My Genealogy Hound

Henry H. McCray, one of the pioneer settlers of Saline County, was born here in 1844, being the son of H. N. and Elizabeth (Carroll) McCray, the father a native of South Carolina, and the mother of Alabama. H. N. McCray was married when a young man, and removed to what is now Union Township, Saline County, Ark., in 1837, there entering land and partly improving it, when he sold out and went to what is now Grant County. He bought a claim and improved it, but some years after returned to Saline County, and settled in Union Township, the second time in 1842. Later he bought a farm on Saline River. His remaining days were spent in Benton, his death occurring March 27, 1886. He was a member of Benton Lodge No. 34, A. F. & A. M. His wife died in 1865. Henry H. McCray passed his boyhood days on the farm, and was educated in the subscription schools of Saline County. He enlisted at Little Rock, in 1862, in Col. Crawford’s regiment for three years or during the war, and was engaged in scouting, being transferred to Col. Hawthorn’s regiment of infantry, where he was principally engaged in Texas. He was paroled at Marshall, Tex., in May, 1865, when he returned to Saline County, becoming engaged in farming. He married in November, 1868, Miss A. J. Frances Pelton, a native of Saline County, and daughter of James and Arrilla (Williams) Pelton, of Illinois. Mr. Pelton came to the Louisiana Territory when a young man, was married here and settled in what is now Beaver Township, Saline County, Ark. He settled on a claim of eighty acres given by the territory to actual settlers, where he made his home until his death in 1846. His esteemed wife survived until 1876. Grandfather Berry Williams was a native of North Carolina, was in the War of 1812, and at a very early day came to Arkansas. His death occurred in what is now Grant County, in 1854. Mr. McCray settled in 1872 upon a farm, where he now resides, which is one of the oldest settled places in Saline County. He has also opened up considerable land, and has now about 100 acres under cultivation, owning besides 475 acres of well-improved land in Saline Township. Mr. McCray and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and take an active part in all church work. They have been blessed with six children: Flora, Clara, Jasper, James, Rosa and Marvin. Mr. McCray has always taken an active part in everything which would tend to the improvement of the town and county, both in a material, religious and moral sense.