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Submitted: 2/14/15 • Approved: 3/2/17 • Last Updated: 3/5/17 • R1062016-G0-S3
December 29, 1837 - February 4, 1893
W. A. Merritt is the sixth of seven children born to his parents, and was born in Lafayette County, Ala., in 1838. His father and mother, Allan and Mary (Wilson) Merritt, were born in the Palmetto State, and moved to Alabama about 1834, and there he proved to be a valuable settler, for besides building churches, schools, roads, and helping to clear up the country, he improved a fine lot of land for himself and became wealthy. He died in 1879 at the age of eighty years, and his wife in 1860 at the age of thirty-eight years. Of seven children born to them five are now living: John W. (of Magnolia), J. H. (of Arkansas County), Harvey (who was killed in Georgia during the late war), J. F. (who is a physician of Blue Mountain, Miss.), H. H. (a farmer residing near Fort Worth, Tex.), and Sarah J. (the widow of Franklin Hargrove, who was killed during the war). After the death of Mrs. Merritt, Mr. Merritt married a Mrs. Phillips, but she, too, is now deceased. W. A. Merritt spent the early part of his life in Pontotock County, Miss., where his father had moved when he was only five years of age, and after remaining there attending the common schools until he was nineteen years of age, he came to Columbia County, Ark., and settled on the place where he now lives, of which he has been a resident since 1850. After remaining hard at work on his farm until 1862, he put aside his farming implements, and in July joined Capt. Todd’s Company, First Arkansas Cavalry, serving in the Trans-Mississippi Department, taking part in the battles of Cane Hill and Mark’s Mill, being wounded in the last named engagement in the chest by a gun-shot, and was in the hospital under the immediate care of the physician for two years. Upon recovering at the end of this time, he came home and did not again enter the service. In 1865 he resumed his farming operations, and since 1880, in connection with this calling, he has followed merchandising. His farm comprises 200 acres, on which he annually raises some thirty-five bales of cotton, but besides this he owns 2,300 acres, of which about 1,000 are under cultivation and improved with buildings, all of which he has acquired by his own exertions since the war, as at that time he was almost penniless. Miss Sarah J. Hardy, of Mississippi, became his wife, and of thirteen children born to them, four died in childhood, and Mary, after she had attained womanhood and was married to John Suredd. Those living are: Mary C. (wife of R. W. Thornton), T. A. (wife of R. Dodson), Martha (wife of S. T. Dodson), James A., Alda, William, Emma and Gertrude. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and he belongs to the A. F. &, A. M., Macedonia Lodge No. 34. Although his walk through life has been rather uneventful, it is one of which he has cause to be proud, for he has been honest in thought and action, kind and accommodating to those with whom he has come in contact, and his social qualities have always been of a high order. Mrs. Merritt is a daughter of John R. and Charlotte (Bridges) Hardy, native Virginians, who came to the State of Arkansas about 1838, being among the earliest settlers of this county. Mr. Hardy helped survey and lay off nearly all the public roads, and otherwise assisted in improving and building up the county. There were no flouring mills in the county at that time, but on nearly every settler’s place could be found the old steel implements for bread making. His wife, who died in 1844, bore him eight children, five now living: Beverly (a resident of Texas), J. R. (residing in Howard County, Ark.), Sarah J. (wife of Mr. Merritt), Caroline (wife of J. P. Thomas, of this county), and Martha (wife of J. R. Winkley, of Columbia County). After the death of this wife, Mr. Hardy formed an alliance with Mrs. Elizabeth (Jones) Holloway, and by this wife became the father of four children: W. E. and J. W. of this county, only, being alive. Mr. Hardy passed from this life in 1859. (Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas - Goodspeed Publishing Company - Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis - 1890)
Contributed on 2/14/15 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 1062016