Albert was born between 1817 (1850 census) and 1823 (1850 census) in either Kentucky (1850 Census) or Tennessee (1860 census) and Maria in 1829/1830 in Tennessee. Albert and Maria were married approximately in 1849-1850, as they are together with no children in Van Buren County on the 1850 census. He is listed as a tinker and silversmith. They are listed in the 1860 Conway County census.

To this union five known children were born: 1. Jacob H, born in Arkansas in 1852 2, John E, born in 1853 in Arkansas 3. Albert Daniel Lafayette, born in 1856 in Arkansas 4. Susan E. born in 1858 in Arkansas and 5. Laura Jane, born in 1860 in Arkansas.

It appears that Maria died between July 27, 1860 and October 10, 1865 (she was in the 1860 census and Albert remarried in 1865).

Legend holds a couple stories of what happen to Albert. First that Albert was running from the law and didn't want to be found. Secondary, lore says that Albert "removed from Missouri to Arkansas and was killed in an ambush during the reconstruction period after the Civil War," although I have no record of him in Missouri. Third, was that Albert was a deputy sheriff and killed right after the Civil War. Evidence in following pages reveals that this is true and he was murdered on October 25, 1865. (This death date is consistent with the appearance of court records of this estate probation in 1865/66. Records for the estate of Archibald Dobson Napier are also found at the same time in the same records.) The Arkansas Encyclopedia (The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture is a project of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock, Arkansas) says: “Pope County, lacking a large slave economy, had been divided in terms of loyalty during the Civil War, and those divisions ran high even after the formal end of hostilities. In 1865, Governor Isaac Murphy appointed Archibald Dodson Napier, a former Federal officer, as sheriff of Pope County. On October 25, 1865, he and his deputy, Albert M. Parks, were both shot from ambush as they rode horseback along the old Springfield road east of Dover, then the county seat. George W. Newton, a former Confederate major and later a Baptist preacher, was the assassin of Napier, though this was unknown at the time. Newton struck again on December 4, 1865, when he killed County Clerk William Stout, who had been elected to office before the Civil War, in his home. Morris Williams, who had succeeded Napier as sheriff, was killed in 1866 by Matt Hale while plowing in his field. Elisha W. Dodson was appointed sheriff, with John H. Williams, younger brother of Morris Williams, as deputy. Wallace Hakes Hickox was appointed by the governor to be county clerk after Stout.” Note: It’s said that Pope County was a divided county during the Civil War. It had Federalist and of course Confederates. Since the North (Federalists) won the war, they felt it was their right to ruin and rule the county. Hostilities still ran high in the county and those who fought on the Confederate side didn’t take kindly to the – sometimes bulling – attitudes of the ruling Northerners. This is most likely the reason for the murders. (Note: George W. Newton was born in 1835 in Johnson County, Arkansas and died in Buckholts, Texas on March 15, 1907. He was married to Nancy Brown I find it odd that in all the genealogy on the web, that there is any mention of the murders in any of George’s family information. Not “charged with” or “falsely accused” or “acquitted of” or “did it because” - anything.)

The Courier Democrat (Russellville, AR) from May 26, 1921 reads “In 1865 the young manhood of Pope county had returned from the field of war, to rebuild the waste places. The spirit of hatred between the returned Confederate soldiers and the returned Federal soldiers ran high. Captain Dodson Napier, who commanded a company of Federal soldiers during the war period, was appointed first Sheriff. On October 25, 1865, he and a deputy under him by the name of Parks, were riding along the public road east of Dover, then called the Springfield road, when both were shot and killed. “

The Arkansas Gazette Democratic on December 30, 1865:

Some researchers have Albert as being with the Missouri 3rd Calvary. I don’t believe this to be our Albert. 1) This Albert is Albert A and ours Albert M 2) Records on fold3.com show that this Albert was 23 years old in 1862 which would put his birthdate in 1839, a significant discrepancy with census records which show Albert M born between 1817-1823. 3) This Albert was from Gentry County, Missouri, which is in the northern part of the state and we know our Albert was in Arkansas in the 1850 and 1860 census. 4) This Albert was a Confederate and I think – because of the political angle – that our Albert would have been Union.

Archibald Dodson Napier was Captain in the 3rd Regiment, Union Arkansas Cavalry. Parks in this same regiment were : John C., John M, Joseph, Levi, Samuel W (or just Samuel), Theopolis, and Zachariah. Also listed a Levi Park (same as Levi Parks???). Archibald was also Captain of Co H, 15th Arkansas Militia. I don’t see any Parks in the 15th Arkansas Militia rolls.

Our ancestor, Laura Jane Parks, told family she was going in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas March 30, 1861. I found this marriage license for Albert Parks and Margaret Stuckey on October 10, 1865 in Pope County, Arkansas. Mary was born in Tennessee in 1843 and died in Dike, Texas on September 10, 1907.

By 1870 it appears that Albert and Maria are both dead. The children are spread out in various places. Jacob appears to be single and living with a clergyman S.R. Etheridge in Griggs Township in Van Buren County. John E. appears to be married to Mary "Francis" Hammett, also living in Griggs Township of Van Buren County. Susan is living with Simon Linkin in Morland, Pope County, Arkansas. Simon was the third husband of Margaret P. Martin who was Albert’s second wife. Laura Jane and Layfette are living with Margaret Martin Parks parents.

References:
Census records
Encyclopedia Of Arkansas Centennial History of Arkansas
Pope County Records
Inez Hixson Hawkins Interview