George Washington Sims

THE SIMS FAMILY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY AND THEIR ANCESTORS BY Mrs. W.R. Rastall of Chester, Crawford County, AR

The life of George Washington Sims is very interesting to me, not only because he lived to such a great age, but due to the many interesting things he did, and the interesting period of history in which he lived. He had great courage and fortitude -- hard to comprehend this day of rapid transit -- to have traveled so many thousand miles by Conestoga and other vehicle, over mountains, through forest, across rivers and deserts. The people of thes wagon trains carried their laws with them. These laws were largely unwritten code of ethics by which they felt morally bound to abide. This code came obsolete as years went by -- just as many early statutes of written law did.

George Washington Sims served in the War of 1812 as a Private in Captain Joseph Brock's company of Cavalry, County of Madison - 82nd Regiment of Virginia Militia. He also served in Capt. Jones Co, under Col. John Williams. Date of this service was from Jul 1814 - Jan - 1815.In late years, he received a pension for his war service.

He served in the 82nd Reg. VA Militia under Capt Joseph Brocks Co of Cavalry in Madison County, AR.

George Washington Sims moved to Green County, MO by Prairie Schooner and oxen with his family 10 miles north east of Springfield, (Hickory Barren) MO. In 1850, he moved to Crawford County, Arkansas and homesteaded.

George W. Sims was 112 yrs, 11 months and 17 days old when he died.

History of Crawford County, Arkansas:

Page 455, a picture of G.W. Sims monument with the following information: The stone stands .. but the grave is empty. Body of G.W. Sims was stolen soon after burial in Vaught cemetery in 1890. A solider of the War of 1812, Mr. Sims lived almost 113 years.