My Genealogy Hound

Jacob R. Gray has been a resident of Arkansas since four years of age, a period of time sufficiently long to give him an extensive acquaintance. He is a native of Williamson County, Tenn., where he was born February 10, 1829, being a son of Thomas W. and Sally (Stone) Gray, of the same county. They emigrated to Arkansas in 1824, but remained only a short time, then returning to Tennessee. Four years later they moved to Kentucky and located in Calloway County, where they resided about four years. In 1833 they moved to Arkansas, landing in March of that year, at the old Bayou Meta bridge, twelve miles east of Little Rock, where Mr. Gray opened up a farm. He took an active part in politics and held several local offices, dying in 1852, at the age of fifty-three years. His wife survived him nine years and died at the age of fifty-four, leaving eight children, two of whom are still living: Jacob R. (our subject) and Mary C. The six deceased are: William C. (who was a soldier in the Mexican War, and died in 1850), Sarah E., James S. (who died in the Confederate army in 1864), Handsel W., Nancy J. (married Isaac C. Hicks, and who died in 1865) and Cisila Ann (married John Calahan, and died in 1886). Jacob R. Gray had very little opportunity to acquire an education, and what he did receive was at country schools, the first taught by James Runyan. At the age of nineteen he commenced farming for himself near where he now lives. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army, in Capt. Gantt’s company, and was soon after transferred to a cavalry company under Capt. King, serving most of his time in the Second Arkansas Mounted Rifles, commanded by Gov. Eagle. Mr. Gray was wounded at Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864, in the right leg, below the knee, causing amputation; and was also shot through the left arm at the same time, but not as seriously. He was captured a short time after that battle and carried to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he was held until June 13, 1865, then being released. While a soldier he held the office of sergeant-major, and participated in all the battles of the Georgia campaign up to the time of his capture. After the close of the war he returned home, where he arrived June 22, 1865. He was appointed sheriff of Prairie County, in September of that year, by Gov. Murphy, and the following year was elected to that office, but was put out of office in 1868 by the reconstruction act. Brownsville, the former county seat of Prairie County, in 1860 had a population of 1,000, a good court house and jail, several churches, schools, Masonic and I. O. O. F. halls, etc., but was pretty well destroyed during the war. When the county seat was changed, the place continued to go down, and now only exists in memory as the former site of Brownsville. Mr. Gray was married in 1867 to Jane A. S. Evans, a native of North Carolina, who died in 1882, leaving a family of three children living: Arthur R., Mary E. and Joseph G. Those deceased were Thomas W., James W., William G. and Salome A. Mr. Gray was married the second time to Eugenia Munlin, originally from North Carolina. Her mother is now deceased, but her father lives in this State, and has eight children, seven of whom survive. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are the parents of one son, Henry S. They are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the former belonging to the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F., and to the Knights of Honor. He is a Royal Arch Mason and one of the charter members of the lodge at Lonoke. He is a prominent Democrat of the county, and one of its leading farmers, having a farm of 900 acres of which over 300 are under cultivation.