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EVANSVILLE 


AND 


ITS  MEN  OF  MARK 


Laboe  Omnia  Vincit." 


EVANSVILLE,  INDIANA: 
HISTORICAL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


18  7  3. 

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BVANSYILUB  JOUBNAL  C!OMPAMT, 

rtTBAM  Primtbrh,  Bindxkb  AMD  Btationsbi;, 
Evanbvillb,  Indiana. 


14410 


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Whose  sympathy  and  assistance  have  ever  cheered  me 
in  the  prosecution  of  this  work, 
THIS  VOLUME 
is  respectfully  dedicated, 

By  the  Editor, 

EDWARD  WHITE. 

STAMBTUiXJIt  INDm  1873. 


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SALETA  EVANS. 


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\ 


■ 

■■.■IK 

1 

A' :   NS 

L 

r 


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f^fefkde. 


|T  is  with  the  greatest  solicitude  that  the  Editor  offers  this 
volume  to  the  public ;  as  he  fears  he  may  not  be  able 
to  do  adequate  justice  to  the  subjects —  the  8ketche<>  of  whom 
appear  in  this  work.  But  since  he  has  devoted  much  time  and 
labor  to  the  prosecution  of  this  enterprise,  he  presents  it  to  the 
citizens,  as  the  best  he  was  able,  under  the  circumstances,  to 
compile,  trusting  that  a  general  allowance  will  be  made  for  all 
its  blemishes  and  imperfections. 

The  History  contains  several  sketches  of  parties,  who,  not 
residing  in  Evansville,  live  in  this  section  of  the  State,  and 
whose  interest  in  the  Crescent  Oity  has  been  such  as  to  materi- 
ally advance  it  as  an  educational  and  business  center. 

Our  thanks  are  tendered  to  the  old  citizens  of  Evansville 
and  Southern  Indiana,  for  much  valuable  information  ;  and  we 
trust  that  future  generations  will  not  forget  the  men,  to  whom 
Evansville  is  indebted  for  its  rapid  rise  from  a  frontier  settle- 
ment to  a  prosperous  and  wealthy  city. 

THE  EDITOR. 
KvAmm^Lm^  Imp..  1878. 


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Contents. 


PAOB. 

AIXI8,H.  D 98 

ARCHER,  DAVID 400 

BAKBR,WM 16 

BAYARD.  SAMUEL 84 

BKADLE,  J.  H 12« 

BOWUBS,  J.  B lfi« 

BIX)UNT,H.P 80 

BI7CHANAN.J.  8 91 

BITTTERPIKLD.  THAB.  H 100 

i^ALDWELL,  WM «> 

CHANDLER.  W.  H 81 

OHAHBLSR,  J.  J 35 

COOK,  F.  W 46 

CABPEWTiSR^WILLARD M6 

COMPTON.J.  W 192 

CliOUP.H.W 137 

OOMMITNITTLIFE 215  and  2» 

DBCKEB,C 77 

illXON,  AROHIBALD 154 

I>KBRnLER,  J.  P 300 

DEXTER,  H.  T 68 

DTSR,  AZRO 101 

DONALD,A.C «2 

DKYIK.JOSEPH 407 

T>01>OB,  J.  V 142 

BVAN8V I LLE- HISTORY 9 

KTAN8.  R.  M 12 

ET A N8VILLE  JOURNAL 851 

EVA2ISVILLE  COrRlKR 863 

E8TE8,  B.  B 401 

■I*LB?J,  AUGUST 48 

KHRMAN,E.J ol 

BMBBBE,  BLI8HA .H60 

ETANBYILLB   HOME    POR   THE 

FRIENDLESS 379 

RL8A8,  JACOB 806 

POeTER,M.W 72 

FOOG,F  B 259 

PRICE,  J.  K 186 

FRENCH,  W.E 416 


PAOK. 

GOW.A.M 67 

aLOVER,J.P 58 

GOODING.  H.  0 120 

HISTORICAL 9 

HORNBROOK,P 78 

HOWE,  W  103 

HAAS   1 78 

HAMILTON,  ALLEN 143 

HKIDBLBArH,P 30.* 

HBILMAN,  WM 25 

HERR,  L.  8 61 

HARGRAVE,  W.  P 128 

HYNES,  BLYTHB 206 

HAZEN,  A 199 

HALL    SAMUEL 180 

INOLE,J.  Jb 208 

IGLEHABT.ASA 54 

JONES,  J.  G 44 

JOHNSON,  M.  8 89 

JOHNSON,  A 94 

JOHNSON.  E.  E 879 

JAQUBS8,  J 402 

KLEINER^J.J 119 

KRATZ,  0 418 

LOCKHART,J 83 

LAW.JOHN... 88 

LANE,  JOSEPH 86 

IXH^KWOOl).  J .  M 97 

LAIRD,  D.T 198 

LTIOMMIDIKU,  8.  8 319 

LEWI8,  Db.  ANDREW 383 

LOWRY,  W.  J 858 

LINDENSCHMIDT  BROTHERS..  129 
LINDLKY  BROTHERS 4U6 

MoNEELY,  JAMBS  H 140 

MT.  VERNON  RKPUBLirAN....  874 

MATTISON,H.  A 182 

MAROONNIER,  A 896 

MAB8H,C.  E 414 

MORGAN,  D 60 

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Evansville  and  itJi  Men  of  Mark, 


PAOK 

NOBTON,  G.  W 1»3 

NEW  HARMONY-BOCIAL 

EXPERIMENT 215  and  286 

O'RILEY,  P.G '^ 

OWEN,  ROBBRT 215,  236  and  371 

OWEN,  DAVID  DALE 318 

OWKN.  ROBBRT  DALE..  215  and  \dR 
OWEN,  RICHARD 319 

PRINCETON  CLARION 373 

PARRETT,  W.  F «« 

PHELPS,  A.  M 207 

PATTEN,  H.  H H^ 

PITCHBU.JOHN 40fi 

PLUM ER,  HORACE ^17 

ROWLEY,  NATHAN 37 

R(ELKER»  J.  H 62 

EEAVfs,  WM.,. 324 

Rtirt,  A , ^IJ 

SHKb^WooD,  MARCUS U 

8E£KX^0Ois  I'KUDEN'E 13.S 

eUASKLIN.  Ji>HN 1« 

STEPHItNb.Kll.AS 22 


PAOK. 

8CANTLIN,  THOMAS <» 

STOrKWELL,  HOBKRT 411 

SMITH,  E.  Q 4» 

SAUNDFRS,.!    D   125 

SHARHE   PKTEK 2<»1 

STINSON.  .1.  B         'iT7 

8IlACKKLFORI>.  J.  M 104 

SOREN^^ON,  SOKEN 70 

SCHREKDER, «'.  C  408 

8TANAGE,  .1 .   L 3»8 

KVEKTHORN..!.  N 3*$ 

SWEKTSKR,   H.  M    18« 

SOUIHEKN    INDIANA  IN  THE 

WAR 274 

VAN  RIPER,  E.  G 3H7 

VKNE>I  ANN,  T 42 

WALKER.  G.  n 13« 

WALKER.  W  .  H 198 

WM.KKi;.  .1.  \>' 31)7 

WAK  ;  VIA  s .  .1 .  w :a', 

WIIEbl  EK.  H.  Q   7o 

YOUNJJBLOOD,  .1.  W 211 


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JN  1812,  Hugh  MoQary,  of  Kentucky,  came  to  the  Ter- 
ritory of  Indiana,  and  built  a  log-house  on  the  present 
site  of  the  original  plat  of  EvansVille.  This  primitive  structure 
was  the  first  dwelling  erected  by  a  white  man  in  this  aection  of 
the  Territory.  Previous  to  this  settlement,  and  for  some  years 
afterward,  an  Indian  village,  of  the  Shawnee  tribe,  occasionally 
occupied  the  vicinity  of  Pigeon  Greek,  in  dangerous  proximity, 
but,  on  the  whole,  were  not  troublesome  neighbors.  In  1816, 
Gen.  RoBT.  M.  Evans  and  James  W.  Jones  purchased  that 
portion  of  the  land,  situated  north  of  what  is  now  known  as 
Main  street.  McGary  entered  the  land  soon  after  his  arrival, 
and  had  attempted  to  make  a  survey  —  and  in  fact  had  sold 
some  portion  of  the  tract  to  various  parties  ;  Gen.  Evans,  how- 
ever, made  another  survey  and  had  tha  premises  platted,  in 
order  that  there  might  be  no  trouble  in  the  future.  The  town 
in  embryo  was  called  Evansville,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of 
the  friends  of  that  distinguished  pioneer.  The  history  of  the 
village  till  1818  is  unknown  ;  but  in  that  year  Vanderburgh 
County  was  separated  from  Warrick,  (to  which  it  had  previously 
been  attached,  for  judicial  and  other  purposes),  and  Evansville 
was  designated  as  the  County-seat.  The  ceremonies  attending 
this  event  were  not  of  the  most  imposing  character,  but  yet  the 
*'  original  inhabitants  "  plumed  themselves  highly  upon  residing 
at  the  Oounty-seat. 

The  first  election  was  held  in  August,  1818,  when  twenty- 
five  votes  were  polled.  In  1819  there  were  one  hundred  inhab- 
itants; and  the  village  boasted  of  a  tavern,  kept  by  Ansel 
Wood,  Esq.  This  was  situated  on  Main  'street,  (then  called 
State  Road),  on  the  rear  of  the  present  site  of  Armstrong's 

2 

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10  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

furniture  salesroom.  It  was  in  1819,  a  Frenchman  opened  a 
country  store  on  the  river  bank.  He  was  soon  succeeded  by  a 
Mr.  Armstrong  and  the  Lewis  Brothers.  Their  stock  was  scant, 
but  amply  sufficient  for  the  pioneers,  to  whom  hard  cash  was  a 
great  rarity.  'Coon-skins,  etc.,  formed  the  medium  of  exchange 
— not  only  with  themselves,  but  also  with  the  outside  world. 
In  this  same  year  Amos  Clark  took  up  his  abode  at  the  County 
seat,  as  a  lawyer,  and  was  soon  appointed  prosecuting  attorney 
— for  the  criminal  portion  of  the  community  (and  it  was  very 
large)  had  peculiar  views  in  regard  to  horses,  cattle,  and  hogs. 
President  Monroe,  in  1819,  appointed  Daniel  Warner  as  post- 
master, and  the  village  for  the  first  time  gained  national  recog- 
nition and  had  regular  postal  facilities,  even  though  the  mails 
arrived  only  once  a  week. 

In  1821,  Rev.  D.  C  Banks,  of  Ohio,  came  to  Evansville 
and  endeavored  to  establish  a  Presbyterian  organization  ;  after 
some  delay,  a  society  was  formed  and  an  effort  was  made  to 
build  a  church.  A  lot  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Second 
streets  was  purchased  for  one  hundred  dollars,  and  a  small 
frame  building  was  erected  upon  it.  Luke  Wood  and  William 
Olmstead  were  among  the  most  prominent  in  securing  the  nec- 
essary aid,  and  this  was  mainly  conditional  that  the  church 
should  be  occupied  in  common  by  other  religious  denominations. 
Id  1824,  Mr.  Banks  was  succeeded  by  Rev  John  Phillips,  of 
Vermont.  Upon  his  arrival,  the  building  was  put  in  better 
order ;  benches  were  placed  along  the  sides  and  the  farther  end 
of  the  room  was  adorned  with  ^  pulpit  that  is  said  to  have 
resembled  a  ''settlers'  stockade."  Mr.  Phillips  was'diligent  in 
doing  good  ;  spent  little  or  no  time  in  discussing  dogmas,  and 
was  ever  a  watchful  shepherd  in  his  care  over  the  morality  of 
his  flock,  rather  than  their  sectarian  bias. 

The  first  justice  of  the  peace  was  Prestly  Pritchett,  who 
was  elected  in  1822.  He  was  a  successful  magistrate,  and 
looked  diligently  after  the  pecuniary  and  criminal  difficulties 
of  the  times. 

In  1824,  a  small  brick  school-house  was  erected  on  the 
south-west  corner  of  Third  and  Main  streets.  Mr.  Shuts,  an 
elderly  gentleman,  was  appointed  teacher.  He,  as  early  as 
1818,  had  occasionally  received  pupils  at  his  cabin ;  but  now 

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JSvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  11 

for  the  first  time,  a  school  was  held,  to  which  all  could  send 
children,  Jiitherto,  for  the  most  part,  unprotected  with  regular 
educational  privileges.  The  school-house  was  regularly  used 
for  religious  purposes ;  Rev,  Mr.  Wood,  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter, often  preached  there,  as  well  as  clergymen  of  other  denom- 
inations. 

For  several  years  various  buildings  had  been  used  as  a  jail 
by  Lansing  Warner,  the  first  sheriflf,  who  also  acted  as  jailor. 
Finally,  after  some  considerable  difficulty,  a  jail  was  erected  on 
the  south-east  corner  of  Third  and  Main  streets,  and  for  many 
years  the  building  was  used  for  that  purpose  The  first  public 
elocution  took  place  in  1821.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Harvey 
was  executed  for  killing  Robinson.  The  criminal  was  buried  in 
the  rear  of  the  north-west  corner  of  Third  and  Main  streets. 

In  the  Spring  of  1825,  Dr.  Wm.  Trafton  arrived,  and  soon 
was  engaged  in  fighting  the  ''  fever  and  ager,'*  ever  prevalent 
to  an  alarming  degree  in  the  village.  Dr.  Lane  visited  the 
village  in  the  Fall,  and  a  partnership  was  formed  with  Dr. 
Trafton,  which  the  settlers  called  the  "  Ager  Board."  The 
progress  of  the  town  was  slow ;  for  in  1830  the  population  had 
only  increased  to  five  hundred,  and  the  total  taz  levied  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  dollars — thirty-six  dollars  less  than  the 
first  assessment  in  1819.  On  the  27th  of  January,  1847,  the 
city,  having  a  population  of  four  thousand,  was  incorporated  and 
received  a  special  charter  from  the  Legislature.  The  entire 
property  was  valued  at  about  nine  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  total  taxes  levied  amounted  to  about  three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  —  about  the  salary  of  the 
mayor,  at  the  present  time.  From  this  period  may  be  dated 
the  rapid  advancement  of  Evansville  in  population  and  wealth. 

Having  thus  only  prefaced  the  early  history  of  Evansville, 
we  will  call  attention  to  the  men  who  made  their  "  mark  " 
while  important  events  were  transpiring ;  outlining  the  various 
stages  of  her  progress,  from  a  village  of  three  cabins  to  the 
position  it  occupies  to-day  —  as  the  leading  commercial  city  of 
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General  Robert  M.  Evans, 

FOUNDBB  OF  EVAN8YILLE. 


In  a  few  years  the  men  who  were  personally  acquainted 
with  General  Evans  will  all  have  passed  away.  It  is 
known  to  most  of  our  citizens  that  General  Evans  was  the  pio- 
neer who  began  a  settlement  in  the  woods  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio  River ;  but  beyond  that,  little  is  known  to  the  world  at 
large  of  the  life  of  one,  around  whose  name  cluster  so  many 
glorious  recollections  and  memorable  associations. 

General  Robebt  Mobqan  Evans  was  born  in  1783,  in 
Frederick  County,  Virginia.  While  a  small  boy,  his  family 
removed  to  Botetourt  County,  where  he  remained  till  1790. 
From  thence,  removed  to  Tazewell  County,  where,  though  only 
a  lad  of  some  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  acted  as  deputy  clerk. 
In  1803  he  moved  to  Paris,  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky  ;  and 
here  his  union  with  Jane  Trimble,  a  sister  of  Judge  Robert 
Trimble,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  took 
place.  In  1805  he  moved ,  with  his  family,  to  the  Indiana  Ter- 
ritory and  settled  in  the  woods,  on  a  tract  of  land  two  miles 
noith  of  where  the  town  of  Princeton  now  stands.  At  the  first 
sale  of  Government  lands,  in  1807,  ho  purchased  the  tract  he 
had  settled  upon,  and  there  continued  to  reside  till  1809,  when 
he  moved  to  Vincennes  and  kept  a  hotel  in  a  frame  house  on 
Market  street.  This  was  the  favorite  stopping-place  of  all  the 
old  citizens  of  Indiana.  He  remained  in  Vincennes  two  years, 
and  then  removed  back  to  his  first  location  in  Gibson  County. 

In  the  war  of  1812,  the  surrender  of  Hull  left  the  north- 
western frontier  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the  British  and 
Indians,  and  occasioned  considerable  alarm  in  the  adjoining 
State.  Nearly  ten  thousand  volunteers  immediately  offered 
their  services  to  the  Gbveinment,  and  being  placed  under  tho 


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MRS.  EVANS. 


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GEN.  EVANS. 


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JSvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  13 

command  of  Oen.  Wm.  H.  Harrison,  were  marched  toward  the 
Territory  of  Michigan.  Oar  subject  had  joined  Harrison  im- 
mediately on  his  taking  command  of  the  army  and  was  appointed 
by  the  Genera]  as  one  of  Iiis  aids.  He  proved  such  an  efficient 
officer  that  he  was  appointed  by  Oen.  Harrison  as  a  Brigadier 
General  and  placed  in  command  of  a  large  body  of  militia, 
both  from  Indiana  and  other  territories.  General  Evans  partic- 
ipated in  the  battles  of  the  Thames,  Tippecanoe,  and  other  less 
important  engagements,  and  had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  best  officers  in  the  army — not  only  on  account. of  his  bravery, 
but  also  his  sagacity  and  ability  as  a  leader.  He  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  lose  his  brother  William,  who  was  killed  by  the 
Indians  in  one  of  the  skirmishes  which  preceded  Tippecanoe. 
Little  else  is  known  of  our  subject  on  that  campaign.  We 
note  that  on  his  return  to  Gibson  County  he  was  elected  county 
clerk,  the  duties  of  which  he  continued  to  fill  till  October,  1819, 
when  he  resigned.  While  living  in  Gibson  County,  he  was 
instrumental  in  forming  the  County  of  Vanderburgh,  named 
after  Gen.  Vanderburgh,  a  celebrated  Indian-fighter.  He  also 
purchased,  in  connection  with  James  W.  Jones,  the  land  upon 
which  all  Evansville  north  or  the  State  Road,  (Main  street,)  is 
situated,  and  founded  the  city  which  bears  his  name  ;  was  the 
means  of  Evansville  being  the  seat  of  justice,  and  to  him  and 
his  copartners  we  owe  the  Court-house  Square. 

In  1824,  Gen.  Evans  removed  to  Evansville  and  remained 
only  one  year.  He  watched  over  his  namesake  carefully,  and 
though  the  following  year  he  removed  to  Princeton,  he  yet 
retained  his  love  for  the  city  whose  inhabitants  regarded  him 
as  the  father  of  the  "  Crescent  Village." 

During  the  Fourier  excitement;  which  resulted  in  the 
founding  of  New  Harmony,  he  proceeded  there,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  keeping  a  hotel  in  the  village  for  one  year,  and  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  time  was  engaged  in  farming,  till  the 
Fall  of  1828,  when  he  removed  to  Evansville ;  continuing  his 
residence  here  till  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1844.  His  estima- 
ble lady  died  four  years  before  him.  The  distinguished  pioneer 
was  not  permitted  the  proud  privilege  of  witnessing  the  present 
growth,  beauty,  wealth,  and  dignity  of  the  city  that  he,  with 
wondrous  sagacity,  planted  so  many  years  ago. 

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14  tlvai\9ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  and  a  radical  a'lvocate 
of  the  right.  In  stature,  General  Evans  was  above  six  feet ; 
and,  with  his  smooth-shaved  face,  small  hands  and  feet,  and 
with  an  open  expression  of  countenance,  his  personal  appear- 
ance was  such  as  to  attract  the  attention  and  admiration  of  all. 
Kind  and  affable  in  his  disposition  ;  possessed  of  rare  conver- 
sational powers,  in  his  declining  years  he  enjoyed  the  friend- 
ship and  veneration  of  all  who  knew  him. 


Marcus  Sherwood,  Esq. 


^EW,  if  any,  of  our  citizens  have  struggled  more  per- 
sistently or  successfully  than  Maeods  Sheewood,  from 
the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Evansville  up  to  the  present  d^y. 

He  was  born  in  Munroe,  Fairfield  County,  Connecticut,  on 
the  28th  of  May,  1803.  His  father,  David  Sherwood,  Esq., 
was  a  stone-mason  by  trade,  and  was,  at  one  time,  a  member  of 
the  Legislature.  Marcus,  like  most  New  England  boys  of  that 
age,  attended  school  in  the  Winter  and  assisted  his  father  in  the 
Summer.  His  father  wished  to  apprentice  him  to  a  blacksmith  ; 
but  the  young  lad  had  no  ciesire  to  learn  that  trade,  but  prefer- 
red to  go  "West — as  his  uncle  had  just  returned  from  a  visit  to 
Indiana,  and  Marcus  was  delighted  with  the  accounts  of  his 
adventures  in  those  distant  regions. 

After  considerable  pleading  with  his  people,  he  started  for 
his  new  home  with  his  uncle,  driving  an  ox-team  for  fifty-eight 
days;  when  they  reached  Pittsburgh,  both  men  and  animals  were 
nearly  worn  out.  His  uncle  and  friends  purchased  a  flat-boat, 
loaded  it  with  all  their  effects,  and,  after  a  long  voyage,  arrived 
in  Evansville  on  the  6th  of  June,  1819. 

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MARCUS  SHERWOOD. 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark  16 

Marcas  was  now  thrown  upon  his  own  resources ;  and  hav- 
ing less  than  two  dollars  in  his  pockets,  he  went  bravely  to 
work,  earning  the  reputation  of  a  **  first-class  hand."  From 
working  as  a  day  laborer  for  fifty  cents  a  day.  he  gradually 
acquired  means  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  buy  a  flat-boat  with 
which  he  made  twenty-eight  trips  to  New  Orleans,  as  deck-hand 
and  proprietor.  The  business  was  profitable,  and  the  capital 
thus  earned  was  invested  in  real  estate,  thereby  laying  the 
foundation  of  his  present  wealth. 

He  was  married  in  1834,  to  Miss  Prudence  Johnson,  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Alexander  Johnson,  Esq.  We  regret  to  say 
that  this  estimable  lady  died  in  1870,  deeply  regretted  by  all. 

Mr.  S.  was  one  of  the  advocates  and  contractors  .of  the 
Canal  and  the  Levee ;  and  to  him  great  credit  is  due  for  the 
excellent  public  work  so  admirably  performed  by  him.  The 
Sherwood  House  was  constructed  by  him,  at  a  time  when  the 
people  generally  doubted  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  Mr. 
S.,  throughout  his  entire  career — ever  active  and  faithful — 
retained  the  confidence  of  the  entire  community.  Now  one  of 
the  wealthiest  of  our  citizens,  his  time  and  means  have  been 
liberally  given  to  forward  the  interests  of  the  Cumberland 
Church  and  its  colleges.  Ever  generous  to  the  needy — either 
at  home  or  abroad  ;  a  kind  friend,  and  an  irreproachable  citi- 
zen :  such  is  Marcus  Sherwood  ;  than  whom  Evansville  has  no 
better. 


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Hon.  William  Baker. 


'  all  the  leading  men  whose  energy  and  ability  have 
been  potent  in  building  up  the  Crescent  City  and 
advanding  its  interests,  it  is  fair  to  say  that  none  take  rank 
beforcf  the  Hon.  William  Baker. 

He  was  born  in  Hatnilton,  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  11th  of  February,  1813  His  father.  Conrad  Baker,  was 
a  farmer,  and  was  noted  for  his  enterprise  and  public  spirit. 
The  Bakers  were  of  German  origin ;  and  the  inter-marriage  of 
Conrad  Baker  with  Mary  Winterheimer  infused,  also,  a  com- 
mingling of  the  Scotoh-Irish  element  with  the  German  stock — 
her  mother  being  of  German  and  Scotch-Irish  descent. 

His  early  education  was  obtained  at  a  little  log  school  by 
the  road-side,  not  far  from  the  boundary  of  his  father's  farm. 
This,  however,  was  only  of  short  duration  :  as.  in  his  thirteenth 
year,  he  entered  the  store  of  George  Eyster,  of  Chambersburgh, 
Pennsylvania,  and  served  him  for  about  three  years.  This 
experience  in  that  establishment,  no  doubt,  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  business  character  and  his  habits,  so  marked  in  after  life. 
Before  leaving  the  village,  wishing  to  improve  his  mind  and 
add  to  his  limited  education,  he  attended  a  Latin  school,  at 
Chambersburgh,  for  about  six  months ;  and  this  was  the  last 
instruction  William  received  at  school. 

In  his  eighteenth  year  he  went  to  the  village  of  Bridge- 
port, in  his  native  county,  and  was  employed  by  Martin  Hoover 
as  a  clerk  in  his  store.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Hoover  nearly 
three  years,  during  which  time  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
Miss  Nancy  Beam,  whom  he  married  in  1833,  a  few  months 
before  he  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 

While  residing  at  Bridgeport,  he  studied  surveying  and 
civil  engineering,  under  the  instruction  of  Major  James  McDow- 


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HON.  WILLIAM  BA.KER. 


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•'■N5 


:    4 


«„Goo,e  ! 


til 


Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  17 

ell,  and  became  a  good  practical  sorveyor.  In  1834,  be  com- 
menced  farming  on  the  old  homestead,  as  bis  parents  were 
dead — the  father  having  deceased  in  1818,  and  the  mother  the 
year  previous.  During  the  Winter  of  1834-5,  he  taught  a 
country  school  in  the  neighborhood,  not  far  Irom  the  farm.  In 
the  Fall  of  1835,  he  sold  the  property  and  opened  a  general 
store  at  St.  Thomas,  in  the  same  county.  In  1837,  he  moved 
to  Loudon,  a  village  in  the  same  county,  and,  in  company  with 
Daniel  Mowrer,  his  brother-in-law,  conducted  a  woolen  mill  and 
store  for  about  four  years.  He  then  formed  a  partnership  with 
John  Beaver,  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  and  managed  a  fur- 
nace and  forge,  owned  by  Mr  Beaver,  for  nearly  two  years. 
While  engaged  in  the  latter  enterprise,  he  established  the  Lou- 
don Savings  Fund  Association,  and  was  treasurer  of  the  same 
till  his  removal  to  Evansville. 

In  the  year  1839,  while  actively  engaged  in  business,  Mr. 
Baker  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to  the  study  of  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1842.  His  practice  soon  became  very 
large  and  lucrative.  In  1847,  *48,  and  '49,  he  was  elected  to 
represent  his  native  county  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Legislature,  and  soon  obtained  a  reputation  as  one  of  the 
leading  and  influential  members  of  that  body.  He  continued 
to  practicelaw  in  hi«  native  village  until  1853,  when  he  removed 
to  Evansville,  where  his  brother  Conrad  had  taken  his  residence, 
in  1841. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  he  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  organ- 
izing the  Crescent  City  Bank,  of  which  he  was  elected  cashier. 
A  considerable  portion  of  the  stock  was  taken  by  his  old  neigh- 
bors in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  strength  of  the  assurance  that  he 
was  to  be  cashier  of  the  institution.  Owing  to  the  defective 
fred- banking  system,  the  affairs  of  the  association  were  settled 
in  1858-9,  without  loss  to  the  stockholders.  In  April,  1859, 
William  Baker  was  elected  Mayor  of  Evansville  for  three  years, 
and  held  this  position  for  three  consecutive  terms.  In  1868,  he 
was  defeated  for  the  same  office  by  the  late  Hon.  William  H. 
Walker.  Mr.  Walker  having  died,  Mr.  Baker  was,  in  Novem- 
ber, elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  In  1871  he  was  again  elected, 
by  a  large  majority,  to  a  full  term  of  three  years — showing  that 
his  fidelity  to  the  city's  interests  and  business  capacity  were 

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18  Bkxmsville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

appreciated  by  his  fellow-citizens.  His  official  career  was  ter- 
minated only  by  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  23d  of  May, 
1872  :  and  thus  died  one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  that 
cluster  of  great  men,  whose  histories  are  indissolubly  linked 
with  that  of  the  Orescent  City  I 

As  husband  and  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  lived  together 
nearly  thirty-nine  years;  and  while  they  have  accomplished 
much  good  for  the  children  of  others,  have  never  been  blessed 
with  any  of  their  own.  In  1837,  he  and  his  wife  connected 
themselves  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  St.  Thomas,  of  which 
his  parents  were  members.  During  their  residence  in  this  city 
they  have  been  members  of  the  Walnut  Street  Presbyterian 
Church. 

William  Baker  was  noted,  intellectually,  for  possessing  a 
logical  mind  and  sound  judgment.  His  mechanical  genius  was 
very  great,  as  also  his  aptitude  with  tools ;  and  it  is  said  that 
he  never  failed  in  any  effort  to  construct  anything  of  either 
wood,  leather,  or  iron. 

William  Baker  was  a  great  man,  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
term ;  his  motto  was .  *'  Anything  that  is  worth  doing  at  all,  is 
worth  doing  well."  The  logical  character  of  his  mind  would 
never  permit  him  to  sleight  the  least  important  detail ;  and  the 
conscientious  fidelity  to  duty  and  the  perfection  of  workmanship 
would  force  him  to  employ  hour  after  hour,  in  the  silent  watches 
of  the  night  to  labors  which,  to  many,  seemed  of  minor  impor- 
tance, but  which  he  ever  regarded  as  essential  to  the  successful 
completion  of  the  work  in  hand.  His  kindness  to  the  poor  was 
proverbial,  and  his  feelings  were  easily  aroused  —  either  with 
pity  for  suffering,  or  indignation  at  injustice  and  wrong.  He 
was  an  especial  friend  of  the  Public  Schools,  of  which  he,  at 
one  time,  assumed  the  superintendency,  in  addition  to  his  other 
arduous  labors.  William  Baker's  skill  and  energy  have  erected 
monuments  which  are  enduring  to  his  memory,  in  our  system 
of  sewers ;  most  of  our  paved  streets ;  many  of  our  school- 
houses,  and  other  memorials  of  his  faithfulness,  prudence,  and 
financial  tact. 


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JOHN  SHANKLIN. 


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John  Shanklin. 

BBmxD  Mbbohaitt. 


^ITT  few  of  our  prozxuDQnt  citizens  have  acquired  their 
wealth  by  inheritance.  Those  who  have  made  their 
mark  in  law,  commerce,  or  finance,  here,  commenced  life's  duties 
with  only  the  capital  of  Energy  and  Industry  to  guarantee  them 
success  in  the  strife  for  fortune  and  happiness.  Of  this  class 
was  John  Shanklin,  Esq.,  now  one  of  our  most  influential 
citizens. 

He  was  born  near  Derry,  Donegal  County,  Ireland,  on  the 
17th  of  February,  1796.  His  father,  John  Shanklin,  Sr.,  was 
an  Irish  patriot,  and  perished  in  the  Rebellion  of  '98,  while 
fighting  the  oppressors  of  his  beloved  country.  Our  subject's 
education  was  such  as  farmers'  boys  usually  receive  in  that 
country.  In  his  thirteenth  year  he  entered,  as  an  apprentice, 
a  general  store  at  Donegal.  He  remained  in  this  establishment 
till  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  embarked  for  the  United 
States,  arriving  at  New  York  on  the  5th  of  August,  1815.  The 
voyage  lasted  six  weeks,  and  although  performed  in  a  sailing 
vessel,  was  a  rich  treat  for  the  young  emigrant. 

He  immediately  entered  the  wholesale  hardware  establish- 
ment of  Samuel  and  James  Lambert,  No.  23  Pearl  Street,  New 
York.  After  continuing  with  the  Lamberts  three  years,  he  met 
a  Mr.  Miles — a  hardware  dealer,  of  Frankfort,  Kentucky — who 
invited  him  to  become  a  salesman  at  his  establishment.  He 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  the  engagement  was  consummated. 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival  he  met  with  an  accident  which 
resalted  in  the  amputation  of  his  right  foot.  After  recovering 
from  the  operation,  he  relinquished  his  mercantile  engagement 
and  commenced  teaching.  He  pursued  this  profession,  with  fair 
success,  for  the  ensuing  three  years ;  most  of  the  time  being 


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Judge  Silas  Stephens 


I  AS  born  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  on  the  24th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1801.  Hie  father,  David  H.  Stephens,  settled 
in  Kentucky  in  1793,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Lex- 
ington. The  village  only  contained,  at  that  time,  two  shingle- 
roof  houses  and  five  log  cabins  with  coverings  of  brush.  There 
were  many  prowling  Indians  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  settlers 
were  forced  to  remain  on  guard  at  night,  in  order  to  protect 
their  property.  Mr.  Stephens,  before  this  time,  had  some  con- 
siderable experience  in  fighting  the  Indians,  directly  after  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  and  by  reason  of  this  service,  was 
regarded  as  a  hero  by  those  pioneers. 

When  Silas  was  two  years  of  age,  his  father  removed  to 
Greenville,  Nuhlemburgh  County,  Kentucky,  and  selected  a 
fine  tract  of  land,  situated  on  the  Green  River,  as  his  future 
home.  Silas'  mother  died  when  he  was  only  six  years  of  age, 
and  he  was  deprived  of  many  privileges  which  he  might  have 
secured,  if  his  mother  had  lived. 

