Stone Gardens: Dirt farmer whose ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War was born near Alpena in 1859

James Lafayette Shipman

James Lafayette Shipman was born on March 1, 1859, in Carroll County the son of Lieutenant Benjamin "Ben" Shipman, a Confederate officer killed in the Civil War, and Julia Ann Lipps.

The Shipman family's roots trace back to colonial America, with migrations driven by the promise of new land and opportunities in the expanding frontier. James's great-grandfather, Jacob Shipman, was born around 1746,in New Jersey, to German immigrant ancestors who had arrived in the early 18th century.

Jacob married Sarah Kuykendall around 1767; she was born in 1749 in North Carolina to Dutch-American settlers.

Jacob served in the Revolutionary War, fighting with North Carolina militia units, and after the war, the family settled in Rutherford County, North Carolina, where they farmed and raised a large family of at least 10 children.

Economic pressures, soil depletion in the older southern states, and the allure of fertile western lands prompted many such families to move westward in the late 18th and early 19th centuries

By the early 1800s, Jacob's son Matthew Shipman--James's grandfather--had been born around 1785 in Rutherford County. Matthew married Charlotte "Charity" Jordan, born about 1793 in Virginia, and they began their family in Tennessee around 1813.

Like many pioneers, they were drawn to the Arkansas Territory, which opened for settlement in 1819 after being carved from Missouri Territory. The region offered cheap, abundant land through federal sales and preemption rights, attracting farmers from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia seeking better prospects amid the post-War of 1812 migration boom.

By the 1820s or early 1830s, Matthew and Charlotte had relocated to what became Carroll County, establishing a homestead in the Ozark foothills. There, they raised at least 11 children, including sons Jacob, James C., John Coleman, Ervin, and Benjamin, as well as daughters Minerva, Frances, Ellen, Martha Jane, and Sarah.

Matthew farmed until his death in 1855 in Carroll County, while Charlotte lived on until after 1870.

Benjamin Shipman, the youngest son, was born in 1835 in Carroll County, already part of this new Arkansas life. He grew up in a rural setting of small farms and timberlands, marrying Julia Ann Lipps on August 30, 1855, in Carroll County.

Julia, born in 1837 in Overton County, Tennessee, came from a family with similar migratory patterns; the Lipps (or Lippe) lineage often traced to German roots in Pennsylvania, with branches moving south to Tennessee for agricultural opportunities before some ventured further west to Arkansas in the 1830s and 1840s, lured by the same land booms and family networks

.Benjamin and Julia started their family quickly, welcoming son William Riley in 1856, though he died young in 1858. James Lafayette followed in 1859, then John Sterling in 1862, and daughter Frances Elizabeth in 1864.

Benjamin enlisted as a lieutenant in Harrell's Battalion, Arkansas Cavalry, for the Confederate States Army amid the Civil War's divisions in border-state Arkansas.

He was mortally wounded on April 18, 1864, at the Battle of Poison Springs, southwest of Camden, during the Red River Campaign. In this ambush on a Union foraging party, Harrell's Battalion suffered heavy losses, with historical accounts like Broadfoot's Confederate Military History noting about 40 men killed or wounded, including Lieutenant Shipman.

Benjamin died at age 28 or 29, his body never recovered for burial

.Left a widow at just 27 with four young children--the youngest born mere weeks before her husband's death--Julia Ann faced immense hardships in Reconstruction-era Arkansas.

The war had devastated the region: farms lay fallow, livestock was scarce, and Confederate sympathizers like the Shipmans dealt with Union occupation, economic ruin, and social upheaval.

Julia never remarried, a common choice for widows prioritizing family stability over new unions in a time of uncertainty. She returned to farming on family land in rural Carroll County, relying on extended kin networks, including her in-laws and her own Lipps relatives who had settled nearby

Life was grueling; she managed the homestead alone, growing corn, cotton, and vegetables while raising livestock to feed her children. The family endured poverty, with limited access to education or medical care in isolated Alpena Pass.

Julia's hardiness shone through as she guided her sons and daughter to adulthood: James and John learned farming skills early, helping with chores, while Frances assisted with household duties.

By the 1870s and 1880s, as Arkansas slowly rebuilt with new railroads and markets, Julia's family integrated into the community, attending local churches and participating in neighborly aid systems. She lived to age 85, passing away on December 21, 1922, in Alpena,

a testament to her endurance amid loss.

James, shaped by this upbringing, married Amanda Idella Myers on January 1, 1882. Amanda, born in 1860 in Carroll County to local pioneers, shared his rural roots. They settled into farming life in Carroll and Boone Counties, residing in areas like Coin Township and near Alpena, where James owned land and cultivated crops to sustain their household.

Their marriage brought both happiness and profound grief, as they welcomed children only to lose many prematurely, likely to diseases like diphtheria or influenza rampant in isolated communities without modern healthcare.

Daughters Clara Mabel, born in 1884, lived to adulthood but died in 1916; Ora Myrtle, arriving in 1887, enjoyed a long life until 1980; and Frances Elizabeth, born in 1892, survived to 1989. Sons James Milo and Loy Clinton, born in 1896 and 1899, perished in 1902 at ages 6 and 3, alongside infant daughter Elsie Vay that same tragic year.

Earlier still, the couple mourned infants lost in 1889, 1890, and 1894.

Despite these sorrows, James and Amanda persisted, embodying the stoic determination of Ozark farmers

.James worked the land his entire life, adapting to the region's evolving economy of agriculture, timber, and railroads that connected Alpena to broader markets by the early 1900s. He died on December 8, 1932, at age 73 in Alpena Pass Amanda followed in 1933.

Both rest in Loback Cemetery near Harrison

James's story carries the weight of his ancestors' migrations--from colonial North Carolina and Tennessee to Arkansas's promising frontiers--and the scars of war and loss.

It reflects the quiet perseverance of farm families in post-Civil War Arkansas, where hard work and family bonds forged enduring legacies. The Shipman name persists in the region through descendants and historical records.