BOZEMAN-L Archives

From: henry teer< >
Subject: [BOZEMAN-L] MICHAEL BOZEMAN
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:55:23 EDT

i'm sending Michael Bozeman's story that I received when i stopped by the
Bozeman home in Arkadelphia, AR. This is part 1 of 13. Hope it works!
Each post is two pages, single spaced in the original.

MICHAEL BOZEMAN
Early Civic and Religious Leader of Clark County, AR

Michael Bozeman was born in Jones County, Georgia,on August 16,
1808 to Nathan Bozeman and Harriet Knotts Bozeman. (1, 2)Nathan Bozeman
was the son of Joseph Bozeman who had been born in North Carolina.
Michael was the oldest of 11 children.In 1812 Nathan moved his family to
Tiggs
County , Georgia, and in 1816 to Henry County (now Covington (County) in
the Territory of Alabama. (3, 4) Some time prior to 1927 the Nathan
Bozeman family again relocated in Lowndes County,
Alalama .

On December 27, 1827, in Lowndes County, Alabama, Michael Bozeman
married Lucy Ann Browning (5), whose paternal line can be traced to a
Capt . John Browning, born in England, about , 1588 , who came to America
on the "Abigail " in 1622, founded one of the oldest families in
Virginia, and owned a plantation of considerable size several miles from
Williamsburg (6). Lucy Ann was the daughter of Capt. John Radford
Browning, a veteran of the Seminole Indian Wars in Georgia and Florida,
and his
second wife, Nancy Peeples. Lucy Ann was born on September 23, 1813 in
Georgia , thirteenth of their sixteen children . (7 )

The 1830 Federal Census of Lowndes County, Alabama , lists
Michael Bozeman as head of a household of six people, consisting of Lucy
, his wife , one adult female slave and three slave children. On June
9, 1830 , Michael was baptised into the Mt. Gilead Church of Lowndes
County, Alabama.

Michael and Lucy's first child, Nancy Peeples Bozeman , was born
Apri1 3, 1831 in Alabama and their second, Mary Harriet Bozeman was born
August 25, 1833, a1so in Alabama. (8) Michael's health was poor. (9)
The size of his household and slave holdings in 1830 indicate his
financial situation was not prosperous He decided to move westward.
He looked for "rich land good water, and plenty of good timber" (10),
and found such a place on the Big Deceiper Creek, 6 miles Southwest of
the present site of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. (11) His earliest recorded
purchase of land in Clark County was June 15, 1835. (12) This and
several other parcels of land bought at later dates are recorded
consecutively in the Clark County Record Books. These purchases
amounted to 720 acres, all bought from the U. S. Land Receivers Office at
Washington, Arkansas, at $1.25 an acre. (13) A list of land speculators
and non-residents of Clark County in 1835-36 compiled by Dr. Willis S.
Smith in his scrapbook includes Michael Bozeman and Nathan Bozeman. (14)
Since Michael had both a father and a brother named Nathan, it is unknown
which of them went to Arkansas to buy land with Michael. Neither
remained in this area. The families of Michael Bozeman and his
brother-in-law, F. J. Browning and a few servants made the trip from
Alabama in six weeks traveling by private conveyance. (15, 16) From
Memphis, Tennessee they took the Military Road " to where New Hope Church
now stands, and where E'Core Fabre trail from Caddo Gap to where Camden
is now, crossed said road, then by widening said trail with their axes
for five miles, suceeded in reaching their destination." (17)

