In April of 1861 the building served as the site for the presentation of a battle flag to Saline County’s Company E of the 1st Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States of America. The flag was made by the women of Benton and accompanied the men to battles of Murfreesboro and Chickamauga.
In 1863, Union troops occupied Benton. The union officers made the house their official quarters, while the troops were quartered in a fort constructed across the road on what is now the southeast corner of Carpenter and Military roads.
Descendants of John W. Shoppach and Sibby Pelton Shoppach
John William Shoppach Sibby Pelton Shoppach born March 16, 1809 born June 16, 1813 in Hesse-Cassel, Germany in Illinois died November 19, 1861 died October 13, 1902 at Benton, AR at Benton, AR
They were married July 18, 1838 and had the following children
William P, b. May 5, 1839, d. March 17, 1855 John, b. September 30, 1840, d. October 4, 1840 Phoebe Emily, b. February 26, 1842, d. August 2, 1932 Mary Belinda, b. October 25, 1844, d. October 30, 1844 * James Henry, b. March 26, 1845, d. December 20, 1922 Mary Eliza, b. June 2, 1847, d. October 8, 1848 John Fredrick, b. April 15, 1849, d. April 15, 1937 Charles Carroll, b. March 10, 1851, d. August 10, 1910 Mary Jane, b. February 22, 1853, d. February 3, 1936 Martha Ellen, b. September 26, 1855, d. September 24, 1856 Sibby Frances, b. August 10, 1858, d. January 26, 1936
All of the above information was recorded in the John W. Shoppach family bible.
* (The year of this date cannot be correct in view of the birthdate of the preceding child. family bible, the last two figures show evidence of having been changed at a later date. It seems a safe conclusion that James changed the "46" to "45" in order to pass muster into the Confederate Army in 1862, the minimum age for such enlistment being 17 years.) Augustus Garland Shoppach, Son of James Henry Shoppach
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