My Genealogy Hound

Rev. T. I. Pirtle. One has most appropriately written:

Our grandsires passed, a brave, determined band.
Driven by hard fate—as men were driven of old,
Whose story hath been told in lofty epic strain—
To plant with toil and pain,
Upon a distant shore, and in a strange, wild land,
A new and glorious State.

Among those who possessed the hardihood to brave the perils, dangers and hardships of life in a new and wild country, was the sire of our subject, James Pirtle, a Kentuckian, who, when but a boy, removed from his native State to Tennessee, thence to Arkansas in 1850. He first entered a tract of eighty acres in Bradley County, but soon after moved to a farm of 180 acres near his former location, where he has ever since made his home and is now living. His farm is in excellent condition, with 100 acres under cultivation, and affords him with abundant means to use as he chooses during his declining years. Having been a public-spirited man all his life, and honest in all his business transactions, he is highly esteemed by all, and being yet hale and hearty, bids fair to live many years. His wife, whose maiden name was V. E. Morton, a Virginian, passed from life in 1878. Their son, T. I. Pirtle, did not receive many advantages of the common schools in his youth, owing to the cruel war, and was engaged in farm work until the breaking out of the Rebellion, at which time he quit the plow to take up arms in defense of the cause which he espoused. After joining the Confederate army, he served in the Trans-Mississippi Department, but although he took part in a number of minor engagements, he was in no regular battles. Upon his return home he took up farming, where he had left off and purchased 160 acres of land near his father’s place, but soon after moved to Eagle Township, where he made his home for two years. In 1870 he purchased his present farm of 520 acres, and with the exception of 150 acres of land which he has in an excellent state of cultivation, his land is heavily covered with timber. The same year of his purchase he erected him a good residence, and in other ways has made extensive improvements and is now considered by all to be one of the leading agriculturists of this region. He was married in 1865, to Miss A. S. McClendon, a lady who only lived until 1869, and in the latter part of the same year he was united in marriage to Miss Martha E. McClendon, a sister of his first wife and a daughter of Marvel McClendon, a farmer of this section. To them have been born the following family: Emma S., William I., Leila T., Tempy V., Henry Graves (who died at the age of seven months), Mary Ida, Hattie U. and Hettie Ruth. Although Mr. Pirtle did not receive good educational advantages in his youth, he is exceptionally well read, and attended school part of two years with his children. In 1874 he felt impressed to preach the gospel, began studying for the ministry, and on July 4, 1875, was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church, and has ever since been pastor of Antioch, his home church, with the exception of two years. He has served in the same capacity for Canaan Church, Calhoun County, for twelve years, Ebeneezer Church, Emmons Church, Green Hill Church and others, and during the time of his ministerial labors has baptized some 350 persons, among whom was his own father and two children at the same baptizing, and has married over fifty couples. Although not an active politician, he votes the Democratic ticket, and served as justice of his township during 1874-75. He has been school director for the past fifteen years, and has been postmaster of Gravel Ridge since 1883, his father having served in the same capacity from 1850 to 1861.