S. Gwinn, a wealthy agriculturist and stock farmer of Washington 
County, Ark., was born in Lee County of the "Old Dominion." October 
19, 1831. His grandfather, James Gwinn, was born near Richmond, Va., 
and afterward moved to North Carolina, where his son William, the 
father of James S. Gwinn, was born in 1800. He afterward moved back to 
his native State, where he died while in the prime of life. He was the 
father of three sons and three daughters, all of whom lived to rear 
families. His son William was the eldest of the family, and while 
still a resident of his native State was married and became the father 
of seven children. In 1837 he moved to the "Blue Grass State," where 
he became the owner of a large tract of land, and was engaged in horse 
training and racing. He was a Democrat, and died in 1861. His wife was 
born, reared and married in Virginia, and reared to maturity a family 
of [p.949] six children, all of whom are living save one son, who was 
a soldier in the Confederate army, and was killed about the close of 
the late Civil War. Their names are as follows: John: Sally, widow of 
Isaac Deaton: Drury F. (deceased); Elizabeth, widow of D. C. 
Richardson; James S., and Charlotte, wife of W. T. Mahon. The mother 
of these children, who was born in 1804, is still living, and makes 
her home with her daughter Elizabeth. She has been a professor of 
religion since thirteen years of age, and is a warm-hearted and 
benevolent Christian lady, and is now a member of the Baptist Church, 
although formerly a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. James 
S. Gwinn was but six years of age when his parents came to Kentucky, 
and he was reared to manhood on his father's farm, being also engaged 
in horse-racing for about ten years. He began doing for himself after 
attaining his majority, and when the war broke out he was the owner of 
about 1,000 acres of land, with 150 acres under cultivation. He 
enlisted in Company I, Tenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, serving 
first as first lieutenant and afterward as captain of his company. He 
was captured in April, 1864, and taken to Johnson's Island, Ohio, 
where he was kept a prisoner until the close of the war in 1865. He 
returned to his farm in Kentucky, but soon became dissatisfied and 
removed to Arkansas in 1866, leaving his farm in charge of his 
brother-in-law, Samuel Grigsby. He sold out shortly after and located 
permanently in Washington County, where he purchased a good farm of 
300 acres, and has been largely engaged in farming and stock raising, 
and although he has only resided in Washington County for a short time 
he is already identified with its best farming interests, and takes a 
deep interest in all worthy public enterprises, and holds the mail 
contract between Hood, Sulphur City, Carter's Store and Hazel Valley. 
He has always affiliated with the Democratic party. In 1858 he was 
united in marriage to Martha Napier, by whom he is the father of seven 
children: Rosanna, wife of H. C. Osborn; Henry; Lewis; Melissa, wife 
of C. M. Rogan; Mahala; Nancy Ann and Emma.