My Genealogy Hound

Elisha Sawyer. The father of our subject, Noah Sawyer, is well remembered by the early citizens of this county as a man worthy the respect and esteem of all, and a short sketch of his life will be interesting to his relatives and numerous friends. He was born in North Carolina, and went to Tennessee at an early day, being married there to Miss Martha Henderson, also a native of the “Old North State.” They resided in the State of their adoption until 1852, at that time coming to Arkansas, and settling at Daniels’ Point, on the river, where they entered 160 acres of land, fifty of which he cleared and put under cultivation, and made a comfortable home until 1857. He then sold out, but later bought a farm of 260 acres on Long Lake, which at the time of his purchase was a wilderness, and on this farm Elisha Sawyer cut the first cane for clearing. They soon had a house erected, and here Mr. Sawyer lived until 1873, respected and esteemed by all who knew him. In 1871 he bought 160 acres near what is now Blythesville, and on this made his home until 1878, when he quietly breathed his last. His entire course through life had been one marked with singular honesty and fidelity of purpose, and to every charitable object he was a liberal contributor, and was a man held in high esteem by all who knew him. He held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years, and when a mere boy united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and lived up to its rules throughout his whole life. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity. His wife departed this life in 1865. Elisha Sawyer attended the common schools for a short time, learned the details of farm work on his father’s farm, and after the close of the Rebellion began farming for himself. When the mutterings of war began to be heard throughout the land, he espoused the cause of the Confederacy, and joined Capt. Fletcher’s company, participating in the battle of Shiloh, in which engagement he was wounded three times. He was sent to the hospital, being shortly after discharged, and returned home. After farming with his father for two years, he bought a piece of land which he began to improve, and in 1881 purchased a farm of 160 acres on Clear Lake, which he cleared, and made his home until the winter of 1889, when he moved to his present place of abode. At the death of his father he inherited one half of the old homestead, amounting to 140 acres, and with what he has purchased his lands comprise 500 acres, with 130 under the plow. He has a good orchard on his old Clear Lake farm, and says his fruit is of choice varieties. Miss Missouri A. Chisum, a native of Tennessee, became his wife in 1864, and to them were given two children, of whom one is dead — Rebecca. Mrs. Sawyer and daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.