His brother was Major Wharton Rector of the United States Army, and William Rector, the oldest brother, was a merchant of Missouri. He was the nephew of Nancy Rector, the wife of Governor Conway of Arkansas,. He was the cousin of Henry M. Rector, the Governor of Arkansas; of Elizabeth, the wife of Col. Samuel Hemstead; cousin of Mrs. Sallie Cochran, whose husband, Richard Cochran, fell at the battle of Palo Alto; and of General Early Steen, who fell at Prarie Grove in the Confederate Service; of Mrs. Walker and Mrs Johnston.
He was educated at Bardstown and Lexington, Kentucky, but was a man who was well informed on every subject. He came to Little Rock in 1825 but settled in Fort Smith in 1837.
In 1835 he married Catherine Jemima DuVal, daughter of Captain William DuVal. Mrs. Thibaut, Elias Rector, Mrs. Joseph T. Dickman, and Mr. Jimmy Rector are children of this marriage. The oldest daughter, Harriet Amanda, otherwise known as Shingo married General W. L. Cabell, affectionately known as "Old Tige" in the Confederate Army.
Of the money put at his disposal for the removal of the indians, he put back into the treasury a large amount. Of all the money that passed through his hands, there was never a suspicion of wrong. He died at his old home November 22nd, 1878.
[Biography supplied by Marie DuVal Johnston, niece of Major Elias Rector's wife Catherine Jemima DuVal]
