Stone Gardens: Bentonville plot holds remains of astute 19th Century Commissioner of Indian Affairs

Alfred Burton Greenwood

Alfred Burton Greenwood

Alfred Burton Greenwood (1811–1889), a pivotal figure in 19th-century Arkansas politics and law, left a lasting mark on the state through his roles as a U.S. and Confederate congressman, judge, and Indian Affairs commissioner.

Born on July 11, 1811, in Franklin County, Georgia, Greenwood’s career intersected with key moments in Arkansas and national history, shaping northwest Arkansas and beyond.

Greenwood graduated from the University of Georgia and was admitted to the bar in 1832.

After practicing law in Decatur, Georgia, he served as a quartermaster during the 1837 Cherokee removal, leading 1,000 Native Americans along the Trail of Tears.

This journey brought him through Bentonville, prompting his relocation to the area in 1838. Settling in Benton County, Greenwood quickly rose to prominence.

From 1842 to 1845, Greenwood represented Benton County in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He then served as prosecuting attorney (1845–1850) and circuit judge (1851–1853) for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which included Carroll County among its ten counties.

His judicial roles ensured his influence extended across northwest Arkansas, where he handled legal matters in small, interconnected communities.

In 1853, Greenwood was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving three terms until 1859. As chairman of the House Committee on Indian Affairs, he shaped policies affecting Native American tribes.

In 1859, President James Buchanan appointed him Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a role he held until Arkansas’s secession in 1861. During the Civil War, Greenwood served in the Confederate House of Representatives from 1862 to 1865 and briefly as a tax collector for Arkansas in 1864.

After the war, Greenwood moved to Cassville, Missouri, practicing law and serving as a judge from 1873 to 1879. He returned to Bentonville in 1879 and died there on October 4, 1889. He was buried in Bentonville Cemetery.

Greenwood’s personal life centered around his family. He married Sarah A. Hilburn (1818–1884), and they had four children: Sophia A. Greenwood Black (1837–1911), George M. Greenwood (1839–1887), John Forsythe Greenwood (1844–1918), and Sarah A. Greenwood Lassiter (1847–1924).

His legacy endures in place names, including Greenwood, Arkansas, and Greenwood County, Kansas, both named in his honor.