Private McElroy was born 01 May 1834, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, son of John and Millie (Nabors) McElroy. He appears in his father’s household in the 1850 Census for the District of Saline, Saline County, Arkansas. Jeremiah apparently moved to Mississippi after the enumeration of this record, as evidenced by his marriage on 22 Sep 1854 in Marshall County to Rachel J. Sullivan, and they appear with a one-year-old son, J.T. (John) in the 1860 Census for DeSoto County, Mississippi. They moved to Arkansas in time for Jeremiah to enlist 18 Jun 1861 in Phillips County in Company K, 2nd Arkansas Infantry, CSA. He entered service as a private, received a promotion to 2nd corporal, but subsequently took a reduction to ranks. Jeremiah and Rachel settled after the war first in Jefferson County, Arkansas, where he farmed. By 1880 they had moved to Scott County, but they subsequently moved to Montgomery County, where Jeremiah died 13 Sep 1895 (this date appears in Rachel’s pension application), burial in Mount Ida Cemetery, Montgomery County, Arkansas. Rachel filed Pension Application #8781 from Montgomery County on 13 Aug 1903. She died 17 Jan 1921, burial place unconfirmed. Jeremiah’s grandson, Harvey F. McElroy, ordered a military gravestone on 23 Jan 1937. Jeremiah’s rank originally appeared as “private” on the gravestone application, but someone had corrected it to corporal.

Sources:

McElroy Family Tree, Ancestry.com (contains information about Private McElroy’s birth, death, parents, marriage and children – information supported by census records)

John McElroy Household, 1850 U.S. Census, District of Saline, Saline County, Arkansas Population Schedule, Page 94B, Lines 1-8, Dwelling 136, Family 150, National Archives Micropublicat1on M432, Roll 30, Ancestry.com Image 21.

Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935, Ancestry.com.

J. McElroy Household, 1860 U.S. Census, TWP Not Stated, DeSoto County, Mississippi Population Schedule, Page 20, Lines 5-7, Dwelling 147, Family 147, National Archives Micropublication M653, Roll 581, Ancestry.com Image 19.

“Jus” McElroy Household, 1870 U.S. Census, Bolivar TWP, Jefferson County, Arkansas Population Schedule, Page 423A, Lines 2-5, Dwelling 224, Family 224, National Archives Micropublication 593, Roll 56, Ancestry.com Image 26.

J. McElroy Household, 1880 U.S. Census, Mountain TWP, Scott County, Arkansas Population Schedule, Enumeration District 170, Page 377C, Lines 17-19, Dwelling and Family not listed, National Archives Micropublication Roll 56, Ancestry.com Image 3.

Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas: NARA Microcopy 317, Roll 0057

Find-A-Grave Memorial #38631337.

Francis T. Ingmire, Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications (Mountain Press, Copyright 1985) 280.

Gravestone application cited by George Martin.