This is from: Dallas Herndon (ed.), “Captain J.D. Hogan,” Centennial History of Arkansas (Chicago: S.J. Clark Publishing Company, 1922), pp. 1022-1025. It gives information both about J.D. and about his ancestory.
“Captain J. D. Hogan, named after Colonel J. Dickerson Hogan of Mexican war fame, is a retired farmer now living in Atkins, and was born and reared in Fairfield county, South Carolina, his natal day being the 13th of September, 1838. He spent his youthful days in the home of his parents, Sandal (sic) S. and Margaret (Crankfield) Hogan. The former was a native of South Carolina. The mother was a daughter of Littleton and Lucy (Wilson) Crankfield, the latter a daughter of Captain James Wilson of Revolutionary War fame and an extensive land owner, whose holdings lay in Kershaw and Fairfield counties. He had a large amount of stock and a number of Negro slaves and the British drove off his cattle during the Revolutionary war.
It was in the year 1802 that Sandal S. Hogan was born and his wife was born in the year 1818. Both have long since departed this life, the former dying in 1856, while the latter died in 1858. He was a well-to-do farmer and owned a plantation of four hundred and ten acres, together with a number of Negroes. Both he and his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church and his political allegiance was given to the democratic party. In the family were twelve children, of whom J. D. was the oldest. Only three of the number are living, the others being: Mrs. Helen Allen, who resides on the old homestead farm in South Carolina; and Eugene, who is a merchant of Sumter county, South Carolina.
J. D. Hogan pursued his education in the schools of Fairfield county and was preparing to enter at Columbia, South Carolina, at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in the Hampton Legion Cavalry and organized and became captain of the scouts. For four year he was in the service and was shot through the lungs while on duty in Stafford county, South Carolina, this forcing him to remain in the hospital for three months, after which he once more entered upon active duty and fought until the close of the war. He was again wounded in the advance into Pennsylvania and had four ribs broken. He participated in many important and hotly contested engagements and with his command surrendered at Knotts Mill, North Carolina. When the war was over he returned to South Carolina, where he took up the occupation of farming. He secured a four mule team and engaged in hauling goods as well as in tilling the soil. Working earnestly and persistently, he made money from the start and he also found a profitable source on income in the operation of a cotton gin in South Carolina until 1888, when he disposed of his property there and removed to Arkansas.
Captain Hogan settled in Pope county, where he had purchased the “Jim Wilson” farm, prior to his removal to this state. For a number o years he lived on his land and brought his fields under a high state of cultivation. At length he removed to Atkins, where he purchased property, it being his desire to educate his children in the city.
On the 15 of March, 1866, Mr. Hogan was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia M. Cloud, who was born and reared in South Carolina, in which state the marriage was celebrated. They became the parents of twelve children, eight of whom are living: Minnie, the wife of Robert Gray, a farmer of Yell county, Arkansas; Mrs. Hattie Haney, a widow, living in Atkins; Nattie, the wife of Gus Mathis, a business man of Oklahoma City; Irene, the wife of Alexander Gibson, a farmer of Atkins; Mable, the wife of Forrest Finnie, superintendent of a mine in Midland, Arkansas; Amy, the wife of Verda Hammock, who follows farming nearing Atkins; Walter, who is engaged in the drug business at Atkins; and Lionel, a farmer, being manager of his father’s farm. He married Millie Griffin of Atkins. The wife and mother died in 1900, her death deeply regretted by many friends, as well as her immediate family. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Hogan had also been a member of the church for sixty-nine years, faithful at all times to its teachings. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity and has ever been a loyal supporter of democratic principles. He served as justice of the peace in South Carolina and has held some minor office since coming to Pope county, while in 1907 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature. While a member of that body he introduced a bill to purify the ballot. He is interested in everything that has to do the welfare and progress of community, commonwealth and county and his aid is every on the side of right, justice and truth. In 1908 he retired from active farm life but still owns his farm property, which returns to him a gratifying annual income. He is widely know in Pope county and is highly esteemed by all with whom he has been associated, the sterling traits of his character gaining him warm regard. He has now passed the eighty-third milestone on life’s journey and can look back over the past without regret and forward to the future without fear. His life record is in may respects well worthy of emulation and he is accorded that veneration and high regard which should always accompany an honored old age.