When  Silas  was  nine  yeai's  of  age,  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson,  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  of  Logan  County,  made  a  proposition  to 
Mr.  Stephens,  that  if  he  would  commit  Silas  to  his  care,  he 
would  give  him  a  classical  education,  with  a  view  to  his  enter- 
ing the  ministry.  The  boy  was  not  consulted  in  this  matter, 
but,  in  accordance  with  his  father's  request,  he  proceeded  to 
Logan  County,  and  remained  there  two  years.  Instead  of  being 
a  student  and  doing  "  chores,"  he  was  worked  severely,  from 
early  morn  till  late  at  night.  His  father  had  again  married, 
and  another  situation  was  sought  for  the  lad.  A  saddler,  at 
Russellville,  wished  a  bound-boy,  and  articles  of  apprentice- 
ship were  drawn  up ;  and  now,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  his 
destiny  seemed  to  be  settled.     The  new  master  was  kind,  and 

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JUDGE  SILAS  STEPHENS. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  23 

thoagh  he  only  gave  Silas  three  months'  schooling  while  he 
remained  with  him,  nevertheless  he  was  a  good  friend  and  care- 
ful guardian  of  the  young  man. 

In  1822,  Silas  came  to  Evansville ;  as  his  brother,  about 
two  years  previous,  had  settled  in  the  country  about  four  miles 
from  the  village.  This  brother  was  a  tanner,  and  also  a  farmer; 
and  as  our  subject  was  now  a  good  saddler,  his  brother  offered 
him  thirty-seven  and  one-half  cents  a  day,  (to  be  paid  in  trade) 
if  he  would  work  for  him.  Silas  proposed  to  work  for  twenty- 
five  cents  a  day,  in  cash  ;  but  as  the  latter  article  was  rarely 
seen  in  the  embryo  city,  the  proposition  was  declined. 

In  the  Winter  of  1822-3,  he,  however,  came  to  town  and 
worked  for  a  saddler.  Being  economical  in  his  habits,  though 
only  receiving  little  remuneration  for  hard  work,  in  the  Spring 
of  1823,  he  found  he  had  saved  one  hundred  and  sixty-two 
dollars.  He  also,  about  this  time,  carried  on  a  saddler's  store 
at  Princeton,  Indiana;  but  still  having  a  great  desire  to  make 
his  home  at  Evansville,  he  removed  here,  and  opened  an  esfab- 
lishment,  extensive  for  those  days.  His  brother  managed  the 
the  tannery  in  the  country,  while  he  manufactured 
the  leather  into  saddles,  harness,  and  even  boots  and  shoes.  The 
business  was  large  and  lucrative,  and  upon  dissolving  the  part- 
nership in  1836,  the  handsome  sum  of  twenty-eight  thousand 
dollars,  in  land,  notes,  and  other  valuables,  was  divided  be- 
tween them. 

In  1837,  in  connection  with  his  father-in-law.  Gen.  Evans, 
he  erected  a  steam  saw  and  planing  mill.  The  business  was 
very  profitable  and  the  mill  was  rapidly  paying  for  itself,  when 
it  was  accidentally  burned  in  1841.  The  banks  generously 
offered  Mr.  S.  the  money  to  re-build,  but  he  concluded  to  settle 
up  bis  affairs  and  not  go  into  debt. 

In  1846,  he  was  elected  to  an  unexpired  term  as  Associate- 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office,  he  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position.  Though  not 
having  a  legal  education,  by  patient  study  and  a  determination 
to  master  the  law,  he  soon  became  familiar  with  the  duties  of 
his  position,  and  proved  himself  and  able  and  successful  official. 
Before   his  second   term  had  expired,  the  Legislature  changed 


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24  Evansville  cmd  its  Men  of  Mark. 

the  character  of  the   courts,   and   the   associate-judges   were 
retired  from  office.  ^ 

In  1829,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Julienne  Evans,  daughter 
of  Gen.  Evans.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1845,  Mrs.  Stephens 
died — following  soon  after  the  decease  of  her  lamented  father. 
This  estimable  lady  will  long  be  remembered  as  a  woman  of 
practical  piety — ever  anxious  to  contribute  to  the  necessities  of 
all  with  whom  she  came  in  contact. 

After  retiring  from  the  bench.  Judge  Stephens  gave  up  his 
residence  on  the  corner  of  Water  and  Walnut  streets,  and  it 
was  used  afterwards  as  a  hotel.  The  Judge  boarded  at  the 
hotel  —  remaining  in  the  city  in  or-ler  to  have  his  children 
educated.  In  1857,  he  removed  to  Walnut  Grove,  about  three 
miles  from  the  city,  where  he  since  has  made  it  his  home.  This 
beautiful  place,  so  called  from  the  magnificent  groves  of  timber 
situated  thereon,  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  inviting 
country-seats  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  The  diversity  of  til- 
lage, with  meadow  and  timber,  is  not  only  pleasant  to  the  eye, 
but,  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view,  forms  an  excellent  com- 
bination rarely  met  with  in  this  section  of  the  State.  To  the 
management  of  this  extensive  estate,  in  connection  with  his 
city  and  country  property.  Judge  Stephens  bestows  his  undi- 
vided attention  —  though  yet  retaining  an  unwearied  interest 
in  the  progress  of  his  early  home. 

For  several  years  Judge  Stephens  was  a  trustee  of  the 
town,  and  in  that  capacity  proved  an  efficient  guardian  of  the 
rising  village.  He  was  noted  for  his  indefatigable  industry  in 
behalf  of  the  levee;  improvement  of  the  streets  ,  and  the  pru- 
dent management  of  the  town's  financial  affairs. 

The  prosperity,  which  it  is  hoped  may  be  long  enjoyed  by 
him,  is  the  product  of  his  industry  and  ability  :  and  may  the 
revolving  seasons  permit  him  to  reap  the  full  benefit  of  his 
nobly-earned  happiness. 


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Hon.  Wm.  Heilman. 


^N  the  life  of  a  man  of  business,  we  do  not  expect  to  find 
the  achievements  of  the  military  hero,  or  the  sublime 
passages  of  the  eloquent  statesman.  But  there  is  a  fascination 
in  tracing  the  life  of  a  poor  boy,  step  by  step,  as  he  advances 
in  bis  career  toward  wealth  and  influence,  and  much  of  interest 
that  may  be  profitably  recorded. 

William  Heilman  was  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  on  the 
11th  of  October,  1824.  His  father,  Valentine  Heilman,  was  a 
farmer  and  died  when  William  was  a  small  child.  His  mother 
married  a  Mr.  Peter  Weintz,  and  William  alternately  labored 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school  of  his  native 
village. 

In  1843,  the  family  emigrated  to  America,  landing  at  New 
Orleans.  They  first  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  remained 
only  a  short  time,  and  then  came  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Posey 
County,  where  Mr.  Weintz  engaged  in  farming.  Our  subject 
labored  early  and  late  on  the  farm,  but  only  received  a  slight 
remuneration  for  his  work  —  and  more  could  not  be  expected 
from  a  market  in  which  potatoes  were  selling  for  ten  cents;  corn, 
ten  cents ;  wheat,  twenty-five  cents.  He  became  disgusted  with 
his  present  business,  and  resolved  to  follow  a  more  paying  avo- 
cation. Christian  Eratz,  Esq.,  an  experienced  founder  and 
machinist,  had  married  his  sister;  and,  in  conversation  at 
William's  home,  Mr.  Kratz  had  spoken  of  the  money  to  be  made 
in  that  business  This  conversation  soon  set  Mr.  Heilman  to 
thinking,  and  he  proposed  a  partnership.  Mr.  Heilman  bor- 
rowed five  hundred  dollars  from  his  mother,  and,  as  Mr.  Kratz 
had  the  same  amount,  they  soon  began  the  preliminaries  of  the 
business ;  each  partner  had  a  blind  horse,  and  these  supplied 
the  power. 

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M  SvanaiAtte  and  its  Hen,  of  Hark. 

Their  first  shop,  coneieting  of  hewed  logs,  rudely  con- 
structed as  it  was,  was  very  serviceable.  Their  foundry  was 
located  in  the  block  between  Elm  and  Time  and  First  and  Sec- 
ond streets.  Six  men  were  employed  at  the  outset ;  but  even 
with  this  small  force,  it  wms  with  difficulty  that  Mr.  Heilman 
provided  for  them  on  pay-day — as  he  was  the  financial  manager 
of  the  business.  Their  first  work  was  on  dog-irons,  cast  plows, 
stoves,  etc. 

Slowly  but  surely  business  increased,  as  their  work  was 
well  and  promptly  performed,  and  at  prices,  too,  which  pleased 
the  consumer.  In  1,850,  they  built  a  brick  shop  and  commenced 
using  steam-power.  The  engine  and  boiler  were  constructed  by 
themselves,  using  their  usual  horsf/-power.  From  this  time 
they  commenced  the  building  of  machinery  on  an  extensive 
scale ;  and  now  the  ability  of  Mr.  Heilman  was  manifested  in 
securing  orders  for  machinery,  collecting  the  bills,  etc.,  for 
which  he  exhibited  a  very  decided  penchant 

In  1854,  they  manufactured  their  first  portable  steam 
engine ;  and  these,  for  many  years,  formed  a  very  important 
specialty  in  their  extensive  trade.  They  also  constructed  all 
kinds  of  mill  machinery,  boilers,  etc.,  which  soon  advertised  the 
machine  shops,  and  finally  established  its  reputation.  In  1859, 
they  turned  out  their  first  thresher,  which  was  patterned  aft«r 
the  "Pitts"  machine.  This  soon  obtained  favor  with  the 
farmers,  as  they  were  very  durable  as  well  as  effective.  Some 
of  these  first  machines  are  yet  in  use,  and  able  to  do  good  work. 

On  account  of  the  scarcity  of  labor,  after  the  commence- 
ment of  tbe  late  Rebellion,  the  demand  for  machinery  of  all 
kinds  rapidly  increased,  and  Mr.  Heilman  was  among  the  first 
manufacturers  to  take  advantage  of  this  trade.  Having  an 
excellent  and  practical  partner,  they  made  arrangements  where- 
by they  secured  a  large  trade,  and  disposed  off  an  immense 
amount  of  machinery.  At  this  time,  too,  there  were  many 
favorable  openings  for  investments,  as  a  large  number  of  capi- 
talists and  business  men  were  in  doilbt  as  to  the  success  of  the 
Union  armies;  but  Mr.  Heilman,  as  well  as  his  partner,  had 
great  faith  in  the  Government,  and  never  hesitated  for  a  moment 
to  extend  their  trade ;  increase  the  number  of  their  workmen ; 
and  erect  new  buildings — to  keep  pace  with  every  demand  of 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark»  27 

their  patrons.  It  was  here  that  the  business  forecast,  so  essen- 
tial to  the  practical  man  of  affairs,  was  exhibited  in  its  strong- 
est light.  In  1864,  Mr.  Kratz  retired  from  the  firm ;  and  since 
that  time  Mr.  Heilman  has  condacted  the  business  individually. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  his  trade  was  largely 
extended  in  the  South  and  South-west ;  and  the  products  of  the 
City  Foundry  are  almost  as  well  known  there  as  in  the  place  of 
their  manufacture.  The  City  Foundry,  from  a  log-house  with 
six  employees,  has  expanded  to  the  extensive  buildings  which 
comprise  nearly  the  entire  block,  and  is  surpassed  by  no  foun- 
dry in  the  West  for  the  quality  of  its  work  or  the  durability  of 
its  machinery. 

Up  to  1868,  his  residence  was  by  the  side  of  his  foundry, 
but  in  that  year  the  increasing  trade  demanded  more  room ; 
the  building  was  removed,  and  the  present  spacious  salesrooms 
erected  on  its  site.  In  1868-9,  after  visiting  several  cities  and 
examining  the  plans  of  their  most  beautiful  residences,  he  erected 
the  elegant  mansion  on  First  avenue,  fronting  on  Ninth  street. 
This  structure,  perfect  in  all  its  appointments,  towering  above 
a  park  of  trees  and  shrubbery,  is  beautiful  in  itself,  but  finds 
an  additional  charm  in  the  grounds  about  it.  All  who  visit 
this  portion  of  the  city  accord  to  it  the  name  of  being  one  of 
the  finest  residences  in  the  State  of  Indiana. 

Mr.  Heilman,  though  busily  engaged  in  manufacturing, 
al»o  acted  as  director  of  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana,  and  of  its 
successor,  the  Evansville  National  Bank,  as  well  as  director  of 
the  Horse  Railway  Company,  President  of  the  Gas  Company,  and 
principal  owner  of  the  Cotton  Mill,  and  other  enterprises,  too 
uamerous  to  mention.  Where  improvements  were  to  be  made 
and  large  sums  ot  money  were  to  be  expended,  Mr.  Heilman 
was  always  active  as  president,  director,  or  some  other  position. 
The  thoroughness  of  his  business  accomplishments,  the  success  of 
hia  undertakings,  together  with  his  financial  ability  and  execu- 
tive powers,  inspired  all  with  the  greatest  confidence. 

From  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  in  1856, 
Mr.  Heilman  has  been  one  of  its  warmest  supporters, — never 
taking  any  active  part  in  political  life  till  the  close  of  the  war; 
though  while  the  Rebellion  was  in  process,  he  acted  a  noble  and 
conspicuous  part;   attended  all  the  public  meetings   to  raise 


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28  Bvanaville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

recruits;  and  expended  his  money  liberally  to  send  supplies  to 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  Mr.  Heilman  was  never  an 
orator ;  but  did  much  and  valuable  service  to  the  Union,  by  his 
steadfast  and  unyielding  attachment  to  the  cause  he  had  es- 
poused. In  1852,  as  a  citizens'  candidate,  he  wa8  elected  as  a 
member  of  the  City  Council  from  the  Eighth  ward.  In  1865, 
he  was  elected  Councilman  from  the  Fourth  ward — though  this 
had  usually  been  a  Democratic  stronghold.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Council  several  terms,  and  his  course  was  marked  and  de- 
cided— ever  discharging  his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 

In  1869,  he  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  Legislature, 
receiving  the  largest  majority  given  any  candidate  in  the  dis- 
trict for  that  position.  In  the  lower  house  there  was  not  a 
member  who  took  a  more  active  part  in  the  '*  real  business*'  of 
the  Legislature.  He  was  always  in  his  seat  in  the  House,  pres- 
ent at  the  meetings  of  the  committees,  and  contended  in  a 
zealous  manner  for  all  the  interests  of  Evanbville  and  South- 
em  Indiana. 

In  the  Spring  of  1872,  he  received  the  unanimous  nomina- 
tion of  the  Republicans  as  their  candidate  for  Congress.  Not- 
withstanding his  great  personal  popularity,  and  the  fact  that  he 
led  his  ticket  in  nearly  every  township,  the  political  complex- 
ion of  the  district  was  so  strongly  Democratic,  that  he  was 
defeated,  though  under  the  most  flattering  circumstances  pos- 
sible. Mr.  Heilman  canvassed  the  district  in  person,  and 
though  not  a  public  speaker,  wherever  he  went  he  produced 
arguments  in  behalf  of  the  continuance  of  Republican  rule  in 
the  halls  of  the  nation.  They  were  very  effective,  as  we  note 
he  was  defeated  by  only  one  hundred  and  twelve  votes — a 
striking  contrast  with  the  majority  of  two  thousand  two  hund- 
red and  fifty,  which  his  opponent  had  received  only  two  years 
previously. 

In  person,  Mr.  Heilman  is  above  medium  height,  with  a 
strong  frame,  and  now,  though  inclined  to  corpulency,  is  still 
active  and  able  to  do  much  service.  A  broad  and  expanded 
forehead,  and  a  wide,  lull  face,  in  which  the  prominent  charac- 
teristics are  Dicision,  Power  and  Benevolence.  The  latter 
quality  is  fully  evinced  by  his  many  charitable  alms  to  the 
worthy  poor.     No  one  ever  asked  him  to  contribute  to  a  worthy 

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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  29 

object  in  vain  ;  and  he  is  as  well  known  for  bis  generosity  of 
heart  as  for  his  firmness  and  sagacity  as  a  business  man. 

William  Heilman  ?s  indeed  a  self-made  man  ;  and  his  im- 
mense estate,  the  fruit  of  his  own  energy  and  skill,  is  an  ample 
evidence  of  his  success.  He  is  a  worthy  example  of  the  pro- 
gress of  our  young  State's  growth  in  wealth  and  power,  from  a 
sparsely- settled  territory  to  its  present  status,  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most States  in  the  Union.  Mr.  Heilman,  yet  in  the  prime  of 
life,  full  of  energy,  is  a  model  ludianian  ;  the  product  of  our 
free  institutions — not  so  delicate  as  the  orange  of  more  sunny 
shores,  but  a  sturdy  oak,  which  has  buffetted  the  winds  and  the 
rain,  and  now  stands  erect,  triumphant  in  its  manhood's  success; 
a  fit  type  of  the  worthy  men  whose  career  has  marked  the  des- 
tiny of  our  beloved  city. 


William  Caldwell. 


Ilf  HE  following  is  the  outline  of  the  salient  events  in  the 
life  of  an  honest  business  man.  who,  dependent  from 
early  youth  on  his  own  resources,  has  won  his  way,  slowly  but 
surely  to  an  honorable  position  in  the  mercantile  world  : 

William  Caldwell,  familiarly  known  as  "  Partner,*'  was 
born  six  miles  from  Londonderry,  Ireland,  in  1801.  His  father, 
James  Caldwell,  Esq.,  was  a  linen  merchant;  and,  in  the  pro- 
cess of  his  business,  crossed  the  Atlantic  twenty-six  times.  His 
son,  William,  in  boyhood  had  two  occupations  in  view  :  civil 
eugineering  and  navigation  ;  and,  to  engage  in  these  pursuits, 
devoted  much  time  to  the  study  of  mathematics. 

At  the  age  of  twenty,  with  the  sum  of  only  one  hundred 
dollars,  he  emigrated  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  hoped  to  obtain 
a  position  as  surveyor,  or  a  berth  on  board  some  vessel.     Alter 


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30  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

I 
considerable  time  had  been  expended  without  saccess,  in  search- 
ing for  such  a  situation,  he  met  with  a  Mr.  Sticinini,  an  Italian 
manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  marble  monuments,  mantles,  etc. 
The  words  now  were  *'  hard  work,"  and  as  he  preferred  to  be 
independent,  he  entered  the  establishment  as  a  finisher,  and 
after  four  years  was  promoted  to  be  foreman  of  the  factory. 
He  was  not  able  to  save  much  at  the  '*  Quaker  City;**  as,  in 
1827,  when  he  started  for  Evansville,  he  had  only  one  hundred 
dollars  in  his  possession. 

After  arriving  at  the  village,  he  entered  the  service  of  Mr. 
John  Shanklin,  and  continued  with  the  firm  of  which  Mr. 
Shanklin  was  a  member,  ten  years.  In  1837,  he  opened  a  dry 
goods  establishment  on  Water  street,  between  Locust  and 
Main,  and  was  soon  busily  engaged,  as  he,  while  acting  as  clerk, 
had  made  an  extensive  acquaintance  and  secured  the  highest 
respect  from  all  who  knew  him.  Some  fifteen  years  afterward, 
he  removed  to  Third  street,  between  Locust  and  Main,  and 
opened  an  extensive  grocery  store,  which  was  soon  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  establishments  in  the  city.  In  1854,  he 
removed  to  his  present  location,  in  order  to  be  in  a  more  cen- 
tral position.  Whenever  he  moved,  his  patrons  followed  him ; 
as,  by  years  of  experience,  his  motto,  "  Honesty  is  the  best  pol- 
icy,** hail  made  his  customers  feel  that  "Partner**  would 
not  lie,  or  deceive  them  in  any  manner.  William  Caldweirs 
name  on  a  note  added  materially  to  its  negotiable  value,  as  the 
banks  were  certain  that  '*  Partner  '*  would  pay  at  the  stated 
time.  He  might  have  acquired  a  handsome  fortune  if  he  had 
been  less  generous  to  his  many  friends,  and  refused  to  indorse 
their  notes  and  act  as  security  on  bonds,  etc.  Much  money, 
to  say  nothing  of  time,  was  lost  by  these  operations,  as  he  paid 
the  last  dollar  that  stood  against  his  name, 

In  1831,  he  was  married  to  Miss  dementia  Ann  Hopkins, 
daughter  of  Edward  Hopkins,  Esq.,  an  old  and  respected  citizen 
of  the  city.  This  lady — deceased  only  six  years  after  their  union 
— was  a  most  estimable  woman  and  devoted  wife.  Possessed  of  a 
love  for  the  church,  she  was  constantly  engaged  in  attending 
to  the  distress  of  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and  in  extending  the 
usefulness  of  the  organization  to  which  she  belonged.  Three 
children  were  the  result  of  the  marriage  ;  only  one  of  whom  is 

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MvOnsville  and  its  Afen  of  Mark,  81 

living — William  H.,  the  superintendent  of  his  father's  estab- 
lishment. William  Caldwell  has  been  connected  with  Morning 
Star  Lodge »  No.  7,  I.  0.  0.  F,,  since  the  first  week  of  its  organ- 
ization, and  has  passed  through  the  various  chairs.  He  is  also 
the  oldest  patriarch  of  the  Good  Templars  in  Evansville,  and 
has  held  many  positions  in  the  order. 

In  religions  belief  he  has  been  a  Presbyterian  since  child- 
hood, and  has  been  connected  with  the  Vine  Street  Church  since 
the  formation  of  that  society. 

He  had  never  held  any  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people, 
though  he  had  been  an  earnest  and  hard  worker  of  the  Whig 
party ;  and,  after  its  dissolution,  Mr.  Caldwell  joined  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  has  been  identified  with  it. 

William  Caldwell  will  always  be  remembered  as  a  warm, 
generous  friend  ;  an  honest,  successful  merchant;  and  an  incor- 
ruptible citizen. 


Captain  William  H.  Chandler, 

FOUHDKB  OV   "  TBK  DaILT  JOUBMAI.." 


J|N  the  Spring  of  1818,  a  little  boy,  who  was  walking  by 
the  side  of  his  mother  as  she  passed  up  the  muddy 
bank  of  the  Ohio,  said,  in  a  reproachful  tone  :  **  Ma,  wliere  is 
Evansville?"  There  were  few  signs  of  a  village;  and  well 
might  that  young  lad  exclaim,  as  he  did,  when  his  anticipation 
had  been  excited,  and  his  day-dreams  had  connected  the  des- 
tined village  with  his  old  home.  That  little  boy  has  seen  the 
insignificant  village  grow  to  a  town,  and  pass  on  to  the  dignity 
of  a  city,  and  lives  to  see  Evansville  assume,  year  by  year,  still 
larger  proportions. 

William  H.  Chandler  was  born  on  William  street.  New 
York,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1814.     Asaph  Chandler,  his  lather, 

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32  £lvansvilte  and  ^^  Men  of  Mark. 

was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  had  removed  to  New  York  Oity 
in  order  to  enter  into  the  Atlantic  trade.  He  commanded  and 
owned  a  ship  in  the  New  York  and  Liverpool  and  New  York 
and  Havre  lines,  and  for  some  years  previous  to  the  birth  of  his 
son  William,  was  a  merchant  in  New  York  Oity.  In  1818,  he 
removed  West,  coming  in  wagons  to  Pittsburgh,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  buying  a  flat-boat  and  thence  traveling  by  river  to 
Evansville.  While  on  their  overland  route  and  encamped  on 
Laurel  Hill,  Pennsylvania,  they  happened  to  meet  President 
Monroe,  and  encamped  for  the  night  opposite  the  Presidential 
wagons.  At  Pittsburgh  they  purchased  a  flat-boat,  placed  on  it 
all  their  household  eflFects,  and  then  took  passage  for  their  new 
home,  and  arrived  at  Evansville  in  May,  1818.  Mr.  Chandler 
pui  chased  a  lot  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Water  and  Chestnut 
streets,  and  soon  afterward  erected  a  dwelling-house,  long  since 
removed. 

In  the  following  October  the  father  died,  after  a  short  ill- 
ness of  the  so-called  "  Milk  Disease.*'  Mr.  Daniel  Chute,  an 
estimable  gentleman,  about  this  time  started  a  school,  and  Wil- 
liam was  under  his  instruction  only  a  few  months,  as  the  terms 
were  short  and  of  irregular  sessions. 

In  1822,^hi8  mother  was  married  to  Majjor  James  Cutler,  of 
Massachusetts,  and  the  family  removed  to  New  Orleans  —  the 
conveyance  again  being  a  flat-boat.  In  1823.  they  returned, 
fortunately  for  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  to  New  York  City,  as 
William  was  enabled  to'attend  the  first  free  school  of  the  city. 
This  was  located  in  the  rear  of  the  City  Hall. 

In  1824,  the  family  again  came  West,  and  located  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  where  they  remained  till  1839.  At  Nashville 
William  attended  the  Stevens  Preparatory  School  till  his 
fifteenth  year,  with  the  intention  of  entering  Nashville  Univer- 
sity. He  soon  noticed  that  his  mother  could  not  afibrd  to  send 
both  John  Jay  and  himself  to  college,  so  he  resolved  to  do 
something  for  himself  He  [accordingly  became  a  printer,  and 
entered  the  office'(of  the  Nashville  Republican,  He  remained 
in  this  office  five  years,  the  last  year  of  which  he  acted  as  fore- 
man of  the  book  and  job  department.  As  a  result  of  his  econ- 
omy and  diligence,  we  would  note  that  he  saved  two  thousand 
dollars.     At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  joined  the  State  militia,  and 

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Hvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  88 

was  elected  a  Oaptain  before  he  reached  his  twenty -first  birth- 
day. In  1836,  his  company  was  ordered  to  join  the  forces 
engaged  in  the  Greek  War ;  but  the  same  day  received  orders 
which  detained  them.  The  next  day  after  they  had  disbanded 
the  soldiers  received  word  that  Santa  Anna  was  marching  npon 
Texas ;  and,  as  there  were  Tennesseans  in  Texas,  the  people 
were  greatly  excited.  Harry  Hill,  a  generous  and  worthy  citi- 
zen of  Nashville,  offered  the  soldiers  two  thousand  dollars  to 
defray  their  expenses,  provided  they  would  at  once  proceed  to 
Texas.  Captain  Chandler  also  tendered  two  thousand  dollars, 
if  the  men  would  volunteer.  Fifty-four  men,  before  night,  had 
enlisted  ;  and  the  next  morning  Captain  Chandler,  with  his 
company,  took  a  steamer  for  New  Orleans. 

On  reaching  New  Orleans,  Captain  C.  sent  the  men,  with 
one  officer,  via  the  Gulf  to  Velasco,  Matagorda  Bay,  thence  by 
land  to  rejoin  him  on  the  banks  of  the  Qaudaloupe ;  while  he 
was  to  proceed  up  Red  River  and  overland  to  the  place  of  meet- 
ing. Considerable  marching  was  performed,  but  Gen.  Houston 
for  several  weeks  could  not  be  found.  Once  the  company  was 
within  the  sound  of  the  drums  of  the  main  body  of  the  Mexican 
army,  but  prudently  retreated  before  they  were  discovered. 
The  Mexicans  had  invaded  Texas  with  their  armies,  and  this 
little  band  were  endeavoring  to  report  to  General  Hous- 
ton, even  within  the  territory  of  their  corps.  Fortunately  no 
fighting  occurred ;  and  though  they  did  not  reach  the  command 
of  Houston  till  after  the  close  of  hostilities,  the  amount  of 
marching  they  performed  was  raiely  excelled  in  the  history  of 
any  of  the  wars  on  the  Western  continent. 

In  January,  1887,  Captain  Chandler  returned  to  Nashville, 
at  the  same  time  that  his  brother,  John  Jay,  returned  from  the 
Seminole  War.  This  year,  also,  he  went  to  Lexington,  Hen- 
derson County,  West  Tennessee,  and  published  a  paper  called 
the  Lexington  Oazette,  This  was  Whig  in  politics,  and  the 
money  to  establish  the  same  was  supplied  by  the  wealthy  men 
of  that  political  faith.  In  six  months  the  paper  was  discontin- 
ued ;  as  it  was  only  designed  to  affect  the  State  election  of  that 
year. 

In  the  Spring  of  1839,  he  came  to  Evansville,  on  his  way 
to  New  York ;  and  at  the  request  of  several  influential  citizens, 
5 

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84  Bvanwilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

he,  in  company  with  hia  brother,  John  Jay  Chandler,  purchased 
the  Evanaville  Journal  and  Vanderburgh  Weekly  Advertiser. 
The  paper  was  then  christened  The  Evansville  Journal,  and  has 
since  retained  that  name.  His  brother,  John  Jay,  remained 
connected  with  the  paper  seventeen  months;  and  then,  on 
account  of  the  pressure  of  his  legal  business,  he  sold  out  to 
Captain  Chandler — upon  whom  the  entire  editorial  and  publish- 
ing responsibility  depended.  Many  a  time  he  has  ''  set  *'  edi- 
torials while  standing  at  the  **ca8e"  —  thus  composing  the 
matter  and  arranging  the  type  at  the  same  time.  This  was  the 
leading  Whig  paper  of  the  State,  and  it  was  forced  to  depend, 
in  a  great  measure,  upon  its  intrinsic  value,  as  a  leading  organ 
in  that  party. 

In  1846,  the  Tri- weekly  was  started ;  and  in  1847  the  Daily 
Journal  was  inaugurated,  as  an  experiment.  His  working- 
hours  were  from  4  in  the  morning  till  12  at  midnight ;  and  he 
performed  the  duties  of  editor,  reporter,  and  office-boy,  as  well 
as  sometimes  compositor  and  pressman.  Those  who  read  the 
Journal  or  Courier  of  the  present  day,  and  are  aware  of  the 
force  requisite  to  carry  on  a  city  daily,  cah  have  some  idea  of 
the  toil  and  anxiety  attached  to  a  daily  with  a  single  man  to 
perform  the  entire  work  of  the  various  departments.  The 
Journal  was  a  success,  and  battled  manfully  for.  the  old  Whig 
organization. 

In  1847,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Bebecca  Hugg,  neice  of 
Hon.  William  M.  Walker,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  he 
experienced  the  comforts  of  a  home. 

In  1848,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  by  President  Taylor 
and  sold  the  Journal — not  being  able  to  perform  the  duties  of 
both  positions.  He  served  as  postmaster  for  four  years  ;  and, 
upon  the  inauguration  of  President  Pierce,  he  was  relieved. 
For  the  next  five  years  he  was  prostrated  with  rheumatism  and 
utterly  unable  to  attend  to  any  business.  In  1857  he  started  a 
book  and  job  office;  and  in  1857-8  published  the  first  city 
directory. 

On  account  of  ill-health,  in  1862  he  retired  from  active 
business  life,  and  has  since  reaped  the  benefits  of  a  prosperous 
career.  Captain  Chandler  has  always  been  a  man  of  decided 
opinions ;  and  when  his  judgment  admonished  him  to  follow  a 

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"•"l 


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JOHN  J.  CHANDLER. 


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Evcmwille  and  iU  Men  of  Mark,  85 

particular  line  of  duty — however  difficult  the  work  seemed  to 
be  —  the  war  was  carried  bravely  on  till  the  goal  was  reached 
and  victory  was  secured.  Though  somewhat  bodily  enfeebled, 
his  mind  is  vigorous  as  of  yore,  and  his  voice  can  still  be 
heard  in  advocacy  of  the  improvement  of  his  adopted  home. 
He  has  done  a  good  work  for  the  Orescent  City,  and  it  will  be 
a  truly  degenerate  age  when  the  name  of  Captain  William  H. 
Chandler  shall  be  forgotten  within  her  borders. 


John  Jay  Chandler. 


I  AS  born  in  New  York  City,  on  the  17th  of  November, 
1815 ;  and  his  family  history  will  be  found  fully 
traced  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother,  Capt.  William  H.  Chandler 
— as  regards  their  removal  to  Evansville  and  Nashville. 

In  his  youth,  John  Jay  Chandler  was  characterized  by 
a  devouring  thirst  for  knowledge ;  and  every  book  that  came 
in  his  way  was  pored  over  with  unflagging  interest.  He 
received  the  greater  portion  of  his  education  at  the  Nashville 
University,  ot  which  the  late  Dr.  Phillip  Lindsey  was  Presi- 
dent. As  a  student,  he  was  fond  of  the  classics;  and  distin- 
guished himself  as  an  essayist  on  Political  Economy  and  Mental 
Philosophy.  In  the  literary  societies  he  was  regarded  as  one  of 
their  best  debaters,  and  his  ironical  repartees  won  a  rather 
formidable  reputation  ;  few  dared  to  attack  him  on  his  peculiar 
topics.  He  graduated,  with  high  honorsi  in  1836,  and  immedi- 
ately raised  a  company  for  the  Seminole  War,  then  raging  in 
Florida.  His  bravery  at  the  battle  of  Withlacooche,  in  which 
the  company  suffered  severely,  received  the  unstinted  praise  of 
General  Armstrong.  He  also  participated  in  three  other 
engagements  with  the  Creeks  and  Seminoles,  and  gained  a  sig- 
nal and  meritorious  success  for  his  skill  in  mancBuvering  his 
men,  and  the  care  he  exhibited  for  their  safety  in  fighting  a 
peculiarly  wily  foe. 

