Mark Martin Forsyth was born in 1929 near the Upper Beans Creek, Franklin County, TN to William Barnett and Sally Phillips Glosson Forsyth.

In 1837 William Barnett Forsyth moved his family to Benton County, AR.

Mark Martin married Nancy Burnett in 1851, Benton County, AR. To this marriage they had 6 children, James Martin "Jim", Charles Tolliver "Charlie", Sarah Elizabeth, Mary Ann, John Lee and Martha Alice "Alice".

According to Civil War records, Mark and his two brothers, William Henry and Jones Bailey enlisted in the Army of the "Confederate States of America." In early May 1861, at a Confederate Army camp near the "Cross Hollows Community" in Benton County, Arkansas, Mark enlisted in the Confederate Army and was assigned to Company "F," a recently organized division of Hobb's regiment in the Northwest Arkansas Infantry. Mark and his two brothers participated in numerous battles. During the Civil War Mark participated in several major battles and skirmishes in Arkansas and Mississippi, and in 1863, he and his regiment were ordered to Corinth, Mississippi, there, to assist in the defense of the Confederate position. During the "Battle of Corinth," Mark and several members of his regiment were captured when the Union forces overran the city, however, shortly thereafter, Mark and his comrades escaped and rejoined their regiment near Vicksburg, Mississippi. After arriving near Vicksburg, Mark and his regiment were ordered to defend the Confederate bunkers overlooking the Mississippi river. After several weeks of intense fighting near Vicksburg, the Union Army finally captured the city on Saturday, 4 July, 1863, and Mark Martin Forsyth was recorded as one of the many Confederate troops taken prisoner there. Mark and his Confederate counterparts were then forced to march in the hot sweltry Mississippi heat sixty miles east of Vicksburg to the Union prisoner of war camp known and recorded as "Camp Big Black." Civil War records also indicate, on Thursday, 9 July, 1863, five days after being detained, Mark and numerous Confederate prisoners were pardoned at "Camp Big Black" in southern Mississippi. These records also indicate, Mark was pardoned by Captain S. W. Forgy, then awarded monetary compensation of $78.52 for back pay and one suit of Non-military clothing. then was ordered to return to his home in Benton County, Arkansas. In order to obtain his pardon, Mark, like numerous Union and Confederate conscripts during the Civil War, was required to furnish the Union Army an able bodied substitute not liable yo conscription as a replacement prisoner. As a pardon prerequisite, Mark was also required to sign and oath of allegiance to the United Stated of America declaring he would forever refrain from engaging in any future hostile or subversive military actions against the Union.

Tragedy struck in 1865, Mark Martin and Jones Bailey were murdered in the front yard of the old "Forsyth" family home in Benton County, AR, according to Forsyth family records. Mark and his brother Jones were murdered by 3 unknown assailants who had come to the old "Forsyth" family farm with the intentions of purchasing a horse. Mark and Jones were well known horse traders in early Benton County and often groups of men came to the farm to buy and sell horses. These assailants, like many men before them were considered to be legitimate customers; however, shortly after their arrival an argument erupted when one of the assailants accused Mark and Jones of trying to sell them a blind horse. For several minutes the argument ensued, however, realizing the assailants could not be satisfied Mark and Jones ordered them to leave their property.

After engaging in an unrelenting argument, Mark and Jones then escorted the assailants to the front gate of their property and there the argument resumed. After reaching the front gate the argument suddenly ceased, however, two of the assailants then drew their pistols and shot Mark and Jones dead, Mark, receiving a wound to the forehead, and Jones receiving one to his upper torso. According to Jones' widow when the gunfire erupted she grabbed her infant son and fearing for their safety she and her son then crawled beneath the bed and hid there for several hours. While lying under the bed Jones' widow heard the assailants as they loaded all of Mark and Jones' saddles, bridles and equipment into Mark's old family wagon and she also heard them as they rounded up several head of horses and headed off toward the Missouri border.

The culprits who murdered Alice's father and uncle were never identified nor apprehended for this heinous crime and their deaths were similar to many other deaths in early Benton County, AR. At first their deaths were thought to have been the work of carpetbaggers, however, later records prove they were simply a roving band of bushwhackers who often came down from the Missouri breaks and after assessing the value of these citizen's property murdered the citizens and returned to Missouri taking all the citizens valuable property with them.

According to the 1860 Benton Co, AR census dated July 1860, Jones Bailey and his wife Eliza Ann Cunningham-Forsyth were living in the Mount Vernon Twp. with Jones parents William Barnett and Sara Phillips Glosson Forsyth.


Burial Source: Forsyth Family History by Milton L. Forsythe, additional research by James L Forsythe Jr.
According to Milton's research, burial might of been in the "Old Pace Chapel Cemetery" as it was one of many recorded cemeteries in Benton County, Arkansas. Washington and Carroll Counties, Arkansas. Beaver Lake was constructed in 1960, completed in 1961 on the White River. Washington, Carroll and Benton County cemeteries, the deceased in all known graves in these cemeteries were disinterred and reburied in other locations in their respective counties, however, "Barney" Forsyth nor his sons were recorded in any of these cemetery records. All burials in the "Old Pace Chapel Cemetery" were and other cemeteries were disinterred and reburied in the "New Pace Chapel Cemetery" east of Rodgers Township in Benton County, Arkansas. Because "Barney" Forsyth and his sons might of been buried in unmarked and unrecorded graves, the exact burial location may never be known. Other family members believe, "Barney" and his sons were probably buried in a small "Family Cemetery" on the Old "Barnett" Forsyth Family Farm in Benton County, Arkansas. Because there is no documentation to prove or disprove either of these theories, one is left to speculate where "Barney" and his two sons are buried.

Note: I, James L. Forsythe Jr. went to the Benton County Historical Society and looked at cemetery records of Benton County, Arkansas. No records were found indicating where "Barney", Mark Martin and Jones Bailey Forsyth are buried. I for one, believe that they are buried on the "Old Forsyth Family Farm."


There are no records where Mark Martin is buried. It is said that Mark Martin is buried on the old "Forsyth" family farm.