BIOGRAPHIES

Conway County, Arkansas Genealogy Trails

CONWAY, Henry Wharton

GORDON, Alexander (updated)

GORDON, Alexander Bruce

GORDON, Robert Boaz

REED, James

Henry Wharton Conway
1793 - 1827

Henry Wharton Conway, cousin of Ambrose Hendley Sevier, a Delegate from the Territory of Arkansas; born near Greeneville, Green County, Tenn., March 18, 1793; educated by private tutors; enlisted as an ensign in the War of 1812 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1813; clerk in the Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., in 1817; moved to Missouri Territory in 1818 and to Arkansas Territory in 1820; receiver of public moneys in 1820 and 1821; elected a Delegate to the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Congresses and served from March 4, 1823, until his death near Arkansas Post, Ark., then the Territorial seat of government, November 9, 1827; interment in Arkansas Post Cemetery.
Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present.

Alexander Gordon was born 1822 Robertson County TN. He is the son of Robert Boaz Gordon and Milly Pitts and he came to Conway County AR with his parents in 1844 when he was 22 years of age. He began work as a farmer & miller in Point Remove township. He was very active in his community & served as a Justice of Peace, School Commissioner, Assistant Judge and a Home Guard for Lick Mountain township during the Civil War.
He was first married to Nancy Ragsdale in 1846 in Conway County. She is the daughter of William & Sarah Ragsdale & was born 1825 in Robertson County TN and their children are Johnathan, Robert Bolen, Alexander Bruce and Lucian. She died sometime prior to 1859.
Alexander married Elizabeth Prince in 1859. She is the daughter of Miles Prince & Charity Halbrook and their children are Joseph P., Roxie Ann & William Miles.  After Alexander's death, she married Isaac Taylor Bradley on April 29, 1866 in Conway County and their children were:  John Thomas, Charity, Mariah Jane, Isaac Newton and Jasper.
On Sep 18, 1858 Alexander purchased 80 acres of land for 75 cents per acre under "An Act to Graduate and Reduce the Price of Public Lands to Actual Settlers and Cultivators". A final certificate was issued and dated May 1, 1860 and at that time he had a dwelling house, smokehouse, corn crib & stable and 20 acres of land cleared, fenced and in cultivation. 
The 1860 census shows Alexander was farming in Lick Mountain township with real estate valued at $500 & personal property valued at $520.  
On Jun 10, 1861 Alexander enlisted in Company C, 5th AR Infantry, C.S.A. as a private and on Jul 11, 1861 he was appointed a Home Guard for Lick Mountain township. He took part in the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky, which began on Oct. 8, 1862.  It was one of the largest battles fought in Kentucky during the Civil War and the fighting began early in the morning and a series of battles continued all day and into the evening.  After the battles ended there were 532 killed in action, 2641 wounded and 228 captured.  Alexander was wounded and was sent to a hospital in Harrodsburg, Ky Oct 9, 1862.  Nothing is known about Alexander after this.
Alexander died Mar 1, 1864 in Conway County AR and was buried at Grandview Cemetery. It is unknown if he died due to the injuries received in the Battle of Perryville.  After his death his sons from his first marriage, John, Robert Bolen, Alexander Bruce and Lucian, lived with their grandparents.  William and Sarah Ragsdale.

