Mark R. McAlpin, M. D., Vernon Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Gaytha Carver Thompson, January 1998 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Source: Collection of Mildred Legg Carver Clipping found in the papers collected by Mildred Legg Carver. Mildred was a life long resident of Vernon Parish. Notes are listed at the end that Mildred wrote in the margins. Mark R. McAlpin, M.D. well known physician and surgeon of Leesville, La., was born at Leesville, Sept. 26, 1856. He was the son of Mark and Emily {Smart} McAlpin, both of whom were born in Marion county, Miss., the former Jan. 8, 1827, and the latter Oct. 1 , 1830. Mark McAlpin was a farmer and a stanch member of the Baptist Church. He came to Louisiana about the year 1845, and was married at Leesville, Nov. 2, 1848. During the Civil War he served as a member of Capt. Martin's company, known at the Home Guards. After the war he resumed his occupation as a farmer, and so continued until the time of his death. Two years prior to his death he was elected a member of the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature and served half of his term. His death occurred March 31, 1876. Emily Smart McAlpin's family preceded that of her husband in coming to Louisiana. Her father, Nathan Smart, also was a farmer, and made his home 4 miles north of Leesville. Some years later he moved to Lake Charles, where he engaged in the sawmill business. He died in that locality. Mark McAlpin's mother died at Leesville about the year 1899 of typhoid fever which also caused the death of her husband. Eleven children were born to their union, as follow: 1. Louisa, married to John McGee, a retired farmer of Leesville and the mother of 3 children all of whom are married and have children of their own. 2. Rebecca, deceased, wife of Z. T. Croft, farmer and ex-clerk of court at Leesville, survived by 12 children born to her marriage. 3. Sallie, now deceased, was married to A. K. Gossett, of Crockett, Texas and later to P. G. Taylor of Leesville, mother of 2 children born to her first marriage and of 6 children born to her second union. 4. Lucretia, wife of Rev. H. W. Cain, pastor of various Baptist churches near Leesville during the past 20 years, and the mother of 9 children. 5. Mark R., the subject of this bio. 6. Luke, murdered at Leesville in 1889 married to Laura Lambert of Leesville and the father of 1 child Blanche, now married to Cullin Hughes, of Leesville. 7. Lee, ex-sheriff of Vernon parish and now engaged in farming, marred to Bettie Howard of Leesville and the father of 5 children. 8. Lewis, deceased, married to Mrs. Ellie Lyles and the father of 4 children. 9. Laura, wife of Alfred Winfree, farmer of Hawthorn, La., and the mother of one child now deceased. 10. Rees, in grocery business at Leesville, married to Nettie Lambreth of Leesville, now deceased. 11. Alice, married to E. P. Lambreth, a business man of Leesville, and the mother of 4 children. Mark R. McAlpin attended the public schools of the locality in which he was born, and later Sabine Valley university, at Hemphill, Texas. When his academic education had been completed, he entered the medical department of Tulane university, from which in due time he graduated with the class of 1887. Shortly there after he began the practice of medicine in Vernon parish, La., but later moved to Burkeville, Texas, where he resided and engaged in practice during 8 years. In 1896 he located at Leesville and has since been engaged in practice there. The doctor is a member of the Vernon Parish and the Louisiana State Medical societies, and occupies the position of secretary in the first named organization. July 7, 1886, Dr. McAlpin was married to Miss Nannie Smith of Burkeville Texas, a daughter of Capt. Samuel Carmack and Sarah Ann {Syler} Smith, both of whom were born in Winchester county, Tenn., the former Feb. 27, 1830 and the latter May 5, 1832. They were married Oct 14, 1850, at Winchester, Tenn. Capt. Smith operated a line of steamboats, and was engaged in the cypress timber trade and in mercantile business. Mrs. Smith died in 1908 and her husband Sept 14. 1899. Six children have been born to Dr. and Mr. Mark R. McAlpin, as follows: 1. Lee, married to Ada West, of Leesville, father of 2 children and now filling the position of Western Union operator express and ticket agent at Fullerton, La. 2. Neal, freight clerk at Fullerton. 3. Mabel, connected with mercantile business at Fullerton. 4. Guy, employed in railroad business at Leesville. 