William T. Garner (1836 - 1926)

Born 18 Nov 1836 in Tennessee

Husband of Arean Texas Woods — married 20 Jul 1865 in Sage, Izard County, Arkansas

Descendants

Died 14 Apr 1926 at age 89 in Izard County, Arkansas

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Benedict [send private message]

Biography

William T. Garner. ^[1][2]

Born 18 NOV 1836. Tennessee^[3][4]

Died 14 APR 1926. Izard County, Arkansas. ^[5][6]

Event: Middle Initial. 22 MAY 1999. Probably "T." based on cemetery info (to confirm). ^[7]

Note: #N178.

Photo: #M257.

File @M257@.

Notes

Note N178William Thomas Garner is great-grandfather to my wife Patricia Summers Benedict. He was the second son of John Garner and Sarah Greer, and came to Izard County, Arkansas from Tennessee with his family around 1858. From the 1850 Warren Co. TN Census: 1

John GARNER, age 42.

Sarah, 34.

James H. 15.

William T. 13.

Washington L. 11.

Mary E. 8.

Edward P. 5.

Frances J. 3. 1

William is mentioned in the Goodspeed Izard biography of his brother, James H. 1

Two years (1998) ago Patsy and I didn't know anything about her Garner ancestors except that her Grandma Marietta Summers was born a Garner, and that Marietta's mother was known to the family as "Texas.". 1

With tons of help from the Izard County online Mailing List (especially listowner Jean Mayfield Cuavas), Jeri Helms Fultz's Izard County website (http:/idt.net/~jfultz19/izardco1.htm)and Ed Gerdes Civil War website (http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar)-- and research based on the leads provided-- we now know the following: 1

William joined the Confederate Army (probably at Pocahontas, Arkansas) in about March of 1861 and served in the Arkansas 14th Infantry (McCarver's), Company D, (from the Gerdes website this: GARNER, WILLIAM T. Pvt Age 24. Enl 27 Aug 1861 in Izard Co, AR.) which unit later became part of the Arkansas 21st (of which the Gerdes website states: GARNER, WILLIAM T. - SGT Wounded & Paroled at Corinth, MS). Research in the actual records will be on microfilm M317, Roll 132 for the 14th, and Roll 173 for the 21st. 1

At the Battle of Corinth, Mississipi on October 4, 1862, his right leg was nearly shot off below the knee. Hampered by the dangling limb, he completed the amputation with his penknife. There's an eyewitness account of this in A GOOD STORY on Jeri Helms Fultz's Izard County website. This excerpt is from that account: 1

By: Elihu C. Beckham. 1

". . . . I saw Major Dowdle just ahead of our line on his horse and, just as I caught sight of him he threw up his hands, dropped his saber and fell backwards and lay on his horse till the horse ran about twenty yards, when he fell off. The horse ran but a short distance until he fell. 1

John Black, a son of Thomas Black (deceased) of Melbourne, Izard County, was our color bearer and ours was the oldest company. John fell when about eighty yards from the Federal line, while bravely bearing his flag; his head was nearly all gone. Bill Garner then raised the colors but did not go but a few steps till he fell with one leg shot so nearly off that he cut it off with his pocket knife. . . .". 1

After the war, William married Arean (or Arie Ann) Texas Woods, the daughter of James Baldridge WOODS and Margaret FINGER. They were married on July 20, 1865, at the home of the bride's father in Sage. They established their home in Wideman, where William was a farmer. In 1904 he applied for a pension based on the disability relating to his wounds (the pension file shows he was also shot in the lower back) and received 0 in 1905. He is listed in the 1911 list of Arkansas Confederate Pensioners. 1

I have found William and Texas' (the name she went by) family in the 1880 and 1900 Izard censuses. (There is a William T. in the 1870 census, but the wife(?) there is a Susan). In the 1910 Izard census, Guthrie twp. William, now a widower, is living in the home of his son John D. I haven't yet found William in the 1920 census. He may have been living in the home of another child by then. 1

Our research has indicated that William was born November 18, 1836 in.