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86  HvansviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

After  the  cloee  of  this  campaign  he  commenced  the  study 
of  law,  at  Nashville ;  but  removed  to  Evansville  in  the  Fall  of 
1838.  He  at  once  entered  the  office  of  Amos  Clark,  and  con- 
tinued his  law  studies.  In  the  Spring  of  1839  he  was  admitted 
to  practice,  and  was  at  once  received  as  a  partner  by  his  former 
instructor.  The  success  which  has  attended  him  as  a  profes- 
sional man,  was  marked ,  and  the  cases  in  which  he  figured  at 
once  stamped  him  as  a  keen  logician,  a  shrewd  counselor,  and 
an  advocate  with  few  superiors  in  the  West  —  often  abrupt  in 
the  assertion  of  his  opinions  ;  intensely  personal,  as  he  was,  in 
the  course  of  an  argument ;  there  was  so  much  of  gentlemanly 
courtesy  and  dignity  about  his  deportment,  that  even  his  most 
bitter  opponents  would  forget  their  defeat  when  they  saw  the  au- 
dacity and  skill  he  exhibited  in  the  management  of  acause  on  trial 

Mr.  Chandler  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
town ;  aided  materially  in  organizing  the  city  government ; 
and  was  elected  its  first  City  Clerk  and  City  Attorney.  Disa- 
bled by  physical  infirmities,  from  engaging  in  many  political 
canvasses,  yet  his  talents  and  energies  in  behalf  of  his  party  and 
political  friends  were  such  that  he  might  have  attained  an  emi- 
nent position  in  the  State,  had  his  ambition  pointed  toward 
such  paths.  A  scholar  by  nature,  his  conversation  indicated 
the  depth  of  his  learning  and  the  scope  of  his  reading — able  to 
quote,  at  random,  the  best  thoughts  of  the  standard  authors. 
He  was,  in  every  respect,  a  man  of  fine  literary  taste  and  cul- 
ture ;  and  his  generosity  was  as  open-handed  as  his  tastes  were 
elevated  and  refined. 

Mr,  Chandler  was  married,  in  1851,  to  Mrs.  Ann  Hann,  a 
sister  of  Dr.  Isaac  Casselberry.  This  excellent  lady,  with  three 
children,  survive  him.  Mr.  Chandler's  lameness  gave  him  the 
appearance  of  being  much  under  the  average  stature*  Though 
spare,  as  regards  flesh,  his  well-marked  features  indicated  his 
will,  energy,  decision  ;  and  distinguished  him  as  a  man  of  com- 
manding presence. 

When  we  look  around  and  see  the  improvements  which 
have  taken  place  in  the  Crescent  City,  and  think  of  how  closely 
John  Jay  Chandler  was  identified,  either  directly  or  indirectly, 
with  their  growth,  we  can  not  but  feel  that  a  master-spirit  ha8 
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Judge  Nathan  Rowley. 


cOR  nearly  fifty-four  years  Nathan  Rowley  was  associafted 
with  the  progress  of  Evansville ;  and  during  that 
period  he  maintained  an  enviable  reputation  for  honor  and 
principle. 

He  was  born  in  Shoram,  Vermont,  on  the  28th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1788.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  Nathan  remained  at 
home,  working  on  the  hilly  farm,  till  1819,  when  he  removed 
to  Evansville. 

The  journey  westward  was  a  pleasant  one  to  the  young 
man  ;  and  as  the  flat-boat  touched  the  Indiana  shore  to  "wood 
up,'*  he  resolved  to  remain  in  the  *'  Hoosier  State  "  and  make 
his  fortune.  His  capital  was  limited,  but  sufficient  to  set  u{)  a 
boot  and  shoe  shop.  He  had  learned  the  shoe  business  at  his 
old  home,  and  as  there  seemed  to  be  an  opening  for  that  trade, 
he  resolved  to  make  a  venture.  In  1820,  lie  established  him- 
self on  Water  street,  and  remained  in  that  location  eight  years. 
His  industrious  habits  and  prudent  economy  enabled  him,  in 
that  time,  to  save  several  hundred  dollars. 

During  this  time  he  acted  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in 
that  capacity  was  often  consulted  by  the  litigious  inhabitants  of 
the  town,  who  were  prone  to  quarrel  upon  every  trivial  subject, 
and  had  great  confidence  in  the  "  'Squire.** 

From  1828  to  1831,  he  was  engaged  in  the  drug  and  gro- 
cery business;  having  as  different  partners  John  Shanklin,  Dr. 
Trafton,  and  Gen.  Evans.  In  1831,  he  built  a  store-house  on 
thii  piesent  site  of  the  Merchants*  National  Bank ;  and  in  the 
next  year,  in  company  with  Marcus  Sherwood,  opened  a  dry- 
goods  store  in  the  building.  In  1838,  he  sold  out  his  interest 
in  the  establishment,  and  took  a  contract  on  the  Wabash  and 
Erie  Canal.     By  the  terms  of  his  contract,  he  had  to  dig  seven 

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38  BvafMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

half-mile  sections,  and  to  finish  the  part  which  ran  through 
Fifth  street  to  Division  in  1839,  His  part  of  the  contract  was 
faithfully  observed ;  and  if  all  had  been  as  energetic  in  their 
connection  with  the  construction  of  the  canal,  it  would  have, 
undoubtedly  proved  a  success. 

In  1840,  he  was  appointed  Probate  Judge  by  Governor 
Noble,  and  in  1841  was  elected  to  the  same  position  by  a  large 
majority.  He  resigned  this  office  in  the  latter  part  of  1841. 
As  a  judge,  he  proved  a  faithful  guardian  of  all  the  interests 
committed  to  his  care ;  and  though  not  so  learned  as  some  of 
hih  brother  officials,  his  judicial  career  was  highly  commended 
by  all  who  had  any  business  with  him  in  a  probate  capacity^ 

In  1842,  he  rented  the  Indiana  Flour  Mill,  which  formerly 
stood  near  the  present  depot  of  the  Bailway,  and  was  engaged 
in  a  large  and  profitable  business  till  its  destruction  by  fire,  in 
1844.  This  entailed  a  loss  of  over  ten  thousand  dollars  upon 
him  ;  but,  with  his  usual  energy,  he  rebuilt  the  mill,  and  after 
a  year's  continuance  in  business  sold  it,  and  opened  the  Salt 
Well  Park,  in  company  with  John  Gifford.  This  soon  became 
a  popular  resort,  and  in  1853  Judge  Rowley  was  mainly  instru- 
mental in  making  the  Orescent  City  Spring  the  leading  resort 
of  the  public. 

In  1832  he  purchased  the  property  which  was  afterwards 
platted  by  him  under  the  style  of  the  North-eastern  Enlarge- 
ment, or  Rowleytown.  He  was  also  collector  for  the  canal  sev- 
eral years ;  and  in  1865  he  terminated  his  active  career,  as  his 
term  of  office  as  justice  of  the  peace  expired. 

From  his  arrival,  until  he  was  disabled  by  age,  he  was 
active  in  promoting  the  interests  of  Evansville — and  especially 
will  he  be  remembered  in  his  efforts  to  relieve  the  State  of  In- 
diana from  the  odium  of  repudiation  in  connection  with  its  debts. 

In  1849,  he  worked  earnestly  for  the  Evansville  &  Oraw- 
fordsville  Railroad  project,  and  subscribed  liberally  for  its 
construction.  In  1853,  he  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  Straight 
Line  Railroad,  and  for  which  he  contributed  two  thousand 
dollars. 

This  enterprising  pioneer  died  January  12th,  1872,  at  the 
residence  of  Thomas  D.  Smyth,  of  Enight  Township — and  thus 
closed  a  life  of  usefulness  in  which  rare  liberality  and  generos* 

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HON.  M.  S.  JOHNSON. 


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Mvanavilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  8d 

ity  were  exhibited  toward  his  friends  and  State.  The  name  of 
Judge  Rowley  will  long  be  held  in  remembrance,  as  one  who 
contributed  so  nobly  for  the  advancement  of  Evansville ;  for 
his  effective  labors  in  her  behalf ;  and  his  valuable  contribu- 
tions to  any  and  all  projects  to  serve  the  interests  of  all  classes 
of  society. 


Hon.  Morris  Stanberry  Johnson, 


J,T  was  the  fortune  of  Hoi:.  Moreis  Stanbeeey  Johnson, 
even  though  in  his  prime  at  the  time  of  his  death,  to 
realize  the  fruits  of  a  successful  career,  whose  course  had  been 
guided  by  honor  and  integrity.  His  ability  was  recognized  by 
all  while  he  was  living,  and  in  his  death  there  were  left  behind 
him  none  but  pleasant  recollections  and  tenderest  sorrow. 

His  generosity  as  a  citizen,  affability  as  a  gentleman,  and 
kindly  treatment  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  were 
alone  sufficient  traits  to  have  drawn  to  him  warm  friends, 
while  his  energy  and  perseverence  have  left  an  indelible  stamp 
upon  the  business  community  and  legal  fraternity  of  this  section. 

The  Hon.  Morris  Stanberry  Johnson  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey,  having  been  born  at  Morristown,  in  that 
State,  on  the  15th  day  of  March,  1817.  He  came  of  good, 
patriotic  stock — his  mother  being  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Stan- 
berry, who  figured  at  White  Plains,  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
She  was  also  a  cousin  of  Hon.  Henry  Stanberry,  of  Newport, 
Kentucky,  who  was  Attorney- General  of  the  United  States 
during  a  part  of  the  administration  of  Ex- President  Johnson, 
and  who  was  one  of  the  attorneys  who  defended  that  gentleman 
at  the  impeachment  trial. 


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40  JBvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

His  early  life  was  largely  devoted  to  literary  pursuits ; 
haviug  decided  to  enter  the  legal  profession,  even  at  an  early 
age.  With  what  fidelity  he  pursued  this  aim,  may  be  seen  from 
his  subsequent  course.  His  leisure  hours,  in  an  active  business 
career,  were  devoted  to  the  end  which  he  had  determined  upon 
as  his  object  in  life. 

Owing  to  the  solicitations  of  his  family,  and  his  recognized 
success  in  mercantile  life,  he  did  not  begin  the  practice  of  law 
until  he  had  reached  his  thirty-fifth  year. 

It  was  in  the  year  1844  that  his  removal  to  Evansv-ille 
occurred  ;  and  from  that  time  his  history  became  a  part  of  that 
of  the  city.  In  that  year  he  opened  a  wholesale  and  retail  dry 
goods  establishment  in  company  with  Isaac  A.  Crane,  Esq.  The 
firm  of  Johnson  &  Crane  continued  in  business  for  several  years, 
when  it  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Johnson  continued  business  on 
his  own  account.  He  removed  for  a  short  time  to  Newburgh, 
but  soon  returned  to  Evansville  and  revived  his  knowledge  of 
the  law  in  the  office  of  the  late  Gen.  James  E.  Blythe.  He  soon 
afterward  commenced  the  practice,  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  Hon.  John  Law  and  Hon  Charles  I.  Battell,  two  of  the 
most  eminent  attorneys  that  ever  graced  the  bar  of  our  city. 

His  success  as  a  lawyer  began  from  his  first  introduction  to 
the  profession  ;  and  up  the  time  of  his  election  as  Judge  of  the 
First  Common  Pleas  District,  he  had  already  gained  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Johnson  first  gave  evidence  to  our  citizens  of 
a  capacity  and  fitnesss  for  public  life,  and  his  career  was  marked 
with  the  honor  and  dignity  that  seemed  his  habitual  character- 
istic. He  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  the  Taylor  and  Fillmore 
Presidential  ticket,  and  his  voice  was  often  heard  in  the  "  wig- 
wam,*', in  advocacy  of  the  claims  of  these  men,  and  the  doc- 
trines of  the  old  Whig  party. 

In  the  mutations  of  politics  which  followed  close  upon  the 
demise  of  the  Whig  party,  Mr.  Johnson  became  identified  with 
the  Democracy,  and  continued  in  that  relation  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  1872.  His  first  appearance  as  a  candidate  was  in 
1862,  when  he  ran  against  William  Baker  for  Mayor  of  Evans- 
ville, but  was  beaten  fifty  votes  for  the  office.  It  was  remarked 
however,  that  he  made  a  splendid  race,  and  we  doubt  whether 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  41 

aoj  other  man  of  our  city  could  have  made  as  many  votes  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  as  Mr.  Johnson  did  at  that  time. 

In  1837,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected  Judge  of  the  First  Com- 
mon Pleas  District,  to  fill  a  vacancy.  His  competitor  was  Maj. 
A.  L.  Robinson,  who  held  the  office  by  appointment  of  the  Gov- 
ernor. The  following  year  Judge  Johneon  Was  elected  over 
Isaac  S.  Moore,  Eeq.,  of  Boonville,  for  a  full  term,  and  was  the 
presiding  Judge  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Charlotte  Warner,  of  New  York  City  ;  and  his  private  life  was 
filled  with  domestic  joys  and  pleasures.  No  children  were  born 
to  them. 

By  strict  and  honorable  attention  to  business.  Judge 
Johnson  had  accumulated  a  valuable  property,  and  two  or  three 
years  ago  had  erected  a  fine  residence,  which  is  one  of  the  orna- 
ments of  our  city. 

As  a  lawyer,  Ju'lge  Johnson  had  achieved  an  honorable 
distinction ,  as  a  judge,  he  was  impartial  and  just ;  as  a  gen- 
tleman in  private  life,  he  was  genial,  affable,  &nd  hospitable ; 
as  a  citizen,  he  was  generous  and  liberal. 

Such  a  man,  as  was  Judge  Johnson,  is  an  ornament  to  any 
community.  He  was  more  than  this  :  a  man  of  brains  and 
heart ;  a  man  of  power  and  of  much  usefulness  to  his  fellow 
men. 


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Theodore  Venemann. 


(AS  born  in  Ahaueen,  near  Essen,  Dakedom  of  Olden- 
burg, March  19th,  1808.  He  emigrated  to  America 
in  August,  1834,  and  lesided  first  at  Cincinnati.  In  1835,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rathers,  of  Cincinnati,  an  esti- 
mable lady,  who  was  a  worthy  help-mate  of  the  industrious 
foreigner. 

On  coming  to  the  Queen  City  Mr.  V.  had  engaged  in  the 
dry-goods  business,  and  was  rapidly  establishing  himself  in  a 
prosperous  business,  when  his  entire  stock  was  burned  by  the 
disastrous  fire  of  1844.  Though  his  hopes  were  somewhat 
dampened  by  this  unexpected  calamity,  he  resolved  to  work  on 
as  hard  as  ever,  and  take  another  location.  Just  at  this  period 
his  relations  in  the  old  country  were  anxious  for  his  return ;  and 
agreeably  to  their  wishes  he,  with  his  family,  returned  to  Ger- 
many in  the  Fall  of  1844;  but  with  the  determination  of  again 
making  America  his  home.  He  remained  in  the  old  country 
till  the  Winter  of  1847,  when  he  again  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Evansville  in  April,  1848. 

In  company  with  his  brother,  he  opened  a  dry-goods  store 
on  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Second  streets,  under  the  firm 
name  of  T.  &  J.  Venemann.  In  1851,  our  subject  sold  his 
interest  to  his  brother  Joseph,  and  established  a  foreign  exchange 
and  steamship  oflice.  This  had  been  a  darling  project  with  Mr. 
V.  for  several  years  ;  as  he  had  noticed  the  immense  emigration 
of  Europeans  to  the  United  States,  and  the  necessity  of  such  an 
institution  —  not  only  for  the  accommodation  of  travelers,  but 
also  a  mighty  influence  in  the  development  of  Southern  Indiana. 

In  this  business  his  sons,  Theodore  W*  and  August,  were 
associated  with  him  in  1867,  the  elder  of  the  two  being  the 
principal  manager  of  the  house. 


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JBvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  43 

Ever  siQce  his  location  at  Evansville,  Mr.  V.  had  been 
cctiye  in  advocating  any  and  all  projects  for  the  improvement 
of  the  city ;  and  though  never  an  office-seeker,  yet  his  fellow- 
citizens  have  several  times  elected  him  to  prominent  and  useful 
positions,  the  duties  of  which  were  discharged  in  a  creditable 
manner.  In  1856,  Mr.  V.  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  and 
in  1858  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position,  by  a  largely 
increased  majority.  The  issue  in  the  latter,  case  was  on  the 
Lecompton  question  in  connection  with  the  admission  of  Kansas 
into  the  Union.  Mr.  V.  ran  as  an  independent  candidate  as  an 
anti-Lecompton  man,  and  the  result  told  how  warmly  he  was 
supported  by  the  people.  His  official  career  was  above  re- 
proach, and  the  masterly  manner  of  his  management  of  the 
county  funds,  fully  indicated  the  instinctive  shrewdness  of  the 
banker,  and  the  high-toned  moral  culture  of  his  heart.  He 
was  also  an  amateur  horticulturist  and  pomologist,  and  the  zeal 
with  which  he  cultivated  his  garden  and  nursery  was  a  fair  indi- 
cation of  his  domestic  character.  The  Bee,  too,  was  a  favorite 
topic  with  our  subject,  and  as  an  apiarist  he  was  second  to  none 
in  the  State. 

In  his  private  life  he  was  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him  ; 
and  at  his  death,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1872,  a  host  of  friends 
and  citizens,  endeared  to  him,  mourned  the  loss  of  a  kind  friend, 
a  generous  neighbor,  and  a  worthy  citi'^^en  ;  who  loved  his  God 
and  fellow-men,  and  was  an  honor  to  the  country  of  his  adoption. 


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Colonel  James  G.  Jones. 


[0  work  on  EvaDSville  wonH  be  complete  without  men- 
tion of  Col.  Ja8.  G.  Jokes.  He  grew  up  with  the 
city  and  was  ever  identified  with  ite  interests.  One  of  the  ear- 
liest settlers  in  this  section,  his  personal  reminiscences  went 
back  to  the  time  when  Evansville  was  a  mere  Tillage,  and  the 
surrounding  country  a  wilderness. 

Col.  Jones  was  born  at  Paris,  Kentucky,  July  3d,  1814. 
He  came,  with  his  parents,  to  Vanderburgh  County  in  1819, 
and  settled  in  Union  Township.  His  youthful  education  con- 
sisted in  the  sports  and  labors  of  pioneer  life — proficient  in  the 
use  of  gun  and  oar — able  to  read  and  write — ^he  even  then  gave 
promise  of  the  larger  fame  and  fortune  which  he  was  destined 
to  experience. 

It  is  only  owing  to  his  indomitable  pluck  and  the  aid  of  a 
hickory  fire  that  his  mind  became  familiar  with  the  abstruse 
sciences  of  mathematics,  which  he  diligently  studied  in  his 
father's  cabin.  By  dint  of  hard  work  he  became  a  lawyer,  and 
was  recognized  as  among  the  most  brilliant  of  the  State.  His 
logical  mind  made  his  services  as  a  counselor  invaluable,  and 
ranked  him  above  the  eloquent  advocate,  for  he  came  out  from 
all  legal  encounters  with  victory  on  his  side,  where  it  was  pos- 
sible of  attainment.  One  of  his  first  public  positions  was  that 
of  County  Recorder,  and  he  has  made  the  county  records  upon 
which  most  of  the  titles  to  the  real  estate  depend.  He  was, 
also,  a  good  surveyor,  and  his  work  in  this  capacity  is  the  recog- 
nized guide  for  the  present  surveys  of  the  city. 

In  1840,  he  was  Attorney  of  the  city  under  the  corpora- 
tion ;  also,  a  town  trustee.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  drew,  in 
his  own  beautiful  chirography,  the  draft  of  the  city  charter, 
under  which  the  city  government   was  formed.     His  efforts 


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HvanavilU  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  45 

secured  the  many  special  privileges  which  Evansville  to-daj 
enjoys,  and  which  were  pat  into  practical  operation  in  1847. 
He  was  the  first  Mayor  of  the  city,  receiving  a  salary  of  five 
hundred  dollars ;  and  in  1850  he  was  re-elected  to  a  second 
term.  His  election  involved  the  Temperance  question,  or  that 
of  "  license  "  and  "  no  license.'*  and  his  majority  as  the  license 
candidate,  against  Conrad  Baker,  his  no-license  competitor,  was 
sixty-three  votes.  In  1853,  he  was  defeated  for  this  oflBce,  on 
local  issues,  by  Hon.  Jno.  S.  Hopkins ;  and  in  185B,  by  the  late 
John  Henson,  on  political  questions — Col.  Jones  being  the  Re- 
publican nominee.  He  was  afterward  twice  defeated  for  the 
City  Council. 

In  1860,  Col.  Jones  was  elected  by  the  Republican  party 
for  the  office  of  Attorney- General  of  Indiana,  an  office  which 
he  gave  up  in  1861,  to  accept  the  colonelcy  of  the  Forty -second 
Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers.  His  patriotism  was  manifested 
by  distinguished  services  in  the  cause  of  the  Union.  Sickness, 
from  which  he  never  really  recovered,  took  him  from  the  field 
of  battle  ;  but  he  was,  without  doubt,  of  as  great  service  to  the 
country  as  Provost  Marshal  General  of  the  State,  and  subse- 
quently as  the  head  of  the  recruiting  bureau. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  his  practice  of  the  law, 
but  his  tremendous  labors  in  the  army  had  told  on  his  constitu- 
tion ;  and  in  1869  he  held  his  last  official  position,  by  appoint- 
ment of  (Jovernor  Baker,  as  Judge  of  the  Fifteenth  Judicial 
Circuit,  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Hon.  Wm.  F.  Parrett. 

In  •February,  1838,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Rose  Ann 
Rappelye,  the  daughter  of  one  of  our  oldest  citizens  ;  and  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  were  born  to  them. 

Colonel  Jones  died  April  5th,  1872,  and  his  loss  was  deeply 
mourned.  His  genial  temperament  rendered  him  a  good  com- 
panion and  a  deservedly  popular  man  in  all  circles,  His  gifts 
of  heart  and  mind  held  all  in  his  friendship  and  bound  them 
still  closer  to  him.  The  loving  husband  and  kind  father — there 
is,  also,  the  broad  circle  of  the  community  which  recognized  his 
worth ;  the  State  which  honored  him  in  its  trying  moments ; 
and  the  loving  recollections  in  which  his  memory  is  enshrined. 


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Hon.  Fred.  W.  Cook. 


HE  subject  of  this  sketch,  Frederick  Washington 
Cook,  of  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Rice,  proprietors  of  the 
City  Brewery,  on  Seventh  street  between  Main  and  Sycamore, 
was  born  at  Washington  City,  D.  C,  February  1st,  1831,  and 
his  parents  shortly  afterward  removed  to  Port  Deposit,  Cecil 
County,  Maryland.  After  a  residence  of  about  three  years  at 
this  place,  they  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  and  in  1836  to 
this  city ;  and  in  the  same  year  Mr.  Cook's  step-father,  Jacob 
Rice,  in  copartnership  with  Fred.  Kroener,  the  uncle  of  Mr. 
Cook,  commenced  a  bakery  business  on  the  property  where 
White,  Dunkerson  &  Co's  tobacco  warehouse  now  stands,  corner 
of  Locust  and  Water  streets.  From  this  place  they  removed 
to  Main  street,  between  Second  and  Third,  where  Marconnier  a 
hat  store  is  now  located  ;  and  at  this  place,  in  connection  with 
their  bakery  business,  they  also  carried  on  a  boarding-house. 

In  1837,  Messrs.  Rice  and  Kroener  bought  property  in 
Lamasco,  near  the  terminus  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal, 
which  was  then  in  course  of  construction,  and  in  the  same  year 
built  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Old  Brewery  "  —  the  first 
brewery  built  in  Evansville.  Mr.  Cook  remained  with  his 
parents  until  1858,  when  he  entered  into  a  copartnership  with 
Louis  Rice,  a  brother  of  Mr.  Cook's  step-father,  and  built  the 
City  Brewery  —  the  premises  on  which  it  stands  then  being  a 
corn-field.  When  they  began  business  the  cash  capital  of  the 
firm  was  $830 ;  Louis  Rice  having  saved  $165  from  his  earn- 
ings, and  Mr.  Cook's  father  advancing  him  an  equal  amount. 
Louis  Rice  attended  to  the  brewing  department,  and  Mr.  Cook 
to  the  business  and  financial  department.  They  continued 
together  with  good  success,  until  1857,  when  Louis  Rice  sold 
his  interest  in  the  brewery  to  Jacob  Rice,  (Mr.  Cook's  father,) 
for  |8,500«     The  new  firm  commenced  building  a  Lager  Beer 


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HON.  F.  W.  COOK. 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  47 

cellar  at  once ;  and  in  1858  made  the  first  lager  beer  in  Sonth- 
ern  Indiana.    In  1858,  they  also  bnilt  an  extensiye  malt-honse. 

Mr.  Cook  was  elected  Councilman  for  the  Fifth  ward  in 
April.  1856,  and  for  the  Eighth  ward  in  April,  1863,  and  April, 
1864,  but  resigned  in  the  Fall  of  1864 ;  having  been  elected 
Representative  from  Vanderburgh  Countj  to  the  Legislature  of 
Indiana,  iu  which  body  he  served  during  the  called  session  of 
1864  and  regular  session  of  1864-5.  In  April,  1867,  he  was 
again  elected  to  the  Oity  Council  from  the  Fourth  ward ;  and 
it  may  be  said  of  him  that  both  in  the  City  Council  and  Legis- 
lature, he  served  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents, 
and  with  much  credit  to  himself. 

In  the  Fall  of  1856,  Mr.  Cook  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa 
Hild,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

Mr.  Cook  has  built  additions  to  the  brewery,  from  year  to 
year,  and  has  also  procured  all  modern  improvements  known  to 
the  art  of  brewing ;  and  the  establishment,  is  now  one  of  the 
most  practically-arranged  breweries  in  the  West,  and  the  larg- 
est in  the  State  of  Indiana. 

Mr.  Rice,  the  step-father  and  partner  of  Mr.Cook,  met  with 
a  fatal  accident,  on  the  29th  of  April,  1872,  and  died  on  the  3d 
of  May  following,  from  the  injuries  received.  Mrs.  Rice,  the 
mother  of  Mr.  Cook,  who  survives,  continues  Mr.  Rice's  inter- 
est in  the  business;  thus  leaving  the  style  of  the  firm  unchanged. 
The  brewery  and  premises  are  now  worth  upwards  of  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  resulted  from  the  investment 
of  three  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  in  1853. 


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Captain  August  Elles. 


I  AS  born  in  Speyer-on-the-Rhine,  Bavaria,  on  the  22d 
of  May,  1815.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Bavarian  army,  and  died  when  Angnst  was  only  two  years  of 
age.  He  was  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Schmidt,  daughter  of  David  Schmidt,  of  Waohenheim, 
Bavaria.  In  1840,  he,  with  his  family,  sailed  for  America ; 
landing  in  New  York  on  the  28th  of  June,  and  at  once  started 
for  Indiana.  On  the  31st  of  July  following  he  reached  Evans- 
ville,  with  a  capital  of  fifty-five  cents.  Having  learned  the 
butcher's  trade  in  the  old  country,  he  opened  a  slaughter-house, 
—  obtaining  the  necessary  credit  from  some  friends.  In  this 
pursuit  he  continued  till  1848.  In  this  year  he  opened  a  large 
grocery  store  in  company  with  John  E.  Meni.  In  1852,  Gassi- 
mer  Schlamp  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Meni ;  and  the  firm 
of  Elles  &  Schlamp  was  in  the  receipt  of  an  extensive  business, 
for  several  years.  Mr.  Elles  also  opened  a  store  on  the  corner 
of  Third  and  Locust  streets ;  and  this  was  his  business  location 
till  he  purchased  the  flouring  mills,  on  Canal  street.  The  mills 
were  destroyed  by  fire  about  five  years  after  his  undertaking 
their  management ;  but,  with  his  usual  energy,  in  connection 
with  his  son,  Nicholas,  he  immediately  erected  the  spacious 
"  Canal  Mills,*'  so  favorably  known  in  this  section. 

Mr.  Elles  was  also  well  known  as  Captain  of  the  Jackson 
Artillery — the  first  and  only  military  company  Evansville  had 
for  a  number  of  yean. 

Captain  Elles  was  a  Democrat  in  politics ;  and,  in  1855, 
was  a  fierce  opponent  of  the  organization  named  the  "  Enow- 
Nothing  "  party.  Often  urged  to  accept  a  nomination,  he  only 
consented,  in  1870,  to  run  tor  au  office  ;  and  he  was  elected,  by 
a  large  majority,  a  member  of  the  Council  from  the  First  ward. 


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BvanmHUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  49 

—  and  to  his  official  position  be  brought  the  same  energy  and 
honesty  he  had  exhibited  in  his  private  affairs. 

Captain  EUes  was  a  good  business  man ;  and  his  sound, 
practical  merit,  in  addition  to  his  genial  disposition,  made  him 
very  popular  in  all  his  relations  with  the  public.  His  death,  in 
1871,  was  unexpected,  and  his  loss  was  keenly  felt  by  the  com- 
munity at  large,  who  knew  him  as  a  large-hearted  citizen,  who 
interested  himself  largely  for  the  welfare  of  all. 


£  Q.  Smith. 


[HILE  extensive  factories,  large  foundries,  and  capa- 
cious mills  have  added  largely  to  the  wealth  of  the 
city,  they  have  also  been  the  source  of  the  struggles  and  subso- 
qaent  triumphs  of  many  of  our  most  valuable  citizens.  Among 
those  who  have  achieved  success,  as  a  manufacturer,  is  E  Q. 
Smith.  He  was  born  in  Hunter,  Greene  County,  New  York, 
on  the  7th  of  February,  1828.  Jeremiah  Smith,  his  father, 
was  a  carpenter  and  millwright  by  trade,  and  withal,  a  very 
ingenious  mechanic.  There  was  a  chair  factory  in  the  town, 
and  Mr.  Smitli  was  employed  to  keep  the  machinery  in  order ; 
and  our  subject,  when  a  boy,  was  accustomed  to  assist  his  father 
in  his  labors,  and  in  a  short  time  was  very  familiar  with  the 
method  of  making  chairs.  From  1846  to  1848  he  worked  at 
the  business,  and  could  make  a  first-class  chair.  In  July,  1848, 
he  started  for  the  West,  via  the  lakes,  visiting  Milwaukee  and 
the  pineries  of  Wisconsin.  In  the  latter  region  he  remained  a 
few  weeks,  and  assisted  to  build  a  saw- mill.  Went  South  as 
far  as  Memphis,  and  then  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  and  here 
received  a  letter  to  go  to  Cincinnati  and  assist  in  making  the 
machinery  for   the  first  machine  chair  factory  of  that  city. 

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60  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

He  arrived  in  Cincinnati  in  July,  1849,  and  spent  a  year  in  the 
factory.  He  now  visited  Detroit,  via  Cleveland,  and  worked  in 
a  chair  factory  two  years;  was  married  in  March,  1852,  to  Mien 
Marion  W.  Ray,  daughter  of  Elijah  Ray,  of  Vermont,  and  re- 
turned to  Cincinnati.  He  was  now  employed  as  foreman  of  the 
largest  chair  factory  there,  and  soon  enlarged  its  limited  amount 
of  machinery  and  doubled  its  annual  production.  He  also 
invented  three  machines  and  made  many  improvements  on  the 
old  machines  which  have  been  adopted  by  the  trade  generally. 
He  came  to  Evansville  in  November,  1858,  and  embarked 
in  the  enterprise  of  manufacturing  chairs  on  an  extended  scale. 
With  one  of  the  largest  factories  in  the  West,  and  not  surpassed 
anywhere  for  accommodation  and  convenience,  we  think  that 
few  men  have  so  brilliant  a  prospect  before  them  as  E.Q.Smith. 
His  trade  has  been  so  heavy  and  constant  that  he  has  been 
compelled  to  make  several  additions  to  his  factory  and  enlarge 
its  capacity.  Mr.  Smith,  comparatively  speakiog,  is  a  young 
man,  and  destined  to  long  service  in  the  extensive  businesss  he 
has  been  so  prominent  in  establishing ;  and  has  been  the  means 
of  introducing  us  abroad,  and  thus  attracting  many  to  Evans- 
ville as  a  base  of  supplies.  Genial  and  social ;  industrious  and 
active — we  trust  the  Crescent  City  may  be  fortunate  enough  in 
attracting  more  of  the  valuable  citizens  who  will  accomplish  as 
great  a  work  as  the  subject  of  this  article. 


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DR.  K  J.  EHRMAN. 


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E.  J.'Ehman,  M.  D. 


