Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Josiah W. M. Trent *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** Josiah W. M. Trent was born in Washington County, Ark., on the 22d of February, 1842, in the house where he now lives. His grandfather, Henry Trent, was one of twelve brothers, nearly all of whom served in the Revolutionary War, and was born and reared in Virginia. For his services during the war he was given a land warrant of ninety-nine acres by the Government, where the city of Milledgeville, Ga., now stands, and afterward became a very extensive land-holder about Grand Gulf, Miss., but neglecting to give proper attention to this very valuable property in each of these States, it passed into other hands without profit to him or his posterity. He located in Louisiana, and after living there for some time moved to the Choctaw Nation, where he died at the ripe old age of about eighty-three years. His son Josiah was born near Milledgeville, Ga., about 1802, and grew to manhood in Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Choctaw Nation. He obtained his education by his own efforts, studying evenings by the light of the fire, and in February, 1829, he came to Washington County, Ark., where he entered a good tract of land, on which he erected a comfortable dwelling-house. February 21, 1833, he was married to Sallie Woolsey, who was born in Illinois on the 22d of February, 1813, and their union resulted in the birth of eleven children, seven of whom are now living. The mother died July 11, 1885, and the father March 26, 1877. He professed religion when quite a young lad, and throughout life was an earnest and consistent Christian. He was ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and expounded the doctrines of that church as a local preacher [p.1028] until his death. Albert L., youngest son and child of Josiah and Sallie Trent, is a man of good education, excellent morals, splendid business qualifications, and is at present cashier of Washington County Bank. Josiah W. M. Trent was educated in the subscription schools of Washington County, and in 1862 enlisted in Company A, Col. Brooks' Regiment, Confederate States Army, but was captured in 1863, and kept a prisoner at St. Louis until the close of the war. While in prison he lost the use of his legs, which he has never recovered, and after his return home he attended school and also engaged in teaching. He engaged in pedagoguing in 1870, and became a successful educator of the county. In 1878 he was elected county assessor, and has filled the duties of that office, to the entire satisfaction of all, for four successive terms. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South, and the first church of that denomination in the county was organized in his father's house about the year 1831.