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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Jarrett W. Kendall, a widely-known farmer of Strawberry Township, was born in Henry County, Tenn., in 1834. He is a son of Jephtha A. and Elizabeth J. (Harvey) Kendall, of Tennessee, whose parents settled in Tennessee in the year 1800. Mr. Kendall’s grandfather fought in the War of 1812, and was also a soldier in the old Revolutionary War. He lived to a very advanced age, as did also his wife, Rachel, who was one hundred and twelve years old at the time of her death. They were the parents of a very large family, the father of J. W. Kendall being their youngest child, who was born in Tennessee, in 1806, where he grew to maturity and married. His wife, the mother of J. W. Kendall, was born in Tennessee, in the year 1812, and both parents were of English descent. They remained in Tennessee until the death of the father, in 1838, when the mother came west and located in Independence County, Ark., where they lived until 1865, when they removed to a point in Jackson County, near Jacksonport. In 1869 they came to this county, where Mr. J. W. Kendall has since lived. He enlisted in Capt. Gibb’s company, First Arkansas Regiment, and served four years. During that time he fought at Wilson’s Creek, and Elkhorn, Mo., also at the battle of Corinth, Miss. He took part in several small engagements, but the next battles of note in which he was present were at Murfreesboro (Tenn.) and Chickamauga (Ga.), and was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea. Some of his hottest fighting was at Franklin, Tenn., and at Nashville, where he was disabled by a ball through the left hip, and was also shot through the bowels and kidneys. He was taken to the hospital at Franklin, where he was captured, and taken to Nashville. He was held in the hospital for thirty days, and taken to Columbus, Ohio, where he was kept a prisoner until his exchange, just before the war was ended. He then went to Rock Hill, N. C., where he was taken care of by a citizen of the town until the surrender, when he returned home and resumed his farm work. Mr. Kendall must certainly have received as many wounds as any survivor of the war. For two years afterward he could pick small pieces of bone out of his body, especially in his back, where he was struck by a bursting shell at Murfreesboro; and at Dock Hill, Mo., his legs were riddled with small shot. His war record is an honorable one, and the country he served certainly had no braver man. One of the saddest episodes of his career was during the battle at Franklin, Tenn. He saw his brother John shot down before his eyes, but was unable to reach him until the smoke and thunder of that terrible slaughter had cleared away, and left the battlefield to the dead. He returned at the earliest opportunity, and found him lying among the slain, and, far away from home and kindred, he buried him in a secluded spot near where he fell, with the vast field of battle as a monument to his bravery. At the close of the war Mr. Kendall was left without a cent in the world, but by exerting himself he received $30 from the A. F. & A. M., with which to make a new start in life. He now owns 446 acres of land, and has 150 under cultivation, with a substantial building upon it. He was first married, in 1866, to Miss Mary G. Box, of Tennessee, who died in 1880, leaving two children: Felix Susan and George A., the latter dying in December, 1888. His second wife was Miss Harriet I. Reed, of Arkansas, who has borne him two children: John W. and William S. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall are members of the Missionary Baptist Church; the former also of the A. F. & A. M., in which he is Past Master. He takes an active interest in politics, and is a Democrat, having held the office of justice of the peace.

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This family biography is one of 111 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Lawrence County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Lawrence County, Arkansas family biographies here: Lawrence County, Arkansas Biographies

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