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Shortly after the
War Between the States, E. A. Wright moved to Woodruff County. He had at first
gone to Tennessee from his native North Carolina, but moved on to Woodruff
County between 1870 and 1872. He was my great grandfather, and some of his
descendants are still living in McCrory, Howell, and Cotton Plant.
He was
attracted to Woodruff County by the rich farmland available, and he bought 160
acres in the Chapel Grove Community for $1,000.
The Wright family came to
this country from Ireland and settled in North Carolina. They immigrated under
the name MacWright, but as did many of those coming to America in those early
days, they soon changed the name to Wright. E. A. Wright was born in North
Carolina in 1819.
His service record shows that he enlisted from Montgomery
County on August 27, 1863, for a two-month period, and later for three years.
He was a member of Company G in the 14th Regiment North Carolina Infantry. His
name appears on a payroll signed by a Captain Smith, and again on a Receipt
showing that he was issued items of clothing for the 2nd quarter of 1864. On
May 19, 1864, he was reported absent and supposed to have been captured. His
name also appears on a Roll of Honor of his regiment.
A Prisoner of War Roll
shows that he was captured on May 19 during the Battle of Spottsylvania where
he served in General R. E. Lee's Army. He was paroled at Point Lookout,
Maryland, and was transferred to Aiken's Landing, Virginia, for exchange.
It
is thought that he was wounded in this battle, since the next item in his
record is on a register of General Hospital No. 9 in Richmond, Virginia. We
have no record of his discharge.
He farmed his land in the Chapel Grove
Community until his death in 1906, at the age of 87. He is buried in the old
Beards Cemetery.
His son, Frank Wright, married twice and had seventeen
children. His first marriage was to Mattie Thompson, and aunt of Mrs. Chester
Wright, who lives at Howell. His second wife was Sallie Daugherty. Mattie was
my grandmother. Frank farmed in the Beards Community. His children settled
around McCrory, but scattered after World War II.
My father, Gaylon Wright,
married Jimmy Barbee, and also farmed in the Beards Community. I was born there
in 1911, and married W. C. Cain in 1939. We also farmed, but moved to McCrory
in 1967. Our children are Charlotte, who lives in Bald Knob; Gail, who lives in
Chester, Indiana; Virginia, who lives in Brinkley; Kenny and James, both of
whom live in McCrory. The two boys farm together, and run a trucking business.
My husband, W. C. Cain, died in 1974. |
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