Mark R. McAlpin,M.D., Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller, May 1998
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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 539-542.  Edited
by Alc=E9e Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.
McAlpin, Mark R., M. D., well known physician and surgeon, of Leesville,
La., was born at Leesville, Sept. 26, 1856; 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.  The father 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 as 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.  His wife'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.  The mother of the subject of this sketch died at
Leesville about the year 1899, of typhoid fever, which disease also caused
the death of her husband.  Eleven children were born to their union, as
follow:  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;  Rebecca, deceased, wife of Z. T. Croft, farmer and ex-clerk of
court at Leesville, survived by 12 children born to her marriage;  Sallie,
now deceased, was married to A. K. Gossett, of Crockett, Tex., 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;  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;  Mark R., the subject of this sketch;
Luke, murdered at Leesville in 1889, married to Laura Lamberth, of
Leesville, and the father of 1 child, Blanche, now married to Cullin
Hughes, of Leesville;  Lee, ex-sheriff of Vernon parish, and now engaged in
farming, married to Bettie Howard, of Leesville, and the father of 5
children;  Lewis, deceased, married to Mrs. Ellie Lyles, and the father of
4 children;  Laura, wife of Alfred Winfree, farmer, of Hawthorn, La., and
the mother of one child now deceased;  Rees, in grocery business at
Leesville, married to Nettie Lambreth, of Leesville, now deceased;  Alice,
married to E. P. Lambreth, a business man of Leesville, and the mother of 4
children.  Mark R. McAlpin, the subject of this sketch, attended the public
schools of the locality in which he was born, and later Sabine Valley
university, at Hemphill, Tex.  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 thereafter
he began the practice of medicine in Vernon parish, La., but later moved to
Burkeville, Tex., 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 Tex., 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 Mrs. Mark R. McAlpin, as follow:  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.;  Neal,
freight clerk at Fullerton;  Mabel, connected with mercantile business at
Fullerton;  Guy, employed in railroad business at Leesville;  Hazel and
Thelma, the 2 last-named residing at the parental home.  Dr. McAlpin's
great-grandfather, Neill McAlpin, was one of the pioneers of Robinson
county, N. C., was born in Argyle, 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 this 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, from 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 the subject of this sketch, 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.