^AS  born  in  Jaxthausen,  Wurtemburg,  Germany,  on 
the  29th  of  October,  1819.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  land,  and  also  in  the  office 
of  his  father,  who  was  a  physician  and  surgeon.  In  1833,  his 
parents  removed  to  America,  and  settled  in  York,  Pennsylva- 
nia. His  father,  after  having  thirty  years'  service  in  the  Allo- 
pathic school,  here  embraced  Homosopathy  ;  and  his  son,  at  the 
age  of  twenty,  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  his  office. 
His  course  of  instruction  continued  five  years ;  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five,  he  opened  an  office  at  Liverpool,  York  Oounty, 
Pennsylvania,  and  began  to  realize  the  actual  experiences  of 
the  medical  profession.  After  several  years'  practice,  he 
attended  a  full  course  of  lectures  at  the  Homoeopathic  Medical 
College  of  Pennsylvania,  and  graduated  in  1852.  He  then 
removed  to  Reitzville,  York  Oounty,  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
thence  to  Evansville  ;  arriving  in  the  latter  city  in  the  Fall  of 
1852.  Dr.  E.  was  the  first  Homoeopathic  physician  in  Liver- 
pool, Reitzville  and  Evansville.  Several  years  elapsed  before 
he  could  lay  any  foundation  for  the  new  school.  After  treating 
a  few  intelligent  patients,  his  practice  began  to  increase,  and 
he  enhanced  his  reputation  by  a  skillful  treatment  of  a  variety 
of  cases  incident  to  this  climate.  After  ten  years'  practice,  he 
was  forced  to  retain  an  assistant,  in  order  to  attend  the  many 
invalids  requesting  his  servioes.  Since  1862,  ten  gentlemen  of 
the  various  schools  have  aided  the  Doctor ;  and  they  are  all  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  good  practice,  either  in  Indiana  or  adjoin- 
ing States.  Dr.  E.  has  been  Oounty  Physician,  and  medical 
attendant  of  the  Marine  Hospital  and  Orphan  Asylum.  The 
latter  position  he  retains  at  the  present  time.  ' 


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62  EvoMvitle  and  its  Men  of  Mwrk. 

Dr.  E.  is  the  youngest  of  five  brothers,  four  of  whom  are 
still  living,  and  all  are  homoeopathic  physicians,  doing  active 
duty  in  the  cause,  and  adding  valuable  contributions  to  its  lit- 
erature. 

Years  of  honorable  service  have  won  for  Dr.  Ehrman  hosts 
of  friends,  and  he  is  held  in  loving  reverence  by  his  many 
patients.  His  love  of  the  practice  has  led  him  t.o  confine  his 
duties  to  it ;  and  he  has,  therefore,  accomplished  little  for  its 
literature.  But  he  has  placed  Homoeopathy  on  a  firm  and  last- 
ing foundation  in  the  Crepcent  City,  and  has  identified  himself 
with  every  earnest  endeavor  to  secure  and  advance  its  interests. 
His  ability  is  conceded  by  the  profession  of  all  schools,  and  he 
has  secured  universal  respect,  while  the  gratitude  of  his  nu- 
merous patients  is  an  ample  reward  for  his  laborious  career. 
His  punctuality  and  his  temperate  habits,  in  connection  with 
his  good  constitution,  will,  we  trust,  long  preserve  to  his  State 
the  benefit  of  his  science  and  experience. 


iiohn  H.  Roelker. 


|E0MINENT  among  those  who  have  devoted  themselves 
successfully  to  building  up  our  manufacturing  inter- 
ests is  J.  H.  Roelker,  Esq,  A  native  of  Ossenbrach,  Kingdom 
of  Hanover,  Mr.  R.  came  to  America  in  1835,  then  only 
nineteen  years  of  age.  He  traveled  on  foot,  fourteen  days,  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  then  came  on  a  steamboat  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky.* He  had  one  hundred  dollars  in  his  possession  when  he 
left  the  old  country,  and  after  his  arrival  at  the  latter  city  he 
had  pnly  eleven  dollars  left.  He  first  obtained  employment  as 
a  waiter-boy  in  a  restaurant,  at  the  rate  of  four  dollars  a  month. 
In  about  four  months  he  was  offered  a  situation  in  a  hotel,  at  the 


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J.  H.  BOELKER. 


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increased  wages  of  eleven  dollars  a  month.  He  worked  in  the 
hotel  three  months,  and  then  engaged  as  second  cook  on  the 
Orinoco^  la  the  Louisville  and  St.  Louis  line.  At  the  latter  city 
bfs  went  on  board  the  Chariton,  as  second  cook.  The  steamer 
was  bound  up  the  Missouri  for  furs,  etc.  The  voyage  of  over 
twelve  hundred  miles  was  very  pleasant,  and  in  two  months 
the  boat  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  Mr.  R.  was  out  of  a  job. 
However,  a  hod-carrier  was  wanted  on  a  building,  and  Mr,  R. 
worked  earnestly  at  this  laborious  business  till  he  obtained  a 
position  as  second  steward  on  the  Potoai^  in  the  Louisville  and 
St.  Louis  trade.  In  seven  months*  time  he  visited  Cincinnati, 
where  he  met  his  brother,  just  from  the  old  country.  Wishing 
to  remain  near  his  brother,  he  obtained  a  position  as  driver  of  a 
furniture  wagon,  and  was  constantly  at  work  at  this  avocation 
for  three  years.  On  the  20th  of  July,  1840,  he  commenced 
working  as  a  stove- blacker,  for  twenty  dollars  a  month.  He 
worked  ten  years,  in  various  capacities,  and  learned  everything 
about  the  stove  business.  In  1850,  he  engaged  as  foreman  of 
W.  G.  Davis  &  Co's  foundry,  and  had  charge  of  that  establish- 
ment for  over  two  and  a  half  years.  The  following  year  and  a 
half  he  had  charge  of  Chamberlain  &  Co*s  extensive  foundry. 

As  a  result  of  his  economy  and  industrious  habits,  he  had 
saved  over  six  thousand  dollars ;  and  he  now  determined  to 
come  to  Evansville  and  establish  a  foundry.  In  1854  he  ar- 
rived in  the  city,  and  at  once  purchased  a  lot  having  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  front,  on  Main,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
streets,  for  thirty-two  and  a  half  dollars  a  foot.  The  necessary 
buildings  were  erected  ;  and  having  a^ciated  with  himself  F. 
W.  Brinkmeyer,  Esq.,  and  John  B.  Mesker,  a  fair  trade  was 
carried  on,  and  the  prospect  was  encouraging  for  a  rapid 
increase  from  that  time  forward.  The  firm  of  Brinkmeyer, 
Meeker  &  Co.  established  a  lasting  reputation  for 'their  stoves, 
etc.;  and  for  thorough  durability  and  style  of  finish  the  products 
of  their  factory  were  second  to  none  in  the  country.  The  firm 
was  afterward  known  as  Brinkmeyer,  Klusman  &  Cq^  Roelker, 
Elusman  &  Co.,  and  Roelker,  Blount  &  Co,  The  latter  firm 
also  manufactured  plows,  which  obtained  considerable  note  in 
the  agricultural  districts.     The  firm  name  at  the  present  time 


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64  Boansvitle  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

is  J.  H.  Roelker  &  Co.  —  J.  W.  Roelker,  a  son  of  the  former, 
being  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  house. 

Seventy  men  are  employed  in  the  foundry,  and  the  amount 
of  business  averages  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  per  annum.  All  work  in  this  establishment  is  turned 
out  in  a  style  fully  equal  to  any  in  the  country.  The  products 
of  this  foundry  have  advertised  largely  the  manufacturing 
interests,  and  their  trade  has  grown  in  magnificent  proportions, 
and  they  find  little  difficulty  in  competing  with  other  localities. 

Mr.  R.  has  served  seven  years  in  the  City  Council,  and  has 
been  an  active  and  influential  member  of  that  body.  He  h**8 
at  all  times  manifested  a  gener>us  public  spirit,  and  can 
pride  himself  upon  being  just  and  impartial  toward  all  men,  of 
whatever  political  complexion  they  may  be.  Mr.  Roelker  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Zion  Church  since  1847  ;  and 
we  can  truly  say  that  his  generosity  and  kindness  toward  the 
poor  and  afflicted  are  a  true  index  of  his  noble  heart.  An  ear- 
nest Republican,  he  might  have  received  high  political  honors 
from  his  party ;  but  he  preferred  to  devote  himself  to  his  busi- 
ness—  in  which  he  has  met  with  merited  success. 


Judge  Asa  Iglehart. 


rTTCCESS  in  life  more  often  depends  upon  the  real  merit 
of  the  man,  than  the  sudden  freaks  of  fortune  s  wheel 
which  occasionally  turns  out  to  some  prominent  position,  the  per- 
son, perhaps,  unfitted  for  the  diversified  walks  of  higher  life. 
It  has  been  the  innate  energy  and  studious  habits  of  Judge  Iole- 
HAET  that  has  placed  him  so  high  in  the  profession;  and  the  young 
men  of  this  generation,  whatever  their  condition  may  be,  can 
look  forward  with  trustfulness  to  the  future,  if  they  will  only 
put  their  shoulders  manfully  to  the  wheel,  and  go  forward. 


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HON.  ASA  IGLEHART. 


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JBvaJuville  cmd  its  Men  of  Mark,  55 

The  ancestors  of  the  Iglehart  family  were  of  German  des- 
cent, and  located,  in  1700,  in  the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land. Levi  Iglehart,  the  father  of  Asa.  was  born  in  Annarundel 
County.  Maryland,  on  the  13th  of  October,  1786.  He  was  a 
a  farmer;  and,  not  satisfied  with  his  prospects  in  his  native 
State,  started  for  the  Southwest,  and  finally  settled  in  Ohio 
County,  Kentucky,  in  1816.  Here,  on  the  8th  of  December, 
1817,  Asa  was  born.  Little  is  remembered  of  his  life  in  this 
State;  as,  in  1824,  his  father  removed  to  Warrick  County,  In- 
diana- There  were  few  schools  in  those  days  ;  and  what  there 
were,  were  presided  over  by  teachers  hardly  fitted  for  the 
responsible  position.  His  mind  was  early  inclined  to  books, 
and  what  education  he  received  in  his  youth  was  directed  by 
his  own  and  his  father's  taste.  As  he  grew  up  to  manhood's 
statuie,  he  worked  on  the  farm  and  studied  at  his  leisure  inter- 
vals. He  at  one  time  taught  school ;  but  his  labors,  otherwise, 
were  connected  with  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  1842,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Cowle,  of  Blue 
Grass,  Vanderburgh  Oounty,  and  at  once  removed  to  a  tract  of 
land  presented  to  him  by  his  father  some  years  before.  Slowly 
but  surely  his  studious  habits  opened  his  eyes  to  a  wider  world, 
and  be  now  dreamed  of  becoming  a  lawyer..  This  was  the 
taming-point  in  his  career. 

He  came  lo  Evansville,  purchased  Blackatone,  and  read 
the  commentator  and  kindred  authors,  as  his  time  would  per- 
mit. He  calculated  for  the  future  and  prepared  for  professional 
life ;  and  at  the  same  time  managed  his  farm  —  feeling  the 
responsibility  of  his  position,  and  never  doubting  as  to  his  final 
entry  into  the  legal  profession.  With  no  patronizing  friends  to 
console  him  in  his  weary  moments,  ihe  energy  of  his  character 
finally  conquered  all  obstacles;  he  completed  his  course,  and  in 
1849  was  admitted  to  practice.  Mr.  Iglehart  removed  to  Evans- 
ville, and  in  a  short  time  became  associated  with  Messrs.  Ingle 
and  Wheeler,  as  junior  partner.  His  integrity  and  prompt 
attention  to  business,  combined  with  the  faithfulness  with  which 
he  ever  labored  for  his  clients'  interests,  secured  for  him  a  libe- 
ral share  of  practice.  In  June,  1854,  he  was  appointed  Judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas ;  and  here  his  talents  as  a  jurist 
were  so  apparent,  that  he  was  nominated  for  the  same  position 


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66  BvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

by  the  Republican  party,  and  elected  without  opposition.  His 
independent,  firm,  and  discriminating  course  endeared  him  to 
the  people  at  large  ;  and  when  he  retired  from  the  bench,  he 
received  the  commendation  of  the  members  of  the  bar  and  the 
people,  for  the  prompt  and  impartial  manner  he  exhibited  to- 
ward all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  Ever  since  his  retire- 
ment from  the  bench  his  practice  has  been  extensive  and 
lucrative.  Never  an  advocate,  the  strong  bent  of  his  mind 
inclined  him  to  the  careful  preparation  of  his  pleadings  —  and 
in  this  particular  Judge  Iglehart  has  few,  if  any,  superiors. 
The  Supreme  Court  reports,  undoubtedly,  furnish  the  highest 
and  most  satisfactory  evidence  of  his  ability  as  a  jurist. 

The  writer  has  often  seen  him  toiling,  hour  after  hour, 
arranging  the  legal  point?  in  his  brief  and  condensing  his  author- 
ities for  the  next  day's  argument  in  court  —  in  which  he  was 
always  short  —  always  occupying  little  time,  even  in  the  most 
complicated  cases.  Cautious,  prudent  in  the  formation  of  his 
judgment ;  yet,  when  decided,  he  executes  it  with  an  energy 
eminently  calculated  to  insure  success. 

Plain  and  simple  in  his  manner ;  regular  in  his  habits ; 
time  has  thus  far  laid  its  hand  gently  upon  him.  He  is,  appa- 
rently capable  of  performing  much  service  for  the  people  of  this 
State,  who  have  delighted  to  honor  him  with  their  confidence. 


Captain  James  W.  Wartman, 

CX.SBK  or  THK  Unxtbd  States  Ooubt. 


'^APTAIN  WARTMAN  was  born  in  Lewisburg,  Green- 
brier County,  Virginia,  on  February  7th,  1832.  His 
early  youth  was  passed  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  received  a  thor- 
ough education,  being  a  distinguished  graduate  of  "  Woodward 
High  School,'*  on  a  par  with  our  best  universities.  For  some 
years  after  finishing  his  education  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile 

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EvoMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  67 

pnrsoits  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  established  an  excellent  repu- 
tation. 

He  removed  to  Spencer  County,  Indiana,  and  studied  law 
with  Hon.  L.  Q.  DeBrnler,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  the 
law  in  Rockport,  Indiana.  In  1864  he  was  appointed  Provost 
Marshal  of  the  First  District  of  Indiana,  with  headquarters  at 
Evansville ;  and  after  serving  in^  that  capacity  for  some  time, 
resigned,  and  was  appointed  Commissioner  of  the  Board  of  En- 
rollment for  the  First  District  of  Indiana.  Daring  his  services 
in  these  capacities  the  drafts  of  1864  and  1865  occurred  ;  and 
the  delicate,  responsible  and  unpleasant  duties  devolving  upon 
him,  were  performed  with  satisfaction  to  all-  After  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  to  Rockport,  Indiana,  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law  in  partnership  with  one  of  his  preceptors, 
Hon.  Thos.  F.  DeBruler.  In  July,  1871,  !ie  was  appointed 
Deputy  Clerk  of  the  United  States  Courts  at  Evansville,  and  at 
once  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office.  In  September,  1871, 
WAS  appointed  United  States  Commissioner,  and  discharges  his 
duties  acceptably. 

Commissioner  Wartmann  is  an  ardent  friend  and  an  intelli- 
gent judge  of  the  common-school  system  ;  and  for  some  years, 
while  at  Rockport,  was  President  of  the  School  Board.  He  is, 
also,  a  Sunday-school  man,  and  for  many  years  has  engaged 
with  much  zeal  in  this  work  as  a  successful  teacher. 

Captain  Wartmann,  in  all  his  positions,  public  and  private, 
has  been  a  careful,  painstaking  gentleman ;  a  man  of  thorough 
culture,  and  bound  to  secure  respect  wherever  he  is  known. 


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John  F.  Glover. 


(HE  career  of  Mr  Glover  can  not  be  considered  an  event- 
ful one.  He  has  preferred  the  quiet  walks  of  life  and 
has  worked  earnestly  to  improve  the  character  and  condition  of 
that  class  of  society  so  often  neglected  in  our  educational  and 
religious  institutions. 

John  F.  Glover  was  born  near  Harrisburgh,  Pennsylva- 
nia, on  the  29th  of  March,  1814.  His  grandfather  was  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier,  and  Joseph  Glover,  his  father,  served  in  the 
War  of  1812.  John  remained  at  home,  going  to  school  and 
working  in  his  father's  mill,  till  1827,  when  he  engaged  for 
fifty  cents  a  day  to  work  on  the  Pennsylvania  Canal.  He  drove 
a  cart  and  worked  in  the  oflSce  for  over  two  years ;  when  desir- 
ous of  having  a  regular  trade,  he  entered  the  store  of  Abraham 
Oves,  a  distinguished  merchant  of  Harrisburgh.  John  was 
regularly  apprenticed  and  served  in  various  capacities,  as  sales- 
man, etc.,  for  over  five  years.  He  then  removed  to  Louisville 
and  engaged  in  his  uncle's  extensive  lumber-yard  till  1838, 
when  by  his  savings  and  credit,  he  went  into  the  retail  grocery 
business.  At  this  time  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lucinda  C. 
Simons,  daughter  of  A.  L.  Simons,  an  old  resident  of  Louisville 
and  one  of  its  most  respected  citizens.  In  a  short  time,  how- 
ever, he  again  returned  to  the  lumber  trade,  associating  with 
himself  his  brother-in-law,  W.  S.  Davis.  Their  trade  was  con- 
tinuing with  fair  success,  when  Mr.  G*  determined  to  remove 
to  Evansville  and  establish  a  lumber-yard  at  this  place. 

In  December,  1852,  Mr.  G.  arrived  in  the  city,  and  at  once 
opened  a  lumber-yard  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Seventh 
streets.  Since  his  entry  into  this  city  his  career  has  been 
marked  by  unwavering  integrity  and  commendable  enterprise. 

Mr.  Glover  is  most  successful  as  an  organizer  of  Sunday 
schools,  having  joined  the  M.  E.  Ohurch  at  Harrisburgh,  and 

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previous  to  his  arrival  in  Evansville,  having  acted  as  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Brock  Street  M.  E.  Sunday  School  for  over  ten 
years ;  and  we  might  with  truth  say  that,  from  his  fifth  year, 
when  he  joined  the  Lutheran  Sunday  School,  of  Harrisburgh, 
he  lias  been  laboring  as  scholar,  teacher,  or  officer  in  this  cause. 
Mr.  G.  was  Superintendent  of  the  Ingle  Street  Mission  Sunday 
School  for  over  three  years ;  but  it  was  reserved  for  him  to  act 
in  a  still  more  honorable  capacity,  as  the  Superintendent  of  the 
City  Mission  Sunday  School,  which  occupied  the  hall  now  used 
by  the  Commercial  College.  The  school  had  been  in  operation 
for  several  years,  and  was  prospering  finely,  when  some  of  its 
officers  joined  the  army,  and  the  large  number  of  scholars  began 
to  dwindle,  till  at  length  the  small  number  of  one  hundred  met 
at  the  Court-house.  At  this  juncture  Mr.  Glover  was  asked  to 
take  charge  of  the  work  ;  and,  after  considerable  urging,  both 
from  teachers  and  scholars,  he  consented.  Rooms  were  obtained 
in  the  Crescent  City  Hall,  now  known  as  the  *'  Commercial 
School,"  and  in  a  short  time,  owing  to  the  co-operation  of  the 
several  Evangelical  churches,  the  school  increased  from  month 
to  month  ;  till  at  length  aboat  a  thousand  scholars  were  enrolled. 
The  last  year  of  Mr.  G.*s  administration,  six  hundred  names 
were  on  the  register,  with  an  average  of  five  hundred  and  four 
pupils.  Miss  E.  E.  Johnson,  the  well-known  Christian  lady, 
was  associated  with  him  several  months. 

A  leading  element  of  the  success  of  this  Sabbath  School 
was  Music;  which  department  was  under  the  leadership  of 
Professor  C.  C.  Q^nung,  organist,  and  W,  W.  Tileston,  Esq., 
chorister;  the  former  having  given  several  years  labor  in  his 
line,  the  latter  was  connected  with  the  school  from  its  organiza- 
tion until  its  disbandment,  in  1868.  The  School  performed  a 
good  and  lasting  work,  and  Mr.  Glover  will  ever  be  remem- 
bered in  connection  with  his  many  pecuniary  sacrifices  to  pro- 
mote the  good  cause  ;  his  earnestness  and  foresight  in  providing 
the  children  with  the  means  and  opportunities  of  becoming  good 
men  and  women.  The  school  was  brought  to  a  high  degree  of 
perfection  after  years  of  struggling  and  experimenting,  an«l  only 
^stopped  on  account  of  the  leasing  of  their  hall  to  other  parties. 
Mr.  G.  has  often  remarked  that  ''  this  '  Mission '  was  the 
pleasantest  work  of  his  life,"  and  he  expects  to  return  to  it 


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60  Ihanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

again.  Our  subject  was  also  Superintendeot  of  Trinity  M.  E* 
Sunday  School  for  three  years,  and  at  present  is  teacher  of  one 
of  its  Bible  classes. 

A  prudent  merchant ;  devoted  to  Ohristian  work  ;  enter- 
prising in  all  his  philanthropic  plans  —  we  trust  that  it  will  be 
long  before  he  will  be  taken  from  his  field,  as  *'  guardian  of  the 
poor  people's  children." 


Daniel  Morgan,  M.  D. 


^HE  Morgans  are  of  Welsh  extraction  ;  and,  as  early  as 
1638,  James  Morgan  came  to  Oonnecticut.  He  served 
the  colony  six  times  in  the  General  Court,  and  occupied  a 
prominent  position  in  the  colonial  debates.  Isaac  Morgan,  the 
father  of  Daniel,  was  a  farmer ;  and  was  born  and  raised  in 
Windham  County.  Canterbury,  of  that  county,  claims  Daniel 
as  its  son ;  as  he  first  saw  light  there,  on  the  22d  of  March, 
1813.  He  was  educated  at  the  Brooklyn  High  School,  Phillips 
Academy,  Andover,  Mass.,  and  Plainfield  Seminary.  After 
completing  his  literary  course,  he  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  A. 
T.  Harris,  of  Canterbury  ;  Hubbard,  of  Yale  ;  and  David  Mor- 
gan, of  Hartford,  and  attended  a  full  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Yale  Medical  College,  matriculating  in  1835.  In  the  Spring  of 
1837,  he  came  to  Evansville  and  was  associated  with  Dr.  M.  J. 
Bray,  Though  only  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  was  soon  in 
the  possession  of  a  large  practice ;  and  as  a  medical  practitioner 
was  well  and  favorably  known. 

In  1839,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Matilda  Fisher,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Fisher,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 

His  prompt  and  industrious  habits,  and  close  attention  to 
Ihe  wants  of  his  patients,  have  won  for  him  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  the  profession.  In  1871,  he  was  elected  to  a  chair  in 
the  Evansville  Medical  College,  as  Professor  of  Diseases  of  Wo- 

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men  and  Children — a  position  for  which  he  ifl  pecnlialy  adapted, 
both  from  study  »ind  actnal  practic  e. 

Previoas  to  1868,  Dr.  Morgan  had  taken  no  part  in  politi- 
cal life ;  bat  in  that  year,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic 
party  as  its  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  and  was  elected 
against  the  supposed  sentiment  of  the  party.  Few  men  in  the 
Legislature  made  a  better  impression  than  Dr.  Morgan.  His 
integrity  and  stability  reflected  honor  on  that  body,  and  he 
looked  faithfully  after  the  interests  of  this  county,  and  exerted 
an  influence  which  has  resulted  in  many  advantages  for  Evans- 
yille  and  this  section  of  the  State. 

If  he  has  attained  to  those  years  of  ''  the  sere  and  yellow 
leaf,"  he  may  be  seen,  day  after  day,  visiting  his  many  patients, 
and  exhibiting  that  admirable  physique  which  has  characterized 
his  sturdy  ancestors :  Tall  in  stature  ;  ponderous  in  weight  — 
his  appearance  is  striking,  and  well  calculated  to  attract  atten- 
tion. He  has  seen  an  obscure  town  increase  to  the  present  city 
of  thirty  thousand  inhabitants ;  and  his  experience  is  rich  in 
the  annals  of  the  Orescent  Oity.  Few  professional  men  have 
ever  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  people  to  a  greater  degree 
than  has  fallen,  with  strictest  justice,  to  the  lot  of  Dr.  Morgan. 


L  S.  Hen.  M.  D. 


^HE  Herrs  arrived  from  Holland,  somewhere  about  1700 
and  settled  in  Virginia  and  Maryland.  John  Herr 
was  descended  from  the  Virginia  branch  of  tlie  family,  and  was 
born  in  Harrisbnrgh,  Pennsylvania.  In  1827,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven,  he  removed  to  Ohio  and  made  his  home  in  what  is 
now  known  as  Ashland  Oounty.  His  son,  L.  S.  Hebb,  was 
born  here,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1828.  His  parents  were 
killed  near  Oanton  Ohio,  by  the  falling  of  a  tree  on  their  car- 
riage, while  making  a  return  trip  to  Pennsylvania.    An  elder 


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62  Evai\9ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

brother  now  took  care  of  the  young  lad,  and  had  him  well 
trained   in   the  common   schools  of    the    neighborhood.     He 
taught  two  terms  of  school  before  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  and  was  so  diligent  in  his  studies  that  he  was  then  pre- 
pared to  enter  Wooster  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1848.     He  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  T.  W. 
Sampsel,  of  Ashland  ;  attended  a  full  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Ohio  Medical  College  ;  and  matriculated  in  the  Winter  of  1851 
-2.     His  first  field  of  labor  was  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  the  first 
year  his  practice  amounted  to  over  two  thousand  dollars.  After 
remaining  three  years  in  Peoria,  and  obtaining  a  large  share  of 
practise,  he  resolved  to  visit  Mexico.     His  success  as  a  surgeon 
and  physician   for  over  three  years,   in  the  City  of  Mexico^ 
was  so  great,   that  the  ''American   doctor  *'  was  highly  com- 
mended by  all.      His  love  for  the  United  States  caused  him  to 
return ;  and  we  next  find  him  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained 
till  1860,  when  he  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois.     In  1862,  after 
he  had  studied  the  Homoeopathic  system,  and  carefully  watched 
its  workings  for  years,  he  embraced  the  new  faith ;  and,  till 
1863,  was  one  of  its  most  prominent  practitioners  in  that  city. 
In  that  year  he  removed  to  Evansville,  which  has  since  been 
his  home. 

Dr.  Herr  is  a  sagacious  and  prudent  physician,  and  brings 
ti>  his  practice  the  study  and  experience  of  years.  He  is  not 
only  an  excellent  professional  gentleman,  but  is  also  an  agree- 
able companion ;  whose  conversation  is  replete  with  many  rich 
anecdotes  and  stories  of  foreign  life. 

He  was  married  in  1858  to  Miss  Sophia  Fetter,  daughter 
of  Christian  Fetter,  a  distinguished  physician  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland. 


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CAPT.  H.  T.  DEXTER. 


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Captain  Henry  T.  Dexter 


|N  the  revolution  in  commerce,  brought  about  by  the 
agency  of  steam  on  the  Ohio  River,  Captain  Henry  T. 
Bextes  played  a  most  important  part.  He  was  born  on  the 
18th  of  August,  1818,  in  the  Western  part  of  New  York.  His 
youth  was  passed  in  Western  Virginia,  whither  his  parents  had 
removed.  He  there  learned  the  trade  oi  glass-blowing,  and 
was  brought  into  contact  with  steamboatmen,  which  induced 
him  to  become  identified  with  steamboat  interests. 

In  1840  he  ran  hie  first  fleet  of  flat-boats  down  the  Ohio 
from  Pittsburgh.  In  quick  succession,  he  built  the  steamers 
Lowell,  Mttaldngvmt  Valley,  and  Newa/rk,  and  commanded  all 
of  them  in  their  lines  on  the  Upper  Ohio.  In  1849,  while  com- 
mander of  the  steamer  Mdltok^  a  boat  which  he  had  built,  he 
made  several  trips  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis,  and  thereby 
became  acquainted  with  this  city.  Fi'om  1856  to  1867,  he  was 
busy  in  building  and  commanding  boats  for  the  Upper  Ohio, 
between  Zanesville  and  Parkersburgh,  where  he  had  established 
a  daily  line.  In  1857,  the  movement  was  agitated  to  establish  a 
daily  packet  line  between  Evansville  and  Paducah,  which  was 
also  extended  to  Cairo.  The  J.  H,  Done  and  /Silver  3tar  were 
placed  in  the  trade,  but  the  Done  was  soon  withdrawn ;  and  on 
the  11th  of  November,  1858,  the  Charley  Bowen,  commanded  by 
Captain  Dexter,  took  her  place.  The  Captain's  brusque  and 
genial  remark  to  our  citizens  from  the  hurricane  deck  of  his 
steamer,  was :  "  We  have  come  to  stay  !  " 

The  lively  competition  between  the  Star  and  the  Bowen 
ended  only  when  the  Star  caught  fire,  near  the  Curlew  mines, 
and  burned.  In- the  Evansville  and  Cairo  packet  trade,  Capt. 
Dexter  introduced  steamer  after  steamer —  the  Charmer,  Supe- 
rior, Oowrier  and  Armada ;  all  of  which  enjoyed  a  rare  popu- 

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64  Evansville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

laritj  in  their  day.  In  December.  1866,  he  placed  the  magnifi* 
cent  steamer  Quickstep  in  his  packet  line ;  and  in  1869  the 
famous  CUy  of  Uvansvilk — whose  loss  by  burning  at  our  wharf 
on  the  6th  of  March,  was  a  matter  of  universal  regret.  He 
also  purchased  for  himself  and  partners  the  Arkansas  Belle,  and 
placed  her  in  the  Oairo  mail  line ;  and  she  is  still  in  the  service. 

In  the  life  of  Captain  Dexter,  there  were  many  incidents 
where  the  metal,  nerve,  and  presence  of  mind  of  a  man  were 
sorely  tested.  He  was  in  command  and  on  board  of  the  Phan- 
tom when  she  blew  up  at  Smithland,  killing  and  injuring  very 
many  persons ;  he  was  in  command  when  his  boat  collided  with 
Captain  Hugo's  little  steamer ;  but  most  of  all,  in  the  days  of 
the  war,  when  the  banks  of  the  River  were  lined  with  guerriU 
las,  who  picked  off  victim  after  victim  from  passing  stoamers. 
Yet,  in  all  these  situations.  Captain  Dexter  displayed  the  high- 
est and  best  traits  of  humanity  —  always  cool  and  courageous, 
he  seemed  to  wear  a  charmed  life  in  the  midst  of  the  dangers 
and  casualties  tli rough  which  he  passed.  A  single  piece  of 
artillery  which  he  had  placed  on  his  boat  during  the  war,  as  a 
protection  in  case  of  emergency,  now  serves  as  a  hitching-post 
in  front  of  his  residence,  on  Locust  street.  There  was  no  haz- 
ard from  which  Captain  Dexter  shrank  ;  no  toil  which  he  could 
not  endure ;  and  no  kind  act  which  he  was  not  ever  ready  to 
perform.  He  was  such  a  man  in  his  honorable  public  positions, 
while  in  private  life  he  was  marked  by  even  greater  amplitude 
of  noble  traits.  His  large  heart  was  solicitous  for  the  welfare 
of  others :  his  sympathies  ever  open  to  the  cry  of  distress.  All 
who  knew  him  were  his  friends  —  for  he  had  no  enemies  while 
living;  and  at  his  death,  May  30th,  1872,  a  whole  community 
shared  the  grief  of  a  sorrow-stricken  family. 

Captain  Dexter  was  a  Enight-Templar  in  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, an  order  to  which  he  was  very  much  attached,  and  of 
which  he  was  a  most  exemplary  member. 

He  was  married  on  the  5th  of  July,  1840,  to  Miss  Mary 
Ellen  McNamee,  and  his  widow  still  survives  him.  Five  child- 
ren were  the  fruit  of  this  union — three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Miss  Irene  Dexter,  the  elder,  was  married  to  Captain  G.  J. 
Grammar,  and  died  only  last  April.    The  younger  daughter  is 

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r 


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HON.  WSL   F.  PARRETT. 


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EvanaviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  65 

the  wife  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Lilly,  of  the  firm  of  Lilly  &  Phelan.  The 
older  sons,  Mr.  John  and  Harry,  are  well  known  in  this  city, 
and  the  youngest,  Master  Charles,  is  a  promising  yonng  man. 


Judge  William  F.  Parrett. 


f'AS  born  on  his  father's  farm,  near  Blairsville,  Posey 
County,  Indiana,  on  the  10th  of  August,  1825.  His 
father,  Robert  Parrett,  was  of  that  pioneer  stock  that  emigrated 
into  the  young  State  in  1821.  Here  he  passed  through  those 
trying  scenes  of  frontier  life  which  bore  so  heavily  on  this  por- 
tion of  the  land.  When  William  was  only  six  months  old,  his 
father  removed  to  Vanderburgh  County,  on  fand  now  within 
the  city  limits,  and  known  as  Parrett's  Enlargement  and  Good- 
selville.  As  a  boy,  his  time  was  spent  in  clearing  the  heavy 
timber  and  going  to  school — the  latter  as  opportunity  presented 
itself.  This,  with  his  early  home-training  and  the  careful  read- 
ing of  the  books  which  came  in  his  way,  in  connection  with  a 
short  course  at  Asbury  University,  was  his  educational  endow- 
ment, up  to  the  time  of  his  entering  the  law  office  of  Conrad 
Baker.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Baker  only  oue  year,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1848.  He  was  known  by  everybody  as 
pleasant  and  sociable  in  his  manners  ;  fond  of  telling  a  good 
story,  and  telling  it  well,  and  was  regarded  with  much  affection 
by  young  and  old.  Mr,  Parrett  was  fortunate  in  having  for  his 
legal  preceptor  a  strong,  common-sense  business  man,  who  was 
well  versed  in  the  principles  of  the  law,  and  tried  his  causes 
not  only  in  the  light  of  precedents,  but  also  in  the  wider  spirit 
of  reason  and  principle.  Mr.  Parrett  commenced  his  career  as 
a  lawyer  at  Boonville,  and  remained  there  till  1852,  when  he 
croesed  the  plains  and  pursued  the  profession  at  Lafayette  and 
Portland,  Oregon,  for  over  two  and  a  half  years.  The  practice 
was  large  and  lucrative. 

