CROSS CO, AR - WILLIAM J. COBB - Bio

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Submitted by: Jason Presley <daclyde@usa.net>
        Date: 16 Sept 2009
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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SOURCE:  Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern 
Arkansas. Chicago:Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.
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     William J. Cobb, Vanndale, Ark.  The entire life of Mr. Cobb has been
passed in an industrious manner, and not without fairly substantial results
of success.  He was born in Washington County, Ark., in 1846, was the second
in a family of eight children born to William A. and Susan (Brodie), the
father a native of North Carolina, and the mother of Tennessee.  The father
was reared to farm life and attented school in his native State until about
twenty-one years of age, when he went to La Grange, Tenn.  There he attended
school for about a year, and was then ordained a minister in the Methodist
Episcopal Church by Tennessee Conference.  He then began preaching on a
circuit in North Alabama, and was engaged in this work about one year.  In
about 1838 he came to Arkansas, followed his ministerial duties in this State,
and after a year or two was sent by the Conference of Arkansas to the Indian
Nation, where he preached, and had charge of the mission schoold of that
Territory until about 1854.  Prior to that time, about 1844, he had married
in Washington County, Ark., the daughter of Ludwick Brodie, a pioneer from 
Middle Tennessee, to Northwestern Arkansas.  After giving up the work in the
Indian Nation, he was on the retired list for a year or so, and in 1857, he,
with his family, went to Florida, where after residing about a year, they
came further north, and located at Trenton, Tenn., in order to educate their
children.  Here he followed farming, was also engaged in merchandising,
continuing at this until 1862, when the family returned to Poinsett, now
Cross County, and settled about two miles southeast of the present village
of Vanndale.  Here he at once took charge of the Poinsett Male and Female
Academy, which educational institution he conducted during war times, the
last session of this school being held in 1865-66.  He then joined the
conference, and was immediately placed in charge of the Harrisburg Circuit,
preaching from that time until 1873, in various districts and circuits of 
Eastern Arkansas.  About that time he retired, and soon after died from a
cancer, which troubled him for many years.  W. J. Cobb was attending 
school at Trenton, Tenn., at the breaking out of the war, but came with his
parents to Arkansas, in 1862.  In 1863, at the age of sixteen years, he
enlisted in the Confederate army, and was assigned duty in Eastern Arkansas,
participating in his first engagement near Augusta, on White River.  He was
with Gen. Price on his Missouri raid, and was in every engagement of that
campaign.  After that he returned with his regiment to Arkansas, and on May
25, 1865, surrendered at Wittsburg.  He then at once began farming in Cross
County, on his father's place, and here he remained until 1878, after which 
he went to Northwest Arkansas, and was engaged as a clerk for A. A. Brodie,
a merchant at Huntsville, Madison County.  Here he remained for four years,
when he returned to Cross County, and again followed agricultural pursuits 
on the old homestead.  He remained there until 1887, when he moved to
Vanndale, bought a lot, erected a dwelling, and has since made his home there,
following the carpenter's trade.  In February, 1889, he engaged with Killough
& Erwin as clerk in the store at Vanndale.  He was married, in 1874, to Miss
Alice E. Burnett, a native of Tennessee, but who was principally reared in
Arkansas, and who is a daughter of John O. Burnett.  Mr. Burnett was a solder 
in the Confederate army, was wounded in the battle of Prairie Grove, and died
from the effects.  His family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South.