YELL COUNTY, AR - WILLIAM H. VANDIVER - Bio

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. 
Chicago: Goodspeed Publishers, 1891.

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William H. Vandiver, a planter of Galla Rock Township, was born in
Mississippi, May 20, 1842. His parents, Elijah and Malinda (Cox)
Vandiver, were born and married in South Carolina, the former's 
birth occurring December 12, 1812, and the latter's about 1816. His 
father followed farming, negro speculation, and stock-dealing, as a 
means of livelihood, and in order to better his fortunes, moved his 
family to Mississippi, where he lived until 1885, when he died. The 
death of his wife occurred in 1867. Both were respected members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was an honored Mason, having 
been connected with that order for some forty years or more, and was 
quite an active politician of his day. 

Our subject served in the Confederate Army, in defense of the 
Southern cause, enlisting in Blythes' Ninth Mississippi Infantry 
Regiment. He was actively engaged for nearly one year, and at
its expiration was transferred to Maj. Saunders' cavalry. He served 
as an escort to Jefferson Davis, while en route to Georgia, and was 
in many of the noted [p.186] battles and skirmishes, particularly in 
the battle of Thompson Station, where 2,300 soldiers surrendered. 
While in service, he was wounded five times, and was paroled in 
1865, and returned to Mississippi and resumed his farm duties, 
continuing there till 1868, when he moved to Memphis, Tenn., and 
started a mercantile store, which he carried on till 1872, when he 
again changed his location, this time settling on a farm in Yell 
County, where he and wife conjointly own 120 and sixty-nine acres of 
very valuable and well-improved land. 

In 1877 he was married to Mrs. Madora Bryson, who was born in Pope 
County, in 1852, and is the eldest daughter of George Parish. To 
this marriage was born a son, William. Mr. and Mrs. Vandiver belong 
to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a Knight of Pythias, 
affiliating with Easley Lodge No. 17. Mrs. Vandiver has a daughter 
by her former marriage, Miss Minnie Bell Bryson, born December 24, 
1872.