My Howerton family goes back to John Howerton, born in England about 1645. He came to America in indentured status about 1663 and settled in Ann Arundel/Calvert Co. are of Maryland. His brother Thomas had settled in Virginia. They both prospered, and John died young in 1676 in Calvert Co. Maryland.

My 3rd great grandfather, Edward "Ned" Howerton was born in 1801 in Virginia, the 4th generation of my Howertons in America. The story I have been told is that Edward had a disagreement with his step mother, and when she sent him for water, he just kept going to Missouri, to where a brother lived. All they found when they started looking for him was an empty bucket. His brother, James, had settled in Missouri sometime earlier. Edward lived in St. Francois County,until the late 1830's when he moved to Camden County. He married Mary ? , born 1801, VA, about 1829. They stayed in Mo for the next 20 years, during which,their children were born.

Sometime around 1848, they moved to Clark County, AR. The 1850 census shows Edward and Polly living in Cedar Township. Still at home were William, my grandfather, age 17, Silas, age 16, Jerry age 14, and Polly age 9. Rachel and Sally are apparently married, but I have not located them yet.

On April 4, 1860, Edward received 319 acres in Hot Springs Co. in Section 7, Twnshp 5S, range 20W. Brother Jeremiah received 80 acres in Montgomery county in 1875, at the same time Silas took 40 acres in Montgomery county a couple of miles away. Grandpa William took 40 acres +/- in Hot Springs County, next to his father.

William had married Mary Ann (Polly) Prince on New Year's Day, 1860. This was the farm where they would build their home. But, they did not count on the Civil War interrupting their lives. I have an interesting situation, in that my great, great grandfather, served in both the Confederate Army and the Union. It made for some hard feelings among the Prince family, as Mary's brothers, Peter, William, Joseph, and Jacob, along with their cousins, Nathan, Jonathan, and William fought for the South.

William's record shows he enlisted in the Confederate Army, Co. H, 33 Arkansas Infantry, on May 10, 1862, at Arkadelphia, Clark Co.AR. He was enlisted by McMillan, for a period of 3 years. He was 30 years old. He was mustered in on July 4, 1862, and had to travel 85 miles to Camp Hindman. He is shown present on the muster rolls through May, 1863, when it was noted for the period of June 30 to Aug. 31, 1863, he was absent, sick furlough, dated May 20,1863.

In his records, also, is a certificate of disability for furlough in case of William Howerton, Co. H, Grimstead's Regiment. It was dated Nov. 17, 1862, Little Rock. Affiant, C. M. Taylor, post surgeon. Approved Nov. 17, 1862 by B. G. Danly, Col. CO. H, 33rd Ark. Inf.

The certificate reads: "William Howerton a private of Company H, Col Grimstead's Arkansas Regiment of Infantry,having applied for a certificate in which to ground an applied for a furlough. We do hereby certify that we have carefully examined said soldier and find that he is suffering from dibility, consequent on remittant fever and that in consequence thereof, he is in our opinion unfit for duty. We further disclose our belief that he will not be able to resume his duties in a like present than 60 days and respectfully recommend that a furlough be granted him for that length of time to enable him to go to his home in Clark County, Arkansas distance from Little Rock Arkansas eighty (80) miles.
Given in duplicate at Little Rock Arkansas.
November 16, 1862
T.S. Mill Surg. P.A.C.S.
Albert Dunlap Surg. P.A.C.S.
W.R. Dalkin Surg. P.A.C.S
Med Examining Board"
The muster sheets show he was last paid by the CSA, April 30, 1863. Apparently he had recovered and reported back to duty, until the notation on the June 30-Aug. 31 Muster roll, when he was reported absent on sick furlough, dated May 20, 1863.

After this furlough, he did not report back to duty. Instead on October 17, 1863, William enlisted at Little Rock in Co. H, 3rd Regiment of Missouri Calvary to serve 3 years or the war and mustered into service as a private on 19 October, 1863. Did he join of his own free will, or was he conscripted into the Union service?

On the muster rolls for Sept. & Oct. to Feb. 29, 1864, he was reported present. March and April 1864, detached duty, May and June 1864 to Feb. 28, 1865 Present station. Dec. 1863, Jacksonport Ark. He was not reported absent from any cause on the Regiment return January, 1864. He was transferred to Co. C. 3rd Mo. Cav. March and April 1865, Transferred to Co. A 11 Mo. Cav, May and June 1865. Present and mustered out with the Company, July 27th 1865, New Orleans, LA.

In his pension declaration, he stated that in December, 1863 while on duty at Jacksonport Arkansas, he was "attacked with paralysis and rheumatism" from which he never recovered and is growing worse.

As time went on William did become more and more disabled, so that by his death, July 22, 1901, he was totally unable to do anything for himself. Mary Ann took over the farming with help from grown children and grandchildren helped to care for him. After his death, Mary Ann continued to receive his pension until her death, Jan 22, 1916.

William's brothers, Silas and Jeremiah also joined the Confederacy, and like William, they also left the CSA and joined the US Army. William's description when he joined the Union Cavalry, was "5 feet 5 inches tall, fair complexion, light hair and blue eyes."

