This grandfather was born in 1804 in Tennessee. He moved to Cape Giardeau in 1845 (Mo.), where he lived five years. From there he moved to Hempstead county, Arkansas, in 1845. Grandfather?s brother Win. Terry Hamilton, who was born in1794, lived with him till Win. Terry?s death in 1868 This Win. Terry Hamilton was said to be troublesome when drinking. The move of the H.J. Hamilton family to Arkansas, had to be made over bad roads, through swamps, where they were exposed to skulking Indians. At this time, there were but two children in the family, J.H. (my father) 5, and Teance, 1 ---the second child, Joseph Thomas having died at the age of 15 months. Cheap land was found near Washington, Arkansas, where they located and acquired a homestead. I never found out what became of this homestead after the death of the parents and the migration of the children. Grandfather Hamilton died in 1869, he left grandmother and five children on the homestead five miles south-west of Washington. After the death of Grandmother in 1873, there seems to have been a lot of bickering among the children, Teance, Betty, Jane, Ann and John. Teance being the oldest, assumed to be boss. The rest of the children not wanting to be bossed by him, formed a plan to move to Benton County, Arkansas, where my father had located in 1870. The move was made in 1874, leaving Teance alone; and being a bachelor, he was very much alone. After Teance had toughed it out for two years, he followed his brothers and sisters to Benton County. By this time Jane had married. John, Betty and Ann were living in a one room house, with no room for Teance Betty had a small girl Dora, the issue of her marriage to David Clawson in Hempstead County, who deserted her before Dora was born. On his arrival in Benton County, Teance took lodging with my father, with whom he lived most of the time thereafter. John was married to Miss Summerville Gelson in 1878; and for a time John and his wife, Betty, Dora and Ann lived together in a one room log cabin, with still no room for Teance. Betty was never remarried. Ann became and remained a spinster.?
Quoted From the ?Memoirs of W.J. Hamilton and his wife Jannie?