My Genealogy Hound

R. B. Barton, a prominent citizen of Crittenden County, was born in Tipton County, Tenn., in 1839, and is the youngest of eleven children, born to James and Elizabeth W. (Hardin) Barton, who were natives of Kentucky. The father was a farmer by occupation, and died in Tennessee in 1851. The maternal grandfather was a major in the Revolutionary War, and fought in the battle of Cowpens. After the father’s death, the family moved to Crittenden County, Ark., and settled on Rosebrough Island, in 1852. R. B. Barton lived with his brothers, J. F. and F. H., till 1865, when they moved to Mound City, where they bought 200 acres of unimproved land, of which R. B. cleared sixty acres up to the outbreak of the war. In 1861 he enlisted in a cavalry company, known as the Crittenden Rangers, which went to Kentucky, and was in Hardin’s division, which took part in the battle of Shiloh. Then the regiment was reorganized, and Mr. Barton returned to Crittenden County, where, in company with Col. McGee, he raised a company of which he was elected first lieutenant. This company was engaged in scouting and police duty, and during the war captured three steamboats. Lieut. Barton was captured in 1863, and was placed in prison at Memphis for two months, when he was removed to Johnson’s Island for eleven months. He returned home in 1864, and commenced the planting and timber business. In 1868 he went on a farm of thirty-five acres, at Mound City, and in 1885, when he had improved it till it was worth $14,000, he sold it. In 1888 he bought eight acres on the Bald Knob Railroad, where he built a station, and has put about $10,000 worth of improvements, consisting of a cotton-gin, with all modern improvements, at a cost of $3,000, a store, livery stable, hotel, and, in fact, he owns everything at the station. Mr. Barton was married in 1865, to Miss Fannie K. Fogleman, a daughter of John Fogleman, one of the pioneers of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Barton are the parents of three children, of whom two are dead, Lizzie (died at the age of fifteen years, while attending school at Fayetteville), Mary Alice (who is now attending school at Memphis) and Gussie (who died at the age of twelve years). Mr. Barton moved to Memphis in 1885, and has since resided there. He is a progressive and energetic business man, and has done very much toward the improvement of Crittenden County.