AMERICUS V. CARTER, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Gaytha Carver Thompson Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** AMERICUS V. CARTER Americus V. Carter, a prominent and honored citizen of Natchitoches Parish, who resides two miles northeast of Robeline, is a native of Amite County, Miss., born November 2, 1839. He was the son of Isaac F. and Margaret (Holden) Carter, both natives also of the Bayou State, the former born in Pike county and the latter in Amite County. The paternal grandparents of our subject, William and Jemima (cole) Carter, were natives of South Carolina dn the great grandfather, Isaac Carter, was a native of the Old Dominion. The maternal grandparents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Flannigan) Holden, were born in South Carolina. The parents of our subject were married in 1838, and reared a family of four children, three sons and a daughter, whom we will now name in the order of their birth: Americus V., William O., Elizabeth A. and Thadeus A. Elizabeth A. died in July, 1889, leaving a husband and five children. The father of Mr. Carter died in February, 1853, and his mother in 1878. When Americus V. was about one year and half old, his parents removed to Louisiana and located in Natchitoches Parish, on a plantation ten miles west of the city of Natchitoches and four miles east of his present home. He attended the parish schools, prepared himself for college at Bellewood, Sabine Parish, and when eighteen years of age he entered Mount Lebannon College, of Bienville Parish, which he attended during the years 1857 and 1858. He was married September 20, of the last named year to Miss Martha Ponder, daughter of Silas and Lucitta (Darden) Ponder, and sister of the late Hon. William A. Ponder, of this parish. After his marriage Mr. Carter engaged in farming for himself, and this has been his principal occupation all his life. In 1862 he entered the service of the Confederate army, in Company E, Second Louisiana Cavalry, as a second lieutenant, and served until the cessation of hostilities, being promoted to first lieutenant during that time. He was in the battle of Franklin, and was in numerous skirmishes. At the time of Bank's raid, and while engaged in at tempting to drive him back, Mr. Carter was captured at Henderson;'s Hill, Rapides, and was held a prisoner for about four months, being exchanged in July, 1864. He had previously been captured in 1862, at Burwick City, but was paroled a day later. From the war he returned home and resumed farming, his home then being on Spanish Lake. In 1870 he removed to his present property, where he has resided ever since, and where he has a beautiful and comfortable home. Besides farming he has given some attention to merchandising and journalism. During the year 1885, and also the year 1887, he owned and conducted a general store in Robeline. In 1884 he bought the Robeline Reporter, of which his son, I. F. Carter, was editor and he proprietor until January, 1886, when he sold it to Dr. J. H. Cunningham. Mr. Carter was the editor of the Reporter in 1887, when it belonged to a stock company. In September, 1889, he and his son, Ponder S. Carter, purchased it, and under the name of Carter & Son, they conducted the paper until 1890, when they sold it to S. C. Presley. Mr. Carter helped to survey Robeline, and he built the first house in that city. He has since erected several other residences, and is the owner of considerable property in town. By reason of the above facts he is called "the father of Robeline." Mr. and Mrs. Carter have seven children living as follows: Bessie, Isaac F., William E. Ponder S., Lillian Lee, Thadeus A. and A. Everly. Mr. and Mrs. Carter are members of the Baptist Church, and in politics Mr. Carter is strictly Democratic. He served as a member of the parish police jury from 1877 until 1880, and four years later he was reappointed to that position, serving in that capacity ever since. During the entire time he has been a member of that body he has been chairman of its finance committee, which is evidence of the complete confidence reposed to him by the people of the parish. He was made a member of the Democratic Central Committee of the parish in 1872 and has served constantly ever since. He has also held the position of returning officer of the parish since 1884. Mr. Carter is one of the representative and leading citizens of Natchitoches Parish, and on one is more favorably or extensively know. He is an active and prominent worker in the Farmers' Alliance.