My Genealogy Hound

Van R. Ryan, farmer, was born at Napoleon, in Desha County, Ark., March 10, 1843, and is the younger of two sons, the other member being Victor W., who died at Pocahontas, Ark., November 1, 1862, a member of T. C. Hindman’s Confederate Legion, born to Stephen V. R. and Mary A. (Malpass) Ryan, the former of whom was born in New York State, about 1804. He was reared in the Buckeye State, and there received his rudimentary education also, but afterward entered and graduated from the United States Military Academy, at West Point, being a class-mate of Jefferson Davis. He was left an orphan when very young, and was reared by a paternal uncle, who, after he had graduated, advised him to go West, which he did, and for many years was in the service of the Government in Arkansas, as surveyor and Indian agent. He went to South America about 1845, since which time his family has known little or nothing of him. His wife, whom he married at Napoleon, Ark., May 10, 1839, was born in Jasper County, Ga., February 22, 1823, a daughter of John and Nancy (McDowell) Malpass, whose ancestors were South Carolinians and Georgians. In June, 1845, Mrs. Ryan was married in Arkansas County, to Mark Sims, a native of Georgia, born May 28, 1813, and died January 4, 1863, becoming, by him, the mother of a son and two daughters: William M. (who died in 1848), Mattie J. (who died December 13, 1874), and Ann Elizabeth (who died in 1853). The mother is still living, and makes her home with her son, Van R. He received fair educational advantages, in the schools of Desha County, and Newport, Ky., and being desirous of becoming a well-informed man, he applied himself diligently to his books, and by the time he was seventeen years of age he was eminently capable of battling his own way in the world. At that age he became an overseer on a river plantation, continuing until the opening of the Rebellion, when he dropped all work to espouse the Confederate cause, and in May, 1862, became a member of Company D, under Capt. D. McGregor, James Fagan’s First Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Govan’s brigade, Pat Cleburne’s division, Hardee’s corps, Army of the Tennessee, and was a participant in the battles of Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, and other hard-fought skirmishes. In the battle of Chickamauga he was wounded, September 19, 1863, by a minieball, in the right ankle joint, and four days later the leg was amputated below the knee. He was never paroled, discharged nor mustered out of service, but after the cessation of hostilities he returned home, July 6, 1865, and was soon after, in August, elected sheriff of Desha County, which position he held until the reconstruction period, in 1868. He then purchased a farm and began tilling the soil, although he also served as deputy sheriff under his successor for five years. He now cultivates annually about 250 acres of land, the principal crops being corn, cotton and hay, and on his two farms are erected two good cotton-gins, which have proved quite profitable. He has given considerable attention to raising horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and every enterprise to which he has given his attention has succeeded far beyond his expectations. He is an intelligent, progressive and industrious farmer, and is liberal and charitable to all worthy enterprises. He was married in Desha County, April 11, 1880, to Miss Sallie J. Watkins, who was born in the county in 1862, a daughter of Richard W. and Sallie J. (Browning) Watkins, the father having been a Todd County Kentuckian, and now resides in Desha County. Mrs. Ryan died November 15, 1880, her death being deeply lamented by all who knew her. Mr. Ryan married her sister, Adelia W., December 27, 1883, but he was called upon to mourn her death also, January 31, 1889, she having borne him three daughters: Emily Louise, Mary Varina and Sallie Adelia. Mr. Ryan belongs to the K. of H., and politically is a Democrat, and in 1880 served as census enumerator of Red Fork Township.