My Genealogy Hound

J. A. Holbert is one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Lee County, Ark., and here his birth occurred in 1843, he being the second child born to James M. and Antoinette (McDaniel) Holbert, who were born in Kentucky and Arkansas, respectively, the former’s birth occurring in 1809, and the latter’s in 1825. The father removed to this State in 1815, and after making his home here until 1849, he went to Mississippi and died opposite to where Helena, Ark. is. Our subject and his brother, A. J., who lives in Arizona, and is the sheriff of Maricopa County, are the only children born to their parents, and the mother died on November 29, 1843. James M. Holbert was married a second time in 1845, his wife being Mary McDaniel, a daughter of Archibald McDaniel, and one child, Antoinette, blessed this union, she being now the wife of N. B. Purnell, and resides in Pike County, Ark. After the death of Mr. Holbert his widow married a Mr. Hughes, and died during the war. J. A. Holbert received his education and rearing in St. Francis County, Ark., but at the age of seventeen years he dropped farm work and books to enter the Confederate army, enlisting in Company G, Thirteenth Arkansas Infantry, under Col. Tappin, and served east of the Mississippi River for four years, being a participant in the following engagements: Belmont, Shiloh, Corinth, Knoxville, Richmond (Ky.), Bardstown, Perryville, Atlanta and Jonesboro, where he was wounded and captured. He succeeded in effecting his escape after being retained only about twenty-four hours, and he afterward came west and joined Capt. Coats’ company, under Gen. Marmaduke, and operated in Arkansas. After surrendering he was given his freedom, and returned home and began farming on his grandfather’s plantation. Prior to the war he had owned quite a large area of land, and a number of slaves, and his father owned nearly 100 slaves. The former carried the mail from Wittsburg to Helena, a distance of over seventy miles (there being only four post offices on the route), through a heavy cane-brake all the way. Although the country was very wild and unsettled at that time, Mr. Holbert says he never carried a pistol or a gun, and was never molested, either by the wild animals or Indians. He now has one of the finest farms in the county, comprising 200 acres of land, and has about 100 acres under cultivation, on which is a splendid frame residence and outbuildings. He was married in 1869 to Miss C. L. Hannah, of this county, a daughter of John and Penelpia (Lynch) Hannah, natives of Ireland and Arkansas, respectively, and by her became the father of eight children, four of whom are living: Lee, J. J., Bell and Blanche. One child died at the age of five years and three in infancy.