My Genealogy Hound

Capt. Hilliard A. Carter is a planter and a retired merchant of Brinkley and was born in Wilcox County, Ala., in 1833, being one of seven surviving members of a family of fourteen children born to Aaron B. and Elizabeth (Lee) Carter, both of whom were born, reared and married in Fairfield District, S. C, removing in 1825 to Alabama and in 1835 to La Fayette County, Miss. In 1865 they removed to Hopkins County, Tex., and the following year Mr. Carter died. His wife’s death occurred in Lamar County, Tex., in 1877, at the age of seventy-five years, both having been members of the Presbyterian Church for many years. The father was a successful planter and socially was a member of the A. F. & A. M. The paternal grandfather, John Carter, was a planter and a blacksmith and spent all his life in South Carolina. He served in the Revolutionary War. His parents were born in Ireland and were among the first settlers of South Carolina. The maternal grandfather, John Lee, being also one of the early settlers of that State and a Revolutionary soldier. Capt. Hilliard A. Carter is the only one of his family residing in Monroe County, Ark., and although he received little early schooling he became versed with the world’s ways at an early day and was intelligent and well posted on all current topics. In 1856 he came to Monroe County, and until the opening of the war acted in the capacity of an overseer, but gave up this work and in 1862 joined Company E, A. W. Johnson’s Regiment of Infantry and held the positions of sergeant and lieutenant until 1863, when he was made captain of his company. About a year later he and fourteen other men were detailed to look up absentees, and after securing sufficient men he and his followers were called Company C. He afterward raised another company, which he commanded until the close of the war and surrendered at Helena with a portion of his men. After his return from the war he resumed his farming operations, but in 1868 gave this up to engage in mercantile pursuits at Clarendon, which he continued until 1870, then came to Brinkley where he was in business until September, 1887, at which time his property was destroyed by fire and has never rebuilt, but has given his attention to his real estate, being the owner of about 1,000 acres. He has over 400 acres under cultivation, besides valuable property in Brinkley, all of which is the result of his own hard work and good management, as he started in life for himself a poor boy. In his political views he has been a Democrat all his life and is also a Mason, having been a member of Brinkley Lodge No. 295 for the past twelve or fourteen years. In 1884 he was married to Elizabeth, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Hawkins, who were Mississippians and removed to Monroe County, Ark., prior to the war, the mother dying in 1864, and the father in 1876. Mrs. Carter was born in Jefferson County, Ala., her parents being also natives of that State.