Stephen Johnston Harrod 1834-1915

Stephen Johnston Harrod, born 18 Jun 1834, on a farm near Clayton in Barbour County, Alabama, was the third of eight children born to Nancy (Johnston) and Eli Harrod. He was named for his mother’s father Stephen Johnston. When Stephen was six months old, his parents moved to Lowndes County, Mississippi near a small village called Colbert. Here they lived for nearly eleven years.

They then went to Middleton in Carroll County, Mississippi, where Stephen did his first real farming. He rented thirty-one acres of land at the age of twelve. He had one horse, nine hogs, two yearlings, and one heifer of his own. He was a frail boy but made a fine crop and grew stronger for the outdoor work.

Stephen Harrod later resided in Webster County, Mississippi, near Duck Hill, a trading station. Then he settled in Cedaretta, Choctaw County, Mississippi Choctaw County, Mississippi. He was recognized as an expert farmer and stock raiser in this district. At one time he worked as an overseer for the Widow Lambert and noted that she did not care for her slaves properly. He would later own slaves himself but vowed to furnish them with decent clothing, medical attention, and plenty of wholesome food.

In 1856, he drove an ox team through to Texas for his uncle and remained one year in Jacksonville, Cherokee County, Texas. He then rode horse back through Limestone, Freestone, Robertson, Washington, Colorado, Fort Bend and Hams Counties in Texas, remaining at least two weeks in Houston and returned to Jacksonville by a different route. Then he spent some time in Clarendon, Arkansas on an India Bayou. Since Stephen’s education had been limited and letter writing was not one of his accomplishments, he had not kept his family up on his travels.

In 1862, he returned to Mississippi and joined the Confederate Army in March of 1862. He became a member of the “Rough and Readies,” in Company D; Hardcastle Battalion. His battalion later changed to many different names. His company eventually marched to Perryville, Kentucky where they arrived the night before the famous battle was fought. All that day, they fought valiantly and all that night through - he was one of the troops who picked up their dead and wounded soldiers.

At the Perryville Battlefield, Stephen had no shoes. A Union soldier who was supposed to be dead had on good boots and Stephen decided to take them, but the corpse yelled at the first pull. He realized this man had been left alone on the field, playing dead, until his comrades came to pick up their wounded and dead men. Mr. Harrod was glad to give him his chance to escape. Enroute to Cumberland Gap, they had three days rations cooked up when a tramp applied for food. Mr. Harrod divided up his rations, but when he laid down to sleep, all his food was taken. For three days, he went without food for “being a Good Samaritan!”’

They pushed on to Knoxville and wintered there. In the Spring of 1863, they went to Chattanooga and fought in what is sometimes called the ‘”Rock River Battle.” While retreating from that Battle, he received sad news. His older brother, William Harrod, while on a short furlough to secure supplies from home and neighbors in Bellefontaine, Mississippi, had stopped at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Harriet Moore Hughes. While there, William in his half-starved condition would die in a few days. His mother, Nancy Johnston Harrod, aiding in caring for him through the first day, but herself was taken seriously ill with acute indigestion and passed away a few hours before William’s death.

One mail brought new of both deaths to Stephen and news of the death of his younger brother, Alec Harrod, who was killed in the battle of White River in Clarendon, Arkansas. Nonetheless he marched with aching heart for Chattanooga. Then the company fell back to fight and win the Battle of Chickamauga only to retreat and lose to the Union Army at the Second Battle of Missionary Ridge.

The Confederate Army fell back to Kennesaw Mountain and New Hope Church where fighting occurred for 45 days. He was taken prisoner and shipped to Louisville, then Chattanooga. Later in box cars, they traveled to Camp Douglas, IL where each day they received small rations of hard tack and salt pork. They nearly starved. In January, the body scurvy had him walking on his knees and elbows - his body black and drawn out of shape from the diet.

He was paroled and sent to Baltimore, Maryland. They sailed up the James River until he was turned over to the Confederates at Richmond, Virginia. He remained there until he could get about on crutches. Then he started for his broken-up home in Mississippi. In North Carolina, at one point 40 miles of railroad were torn up and he was forced to walk that distance but people along the route were kind to him even though most were destitute themselves.

He finally reached Bellefontaine, Mississippi, but was bedfast for three weeks. He helped his father farm but in August once more went into fanning for himself.

On 9 Aug 1868, Stephen Harrod married Mrs. Harriet Moore Hughes at her home in Cedaretta, Mississippi with the Rev. James Fox officiating. She was a Confederate widow. She had been the sister-in-law of his brother William. She owned a small place and had 3 girls - one died in infancy, and another daughter, Jennie, died from eating peaches on an empty stomach in 1869. The other daughter, Willie Mary Hughes, married James Burns Vance on 17 Jan 1877, and Mr. Harrod presented Willie with a dowry.

Stephen and Harriet Harrod had two daughters both born in Mississippi - Nancy Rebecca, born 1868 and Louisa “Lee” born 1872.

In 1872, he opened a general merchandising store in one room in Cedaretta, Mississippi, with his brother-in-law A. W. Moore. He personally ran this store. He also oversaw his father in a second store in Bellefontaine. Stephen had been the only Harrod son to return from the war. In 1882, his father’s health became bad and both stores were united. On 30 Jan 1882, Mr. Eli Harrod died at Stephen and Harriet’s home in Cedaretta. He was buried by his wife, Nancy, who had been dead for 19 years.

About, Stephen’s stepdaughter’s husband, Jim Vance, came afoul of the law for selling whiskey to minors. Mr. Harrod took his wife’s son-in-law and family to Queen City, Cass County, Texas, and started him in business as his partner. The trip was slow work as many washouts were present as were high water crossings. Stephen and Harriet bought one block with a fine residence and business property - all in cash. He merchandised and traded throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas until 1901.

Jim and Willie Vance had two sons - Stephen and Estil, both born in Mississippi. Their daughter James Bertha was born in Queen City, Texas on 1 May 1883. Later Willie’s mother and stepfather, Stephen would deed her land in Queen City. (See court records p. 11 of this issue.) The Vance sons later ran the store under the name of Vance Brothers. Bertha would marry Dr. Marion A. Ledbetter, a dentist practicing in Atlanta, Texas.

Stephen and Harriet’s daughter, Nancy Rebecca “Nannie” would marry in Cass County to Eugene Hunt. Their daughter Lee married Elmer Smith.

In August of 1901, S. J. and Harriet Harrod relocated to Shaunee, Oklahoma. At this time Stephen was injured and somewhat paralyzed and Harriet is said to have left him. Eventually they divorced on 5 Oct 1906. He is said to have provided her with money to live on, but that most of the money was taken from her by a son-in-law. Harriet Moore Hughes Harrod died about 1930 while living with a daughter, Mrs. Lee Smith in Shaunee, Oklahoma at the age of 92.

After his divorce, Stephen would marry again at the age of 72 to Velma O. Halpin on 6 Apr 1907 in Shaunee, Oklahoma. Velma was 27 years old at the time of this marriage. They later moved to Springdale, Arkansas in Sept 1910 where this couple’s first and only child, Stephanie Johnston Harrod, was born.

In 1914, Stephen fell and never recovered from his injuries. Combined with a stroke in early 1915, Stephen would be blinded shortly before his death on 18 May 1915. He is buried in the Bluff Cemetery, in Springdale, Arkansas and was a Master Mason.