Goodspeed's Biography of L. H. Kemp, Grant Co, AR

***********************************************************
Submitted by: Jackie Dill <JJDILL1@aol.com>
        Date: 27 Jul 2003

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
***********************************************************

Hon. L. H. Kemp, representative for Grant County, also postmaster at
Turin, Davis Township, was born October 25, 1837, in Smith County,
Tenn., and is the son of Alfred M. and Mary A. (Caldwell) Kemp.
Alfred M. Kemp was born in Smith County, Tenn., where he resided
until his death, in 1842.  After that event his widow, who is a
native of Tennessee, married W. R. Gregory, and in 1848 moved to
Arkansas, locating in what is now Davis Township, in Grant County,
where they at present make their home.  L. H. Kemp resided with his
mother until the war, enlisting in July, 1861, in the Eleventh
Arkansas Infantry (Confederate) under Col. Smith, and serving as
third lieutenant for twelve months.  Upon the reorganization of his
company after the expiration of his term of service he was elected
captain, in which capacity he served until the close of the war,
having participated in the fight at New Madrid and at Island No. 10,
where he was taken prisoner and held five months at Johnson's
Island.  After his release he was sent on a recruiting expedition
for Gen. Bragg, and returned to Arkansas, but being taken sick he
did not return to his regiment, receiving an honorable discharge.
After the war Mr. Camp settled on a farm in this (Grant) County.  In
1863 he married Mary E. Lockhart, daughter of Stacy Lockhart, one of
Grant County's pioneers, who settled here in 1840.  Mrs. Kemp was
born and reared on the place where she and her husband now reside.
After his marriage he chose a home first in Merry Green Township,
where he resided seven years, after which he bought out the interest
of the heirs of Mr. Lockhart's (his wife's father) estate to the
homestead to which he then removed, and on which he is still
located.  Mr. Kemp has a good farm of 100 acres, eighty acres being
cleared land under cultivation.  A good, double log-house and
outbuildings, and a large and well-kept apple and peach orchard are
among the improvements.  Mr. Kemp was nominated and elected
representative of Grant County in the fall of 1879, and served
through one term of the legislature.  Again, in 1888, he was re-
elected by a large majority over two prominent opponents (both
independent candidates) to the legislature and served through the
last meeting of that body with distinction and prominence.  He has a
family of nine children:  Elizabeth (wife of A. R. Hawley), Fannie
(unmarried), Annie, Mary, L. H., Jr., Wade H., William M., Lucy and
John.  Mr. and Mrs. Kemp are members of the Missionary Baptist
Church of this place.