Barry County Missouri - James Tucker of Eagle Rock, Mo. James Tucker  of
Eagle Rock Barry County Missouri

Submitted by Darla Ball Marbut  From  the  Cassville  Republican  Paper,
Barry Co., March 10, 1896. James Tucker, the Pioneer Dec. 25,  1813  Dec
9, 1901	Catherine (Bradley) Tucker Feb 15, 1816 July 24, 1891

A sketch of one of Roaring River's Oldest Citizens.

If any one wants persimmon and can't find them, if they will  go  up  on
one of the benches, taking the Cedar Creek road from Roaring River, they
will find plenty of them during their season. They  will  also  find  an
old, graybeard gentleman who is known throughout  southeastern  part  of
the county.

Agreeable  to  request,  Mr.  Tucker,  kindly  furnished  the  following
interesting sketch of his life: "I was born in  With  (Whyth)  Co,  West
Virginia (meaning the west part of Va) near what  was  called  the  Iron
mountain. My father left there when I was about 9 years old and went  to
Roan (Roane) Co Tenn. He then moved in the year of  1834  to  Montgomery
Co., Ill, I there became acquainted with a girl by the name of Catharine
Bradley and married her. I lived with her about 55 years,  during  which
time was born to us eleven children, since which time she died and  left
me. I left Illinois, in the spring of 49 and came to Barry  County,  and
have been here ever since except during the war  (Civil).  When  I  came
here it was a wild country, and very thinly settled.  There  were  about
ten houses on Roaring River and none on the  side  borders  nearer  than
Butlers Creek and Rock Creek and Washburn and Cassville, were  our  only
trading points in the county. There  was  one  weekly  horse  mail  from
Cassville to Carrollton, Ark,. And no post office between Cassville, and
Berryville, Ark. At that time.

There was one voting place on White River at what is known as the  GREEN
EASLEY, place. We had a little Baptist church here held under a shed. We
had plenty of game of all kinds - bear, deer, turkey and  all  sorts  of
small game. There was one little pole school house in the township  just
high enough to walk in and not reach too high, and everyman paid for all
his own scholars as we had no school money and  we  did  not  have  much
school.

So things rocked along as one might suppose till the 25th  day  of  July
1861. That night I left - the only time I ever run away and I  did  that
to escape the Johnnies, Parson Sellers and his outfit tried to catch  me
and did surround my house. But they failed to take me in, so I  went  on
to General Lyon's camp, a little west of Springfield,  Mo.  With  others
from there I went to Rolla and enlisted in the 24th Mo. INF. And  served
3 years and two months. I was honorably discharged at St. Louis, Mo  and
in the fall of 65, I came back home and have been  here  on  this  place
ever since.

I was born the 25th day of December, 1813. My age is 83 next  Christmas.
My health is extra good for the age. I never had a paper  served  on  me
stronger than summons for grand jury in my life, so I think I never  did
anything very bad nor anything very good so far. I have  been  a  farmer
all of my life, am financially poor and a poor manage too. (He left well
over 100 acre farm and a nice house when he died).

Concerning the last statement, it might be well to add that Mr  Tucker's
hospitality, for which he has a wide reputation, did not permit  him  to
retain as much of his wealth as he might otherwise have done.

James Tucker lived in the Roaring River Township, on  what  is  now  the
Herman Ball, farm, in Munsey, James' son Richard Tucker also  served  in
the Civil War with his father. The family of James and Catharine Bradley
are as follows: Sarah, Richard (a Judge of Barry Co and served  also  in
the Civil War) Mary, James, Cynthia, William, Francis (Frank) (My  Great
Great Grandparents) and Marada Catherine. Three other children,  I  have
not  their  names.  (One  was  Eliza  Catharine  b.  June  10,  1959  m.
W.M.Simmons) and there may be two babies in Munsey Cemetery.)  Typed  by
Darla Ball Marbut from a copy of the interview.

James Tucker died December 9, 1901 and is buried in the Munsey  Cemetery
near Eagle Rock, Mo. *(Info in parenthesis was added)

Darla Ball Marbut HC 81 Box 8356 Cassville, Mo 65625

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