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66  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

He  now  returned  to  Evansville  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  Judge  Lockhart,  an  able  jurist  and  influential  politician, 
who  was  afterward  elected  to  Congress,  and  died  while  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body,  in  1857.  Before  the  death  of  Judge  Lock- 
hart,  Mr.  Parrett  had  opened  an  office  at  Boonville,  though  the 
partnership  lasted  till  his  death,  as  above  stated.  Mr.  Parrett 
was  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1856,  and  cast  the  vote  of  Indiana 
for  James  Buchanan.  He  returned  to  Evansville  in  1859,  and 
was  appointed,  in  that  year,  Judge  of  the  old  Fifteenth  Judicial 
District,  then  designated  as  the  First  Circuit,  by  the  Legislature 
of  1838-9.  His  term  expired  in  October,  1859.  His  decisions 
were  made  in  plain,  clear  language,  fully  displaying  his  knowl- 
edge of  law,  and  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  nature  and  the 
ordinary  affairs  of  life.  He  next  ran  as  an  independent  candi- 
date —  though  mostly  supported  by  Democrats  —  for  the  same 
position,  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  fourteen  hundred 
over  his  opponent,  the  well-known  Judge  Pitcher,  of  Mount 
Vernon.  The  district  was  nearly  equally  divided,  and  his  ma- 
jority illustrates  his  popularity  as  a  Judge  with  the  people  at 
large.  In  1865,  his  name  was  placed  on  both  the  Republican 
and  Democratic  tickets,  and  he  was  elected  without  opposition. 
This  compliment  was  only  a  just  tribute  to  the  faithfulness  and 
ability  with  which  he  had  discharged  the  delicate  duties  of  his 
office.  After  three  and  a  half  years  service,  he  resigned,  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  General  Shackelford,  which  contin- 
ued for  one  year  and  a  half.  This  firm  was  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  civil,  criminal,  and  chancery  practice  rarely  equaled  in  the 
history  of  the  business  relations  of  any  legal  firm  in  the  State. 

Again  Judge  Parrett  was  called  to  the  bench,  as  being  ap- 
pointed Judge  of  the  First  Circuit,  formed  of  Vanderburgh  and 
Posey  Counties,  by  the  Legislature  of  1872-3,  and  which  posi- 
tion he  occupies  at  the  present  time.  Judge  Parrett's  success 
has  been  the  result  of  studious  habits  and  ceaseless  energy. 
His  sole  aim  has  been  justice  ;  and  from  his  first  term  as  Judge 
his  influence  and  reputation  for  fair  rulings  have  been  on  an 
ascending  scale.  With  Judge  Parrett  on  the  bench,  business 
was  dispatched  with  promptness  and  ability.  His  legal  argu- 
ments, his  familiarity  with  the  practice,  and  courtesy  of  man- 
neis  while  on  the  benchi  have  commended  him  to  the  bar,  and 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  67 

his  manner  of  anbending  himself  when  off  the  bench,  has  made 
him  equally  popular  in  the  social  circle.  He  has  served  as 
Trustee  of  the  Schools,  and  was  identified  for  several  years  with 
their  management.  He  takes  great  pride  in  his  law  and  private 
libraries,  which  are  among  the  most  extensive  in  the  State  and 
which  comprise  many  rare  and  costly  works.  Politically,  he 
has  acted  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  generally  sup- 
ported its  measures.  During  the  war,  he  stood  by  the  Grovern- 
ment  and  aided,  in  an  efficient  manner,  in  crushing  the  Rebel- 
lion. Judge  Parrett  may  wejl  be  called  a  representative,  native 
born  Indianian  ;  and  for  nearly  forty-seven  years  he  has  been 
associated  with  the  growth  of  this  city  and  section.  We  can 
not  believe  but  what  still  higher  honors  await  him.  As  a  native 
of  our  soil,  we  believe  that  his  career  points  out  a  striking 
example  for  the  ambitious  and  deserving. 


Alexander  Murdoch  Gow, 


SUPSIUNTKNDKNT  OF  8OHOOL8. 


[^ESOENDED  from  Scotch-Irish  ancestors,  who  settled 
in  Western  Pennsylvania  at  an  early  day  ;  was  born 
on  the  18th  of  March,  1828,  in  Washington,  Washington  Co., 
Pennsylvania,  and  graduated  at  Washington  College  in  the  Fall 
of  1847  —  one  of  a  class  of  thirty-three  young  men.  After 
graduation  he  made  an  extended  tour  of  the  New  England 
States,  visiting  the  principal  institutions  of  an  educational  and 
reformatory  character,  accompanying  his  father,  who  had  been 
appointed  as  Visitor  to  the  Military  Academy  of  West  Point. 
On  his  return,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  his  father's 
office.  As  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town  were  ineffi- 
cient, Mr.  Gow  was  induced  to  suspend  his  legal  studies  for  a 
time  and  attempt  their  reformation.      In  this  work  he  labored, 


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68  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

without  interruption  for  seven  years ;  being  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  erection  of  one  of  the  finest  school  buildings  at  that 
time  in  the  State.  Mr.  Qow  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1857. 
Accepting  an  invitation  to  take  charge  of  an  institution,  he  re- 
moved to  Dixon,  Illinois,  in  the  Fall  of  1857.  The  financial 
convulsion  of  the  succeeding  year  overwhelmed  the  new  enter- 
prise in  which  he  engaged,  and,  in  1859,  he  became  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Dixon  Public  Schools,  in  which  he  labored  three 
years.  During  this  time  he  received  a  very  flattering  invitation 
from  the  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Burrowes,  State  Superintendent,  to  re- 
turn to  his  native  State  to  take  the  position  of  Deputy  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction.  He  was  appointed  by 
the  Hon.  Newton  Bateman  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Ex- 
amination, to  confer  the  State  diploma  upon  professional  teach- 
ers in  the  State  of  Illinois.  Feeling  a  deep  interest  in  the  pro- 
motion of  the  study  of  Natural  History,  he  became  one  of  the 
first  corporate  members  of  the  Natural  History  Society  of  Illinois, 
and  was  subsequently  chosen  a  Vice-President  of  the  organiza- 
tion. For  two  years  he  was  the  editor  of  the  Illinois  Teacher^ 
the  organ  of  the  Department  of  Public  Instruction,  and  of  the 
State  Teachers'  Association. 

From  the  city  of  Dixon  he  was  called  to  a  wider  field  of 
labor,  aa  Superintendent  of  the  Rock  Island  City  Schools,  where 
he  resided  till  the  Fall  of  1867,  when  he  removed  to  Indiana, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Evansville.  In  this 
city  he  has  resided  for  six  years ;  during  which  time  the  number 
of  teachers  and  children  have  nearly  doubled.  During  his  stay 
in  Indiana  he  was  elected  President  of  the  State  Teachers* 
Association,  and  has  been  identified  as  a  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Education,  with  some  of  the  prominent  educational 
reforms  of  the  State. 


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Thomas  Scantlin. 


[jAMES  SCANTLIN  was  born  of  Irish  parents,  in  Lou- 
isville, Kentucky,  in  1796.  He  was  apprenticed  to  a 
tinner,  and  lived  in  that  city  during  the  War  of  1812.  He 
removed  to  Lexington,  where  Thomas  was  born,  on  the  9th  of 
August,  1814.  His  father  was  also  in  the  tinning  business  at 
Shelbyville,  and  the  lad  here  had  a  few  weeks  schooling.  The 
family,  in  1819,  landed  at  Evansville  and  passed  on  to  Pike 
County,  where  the  father  was  employed,  both  as  a  tinner  and 
farmer.  The  same  year  he  located  in  Princeton,  where  he  lived 
till  1833  ;  he  then  removed  to  Evansville,  where  he  opened  the 
first  tin-shop.  Thomas  attended  school  a  few  months  in  Prince- 
ton, but  was  chiefly  engaged  in  either  working  on  the  farm  or 
aiding  in  the  shop  work.  His  father  opened  a  tinning  estab- 
lishment on  his  arrival  in  the  city,  and  Thomas  worked  with 
him  till  1835,  when  his  father  gave  him  credit  for  fifty  dollars* 
worth  of  stock,  and  he  opened  a  little  shop  at  Princeton.  After 
paying  for  his  transportation  he  was  without  money  ;  but  after 
seven  months*  hard  work,  he  found  he  had  earned  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars. 

He  was  married  here  to  Miss  Eleanor  Jane  Parvin,  daugh- 
ter of  Washington  Parvin,  an  old  and  respected  citizen  of 
Princeton. 

His  father,  anxious  for  his  return,  offered  him  an  interest 
in  the  firm.  The  partnership  lasted  till  1838,  when  his  father 
removed  to  Princeton.  Their  business  extended  itself  gradu- 
ally, as  money  was  very  hard  to  be  obtained.  He  now  added 
a  full  «upply  of  stoves,  etc. ;  having  obtained  credit  from  the 
French  Brothers,  of  Cincinnati,  who  had  great  confidence  in  the 
young  mechanic.  The  stock,  costing  sixteen  hundred  dollars, was 
"  slow  "  in  meeting  with  a  sale ;  as  stoves  were  a  luxury  to  the 
early  inhabitants ;  and  it  took  over  three  years  to  dispose  of 

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70  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

even  this  small  stock.  He  went  on  in  this  way,  and  thought  a 
profit  of  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  was  doing  well.  In  1841 
his  father  returned,  and  they  were  associated  till  1844.  From 
1844  the  business  was  conducted  by  himself ;  and  he  was  think- 
ing of  increasing  bis  annual  product,  when  his  entire  stock  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  insurance  was  not  enough  to  cover  half 
the  value  ot  the  loss.  Never  despairing,  he  rented,  temporarily, 
a  room,  and  erected  a  new  store-house..  His  son,  James  M. 
Scantlin,  was  associated  with  him,  and  their  business  was  again 
on  a  rapid  increase  —  their  wares  finding  sale  in  all  directions. 
In  1871  the  firm  engaged  in  the  foundry  business,  and  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  stoves,  grates,  mantels,  etc.  Beside 
their  sales  in  the  city,  their  jobbing  trade  in  the  South  is  very 
extensive.  In  January,  1873,  his  son,  Thomas  E.,  was  admitted 
to  the  firm,  and  aids,  efficiently,  as  manager  of  the  sales  depart- 
ment. Both  father  end  sons  are  well  known  ;  their  ability  and 
financial  skill  are  fully  illustrated  by  the  successful  manage- 
ment of  one  of  the  leading  foundries  of  the  city ;  they  are 
earnest  workers  in  whatever  direction  their  energies  are  exerted. 
Our  subject  has  served  two  terms  in  the  City  Council,  and  has 
been  associated  with  many  of  the  public  enterprises  of  the  city. 
He  is  an  earnest  friend  of  the  Public  Schools. 


Soren  Sorenson. 


[AS  born  in  Aarhaus,  Denmark,  on  the  16th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1810.  Eskel  Sorenson,  his  father,  was  a 
school  teacher,  and  Soren  was  well  drilled  in  the  rudiments  of 
the  common  branches.  Soren  taught  ten  years,  with  great  suc- 
cess ;  during  which  time  he  was  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two,  to  Miss  Emmeline  Hanson.  In  December,  1837,  with  his 
family,  he  sailed  for  New  Orleans,  with  the  intention  of  going 
to  Mexico ;  but  the  Civil  War,  then  raging,  changed  his  plan, 


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Evanwille  and  ite  Men  of  Mark,  •  71 

and  he  came  up  the  river  and  stopped,  accidentally,  at  Evans- 
ville ;  arriving  here  in  the  latter  part  of  January,  1838.  He 
at  first  farmed  for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Blairsville, 
where  he  kept  a  country  store  for  over  four  years.  At  the  latter 
place  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  wife  and  children.  He 
next  removed  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  taught  school  a  year, 
and  afterward  served  as  Deputy  Olerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  one 
year,  as  well  as  a  term  as  Recorder.  In  January,  1846,  he  re- 
turned to  Evansville  and  acted  as  book-keeper  for  Allis  & 
Howes,  wholesale  grocers,  over  nine  ye»rs.  In  company  with 
R.  S.  Tenney,  he  bought  out  the  above  firm,  and  till  1859,  the 
firm  of  Tenney  &  Sorenson  was  well  knoTvn  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing houses  of  the  city.  From  1859  to  1861,  Mr.  S.  continued 
the  business  in  his  own  name  ;  and,  in  that  year,  retired  from 
the  business  altogether.  From  1850  to  1861  Mr.  S.  was  City 
Treasurer,  and  in  1866  and  1867  he  was  Assistant  Assessor  U. 
S.  Internal  Revenue.  In  1868  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Cir- 
cuit Court,  by  a  majority  of  ten  votes;  and  in  1872,  was 
re-elected  by  a  majority  of  eight  hundred  and  thirty-nine. 
Formerly  a  Douglas  Democrat,  he  has  since  that  eventful  period 
acted  with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  good 
health,  and  is  possessed  of  unusual  physical  powers.  Affection- 
ate and  courteous  in  his  manner  toward  all  —  there  is  no  more 
popular  ofiBcial  in  this  district  than  the  warm-hearted  subject 
of  this  article. 


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Judge  M.  W.  Foster. 


fSpATTHEW  WATSON  FOSTER  was  born  in  Giles- 
field,  County  of  Durham,  England,  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1800.  When  a  boy,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  bookseller, 
and  in  that  way  became  a  great  reader  and  remarkably  well 
informed,  both  upon  literary  and  legal  topics.  He  removed  to 
New  York  in  1812;  came  West,  to  Edwards  County,  Illinois, 
in  1817,  and  removed  to  Pike  County,  Indiana,  in  1819,  where 
he  was  Associate- Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  several  years.  He 
was  engaged  for  some  years  in  taking  produce  from  Pike  County 
to  New  Orleans  in  flat-boats,  and  on  several  occasions  returned 
on  foot  through  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness.  In  1828  he 
commenced  business  in  Petersburgh  —  then  Knox  County — and 
continued  in  active  service  as  a  merchant,  farmer,  or  miller, 
in  Pike  County,  till  1846,  when  he  removed,  with  his  fam- 
ily, to  Evansville,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  on  the  13th 
of  April,  1863.  If  the  people  ever  desired  an  honest,  intelli- 
gent, sensible  opinion  on  any  matter  of  business  or  public  inter- 
est, they  could  always  be  sure  of  one  from  him. 

On  his  removal  to  Evansville  he  engaged  actively  in  busi- 
ness, and  immediately  took  a  prominent  position  as  one  of  our 
most  enterprising,  upright,  enlightened  and  philanthropic  citi- 
zens. In  every  public  enterprise  connected  with  this  city,  or 
for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow  men,  Judge  Foster's  advice  and  as- 
sistance were  always  sought  and  never  refused.  Our  railroads, 
our  churches,  our  free  schools  and  our  public  libraries  testify  to 
his  generosity  and  enlightened  mind.  His  patriotism  was  active, 
consistent,  and  enthusiastic.  When  the  late  war  broke  out,  he 
was  among  the  first  to  raise  his  voice  and  open  his  purse  for 
recruits.  Two  of  his  sons  early  enlisted  to  fight  for  their  coun- 
try ;  and  though  the  affairs  of  this  nation  grieved  and  oppressed 


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Bvanaville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark:  78 

him  during  his  last  days,  the  conviction  that  he,  when  able,  had 
done  his  whole  duty  as  a  patriot ;  and  that  one  of  his  sons  had 
merited  and  received  distinction  in  defending  the  cause  of  lib* 
erty,  cheered  his  last  moments. 

In  every  relation  in  life  he  deported  himself  with  honesty, 
faithfulness  and  propriety ;  and  his  daily  walk  and  conversa- 
tion was  that  of  a  straightforward,  enlightened  Christian. 

Judge  Foster  was  married  on  the  18th  of  June,  1829,  t^ 
Miss  Eleanor  Johnflon,  who  died  on  the  22d  of  September,  1849, 
aged  thirty-seven  years.  There  were  eight  children  born,  of 
whom  five  are  living.  In  1851,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Sarah 
Kazar,  widow  of  Nelson  Eazar,  who  died  in  California  in  1849. 
Two  children  were  the  result  of  the  second  union,  and  they  are 
occupying  useful  positions  in  society. 

Judge  Foster  died  as  he  had  lived — a  true,  devoted  Chris- 
tian. The  city,  a  nation,  and  humanity  lost  a  true  and  honest 
champion  and  friend. 


Dr.  Isaiah  Haas. 


^DAM  HAAS,  the  father  of  Dr.  I.  Haas,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  December  25th,  1798,  and  in  early  man- 
hood removed  to  Newark,  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Christina  LaPert,  of  New  York.  At  this  place  their  eldest 
son,  Isaiah,  was  born,  February  22d,  1829.  From  thence  he 
removed  to  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  commenced  merchan- 
dising. In  1845  he  removed  to  Wabash,  the  county-seat  of 
Wabash  County,  Indiana,  at  which  place  he  continued  business 
as  merchant  until  1860.  Isaiah  Haas  received  a  fair  education 
—  such  as  the  schools  of  the  locality  furnished ;  and  when  not 
at  school,  assisted  his  father  in  the  store,  as  book-keeper  and 
salesman.  In  1849,  when  the  Morse  Electric  Telegraph  was 
being  extended  westwardly,  an  office  was  opened  above  the 

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7i  JBvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

store  of  Adam  Haas,  and  a  teacher  was  sent  to  instruct  a  young 
lawyer  of  the  place  how  to  manipulate  the  (at  that  time)  won- 
derful instrument.      The  pupil  failing  to  comprehend  quickly 
what  was  demanded  of  an  operator,  and  the  instructor's  time 
being  limited,  Oolonel  Hanna,   one  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
the  place,  solicited  Isaiah  to  go  up-stairs  and  learn  to  operate  ; 
to  which  he  consented,  reluctantly,  on  account  of  the  father's 
absence  in  New  York,  purchasing  goods,  and   fearing  that  it 
might  not  meet  with  his  approbation.     In  ten  days  thereafter 
he  not  only  understood  how  to  receive  and  send  communica- 
tions, but  many  of  the  principles  of  the  electric  telegraph,  and 
he  also  kept  a  supervision  of  the  store  until  the  return  of  his 
father.     The  next  three  or  four  years  were  devoted  to  his  new- 
found love :  and  by  the  sense  of  hearing  read  its  faintest  mur- 
murings.    During  this  time  Ezra  Cornell,  Esq.,  of  Ithaca,  New 
York,  the  founder  of  Cornell  University,  became  lessee  of  nearly 
a  thousand  miles  of  telegraph  line,  running  in   and   through 
Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois.     This  great  length  of  line,  with  all 
its  offices,  men,  and  material,  he  placed  in  the  hands  of  I.  Haas, 
as  its  Superintendent ;  and  the  energetic  and  successful  man- 
ner in  which  he   managed  the  affairs,  caused  him  to  receive 
many  flattering  letters  from  Mr.  Cornell. 

During  this  time  he  was  married  to  Miss  Adaline  McHenry 
of  Vincennes,  who  early  fell  a  victim  to  consumption.  Two 
children  were  born  to  them  ;  but,  in  three  years  all  were  gone  I 

Before  leaving  the  telegraph,  his  attention  was  attracted  to 
the  profession  of  Dentistry ;  and  he  felt  that  he  could  make 
his  "mark"  in  that  line  and  its  practice  would  be  more  congenial 
to  his  tastes;  and  from  that  time  forward  he  gave  it  his  undivided 
attention  ;  having  for  his  preceptors  Prof.  A.  M.  Morse,  of  La- 
fayette, Indiana,  and  Prof,  Samuel  Wardle,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
both  eminent  men  in  the  profession.  Prior  to  coming  to  Evans- 
ville,  he  spent  some  seven  years  in  Lafayette,  Indiana. 

In  1857  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  McHenry,  a  sister 
of  his  first  wife. 

In  the  early  part  of  1859  he  was  on  his  way  South,  with 
his  wife  and  child,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  friends ;  being 
unable  to  get  a  boat,  because  the  river  was  so  low,  he  was  de- 
tained in  this  city  two  days,  and  met  old  friends,  unexpectedly, 


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JEhansviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark.  75 

who  insisted  on  his  making  this  his  future  home :  setting  forth 
the  outcome  to  the  city  in  such  glowing  terms,  as  to  cause  him 
to  lease  rooms  of  Dr.  Braj,  an  eminent  surgeon  of  this  city, 
prior  to  his  return  North.  A  few  weeks  afterward  we  find 
him  a  permanent  resident  of  the  city  of  Evansville.  He  also 
assisted  Dr.  Bray  in  his  surgical  operations  for  seven  years ; 
and  the  Doctor  states  that  Dr.  Haas  has  no  superior  as  an 
assistant-surgeon  in  the  State  of  Indiana.  Parties  who  remove 
from  the  city  return  great  distances  for  their  dental  work  ;  and 
the  extent  of  his  practice  makes  him  the  most  prominent  dentist 
of  the  State.  His  experience  and  reputation  increase  every 
year.  Our  business  men  have  sold  goods  to  merchants  from 
abroad,  because  those  merchants  wished  Dr.  H.  to  do  their 
dentistry.  His  success  in  practice  is  remarkable ;  and  while  an 
inventor  for  the  good  of  the  profession,  he  has  refused  to  take 
out  patents,  or  enter  into  that  kind  of  business.  His  high 
ideal  of  his  profession  is  equaled  only  by  his  great  achieve- 
ments. Dr.  Haas  has  had  a  distinguished  Masonic  career — 
as  Master  of  Evansville  Lodge,  No.  64,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  for  sev- 
eral terms ;  as  officer  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State,  one 
year  ;  as  District  Deputy  Master,  four  years ;  and  as  Lecturer 
of  the  District,  four  years.  His  knowledge  of  Masonic  law  and 
land' marks,  addetl  to  his  exposition  of  the  same,  has  made  him 
a  marked  man  in  the  order. 


H.  Q.  Wheeler, 

Vavhkr  of  oub  Fbxi  Schools. 

[HE  crowning  glory  of  Evansville  is  her  Free  Schools ; 
and  to  these  may  be  traced,  in  a  great  measure,  the 
secret  of  her  growth  and  prosperity.  The  person  of  whom  we 
offer  a  brief  sketch  was  not  only  among  the  originators  of  the 
present  educational  system,  but  also  its  constant  friend  and 
overseer,  from  the  date  of  the  organization  till  his  removal 
from  the  city,  in  1866.  He  was  born  in  Chesterville,  Maine,  in 
1819.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  entered  Bowdoin  College 
and  graduated  in  1844.  His  was  a  student's  nature ;  and  he 
worked  with  a  zest,  not  only  at  the  regular  classical  course,  but 

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76  EvoMviUe  and  Ua  Men  of  Mark. 

also  apoQ  sabjecto  which  afforded  his  mind  an  ample  field  for 
thought  and  dissertation.  He  studied  law  with  John  S.  Abbott 
and  John  S.  Tenney  —  then  Chief-Justice  of  Maine  —  and  was . 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  in  1846.  In  the  Fall 
of  that  year  he  went  to  Evansville  ;  and  in  the  Spring  of  1847 
formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  John  Ingle,  Jr.  Subsequently, 
Asa  Iglehart,  Esq.,  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  firm.  This 
firm,  as  spoken  of  elsewhere,  was  engaged  in  many  intellectual 
contests,  and  maintained  a  commanding  position  amidst  a 
galaxy  of  the  best  legal  talent  in  the  state.  Mr.  Wheeler's  forte 
was  that  of  a  counselor  and  legal  adviser ;  his  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  best  writers  gave  him  a  knowledge  of  authorities 
and  precedents  which,  for  the  time  being,  made  him  master  of 
the  situation. 

In  1858,  when  the  first  Free-School  law  went  into  opera- 
tion, he  was  appointed,  with  Christian  Decker  and  William 
Hughes,  as  trustee ;  and  although  others  filled  the  places  of 
Merars.  Decker  and  Hughes,  he  remained  at  the  helm  for  over 
twelve  years.  The  school  law  at  first  did  not  provide  for  a  su- 
perintendent ;  and  for  a  large  portion  of  the  twelve  years  of 
his  labor  as  trustee,  he  also  filled,  acceptably,  this  position.  His 
scholarly  attainments,  added  to  his  energy  as  an  executive, 
gave  to  his  project  a  success  scarcely  hoped  for  at  the  outset* 
Having  to  combat-the  prejudices  of  many  who  were  inimical  to 
a  free  system,  his  course  was  extremely  hazardous,  and  the 
teachers,  also,  were  not  all  either  fitted  by  education  or  experi- 
ence for  this  most  important  work.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
too,  that  this  was  the  first  experiment  of  the  free  system,  and 
its  enemies  were  foretelling  its  downfall ;  but  despite  the  croak- 
ing of  foes,  its  growth  has  been  steady  and  constant  —  and  to- 
day Evansville  is  justly  proud  of  her  schools ;  and  their  Super- 
intendent can  point  to  a  progress  almost  unrivaled  in  the  history 
of  the  common  schools  of  any  city  in  the  Union. 

Since  1866,  Mr.  Wheeler  has  resided  at  Portland,  Maine;  and 
though  absent  from  the  scenes  of  his  early  trials  and  successes, 
the  old  citizens  will  remember  the  man  who  had  the  ability  to 
infuse  his  own  energy  into  all  his  assistants ;  the  careful  disci- 
pline that  characterized  his  work ;  and  the  self-abnegation  he 
exhibited  throughout  his  entire  course. 

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Christian  Decker. 


j\F  the  many  G^erman  citizens  who  have  contributed  so 
?/  largely  to  increase  the  influence  Of  the  city,  we  find 
Chbistian  Deokee  ;  who  has  aided,  directly,  more  than  any 
other  individual,  in  brinfi^ing  his  countrymen  to  Evansville. 
Hundreds  of  Germans  have  heard  of  Evansville  and  this  sec- 
tion through  his  letters  addressed  to  friends.  Many  are  the 
letters  that  he  has  answered,  in  reference  to  a  location  here. 
How  cheerfully  the  new-comers  were  received,  and  the  pecuni- 
ary aid  afforded  to  those  in  humble  circumstances  !  Many  live 
to-day  to  bless  the  name  of  Christian  Decker,  who  might  aptly 
be  termed  the    "  Father  of  the  Germans-." 

He  was  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  on  the  10th  of  March, 
>  1808.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  common  schools ;  and 
when  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  wagon-maker. 
After  the  expiration  of  three  years,  he  traveled  over  South- 
western Germany  and  visited  Vienna,  where  he  remained  sev- 
eral years.  In  1834  he  worked  upon  the  first  railrond 
passenger  coach  manufactured  in  Germany.  His  recollections 
of  Germany,  especially  Vienna,  are  very  vivid.  In  1835,  after 
a  voyage  of  forty-two  days  in  a  sailing  vessel,  he  landed  in  New 
York.  Worked  for  a  while  in  Newark,  New  Jersey ;  eight 
months  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut ;  and  then,  till  the  Spring 
of  1837,  for  James  Gould,  the  celebrated  coach-maker  of  Albany. 
New  York.  In  May,  of  that  year,  he  arrived  at  Evansville  ; 
and  as  he  noticed  that  this  was  a  healthy  site,  he  determined 
to  remain  in  the  city.  He  worked  first  as  a  journeyman,  but  in 
six  months  he  commenced  as  a  manufacturer,  on  Third  street ; 
and  for  twenty-seven  years  built  wagons,  using  hand-tools,  only, 
in  their  construction.  He  then  removed  to  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Fifth  streets,  where  he  erected  a  large  factory,  introducing 
steam-power  and   all   the  modern  machinery  needful  for  the 

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78  BvanaviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

# 
construction  of  wagons  and  carriages.  Mr.  Decker  built  the 
first  carriage  of  home  manufacture,  and  has,  in  successive  years, 
turned  out  a  large  number  of  vehicles  which  have  not  only 
added  to  his  reputation  as  a  builder,  but  have  also  greatly  ad- 
vanced the  interests  of  Evansville  as  a  manufacturing  center, 

Mr.  Decker  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Zion  Evangel- 
ical Church,  and  for  over  twenty  years  was  one  of  its  deacons. 
He  was  among  the  first  Trustees  of  the  Free  Schools,  and  kn 
early  advocate  of  the  anti-slavery  doctrines  of  thel  Free  Soil 
party,  and  its  successor,  the  Bepublican  organization. 

He  was  married  in  1837,  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Griess,  who  ar- 
rived in  the  State  a  short  time  after  his  arrival  in  Evansville. 

Now  advanced  to  mature  years,  our  subject,  with  his  pow- 
ers well  preserved,  lives  to  see  his  hutnble  store  supplanted  by 
a  large  factory ;  the  little  band  of  Germans  increase  into  the 
thousands ;  and  a  city,  whose  name  alone  is  typical  of  a  rapid 
progress,  from  an  insignificant  village  to  a  metropolis,  with  its 
adjuncts  of  extensive  factories  and  all  the  accompaniments  of  a 
mighty  city. 


Go/one/  Philip  Hornbrook. 


[^OR  nearly  fifty  -  four  years  Philip  Hoenbrook  has 
watched  the  growth  of  the  Orescent  City,  and  has 
noted  her  gradual  change,  from  a  straggling  village  to  the  me- 
tropolitan position  she  occupies  to-day.  Perfectly  familiar  with 
her  "  unwritten  history,**  if  he  had  time  and  opportunity,  he 
could  relate  a  tale,  which  for  originality  and  interest  would 
excel  any  of  the  border  romances  of  the  Far  West. 

Saunders  Hornbrook  was  a  woolen  manufacturer  in' Devon- 
shire, England  ;  his  son,  Philip,  was  born  on  the  16th  of  March, 
1810.  The  family  sailed  for  America  in  1819,  and  arrived  in 
Hampton  Roads,  Va.,  in  August  of  that  year.  They  came  in  a 
sloop  to  Georgetown,  D.  C,  and  thence  by  wagon  *to  Wheeling, 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  79 

Virginia.  Here  they  engaged  a  flat-boat,  and  after  a  long  and 
tedious  trip,  arrived  at  Evansville,  on  the  20th  of  December, 
1819.  Mr.  Hornbrook  purchased  a  large  amount  of  land,  and 
at  one  time  owned  fourteen  quarter-sections  in  Scott  Township, 
about  ten  miles  from  the  village  ;  and  as  there  was  much  tim- 
ber to  be  removed,  the  reader  can*  have  some  idea  of  the  hard 
work  Philip  performed  for  many  years.  The  lad  had  attended 
school  for  about  ^ve  years  in  his  native  country,  and  as  his 
father  was  an  educated  gentleman,  and  his  mother  a  lady  of 
superior  attainments  of  mind  and  character,  his  situation  was 
immeasurably  better  than  that  of  their  neighbors'  children. 
Philip  attended  school  three  months  in  Kentucky ;  but  beside 
his  home  instruction,  little  was  obtained  to  benefit  his  mind  in 
fighting  life's  battle.  His  father,  also,  for  many  years  carried 
on  a  store,  wool  and  carding-machine  and  a  cotton-gin.  The 
business  was  largely  extended  —  the  farmers  coming  for  many 
miles  to  have  their  wants  supplied,  and  attend  to  the  various 
industries  incidental  to  farm  life.  Philip  assisted  his  father  in 
the  store  and  elsewhere ;  and  we  have  the  testimony  of  some  of 
the  old  citizens,  who  relate  many  incidents  of  his  sharpness 
and  business  skill,  even  when  a  boy.  No  task  was  so  difficult 
but  what  he  would  attempt  it  —  and  being  of  an  obliging  tem- 
perament, he  often  wearied  himself  in  assisting  the  settlers 
upon  any  and  all  occasions ;  and  his  services  were  often  re- 
quested, as  he  was  unusually  active  and  strong. 

He  was  married  in  1887,  to  Miss  Mary  Sampson,  formerly 
of  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

In  1839  his  father  died,  and  Philip  succeeded  to  the  mer- 
cantile and  farming  interests,  and  soon  disposed  of  the  wool 
and  carding-machine  and  the  cotton-gin.  He  was  engaged  at 
the  old  location  several  years,  and  in  1848  removed  to  Evans- 
yille  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  bakery  line,  on  Main 
street.  In  1851  he  removed  to  his  present  location,  on  Water 
street,  and  which  has  been  the  headquarters  for  river  men,  citi- 
zens and  farmers,  ever  since. 

