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Archiver > BOZEMAN > 2001-06 > 0993235197


From: Henry Teer <>
Subject: [BOZEMAN] pages 1-2
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 13:39:57 -0500


1

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 Twiggs
County, Georgia, and in 1816 to Henry County (now Covington County) in
the Territory of Alabama. (3,4) Sometime prior to 1927 the Nathan Bozeman
family again relocated in Lowndes County, Alabama.
On December 27, 1827, in Lowndes County, Alabama , Michael Bozeman
married Lucy Ann Browning (5) , whose paternal 1ine 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 baptized into the Mt.
Gilead Church of Lowndes County, Alabama ; Michael and Lucy's first
child, Nancy Peeples Bozeman, was born April 3. 1831 in Alabama and their
second. Mary Harriet Bozeman was born August 25. 1833. also 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 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 succeeded 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)

2

The Bozeman family lived in this cabin during the first year while
Michael built 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 Families 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. (25)
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 a schoo1house 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 McDaniel
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 purpose 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. Bethels 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 Bro. 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 wasnt acting as a
deacon in the church. He gave his reasons to the June 7, 1845 conference
as
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