My Genealogy Hound

J. R. FLACK was born May 5, 1837, in Marshall County, Miss., and is the sixth of the nine children (three boys and six girls) of James and Lucy (Jolly) Flack, natives of Todd County, Ky., and Weakley County, Tenn., respectively. His grandfather, Elisha Flack, was of Scotch Irish descent, and his grandfather, on his mother’s side, was Jesse Jolly. The grandparents were both farmers. James Flack was captain of a militia company, and died when subject was but six years old; his widow died about 1850. After his mother’s death, J. R. Flack went to live with his brother-in-law, with whom he made his home till July, 1856, and then commenced life for himself by taking jobs and farming. In March, 1851, he moved to Prairie County, Ark. In 1856 he returned to Marshall County, Miss., and in September, 1859, moved back to Prairie County, Ark. He enlisted in August, 1861, in Company B, under Capt. Crarry and J. E. Glenn, colonel commanding an Arkansas Confederate regiment. He was in the battles of Cotton Plant, Ark., Elkhorn, Pea Ridge, Helena, Ark., Little Rock, Springfield, Mo., and Duvall’s Bluff. He went into service as an orderly, and was promoted to a captaincy before the war closed. He was under Gens. T. C. Hineman, Holmes and Price. He surrendered at Little Rock, in April, 1865, and was thrown into prison. While in confinement he became emaciated and very weak, and would have died but for the efforts of John McDonald, of the Third Michigan Cavalry, who procured his release. He was discharged and permitted to go home, and to this gentleman he is thankful for his existence today. He next went to Todd County, Ky., where he was engaged in farming one year; was one year engaged in distilling, and was also engaged one year in visiting distilleries and putting on yeast to make whisky. In December, 1868, he came to Ballard County, where he has been engaged in farming ever since. He acted as deputy sheriff three months in 1881. The past two years he has been land agent for non-residents, and is the owner of 128 acres of land in North Ballard. He was married January 8, 1858, to Beatrice Simms, of Marshall County, Miss., and a daughter of James Simms, a native of Virginia and of Irish descent. He had born to him by this union one child, Walter R. On October 4, 1866, our subject married Miss Mary F. Pollock, of Todd County, Ky., a daughter of S. P. and Mary J. (Addams) Pollock, natives of Todd County. The Addamses were of German descent, and among the first settlers of Todd County. To this union eight children were born: James S., Mary L., Nannie J., Rufus P., Wiley M., William D., Mattie A. and Thomas J. Mr. Flack and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Mason, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Breckinridge in 1860. He still votes with the Democrats.