Tennessee, and A. Texas was born April 1, 1848 in Tennessee. Texas died April 19, 1909. William died April 14, 1926. They are both buried in Wideman Cemetery, and we were able to visit the cemetery last June (1999)and photograph the headstones. 1

William and Texas had several children, including a daughter, Marietta, just shown as "Mary" in the censuses. Mary attended school at the Wideman School(still standing adjacent to Wideman Cemetery), and in the early 1890's was taught by James Lawrence Summers, a young man from Tennesee. On August 5, 1894, James, 30, and Marietta, 18 were married by A. F. Wyatt, Justice of the Peace. 1

James was later influenced by Drs. Rector and Smith to go to medical school. He studied at the Physicians and Surgeons School in Memphis from about 1900-1903, and returned to Arkansas, first practicing at Wild Cherry, Fulton County (just north of the Izard line), and later in Gamaliel, Baxter Co. Dr. Summer's story is included in Mary Ann Messick's Centennial History of Baxter County, pages 121-122. (The data for the account was supplied by Patsy's Aunt Zelma.). 1 and Mary had seven children, one of whom was James Odus Summers, Patsy's dad, and my father-in-law. And the rest, as they say, is history--OUR history!. 1

Hopefully this digest will be of interest and perhaps reveal some more family connections with someone out there. The above is not all verified by primary sources, but there's enough secondary documentation and family oral history to consider it pretty sound. We wrote and submitted stories of William Thomas Garner and James Lawrence Summers which will be included in the new Izard County history which will be published later this year. --DWB April 14, 2000. 1

External Files

• File M257. File: C:\Users\David B\Documents\Family Tree Maker\Benedict(2) Media\Media Item(50).jpg.

• External File: M257 File: C:\Users\David B\Documents\Family Tree Maker\Benedict(2) Media\Media Item(50).jpg

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S165 William Garner, White Male, age 44, Farmer, b. Tennessee, Father and Mother b. Tennessee.
2. ↑ Source: #S167 Guthrie Township, E.D. 158, Sheet 11, Line 57 William T., Head, WM, b. Nov. 1836, Age 63, Married 25 years; Birthplace Tennessee, [No parental birthplace entered] Farmer, Reads, writes, speaks English, Owns free, farm schedule #158.
3. ↑ Source: #S158 GARNER W. T. Garner November 18, 1836 April 14, 1926 At Rest
4. ↑ Source: #S165
5. ↑ Source: #S158 GARNER W. T. Garner November 18, 1836 April 14, 1926 At Rest
6. ↑ Source: #S130 May 22, 1999 In the Wideman [Izard Co., AR] cemetery, there are several other Garners buried there. There is no way for me to know how they are connected but I thought these might be of interest. Garner, William T. b. 1836 d. 1926 Garner, A. Texas b. 1848 d. 19 Apr 1909
7. ↑ Source: #S130 May 22, 1999 In the Wideman [Izard Co., AR] cemetery, there are several other Garners buried there. There is no way for me to know how they are connected but I thought these might be of interest. Garner, William T. b. 1836 d. 1926 Garner, A. Texas b. 1848 d. 19 Apr 1909

• Source: S130 Reeves, Vera Reeves, Vera, Electronic Mail Repository: #R55 NOTESource Medium: Electronic
• Repository: R55 My files
• Source: S158 Tombstone, William T. Garner, Wideman Cemetery, Izard County, Arkansas NOTESource Medium: Tombstone Source Quality: Fair Photo in my possession
• Source: S165 U. S. Government U.S. Federal Census, 1880, Arkansas, Izard County Publication: Name: Guthrie Township, Izard County Arkansas, E.D. 2, p. 21, Lines 9-15; Repository: #R64 Call Number: T9-47 NOTESource Medium: Microfilm Source Quality: Fair
• Repository: R64 Southwest District Center, National Archives and Records Administration
• Source: S167 U. S. Government U.S. Federal Census, 1900, Arkansas, Izard County Publication: Name: U.S. Federal Census, 1900, Arkansas, Izard County; Repository: #R65 NOTESource Medium: Microfilm Source Quality: Good Photocopy in my possession.
• Repository: R65 National Archives Southwest Regional Center