Draft:Marshall L. Stephenson

Marshall L. Stephenson (c. 1838 – 1911) was a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1873.

Born in Kentucky, he grew up in Granville, Illinois. He studied law in Springfield and was admitted to the bar in 1860. He joined the 10th Illinois Cavalry Regiment as a captain during the American Civil War and was part of campaigns in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. He attained the rank of colonel and recruited soldiers from north Arkansas. He helped recruit the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Union) and led six companies of that regiment in the 1864 south Arkansas campaign.

Stephenson settled in Fort Smith after the war. He attended law school in Cincinnati, Ohio for a short time and was admitted to practice in Arkansas in 1866.

He became a judge of the fourth (Van Buren, Searcy, Marion, Newton, Carroll, and Madison counties) and first judicial circuits (Mississippi, Crittenden, Desha, Monroe, and Phillips counties). }}

Stephenson resigned in May 1874.

"News was received by Judge Jacob Trieber that Judge Marshal L. Stephenson of Helena, Ark., died yesterday in Battle Creek, Mich. Judge Stephenson was at one time a member of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and since his retirement from the bench was engaged in the practice of law at Helena, Ark. He was a native of Kentucky, but when very young his parents removed to Illinois, where he was educated. In 1860 he was admitted to the bar at Springfield. III., having studied law under Judge Brown, whose office adjoined that of Abraham Lincoln. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted In an Illinois regiment, and. although but 22 years of age, was commissioned a major. In 1863 he was commissioned aa colonel of the Fourth Arkansas infantry, which position he held until the termination of the war. He participated in a number of battles and was, wounded three times. Judge Jacob Trieber of the United State District Court studied law with him, and afterward became his law partner. This partnership continued until Judge Trieber's elevation to the bench. - "Judge Stephenson ranked high as a lawyer and as a citizen, possessed the confidence and love of all who knew him and no citizen of Helena was more highly esteemed," said Judge Trieber yesterday. He was 73 years of age and is survived by his wife, a brother and a sister, but no children."