The first house Michael Bozeman's family lived in was a log
cabin, apparently already there. Since the only known earlier resident
in the vicinity was a bear hunter named Gordon, it might have been his
abandoned cabin. (18) It is described by Jonathan-L. Bozeman, Michael's
son-in-law, as having a
"........... puncheon floor, the fireplace taking up the entire one end
of the cabin." ( 19) The Bozeman family lived in this cabin during the
first year while Michael bui1t a two story hewn log and pointed house
with substantial brick chimneys."(20) Most of the lumber was sawed by two
men using a whipsaw. (21) A son, James Francis Bozeman, was born in the
old cabin December 6, 1836 (22), and three daughters, Diadema Elizabeth
Bozeman (May 26, 1838 Emily Lucy Ann Bozeman (July 14, 1840), and
Cordelia Henrietta Bozeman (May 24, 1842) (23) were born in the two story
log house. Michael Bozeman quickly established himself as a planter and
responsible resident of the community. He was included in Dr. Smith'
s "List of Married Persons and Fami1ies who were original settlers of
Clark County up to the 16th of June , 1836" (24) Dr . Smith also
remembered that "Col . Bozeman and I sat on guard most of the night"
guarding John H. Mosely, who was being held for trial in the log jail at
Greenville on the charge of
stealing horses from the Indians in 1837. ( ) Michael and Lucy had
brought their church letters from Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Lowndes
County, Alabama, to their new home, but could find no Baptist church
within 60 miles. After locating several other Baptist, the Bozemans,
Bro. Thomas Moore and his wife, Lucy's brother, F. J. Browning and his
wife, Sarah, established Mt. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in August,
1836. (26, 27) This first meeting occurred at a "school house near
Thomas Moore." (28) Elder Allen Samuel of Saline Church, Saline
County, preached a sermon from 1 Peter 2nd Chapter, verse 4 and 5.
Elder Samuel was elected moderator F. J. Browning clerk; and Michael
Bozeman, Deacon. Immediately after organizing, Mary Ann Mc Daniel and
Wurny Ann Malone made professions of faith and were received as
candidates for baptism (29) bringing the total membership of the church
to eight. On September 17, 1836, Michael Bozeman and F. J. Browning were
appointed messengers to a convention to be held at Spring Creek Church,
Saline County, called for the prupose of organizing an association.
The convention was held at David Dodd's house near where the city of
Benton is located. The Saline Regular Baptist Association came into
being on "the Saturday before the first Lord's day in October, in the
year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and thirty-six". (30) It was the
first Baptist Association organized in the state South of the Arkansas
River and was composed of representatives from five churches with a
combined membership of 78. (31) Michael Bozeman was ordained as deacon
at this first meeting. (32) He also served as Mt. Bethel's
representative to the next meeting (October, 1837) and would serve
the.church in that capacity many times. Servants were allowed membership
in Mt. Bethel Church.

The church records of Saturday, November 27, 1836, contains this
entry: "then came forward Mary, servant of Brd. Michael Bozeman and was
received by experience". (33) Another servant, Nelly, later joined the
church (34) to be followed by her young mistresses, Nancy P. Bozeman and
Mary Harriet Bozeman. (35) In 1843 Michael had a "difficulty" with Br.
Willis S. Smith of Bethany Church, the nature of which was not recorded.
In August 1843, the two parties had reconciled their differences.(36)
>From September 19, 1843 to August 10, 1844 Michael, Lucy, Harriet and
Nancy were absent from the church-by letters of dismission. No reason
was given for the absence, however in April, 1845, the church appointed
a committee to "labor" with Michael to determine why he wasn't acting as
a Deacon in the church. He gave his reasons to the June 7, 1845
conference as follows: He was dissatisfied with the actions of Bro. E.
B. Carter who was serving as a moderator at both Mt. Bethe1 and Macedonia
churches simultaneously, a practice which he felt the church should not
allow. There was also the matter of Bro. Carter's having allowed Jacob
Stroope to enter Macedonia church and be baptised after Mt. Bethel had
refused him membership. (37) The church considered the matter and
decided that Bro. Carter's behavior was satisfactory. Michael felt it
was not declared "non-fellowship" with the church. (38) Lucy Ann, her
daughters and friends asked the church to submit the matter to the
Association. In January 1846, Michael was restored to the church. (39)

On January 29, 1848, Mt. Bethel had appointed a building
commission consisting of D. H. Ross, Wm. E. Randle and Wm. L. Anderson,
and gave them entire control over the construction of a new church
building which was to be located at or near McLendon Springs(40) on 40
acres of land. It was to be a 30 by 34 foot, framed building, one
story, sealed within and overhead, with glass windows, shutters, seats,
pulpit, and a stove. (41) For reasons unclear, Michael Bozeman viewed
their attempts with bitterness. He wrote in January, 1848, "They (the
church) are trying to raise money to build a fine house at the McLendon
Spring but I d not believe that they will be able to do it. It is all
done through prejudice to me,
Mr. Randle brother and Father has come out. I do not think much of them
his brother is Baptist . He has, joined the church they worship him
almost. The opinion that I had of E Randle was correct, he just what I
thought him to be." (42) In July, 1848, Bozeman presented a claim
against the church requiring them to pay him $ 135 . 53 to obtain good
tit1e to five acres of 1and with water privileges. (43)
Michael again wrote in November, 1848,," a weak past we had a
protracted meeting held here. I never heard finer preaching in my life,
there ware 6 or eight Preachers, some of them of the Ablest and most
talented in the state but all to no effect seemingly though I understand
that some of the members of the church begins to reflect on themselves
for their conduct towards me and my family." (44)

*****************************
Robert Henry Teer, Jr. My hobby is:
The Family Heritage Research & Preservation Service
Dedicated to bringing families back together

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

This thread:

• [BOZEMAN-L] MICHAEL BOZEMAN by henry teer< >