My Genealogy Hound

Edward Silverberg, M. D., a physician and farmer of Clay County, Ark., was born in Columbia, Marion County, Miss., in 1829, and is the second of four children of Johnson and Sarah (Jones) Silverberg, who were born in Holland and Georgia, respectively. When about sixteen years of age the father emigrated to the United States, and soon after engaged in mercantile business in Columbia, Miss., where he remained twelve years, then removing to Canton, Miss., where he resumed business in 1833, continuing until his death in 1838. He and wife were married in 1825, the latter being a daughter of one of the early pioneers of Mississippi. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of New Orleans. Dr. Edward Silverberg received his education in the common schools and the Masonic College at La Grange, Ky., leaving the latter institution at the age of eighteen years. He was engaged in clerking for two years and then began the study of medicine, graduating from the Medical University of Louisville, Ky., in 1855, and entered upon the practice of his profession in Jessamine County, Ky. He then spent one year in Columbus, Ky., two years in Louisiana, and came to Helena in 1858, where he was in the drug business, and from that time until 1861 resided in Helena. In May, 1862, he entered the Southern army as medical purveyor under Gen. Hindman, who had command of the Trans-Mississippi department, and later was under Gen. Holmes, and was stationed with his office at Little Rock, Ark. In 1864 he resigned this office and entered the field as adjutant of what was known as Dobbins’ brigade, being in the battle of Big Creek, near Helena, and in a raid south; was with Price on his raid through Missouri, and took part in the battles at Iron Mountain, Big Blue, Kansas City and Fort Scott, then fell back to Benton County, Ark., and was in his last battle at Fayetteville, in the winter of 1864. The army was here divided and the Doctor’s command was sent to Northeast Arkansas, and in the winter of that year the command started to Mexico with Gen. Shelby. He was taken sick at San Antonio, Texas, and, after the final surrender, returned to Kentucky. He was married in 1856 to Miss Sallie Lockart, a native of Pennsylvania, by whom he became the father of three children: Sallie L., wife of Judge J. F. Humphries, clerk of the court at Helena, Ark.; Edward, who is married and resides with his father, and Ida, who died in infancy. In the spring of 1858 the Doctor brought his family to Arkansas and settled in Helena, where he was in the drug business when the war came on. In 1873, after coming to Northeast Arkansas, and practicing for a short time at Pocahontas, he went to Poplar Bluff, Mo., but returned to Corning, Ark., in 1876, remaining here six years, since which time he has lived at Knobel and Peach Orchard. In 1885 he bought a tract of land one-half mile south of Knobel, and on this farm he has since resided and made many improvements. He raises considerable stock and has an excellent stallion for breeding purposes. In partnership with his son he is extensively engaged in the timber business, shipping staves, stave bolts and piling, and making cross ties. He takes an active part in politics, and has held the office of postmaster at Peach Orchard three years, and at Knobel about the same length of time. At both these places he carries on general merchandising. He is chairman of the County Democratic Convention, and was a delegate to the Congressional Convention at Helena in 1888. He takes quite an interest in the culture of fruit, and his orchard consists of 300 peach trees, fifty pear, fifty plum, twenty-five cherry and 200 apple trees, all of which are doing well, and those that are bearing show excellent fruit. His son, Edward L., was married to Miss Annie Ratcliffe, a daughter of Hon. T. J. and Huldah A. Ratcliffe. The father was a noted lawyer and politician of this section and held the office of State senator. He died in 1881, but his widow still survives him and resides on the old homestead, one and a half miles west of Peach Orchard.