My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Miller 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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John H. Sheppard was born in Harris County, Ga., on July 26, 1834, and is the son of William and Jane (Oliver) Sheppard, both of whom were natives of Georgia. They were married in their native State, and soon after the birth of their son, John H., they moved to Barbour County, Ala., and there made their home until their death, which occurred in 1854 and 1868, respectively, the father dying at the age of sixty-five years, and the mother at the age of sixty years. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. The father was a soldier in the War of 1812 and in politics was a Whig. There were fourteen children born to this marriage, three of whom are still living—the subject of this sketch and his two sisters. John H. Sheppard spent his school days in Barbour County, Ala., remaining at home until his father's death, and then engaging in agricultural pursuits on his own responsibility, in which he has ever since continued. In 1861 he joined the Fifth North Carolina Battalion, afterward transferred to the Sixtieth Georgia Confederate Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war as corporal, participating in many battles, the most important of them being Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Darksville, Rapidan River, the Wilderness, Hatches Run, Mine Run, Petersburg and around Richmond. He was with the army at the surrender at Appomattox. At the battle of the Wilderness he received a gunshot through the left thigh, which disabled him for duty; at Pittsburgh he was knocked from the breastworks by the bursting of a shell, and at Gettysburg was taken prisoner, but escaped the same day. After the war he returned to Georgia and remained there until 1867, at that time going to Barbour County, Ala., where he made his home until 1870. He then came to Arkansas and located on his present farm, which comprises 315 acres of as good land as can be found in Miller County, with 100 acres prepared for cultivation. He was a heavy loser by the late war, and when he came to Arkansas, his means were extremely limited, but by his industry and good management he has accumulated a fine property, and as the result of his own hard labor, has one of the best improved farms in this section. He was united in matrimony on January 8, 1861, to Miss Louisiana Phelps, daughter of William and Judy Phelps, and their wedded life has been blessed with seven children: John H. (a farmer of this county), Thomas F. (a merchant of Atlanta, Tex.), Louvenia (wife of A. B. Hemperley, a merchant of Collins Bluff, Ark.) and Millie T., Elmira, Josephine and William H., at home. Mrs. Sheppard was born in Georgia on March 3, 1837. Her husband is one of the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church building at Bright Star, of which denomination they are both members, and is one of the most enterprising citizens of this county, at all times supporting the cause of education and religion, as well as all laudable public enterprises. In politics he is a Democrat.

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