Jesse Watkins Wynne Soldier of the Confederacy ----- Jesse Watkins Wynne of Mempis, Tennesse, was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on July 1st, 1839, and when quite young went with his parents to the Republic of Texas locating in Lynn Flat in Nacogdoches County. ----- In May 1861 he enlisted at Henderson, Texas, as a Private in Company B, Third Texas Cavalry and fought in the battle of Wilsons Creek, Missouri and other engagements. In less than one year he was promoted to a second lieutenancy, and skirmished around Elk Horn under General Price. Thirteen months after his enlistment, he was made a Captain commanding a company on the battlefields of Farmington, Iuka, Corinth, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. He was in many other engagements including those of Ross Texas Brigade during Hoods Campaign in Tennessee. He was wounded in the head at Wilsons Creek and in the arm at Resaca and was captured at Jonesboro, but played a coup on his captors with the assistance of Adjutant Gregg of his regiment, seizing the guards and turning them over to Confederate Guards. He was mustered out at Shreveport, Louisiana, with the Ross Texas Brigade. Died May 6th, 1907, at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, and was buried May 8th at Holly Springs, Mississippi. (This is a copy of the writing on his plaque) Cross Couty Historical Society P. O. Box 943 Wynne, Arkansas 72396 ---------- A Biography of Captain J. W. Wynne by Richard L. Hartness Jesse Watkins Wynne was born on 1 July 1839, near the red hills of Marshall County, Mississippi. He was the son of Robert E. and Sarah Watkins Wynne. After the birth of their son, the Wynnes moved to the Republic of Texas. Young Wynne's early life was spent in Lynn Flat, Nacogdoches County and in Rusk County. Frontier experiences of this new country made him aware of the excitements, hardships and manly exercise incident to such life. In April 1861 Wynne was visiting friends in Memphis when war was declared. He hastened home and in May enlisted at Henderson, Texas, as a private in Company B, a part of the Third Texas Cavalry, Ross Brigade; and served with this unit throughout the wars duration. His first battles were at Oak Hill and Wilson's Creek, Missouri, in August 1861. He sustained a head wound at Wilson's Creek. In less than a year he was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He came with General Sterling Price to the Trans-Mississippi Department in 1862, and participated in the action around Elkhorn. Thirteen months after his enlistment he was a Captain and company commander and only 21 years old. He led his unit through battles at Farmington, Iuka, Corinth, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. In August 1864 Wynne was wounded in the arm near New Hope Church (Battle of Resaca), during the Georgia campaign. It is said that General W. H. Jackson visited and personally complimented Wynne while visiting in the field. Later that year he was captured near Jonesboro, Georgia. Misleading his captors into Confederate lines, he had the help of Adjutant Gregg of his regiment and the pleasure of personally marching the prisoners to his headquarters. After the war, Capain Wynne was paroled with the Ross Texas Brigade at Shreveport, Louisiana. Needing money and realizing the good price for beef he had heard about in Eastern Alabama, he returned to Texas and helped drive a herd to Arkansas. The thriving St. Francis riverport, Madison, Arkansas, in St. Francis was his final destination. From the money he made he remained in Madison for only a short time, then moved to Forrest City. Wynne met two gentlemen named Dennis and Beck, and the three of them organized a very successful furnishing merchants firm. As individuals began to gain wealth in the new self-governing South, after Reconstruction ended, secure places to store their fortunes were needed. There were no banks. But, firms like Wynne, Dennis and Beck agreed to hold these savings. Eventually, there was more savings than safe storage space. Wynne and other leading merchants wanted a bank. The Bank of Eastern Arkansas was the result. And, Captain Wynne was its first president. