Thomas Jefferson Rankin

THOMAS JEFFERSON RANKIN

HIS LIFE HISTORY AND CIVIL WAR MEMORIES

BY MRS. W.R. RASTALL - Chester, Crawford County, ARKANSAS

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Thomas Jefferson Rankin was born on the farm joining ours to the west on January 15, 1856. The farm was owned by his grandfather, Thomas Shepherd.

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I have no record of any land transaction at this early date. The first transaction record in the abstract is the one to R.F. Sims on November 30, 1881, by the Little Rock and Fort Smith R.R. Co. Sims sold the place to Ensminger in 1885. He sold to W.B. Jones. He sold to John T. Sharrai and wife, Harriet A. It is now called the Sharrai place. It is the NE one-fourth and NW one-fourth (80A) T. 12-S, -33-R. 30W. So this land has been occupied and farmed for well over a century.

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T.J. Rank died at Chester in 1949. He was then our oldest citizen, and known to all as Uncle Tom. He was 93 years old.

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His daughter, Grace May Valliquette, who was living with her son, John, (who married Jennie Fricks) has the very old family Bible. It is not known who has the family copy of NORTHWEST HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. While I visited Grace May Rankin (Valliquette), I copied the following from the old Bible to use in this article. The writing was so neat but dim with age.

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Henderson Clark Rankin was born April 1st, 1822 in Murry County, TN. His wife, Elizabeth Shepherd was born 1826. They married in 1855. Their first child, Thomas Jefferson Rankin, was born January 15, 1856; 2-J.N. Rankin born April 1861; 3-Eliza Rankin born April 10, 1863; 4-William E. born October 23, 1867; 5-Ezra E. Rankin born July 6, 1868; 6-Robert, born April 9, 1870 (Rankin); 7-Emma Rankin, born April 17, 1872.

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Marriage certificates of Thomas Jefferson Rankin, born January 15, 1856, in Crawford County, Arkansas and Martha Ellen Strong, born June 6, 1856, in Mercer County, MO on February 17, 1876, at 2:00 P.M., by Rev. Henry Harvey.

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Their children are: 1-Carl R. Rankin, born February 9, 1877, married Miss Huckleberry, February 14, 1899; 2-George Kingston, born November 22, 1879, married Mary Simpson, May 24, 1900. (note: They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year with many relatives and friends. He died September 3, 1960.) 3-Grace May, born July 9, 1882, married Joseph Valliquette, August 14, 1904; 4-Laura, born May 24, 1884, married Robert L. Duggin, June 1, 1902; 5-William Ernest, born August 24, 1886, married Daisy Collins' of Crawford County; 6-Sarah Ellen, born September 26, 1888, married Bert Friddle, April 1, 1908 in Crawford County; 7-Luther Francis, born March 5, 1891, married Kate Wilson, 1919; 8-Walter Scott, born January 29, 1893, married Linnie Wilson, and later a widow, Elsa Carrol, who is the mother of his daughter, Juanita (London).

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Grandchildren listed is this Bible is: Verna Rankin (Carl's daughter) born January 1, 1900; Goldie Duggin, born June 3, 1903 (Laura's daughter); Ward Rankin, born July 26, 1908; Harshel Rankin, born April 21, 1904 (George's son): Lester Duggin born November 17, 1904 (Laura's son); John Valliquette, born June 2, 1905 (Grace's son); Lucy Rankin, born June 30, 1905 (George's daughter).

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Thomas Jefferson Rankin was past five years old and likely playing in a spring branch which still runs past this old home of well over a century when hostilities started with the firing on Fort Sumpter on April 12, 1861, when Major Anderson was forced to surrender. Charleston Harbor is a long way from Arkansas but the war caused much suffering here when at last it was brought to Crawford County. Many have read of this so I will record only the incidents as told by "Uncle Tom" and his children. I am acquainted with all the family as most of them have lived here a part of their lives. Carl has been dear for some years. He remembered more than the others as he was elder.

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Uncle Tom remembered when his father, Henderson C., jointed the Confederate forces, and that he fought under Gen. Price at the Battle of Pea Ridge and had been a scout for Gen. Price as he knew the mountains so well in the area. He was taken a prisoner at the Battle of Pea Ridge in December 1862. He had been a Union sympathizer in some of the war issues. There were no Negro farm workers in the mountains. Nearly all the farmers did their own work and wished to see Arkansas stay in the Union. Compelled by relentless conscription laws, those of opposite sentiments often fought side by side, under the same flag. The next year after his capture, Henderson C. joined the Union army. I have his records from the Arkansas History Commission, Department of Achievers and History. The record follows: UNION SOLDIERS WHO ENLISTED IN ARKANSAS - #55620-Henderson C. Rankin. Enlisted October 10, 1863. Appointed Corporal January 26, 1864. Mustered out with Regiment of Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers, August 20, 1865. Served under Col. John E. Phelps in 2nd Regiment of Arkansas Calvary Volunteers.

