My Genealogy Hound

Dr. J. P. Bourland, physician and druggist of Curtis, Ark., was born in Ozark, Franklin County, Ark., in 1839, and is a son of Ebenezer J. and Polly (Hester) Bourland, who were born in Illinois and South Carolina in 1813 and 1812, respectively. Both were taken in their youth to Franklin County, Ala., where they were reared to maturity and married, afterward moving to Franklin County, Ark., taking up their abode in the latter State in 1833. In 1844 they came to Clark County, and after remaining here until after they had improved a farm, they moved near to Okolona, and afterward to Arkadelphia, where Mr. Bourland was engaged in merchandising for some time. During the war he refugeed to Texas, and in the "Lone Star State " both he and his wife died in 1864, having been earnest members of the Missionary Baptist Church for many years. Mr. Bourland was a farmer, and was internal improvement commissioner of Clark County, Ark., while that office was in existence. He filled the position of justice of the peace some years, and was a member of the A. F. & A. M. His father, Dewbart Bourland, was probably born in Ireland, and when a young man came to the United States and settled in South Carolina, and later moved to Illinois, thence to Kentucky, then to Alabama, and became one of the early settlers of Franklin County, Ark., where he tilled the soil and spent the rest of his days. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and for some time was judge of Franklin County. The maternal grandfather, Roland Hester, died at Tuscumbia, Ala. Dr. J. P. Bourland was the fifth of five sons and six daughters, four sons and two daughters now living, and until he reached the age of fifteen years he resided on a farm, but received the principal part of his education in Arkadelphia and Camden. At the above-mentioned age he began the study of pharmacy at Arkadelphia, and soon after engaged in the drug business in that place, continuing until the opening of the war, when he joined Company B, First Arkansas Infantry, and served one year in the Army of Virginia, participating in the fight at Manassas. He was afterward transferred to the Army of Tennessee, and was wounded at the bloody combat at Shiloh. After spending some time in the quartermaster's department he was transferred to the ordnance department, in which he served until the close of hostilities. Some of the other important engagements in which he participated are Corinth, Perryville, Ky.; Murfreesville, Chickamauga, and the engagements of the Atlanta campaign. He then returned with Hood into Tennessee, and took part in the engagements at Franklin and Nashville. He surrendered in South Carolina in the month of April, 1865, and at once went to Mississippi, where he was married to Miss Melverta, a daughter of Wesley and Eliza Bates. They were born in South Carolina and Kentucky, respectively, were married in Alabama, but afterward moved to Mississippi, and still later to Texas, Mr. Bates dying in this State in 1869, two years after locating there. His widow now lives in Mississippi, in which State Mrs. Bourland was born. She has borne the Doctor one son and five daughters, and since 1866 their home has been in Clark County, Ark., where they own and live on a fine farm of 320 acres. The Doctor also owns a good planing-mill, which has a capacity of 25,000 feet per day; this has been in operation four or five years. The drug business has received his attention for many years, and he is considered one of the leading pharmacists in this section of the State. Soon after the war he took up the study of medicine, and in 1868 commenced the practice, and this calling has since followed with success. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church, and he belongs to the A. F. & A. M.