My Genealogy Hound

Robert A. Rankin, farmer, was born near Greeneville, Tenn., November 15, 1837, the son of James D. and Margaret (Branner) Rankin, who are mentioned in the sketch of George T. Rankin. Our subject was reared on the farm and acquired his education at Greeneville College. He worked on the farm until he enlisted March, 1862, in Company H, Thirty-first Confederate Regiment Tennessee Infantry, and was captured at Vicksburg, but paroled on the ground and soon enabled to rejoin his command at Atlanta. In 1863 he was captured at Rheatown, and for three or four weeks in the old jail at Knoxville, and after the battle of Chickamauga was removed to Camp Chase, Ohio, and imprisoned four months, then at Fort Delaware for a year, during which time he so nearly froze that he lost the nails off his toes. In March, 1865, he was paroled at Fortress Monroe, and was at Amherst when Lee surrendered. He has ever since his return been devoted to farming, and has served as school commissioner. May 20, 1874, he married O. S. (Sprague) Holden, the daughter of Jonathan Sprague, a native of New York. She was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1844. They have had four children. Both our subject and his wife are members of the Baptist Church.