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Henderson C. Rankin's family, along with many Crawford County people, suffered much from the fortunes of war. Marauders, stragglers, bands know as bushwhackers and home guards all robbed and pillaged, it seems. Mr. Thomas Shepherd decided to send his daughter, and her children, with two of his sons Tom and Silas, with a group of mountain people who were going to Clarksville at that time for safety. Henderson's wife was expecting another child at the time. While they were at Clarksville, their tow little girls died of a malady contracted there and were buried near Clarksville. Later, these people feared that Gen. Steel would occupy the tow, so decided to return to the mountains. They loaded what feed and supplies they could hastily get together, into oxen drawn wagons, and burned the rest of preventing the army from taking it. Calvary believes that group of Union soldiers rode along with them as far as Alma, Arkansas.

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There, Elizabeth died, but her baby lived and was cared for by relative and friends, Elizabeth was buried about a half mile from alma on the bank of a creek. Thomas Jefferson Rankin was then past seven. He remembered it well, and also, the death of his little sisters. It was a very and time for a small boy. He had no knowledge of his father's whereabouts and never saw him until three years later, when he returned from Memphis where he was mustered out.

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At this sad time, a kind friends form Mountainburg, met the wagon train with feed and extra wagons. They helped them to go to what was then called Singleton, now Shepherd Springs. They lived there until the father returned from the war in 1866. After that he moved the family back to the farm west of ours. He received a pension for his services in the Union Army till he died at the home of his son, Thomas Jefferson Rankin, on a farm east of Chester on what is now Highway 71. He received, while in Union forces, a battle wound, in his side which was a hindrance to him as long as he lived. He, after being mustered out, later married Mrs. Peters, whose maiden name was Wright. She was the mother of the children born after the war.

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During the war, Thomas Shepherd has much trouble from the bands of marauding bushwhackers. They repeatedly plundered and robbed his place of food and horse feed. He had stored what food he could be in what is known as "The Blowout." When he heard their horses coming, he would go to the "Blowout," a sort of cave in the woods above the house and barn. No on would ever suspect it was there until within a few feet of it. A spring runs from it and flows on past the home and into the creek to the north of it. There are many fine springs on the place yet. I have been told that on one occasion when the robbers came, Mr. Shepherd accounted for four of them with his rifle. In the night, their companions returned to bury them in a corner of the place. I cannot verify this story, told to me by relative, but there was a large mound of earth, not top soil, there, when we bought our place and there were still traces of it until a road dozer leveled it a few years ago.

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Thomas Jefferson Rankin married Martha Ellen Strong, when he was 21 years of age. They lived in Porter Township, near the Washington County line, for a number of years. Carl Benjamin, the eldest son, was born there and attended school at the Sassafras Pond school. There is still a building at the same site of this school.

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From there, they moved south to a place north of Chester, which has been occupied by some one of the family for many years. They homesteaded this place and Thomas Jefferson Rankin worked for the Frisco R.R. Co. helping lay track. Jim and Sam Strong lived with them and also worked on the Frisco R.R. They were Martha Ellen's brothers. They took smallpox from some Negro workmen who were brought into the area. Many of these men died and were buried near the track. These people, named Strong, came from Mercer County, MO. I have heard a sister of Martha Ellen tell that they drove here in covered wagons in the winter. When they reached the Missouri River, they camped on its bank to wait for it to freeze so they could get their wagons over. Other people bound for the south, camped there too. She got acquainted with a future husband there, and later after they reached Arkansas, they were married.

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This home is near what was then called Frisco, later called Porter, and now called Schaberg. Uncle Tom said the tunnel was made after the railroad was laid to Winslow and that the first trains went over the tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1882.

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He moved his family from there to Alma where they lived for two years. They then bought the place of his brother, William west of Chester, where his son, William, now lives. He was still living there when his father died in 1915. He put out orchards and much fruit was harvested from them for many years. He helped to get clay out of the kiln south of Chester Schoolhouse. It was used for the bricks in the old brick building in Chester, and some houses.

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From the farm east of Chester, they moved of their home in Chester where they lived until they died. This home has been remolded by a grandson, John Villiquette, and he lives there with his family. There are four of the children of Thomas Jefferson Rankin now living here: Grace, William, Walter and Sarah. I am acquainted with all of them and Sarah has been a friend for years. Uncle Tom was our neighbor for 25 years. He was always kind, thoughtful and interesting. Both he and his wife, Martha Ellen, were good neighbors.

