My Genealogy Hound

Jacob Sansom, a thorough and prosperous farmer of Faulkner County, is a son of William H. and Nancy (Stinson) Sansom, who were born, reared and married in South Carolina, and from there moved to the State of Georgia, where Jacob was born in DeKalb County, in 1826. From Georgia the parents moved to Alabama about the year 1835, where the mother died in 1841, a devoted member of the Baptist Church. After her death the family removed to Tennessee the same year, where the father died the following (1843). He was a blacksmith by trade, and could be justly termed an artist in that line. He fought in the War of 1812, and in later life became a very prominent citizen of Georgia, holding the office of justice of the peace in that State for a number of years. His father was Micager H. Sansom, a native of England, who emigrated to America with his parents at an early period. Jacob was the ninth child of six sons and seven daughters born to the parents of whom only himself and one sister are now living, the latter Mrs. Dicy Morgan, of Mississippi. Jacob never had but two days’ schooling in his life. The knowledge he acquired by his own application, however, greatly exceeds that of many college graduates. After the death of his father he commenced in life for himself as a farm laborer in the State of Mississippi, where he resided for ten years. In 1852 he was married in Tippah County, that State, to Miss B. N., daughter of William Boss. This wife died in 1872 leaving six children, of whom two daughters are all that remain: Amanda (wife of Henry Watson) and Sarah. In 1873 he was married to Miss Matilda Bland, a charming widow, and daughter of James and Sarah Hollingshead, of Alabama, by whom he had one son, Tilden Hendricks. Mr. Sansom continued to reside in Mississippi until 1868, when he came to Faulkner County, Ark., and has lived on his present farm for about nine years, situated six miles east of Conway. He here owns a splendid farm of 240 acres, and has placed 125 acres under cultivation, all the result of his own enterprise and good management. In November, 1861, Mr. Sansom joined a Mississippi regiment of infantry, and after one month’s service was taken very ill and discharged. In June, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Forty-second Mississippi Regiment, and was with Gen. Lee during the seven days’ fight before Richmond. He also fought at Gettysburg and was captured at that place and taken to David’s Island, N. Y., where he was confined for two months. He was then exchanged, furloughed and went home to recover from several dangerous wounds received at Gettysburg and other battles, his left hand having been entirely shot away at the former place. In politics Mr. Sansom is a Democrat, and has voted for every presidential candidate in that party up to 1871, since his first vote for Pierce in 1852. He was a member of the Baptist Church till eight years ago, when he joined the Methodist and now attends that church.