William Monroe Gunter (1837 - 1885)

Born 3 Aug 1837 in Marion County, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Temperance J. (Roland) Gunter — married 25 Apr 1867 in Yell, Arkansas, United States

Descendants

Died 12 Feb 1885 at age 47 in Logan County, Arkansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Peggy McReynolds [send private message]

Biography

William Gunter served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Oct 28, 1863
Mustered out: 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Company H, 3rd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry

3rd Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry (Union), US Civil War

Military Record: Private William M. Gunter enlisted 28 Oct 1863 in Conway Co, AR. Height 6' 1", eyes blue, hair light, complexion fair, farmer, age 25, born in Marion Co, Tennessee. [1]

Researcher's Note: William Monroe Gunter is possibly also the confederate soldier William M. Gunter that served in CSA Company H, 21st Infantry Regiment. [2] It was fairly common in this region of Arkansas for men to first enlist in the Confederate Army and later enlist in the Union Army after the summer of 1863.

Letter written April 15, 1866

Transcription of a letter from Gunter, William M to Israel M Harkey mentions the deaths of Adam Wiggins' friends, neighbors and in-laws.

The entire transcription follows:

Mr. Israel M. Harkey and family after my love and respects to you all I seat myself to rite you a few lines in anser to your kind letter Whitch we received the 12 day of Aprile 66 dated January the 2nd 66 it gave us great satrisfaction to hear from you and to hear that you was all well and dooing as well as u ar I will say at the start that I hav Not mutch time to rite and will make every word as short as posable i will first sa we are all well at this time except Tibbita and she is getting well verry fast She has ben sick 7 months i cant advise you to drive stock here though all kind of stock is verry scarce even hog Bacom 35 cents per pound Beef 5 cents per pound Milk Cows 15 to 30$ flour 8.$ per hundred Corn 2 $ per bushel horses from 100 to 250 $ per head sheep none at all work steers will broke 50 to 100 $ sow and pigs 25 $ Chickens 30 cents per head you ask who is dead. I will enumerat all I can thoug the tears gushes from my eyes at the rememberance of my brave country men and friend and mess mates in the armey of my country they are goune; first old Moses Harkey who was taken or draged from his familey and hanged by the rebs 2. Clark Weems was tabed and hanged. 3. James Moudy Catherine Harkey's husband was beat and hanged 4 a 5 Eli and Martin Harkey was drove from ther homes and joined the armey and died in the hospital i was in the hospital sick my self with Eli and when he died Wilson Harkey was kill by the Rebbles he died with 2 empty revolvers in his hands levi Harkey was captured by the rebbles and shot George Fink was captured and carryed off and is gone henry harkey died at Lewis burg he didn't belong to the armey and many others are dead the was murdered by the rebs thare wasent a harkey but was loyial to the bone they all siad our union right or rong and so they fought and died and when they died they died covered all over with glory i and all the settlement that was able to fire a gun was Mountain boomers till in the fall of 63 we then joined the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry and we all hav our discharge that lived through the desperate struggle we was dischaged the 18 day of July 65 i am still a live though I fought bled and diedd 2 or 3 times through this war and hant got but one round hole in my hide I had the measels and 2 spells of the tyFored and Numonia and small pox while i was a soldier one spell of the fever lasted 40 days i am not half the man i was when the war begun but i am so as to be about on 2 or 3 legs i will bring my letter to a close hoping to hear from you soon so fare well for a while your firend and brother

Gunter William M to Israel. M. Harkey and family

Written upside down on the same paper: Direct your letters to Dardanell till further orders WMG

Letter written September 10, 1866

Here is a letter from John L. Gunter that was written on September 10, 1866, to Israel Mathias Harkey, Jr. Transcribed by Flora E. Barrett. The original spelling and format kept as the letter was written. Capitalization and punctuation added only where necessary to make the letter more readable.

This letter states: Old Man Wiggins and his wife died. (Adam and Cynthia Wiggins.)

September 10, 1866

State of Arkansas Yell County

Dear Brother an Sister I seat my self to let yo know we ar all well. I was at Eli Harkey, they all well. John Lipe taken by the Rebs and shot. Roalla was killed by the U2 men and Roland, he was killed by the U2 men.

Martha Harkey married John McMin. Cath Westmoreland married Lone Stinet, he was killed by the Rebs. Old Mosey was killed by the Rebs. Wilson was killed by the Rebs. Levi was killed by the Rebs. John Mody was killed by the Feds. Madison Wiggins died. Attison Carroll died. Alexsander Carroll died. Jesse Jones died. Eli Harkey died. Martin Harkey died. Jackson Rowland died. Old Adam Wiggins and wife died. George Fink was killed by the Rebs. Henry Harkey died. Dock Moore died or killed him self. Levi Westmoreland died. Clark Weems was killed by the Rebs. Sam Coleburn was killed by Feds. Carroll Tompkins was killed by the Feds. Jim Moudy was killed by the Rebs. Bill Cole died and I recon thare ant mutch account given of him. Olde Johnny Jones died. All these of this township made so by the War sence .67.

