My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography from the book,  The History of Franklin County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

Wyley B. Corley was born in Independence County, Ark., March 15, 1831, and is a son of Nathaniel and Matilda (Hickerson) Corley, natives of South Carolina and Tennessee, respectively. After their marriage the parents immigrated to Lawrence County, Ark., and there reared their children. Mr. Corley served in the Florida War, under Gen. Wayne, and died about 1849. When nineteen years of age our subject left the parental roof and spent three years in Vandalia, Ill., engaged in buying and shipping apples the greater part of the time. He came to Franklin County, Ark., in May, 1856, and until 1861 resided near Ozark. He then enlisted under Gen. McCullough as lieutenant of Company C, McRea’s infantry regiment, in which he served about a year, and then joined the cavalry. His health having been shattered he was on recruiting duty most of the time, but he participated in the fight at Oak Hill and several skirmishes. After being paroled at Clarksville he returned to Ozark, and until a few years ago speculated in land and dealt in stock. In 1884 he moved upon his present farm, which is situated on Boston Mountains, eighteen miles north of Ozark, and contains 200 acres of land, sixty of which are under cultivation. July 10, 1859, Mr. Corley was married near Ozark, to Malinda Bourland, a native of this county, and daughter of D. L. Bourland, an early settler of Arkansas. Mr. and Mrs. Corley have four children: Mary T. (wife of J. M. Roach), Virginia Lee (a widow), M. D. (a young man) and Florence. Our subject, his wife, and all his children but Florence are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Corley is a Master Mason, and before the war served the community four years as deputy sheriff.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 163 biographies included in The History of Franklin County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Franklin County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Franklin County, Arkansas family biographies here: Franklin County, Arkansas

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.