Cabarrus County, NC - Benjamin F. Spears

Benjamin F. Spears Biography 
Extracted from History of SEBASTIAN COUNTY, ARKANSAS 
 
pg 1366 
Benjamin F. Spears, was born in Mecklenburgh County, N. C., April 8, 
1836, and is a son of William and Jane (Gray) Spears. The father was 
born in Cabarrus County, N.C., and there learned the mechanic's trade, 
although he lived upon a farm until eighteen. He was also a tailor by 
trade, but worked at the first named trade the greater part of his 
life. For a short time he kept a tavern at Charlotte. He died in the 
prime of life, in North Carolina, in the year 1842. The mother was a 
native of Mecklenburgh County, where she was educated and married. She 
died, aged eighty-one years, on April 10, 1877, and was the mother of 
nine children, of whom three are now living: James M., Flornoy G. and 
Benjamin F. Those deceased are Washington, Wallace, Charles, Edny, 
Stanhop and Mary. The paternal grandfather, Wallace Spears, was born in 
Ireland, of Irish parents, and when twelve years old came to North 
Carolina, where he married Betsy Gilmor. He never heard but one 
minister after settling in North Carolina. His wife, Betsey Spears, was 
born in North Carolina, and was of Scotch parentage. Nelson Gray and 
Olivia his wife, the maternal grandparents, were natives of Wake 
County, Va. Mr. Gray had a brother who was killed in the Revolution, 
and two of Mrs. Gray's brothers served in the same war. Benjamin F. 
lived in his native county until 1847, and then went to Lafayette 
County, Miss., where he lived until 1879. He received a common- school 
education, and in April, 1862, enlisted in Company G, Fourth 
Mississippi Volunteer Infantry, Confederate Army. He was in the fights 
at Chickasaw, Vicksburg, Port Gibson, Big Black, Resaca, Franklin and 
Nashville, among many others. At Nashville he was captured, and held a 
prisoner at Camp Chase for six months. He was paroled at Vicksburg, but 
was afterward exchanged.
 
He was discharged June 12, 1865, and then resumed farming in 
Mississippi. January 4, 1859, he married Marina M., daughter of William 
and Lucinda Giles, natives of North Carolina, who immigrated to 
Mississippi when Mrs. Spears was a child. She bore three children, 
McKindrey, Delia and Eugene, and died February 19, 1873, in 
Mississippi. December 11, 1879, Mr. Spears married Dorcas Ross, also a 
native of North Carolina, who immigrated to Mississippi. In 1879 Mr. 
Spears came to Sebastian County, Ark., where he now owns a farm of 200 
acres, which he bought after renting land two years. Fifty acres he 
keeps under cultivation. Politically Mr. Spears is a Democrat, and 
himself and wife and McKindrey and Delia belong to the Old School 
Presbyterian Church.

______________________________________________________________________

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Cabarrus County GenWeb
______________________________________________________________________