My Genealogy Hound

J. B. McCoy. The short sketch which here appears is that of a prominent farmer of Franklin Township. Mr. McCoy, a native of Alabama, born in 1842, the second in a family of nine children born to Rev. Daniel H. and Lucy (Robinson) McCoy, natives of Alabama, where his father was engaged in farming, and also preached in the Missionary Baptist Church. He was the best known preacher in that section, and was moderator of the Western Association for fourteen years. He died in 1868. His widow survives, and is living in Alabama with a daughter. Our subject was reared on a farm, and attended school at the East Alabama Male College, at Auburn, until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted in Company C, raised by his father, the Rev. D. H. McCoy, who was captain of the company—the Fourteenth Alabama—and was in the battles of Richmond and the seven days’ fight, and at Fredericksburg, Seven Pines, Sharpsburg (Md.), where they lost half of the company; around Pittsburg, when they surrendered with 106 men in the entire regiment. The father was slightly wounded. In the fall of 1865 our subject removed to Arkansas, settling in Columbia County, where he purchased a farm of 340 acres, 100 of which was cleared land. Here he lived for three years, and then went to Bradley County, where he lived for seven years, and then, in 1875, came to Calhoun County, and bought his present farm of 340 acres of land, which was somewhat improved. He now has 100 acres under cultivation, has erected good substantial buildings, and raises a variety of crops, making a specialty of cotton, averaging one-half bale to the acre. He has some good timber land, but nearly all his farm is good tillable land. He is also engaged somewhat in stock-raising, and has seventy-five head of fine cattle. Mr. McCoy has been married twice— first, in 1861, to Miss Josephine Miller, a native of Alabama, by whom he had three children: Daniel, Hamer and Exah. She died in 1873, and in 1874 Mr. McCoy was again married to Miss Hellen Terrentine, daughter of Rev. Joseph Terrentine, of Columbia County, a well-known pioneer preacher of Southern Arkansas. To this union were born six children: Josie, Ida, Marvin, Lee, Lucy and Jessie. The family are members of the Baptist Church, while Mrs. McCoy is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Hampton. Mr. McCoy is an earnest advocate of schools, and has served as director for four years. He is quite active in politics, and is an earnest supporter of the Democratic party. While living in Bradley County he was postmaster at Grand Ridge. Mr. McCoy’s farm is as good as Franklin Township can boast of; he has a fine orchard and good comfortable dwellings. He is active in the support of all things that promise to advance the interests of this section, and is respected and esteemed by all.