Alexander Bruce Gordon was born July 4, 1855 in Conway County AR, Lick Mountain township, to Alexander Gordon and Nancy Ragsdale. His mother was a daughter of William & Sarah Ragsdale of Conway County. She was born 1825 Robertson County TN & died before 1859 in Conway County when Alex was 4 years old. His father, Alexander Gordon, was a son of Robert Boaz Gordon & Milly Pitts and was born 1822 Robertson County TN and died Mar 1, 1864 when Alex was 9 years old.
After the death of his father, Alex and his brothers John, Robert Bolen & Lucian "Luther" lived with their grandparents, William & Sarah Ragsdale.
On July 5, 1874 Alexander Bruce Gordon married Melvina Reed in Conway County. Melvina was born Dec 11, 1855 TN and is a daughter of James Reed and Sarah Elizabeth Smith. They began living and farming in the Lick Mountain township area. And on Dec 1, 1881 they moved onto 80 acres of homestead land where they remained for 5 years. They moved off the land onto rented farmland hoping to make a better living but later moved back to the homestead. During the 5 year homestead period Alexander built a one room 14X16 box house with a porch on each side covered with oak boards and a stable. His land was timber land which consisted of post oak, red oak, black oak, black jack & hickory and the first year he lived on the land, he cleared and fenced in 25 acres of land for cultivation purposes. Some of the crops he planted were corn, cotton, wheat, oats & potatoes. He also owned horses, cattle & hogs. He worked at a gin for a month one winter for his brother-in-law, William W. Reed, boarding with his brother, John, during the week & going home every Friday night for the weekend.
Alexander and his family were members of the Pleasant Springs Missionary Baptist Church & Alex served as church secretary during the year of 1883.
Alex and Melvina had 12 children, all born in Conway County. They are:
1. Nancy Ann "Nannie" born May 2, 1875, died May 24, 1951. She married William Ryly Deaton & their children are Margaret, James Alexander "Alex" & Julia. Nancy & William R. are both buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
2.Lucian R. "Luce" born Mar 3, 1877, died Sep 2, 1880 & buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
3. Jane born Nov 3, 1878, died Mar 3, 1911. She married H. Dempsey Harrington & their children are Alexander, Fronia, Arkey, Anna, Lola, Sam, Selma & Myrtle. Both Jane & H.D. are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
4. Lewis born Dec 9, 1879, died Aug 25, 1881 & buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
5. Lucinda "Cindy" born Jul 13, 1881, died Nov 17, 1960 Nowata Co OK. She married James Pleasant Scroggin "Pleas" & their children are Nettie M., Gertrude Jean "Jennie", Ollie Leona & Alma C. James & Luncinda are both buried at Nowata Memorial Park Cemetery, Nowata Co OK.
6. Sarah born Jan 13, 1882, died July 15, 1882 & buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
7. John Bruce born Dec 26, 1886, died Feb 12, 1969. He married Carrie Etta Tucker & their children are William Stanley, Edward Earl, Edna Pearl, Muriel May "Myrl", Velma Virginia, Iris Noreen, Fred & Lindel. Both John & Carrie are buried at Union Valley Baptist Church Cemetery, Lonoke Co AR.
8. Emma Jeannette born Jul 20, 1888, died May 14, 1967. She married John Amos Huett. They did not have any children. Both are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
9. Elmer Alexander born Apr 18, 1892, died Aug 13, 1975. He married first to Eugenia Tucker "Jeannie". She & her infant died in 1918. His second wife was Ollie Ann Meeler & their children are Pauline & Carl Dee. Elmer, Ollie & Eugenia are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
10. Rosa Narsis "Aunt Sis" born Nov 17, 1893, died Aug 21, 1967. She married Samuel Porter Bird "Port Bird" & their children are Esther, Elbert Samuel, Ruth, Fay M. Ralph Dale, Imogene Gladys, Robert Lemoine, Dewey Gordon, Roy Lane & Huett Franklin. Rosa & Samuel are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
11. Sreathie Ethel born Jul 4, 1896, died Jan 31, 1985. She married Jacob Calvin Huett "Cabin Huett" & their children are Freddie & Mable. Sreathie & Jacob are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.
12. Allie Melvina born Jul 21, 1901, died Jan 27, 1975. She married first to Jesse Lee Wilson & their children are Edith Melvina, Emma Lee, Donna Mae, Wilma Allie, Mary Francis & Gordon Neil. Her second husband was Herman VonOhlen. She is buried at Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery, Bexar Co TX with her second husband.

In the last week of January 1910, Alexander Bruce Gordon was in the process of hitching up his mules to a wagon & one mule that was new & he was unfamiliar with, started "acting up" & he jumped down to calm the mule & broke his leg which became infected with gangrene. He lived for 5 days and died Feb 1, 1910. Both Melvina & Alexander are buried at Kilgore Cemetery.