JOHN WILSON


Administrator’s Affidavit of John Wilson:
Territory of Arkansas
County of Lawrence
WE the undersigned administrators of the estate of John WILSON, Sr. deceased state that the deceased died leaving twelve heirs, Polly Kelly residing in the state of Virginia, the heirs of Richard Wilson deceased, the heirs of Elizabeth COX deceased, the heirs of Thomas WILSON deceased, Leonard Wilson resident Hempstead County, Arkansas Territory, the heirs of Mason Logan deceased residence Lawrence County, Arkansas. Ty. Urssillars Campbell residence Lawrence County, Nancy Miller residence state of Tennessee, John Wilson Jr. Hempstead County, Willis Wilson Hempstead County, Benjamin Wilson, Perry County, Missouri, Berry Wilson Hempstead County.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25 day of May A. D. 1826.
Reuben Richardson Clk.
John Wilson Sr. married to _______.
Children


  1. Mary (Polly) married _______ KELLY and lived in Virginia
  2. Elizabeth married ___COX.
  3. Richard
  4. Thomas
  5. Leonard
  6. Nancy married MILLER lived in Tennessee
  7. John Jr. married Sally BYRD He was among the early settlers in the Red River Country of Hempstead County died ca 1864 near Dallas, Texas. His political career follows on the next page.
  8. Willis born ca 1789 Virginia married to Nancy ___. She was born ca. 1800 in South Carolina.
  9. Benjamin married ___. He lived in Perry County, Missouri
  10. Berry married ___.He lived in Hempstead County, Arkansas

Lawrence County, Missouri Territory/Arkansas Territory, where John WILSON Sr. and the Charles LOGAN Sr. lived was created on 15 January 1815 out of the southern portion of New Madrid, Missouri Territory. In 1819, it became Lawrence County, Arkansas Territory. 32 of the current 75 counties in the State of Arkansas comprise the area originally encompassed by Lawrence.

John Wilson Jr. Politician


1823 - 1827 Representative from Hempstead County, Arkansas
1828 Elected Speaker of the House in the Special Session of the General Assembly.
1829 Representative from Hempstead County, Arkansas and Speaker.
1831 Representative from Clark County, Arkansas
1833-1835 Representative from Clark County, Arkansas and Speaker.
1837 Expelled from the House on December 4 for killing J. J. Anthony Representative from Randolph County, Arkansas.
Colonel John WILSON Jr. who killed Mr. J. J. Anthony in 1836, on the floor of the House of Representatives, was a very prominent gentleman. The historians have been less than kind to him because of this homicide. But ---I saw: Tis no crime to save one’s life with Bowie knife." If given time and mind enough, John Wilson’s name I’ll clear! (I’m now age 52 ½).
The dispute between Colonel John WILSON Jr. and Mr. J. J. Anthony arose from the subject of whether wolf-scalps should be considered legal tender. Wilson was severely knifed by Anthony, but managed to survive. Wilson was speaker of the House of Representatives. The day following the killing of Anthony, WILSON was expelled by the House. There had been bad-blood between WILSON and Anthony prior to the fatal episode. Each combatant used a Bowie knife. Wilson was the physically smaller of the two. He was a relatively small, but agile man a brunette with dark complexion. When the episode occurred, WILSON was also the first President of the Real Estate Bank of Arkansas.
The difficulty arose over a statement by Anthony from the floor, which the Speaker took as a personal reflection on his own character. The Speaker (Wilson) ordered Anthony to take his seat. when Anthony refused, Wilson left the Speaker’s chair, saying as he did so,I’ll make you sit down and advanced on Anthony, drawing a large Bowie knife as advanced. Anthony, also, was armed with a knife. Someone thrust a chair between the two antagonists, about the time the two were in striking distance. Anthony, in the scuffle, which followed, dropped his knife and took up the chair. As he advanced with it to strike, Wilson threw up the chair with his left hand and stabbed under it with his right. The knife entered Anthony’s breast and he fell to the floor and died in a few moments. Wilson was expelled from the House. He was afterwards tried and acquitted. Pope, in his Early Days in Arkansas, wrote:The verdict caused the most intense indignation throughout the state.