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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lee County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  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.

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Col. John I. Foreman, who was born in North Carolina, in 1829, was one of two children resulting from the union of William S. and Elizabeth E. (Williams) Foreman. The father’s birth occurred in 1806, in North Carolina, where he became identified with the most prominent and wealthy planters of Pitt County, also belonging to one of the first families of that State. He was married in 1828, to Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Williams, an eminent physician of North Carolina, who served as surgeon in the Revolutionary War. Mr. Foreman died in 1836, leaving to a young widow the management of his large fortune, which was willed without condition to her. She again married, her second husband being E. B. Freeman, clerk of the supreme court of North Carolina for many years. Mrs. Freeman having received a large fortune from her former husband, turned her attention to the education of her two sons, both of them being sent to Princeton, N. J., and graduating from the prominent college of that place. She closed her eyes to the scenes of this world in 1848. In 1851 John I. was elected to the legislature, from Pitt County, N. C., in which he served two years, and had he chose to remain, could have occupied a most enviable position in the political field. This, however, he did not care to do. Having previously paid a visit to Eastern Arkansas, he concluded that that was the place for his future home, and in 1853 he came to what is now Lee (then Phillips) County, to join his brother, who had immigrated to the State a year previous, bringing with him into the primeval forest a vast number of slaves and other property. He had purchased a large tract of land, and by the help of the slaves soon brought it from its embryo state, to that of cultivation. This property was equally enjoyed and shared by the two brothers, where they lived in great contentment until the breaking out of the war between the States. During that time they added much to their wealth, and became widely recognized as the most prosperous and popular planters in the State. They were known far and near for their generosity and support to all educational enterprises, and in fact to all movements that betokened the good and growth of the county. When the war was declared, John Foreman believing the South to be right, as a leader of the people with whom he lived, raised a company of soldiers for the Confederate army, and was attached to the Second Arkansas, Govan’s regiment. Being transferred east of the Mississippi, he fought in the battle of Perryville (Ky.), and then returned to the Trans-Mississippi Department, where he was attached to Gen. Marsh Walker’s staff. He was with this command at the date of Gen. Walker’s death, in a duel with a well-known general. After this Mr. Foreman was not in active service, and at the closing of hostilities he returned home to find that his plantation and all his valuable property had been destroyed by the ravages of war. Let it not for a moment be supposed that his great loss overpowered him, for he set to work with redoubled courage and a determination to succeed, and a few years witnessed the recovery of his fortunes, and an addition to his property lost. Here in this vicinity he lived for many years, occupying a warm place in the hearts of the entire community, by whom he was honored and revered, as a leading and popular citizen of this county. A mean action or an unkind word was something perfectly foreign to his loyal and generous nature. His death, which occurred in 1879, was sincerely mourned by all who knew him, and his work, which was of a lifetime in doing good to man, well deserved its reward in the commendation, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.’’ Col. Foreman was married in 1855 to Miss Arabella Armstrong, of New York City, a daughter of William and Martha Armstrong, early settlers of that city, where her father died in 1834. Her mother then immigrated to Tennessee, and then to Arkansas. Mr. and Mrs. Foreman had eight children: William H., Robert L. (M. D.), J. I., Jr., E. W., Jane, Arabella, M. K. and Bessie.

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This family biography is one of 104 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lee County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Lee County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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