More Information:

About John Hardy:

NOTE: Although I have searched extensively, I have been unable to determine the parents of either John Hardy or his wife Charlotte Bridges, both supposedly born in VA. I would appreciate any information which would help with this research.
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From Goodspeed's Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas; Columbia County, Arkansas, 1890; sketch of William A. Merritt, Page 497:

"Mrs. Merritt (Sarah J. Hardy) is a daughter of John R. and Charlotte (Bridges) Hardy, native Virginians who came to the state of Arkansas about 1838, being among the earliest settlers of this county. Mr. Hardy helped survey and lay off nearly all of the public roads and otherwise assisted in improving and building up the county. There were no flouring mills in the county at that time, but on nearly every settlers place could be found the old steel implements for making bread. His wife, who died in 1844, bore him eight children, five now living. Beverly (a resident of Texas), J.R. (residing in Howard County, Arkansas), Sarah J. (wife of Mr. Merritt), Caroline (wife of J.P. Thomas of this county) and Martha (wife of J. R. Winkley of Columbia County). After the death of this wife, Mr. Hardy formed an alliance with Elizabeth (Jones) Holloway and by this wife became the father of four children. W.E. and J.W. of this county only and being alive. Mr. Hardy passed from this life in 1859."
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COLUMBIA CO., ARK., FEDERAL LAND RECORDS

This file was compiled from the Bureau of Land Management
land records and includes Homestead and Cash Entry Patents
before 1908 for what is now Columbia Co., AR.

L Name F Name MI Sec No T R Acres Date Remarks

HARDY JOHN 19 18S 21W 40.19 1855/03/01
HARDY JOHN 19 18S 21W 40 1856/05/01
HARDY JOHN 19 18S 21W 80.73 1856/05/01
HARDY JOHN 30 18S 21W 40.11 1856/05/01
HARDY JOHN 30 18S 21W 40 1859/07/01

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Found in the 1850 Census, Ark., Lafayette Co., Clark Township, page 184a, image 35:

Hardy John 33 M Farmer VA
Hardy Elizabeth 30 F Ala
Hardy Beverly D. 16 M Farmer Tenn
Hardy Molias 13 M Tenn
Hardy John R. 11 M Miss
Hardy Jessy 9 M Miss
Hardy Sarah J. C. 8 F Miss
Hardy Susan C. 4 F Ark
Hardy Martha H. 1 F Ark

Census taken on 30 Nov. 1850.
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Found in the 1860 Arkansas Mortality Schedule:

Hardy, John Columbia Co., Age 46, Male, Nov., BP Va., Pneumonia
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1854 Tax List, Columbia County: Hardy, John - 1 Poll, 80 A.
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Columbia County Wills and Administrations:
John Hardy, 1859
Elizabeth Hardy, 1872
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In the 1880 Arkansas Census, John R., his son, gave his father's birthplace as Virginia.

John's birthplace was given as Tennessee on the 1910 Pike Co. Arkansas Census record for his son John R. Hardy, I think this was in error.
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Some of the info on John Hardy and family obtained from Mormon site, http://www.familysearch.org/
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Descendants of John Hardy

About Charlotte Bridges:

Charlotte's birthplace was given as Mississippi on the 1910 Pike Co. Arkansas Census record for her son John R. Hardy. The Goodspeed book states that both John and Charlotte were from Virginia. She could also have been from Tennessee, since their two oldest sons gave that as their birthplace in the Census.

Spelled "Bridgess" on one record.

About Jess F. Hardy:

I have found only two positive records of Jess Hardy, one being the 1850 Census when he was a child living with his family, and the one given below:

Found in the 1860 Census, Ark.,, Columbia Co., p. 334, img. 122.
Hardy, Jesa 16 Laborer; Miss

He is listed as living in a household headed by John James, next door to his step-mother Elizabeth Hardy, working as a farm laborer.
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A family source had Jess' birth date as 24 Jan 1841. I believe Jess was probably not born in 1841, as has been commonly thought, since his sister Sarah was supposedly born in March, 1841, and that date is pretty well substantiated with several records. Based on the 1860 Census, he was probably born in 1843 or 1844.
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Evidence indicates that Jess served in the Confederate Army and died during the Civil War.

The following two Civil War records probably refer to Jess Hardy, but there is no proof:

(1) From Confederate Service Records:

COMPANY H, 11TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT

HARDY, J.F. Pvt
Enl 9 Jan 1862 at Ft Thompson, MO. Captured 8 Apr 1862 at Island 10, MO and sent to MP at Camp Douglas, IL. Died 20 Aug 1862 at Camp Douglas, IL.

Company H of the 11th Arkansas was formed from men from Columbia County, which makes it likely that this record refers to Jess Hardy.

(2) From the book "Confederate POWs - Soldiers and Sailors Who Died in Federal Prisons in the North":

"Hardy, J. F. Pvt 11 Ark Inf. Died: 8/20/1862 Buried: Confed. Section, Oak Woods Cem., Chicago, IL"

I believe these records do refer to Jesse Hardy, or if not, he likely served with some other unit. I have found no further records which would indicate that he survived the war.
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