My Genealogy Hound

George C. Harrison, planter and miller, is a native of Mississippi, and was born March 23, 1834. His parents were natives of Tennessee, and, both dying before our subject was one year old, he was raised by an uncle — G. C. Harrison. He lived on a farm, never attending school, and the considerable knowledge he has was gathered since his majority. At the age of nineteen he began life for himself, engaging in farming as an overseer, in Prairie County, Ark., where he remained till 1857. He has been three times married—in 1853 to Miss Mary Henderson, of St. Francis County, Ark. They had one child, Arthur, the wife dying in 1857. In 1863 he married Miss Sarah Bray, of St. Francis County, daughter of Henry and Fanny Bray, the father a farmer and Baptist minister. By this union there were four children: Delia (died at fifteen), Henry, William, and George (married and living in Jackson). Mrs. Harrison died in 1882, and in 1884 Mr. Harrison married Mrs. Sumette Mallory, widow of James Mallory, who had two children, Anna and Hannah O., aged fifteen and twelve years. In 1872 Mr. Harrison came to Centerville, Jackson County, Ark., where he lived five years, and in 1877 bought ninety-one acres of new land, which he cleared, later adding forty acres to it, and has 100 acres of cleared land. He has since added forty acres to that, making 171 acres in that farm in Union Township. In 1885 he gave his wife a farm of eighty-five acres, seventy-five of which are cleared, lying half a mile northwest of Auvergne. Together, they now own 570 acres, 350 of which are now under cultivation. In 1882 he began ginning cotton with his own machinery, on his farm, in Union Township, insured his customers against loss by fire, and in October, 1885, the gin, together with eighteen bales of his customers’ cotton and three bales of his own, were totally destroyed by fire, being a total loss. In 1886 he built his present gin and the grist-mill at Auvergne. This gin is the best in Jackson County, having a capacity of fifteen bales. He does a general ginning business, and buys his tenants’ crops. In 1861 our subject enlisted in the Thirteenth Arkansas Regiment, was made lieutenant of Company B, serving one year, when he was discharged. He re-enlisted in Capt. Anderson’s company, Col. Dobbins’ regiment, where he served until the surrender, in 1865. He was never wounded, but in the battle of Belmont, in which he was engaged, seven bullets were sent through his clothing. He was with Gen. Price on his raid through Missouri, and was at the battle of Lexington. He was also at the battle of Pilot Knob, and the last skirmish was at Fayetteville, Ark., in the winter of 1864. Mr. Harrison votes the Democratic ticket, and is conservative; is a member of the Masonic order, of the Knights of Honor and the A. L. of H. He and his wife are members of the Baptist and Presbyterian Churches, respectively. He also contributes to the support of the churches, schools, and all other enterprises for the good of the county.