Mr.  Hornbrook  was  Trustee  of  the  Schools  from  1853  to 
1860 ;  and  we  can  truly  say  that  they  never  had  a  better 
friend.  For  several  years  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Vanderburgh 
County  Agricultural  Society.    From  1861  to  1865  he  was  mili- 

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do  JBSxxMville  and  its  Men  of  Afark   . 

tary  agent  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 
For  four  years  he  was  commissary  of  the  Southern  Relief  Asso- 
ciation of  Evansville.  As  a  friend  of  the  soldier,  many  a  tear- 
ful woman  and  anxious  parent  can  testify  to  his  untiring 
labors  in  their  behalf.  In  1869  Colonel  Hornbrook  was 
appointed  Surveyor  of  Customs  and  Collector  of  the  port  of 
Evansville ;  and  he  discharged  the  duties  of  his  position  in  a 
manner  profitable  to  the  (Government,  and  honorable  to  himself. 
This  brief  sketch  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  his  long  career, 
as  a  pioneer  merchant  and  public-spirited  citizen.  We  can 
only  say  that  he  has  been  faithful  in  every  position,  and  not  a 
stain  is  left  upon  his  career  as  a  business  man  and  patriot. 


Henry  F.  Blount. 


^Ir  HE  stranger  who  passes  up  Main  street  is  attracted  by 
the  peculiar  countenance  of  the  man  who  looks  more 
like  the  late  Charles  Dickens,  than  any  of  his  numerous  pictures 
and  photographs.  Upon  inquiry,  the  person  is  found  to  be 
Henry  F.  Blount,  of  whom  we  append  a  brief  notice  : 

He  was  born  in  Richmond,  Ontario  County,  New  York,  on 
the  1  st  ot  May,  1829,  and  was  the  son  of  Walter  Blount,  a 
woolen  manufacturer  who  emigrated  from  Norwich,  Connecticut, 
at  an  early  day,  and  located  in  Western  New  York,  when  that 
part  of  the  country  was  called  the  Far  West.  His  education 
was  such  as  the  common  schools  afforded,  and  supplemented  by 
four  years  experience  as  a  clerk  in  a  country  store  in,  an  ad- 
joining county.  After  working  at  a  salary  of  from  six  to  ten 
dollars  a  week,  he  saved  seventy-five  dollars,  and  came  West  to 
Peoria,  Illinois.  With  no  acquaintance  or  recommendation,  he 
trusted  to  his  energies  to  procure  him  a  situation.  A  Mr.  Lan- 
worthy,  a  merchant  of  Worthington.  Indiana,  was  attracted  by 
his  appearance,  and  offered  him  a  position  in  his  store,  and  he 

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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  dl 

eagerly  proceeded  to  liie  new  home.  After  working  as  a  clerk 
two  years,  bis  employer  offered  him  a  full  partnership  in  the 
concern.  This  generous  offer  was  readily  accepted  by  Mr. 
Blount;  and  tor  over  eight  years  their  business  associations 
were  very  successful.  After  the  abandonment  of  the  Wabash 
and  Erie  Canal,  Mr.  Blount  was  desirous  of  obtaining  a  new 
location  —  as  Worthington  did  not  seem  destined  to  become  a 
much  larger  place,  and  the  merchants  generally  were  of  the 
opinion  that  it  had  seen  its  best  days.  Mr.  J.  H.  Roelker,  of 
the  Eagle  Foundry,  being  in  town,  he  asked  our  subject  to  pur- 
chase an  interest  in  his  foundry.  He  therefore  secured  Mr. 
Kinsman's  interest ;  and  the  firm  was  known  as  Roelker,  Blount 
k  Co.  for  over  eight  years.  We  have  elsewhere  spoken  of  the 
large  amount  of  stoves  manufactured  by  this  establishment . 
and  they  also  owned  a  three-fourths  interest  in  the  Urie  Plow 
Factory — the  products  of  which  were  obtaining  some  note,  as  a 
new  and  useful  article  of  trade.  Mr.  Blount  purchased  the 
firm  8  interest  in  the  plow  works,  and  also  the  individual  share 
of  Mr.  Urie,  and  at  once  increased  the  capacity  of  their  manu- 
facture ;  made  several  improvements,  and  advertised  their 
merits  in  the  adjoining  States,  especially  in  the  South.  Even 
in  Mexico,  **  Blount's  Extra  Point  Steel  Plows"  are  used,  and 
the  natives  seemed  to  be  pleased  with  the  rather  unique  aud 
economical  arrangement.  From  eight  to  ten  thousand  plows 
are  shipped  annually ;  and  the  factory  gives  employment  to 
about  thirty  hands.  This  large  trade  does  not  altogether 
hold  his  attention  ;  as  he  has  an  extensive  library,  and  is  well 
versed  upon  the  scientific  and  moral  questions  of  the  day.  To 
one  familiar  with  the  standard  authors,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  con- 
verse with  Mr.  Blount ;  as  his  apt  illustrations,  his  inimitable 
story-telling,  and  extensive  fund  of  historic  lore,  make  one  feel 
that  he  is  in  the  company  of  a  man  who  delights  in  literature, 
and  who  finds  it  an  apcreeable  task  to  go  over  the  fields  of  fiction 
and  questions  of  moral  reform,  with  the  purpose  of  securing 
correct  ideas  on  the  topics  of  the  day. 


11 


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Hon.  Alexander  G.  Donald. 


LON.  ALEXANDER  C.  DONALD  was  born  in  Aber- 
deen,  Scotland,  May  6th,  1818.  For  some  years 
before  leaving  home,  he  was  a  writer  in  the  office  of  an  advo- 
cate. When  young,  his  ambition  was  to  have  a  home  on  the 
shores  of  the  Ohio.  In  November,  1836,  he  sailed  from  Liver- 
pool ;  and,  after  having  been  wrecked,  landed  in  New  York  in 
May,  1887.  He  proceeded  to  Louisville,  and  thence  to  Van- 
derbprgh  County.  He  walked  from  Evansville  to  St.  Louis  in 
search  of  work  ;  but  failing  to  find  employment,  he  returned  to 
Evansville,  where  he  was  hired  as  clerk  in  the  branch  bank  of 
the  State.     From  1840  to  1845  he  taught  school  in  the  country. 

In  1845  he  married  Nancy  K.  Duncan.  From  1845  to 
1852  he  was  employed  in  teaching  school  in  the  Winter,  and 
farming  during  the  Summer.  In  1852  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature,  on  the  Whig  ticket,  defeating  Bailey  W.  Martin,  by 
a  majority  of  fifty-two  votes.  In  1850  he  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  and  at  the  same  time  acted  as  Deputy  Olerk  of  the 
Court,  under  Dr.  Lewis.  He  walked  from  Princeton  to  his 
farm — twelve  miles — every  Saturday  evening,  and  returned  by 
the  same  conveyance  on  Mondays,  until  December,  1855 ;  at 
which  time  he  moved  to  Princeton,  and  continued  to  act  as 
Deputy  Clerk  until  1859.  In  1860  he  formed  a  partnership  for 
the  practice  of  law  with  Hon.  Samuel  Hall,  which  continued 
until  the  death  of  that  distinguished  gentleman,  in  1862. 

A  man  of  versatile  talents,  ready  wit,  and  apt  judgment, 
Mr.  Donald  was  by  nature  modeled  for  sucoess  in  the  legal  pro- 
fession. His  career  in  business,  and  also  in  teaching,  were 
indicative  of  a  strong  mind  and  cultured  habits ;  but  his  pro- 
fessional experience  was  the  crowning  honor  of  his  life.  As  a 
profound  thinker  and  deep  reasoner,  his  talents  won  for  him 
a  prominent  position  in  that  constellation  of  brilliant  minds, 

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HON.  A.  C;.  DONALD. 


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NANCY.  K.  DONALD, 


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EvoMville  <md  its  Men  of  Mark,  88 

who  have  made  Indiana  the  scene  of  their  triamphs,  and  of 
whom  only  a  few  linger  behind. 

Mr.  Donald  was  an  original  Repnblican  —  opposed  to 
slavery  in  any  form,  and  fonght  a  brave  fight  for  the  success  of 
liberal  principles.  A  Reformer  in  the  true  sense  of  the  term, 
his  earnest  convictions  of  duty  made  him  a  firm  friend  of  the 
oppressed — benefactor  of  the  poor — and  a  patron  of  any  and  all 
projects  for  the  improvement  of  the  condition  of  the  people.  He 
died  on  the  27th  of  April,  1872;  and  the  country  mourns  the 
loss  of  one  so  noted  in  the  annals  of  the  State. 


Hon.  James  Lockhart. 


UROUND  the  name  of  James  Logkhabt,  cluster  the 
recollections  of  a  brave  and  gallant  spirit ;  a  refined 
and  cultivated  man ;  an  erudite  jurist ;  and  a  politician  who 
understood  so  well  the  wants  and  necessities  of  Indiana.  He 
was  bom  in  Auburn,  New  York,  on  the  13th  of  February,  1806. 
The  eldest  of  eight  children,  he  was  forced  to  assist  his  father 
— Ephraim  L.  Lockhart — ^in  the  carding  and  fulling-mill  busi- 
ness, and  served  a  full  apprenticeship  in  the  same.  During  his 
leisure  time,  he  devoted  himself  to  studying  the  preparatory 
books  for  college,  and  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  partial  course. 
Owing  to  his  lack  of  means,  he  was  forced  to  relinquish  his 
hope  of  being  a  graduate.  He  also  studied  law  ;  but  was  not 
addmitted  to  practice  till  after  his  arrival  at  Evansville,  in 
1832.  His  name  was  familiar  to  the  people  as  a  leading  lawyer 
for  many  years.  His  strong  will  and  determined  mind  caused 
him  to  study  carefully  the  cases  presented  to  his  charge ;  and 
he,  in  spite  of  every  obstacle,  took  a  commanding  position  in 
the  profession.  For  several  years  he  acted  as  prosecuting 
attorney ;  and  for  over  seven  years  he  served  as  Circuit  Judge. 
Many  are  the  pleasing  memories  of  Judge  Lockhart ;  and  he 
must  have  been  an  impartial  and  popular  magistrate. 

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S4  MvoiMvilie  and  iU  ken  of  Mark, 

In  1851  he  was  a  member  of  the  Oonstitutional  Convention, 
and  in  that  body  exerted  an  influence  second  to  none  in  the 
State.  He  was  elected  by  the  Democrats  as  a  member  of  the 
Thirty-second  Congress,  and  was  a  member  elect  of  that  body  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  September,  1857.  His  health  barely 
survived  the  first  campaign  ;  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  his 
extreme  labors  as  a  public  speaker  were  the  cause  of  his  un- 
timely death.  Tall  in  person ;  weighing  over  two  hundred 
pounds  when  in  health ;  and  possessing  a  remarkable  voice  for 
public  speaking,  his  presence  on  the  stump  was  the  signal  for  a 
great  rally  of  his  political  friends,  and  even  opponents.  A 
keen  and  logical  debater,  his  arguments  were  presented  in  a 
style  peculiar  to  himself ;  and  he  won  a  distinction  for  political 
debates  which  has  secured  for  him  a  lasting  reputation.  His 
career  in  Congress  was  such  as  to  add  to  his  fame ;  and  in 
Washington,  as  well  as  in  Indiana,  Judge  Lockhart  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  "  men  of  the  times." 

He  was  married  in  1835  to  Miss  Sarah  O.  Negley,  daugh- 
ter oi  David  Negley i  an  old  resident  of  Pigeon  Creek  settle- 
ment. This  estimable  lady  yet  resides  in  the  city,  which  has 
been  her  home  for  so  many  years. 


Samuel  Bayard,  Esq., 


jINANCIAL  ability  has  seldom  been  shown  more  con- 
spicuously than  in  the  successful  career  of  Mr.  Sam- 
uel Bayard.  No  city  in  the  country  can  claim  a  citizen 
whose  mind  more  thoroughly  comprehends  all  the  problems  of 
banking ;  whose  daily  life  is  more  conscientiously  devoted  to 
his  business ;  and  who  is  so  thoroughly  a  representative  Amer- 
ican gentleman  and  banker,  as  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  No 
one  can  read  the  history  of  his  life  without  gaining  additional 
respect  for  the  man,  or  without  rejoicing  that  his  energy  and 
merit  have  won  lor  him  a  place  among  the  leading  bankers  of 
Indiana. 

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£van8vilie  and  its  Men  of  Mark  66 

Mr.  Bayard  is  a  native  of  ViDcennes,  Enox  Ooanty,  Indi- 
ana. His  education  was  of  the  best  the  public  schools  at  that 
day  furnished.  He  acted,  for  a  short  time,  as  Deputy  Clerk  of 
the  Circuit  and  Probate  Courts  of  Enox  County  —  a  position 
he  relinquished  in  September,  1851,  to  accept  the  clerkship  of 
the  branch  at  Evansville  of  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana.  It 
was  here  that  his  genius  for  banking  began  to  manifest  itself ; 
and  the  traits  of  business  courtesy,  punctuality,  and  strict  in- 
tegrity, so  well  recognized  in  the  mature  man,  were  outlined 
from  his  first  entrance  upon  his  chosen  life.  He  filled  this  sit- 
uation with  such  marked  ability,  that  in  November,  1851,  only 
two  months  after  the  previous  appointment,  he  was  promote  d 
to  the  position  of  Teller,  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity 
until  the  final  close  of  the  bank,  in  1858. 

In  1857  he  was  appointed  Cashier  of  the  branoh  at  Evans- 
ville  of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana ;  and  he  also  occu- 
pied this  position  until  the  close  of  the  branch,  in  the  year  1866 

When  the  time  came  to  provide  a  successor  to  the  branch 
of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  Mr.  Bayard's  services 
were  indispensable  to  the  success  of  the  new  enterprise ;  and 
at  its  organization,  in  1865,  he  was  elected  cashier  of  the  new 
banking  corporation.  Springing  out  of  the  loins  of  the  old 
institution,  it  is  due,  largely,  to  the  financial  acumen  of  Mr. 
Bayard  that  the  Evansville  National  Bank  has  shown  the  en- 
ergy of  youth  and  the  judgment  of  mature  age.  In  1867  he 
was  made  its  Vice-President,  and  has  been  since  that  time 
virtually  acting  as  President  of  the  Bank. 

In  1864  Mr.  Bayard  was  active  in  founding  the  banking 
firm  of  W.  J.  Lowry  &  Co.,  and  still  retains  his  connection  with 
it.  The  credit  and  standing  of  the  firm  commands  now,  as  it 
has  in  the  past,  the  confidence  of  the  general  public  at  home 
and  abroad.  In  the  early  part  of  the  present  year  he  aided  in 
organizing  the  German  National  Bank,  of  this  city,  of  which  he 
is  at  present  a  director.  In  June,  1870,  Mr.  Bayard  was  elected 
a  director  of  the  Evansville,  Carmi  and  Paducah  Railroad 
Company ;  which  corporation  was  subsequently  consolidated 
with  the  St.  Louis  and  Southeastern  Railway,  and  is  now  known 
as  the  Western  Division  of  the  St.  Louis,  Evansville  and  Nash- 
Yille  Railway,  consolidated.      He  was  then   continued  as  a 

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86  Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

director,  and  at  the  last  election  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of 
Directors  a  member  of  the  Ezeontive  Committee,  to  whom  is 
confided  the  management  of  the  general  business  of  the  company. 

Mr.  Bayard  was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  in  the 
establishment  of  the  Public  Library;  having  subscribed  lib- 
erally toward  its  fund,  and  still  carries  his  stock  in  that  corpo- 
ration. The  first  meeting  of  its  stockholders  was  held  on  July 
29th,  1855,  and  on  December  81st,  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  John 
Ingle,  Jr.,  was  elected  its  President ;  George  Foster,  Esq.,  its 
Recording  Secretary ;  and  Mr.  Bayard,  its  Treasurer.  Mr. 
Bayard  went  to  Oinoinnati  and  purchased  a  large  number  of 
volumes  for  it  —  his  excellent  literary  taste  being  relied  upon 
for  good  selections.     He  also  served  as  its  President. 

In  all  the  corporations  with  which  Mr.  Bayard  is  connected 
he  is  an  influential  member.  His  name  is  the  most  powerful  in 
the  monetary  circles  of  the  city.  Still  in  the  prime  and  vigor 
of  his  life ;  as  attentive  to  business  as  when  struggling  in  his 
upward  career  ;  there  is  left  for  him  a  future  of  still  larger  pos- 
sibilities. A  thorough  and  well-bred  gentleman  :  courteous  to 
all  in  his  manner  —  his  life  has  been  the  reward  of  patient,  en- 
ergetic and  intellectual  effort.  And  the  bank — the  Evansville 
National  —  of  which  he  is  the  recognized  head,  is  the  largest 
and  most  powerful  monied  institution  of  the  city. 


General  Joseph  Lane. 


;jEW  there  are  who  have  not  heard  of  General  Joe  Lane, 
of  Oregon,  who,  from  an  obscure  flat-boatman,  on  the 
Qhio  River,  has  risen  to  some  of  the  most  prominent  positions 
in  the  land.  To-day  he  lives  on  the  Pacific  slope,  far  away 
from  the  scenes  of  his  early  struggles.  He  was  bom  in  North 
Carolina,  in  1801,  and  was  only  six  years  of  age  when  his  father, 
John  Lane,  removed  to  Henderson  County,  Kentucky.  What 
education  he  secured  was  obtained,  at  intervals,  in  some  log- 
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Evansville  atnd  iU  Men  of  Mark.  87 

house,  where  a  man,  who,  knew  hi«  letters,  acfted  as  teacher. 
Joseph  was  a  sharp,  quick-witted  boy  — more  foud  of  hunting 
than  of  books ;  and,  withal,  was  very  popular  with  the  pioneers, 
on  account  of  his  accommodating  disposition.  In  1818,  his 
father  removed  to  Vanderburgh  County,  and  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  about  nine  miles  from  the  Orescent  Village.  Here 
Joseph  was  invited  by  Judge  Grass,  who  kept  a  store  near  Rock- 
port,  to  proceed  there  and  act  as  a  clerk  in  his  establishment. 
He  was  at  once  regarded  with  favor  by  all  who  had  business  at 
the  store,  as  he  was  well  posted  in  stories  of  frontier  life,  and 
was  kind  and  obliging.  He  next,  in  company  with  his  brother 
Simon,  bought  a  flat-boat ;  sold  wood  to  the  boats  as  they 
passed;  made  many  trips  t.o  New  Orleans;  carried  on  a  farm;  dealt 
in  stock,  etc.;  till  the  breaking  ont  of  the  Mexican  War,  when 
he  began  to  secure  recruits  in  Evansville  and  vicinity.  Soon  a 
large  number  of  the  hardy  yeomanry  were  mustered  into  the 
service  ;  and  our  subject  as  their  Oolonel,  was  oft  for  the  scene 
of  the  war.  His  regiment  was  placed  in  the  division  com- 
manded by  Taylor,  and  his  exploits  immediately  attracted  the 
attention  of  **  Old  Rough  and  Ready,"  who  showed  his  confi- 
dence in  the  Indian  pioneer  by  making  Oolonel  Lane  a  Briga- 
dier General.  General  Lane  was  not  only  a  brave  man,  but  he 
was  possessed  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Mexican  style  of  fighting, 
and  was  an  invaluable  ofiicer  in  that  vigorous  campaign,  so  suc- 
cessfully managed  by  Taylor. 

After  the  close  of  hostilities,  he  was  appointed  by  the 
President  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Oregon ;  and  upon  the 
admission  of  Oregon  into  the  Union,  he  was  elected  as  Senator. 
General  Lane  was  a  delegate  from  Oregon  to  the  Democratic 
Convention  which  nominated  Franklin  Pierce  for  President,  in 
1852.  In  1860,  General  Lane  was  nominated  for  Vice-Presi- 
dent on  the  Breckinridge  Democratic  ticket ;  and  his  career  in 
that  memorable  campaign  is  a  part  of  the  records  of  the  coun- 
try. General  Lane  was  married,  while  living  in  Vanderburgh 
County,  to  Miss  Mary  Hart,  daughter  of  Matthew  Hart.  Ten 
children  were  the  result  of  the  union,  of  whom  only  one  has 
died.  Taking  him  as'  a  representative  pioneer,  we  have  pre- 
sented this  brief  sketch  of  his  life.  His  public  services  are  a 
permanent  part  of  our  national  history ;  while  his  good  quail- 

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88  JSvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

ties  of  heart  are  impressed  upon  the  memories  of  our  best  citi- 
zens. His  vigorous  constitution  and  active  liabits,  will,  we 
trust,  spare  his  life  for  many  years  to  come. 


Hon.  John  Law. 


HE  name  of  John  Law  is  inseparably  associated  with 
the  history  of  Indiana,  and  more  lately  with  the  inter- 
ests of  Evansville  and  this  section.  His  professional,  judicial, 
and  political  career  have  secured  for  him  an  eminent  reputation 
and  social  regard.  His  life  has  been  pure  —  never  tarnished 
with  spot  or  blemish.  He  was  born  on  the  28th  of  October, 
1796,  at  New  London,  Oonnecticut.  Mr.  Law's  grandfather  was 
a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress,  and  was  a  man 
respected  by  all  his  constituents.  The  father  of  Judge  Law  was 
also  a  member  of  Congress  ;  and  the  name  ot  Lyman  Law  was 
for  many  years  associated  with  the  leading  cases  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  State.  He  looked  carefully  after  the  edu- 
cational interests  of  his  son  ;  and  as  soon  as  John  was  prepared 
he  entered  the  Worthington  School,  taught  by  the  noted  Jona 
than  Pomeroy,  a  wealthy  gentleman  and  a  graduate  of  iTale, 
who  taught  for  the  pleasure  of  teaching  ;  and  having  few  pupils, 
he  spared  no  pains  to  give  them  a  good  training  for  the  college. 
John  entered  Yale  in  1810,  and  graduated  in  1814,  at  the  boy- 
ish age  of  eighteen.  The  youthful  student  manifested  uncom- 
mon powers  of  intellect,  and  an  intense  thirst  for  knowledge — 
especially  in  the  field  of  classical  literature,  which  he  read  with 
a  scope  of  learning  that  surprised  even  the  professors.  After 
graduating,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  his  father's 
office,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1817.  With  a  reputation 
for  being  well  read  in  the  profession,  he  directed  his  steps  West- 
ward ;  and  in  the  Fall  of  1818  we  find  him  opening  an  office  in 
Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  soon  engaged  in  busy  practice.  The 
professional  rise  of  Mr.  Law  was  almost  beyond  precedent.  The 
records  of  the  courts  and  the  reports  of  the  State,  both  Federal 


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£h)ati8ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  89 

and  State,  show  that  within  the  first  year  of  his  arrival  he  stood 
forward  as  amons;  the  most  successful  practitioners  at  the  bar, 
—  by  his  talent  and  industry  alone,  winning  honors  in  the  face 
of  a  violent  opposition.  As  a  criminal  lawyer,  he  was  recog- 
nized as  among  the  ablest  in  \he  State.  His  learned,  eloquent 
and  masterly  arguments  gave  to  him,  as  an  advocate,  a  name 
that  was  a  household  word  in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  was  prosecuting  attorney  in  nearly  all  the  courts 
of  the  old  First  Congressional  District,  and  for  several  years  he 
served  as  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court.  His  judicial  course  was 
marked  by  his  clear  decisions,  cogent  reasoning,  and  systemat- 
ical summary  of  all  the  legal  points  in  the  case ;  and  while 
dignified  on  the  bench,  when  in  the  social  circle  his  gravity 
changed  into  mirth — his  conversational  powers  making  him  the 
central  figure  of  many  an  animated  circle.  During  the  admin- 
istration of  President  Fierce,  he  was  Register  in  the  Land 
Office  ;  and  before  that,  was  Receiver  of  the  Fublic  Money  for 
several  years. 

In  1851,  Judge  Law  removed  to  Evansville ;  and,  as  usual, 
success  in  numerous  clients  attended  his  labors.  He,  at  this 
time,  was  engaged  in  several  land-title  controversies ;  and  in 
this  department  his  industry  and  continued  application  gained 
for  him  much  and  lasting  commendation.  In  1861  he  was 
selected  by  the  Democratic  party  as  Member  of  Congress  from 
this  district,  and  was  re-elected  in  1863.  We  have  been  told 
that  "  no  man  of  the  minority  had  more  influence  in  shaping 
legislation  than  the  Hon.  John  Law,  of  this  district."  His 
genial  disposition  and  warm  temperament  surrounded  him  with 
many  friends,  among  whom  were  the  late  Thaddeus  Stevens 
and  other  noted  statesmen.  And  while  he  shone  in  the  social 
circle,  he  looked  after  the  interests  of  his  section,  and  they 
never  suffered  for  lack  of  care  at  bis  hands. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  never  was  a  blind  partisan  ;  his 
firmness  and  integrity  placed  his  mind  above  mere  party  fidel- 
ity ;  and  he  voted  for  any  and  all  measures  that,  in  his  judg- 
ment, were  necessary  for  the  perpetuity  of  our  free  institutions. 
In  his  speeches  on  the  merits  of  any  bill,  he  evinced  most  fully 
his  powers  of  mind  and  the  purity  and  elevation  of  his  princi- 
ples. All  parties  united  in  doing  Judge  Law  honor,  and  their 
12 

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90  Evansville  (md  its  Men  of  Mark, 

perflonal  regard  was  shown  not  only  at  Washington,  but  also 
when  he  returned  to  this  city.  A  true  Republican,  Judge  Law 
loves  the  Constitution  and  reveres  the  Union.  A  patriot,  he 
never  yet  has  ceased  to  toil  for  the  public  weal ;  and  in  every 
position,  however  onerous,  he  hfts  discharged  his  duties  with 
the  utmost  fidelity. 


Captain  P.  G.  O'Riley. 


WL^  energetic  citizen  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  the 
17th  of  March,  1810.  His  education  was  principally 
in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  even  before  his  emigration  to  Amer- 
ica, his  reputation  as  a  skillful  clerk  and  energetic  salesman 
was  well  established.  In  1826  he  arrived  in  New  York,  on  his 
way  to  the  West,  engaging  himself  as  a  clerk  in  a  commercial 
house  at  Cincinnati. .  Having  a  keen  love  for  the  river  trade, 
he  was  soon  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  Cincinnati,  Louisville 
and  New  Orleans  line  of  steamboats.  Especially  with  the  Lou- 
isville and  New  Orleans  packet  line  was  he  identified  and  with 
their  business,  through  the  various  grades  from  clerk  to  captain. 
Any  one  who  ever  saw  Captain  O'Riley  will  remember  the  man 
who  could  command  a  boat,  write  letters,  and  carry  on  a  con- 
versation at  the  same  time. 

He  was  married  at  Troy,  Indiana,  on  the  31st  of  July,  1882, 
to  Miss  Emerine  Jennings,  daughter  of  Judge  Jennings,  an  old 
and  distinguished  citizen  of  Troy.  In  1843  he  came  to  Evans- 
ville,  and  was  a  commission  merchant  here  ior  over  twenty 
years.  His  wharf-boat  was  one  of  the  institutions  of  Evans- 
ville  :  and  especially  was  it  the  resort  of  all  the  river  men,  who 
could  there  gain  information  in  regard  to  their  families  Capt. 
O'Riley 's  frank;  open-hearted  and  cordial  nature,  so  character- 
istic of  his  countrymen  secured  him  a  wide  circle  of  friends, 
whose  love  and  esteem  increased  with  intimacy.  His  nature 
was  as  generous  as  it  was  noble.  The  widow  and  the  orphan, 
the  ailing  and  the  destitute,  were  always  sure  of  his  aid  and 
succor.    His  purse-strings  were  ever  opened  at  the  call  of  the 

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^' 


COL.  J.  S.  BUCHANAN. 


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Svatuvilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  91 

poor,  and  no  application  for  relief  was  ever  made  to  him  in 
vain.  A  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  a  leading 
Knight-Templar,  his  brethren  were  prond  of  their  worthy  asso- 
date,  who  exemplified  so  fully  the  bond  of  friendship  and  sym- 
pathy. In  1863  he  removed  tb  New  Orleans,  and  engaged  in 
the  commission  business.  The  same  characteristics  which  made 
him  so  popular  in  Evansville  gave  to  him  a  leading  position  in 
the  mercantile  fraternity  of  that  city.  The  Tmies  of  that  city, 
in  its  issue  of  October  9th,  1867,  says:  ''  During  the  past  four 
years  he  had  made  New  Orleans  his  home ;  and  in  this  brief 
period  centered  around  him  many  new  friends  in  this  commu- 
nity who  appreciate  his  worth  and  deplore  his  loss.  The  5th 
of  October  last  he  succumbed  to  the  fatal  fever  which  scourged 
our  city  ;  and  although  his  family  had  not  the  indefinable  con- 
eolation  of  being  at  his  side  at  the  moment,  it  may  in  some 
degree  assuage  their  grief  to  know  that  he  was  tenderly  and 
devotedly  cared  for  by  sincere  friends,  who  faithfully  watched 
by  his  couch  of  sickness  and  received  his  latest  breath."  His 
fnneral  was  attended  by  a  numerous  concourse  of  friends,  who 
deplored  in  his  death  the  loss  of  a  good  citizen,  an  upright  mer- 
chant, and  a  good  father,  husband  and  friend.  In  testimony  of 
respect,  the  steam  fleets  at  Evansville,  Louisville  and  Cincin- 
nati, displayed  their  flags  at  half-mast  the  day  the  melancholy 
news  reached  those  cities.  Of  the  nine  children  born  to 
them,  those  now  living  are  Jennie,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  Mageniss ; 
Fannie,  Mrs  Ransom  L.  Akin ;  John  and  Emma.  The  two  lat- 
ter reside  with  their  mother. 


Go/one/  J.  8.  Buchanan. 


^HE  Evansville  bar  has  long  enjoyed  a  high  reputation 
and  its  members  have  largely  influenced  the  course  of 
not  only  the  city,  but  State  and  national  affairs.  Among  the 
able  men  who  adorn  the  bar  of  this  district  we  find  Colonel 
BuoHAHAN*      He  was  born  near  Madison,  Indiana,  on  the  4th 

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92  JBvan&ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

of  February,  1822.  In  1824  his  father,  John  Buchanan,  who 
was  a  farmer,  removed  to  Vevay,  Switzerland  County.  Having 
a  fondness  for  study,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  commenced  the  reading  of  law  books,  in  order  to  gain 
information.  His  efforts  were  it)  well  directed  that  he  deter- 
mined to  adopt  the  legal  profession  as  a  livelihood.  After  read- 
ing nearly  three  years,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  was  obliged 
to  change  his  plaos ;  and  till  1848,  he  worked  on  the  farm  with 
the  resolution  of  returning  to  the  profession  when  his  health 
would  permit.  The  death  of  his  father,  in  1847,  was  the  source 
of  painful  trial  and  anxiety.  Under  the  trying  circumstances, 
he  felt  little  desire  to  engage  in  the  actual  practice  of  the  pro- 
fession, for  which  both  study  and  thought  had  so  eminently 
fitted  him.  In  J  848  he  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  A.  Sauvain, 
daughter  of  Melshau  Sauvain,  one  of  Napoleon  I's  body  guard, 
and  an  old  settler  of  the  county.  Farming  and  studying  law 
continued  till  1850,  when  he  was  admitted  to  practice.  In 
a  short  time,  owing  to  the  advice  of  friends,  he  removed  to 
Versailles,  where  his  strict  business  habits  and  most  indomita- 
ble persevernace  brought  him  an  extensive  practice.  Owing  to 
the  location  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad  six 
miles  north  of  the  place,  and  thinking  it  not  destined  to  have 
much  groV7th,  he  removed  to  Charleston  ;  and  here  fortune 
smiled  upon  him,  and  he  was  rapidly  rising  in  the  world,  when 
the  War  of  1861  made  a  sudden  change  in  his  business  rela- 
tions. He  went  back  to  Vevay  and  commenced  recruiting ;  and 
in  a  short  time  over  two  hundred  men  were  in  camp  ;  and  these 
formed  a  part  of  the  First  Indiana  Cavalry,  in  which  he  held  a 
captain's  commission.  The  battalion,  consisting  of  six  compa- 
nies, was  ordered  to  Washington,  and  were  there  re-organized 
and  formed  a  part  of  the  Third  Indiana  Cavalry,  of  which  our 
subject  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel.  For  several 
months  the  regiment  did  scouting  service  from  Washington  to 
Manassas  and  on  to  the  Shenandoah  River.  In  the  early  part 
of  the  Summer  of  1862,  the  regiment  was  traversing 
the  country  between  Washington  and  Fredericksburgh, 
and  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington  directly  after  the 
the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run.  At  the  time  of  General  Lee*8 
raid  into  Maryland,  his  regiment  participated  in  the  battles  of 

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Bvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  d8 

South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  and  our  subject  will  be  remem- 
bered for  a  career  bo  honorable  to  himself  as  well  as  his  State. 
His  judicious  management,  ae  well  as  his  bravery  on  the  field 
and  considerate  treatment  of  his  men,  made  him  a  general  fa- 
vorite; and  his  resignation,  in  the  Winter  of  1862-3,  on  account 
of  ill  health,  was  deeply  regretted  by  his  comrades.  After  a 
brief  visit  to  Vevay,  he  went  to  Helena,  Arkansas,  and  man- 
aged a  large  plantation  for  nearly  three  years.  Owing  to  the 
predatory  excursio'ns  of  the  guerrillas,  his  property  was  rapidly 
reduced,  and  in  a  short  time  Colonel  Buchanan  had  lost  nearly 
his  entire  estate.  But  undaunted  by  obstacles,  in  July,  1866, 
we  find  him  hard  at  work  at  Evansville  ;  and  his  determination 
to  succeed  soon  enabled  him  to  recover  his  lost  fortune. 

