Greene County, Arkansas - - Lovelady-Fryar Histories

The first reference found of Jeremiah Fryar was in 1798 when he was listed on an Indian War roster as being a deserter. The next documentation is a court case in Roane, County, TN. It is not known what the court case was for but, his surety was Peter Avery and Peter Avery, Jr., the father and brother of Tabitha Avery, wife of John Fryar, Jr. He is also on a Bledsoe County roster when they were petitioning for a County.

    In 1826 a title bond was given from Richard Waterhouse to Jeremiah for 250 acres on the TN River in the vicinity of Baylor School. He lived on that side of the river until 1840. He moved to the South side of the river after the Ocoee land sale as did his children.
    One statement found in Penelope Allen's papers is that he was buried in Hill City. It was not confirmed but it is thought this burial place is the Beason Cemetery as it is close to the Baylor property in Chattanooga.
    Of the seven sons, born to Jeremiah and Rebecca, four Joseph, Sevier, Pleasant, Calvin and four daughters settled in Greene County, AR along with some of the Lovelady's, Robert's, and Harris'. Only two sons stayed in Hamilton County and one son, William, was killed in the Mexican War.
    The four sons that settled in Arkansas were involved in a famous fight in Chattanooga before the Civil War. By one account, the Fryar's became angry after they sent a Hibbs boy into town with a load of corn and he was cheated out of it. Another version said the Fryar's were upset because their friend, Lilburn Condry, had been beaten up by a group of gamblers. The Fryar's armed themselves with shotguns and squirrel rifles and rode into town. The Fryar's killed a man named Walker, who was City marshal, near Fourth and Market Streets with their first shot and Joseph Fryar had an eye shot out. The Fryar's charged into Townsend's store while "raising that peculiar soul-fortifying but awe-inspiring battle cry which subsequently became famous as the 'rebel yell.'
    The gamblers obtained horses from Carter's stable at Broad Street and vamoosed. Afterwards the four Fryar brothers moved to Greene County, Arkansas.

Donated by: June Cooper