a farmer of Union County, was the son of Benjamin and
Innocent Ann (Wight) Harris, whose sketch precedes this.
Subject was born March 1, 1816, and was educated so that he
could "read and write and understood figures." On February 28, 1837, he married
Virginia Pratt, the daughter of James and Louisa (Thompson) Pratt. Mrs. Harris'
father was born in Carroll County, Va., in 1787, married in Virginia in
October, 1815, and died in Union July 20, 1856. Her mother was born in Virginia
in 1792, and died in Union July 8, 1865. Her grandfather, Wm. Pratt, married
Dorothy Brookbank, and her grandfather, Jason Thompson, married Lucretia
Elliott. All her grandparents were born, lived and died in Virginia. All the
subject's children, except Sarah Givens and James Wm., are farmers or farmer's
wives. Parmelia Ann married robert Cromwell, and has three children; Benjamin
married Sallie Cromwell, and has eight daughters; Amos married Sallie
Greathouse, and has four children; Martha Texas married Joseph Mattingly, and
has seven children; ellen married George Drury, and has three children; Cassie
married Hiram Phipps, and has five children; Kate Douglas married Edward
Spalding, and has one child; Lynn Boyd married Lizzie Greathouse, and has one
child; Jane married Walter Higginson, and has two children.
In politics Mr. Harris was a Democrat, and was elected
Magistrate, but did not take kindly to office. While he was in office he
committed John Hall for killing Dr. Taylor. he was most successful as a farmer.
he first bought one hundred and seventy acres of land where the home farm now
is, and went to work upon it. There was not a switch amiss, but he very shortly
had much of it cleared, and afterward bought three or four hundred acres more
that was partly cleared. It is not one of the finest bodies of land to be found
in Union County. The farm residence, a neat frame in a beautiful grove, was
built in 1850. Mr. Harris was a Methodist for three years before his death, as
is also his wife and all of the family. He was a Mason also and a thorough
gentleman. In disposition he was lively and jolly; he enjoyed the wolrd and
wished others to enjoy it, and he had not an enemy. His kindness was
proverbial, and at the sick-bed he was a gentle and patient nurse. Truman, as
he was known, and Columbus married sisters, and these two sons-in-law nursed
their father-in-law in sickness so tenderly that the remark was extorted from a
neighbor that very few real sons were any more filial than these two
sons-in-law.
Mr. Harris died at home January 30, 1860, and his widow and
son, James Wm., still live at the old home place. Mrs. Harris is a bright,
intelligent lady, who was an invalid for thirty years, and cured herself by
fasting, and is now hale and hearty. James Wm., is a man of great business
energy and a hospitable farmer of the old school.