Crops is very good here. Wheat is selling at 2 Dollars per bushel, Corn 7 Dollars per bushel. Milk Cows from 15 to 20 Dollars per hed, horses from 50 to 100 Dollars per hed. There is tolerable plenty of every thing here. Times is peaceable now, though thare is 2 parties here, the Union and the Rebbles or radical and conservative.

I hav not went to work yet not a day since I have bin here. Cable Jones is in this settlement, he is unsettled in his mind what he will do or he sais he is. They are all thinking of going back to Texas. I don't know what else to rite. If you want any more come after it. I remain yours as ever.

John L. Gunter To I. M. Harkey and family

An unknown researcher's notes regarding the people in the letter; likely the transcriber Flora E. Barrett.

1. John L. Gunter was the brother of Canzady Jane Gunter who married Israel Mathias Harkey, Jr. Israel Mathias Harkey was the son of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. & Catherine Furr. 2. I. M. Harkey is Israel Mathias Harkey Jr. 3. Eli Harkey, this is either Eli, brother of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr., or this is Eli Columbus Harkey, son of Levi Harkey. Eli, brother of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. was killed in the Civil War 4 Nov. 1864. Eli Columbus married Mary Jenette Weems. 4. John Lipe has to be related to Levi Harkey's wife, Julia Ann Lipe. I find nothing in my records at this time to tell just how they relate. Possibly he was the son of Henry Lipe and Leah Blackwelder. Henry was a brother of Julia Ann Harkey nee' Lipe. 5. Roalla ?? Looking at this letter there seems to be a connection here to the Lipes. I need to find this family on the census to determine if this is possible. 6. Roland ?? Again this name seems to connect to the Lipes. Need to research this. 7. Martha Harkey married John McMin, This may be the daughter, Martha Jane, b 1848, of Moses M. Harkey, brother of Levi and Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. 8. Cath Westmoreland married Lone Stinet ?? 9. Old Mosey was Moses M. Harkey, born 24 April 1814, brother of Levi and Israel Mathias Harkey, Sr. 10. Wilson was Wilson Monroe Harkey who married Mary "Polly" Wiggins. Mary "Polly" Wiggins was born September 13, 1828 and was the daughter of Adam and Syntha Wiggins. 11. Levi was Levi Washington Harkey, born 2 May 1848, son of Levi Harkey and Julia Ann Lipe and a brother of Moses Isiah Harkey. He was hung on 23 October 1864 in the Civil War. 12. John Mody ?? I think this may be a Moudy, not Mody. 13. Madison Wiggins, husband of Rhody E. Packam son of the Old Adam Wiggins. Rhody possibly married Moses I. Harkey after Madison was killed. 14. Attison Carroll ?? One of Eli Columbus Harkey's daughters married a Bloom Calloway Carroll. Perhaps this is the Carroll connection. 15. Alexsander Carroll ?? Again this may be connected to the Carroll above. 16. Jesse Jones ?? Jacob Harkey married Rachel Jones, perhaps there is a connection. 17. Eli Harkey is the brother of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. and Levi Harkey who was the father of Moses Isiah Harkey. 18. Martin Harkey is Martin M. Harkey, son of Eli Harkey and Barbara Dry. 19. Jackson Rowland ?? 20. Old Adam Wiggins and wife were the parents of Mary Polly Wiggins who married Wilson Monroe Harkey. 21. George Fink married Lavina Lipe, daughter of Henry Lipe and Leah Blackwelder. Henry was a brother of Julia Ann Harkey nee' Lipe. 22. Henry Harkey, possibly Henry Clay Harkey, son of Levi and Julia Ann Harkey. 23. Dock Moore ?? 24. Levi Westmoreland ?? I know these Westmoreland tie into the Harkeys, however can't find it. 25. Clark Weems ?? Eli Columbus married a Weems and Levi, son of Wilson Monroe Harkey married Sarah C. Weems. Perhaps Clark is from that family also. 26. Sam Coleburn ?? 27. Carroll Tompkins ?? 28. Jim Moudy The Moudy family married into the Harkeys. 29. Bill Cole ??

Research Note

Rootsweb Tree might help sort out the problems with his parents: [3]

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M674-VMQ : 4 April 2020), William M Gunter in household of Thomas Gunter, Chickalah, Yell, Arkansas, United States; citing family 15, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8W3-51B : 30 September 2017), John L Gunter in entry for Monroe Gunter, 1860. Note: Called Monroe Gunter
• "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9MG-NQT : 22 December 2016), William M Gunter and Tempey J Roland, 25 Apr 1867; citing , Yell, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 1,026,492.
• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCJ-4YG : 12 April 2016), Monroe Gunter, Arkansas, United States; citing p. 4, family 26, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,566.
• Military Record [4]
• "United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDYP-B85 : 3 April 2015), William M Gunter, 1888.
• "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NH4N-WTG : 24 March 2016), William M. Gunter, 1888.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #45400974