    Pemiscot Co MO |
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Robert Sidney Douglass, A. B., LL. B.; Professor of History, State Normal School, Cape Girardeau, Mo., History of Southeast, Missouri A Narrative of Its Historical Progress, Its People and its Principal Interests. Volume I Illustrated, (The Lewis Publishing Company; Chicago and New York 1912). All rights reserved. Genealogists may use the information provided here freely. This page, and the information it provides may not be copied for commercial use of any kind. Page 315 PROMINENT CITIZENS One of the earlier settlers and most prominent men in Pemiscot county was John Hardeman Walker. He came to the county about 1810 and made his home on Little Prairie. He was one of the few men who did not leave the section after the New Madrid earthquake. Colonel "Walker remained and carried on his farming enterprises during all this period until the time of his death. He was sheriff of New Madrid county in 1821 and 1822 and was afterward a judge of the county court. One of his sisters married Dr. Robert D. Dawson of New Madrid, and another, John Martin of Point Pleasant. One of the conspicuous settlers of Pemiscot county was Major George W. Carleton. He was born in Saratoga county, New York, April 10, 1830. He was educated in the public schools and high school and fitted himself for the position of civil engineer. He came to New Madrid October 10, 1852, and was at the time almost penniless. In the following spring he taught school for a time in New Madrid and was shortly afterward married to Page 316 Miss Summerville Tomlin and moved to Gayoso, Pemiscot county, in January, 1855. Here he rented a farm and began to cultivate it. However, in the same year he was appointed clerk of the county court of Pemiscot county and later in the same year was elected county surveyor. Again in 1860 he was made clerk of the county court and served for six years. He was a Union man at the breaking out of the war but was not in favor of abolition and when Captain Lyon seized Camp Jackson, Mr. Carleton decided to cast in his lot with the south. When the Federal forces took possession of New Madrid and Pemiscot counties Mr. Carleton put the records of the county in a dug-out and carried them across the Mississippi river and turned them over to the commander of the Confederate gunboats. The records were afterwards carried to Memphis, Tennessee, where they remained until the close of the war in 1865. He was appointed to a position in the Confederate States navy and entered upon active service. During the war he was at Yazoo, Mississippi and Charleston, South Carolina; in 1864 he was transferred to the engineering department with the rank and pay of major. When Macon, Georgia, was surrendered to the Federal forces he was made a prisoner and paroled April 26th. He returned home July 1, 1 865, and at once took part in the reorganization of the government in Pemiscot county. During this time he acquired a knowledge of law but could not be admitted to the bar owing to his inability to take the test oath. In spite of this fact he was allowed to practice law before the courts of Pemiscot county and when the test oath was stricken from the constitution of the state he was admitted to the bar and regularly enrolled as a practitioner. In 1875 he was a member of the constitutional convention from the 23rd senatorial district in connection with General N. W. Watkins. He was a representative from Pemiscot county in four of the general assemblies of the state and was the author of several important bills, especially one creating drainage districts in the state. He was also in charge of the Hunter bill to indemnify the counties of Southeast Missouri for damages caused by the overflow of the Mississippi river. In 1870 Major Carleton began the making of abstract of land titles in Pemiscot county. This abstract, which was brought up to date, proved to be of very great value owing to the destruction of the court house. The general assembly passed an act in 1885 making the Carleton abstracts legal evidence in all courts of record. In addition to his other activities Major Carleton at times controlled the publication of the Gayoso Democrat, and during all his life was interested in farming. This site is a AHGP Project which is a volunteer genealogical organization dedicated to the free access of genealogical information. NOTE: If you run across a site thats charges a fee to view these pages, please let me know This is a free site. There is not a charge to view these pages. Return To Pemiscot County, Missouri MO-AHGP Project 
 
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