Possessing  a  ripe  judgment,  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  principles  which  underlie  all  law,  and  oratorical  powers  of 
no  common  order,  we  do  not  wonder  at  his  success.  Colonel 
Buchanan,  guided  by  his  own  early  struggles  for  education,  has 
shown  his  regard  for  culture  by  the  liberality  and  pains  which 
he  so  abundantly  bestowed  upon  his  children :  Cicero,  the 
elder,  a  graduate  of  Eureka  College,  Illinois,  and  now  associ- 
ated with  his  father  in  the  practice  of  the  law ;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Rev.  G.  E.  Flower,  of  Paducah,  Kentucky ;  and  W.  S.,  now 
attending  the  Commercial  Colkge. 

Colonel  Buchanan  is  a  man  of  amiable  disposition  and 
gentlemanly  deportment ;  and  with  his  prepossessing  manners, 
he  never  fails  to  command  respect.  His  life  affords  an  instruct- 
ive lesson  to  those  laboring  against  adversity,  and  furnishes  an 
example  of  what  industry,  punctuality,  and  determination  can 
do  to  conquer  all  difficulties,  and  to  secure  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  communities  in  which  their  lot  may  be  cast. 


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Hon.  Alvah  Johnson. 


^AS  born  near  Boonville,  Warrick  County,  Indiana,  on 
the  15th  of  Novenber,  1825.  His  father,  K.  K. 
Johnson,  was  originally  from  Delaware  ;  his  family  removed  to 
Eentncky  when  he  was  a  child,  and  he  settled  in  Warrick 
County  in  1816.  Alvah  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm,  attended 
school  in  the  Winter ;  and  being  of  a  studious  disposition,  he 
employed  his  leisure  hours  in  studying  the  books  that  were  out 
of  the  regular  course  at  school.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  hav- 
ing received  a  fair  English  education,  he  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity, at  Bloomington,  and  graduated  in  1849.  He  then 
commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  1851.  He  began  his  profession  at  Boo^iville,  and  was  elected 
County  Recorder  the  first  year  of  his  stay  in  the  place. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1852,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jane 
Parrett,  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert  Parrett,  and  sister  of  Hon. 
William  F.  Parrett,  of  this  city. 

He  held  the  office  of  Recorder  four  years ;  and  in  1859 
was  elected  County  Treasurer,  and  in  1861  was  re-elected  to  the 
same  position.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1861,  Mr.  Johnson  deliv- 
ered an  address  at  Boonville,  which  was  not  only  a  masterly 
argument  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  but  greatly  assisted 
in  awakening  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  of  that  section.  His 
course  at  this  time  led  to  his  nomination  for  Congress  by  the 
friends  of  the  proscution  of  the  war,  and  he  was  heartily 
indorsed  by  the  Republican  party.  The  opposition  paid  him 
the  compliment  of  bringing  out  its  strongest  man  —  the  Hon. 
John  Law  ;  and  thus  furnished  palpable  evidence  of  his  status 
with  his  political  opponents.  Mr.  Johnson  was  defeated,  as  he 
expected  to  be,  but  by  a  majority  much  less  than  the  average 
in  the  district.  Judge  Law  was  then  in  the  zenith  of  a  popu- 
larity unsurpassed  by  any  of  the  prominent  men  in  this  part  of 

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HON.  ALVAH  JOHNSON. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  95 

the  State ;  and  this  fact  in  connection  with  the  new  issues  of 
Lincoln  proclamation  suddenly  presented  to  the  people,  natu- 
rally affected  the  result. 

In  the  Winter  of  1863  Mr.  Johnson  removed  to  Evansville 
and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1864  he  was 
appointed  Provost  Marshal  of  the  first  district,  and  was  instru- 
mental in  raising  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  and  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Regiments.  After  the  close  of  the 
war  he  gave  up  bis  practice,  on  account  of  ill  health,  and 
attended,  mainly,  to  real-estate  business.  His  health  not  im- 
proving, in  1869  he  spent  the  Summer  in  Europe,  visiting 
Great  Britain  and  Central  Europe.  His  letters  to  the  Journal 
were  favorably  commented  upon  by  the  press  as  giving  a  true 
picture  of  Europaan  life,  manners  and  customs ;  and  his  de- 
scriptions of  cities,  especially  of  Venice  were  written  in  a  style 
well  worthy  of  a  high  place  in  the  standard  specimens  of  for- 
eign correspondence.  On  his  return,  he  gave  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  real  estate  business ;  and  this,  in  connection 
with  his  duties  as  director  of  the  First  National  Bank,  occupied 
his  time. 

The  sketch  of  Mr.  Johnson  would  not  be  complete  without 
mentioning  that  he  is  a  man  of  unblemished  moral  character ; 
and  for  over  twenty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church,  And  a  liberal  benefactor  to  all 
the  religious  and  philanthropic  enterprises  of  the  day.  Both 
as  a  business  man  and  citizen,  Mr.  Johnson  carries  with  him 
the  esteem  of  the  community.  Having  begun  life  poor,  he  has 
raised  himself  to  the  position  of  a  trusted  financier  and  enter- 
prising capitalist.     Surely,  his  life  career  has  been  a  success. 


Henry  D.  Allis. 

^ONWAY,  Massachusetts,  is  the  place  where  Henry  D. 
Allis  was  born,  on  the  15th  of  May,  1813.  Henry 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  till  his  eighteenth  year ;  when, 
having  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  world,  he  started  out  as  a 

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96  Evansville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

peddler  of  jewelry,  Yankee  notions,  etc. — a  merchant  agreeing 
to  supply  him  with  stock  and  pay  him  two  hundred  dollars  a 
year  and  expenses.  He  traveled  over  Western  Massachusetts 
and  Eastern  New  York,  on  foot;  and  being  well  acquainted 
with  the  wants  of  the  people,  he  soon  acquired  some  celebrity 
as  a  sharp  and  successful  trader.  In  1834  he  made  an  exten- 
sive pedestrian  tour,  with  his  pack  well  filled,  to  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia.  At  Wheeling  he  thought  of  visiting  Alabama, 
and  proceeded  down  the  river  to  Louisville,  for  that  purpose ; 
but  at  the  latter  city  he  met  some  clock  peddlers,  who  had  just 
arrived  from  the  South,  and  were  bound  for  Evansville.  He 
was  induced  to  join  them,  and  the  party  arrived  in  this  city  in 
April,  1835.  For  a  short  time  he  traveled  over  the  country 
between  Evansville  and  Vincennes ;  but  hearing  of  a  store- 
house at  Smith  Mills,  about  twelve  miles  south  of  Henderson, 
he  proceeded  to  th^t  place  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  dry 
goods  and  notion  line  for  the  following  year.  He  then  disposed 
of  his  stock  and  purchased  a  two -horse  wagon,  a  pair  of  good 
horses,  and  for  the  next  year  he  was  again  in  the  peddling  bus- 
iness. His  horses  died,  and  he  sold  his  stock  to  a  man  who 
never  paid  for  it.  He  returned  to  Evansville  with  no  cap- 
ital, but  with  a  reputation  for  energy  and  honesty.  He  called 
on  John  Shanklin,  who  was  a  kind  friend  and  benefactor  of  the 
young  man,  and  gave  him  a  letter  of  introduction  to  a  Louis- 
ville grocery  establishment.  Mr.  AUis  purchased  four  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  goods  on  four  months  time,  and  opened  his 
store  on  Main  street,  near  the  Court-house.  At  this  location  he 
remained  six  years ;  and  as  this  was  the  only  retail  establish- 
ment here  for  some  time,  his  trade  soon  assumed  large  propor- 
tions, for  a  town  of  that  size.  His  next  location  was  on  Water 
street,  where  he  transacted  a  similar  business,  and  also  did 
something  in  the  wholesale  line.  After  remaining  here  a  short 
time  he  removed  to  the  first  block  on  First  street,  and  was  the 
next  neighbor  to  Robert  Barnes.  In  1849  he  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  grocery  business,  on  the  corner  of  Water  and  Vine 
street-s.  In  1856  he  disposed  of  the  same,  and  for  the  following 
two  years  he  retired  from  active  trade.  In  1858  he  opened  a 
wholesale  liquor  establishment  in  the  store-house  previously  oc> 
cupied  by  him ;  from  1862  to  1864  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 

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(    >       i    -    M 


-  ..1 i 


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JOHN  M.  LOCKWOOD. 


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Eva/nsville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  97 

factnre  of  tobacco  with  J.  G.  Sauer  A  Oo  ;  from  1865  to  1869 
was  busy  in  the  rectifying  of  liqnors,  on  the  corner  of  Vine  and 
Water  streets ;  in  1860  he  settled  in  his  present  location,  on  Fii'st 
street,  and  has  since  maintained  a  position  as  among  the  lead- 
ing commission  merchants  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Allis  has  had  a  bnsy  life,  and  not  only  has  he  been 
diligent  in  his  own  affairs,  bnt  has  also  been  active  in  matters 
of  public  interest.  As  Vice-President  of  the  "  Straight  Line  " 
Railway  his  name  was  prominently  before  the  public  lor  several 
years,  and  his  efforts  in  aid  of  that  project  were  such  as  to  place 
hif«  name  among  the  able  financiers  of  the  city.  Mr.  Allis 
served  one  term  in  the  Oity  Council,  and  while  in  that  body 
was  well  known  as  a  prudent  manager  of  the  city's  affairs. 

He  was  married  at  Evansville,  in  1841,  to  Miss  Ann  Eliza 
Bingham,  daughter  of  Gordon  Bingham,  a  well-known  resident 
of  Baltimore,  Md.  In  the  social  circle  Mr.  Allis  is  highly  re- 
garded ;  his  acts  of  kindness  and  real  welcome  to  friends  giving 
an  earnest  of  his  genial  and  affectionate  temperament. 


John  M.  Lockwood. 


^R.  LOCKWOOD  is  of  English-Quaker  descent.  Hie 
father,  Isaac  Lockwood,  settled  in  Westchester  Co., 
New  York,  about  twelve  miles  north  of  White  Plains,  and  for 
many  years  carried  on  his  trade  as  a  hatter.  Our  subject  was 
bom  in  Westchester  County,  on  the  24th  of  April,  1809.  At 
that  time  the  opportunities  for  a  country  boy  to  obtain  even  the 
rudiments  of  an  education,  were  extremely  limited.  When 
John  was  nine  years  of  age  his  father  started  for  Indiana,  and 
arrived  at  Evansville  in  June,  1818.  His  father  went  North 
and  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  Princeton.  Unfortunately  for  John,  both  his  parents  died 
before  he  had  attained  his  twelfth  year.  His  mother  died  in 
1819,  and  his  father  in  1820.       Many  and  bitter  were  the 

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98  EvantvUle  and  iU  Men  of  Mairk. 

thoughts  that  arose  in  his  mind,  when  he  contemplated  his  des- 
olate condition.  As  if  in  answer  to  his  earnest  prayer,  the 
attention  of  James  Evans  —  a  brother  of  Oeneral  Evans  —  was 
called  to  John,  and  the  lad  proceeded  to  Mr.  Evans'  home ;  and 
though  the  orphan  was  bound  out,  inasmuch  as  Mr.  Evans  was 
a  kind  and  faithful  master,  the  boy's  lot  was  a  happy  one.  Mr. 
Evans  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  a  small  farmer,  and  the  owner 
of  a  set  of  carding-machines.  John  kept  the  accounts,  and  on 
arriving  at  his  fifteenth  year  had  full  charge  of  the  carding-ma- 
chines.  As  an  incident  worthy  of  remembrance,  we  would 
state  that  in  1829  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  rough  backwoods  boy, 
came  to  Mr.  £vans'  with  his  sack  of  wool,  which  our  hero  carded 
for  him.  When  John  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  Mr.  Evans 
gave  him  one  hundred  dollars,  and  a  suit  of  clothes  much  better 
than  his  ordinary  apparel.  He  now  made  a  contract  with  Mr. 
Evans,  by  the  terms  of  which  he  was  to  receive  one-sixth  of  the 
money  earned  by  the  carding-machines ;  and  he  worked  early 
and  late  till  Fall,  and  saved  some  money,  by  means  of  which 
he  expected  to  get  a  start  in  life.  In  the  Fall,  in  company  with 
Dr.  Neely,  he  purchased  a  flat-boat,  loaded  it  with  corn,  and 
started  for  New  Orleans,  going  down  the  Patoka,  Wabashi  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi.  However,  they  disposed  of  the  corn  at 
Bayou  Sara,  when  Mr.  Lockwood  was  attacked  with  the  dreaded 
yellow  fever.  After  two  weeks'  illness,  he  recovered  sufficiently 
to  return  home,  arriving  at  Princeton  in  July,  1831.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  he  came  to  Evansville  and  opened  a  grocery  store 
on  the  northeast  corner  of  First  and  Main  streets.  His  capital 
was  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  most  of  this  he  had 
made  with  the  carding-machines.  He  purchased  eight  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  groceries  of  the  Lewis  Brothers,  and,  as  a 
merchant,  experienced  the  troubles  and  cares  of  the  credit  sys- 
tem. He  worked  hard  ;  paid  his  accounts  as  they  came  due  ; 
and  gradually  established  a  trade  which  placed  his  name  among 
the  successful  business  men. 

In  1834  he  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  0.  Newman, 
daughter  of  James  Newman,  formerly  of  Virginia,  and  who 
had  settled  in  Evansville  in  1819. 

In  1834,  he  disposed  of  his  groceries,  and  opened  with  a 
stock  of  dry  goods.    He  worked  earnestly ;  lived  in  the  rooms 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  99 

above  his  store ;  and  succeeded,  as  usual,  in  making  his  new 
business  successful  in  every  respect.  He  retired  from  this  bus- 
iness in  1836.  In  1834,  in  company  with  Charles  I.  Battel, 
Horace  Dunham,  John  Mitchel,  James  Lewis,  and  Robert  Stock- 
well,  of  Princeton,  Mr.  Lock  wood  was  largely  instrumental  in 
organizing  the  branch  of  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana.  In  1834 
he  was  among  the  managers  of  the  Canal  Dinner,  which  attracted 
to  Evansville  near  J  y  all  the  leading  men  of  Southern  Indiana, 
and  which,  with  the  prestige  of  the  bank,  gave  Evansville  some 
little  note  in  this  section  of  the  State.  Mr.  Lockwood  was  a 
member  of  the  Council  in  1833-4.  He  worked,  with  all  his 
heart,  for  the  Evansville  and  Crawfordsville  Railroad,  and  car- 
ried Prairie  Township  for  the  project.  In  1836  he  removed  to 
a  farm,  about  three  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city.  On  account 
of  his  health,  he  could  not  reside  in  the  town ;  but,  till  1853,  a 
part  of  the  time  he  lived  in  the  country,  and  the  remainder  in 
Evansville.  He  desired  to  remain  in  Evansville  ;  but  his  health 
not  permitting,  in  1863  he  removed  to  Mt.  Vernon,  which  has 
since  been  his  residence.  At  Mt.  Vernon  he  aided  in  founding 
the  Mount  Vernon  National  Bank ;  and,  with  the  exception  of 
two  years,  he  has  been  its  President.  In  addition  to  his  duties 
as  President  of  the  Bank,  he  is  interested  in  many  private  and 
public  enterprises. 

Mr.  Lockwood  has  amassed  a  large  fortune ;  but  we  can 
truly  say  that  his  charities  have  increased  in  the  ratio  of  his 
wealth.  His  gifts  to  the  Church,  both  at  Evansville  and  Mount 
Vernon,  are  two  well  known  to  be  mentioned  here.  He  has 
now  a  well-deserved  name  for  character,  and  a  nice  sense  of 
business  honor. 

His  career  has  been  crowned  with  success,  and  his  charac- 
ter as  a  man  may  well  be  referred  to  as  a  type  of  Christian 
virtues. 


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Hon.  Charles  //.  Butterfield. 


^AYOR  BUTTERFIELD  is  of  the  New  England  stock 
and  many  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  tho  Pil- 
grims are  strongly  marked  in  him.  He  was  born  in  Farming- 
ton,  Maine,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1834.  Until  his  seventeenth 
year,  he  remained  at  home,  working  on  the  old  homestead ; 
assisting  his  father  in  the  store,  and  attending  school  during  the 
Winter  sessions.  In  1851  he  entered  Farmington  Academy, 
finished  the  preparatory  course  for  college  in  1855.  In  the  Fall 
of  that  year  he  commenced  his  oaieer  as  an  under-graduate  at 
Bowdoin,  and  matriculated  in  1859.  His  favorite  studies  were 
Latin  and  the  Natural  Sciences ;  an  i  in  these  he  particularly 
distinguished  himself.  In  August,  1859,  he  came  to  Evansville 
and  became  the  Principal  of  the  High  School.  His  career  as  a 
teacher  was  characterized  by  wisdom  and  an  active  interest  in 
everything  that  aided  in  the  progress  of  the  educational  inter- 
ests of  the  city.  In  the  Spring  of  1862  he  assisted  in  recruit- 
ing the  Sixty -fifth  Regiment,  expecting  to  go  with  it  to  the 
front;  but,  from'  causes  beyond  his  control,  was  prevented. 
However  he  raised  the  Ninety-first,  was  appointed  its  Major, 
and  was  afterwards  promoted  to  a  Lieutenant-Colonelcy.  No 
efforts  were  spared  by  Colonel  Butterfield  to  improve  the  regi- 
ment in  drill  and  discipliae ;  and  the  history  of  the  Ninety- 
first  gives  a  vivid  desciiption  of  their  valor  on  many  a  field  of 
battle.  After  chasing  th%  guerrillas  in  the  vicinity  of  Hen^ler- 
son  for  several  months,  they  were  engaged  in  the  expedition 
after  Morgan,  in  the  Spring  of  1863.  The  regiment  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  Fall  and  Winter  of  1863-4  in  all  the  battles  of 
the  East  Tennessee  campaign.  In  the  Spring  of  1864  the 
Ninety-first  formed  a  part  of  the  Twenty-third  army  corps,  of 
General  ShermaT)*s  army,  and  made  the  noted  march  from 
Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.     They  were  next  ordered  to  Nashville 


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JEvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  101 

and,  as  a  portion  of  Thomas'  army,  took  part  in  the  fights  that 
led  to  the  overthrow  of  Hood's  army.  We  soon  find  the  Nine- 
ty-first at  Washington,  enrouie  for  North  Carolina,  and  landing 
at  Fort  Fisher  in  time  to  join  Sherman  at  Goldsboro.  The  fights 
with  Johnson  were  among  the  most  bloody  of  any  in  the  war  ; 
and  the  Ninety-first,  till  the  final  surrender  of  Johnson's  army, 
maintained  the  honor  of  their  State  and  aided  materially  in 
crushing  this,  the  last  hope  of  the  Confederacy.  Colonel  But- 
terfield  was  in  command  of  Salisbury  the  first  day  after  the 
entry  of  the  Federal  army. 

The  conflict  being  over,  he  returned  to  Evansville  in  July, 
1865,  and  was  soon  appointed  Superintendent  of  Schools,  which 
position  he  retained  one  year.  Immediately  upon  arriving  in 
the  city  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law  ;  and  while  acting 
as  Superintendent  he  also  read  law,  as  time  would  permit,  in 
Hon.  Conrad  Baker's  office.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
December,  1865,  and  was,  after  the  expiration  of  his  official  ca- 
reer, engaged  in  the  active  duties  of  the  legal  profession. 

In  1869  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Criminal  Circuit  Court 
and  resigned  in  1871  to  accept  the  Mayoralty,  to  which  he  was 
elected  after  the  death  of  Hon.  William  Baker.  As  Mayor  of 
the  city.  Colonel  Butterfield  has  followed  in  the  steps  of  his 
predecessor  ;  and  the  condition  of  the  city's  affairs  to-day  is  a 
token  of  his  efficient  management.  Mayor  Butterfield  is  always 
at  his  post  of  duty  ;  and  the  city  has  few  officials  from  whom 
more  substantial  benefits  have  accrued. 


Abko  Dyer. 


I^ON.  .DILLIS  DYER  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  came 
to  Kentucky  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  He  in  after 
years  became  a  noted  lawyer  and  distinguished  politician.  A 
warm  personal  frie.nd  of  Henry  Clay  and  an  uncompromising 
Whig,  he  was  several  times  elected  a  member  of  the  Senate  and 
House  ot  Representatives  of  the  Kentucky  Legislature,    The 


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102  JBvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

name  of  Dyer,  in  connection  with  Calhoun,  Pirtle  and  Crow,  is 
intimately  associated  with  the  progress  of  jurisprudence  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  advancement  of  the  principles  so  aptly  promul- 
gated by  the  Whig  party  of  the  past. 

Az£0  was  born  in  Muhlemburg  County,  Kentucky,  on  the 
12th  of  March,  1836.  After  a  thorough  preparatory  course  at 
Hartford  Academy,  under  the  charge  of  Prof.  Frank  Griffiin. 
he  was  admitted  to  the  Freshmen  Class  of  '56,  of  the  Rochester 
University,  New  York.  He  remained  at  Rochester  till  the 
Summer  of  1854,  when  he  wended  his  way  to  Hanover,  New 
Hampshire,  and  was  entered  on  the  rolls  of  the  Junior  Class  of 
Dartmouth  College.  Mr.  Dyer  was  a  fine  linguist  and  excelled 
as  an  essayist.  At  the  graduating  exercises  in  1856,  he  deliv- 
ered the  farewell  address  to  President  Lord.  This,  as  well  as 
his  literary  productions  in  the  regular  course,  gave  him  a  pre- 
eminent position  among  the  under-graduates  of  "  Old  Dart- 
mouth." In  the  Fall  of  1856  he  commenced  the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  Ji»dge  J.W.Bickers,  of  Rumsey,  Muhlemburgh  Co. 
After  a  year's  experience  in  the  office,  he  entered  the  Law  De- 
partment of  the  Louisville  University,  and  matriculated  in  the 
Spring  of  1858.  His  first  location  was  at  Calhoun,  McLean 
County,  Kentucky ;  and  slowly  his  practice  increased,  and 
gradually  his  name  was  mentioned  among  the  rising  jurists  of 
the  State,  when  the  Civil  War  caused  a  stoppage  of  his  profes- 
sional career. 

In  1861  he  was  married  to  Miss  Prudy  L.  Belt,  daughter 
of  Henry  J.  Belt,  a  leading  merchant  of  Livermore,  McLean 
County,  Kentucky. 

In  July,  1864,  Mr.  Dyer  came  to  Evansville,  and  has  fought 
his  way,  step  by  step,  till  he  is  recognized  among  the  leading 
members  of  the  bar  of  this  circuit.  It  is  difficult  to  name  the 
department  of  the  profession  in  which  Mr.  Dyer  excels ;  as  he 
is  well  adapted  for  all.  A  good  legal  adviser,  he  is  often  re- 
tained upon  some  of  the  most  noted  cases  in  the  courts ;  while 
his  sharp,  pungent  arguments  have  established  his  reputation 
as  an  advocate  of  ability  and  power.  Well  read  in  the  profes- 
sional literature,  he  is  also  well  versed  in  the  ordinary  affairs 
of  life.    One  of  the  best  scholars  in  the  State,  his  arguments 

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Bvansville  and  its  Mm  of  Mark,  103 

are  dressed  in  such  language  that  they  are  comprehended  even 
by  the  humblest  hearer. 

A  gentleman  of  the  highest  cnltnre,  Azro  Dyer  never  fails 
to  treat  with  cordiality  and  respect  all  persons,  of  whatever 
condition. 


Willis  Howe. 


jENTUCKY  has  sent  many  of  her  sons  to  people  Indi- 
diana,  and  that  they  performed  a  noble  part  in  the 
history  of  the  young  State  is  fully  shown  by  the  records  of  the 
early  pioneers.  Willis  Howe  was  born  near  Boone  Lick,  Boon 
County  Kentucky,  on  the  9th  of  November,  1805,  When  fif- 
teen years  of  age,  his  family  settled  in  Gibson  County,  Indiana, 
near  the  present  site  oi  Patoka.  In  1818  the  villages  of  Pa- 
toka  and  Princeton  were  nearly  equal  in  population,  and  there 
was  considerable  strife  between  them,  as  to  which  should  be  the 
county-seat.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  was  apprenticed  to  a 
blacksmith  at  Princeton,  and  served  four  years.  With  nothing 
but  his  energy  for  capital,  he  started  a  blacksmith  shop  ;  and 
for  ovar  twenty-seven  years  he  worked  faithfully  at  his  forge, 
and  succeeded  in  amassing  a  considerable  estate.  He  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace  four  years,  and  was  County  Treasurer 
from  1832  to  1888. 

In  1827  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Minnis,  daughter  of 
Calvin  Minnis,  an  old  settler  who  had  come  to  Indiana  in  1811. 

Of  late  his  attention  has  been  given  to  the  care  of  a  large 
farm,  and  the  Gibson  County  National  Bank,  of  which  he  has 
been,  for  some  time,  Vice-President.  Though  a  resident  of 
Princeton,  Mr.  Howe  has  labored  for  Evansville's  railroad 
enterprises,  and  has  aided  energetically  for  the  internal  improve- 
ment of  Southern  Indiana.  Though  nearly  seventy  years  of 
age,  he  is  hard  at  work ;  and  one  would  judge  from  his  well- 
preserved  physique  that  he  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life. 


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General  James  M.  Shackelford. 


SOLDIER  and  a  jurist  our  subject  has  beeu  ;  and  in 
each  capacity  he  has  so  truly  played  his  part  that 
each  seemed,  for  the  time  being,  his  only  proper  sphere.  There 
are  few  to  whom  the  test  can  be  satisfactorily  applied.  A  good 
fortune  was  his  inheritance ;  while  his  lineage  can  be  traced 
from  one  of  the  first  families  in  the  commonwealth  of  Kentucky 
— and  we  think  an  additional  lustre  is  lent  to  our  subject  when 
we  know  that  his  ancestors  were  those  whose  deeds  were  worthy 
of  emulation. 

He  was  born  near  Danville,  Lincoln  County,  Kentucky,  on 
the  7th  of  July,  1827.  He  pursued  a  thorough  course  of  study 
at  the  Stanford  High  School,  and  a  select  school,  which  might 
well  be  termed  a  college,  taught  by  the  celebrated  Dr.  James 
P,  Barbour,  one  of  the  first  educators  of  the  country.  In  1847, 
at  the  time  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  his  talents  as  an  officer 
were  so  apparent  that  he  was  tendered  a  first  lieutenant  s  com- 
V  mission  in  the  Fourth  Kentucky  Infantry,  commanded  by  Col. 
John  S.  Williams.  This  was  a  high  and  flattering  compliment 
for  so  young  a  man  ;  but  one  that  was  fully  deserved  by  its  re- 
cipient. The  regiment  reached  the  city  of  Mexico  in  Decem- 
ber, 1847,  following  along  in  the  wake  of  Scott's  victories. 
Though  the  regiment  was  not  engaged  in  any  important  battles, 
as  a  solder,  Lieutenant  Shackelford's  name  and  reputation  were 
firmly  established.  In  July,  1848,  after  the  cessation  of  hostil- 
ities the  regiment  returned  to  Kentucky.  He  now  entered  the 
office  of  Judge  Cook,  a  highly-esteemed  and  well-known  lawyer, 
of  Madisonville,  Hopkins  County,  Kentucky,  and  commenced 
the  study  of  law, 

After  three  years  of  professional  study,  he  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  1851.  He  was  well  read  in  common  law  and  in 
equity,  and  was  familiar  with  their  elementary  principles  and 


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GEN.  J.  M.  SHACKELFORD. 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  105 

nicer  distiDctioDS — so  much  so,  that  Judge  Cook  invited  him  to 
a  partuership.  A  few  days  after  this  association,  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Strange  was  arrested  for  murder ;  Mr.  S.  was  retained 
for  the  defence ;  and  as  this  was  hio  debut  as  an  advocate,  his 
friends  were  anxious  as  to  the  result — inasmuch  as  the  evidence 
seemed  to  be  against  the  criminal,  and  the  prosecution  was  com- 
posed of  the  first  legal  talent  of  the  State.  His  argument  was 
so  well  prepared,  and  his  case  so  ably  managed,  that  in  spite  of 
the  energetic  appeals  of  the  eloquent  prosecutors  who  preceded 
him,  his  peculiarly  nervous  eloqueuce — his  subtle  and  plausible 
defence  —  entitled  him  to  a  high  rank  among  those  attorneys, 
so  noted  for  their  eloquence  and  learning.  Upon  the  conclu- 
sion of  his  argument.  Judge  Bradley  came  down  from  his  seat, 
threw  his  cloak  around  the  young  man,  and  congratulated  him 
upon  his  success.  The  bar  followed,  and  assured  the  young 
lawyer  that  his  success  was  evident  from  that  time.  The  jury 
W€w  divided  —  eight  being  for  acquittal,  and  four  for  a  short 
term  in  the  penitentiary.  At  the  next  term  of  the  court  the 
prisoner  was  acquitted.  An  almost  unprecedented  course  of 
success  followed  ;  and  our  subject  figured  in  almost  all  the 
litigation  in  Southwestern  Kentucky  ;  and  many  of  these  trials 
were  among  the  most  noted  of  the  State. 

In  1861,  while  the  Civil  War  was  in  progress,  Mr.  Shack- 
elford having  a  strong  love  for  a  military  life  —  eager  to  lend 
what  aid  he  might  to  the  cause  of  his  country — and  having  re- 
ceived direct  authority  from  President  Lincoln,  accompanied 
by  a  letter  expressive  of  his  own  pleasure  in  doing  him  such  an 
honor,  commenced  raising  a  regiment  for  the  Union  army.  It 
was  with  difficulty  that  the  regiment  was  recruited  ;  as  most  of 
the  citizens  were  in  sympathy  with  the  Confederacy.  The  reg- 
iment was  known  as  the  Twenty-fifth  Kentucky  Infantry  ;  and 
in  a  short  time,  although  not  very  full,  it  was  tendered  to  Gen- 
eral Buell  —  Colonel  Shackelford  agreeing  that  if  Gen.  Buell 
would  muster  in  -  the  men,  he,  as  their  Colonel,  would  serve 
without  pay.  The  regiment  was  mustered  in,  with  Colonel 
Shackelford  in  command,  and  at  once  was  placed  in  Gen.  CrufiTs 
brigade,  Callender's  division.  The  division  was  advanced  upon 
Fort  Donelson,  and  participated  in  that  noted  engagement. 
Colonel  S.  carefully  manoeuvred  his  men  ;  and  amid  the  peril- 
•14 

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106  Bvansville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

0U8  excitement  cheered  on  his  command,  and  performed  a  gal- 
lant part  in  that  famous  seige.  At  Fort  Donelson  eighty-four 
men  were  killed  and  wounded ;  and  it  is  just  to  say  that  the 
loss  would  have  been  mueh  greater,  had  it  not  been  for  the  care 
Colonel  S.  exhibited  in  not  unnecessarily  exposing  his  soldiers. 
The  spirited  manner  in  which  Gen.  Oruff  handled  his  men  was 
in  strong  contrast  to  the  many  disgraceful  scenes  on  other  fields, 
and  their  valor  became  proverbial  throughout  the  land,  From 
the  effect  of  tho  exposure  and  the  long  marches,  Gol.  Shackel- 
ford  became  seriously  ill,  and  the  surgeons  advised  him  to  re- 
sign his  commission  if  he  would  save  his  life  He  reseived  an 
honorable  discharge  and  returned  to  his  family.  His  resignation 
was  accepted  with  regret  by  those  who  knew  his  worth  as  a 
man,  and  his  value  as  a  soldier.  His  health  being  improved, 
he  went  to  Pittsburg  Landing  and  witnessed  that  fight.  Gen. 
Buell  wrote  a  letter  to  Adjutant*General  Fennel,  of  Kentucky, 
strongly  recommending  Colonel  S.  for  a  command ;  and  at  the 
same  time  the  Secretary  of  War  wrote  a  letter  to  Gen.  Boyle, 
commanding  the  Department  of  Kentucky,  to  authorize  Colonel 
S.  to  recruit  a  regiment  of  cavalry.  Colonel  S.  raised,  in  two 
weeks  after  receiving  orders,  over  sixteen  hundred  men,  out  of 
which  he  constrvcted  the  Eighth  Kentucky  Cavalry.  The  regi- 
ment was  first  stationed  at  Henderson,  and  before  they  were 
mustered  in  were  engaged  in  a  fight  with  the  guerrillas.  In 
the  skirmish  Colonel  Shackelford  was  seriously  wounded  by  a 
slug,  which  passed  just  below  the  arch  of  the  foot.  He  was  re- 
moved to  a  hotel  fett  Henderson,  and  placed  under  the  best  med- 
ical care.  His  recovery  seeming  doubtful,  he  was  taken  to  the 
Sherwood  House,  at  Evansville,  and  placed  under  the  charge 
of  Drs.  DeBruler  and  Walker.  Before  his  foot  was  well,  he 
returned  to  his  command,  and  for  some  time  was  forced  to  ride 
in  a  carriage.  His  headquarters  were  first  at  Hopkinsville,  and 
afterwards  at  Russellville  and  vicinity 

During  the  Fall  of  1862  the  guerrillas  were  committing 
depredations  upon  the  citizens,  and  his  command  was  often 
engaged  with  Wheeler's  cavalry  and  Morgan's  band.  As  Mor- 
gan seemed  to  have  his  own  way,  and  was  raiding,  not  only 
upon  the  soldiers  but  upon  the  property  of  the  citizens,  William 
Davenport,  of  Hopkinsville,  an  old  friend  of  President  Lincoln, 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  107 

went  to  Washington  and  called  at  the  White  Honse  After  a 
little  conversation  in  regard  to  recent  events,  Mr.  D.  suddenly 
accosted  the  President  with  the  question — 

**  Abe,  do  you  wish  to  have  Morgan  captured  ?  " 

Mr.  Lincoln  replied .  **  It  would  be  a  great  gratification  to 
me,  individually,  to  have  Morgan  in  the  hands  of  the  soldiers,*' 
and  also  said  :  **  William,  what  do  you  mean  by  your  question  ?  " 
Mr.  D.  then  remarked  that  if  he  would  make  a  young  friend  of 
his  a  brigadier-general,  he  would  guarantee  the  great  guerrilla's 
capture  ;  and  accordingly  mentioned  Colonel  Shackelford  as  his 
man  for  the  position.  Colonel  Shackelford  was  nominated  by 
the  President,  and  unanimously  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 

Gen.  Shackelford  was  then  placed  in  command  of  the  First 
Brigade,  Second  Division,  Twenty-third  Army  Corps,  and  com- 
menced the  chase  after  Morgan  on  the  S7th  of  June,  1863. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting,  for  the  first  time  to  the 
public,  a  copy  of  the  official  report  of  Gen.  Shackelford,  to  Lieut. 
Colonel  Drake,  A.  A.  G.  on  the  staflF  of  General  Burnside  — 

Beadquarten  lit  Brigade,  2d  DMtion,  2M,  Army  Corpt, 
RuMeUvUte,  Ky.,  Avgwt  Itt,  1868. 
Tt  LieHt.-Col,  Qmry  B,  Drake,  A .  A,  G: 

CoLONKL — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report 
of  the  pursuit  and  capture  of  General  John  H.  Morgan  and 
his  command : 

In  pursuance  with  orders  from  Major-General  Hartsuff,  on 
the  27th  of  June,  1868,  I  moved  my  brigade,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Sixty-fifth  Indiana  and  the  Second  Battalion  ot  the 
Third  Kentucky  Cavalry,  from  Russellville,  Ky.,  to  Glasgow, 
Ky.  On  the  3d  of  June  we  moved  from  Glasgow  to  Riy's 
Cross  Roads.  At  5  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  Ist  day  of  July,  a  dis- 
patch from  General  Hobson,  then  at  Marrowbone,  stated  that 
three  hundred  of  his  cavalry  had  been  driven  in,  and  that  the 
enemy  was  moving  upon  him.  I  put  my  brigade  in  motion, 
and  marched  to  Marrowbone,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  by  10 
o'clock  that  evening.  General  Hobson  being  the  senior  officer, 
I  reported  to  him  for  orders.  On  the  2d  day  of  July,  I  asked 
to  be  permitted  to  make  a  reconnoisance  with  my  brigade,  in 
the  direction  of  Burksville.  My  requtst  was  readily  granted 
by  General  Hobson  —  he  concurring  with  me  in  the  opinion 
that  the  enemy  had  not  concentrated  his  forces  ;  a  part  having 
crossed  at  Burksville,  a  part  above,  and  a  part  at  Turkey-neck 
Bend,  below.  The  extreme  advance  was  given  to  Lieutenant- 
Oolonel  HoUoway,  vdth  detachments  of  the  Eighth  and  Third 
• 

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108  BvansfHUe  and  iU  Mm  of  Mark. 

