James Washington Munnerlyn
(abt Jan 1842 - 16 Feb 1917)


James W. Munnerlyn is a respected citizen of Lonoke County, Arkansas, and lives one mile west of the original town of Brownsville, on the Old Military Road, and on Lent Bolton place, which he now owns. He is a native of North Carolina, and was born in Anson County in 1842. The son of John R. and Patsey (nee West) Munnerlyn, natives of North Carolina. He remained with his parents until the commencement of the "War Between The States" in 1861, in which year he entered the Confederate Army, enlisting in Company A, Twenty Third North Carolina Regiment, and participated in the battle of Williamsburg, and marched the succeeding three days on three ears of parched corn. He was also in the battle of Seven Pines, the seven days' fight around Richmond and was shot through the arm at Malvern Hill, and was furloughed for forty days, the furlough being extended ten days, at expiration of which he returned, and was at the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancerllorsville and Gettysburg. He was also in the campaign against Grant in the Willderness, Spottysylvania Court House and Gaines Mill, or Cold Harbor. He was then detached with Earlym, went to Lynchburg, repelled the advance of Hunter, crossed the mountains and captured Harper's Ferry, then went up and crossed the Potomac River near Shepherdstown, and was in the fight near Fredericks City, at the block house and the railroad bridge on the Monoxey River, at which he was struck with a piece of bomb-shell; this tore off the left leg of his pants, just below the knee, bruised the shin and turned him a complete somersault, he being stunned for a few minutes, though he marched two days and one night without sleeping, and stacked one of the four guns of his regiment on the evening of the second day near Georgetown, the army being almost worn out by exhaustion. He was captured near Winchester on September 19, 1864, was transported to Point Lookout, and was retained a prisoner for six months, where he underwent great privations, all of which his manly spirit was able to endure, being sustained by a consciousness of the rectitude of the principle and justice of the cause for which he had so ardently contended. After the war Mr. Munnerlyn returned to his home, and the same year was married to Miss Martha A. Martin, a native of North Carolina, and from one of the oldest families. To this union were born eight children, of whom two sons and five daughters are now living, total 3 sons and 5 daughters.  In 1869 the family removed to Mississippi and located in the northern part of the state. In 1871 Mr. Munnerlyn again moved, this time going to Texas, where after a residence of nine years he came to Arkansas. Here in 1880, he lost his wife and one child (A Little Boy). In 1881 he went to Mississippi, and was there again married, this time to Miss Hettie Elizabeth Parker. To this union have been born four children1 ( All girls) two of whom are living2. He returned that same year to Arkansas, bringing his father and mother. The father died in 1888, aged eight-eight years3, from old age; his mother is living aged sixty-eight, and enjoying real good health. Mr. Munnerlyn is of old Scotch blood, and in politics is a Jeffersonian Democrat. His ecclesiastical faith is, that all mankind will ultimately be restored to holiness and happiness. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Central Arkansas Counties, The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889, Page 633-634.

 Notes: 

  1. This biography had to have been written between 1892 - 1894 based on the statement "To this union have been born four children (All girls) two of whom are living".  From 1894 to 1902 fore more children wore born. 

  2. Also the statement "two of whom are living" must be in error, the first of these four girls died in 1914, the other three lived past 1942.

  3. The statement that his father was age 88 and died in 1888 would place his birth ca. 1800. Reviewing Census records places his father's birth ca. 1816. That statement is most likely in error.

 


James Washington Munnerlyn


Hettie Elizabeth Parker

 

Children of James W. and Martha Munnerlyn:

  1. Mary Eugenia        b. ca. 1866, NC - d. 27 Jan 1936, AR

  2. John Leonard        b. 5 Feb 1867, Anson Co., NC - d. 9 Jan 1903, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR

  3. Martha Francis      b. Sep 1868, Anson Co., NC - d. ca 1950

  4. Emma                   b. 18 Mar 1870, MS - d. 13 Apr 1901, AR

  5. Nancy Ida             b. 31 Aug 1871, TX - d. 23 Jan 1939, Lonoke Co., AR

  6. Robert                  b. ca. 1874, TX - d. young

  7. Annie Elizabeth     b. 8 Oct 1876, Mulberry Co., TX - d. 29 Dec 1942, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR

  8. James Henry         b. 11 Feb 1880, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 19 Jun 1951, Lonoke Co., AR

 Children of James W. and Hettie Munnerlyn:

  1. Della May             b. 13 May 1887 - d. 13 Aug 1942, Lonoke Co., AR

  2. Polly Harriet         b. 13 Mar 1888, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 21 Feb 1979, Lonoke, Lonoke Co., AR

  3. Orrie Elizabeth      b. 16 Jan 1891, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR - d. May 1975, Topeka, Shawnee Co., KS

  4. Patsy Pinie            b. Apr 1892, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 1 Feb 1914, Lonoke Co., AR

  5. Harvey                  b. 20 Oct 1894, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 29 Mar 1916, Parents home, Lonoke, Lonoke Co., AR

  6. Isaac Dewey         b. 22 Aug 1897, Brownsville, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 15 Jul 1975, Rose Bud, White Co., AR

  7. Jewel Inez             b. May 1900, AR - d. 11 Sep 1909

  8. Eva                       b. 1 Jan 1902, Lonoke Co., AR - d. 8 Jan 1969, Lonoke Co., AR

 

Cemetery Informaton:

 

 

Descendant Relation:
??>John R.>James Washington MUNNERLYN

 

 

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