My Genealogy Hound

William W. Carmical, a leading citizen of Cleveland County, Ark., was born in Abbeville District, S. C., February 6, 1827, a son of Arthur and Frances (Bell) Carmical, natives, respectively, of South Carolina and North Carolina. They were married in Newberry, S. C., and continued to make that State their home until 1832, when they moved to Georgia, in which State they made their home until their deaths, the father dying April 1, 1845, aged seventy-one years and the mother in 1876, aged eighty-two years. They were both consistent church members, but the father espoused the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church and the mother the Methodist. They were successful agriculturists, and in his political views he was a Whig. The paternal grandparents, Patrick and Elizabeth Carmical, were born in Ireland, and at an early day removed to America, the grandfather becoming a member of the American army in the Revolutionary War, and was a participant in a great many battles. He was a farmer and tobacco planter. William W. Carmical’s brothers and sisters are as follows: Mary Ann (widow of Samuel Walker, resides in Coweta County, Ga.), Patrick (a farmer also residing there), Nancy (widow of John S. Spurell), Robert (a farmer of Coweta County, Ga.). Those deceased are John (who died in infancy), Abram (who died at the age of eighty-two years), Elizabeth (who died in Alabama when quite advanced in years), Arthur (who died in Georgia, aged fifty years), and Sophia (who died in Alabama). William W. Carmical spent his school days in Georgia, and when eighteen years of age began life for himself as a farmer, and as such continued until December, 1870, when he came to Arkansas and located in what is now Cleveland County, and here has since made his home, being now the owner of a fine tract of land comprising 200 acres, but has given 500 acres to his children. While a resident of Georgia he served as sheriff of Coweta County one term, and was magistrate several years, and since his residence in Cleveland County, Ark., he has served as justice of the peace, and in 1879 was elected to the office of sheriff and served one term. May 1, 1862, he enlisted in the First Georgia Cavalry, being first lieutenant of Company K, and afterward became commander of the regiment. He remained in the service until September 5, 1864, when he became recruiting officer, continuing such until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, in and around Atlanta, Macon, Ga., and was severely wounded at Campbellville, Tenn., by a minie-ball which entered his right cheek and passed out through his left. He then returned home on furlough and spent the remainder of the war in recruiting. March 12, 1846, he was married to Miss Margaret Anna Leslie, a daughter of Joseph Leslie, who is now residing in Cleveland County, Ark., and is eighty-two years of age. Mrs. Carmical was born in South Carolina October 6, 1829, and by Mr. Carmical is the mother of these children: Mary J. (wife of W. J. Harper, who is now deceased), Joseph P. (a farmer of Drew County, Ark.), William A. (a farmer of Cleveland County), John A. (in business with his father), and Emma T. (wife of M. E. Elliott, a farmer of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Carmical are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and in his political views he is a Democrat.