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JOHN R. BROUGHTON John R. Broughton was born in Sumpter District, South Carolina. He was the grandson of Edward Broughton who came from England before the American Revolution and served, from Sumpter District, South Carolina as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. John R. Broughton was a wagon-master and sergeant in Company E, Ninth Arkansas Regiment in the Civil War. He enlisted on July 16, 1861 (20 years old) at Warren, Arkansas. He was mustered into service, with a group of Bradley County young men under the oak trees near where Miss Jessye Harley's home is. He was captured on Dec. 22, 1864, by the 52nd Indiana Regiment, taken as a prisoner to Richmond, Virginia, then paroled and set free. The above John R. Broughton came back to Jersey, established a home, became the father of the late W. E. Broughton and Epsie Broughton Armstrong, was an honored citizen of his community and lived to a ripe old age. Eagle Democrat - Reflections by Lois H. Newton, August 24, 1961 JULIUS CZAR PARROT (1837-1913) Julius Czar Parrott, a native of the community of Parnell Springs here in Bradley County, picked up his musket in 1862 and struck out for Mississippi to join up with the Confederate Army. He served in Mississippi and was wounded in battle. After his recovery a series of events that would take him far from his home were set in motion. Julius was a part of the Confederate garrison defending Vicksburg, Mississippi, against General Grant's repeated attacks during the winter of 1862 - 63. Grant then besieged the city for six weeks shelling it repeatedly. Julius later recalled that he and other soldiers ate mules and dogs in order to survive. When Vicksburg fell, Julius and his friend, John Moseley escaped and began the long walk back home to Bradley County. They survived on blackberries and whatever they could forage along the road. Julius had little time to rest, however. About 14 days after arriving home, a band of Yankee soldiers who were gathering men rode onto his property. Julius saw them coming and went to the barn to get his white horse. As he was leading the horse away, the soldiers caught up with him. Julius replied that he was just going to give him some water. The soldier said, "Put your saddle on that horse; you are coming with us." He was taken prisoner and transported by boat up the Mississippi River to a prison camp in Rock Island, Illinois. Conditions were bad in the prison camp, and Julius later told family of seeing Southern prisoners dropping over dead with cholera. After he was imprisoned a year, the Northerners were asking for volunteers to guard wagon trains to the Western territories that were allied with the Union cause. Julius said that he might as well die fighting Indians as to die from the cholera. He rode with the wagon trains for one year, fighting off Indian attacks along the way. He later told family that they had to build their campfires with buffalo chips. When the war ended in 1865, the North presented him with an honorable discharge and allowed him to return to his Arkansas home. He also received an honorable discharge from the South. In 1866 he married his sweetheart Lucina Bledsoe. They had eight children. Julius Parrott died at the age of 76 and is buried in the Shady Grove Cemetery in the Hollis Special community. He was the father of the late John Parrott of Warren. He is survived by his grandson Preston "Dick" Parrott of Warren and Mary Parrott Phillips of Cabot. His two other grandchildren, Gladys Parrott Carter and William Julius Parrott are deceased. He is the great grandfather of John C. Parrott of Warren; Juanita Parrott Forrest of Hermitage; Rosemary Ensign, Bobbie McDonald and Shirley Worthington, all of Hobart, Indiana; Janette Causey of Cabot, Peggy Parrott Schmidt of Portage, Indiana; and Judith Parrott Fairchild of Pittsburg, Illinois. Written by Peggy Parrott Schmidt as told by her Uncle, Preston Parrott. Extracted from the Eagle Democrat - Warren, Arkansas, 1993. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN LANGSTON E. G. Langston of Pineville, Louisiana, writes of his Warren boyhood in the unsophisticated decades just after 1900: My father Benjamin Franklin Langston ran off then joined the Army during the Civil War when he was age 16. He was shot in both legs and lay on the battleground all one night (one leg froze). They found him the next morning and carried him to the hospital. One of his friends told him, on arriving, that the doctors planned to amputate both legs. My father asked the friend to bring him a pistol. This was done and the pistol was placed under Dad's pillow. Then, lying there, he watched them cut off one of his legs. Finishing this, they began making preparations to take off the other. The young soldier asked if this was their intention and they said that it was. "Gentlemen," he said, "your work is finished; just do what you can with my remaining leg." They argued with him but he was adamant. He came hone, riding an army mule, with only one leg. He had only a country school education, but he went back to school and earned a teacher's certificate and later taught in 13 townships. He was named Tax Assessor, then Postmaster in a little frame building that was just to the west of the present courthouse. Then he ran for county clerk, was elected and stayed in office until his death in 1899. Extracted from the Eagle Democrat - Warren, Arkansas. ROBERT SCOBEY One of Judge Joseph Hamilton Davis Scobey's sons was Robert, who served in the Confederate Army. Robert became very ill at an army camp in Kentucky. When he learned of his son's illness Judge Scobey asked Dr. John Wilson Martin to go with him to his son's bedside. By stage-coach, boat and train the two men journeyed to Kentucky. Dr. Martin wrote back to his wife from Feliciana, Kentucky on Dec. 8, 1861: "I got safely to this place this morning. Found Robert very low, but I have hopes that he will recover. I do not know how soon I will be able to leave here. Robert is very bad and I know that the Judge will not consent for me to leave before he either improves or dies. I will not stay longer than I can possibly help." "There is no danger of the Lincolnites. The soldiers are going into winter quarters. There are about 5,000 here. Almost the first man I met was Tam Blankinship. He looked quite well. Most of the boys are doing very well. Ike is well, tell Myra." Your affectionate husband, J. W. Martin The above letter was followed three days later by another, saying: "Robert has taken worse last night and I do not think he will last much longer." He told of having a coffin made that day and observed if Robert didn't need it, it would be no loss, since "coffins are on demand at the hospital every day." Robert Scobey did die, and Judge Scobey and Dr. Martin started home immediately. Extracted from "Reflections" Eagle Democrat - Warren, Arkansas. [ Previous Page ] [ Articles - Broughton, Parrot, Langston, Scobey ] [ Last Page ] [ Back to the Index ] |
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