So this great great grandfather served in both the Confederate and Union Armies. Perhaps it was wise of him, if he thought about the future, to gamble that the North would win, and they might have a pension plan, because of his health. Who knows? Looking back now, 138 years, we can read what we will into the actions of our ancestors, right or wrong. But, at least, I know who he was and some things about his life, that I didn't just a few years ago.

"Don't worry, Grampa, ah still love ya, even ifen ya wuz a Yankee."


Edward Howerton b.ca 1801 VA d. ? married Mary "Polly" ? ca 1829, MO

         
          Rachel b. 1830 Webb City, Leclede Co. MO, d. 1/23/1907
                    m. Hugh Lambert
          Sally  b. 1832 Webb City, Leclede Co. MO
          William Bertrum b. 10/4/1832, Camden Co. Mo d. 7/23/1901 AR
                    m. Mary Ann "Polly" Prince b. 4/1845, Jackson Co.AL
          Silas  b. 1834, Camden CO. MO, d. 9/22/1976, 
                    m. Lorean M. Magby
          Jeremiah b. 1836, Leclede CO. MO d. /
                    m. Margrit ?
          Polly  b. 1841, MO  d. OK
                    m. John Grubbs

Second Known Generation

William Bertrum Howerton b. 10/4/1832, Camden Co. MO, d. &23/1901 Kirby, Pike County, AR, married Jan. 1, 1860, Clark CO. AR, Mary Ann Prince b. April, 1845, Jackson Co. AL, d. 1/22/1916, Kirby, Pike CO. AR. Both are buried in the Howerton Family Cemetery, near Kirby, Pike Co. AR

          Eliza Jane  b. 4/16/1864, Clark Co. AR m. James Monroe Killian
          Mary Ann    b. 10/30/1868, Clark co. AR d. 1916, Atoka CO. OK 
                     m. 1887, Pike Co. AR Berry Peter Prince b. 12/1865
                        Clark Co. AR, d. 2/1917, Atoka Co. OK
          William Jr. b. 1872, d. after 1880
          James Rutherford "Pode" b. 8/4/1878, Clark Co. AR, d. 1945, AR
                     m. Eliza Ann Prince b. Nov. 1879, Clark CO. AR 
                        d. 9/18/1966, Garland Co. AR
          Caledonia Palatine "Callie" b. 1/15/1881, Kirby Pike Co. AR
                     m. 12/22/1897, Pike CO. AR, D. L. "Dock" Golden
          Naomi Belle  b. 11/18/1883, Kirby Pike CO. AR, 
                     m. 11/26/1899, Pike CO. AR, F. W. Self
          Walter Alonzo b. 8/8/1887 Kirby Pike CO. AR 
                     m. 1/27/1901, Pike CO. AR, Buelah Williams. 

Silas Howerton, b. 1834, MO, married Susan Elizabeth Lorean Bagby, 8/20/1859, Clark Co. AR, died 4.8.1900, Hot Springs Co. AR

          Elias H.  b. 6/7/1853,  d. 12/25/1929
          William Claude  b. 12/13/1861
          John E.   b. 2/1/1867,  d. 3/9/1920
          Samuel G. b. 4/8/1869,  d. 1931          
          Susan C.  b. 10/15/1874

Jeremiah M. (Jerry) Howerton, b. 3/1837, LeClede Co. MO, married (1) Margaret E. Caskins, 9/7/1865, Montgomery CO. AR, d. 4/5/1932 Hot Springs CO. AR.

          James E.  b. 7/1866
          Martha J. b. 1868  d. 2/17/1974, Garland CO. AR, 
                  m. John Gillham, 9/7/1898, Garland CO. AR
          William C. b. 1869
          John Frank b. 2/1873  d. 6/17/1930
          Robert Silas b. 1/1874  d. 1957
          Sarah Elizabeth (Maggie) b. 10/22/1875  d. 2/17/1974
          Rachel   b. 1879, Hot Springs CO. AR, m. Miles T. Rice
                   2/18/1900,  d. 
          Judiah H. b. 4/1884

Jeremiah married (2) Sarah Dozier, no children found

Missouri Rachel Howerton b. 1830, LeClede CO. MO, m Hugh Lambert, AR d. 1/23/1907, Bismarck, AR

         Mary b. 5/25/1846, LeClede CO. MO, m. George W. Hunt, 8/19/1865
                 d. 5/16/1930
         William  b. 10/18/1851, AR  m. (1)Julina Sutton, 12/26/1872
                                        (2)Carrie Carr Chamberlain 11/18/1877,
                 d. 1/20/1908
         Jeremiah  b. 5/23/1853  m. (1) Elizabeth Sutton, (2) Laura Cassandra
                 Knight, 10/21/1880, (3) Arizona Geer  d. 1908
         Elizabeth Evergreen  b. 2/5/1856 AR, m. James B. Phillips, 9/9/1878
                 d. 2/12/1952
         Emily Carter  b. 5/9/1859, AR m. (1) George Dallas Weaver, 2/20/1876
                 (2) Mace Henderson, 8/17/1910,  d. 8/11/1935
         Samantha Ann  b.  ?  m. Columbus Cooper
         Berry Hugh   b. 12/14/1864, AR  m. Mintory E. (Minnie) Sheets, 11/6/1890
                 d. 7/6/1946