My Genealogy Hound

Moses Collins, a pioneer settler of Drew County, Ark., and a wealthy planter of the same, was born in Richmond County, Ga., August 12, 1815, being a son of Moses and Elizabeth (Smith) Collins, who were born in South Carolina and Georgia, in 1783 and 1784, respectively. The following children were born to their union: Moses (the subject of this sketch), James (who is a bachelor, and resides in Mississippi), and Harriet (who is married to Mumford Wilson, and resides in Mississippi), living, and Eliza Mary, Benjamin, Elijah W., Archibald O., Irvin R. and an infant deceased. The father of these children was a wealthy agriculturist, and at the time of his death, March 14, 1857, was the owner of 10,000 acres of land. He was an active politician, and besides holding a number of local offices he represented his county in the State Legislature. He and wife, who died in 1866, were members of the Baptist Church. Their son, Moses, was educated in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in a private school, and on June 30, 1846, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Payne, who was born in that State June 20, 1828, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Payne, and to them a family of twelve children has been born: James P. (deceased), Rufus, William (deceased), Elizabeth (who was united in marriage to E. J. Jagger), John, Eliza, Moses (who married Mattie Johnson), Mary (deceased), Robert L. (who married Mary L. Johnson), Alva, Albert S. J. and an infant (deceased). Mr. Collins is a well-known tiller of the soil in Drew County, and is the owner of about 900 acres of good land, of which 125 are under cultivation, well improved and stocked. The mother of the above-named children died March 5, 1878, mourned by not only her immediate and sorrowing household, but by all who knew her.