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Representative James W. Trimble secured this Civil War record for me. I appreciate it very much as it adds much to the interest of the article and should be prized by the many descendants of Henderson Clark Rankin: Solider's Certificate, No 546687 (Archives), Rank: Corporal, Service, : Co. L, 2 Ark. Vol. Cav. Document in file presenting proof of disability in application for pension states: Henderson Cark Rankin enlisted or volunteered as a Private in Company #2nd Regiment of Arkansas Calvary and was discharged at Memphis, Tenn. on or about August 20, 1865 by reason of close of war. He was a line of his duty at or near Big Blue, Missouri about November or December 1864, became disabled by shell exploding about forty yards in front of the company. Rankin reported that a piece of that shell struck him on the side. An affidavit in file making such statements was signed by George H. Dyer of Tacoma, Washington, as a former comrade.

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Invalid pension for Henderson Clark Rankin, Number 540729 or 540929. (No 540729 is shown in his record more often than is 540929.) One is an error.

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A statement in the file by Dr. Joe S. Bushong, dated November 25, 1889, at Mountainburg, Crawford county; a statement by Dr. E.M. Lowery, signed at Graphic, dated December 1889; a statement made by Jacob Yoes, dated December 20, 1889; A statement by H.C. Rankin indicated that he was a resident of Chester in March 1890. Said statements declared that he was treated by doctors, Maynard and Hacket, while he was in the service. This statement was signed by (Rankin's mark) and witnessed by J.W. Baldwin and J.M. Granger.

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A statement made by H.C. Rankin shows his wife's name was, in 1898, Elizabeth Wright. (She was his second wife). They were married October 15, 1867, by George Peters, a Justice of the Peace. Elizabeth Shepherd, his first wife, died in the winter of 1863 or 1864 while he was in the Union service. This document lists some of the children of Henderson Clark. Thomas Jefferson as the first born and Mary Emma was born after the war on August 17, 1872.

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A statement of H.C. Rankin States that he served in Wallace's company, Brook's Battalion, C.S.A. Cavalry, afterward consolidated with King and Wallace, known as 19th and 34 Co. Infantry. He was called for Battle of Elkhorn, went to camp and was sent home to get more guns. When he returned, the battle was over. The camp was on Lee Creek. At Elkhorn Battlefield, he and others were disbanded. He was told that his corn and stock would be destroyed, so he joined some guards at a picket post above Chester. That was Eli Jones, Co. John Hatfield was Lieut. of Brook's Regiment. He made three scout trips with them in the fall of 1862, left there and went to Newton County to make a crop in 1863, that fall joined the Federal forces.

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A document in the file singed by H.C. Rankin's mark. Dated June 19, 1897, states: "I served first in emergency HG under Captain Wallace about five days, 2nd Lt. Jones, Brook's Bn. Crawford Co. HGGSA from August 1862, till some time in winter. I had no other Confederate service."

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A document in the file in National Archives connected with application for pension lists H.C. Rankin as born April 1, 1822, in Murry County, Tennessee, light complexion, dark hair, blue eyes.

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File indicated that he was denied the pension because of his Confederate service but later was reinstated on Pension roll. The file indicates that he first received $12.00 per month and this was raised to $20.00 in 1907, and 1912 to $27.00 per month.

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A document in file listing service of H.C. Rankin states that he was a private in Co. L, 2nd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers, was enrolled on the 10th day October 1862, at Van Buren for three years and was mustered into service January 26th, 1864, at Springfield, MO. He reported on rally for January and February 1864, absented on detached service since August 28th, 1864, same file to June 30, 1864, and July and August 1864. Was present September and October 1864 and to June 30, 1865? Was mustered out with his Company at Memphis, August 30, 1865, a Corporal?

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A document on file indicates that Henderson Clark Rankin was pensioned for deafness, and in his later years, was in wretched health. All through his file, connected with latter years of his life, statements, made in his behalf, indicate that he was poor physical condition.

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For the sake of the family record, I add that the only other Rankin I have on record at that early date was a Sabra Rankin, who married Edward Lee, who was born in S.C. in 1822. Edward Lee and Sebra Rankin were married in 1843. They moved to Chester November 26th, 1858. Edward lee was a son of Henry Lee, who married Lucy Furlow. This Henry Lee is likely related to Gen. Robert E. Lee, as indicated by an old newspaper report of the funeral of President George Washington. Edward Lee and Sabra Rankin has many descendants in this area. It is generally known that Gen. Robert E. Lee married a granddaughter of the wife of Gen George Washington. Among the decedents of Edward lee and Sabra Rankin is a daughter, Francis Lee, who married James Osborn. Their daughter, Myrtle, married Nelson B. Harrison. They live at Chester. They had the children. They are: Vesta, Edyth, Roy, Verle, Kimbrel, Randall, Virginia, James, Inez and Anne Mae. One died in infancy.

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On the daughter of Edward and Sabra Lee, married Frank Sims. Her name was Emaline Lee. They had a large family who is well known in Crawford County.