5 & 6 Hazel and Thelma, the 2 sat named residing at the parental home. Dr. McAlpin's great grand father, Neill McAlpin, was one of the pioneers of Robinson county, N.C., was born in Arglyle, Scotland, about the year 1760. At an early age he was left an orphan and alone. He was adopted by an uncle, and apprenticed to a trade. Through diligent application to the duties entrusted to him, and his manifest intellectual alertness, he induced his uncle to purchase for him a commission in the British army. When Neill was about 18 years of age he was assigned to a Scottish regiment, which was soon afterward sent to Canada to join Lord Cornwallis' forces, who were operating in the Carolinas during the Revolutionary war. He was stationed at Quebec, Canada, and shortly afterward joined Cornwallis' army, then besieging the city of Charleston, S.C. During the siege he was wounded twice, once through the body and again through the right hip. He was present at the fall of the city of Charleston, and soon afterward accompanied the army to Camden, S.C., where he was wounded in the right hand in the course of the battle that took place there. He followed Lord Cornwallis in the pursuit of Gen. Gates to Dan River, Va., from which point the army retraced its steps and became engaged in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, March 15, 1781, where he received a severe bayonet wound in the face. After this drawn battle, the British forces marched in the direction of Wilmington, N.C., where Lieut. Neill McAlpin, with a detachment of the regiment, was left to guard the city, while the main body of the army moved on to Yorktown, Va. At this latter place Cornwallis' army was hemmed in on all sides and compelled to surrender. As soon as Lieut. McAlpin heard of the surrender of Cornwallis, he took the oath of allegiance to the United States and left Wilmington. Traveling by way of Cape Fear river, he landed at Wallis creek, for which point he traveled on foot out among the Scotch settlers of Robinson county, N.C. As soon as he had selected a location he organized a school, and his natural talents, educational fitness and sterling traits of character, soon earned for him the reputation of being the best teacher in the county. The children of a great many of the early settlers of that region attended his school, and are indebted to him for the thoroughness of their education. He sowed the seed of virtue, which germinated in the development of his pupils and the fruits of his good works are to be seen today in the descendants of the people among whom he labored and taught so diligently and conscientiously. Lieut. Neill McAlpin was 22 years of age when he located in Robinson county. Soon afterward he married Margaret Little, who like himself, was born in Scotland and came to America when 13 years of age. She was 18 at the time of their marriage. They became the parents of 14 children, twelve of whom grew to maturity. Dr. Peter McAlpin married Catherine Wilkinson, Feb 17, 1822. She was a sister to the mother of the noted correspondent, "Argus". (Rev. A.L. Davis.) These 2 ladies were noted for their beauty, amiability and gentleness of disposition. Mrs. Catherine McAlpin, the paternal grandmother of Mark R. McAlpine, after the death of Dr. Peter McAlpin, was later married to Rev. Calvin Magee, about the year 1830. She died in 1850. Dr. Peter McAlpin practiced medicine throughout his active career. NOTES as hand written in margins by Mildred Carver. Croft should be spelled Craft. Buried at Elizabeth Chapel Cemetery Mark McAlpin - Jane 28, 1827 / Mar 31, 1876 Emily McAlpin - Oct 1, 1829 / Dec 10, 1896 Lewis L. McAlpin - Mar 18, 1867 / Jan 16, 1897 Buried at Old Anacoco Cemetery Louisa McGee - 1849 / 1925 John McGee - 1850 / 1928 Lucretia Cain - Jan 5, 1855 / Sept 7, 1934 Rev H W Cain - Aug 14, 1851 / Sept 24, 1931 Mark Russell McAlpin - Sept. 26, 1856 / Jan 31, 1921 Nannie McAlpin - June 18, 1868 / Dec 18, 1930 Luke C McAlpine - Oct 2, 1859 / Sept 27, 1889 Cullin Hughes - 1885 / 1930 Blanche Hughes - Feb 6, 1886 / June 4, 1956 Alfred Winfree - Aug 2, 1864 / Feb 19, 1934 Laura Winfree - Nov 24, 1871 / Mar 1, 1897 Rees McAlpine - Mar 16, 1868 / Jan 19, 1929 Nettie McAlpine - Feb 15, 1876 / Feb 11, 1911 E. P. Lamberth - 1873 / 1950 Alice Lamberth - 1873 / 1936 Lee McAlpine - Sept 18, 1862 / July 21, 1931 Mary McAlpine - Apr 4, 1862 / Aug 4, 1924 Mabel McAlpine - Nov 19, 1891 / Aug 20, 1921 Ada West McAlpine - Sept 11, 1885 / Nov 18, 1918