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad had passed Forrest City and was completed through the area to Knobel, Missouri, in 1882. Settlements like Cherry Valley and Vanndale in Cross County moved from atop Crowley's Ridge to the railside. Active steamboat riverports like Wittsburg, Cross County, and Madison, St. Francis County, were deserted for the rails. And, other settlements were created anew. Wynne, named in compliment to Captain Wynne, was located in 1882 when a train derailed leaving one boxcar without wheels and off the track. The car was placed upright and designated Wynne Station. On 27 September 1882, the Wynne post office was opened. When the east-west Bald Knob branch came from Memphis, it crossed the north-south Knobel line near the boxcar, thus the name Wynne Junction evolved. By 1888 the word Junction was dropped and on 28 May that year the town was incorported by an order of the county court. Captain Wynne decided he would move to Memphis. Liquidation of Wynne, Dennis and Beck was simple. Stock was divided by equal worth three ways, then Captain Wynne told the other two to make their choice and he would take that remaining. As a going-away gift Captain Wynne was given a gold-knobbed, ebony cane from the Directors and Cashier of the Bank of Eastern Arkansas. It was during 1889 that Wynne departed for Memphis. In the Mississippi riverport Wynne became involved in the cotton factorage business. The firm was called Wynne, (W.E.) Love & Company. Wynne had married Miss Margaret R. Wynne of Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1869; they had three sons: Joel E., Hugh R. and Jesse, Jr., respectively. The family had an elegant Memphis residence on Union Avenue, and Mr. Wynne was a Democrat, a Methodist, on the boards of a Memphis bank and an oil company, and a member of the Confederate Historical Association of Memphis after March 1891. Captain Wynne died at his home in Memphis on 6 May 1907 and was buried in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on 8 May 1907. ---------- On 15 July 1973 Captain Wynne's grandson, Hugh Wynne of Memphis, gave the Cross County Historical Society the Civil War Record and only known original picture of his grandfather, both in beautiful frames, and the cane mentioned in the sketch above. Commenting on the gift, Mr. Wynne said, "The rightful place for these gifts is here, where everyone in this area can enjoy them, and I am only too glad to give them to you." Here is some information on Jesse Watkins Wynne, thought some of you nmight like. Reginia White Winn reginia@wt.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Myles Johnson" <mylesj@his.com> To: <WINN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 10:06 AM Subject: Re: [WINN] Capt. Jesse Watkins Wynne / Wynne, AR Hi All, For what it's worth, I've got an unopened deck of cards named "The First Bank of Wynne" that may well relate to this Miss. Wynne family. Would like to hear from anyone who may know something of it. Myles Johnson ********************************************* The Thill Group Inc wrote: > > Dear Cuz's, When I travel with the Great Race this summer from Detroit, MI > to Daytona, FL... we will be passing through the town of WYNNE, AR. Being > that my dad is Wynn, I thought that was kinda neat!! > Here is their history.... is it someone you know? > > History of Wynne > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---- > > Wynne, Arkansas was named for Captain Jesse Watkins Wynne. He was the son > of Colonel Robert E. and Sarah Watkins Wynne. He was born in Marshall > County, Mississippi July 1, 1839. In the year of Wynne's birth, his father > moved the family to the Republic of Texas-settling in Nacogdoches County. > Young Wynne was reared in Nacogdoches and Rusk counties in the great state > of Texas. > > He was visiting friends in Memphis when the Civil War broke out. He > hastened home to Texas and enlisted in Company B, which formed part of the > Third Texas Cavalry, Ross' Brigade. He served with that gallant company > throughout the year. He was made captain of his company when just 21 years > of age. In 1864 he was captured near Jonesboro, Georgia. However, he > succeeded in misleading his captors into the Confederate lines, and had the > pleasure of marching them up to headquarters as prisoners. He was paroled > at Greensboro, North Carolina. > > In 1867 he moved to St Francis County from Crittenden County. In 1868 he > was associated with the firm of Dennis and Beck of Forrest City. In 1869 he > married Margaret Ross of Holly Springs, Mississippi. They had three sons: > Joel, Hugh, and Jesse. > > Since there were no banks in the area at the time, Dennis and Beck held > savings for individuals and firms. As a result the Bank of Eastern Arkansas > was formed and Captain Wynne was its first president. > > When the north-south line of the Iron Mountain railroad was completed in > 1882 the town of Wynne was initiated when a train derailed leaving one > boxcar without wheels off the track. The car was placed upright and called > Wynne Station in honor of Captain Wynne. However, there has never been an e > xplanation as to why it was named for him. In 1888 the east-west line was > completed forming a junction near the boxcar. The name Wynne Junction then > evolved. On May 28, 1888 the word junction was dropped and the new town was > incorporated as Wynne. > > Hugs Cuz Becky > ttg-inc@attbi.com > http://www.ttg-inc.net > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ttg13/