Jesse T. McMahan, Ouachita County, AR
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SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
Contributed by Carol Smith.
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Ouachita County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas
Jesse T. McMahan, a pioneer farmer of Ouachita County and an eminently self-made man, was born June 3, 1830, in Greene County, Illinois, a
son of Robert and Nancy (Conway) McMahan, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky. Robert McMahan was a son of Robert McMahan, Sr., also
a native of Tennessee. Robert McMahan, Sr., moved to Illinois being among the first settlers of the State, and the first settler of Madison
County. He was there married to his first wife, who bore him six children. They were captured by the Indians, and Mrs. McMahan and four of
the children were killed. One, an infant, was left at home in the cradle, being overlooked by the Indians, and the other, a girl, was carried captive
and held by the Indians for four or five years. Mr. McMahan escaped a few days after his capture and returned to his home to find the baby
starve to death in its cradle. He then returned to Tennessee, where he married his second wife, the grandmother of our subject, Nancy Custer, of
Tennessee, and soon after the birth of their son, Robert, father of our subject, they returned to Madison County, Illinois, where they lived until
the father's death. Four or five years after the capture and massacre of his wife and family, Mr. McMahan reclaimed his daughter from the
Indians, paying them a ransom for her release. Her name was Lucy. She married a man by the name of Gaskell, and was the mother of several
children, and died in Madison County since the war. Mrs. McMahan (the grandmother of our subject) died about 1865, aged one hundred and
five. Robert McMahan (the father of our subject) was born in 1785, and reared to pioneer life in Madison County, Illinois and married Miss
Nancy Conway, a native of Kentucky, born about 1795, a daughter of Jesse Conway. His death occurred in 1869, and his wife followed one year
later. They were both members of the Baptist Church. They were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are still living- five boys and five
girls - viz: Margaret (now Mrs. McBride, of Nebraska), Mary, Mrs. Cochran (a widow residing in Scott County, Illinois), Henry (a farmer of
Greene County, Illinois), Rebecca, Mrs. Smith (of Scott County, Illinois), Jesse (the subject of our sketch), Jane, Mrs. Wells (of Nebraska),
Nathaniel ( a merchant of Manchester, Illinois), William (a miner in Missouri), Hestor, Mrs. McPherson (of Greene County, Illinois) and George (
a merchant of Green County, Illinois). Jesse McMahan, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farm labor in Illinois, and although he had no
chance to attend school much, he obtained a common school education. In 1848 he came to Arkansas, and worked out at farm labor, sending his
wagon home to his parents. Two years late he came to Camden, Ouachita County, where he commenced work for himself, being employed in the
office of the constable at writing. Then he engaged in business as a butcher for a year or so, after which he went to school at Mine Creek,
Hempstead County, for six months, then returned to Camden, and was again employed in the constable's office, which was at that time a very
important office. He then formed a partnership with a man by the name of Jennings, and embarked in the grocery business. One year later he
sold out his interest, then clerked in a dry goods store a year or more, after which, in the fall of 1854, he engaged in steamboating on the
Ouachita and Red Rivers, and has since been engaged in that business in connection with farming, having an interest in a steamer , and was
employed as pilot on the same until 1883. In 1861, Mr. McMahan enlisted in the First Arkansas Infantry, of which he was captain, and served
until April, 1862, when he was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, being shot in the mouth, the ball tearing out part of the lower jaw, teeth, and part
of his tongue. He received a discharge on account of disability, and returned home. He first enlisted as orderly sergeant for a term of twelve
months, and upon the reorganization of his regiment he was made captain of his company. The First Arkansas Infantry was organized before
the State seceded. Mr. McMahan participated in the battles of Bull Run and Shiloh, besides many skirmishes. October 29, 1863, he was married
to Miss Sarah Jones, a native of this county, and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Frazier) Jones, natives of Virginia and South Carolina,
respectively. She was born February 10, 1846. They have never had any children of their own, but have raised seven orphan children. They are
now bringing up three children: Alice Scogin, Georgia Scogin and Thomas McMahan (his name also was Scogin, but was adopted by subject
and wife). Mr. McMahan bought his present farm in 1863, and moved on the place in 1865, and although he has been engaged in steamboating,
he has since carried on the farm and resided here, and since 1883 he has devoted his whole time and attention to farming., dairying and
stock-raising. He owns 585 acres of land, with 160 acres under cultivation. His principal crop in the past has been cotton, but since 1883 he has
been devoting his time to stock-raising and dairying, and now owns about 200 head of cattle, and sells more milk and butter than any other
farmer of Ouachita County. He is a lover of fine stock, and owns some thoroughbred Jersey cattle, and Brown Leghorn and Wyandotte fowls,
Toulon geese and Pekin white ducks; he also raises horses and mules and hogs for market. Both he and wife are earnest members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. McMahan is a member of the Masonic order and of the County Wheel. Politically he affiliates with the
Democratic party. He is one of the leading farmers of Ouachita County, and takes an active interest in all laudable public enterprises.