My Genealogy Hound

Capt. William J. Witcher, postmaster and farmer at Witcherville, was born in Surrey County, N. C., in 1829, and is a son of Lacy and Elizabeth (Lyon) Witcher, natives of North Carolina, where the father passed his entire life, dying when William J. was an infant. The mother afterward married Edward Crossen, and about 1835 moved to Johnson County, Ark., going from there to Sebastian County, where Mr. Crossen died at Fort Smith during the war. Mrs. Crossen was a daughter of Col. William Lyon, who always lived in North Carolina. She was a member of the Christian Church, and died at Witcherville in 1860. Her grandfather, Col. Lyon, was an officer in the Revolution, and among his descendants is the Hon. Frank Lyon, a cousin of our subject, who, for many years, was a member of Congress from Alabama. William J. has a twin sister, who, with himself, was reared and educated by their maternal grandfather, in Virginia. In 1848 they came to Johnson County, Ark. In 1849 Capt. Witcher married Mary E., daughter of Abram L. Lester, formerly of Wilson County, Tenn., where Mrs. Witcher was born. There are seven living issues of this marriage. In 1850 Capt. Witcher located upon 160 acres of land in Sebastian County, where he was one of the early settlers. The town of Witcherville was afterward built upon his farm, and received its name in his honor. In 1862 he organized Company D, of Col. W. H. Brooks’ infantry regiment, and after serving some time as first lieutenant he was made captain of the company. In the fall of 1863 he was captured while at home, and until February, 1864, was held a prisoner at Fort Smith and Little Rock. Finding it impossible to rejoin his company he joined Gen. Shelby’s army, with whom he operated in Missouri and Arkansas, and participated in the engagements at Perry Grove and Helena. In the fall of 1864 he joined his family in the Choctaw Nation, and soon after the surrender returned to Sebastian County. From 1868 until 1884 he engaged in the mercantile business at Witcherville and since March, 1888, has been the postmaster of that place. Prior to the war he was twice elected internal revenue collector, which position he resigned to enter the army. Mr. and Mrs. Witcher and three of their children are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which the former has been an elder since 1854. He is a charter member of Pulliam Lodge, No. 133, and in politics is a Democrat, his first presidential vote having been cast for Cass in 1848.