Valentine M. McClure

Valentine M. McClure was born about 1837, in Arkansas, possibly in Searcy County. He was the son of Stephen McClure and Sarah Smith. He was the first of their children to be born in Arkansas. We believe Stephen had a younger brother named Valentine, and that Stephen named his son after his brother.  We believe Valentine and his sister Melissa were twins.

Valentine appears on the 1840 Conway County, Arkansas, census in Hardin Township, near Greenbrier, with his family. He is listed as a male under the age of five years.

In 1849, Valentine's father acquired 160 acres of land near Quitman, in Benton Township of Conway County, and moved his family there from the Greenbrier area. The 1850 Conway County census, Benton Township, Quitman Post Office, shows Valentine, age 14, with his family.

Valentine married Mary Elen Scarlett on June 12, 1856, probably in Van Buren County, Arkansas. Mary Elen Scarlett was born February 16, 1837, in Indiana. She was the daughter of James Madison Scarlett and Abigail Chance. James Scarlett was a Methodist Protestant minister who performed marriage ceremonies for several of Stephen McClure's children.

Valentine acquired 160 acres of land in 1857, in Van Buren County. The land was valued at $480, and was located next to the land purchased the same year by his brother, John. Van Buren County tax records show Valentine paid taxes in 1859 on his 160 acres and also paid a poll tax so he could vote.

Valentine acquired an additional 40 acres of land on May 1, 1860 in Section 29, Township 9 N, Range 11 W, in Van Buren County.

     The 1860 Van Buren County census shows Valentine and Mary living in Cadron Township. Their ten month old daughter appears on the census with them.  The census shows Valentine owned real property valued at $1000 and personal property valued at $93. Valentine is listed as a farmer. 

On March 3, 1862, Valentine enlisted in the 31st Arkansas Confederate Infantry, Co. F, in Van Buren County. His enlistment was for a period of one year. Valentine entered service as a private and was soon made a teamster, handling the mules that pulled the cannons and the supply wagons. The 31st Infantry was sent to Tennessee. Valentine died in service on August 28, 1862, only six months after enlisting.

Valentine's service record describes him as having blue eyes, light hair, a fair complexion, being 5' 9" tall and his occupation was a farmer.

 After Valentine's death, Mary married James Harvey Shipley on February 6, 1864. James Shipley was born March 1822, in McMinn County, Tennessee. He was the son of Christopher Shipley (born 1785) and Elizabeth "Betsey" Rutherford (born 1793).  (James Shipley was the father of Christopher C. Shipley who married Valentine's sister, Sarah McClure.  James was several years older than Mary.) 

  The 1870 Van Buren County census shows James, age 51, Mary, age 33, Sarah, age 10; Lodeska, age 8; Minor, 5; Nancy P., 3 and Amanda E., age 2 months.   (The two oldest girls, Sarah and Lodeska, are Valentine and Mary's children, although they are not listed as McClure on the cenus.)

 The family moved to Texas, between about 1876 and 1878.  They settled in Bell County.

The 1880 Bell County, Texas census, Precinct 4, shows James, age 59; Mary, age 43; Minor, 15; Nancy, 13; Eva, 10 and Etta, 8 years old.

The 1900 Bell County, Precinct 4, Rogers Town census shows James, 82, born March 1818, in Tennessee, married 34 years; Mary, 63, born February 1837, in Indiana, married 34 years, had given birth to 6 children, 5 children still living and Leena Bryant, great-granddaughter, 4, born July 1895, in Texas. They were living in the same general area as several other McClure family members.

 Mary died April 20, 1920, in Bell County, and is buried in Rogers Cemetery.

Children of Valentine McClure and Mary Scarlett

Children of James Shipley and Mary (Scarlett) McClure

The music you are hearing is Battle Cry Of Freedom.