My Genealogy Hound

Robert C. McCarley. From this brief review of the life of Mr. McCarley it will be seen that his time has not been uselessly or idly spent, but that he has continued to “pursue the even tenor of his way,” and is now ranked among the prosperous and enterprising farmers and merchants of the county. He was born in Lauderdale County, Ala., May 12, 1833, and he is the second in a family of five children, four sons and one daughter, born to the marriage of Thomas McCarley and Margaret Sturgeon, the former a native of Alabama, and the latter of Tennessee. They were married in Alabama, where the mother was reared, and here the father’s death occurred in 1839, he having been a follower of the plow throughout life. His wife lived to be seventy-two years old, reared her family, and died in 1886. Robert C. McCarley left home after reaching his twentieth year, and began clerking in a store in Lauderdale County, continuing until 1859, when he came to Arkansas, and settled at Des Arc, following the same occupation here for several years. After embarking in the mercantile business on his own responsibility he continued this work until the opening of the war, and in 1863 joined the Confederate service, Col. Dobbins’ cavalry, and served as a private until the close of the war. Soon after enlisting he was detailed to the adjutant-general’s office, but was soon after transferred to the quartermaster’s department, and served in this capacity during the remainder of the war. In January, 1865, he was captured while at home on a visit, and was held a prisoner at Little Rock until the close of the war, being paroled on May 12, 1865. After the war he returned home and clerked for a while, then again engaged in business for himself, and since 1879 has carried an excellent line of general merchandise. He is the owner of 1,350 acres of land in seven different farms, and has about 400 acres under cultivation; 800 acres lie near Des Arc, and are very valuable. He has been married four times, once in Alabama, and three times in Arkansas. He has one son by his second wife (Albert by name), who is clerking in Des Arc. He married his present wife, Mrs. M. C. (Koonce) Howard, in 1876, she being a native of Tennessee, and by her has a daughter named Anna, a miss of ten years. Mr. McCarley has held a number of local offices, such as magistrate and alderman, and has been treasurer and mayor of Des Arc. He is an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which his wife is also a member, and he is a Master Mason, and has been a member of that order since 1860. He also belongs to the I. O. O. F.