My Genealogy Hound

Capt. Felix G. Lusk, one of the leading members of the Arkansas bar, and a practical farmer, was born in Sevier County, Tenn., in 1829, and is a son of Maurice R. Lusk and Jane Matthews. M. R. Lusk was born in Buncombe County, N. C, in 1801, and his wife in Sevier County, Tenn., in 1807. They were married in the latter county, and in 1826 removed to Newmarket, Ala., where the mother died in 1840. In 1842 Mr. Lusk was again married, and in the same year moved to Lewisburg, Ark., and in 1846 they again changed their location to a point near Malvern, Ark., where both died in 1856. The father was a shoemaker by trade, and was very much interested in military matters, being captain of militia in Alabama. He was a son of Joseph Lusk, of Irish descent, who fought in the Revolution with Gen. Marion; and Joseph Lusk’s father was John Lusk, one of seven brothers who came from Ireland to America at a very early period of this country’s history, and who separated at Jamestown, Va., each going to a different State. Jeremiah Matthews, the maternal grandfather of Capt. Felix G. Lusk, was of Irish descent and born in Virginia. He was a courier during the Revolution under Gen. Marion, and afterward settled in Tennessee, where he resided a great many years, and was one of the pioneers of Sevier County. Capt. Lusk was the third child of six born to his parents, and received a good common-school education. He commenced farming for himself when sixteen years old, remaining at it one year, when he was apprenticed to the tannery business for three years. After that he followed the trade of carpentering until the war, when he enlisted in Company K, First Arkansas Infantry, having come to Arkansas in his boyhood, and was appointed orderly-sergeant, in which capacity he served until 1862, when he was promoted to a captaincy, thus serving for three years; he was seignior-captain, hence the oft mentioned colonel. He took part in the first battle of Manassas, the engagements of Shiloh, Farmington (Miss.), Perryville (Ky.), Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and all the Georgia campaigns in which Joe Johnston and Hood commanded up to the fall of Atlanta. Immediately before the latter, he was sent into the State of Arkansas on detach duty to hunt up deserters, which was then a dangerous mission to perform. He continued in that capacity until April 2, 1865, when he was captured at South Bend, just after crossing the Arkansas River, and imprisoned at Little Rock until after the general surrender. He was captured three times during the war, but made his escape by a daring break for liberty, never remaining a prisoner longer than ten months, except the last time, and was wounded in two engagements, slightly. After the war he settled in Little Rock, and commenced his trade as carpenter; also dealing in real estate. In 1884 he moved to Mabelvale, and continued practicing up to 1888, when he changed his location to his present farm, one and one-half miles southwest of Mabelvale, where he has eighty acres in one tract and forty-six acres in another, besides owning land in Saline and Lonoke, all of which the Captain has accumulated by his own shrewdness, good business ability and energy. In politics he is a Democrat, and has always voted that ticket, having been appointed deputy clerk of Hot Spring County, and for a period served as constable and deputy sheriff of Columbia County. He was afterward deputy clerk in Little Rock, and justice of the peace in Prairie County for about one year. In 1866 he was married to Mrs. Martha L. Lee, a charming widow, and a daughter of John and Lucinda Quindley, of Tennessee and Georgia, respectively. This wife died July 16, 1878, and in January, 1879, he was married to Mrs. Mollie A. Kimbrough, a pleasant and agreeable widow lady, and a daughter of Nathan and Catherine Morgan.