My Genealogy Hound

J. Bryant Forrester, postmaster and general merchant at Hartford, Sebastian Co., Ark., was born in Roane County in 1830, and is a son of Solomon and Sarah (Marney) Forrester, who were born in the “Palmetto State,” in 1803 and 1807, and died in 1863 and 1852, respectively. They were married in their native State, and afterward removed to Tennessee, thence to Arkansas in 1833, settling in Crawford County, where they following the occupation of farming. To them were born a family of nine children, three of whom are yet living: James M. (residing in California), B. F. (living in Texas), and J. Bryant. The paternal and maternal grandparents, Mark Forrester and Amos Marney, were of English and Scotch-Irish descent, respectively, the former being a native of South Carolina and a soldier in the Black Hawk War. J. Bryant Forrester, whose name heads this sketch, was brought to Arkansas when the country was yet a wilderness, his early days being spent in Crawford County. In 1855 he was married to Maria Shannon, who was born in Crawford County, Ark., in 1838. Her parents, Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Bryant) Shannon, were born in Tennessee, and located in Crawford County, Ark., in 1833, and engaged in tilling the soil. The former died in 1853, but the latter is still living, with her four surviving children, Nancy (Mrs. Clark), Mary (Mrs. Williams), Bryant, and Elizabeth (Mrs. Hight). Mr. Forrester’s wife died in 1859, having born two children: James B., of Fort Smith, and Haseltine (Mrs. Keeney), and in 1872 he married his second wife, Eliza, a daughter of Lucinda (Dalton) Forrester, who were Tennesseeans, and removed to Arkansas in 1850. Six children were born to his second union: Virginia, B. M., J. Bryant, W. B., Duvall and Mark. In May, 1862, Mr. Forrester enlisted in Company B, Col. Clarkson’s regiment, Arkansas cavalry, as captain, and in September, 1862, was elected captain of Company D, of the same regiment, and participated in the battles of Elk Horn and Prairie Grove, serving until he received his discharge at the close of the war. He is a Mason, a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and in his political views is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for James Buchanan.