Kentucky  Cavalry;  Colonel  B.  H.  Brietow,  with  the  Eighth 
Kentucky  Cavalry,  followed  ;  and  then  the  Twelfth  Kentucky 
Infantry,  Colonel  Hoskins  ;  the  Ninety-first  Indiana  Regiment, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Mehannger  ;  the  Twenty-second  Indiana 
Battery,  Captain  Denning;  a  section  of  Artillery,  Captain 
Hammond ;   and   Company  K,   Sixty -fifth   Indiana   Regiment. 

We  proceeded  three  miles  with  the  infantry  and  artillery, 
when  oraers  came  from  General  Judah  for  me  to  halt  my  com- 
mand. I  halted  the  infantry  and  artillery,  and  sent  messengers 
forward  to  halt  the  cavalry.  Within  a  few  minutes  I  received 
orders  to  march  my  command  back  to  Marrowbone.  The  in- 
fantry and  artillery  were  marched  back,  and  couriers  sent  for- 
ward for  the  cavalry  to  return  ;  but  it  having  failed  to  receive 
the  order  to  halt,  had  gone  on  beyond  the  Burksville  and  Co- 
lumbia road,  on  which  the  main  force  of  the  enemy  had  gone. 
The  Ninth  Kentucky  Cavalry,  Colonel  Jacobs,  was  sent  forward 
to  guard  the  road,  to  prevent  the  enemy  falling  back  and  cut- 
ting off  Colonel  Bristow.  Colonel  Jacobs  proceeded  down  the 
road  until  he  came  up  with  Colonel  Bristow ;  and  they  were 
making  arrangements  to  cut  ofif  and  capture  a  rebel  regiment, 
when  General  Judah's  orders  to  march  back  to  Marrowbone 
reached  them.  The  Twelfth  Kentucky  Cavalry  was  then  at- 
tached to  my  brigade!  and  I  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Columbia 
via  Edmonton.  I  reached  Columbia  on  Sabbath  morning,  the 
5th  of  July,  and  learned  of  the  fight  at  that  place  between 
Captain  Carter,  of  the  First  Kentucky  Cavalry,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  his  regiment,  and  the  enemy — the  death  of  that  gallant 
officer ;  and  also  of  the  gallant  defence  made  by  Colonel  More 
and  his  little  band  of  veterans  at  Qreen  River  Bridge.  At  Co- 
lumbia I  learned  that  I  would  be  reinforced  with  fifteen  hund- 
cavalry  at  Campbellsville.  We  reached  Campbellsville  on 
Sabbath  evening  with  the  cavalry  and  Capt.Hammond's  section  of 
artillery.  I  there  heard  of  the  noble  defence  at  Lebanon,  by  Col. 
Hanson  and  his  regiment,  and  his  surrender  to  the  overwhelm- 
ing numbers  of  the  enemy.  General  Hobeon,  then  at  Greens- 
burg,  was  dispatched  to  send  forward  his  cavalry,  or  come 
forward  with  it.  He  reached  Campbellsville  at  daylight  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th,  with  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Cavalry,  leaving 
his  infantry  and  artillery  behind.  We  pressed  on  to  Lebanon, 
at  which  point  we  found  Colonel  Woolford  with  his  brigade. 
My  infantry  and  artillery  were  ordered  from  that  point  to  re- 
port to  General  Judah,  at  Vaugan's  Ferry,  on  Green  River. 

I  take  pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  to  the  efficiency  and 
great  powers  of  endurance  of  the  Twelfth  Kentucky  Regiment 
of  intantry  and  the  Ninety -first  Indiana  Regiment.  In  the 
march  from  Russellville  to  Marrowbone  and  back  to  Green  River 
Bridge  these  regiments  kept  pace  with  the  cavalry  and  artillery. 


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Bvtmaville  and  itB  Men  of  Mark,  109 

Colonel  Hoskins,  of  the  Twelfth  Kentucky,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Mehannger,  of  the  Ninety-first,  deserve  the  thanks  and  grati- 
tude of  the  country  for  their  promptness  and  efficiency  in  the 
management  of  their  regiments.  Captain  Denning,  of  the 
the  Twenty-second  Indiana  Battery,  was  in  command  of  all  my 
artillery,  and  I  feel  no  hesitancy  in  pronouncing  him  one  of  the 
best  and  most  efiBcient  officers  in  the  army. 

At  Lebanon  General  Hobson  turned  his  brigade  over  to 
me,  and  assumed  command  of  all  the. forces.  We  marched  from 
Lebanon  to  Springfield ;  thence  to  Bardstown  and  Brandens- 
burg.  When  we  came  within  two  miles  of  Brandensburgh,  we 
discovered  the  smoke  rising  from  the  burning  transports,  that 
had  set  the  enemy  across  the  river,  and  heard  bis  shouts  of  tri- 
umph. We  were  twenty-four  hours  in  obtaining  transports  and 
crossing  the  river.  When  once  across  the  river,  the  pursuit 
was  resumed.  We  pursued  him  through  the  State  of  Iiidiana 
to  Harrison,  Ohio.  At  Oorydon  and  other  points  the  enemy  was 
met  by  the  militia.  The  kindness,  hospitality  and  patriotism  of 
that  noble  State,  as  exhibited  on  the  passage  of  the  Federal 
forces,  was  sufficient  to  convince  the  most  consummate  traitor 
of  the  impossibility  of  severing  this  great  Union.  Ohio  seemed 
to  vie  with  her  sister,  Indiana,  in  facilitating  our  pursuit  after 
the  great  rebel  raider.  In  each  of  these  two  great  States  our 
troops  were  fed  and  furnished  with  water  from  the  hands  of 
men,  women  and  children.  From  the  palace  and  hut,  alike,  we 
shared  their  hospitality.  He,  who  witnessed  the  great  exhibi-. 
tion  of  patriotism  and  love  of  country  in  those  mighty  States, 
on  the  passage  of  the  Union  army,  and  then  could  doubt  the 
ability  and  purpose  of  the  people  to  maintain  the  Government, 
has  certainly  been  **  given  over  to  hardness  of  heart,  that  he 
may  oelieve  a  lie  and  be  damned." 

We  continued  our  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  day  and  night, 
until  Saturday  night,  the  18th  of  July;  when,  by  traveling  all 
night,  we  reached  Chester  at  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the 
19th.  Colonel  Kautz,  with  his  brigade,  had  the  advance  ;  Colo- 
nel Sanders'  brigade  followed;  then  my  own,  and  Colonel  Wool- 
ford  in  the  rear.  After  proceeding  two  miles,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  the  19th,  in  the  direction  of  Buffington  Island,  we 
heard  the  report  of  artillery  on  the  river.  Officers  and  men — 
notwithstanding  the  immense  fatigue  they  had  undergone— 
seemed  to  be  inspired  with  a  new  life  and  energy,  and  there 
was  a  general  rush  forward.  After  proceeding  two  miles  further 
I  met  two  couriers  with  orders :  The  first  was  that  I  should 
"  take  the  first  road  leading  up  the  river  and  cut  off  the  ene- 
my's retreat  *' ;  the  second,  that  /  should  *'  press  forward,  and 
let  Colonel  Woolford,  with  his  brigade,  take  the  road  leading 
up  the  river."     I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance,  when  I  received 

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110  EvwMviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

a  written  order  to  reverse  my  colnmo,  and,  with  Oolonel  Wool- 
ford's  brigade  and  my  own,  take  the  first  road  I  could  find  in 
the  direction  of  the  river,  in  order  to  prevent  the  enemy's  es- 
cape up  the  river.  The  column  was  at  once  reversed  and  moved 
back  by  the  left  flank.  Upon  reaching  the  road  I  found  the 
head  of  Oolonel  Woolford's  column  proceeding  down  the  road. 
He  was  shown  the  order,  and  at  once  reported  to  me  for  orders. 
He  was  ordered  to  proceed  with  his  brigade.  He  had  not  pro- 
ceeded more  than  one  hundred  yards,  when  a  courier  came  from 
my  rear  and  announced  that  the  enemy  had  attacked  it  Oolo- 
nel Woolford  was  ordered  to  halt  his  column  ;  leave  the  Second 
Tennessee  Mounted  Infantry  to  hold  the  road,  and  follow  im- 
mediately with  the  Tenth  Kentucky  Oavalrv  and  Forty-fifth 
Ohio  Mounted  Infantry.  I  at  once  reversed  my  column,  and 
on  arriving  at  the  point  —  near  Bachin  Ohurch  —  I  found  the 
enemy  in  force.  He  occupied  a  dense  wood,  an  old  field,  and 
the  mouth  of  a  lane  through  which  the  road  ran.  Our  lines 
were  formed  promptly  —  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Oavalry,  Oolonel 
Jacobs,  on  the  extreme  right;  the  Twelfth  Kentucky  Oavalry, 
Oolonel  Orittenden,  on  the  extreme  left ;  the  First,  Third,  and 
Eighth  Oavalry  in  the  center ;  the  Forty-fifth  Ohio  held  as  a 
reserve.  After  fighting  aboul  an  hour,  the  First,  Third  and 
Eighth  Kentucky  Oavalry  were  ordered  to  charge  the  enemy. 
With  drawn  sabres  gleaming  in  the  bright  sunlight ;  and  a  yell 
that  filled  the  foe  with  terror,  they  rushed  upon  him,  and  he 
fled  at  their  approach.  The  charge  was  led  by  Lieutenant-Oolo- 
nel  Holloway,  with  the  Eighth  Kentucky,  followed  by  Major 
Wolfley.  of  the  Third  Kentucky,  with  his' battalion,  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Adams,  of  the  First  Kentucky,  with  his  regiment 
—  Oolonel  Bristow,  of  the  Eighth  Kentucky,  having  been  sent 
back  from  Ballavia  under  orders  upon  indispensible  onsiness. 

I  do  but  simple  justice  to  these  brave  and  gallant  ofiBcera, 
and  the  veteran  soldiery  that  followed  them  in  that  charge, 
when  I  say  that  not  in  this  or  any  other  war  have  officers  and 
men  acquitted  themselves  with  more  credit,  or  manifested  more 
determination  and  valor.  The  charge  caused  the  enemy  to  flee 
in  wild  consternation ;  and  immediately  a  flag  of  truce  cam«» 
from  Oolonel  Dick  Morgan,  which  was  met  by  the  officers  of  the 
Eighth  and  Third  Kentucky  Oavalry,  proposing  to  surrender. 
They  were  apprised  that  no  terms  but  an  immediate  and  uncon- 
ditional surrender  would  be  considered;  and  Oolonels  Morgan, 
Ward,  Smith,  and  their  commands^  marched  within  our  lines. 

The  casualties  Were  inconsiderable  on  either  side — the  en- 
emy losing  nearly  all  the  killed  and  wounded.  The  number 
of  prisoner  captured  by  my  command  on  that  day  amounted  to 
about  seven  hundred,  including  their  horses,  arms,  etc. 


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JBvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  111 

Colonel  Holloway  was  ordered,  with  his  regiment  and  the 
battalion  of  the  Third  Kentucky,  to  take  the  prisoners,  horses, 
arms,  etc.,  to  the  river.  The  command  was  then  moved  a  dis- 
tance of  fifteen  miles,  to  Tnpper*s  Plains,  up  the  rivf^r.  On 
reaching  the  Plains,  the  enemy  was  reported  posted  in  a  dense 
woods  at  the  head  of  a  deep  ravine,  between  the  forces  of  Gen- 
erals Jndah  and  Hobson  and  my  own.  The  First  Kentucky 
Cavalry,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Adams,  and  a  part  of  the  Twelfth 
Kentucky,  under  Captain  Harris,  had  been  ordered  to  pursue 
detachments  of  the  enemy.  Colonel  Adams  captured  eighty, 
and  Captain  Harris  over  one  hundred.  We  bad  but  about  six 
hundred  men  up,  with  four  pieces  of  artillery.  In  company 
with  Colonel  Woolford.  my  Adjutant-General,  Captan  Hoffman, 
with  two  other  officers  and  a  citizen,  we  m*ide  a  reconnoisance 
to  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy.  We  found  that 
an  attack  from  our  side  with  artillery  or  cavalry  was  totally 
impracticable,  and  that  it  would  be  with  great  difficulty  that  he 
could  be  reached  by  the  men  on  foot ;  but  that  Generals  Judah 
and  Hobson  could  move  up  the  river  upon  him.  We  occupied 
the  only  road  upon  which  he  could  retreat,  unless  he  went  di- 
rectlv  to  the  river,  which  was  strongly  guarded.  I  oommuni- 
cattfd  these  facts  to  General  Hobson,  but  it  was  late  in  the 
evening,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  he  did  not  get  them  in  time  to 
make  the  move.  He  ordered  Colonel  Kautz  to  report  to  me 
that  night  with  his  brigade.  During  the  night  the  enemy  passed 
out  by  a  path,  and  in  the  morning  he  was  reported  four  miles 
in  my  advance.  We  at  once  gave  him  chase,  and  ran  him  fifty- 
seven  miles.  The  Forty-fifth  Ohio,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ross, 
having  the  advance,  skirmished  with  him  six  or  seven  miles  and 
brought  him  to  a  stand  at  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  on  the  20th,  at  Kei- 
ger  8  Creek.  A  fight  ensued  which  lasted  one  hour.  Colonel 
Adams,  with  the  First  Kentucky,  and  Captain  Ward,  with  a 
company  of  the  Third  Kentucky,  were  ordered  to  make  a  flank 
movement  and  take  possession  of  the  only  road  on  which  the 
enemy  could  retreat.  This  movement  was  accomplished  with 
great  rapidity  and  effectiveness  —  they  having  taken  possession 
of  th»  road  after  a  severe  skirmish.  The  enemy,  finding  his 
way  of  retreat  cut  off,  and  being  hotly  pressed  from  the  front, 
fled  to  an  immense  bluff  for  refuge.  A  flag  of  truce  was  sent 
up,  demanding  an  immediate  and  unconditional  surrender  of 
Morgan  and  his  command.  The  flag  was  met  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Coleman  and  other  rebel  officers,  with  another  flag. 
They  came  down  and  desired  a  personal  interview  with  me. 
They  asked  for  one  hour  for  consultation  among  their  officers. 
I  granted  forty  minutes,  within  which  time  the  whole  command 
—  excepting  General  Morgan,  with' a  detachment  of  about  six 
hundred  officers  and  men,  who  deserted  the  command — surren- 

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112  J3vansville  and  Ua  Men  of  Mark. 

dered.  It  was  mj  understanding — and,  as  I  learned,  the  under- 
standing of  many  of  the  rebel  officers  and  men — that  Morgan 
himself  had  surrendered.  The  number  of  prisoners  captured 
by  my  command  on  that  day  was  between  twelve  and  thirteen 
hundred,  with  their  horses  arms,  etc. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  I  called  for  one  thousan«i  vol- 
unteers, with  the  best  horses,  who  would  stay  in  their  saddles 
as  long  as  I  wanted,  without  eating  or  sleeping,  until  we  cap- 
tured Morgan.  The  entire  command  would  have  volunteered, 
but  for  the  want  of  horses.  We  could  find  but  about  five  hun- 
dred horses  in  the  command  fit  for  service.  Colonel  Capron, 
Fourteenth  Illinois  Oavalry,  who  had  reported  to  me  with  his 
regiment  on  the  night  of  the  20th,  volunteered  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty -seven  of  his  regiment ;  Colonel  Wool  ford,  with  a 
detachments  trom  the  First  Kentucky,  Second  East  Tennessee, 
Forty-fifth  and  Second  Ohio ;  we  also  had  small  detachments 
from  the  other  regiments  in  the  command.  Colonel  Jacobs  was 
left  in  command  of  the  forces  and  prisoners.  With  five  hun- 
dred men,  on  the  morning  of  the  2l8t,  we  rescme'l  the  chase. 
Traveling  day  and  night,  we  came  up  with  the  enemy  on  Fri- 
day morning,  the  24th,  at  Washington.  Captain  Ward,  of  the 
Third  Kentucky  Cavalry,  with  his  own  company  and  a  detach- 
ment of  the  First  Kentucky  under  Adjutant  Carpenter,  had 
command  of  the  advance.  He  drove  in  the  rebel  pickets,  and, 
by  a  flank  movement,  drove  the  entire  rebel  force  out  of  the 
town  of  Washington,  killing  ten  and  wounding  several  of  the 
enemy.  One  mile  east  of  Washington  the  enemy  made  a  stand 
in  a  dense  wood.  We  formed  a  line  of  battle  and  soon  drove  him 
from  his  position.  He  fell  back  two  miles  ;  tore  up  a  bridge 
over  a  rugged  stream,  and  took  position  in  the  woods  on  a  high 
hill  just  beyond  the  bridge.  The  advance  moved  upon  hie  left 
flank  ;  while  a  portion  of  the  Fourteenth  Illinois  crossed  the 
stream  just  above  .the  bridge,  moved  up  the  hill  in  the  face  of  a 
a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy.  Steadily  they  moved  up  and 
drove  him  before  them.  Late  Friday  evening  he  burned  two 
bridges  over  **  Still  Water,"  causing  considerable  delay.  We 
succeeded  in  crossing,  and  pressed  on  all  night.  At  daylight 
on  Saturday  morning,  the  25th,  we  came  up  with  the  enemy  que 
mile  from  Athens,  marching  on  a  parallel  road  one-ouarter  of 
a  mile  from  ours.  One-half  a  mile  in  advance  the  roads  formed 
a  junction,  We  pressed  forward  to  it  in  time  to  see  the  enemy 
reversing  his  column  and  fleeing  to  the  woods.  We  shelled  him 
thirty  minutes.  Major  Way,  of  the  Ninth  Michigan  Cavalry, 
with  detachments  of  the  Eighth  Michigan  Cavalry  and  his  own 
regiment,  and  Major  Eue,  of  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Cavalry,  with 
detachments  of  the  Eleventh  Kentucky  Cavalry,  the  Ninth 
Kentucky  Cavalry,  and  other  regiments,  with  fresh  horses,  had 


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^vansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  113 

been  sent  forward  by  Major-General  Burnside.  After  dispatch- 
ing these  troops,  he  issued  an  order  placing  me  in  command  of 
all  the  forces  in  pursuit  of  Morgan. 

On  Saturday,  the  25th,  Major  Way  had  heavy  skirmishing 
with  the  enemy,  driving  tHem  before  him.  At  dark,  on  the 
25th,  the  main  column  reached  Richmond.  Major  Way  was 
two  and  one-half  miles  in  my  advance,  in  the  direction  of 
Springfield.  At  10  o'clock  that  night  I  received  a  note  from 
him  stating  that  the  enemy  was  moving  from  Springfield  to 
Hammondsville,  and  that  I  could  save  five  miles  by  marching 
directly  from  Richmond  to  that  place,  and  that  he  would  follow 
the  enemy  up.  The  column  was  at  once  put  in  motion  on  the 
Hammondsville  road.  About  midway  between  Richmond  and 
Hammondsville.  at  12  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  25th,  I  met 
Major  Rue,  feeding ;  he  was  traveling  in  the  direction  of  Rich- 
mond. He  at  once  reported  to  me  for  orders — remarking  that 
he  had  about  thre^  hundred  and  seventy-five  tresh  men  and 
horses,  and  three  pieces  of  artillery  ;  that  he  hoped  I  Would 

five  him  the  advance.  I  ordered  him  to  finish  feeaing,  reverse 
is  column  and  follow  up  immediately  ;  that  I  would  give  him 
an  opportunity.  We  reached  Hammondsville  at  daylight  on 
Sabbath  morning,  the  26th  ;  we  could  hear  nothing  of  the  en- 
emy. I  sent  out  scouts  on  every  road,  but  without  awaiting 
their  return,  I  ordered  Major  Rue,  who  had  come  up,  to  take 
the  advance  with  the  detachment  and  also  part  of  the  Third 
Kentucky  and  First  Kentucky,  under  Captain  Ward  and  Adju- 
tant Carpenter.  We  proceeded  ^^^  miles  in  the  direction  of 
Salineville,  when  a  courier  rushed  up  from  Hammondsville, 
stating  that  the  enemy  was  moving  on  that  place.  I  ordered 
Major  Rue  to  send  a  company  of  his  command,  on  the  best 
horses,  back  to  ascertain  fche  truth  of  the  report.  Within  a  few 
minutes  an  officer  came  up  and  announced  the  enemy  at  Saline- 
ville ;  we  pressed  on  for  that  point.  Before  reaching  there  I 
learned  of  the  fight  between  Major  Way  and  the  enemy,  result- 
ing in  the  capture  of  two  hundred  and  thirty,  odd,  of  the  en- 
emy. My  aavance,  under  Major  Rue  and  Captain  Ward,  went 
into  Salineville.  Learning  that  Morgan  with  about  four  hun- 
dred men  had  crossed  the  railroad  and  was  going  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Smith's  Ford.  I  ordered  Major  Rue  to  return  with  the 
advance  to  the  head  of  the  column,  then  on  the  New  Lisbon 
road.  We  had  gone  about  seven  miles,  when  a  courier  from 
Major  Rue  announced  that  Morgan  had  run  into  the  New  Lis- 
ten road  ahead  of  him.  Within  a  few  minutes  a  second  courier 
came  from  Major  R.,  stating  that  he  had  come  up  with  the 
enemy  and  wished  me  to  send  forward  reinforcements  immedi- 
ately. The  whole  column  was  throWn  forward  at  the  utmost 
9peed  of  the  horses ;  we  came  to  where  the  roads  forked  ;  the 

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114  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

enemy  had  gone  to  the  left,  between  the  two  roads.  My  advance 
had  taken  the  right-hand  road.  I  moved  the  column  on  the 
road  the  enemy  had  gone.  On  our  approach,  several  of  the 
enemy  started  to  run  ;  they  were  ordered  to  halt,  and  on  refus- 
ing to  do  so,  were  fired  upon.  Just  at  this  moment  a  flag  came 
from  the  enemy  —  the  bearer  stating  that  General  Morgan 
wished  a  personal  interview  with  me.  I  caused  the  firing  to 
cease,  and  moved  around  to  where  Morgan  and  his  stafif  were 
standing  in  the  road.  Morgan  claimed  that  he  had  surrendered 
to  a  militia  captain.  (Major  Rue  had,  very  properly,  refused 
to  take  any  action  in  the  premises  until  I  came  up.)  I  ordered 
Morgan  and  staff  to  ride  forward  with  Colonel  Woolford  and 
myself;  and  ordered  Major  Rue  to  take  charge  of  the  balance 
of  the  prisoners,  Morgan  stated  to  me,  in  the  presence  of  Col. 
Woolford  and  other  officers,  that  he  had  become  thoroughly  sat- 
isfied that  escHpe  from  me  was  impossible ;  that  he  himself 
might  have  escaped  by  deserting  his  men,  but  he  would  not  do 
so.  He  also  stated,  in  the  same  conversation,  that  he  did  not 
care  for  the  militia — that  he  could,  with  the  command  he  then 
had,  whip  all  the  militia  in  Ohio ;  yet,  said  he,  **  that  since 
crossing  the  Ohio,  he  had  found  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
his  enemy  ;  that  every  hill- top  was  a  telegraph,  and  every  bush 
an  ambush." 

After  traveling  back  two  miles  we  halted,  to  have  the  pris- 
oners dismounted  and  disarmed.  General  Morgan  then  desired 
a  private  interview ;  he  called  three  or  four  of  his  staff 
and  Golonel  Gluke ;  I  asked  Golonel  Woolford  to  attend  the 
interview.  He  claimed  that  he  had  surrenedered  to  a  militia 
captain,  and  that  the  captain  had  agreed  to  parole  him,  his  offi- 
cers and  men.  I  stated  to  him  that  we  had  Allowed  him  thirty 
days  and  nights;  that  we  had  met  and  defeated  him  a  number 
of  times ;  we  had  captured  neat  ly  all  of  his  command  ;  that 
he  had  acknowledged,  in  the  presence  of  Golonel  Woolford,  that 
he  knew.  I  would  capture  him  ;  that  he  himself  might  have  es- 
caped by  deserting  his  men,  but  that  he  would  not  do  so  ;  that 
we  were  on  the  field,  that  Major  Rue  had  gone  to  his  right  and 
Gaptain  Ward  to  his  left,  and  the  main  column  was  moving  rap- 
idly upon  his  rear ;  that  he  had  acknowledged  that  the  militia 
captain  was  no  impediment  in  his  way — showing,  by  his  own 
statement,  that  he  could,  with  the  force  he  then  ha^l,  whip  all 
the  militia  in  Ohio — that  I  regarded  his  surrender  to  the  militia 
captain,  under  such  circumstances,  as  not  only  absurd  and 
ridiculous,  but  unfair  and  illegal,  and  that  I  would  not  recog- 
nize it  at  all.  He  then  demanded  to  be  placed  back  upon  the 
field  as  I  found  him.  I  stated  to  him  that  his  demand  would 
not  be  considered  for  a  moment ;  that  he,  together  with  his 
officers  and  men,  would  be  delivered  to  Major- General  Burnside 

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Bvanaville  and  it$  Men  of  Mark.  115 

at  Oincinnati,  Ohio  ;  and  that  he  would  take  such  action  in  the 
premises  as  he  might  think  proper.  The  number  of  prisoners 
captured  with  Morgan  was  about  three  hundred  and  fifty. 

Colonel  W.  C.  Lanet.of  the  Eighty-sixth  0.  V.  I.,  reported 
to  me  near  the  Muskingum  River,  with  his  regiment ;  Oolonel 
Wallace,  with  some  militia,  a  small  detachment  of  the  Third 
Ohio  Cavalry,  and  three  pieces  of  artillery,  reported  to  me  at 
Washington.  Colonel  Wallace  was  sent  to  the  river  to  prevent 
Morgan  crossing  ;  Oolonel  Lanet  continued  in  the  pursuit  up  to 
the  capture. 

It  is  difficult  for  me  to  speak  of  individual  officers  and  men 
without  doing  injustice  to  others.  I  unhesitatingly  bear  testi- 
monv  to  the  uniformly  good  conduct  and  gallaut  beariug  of  the 
whole  command  ;  yet  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  tht  names  of 
some  of  the  officers :  The  noble,  true,  and  gallant  Woolford, 
who  was  in  the  entire  pursuit,  is  one  of  the  coolest,  bravest  an  1 
most  efficient  officers  m  the  army,  and  has  fairly  won,  by  his 
untiring  energy  and  gallantry  on  the  field,  promotion  at  the 
hands  of  his  Government ;  Colonel  Eautz,  who  commanded  the 
Seventh  and  Second  Ohio ;  Colonel  Jacobs,  of  the  Ninth  Ken- 
tucky ;  Colonel  Crittenden  and  Major  Delfree,  of  the  Twelfth 
Kentucky  ;  Oolonel  Bristow,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Holloway  and 
Major  Starling,  of  the  Eighth  Kentucky;  Major  Wolfley,  of 
the  Third  Kentucky  ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Adams,  of  the  First 
Kentucky ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Meltous,  of  the  Second  East 
Tennessee ;  Colonel  Capron,  of  the  Fourteenth  Illinois  Cavalry; 
Liectenant-Colonel  Ross,  Forty-fifth  Ohio  Mounted  Infantry ; 
Captain  Powers  and  Lieutenant  Longfellow,  of  the  Fifth  Inai- 
ana  Cavalry ;  Captain  Dodd,  Fifteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry, 
commanding  Company  Third  Ohio  Cavalry  ;  Captain  Kinney, 
of  the  Third  Ohio;  Captain  Ward,  of  the  Third,  and  Adjutant 
Carpenter,  of  the  First  Kentucky  Cavalry,  deserve  the  grati- 
tude of  the  whole  country,  for  their  energy  and  gallantry.  To 
my  personal  staff:  Captain  J.  E.  Huffman,  A.  A.  G ;  Captain 
J.  H.  Morton,  A.  Q.  M.;  D.  Mallins,  Brig.  Surg.;  Lieutenant 
Vuilotte,  Ordnance  Officer ;  Lieutenant  Levy,  A.  D.  C;  Capt. 
Fred  Pentecost,  Volunteer  A.  D.  C;  and  my  faithful  orderlies : 
W.  H.  McDaniel,  Thos.  Blakey  and  Jas.  Richardson,  of  the 
Eighth  Kentucky  Cavalry,  I  tender  my  deep-felt  gratitude  for 
their  fidelity,  indomitable  energy  and  valor. 

Our  pursuit  was  much  retarded  by  the  enemy  burning  all 
the  bridges  in  our  front.  He  had  every  advantage  ;  his  system 
of  horse-stealing  was  perfect;  he  would  dispatch  men  from 
the  head  of  each  regiment,  on  each  side  of  the  road,  to  go  five 
miles  into  the  country,  seizing  every  horse  and  then  falling  in 
at  the  rear  of  his  column.  In  this  way  he  swept  the  country, 
for  ten  miles,  of  all  the  horses.  His  depredations  on  the  prop- 
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116  EvaaMville  and  its  Men  of  Aff$rk. 

erty  of  the  citizeus,  his  recklessness  of  the  rights  and  lives  of 
the  people,  Tvhile  traversing  these  two  States,  is  without  paral- 
lel in  the  war.  In  order  to  the  capture  of  Morgan « it  was  indis- 
pensable that  my  command  should  have  horses.  We  had  orders 
to  press  the  horses,  giving  receipts  for  them,  to  be  settled  by 
the  Government ;  yet,  in  many  instances,  horses  were  taken 
when  it  was  impossible  to  give  receipts  for  them,  or  leave  with 
the  owners  any  evidence  of  indebtedness  on  the  part  of  the  (Gov- 
ernment- In  many  other  instances,  soldiers,  not  authorized  to 
take  horses,  whose  horses  had  given  out.  yet  anxious  to  continue 
the  pursuit,  took  horses.  In  this  way  —  unless  commissions 
should  be  appointed  to  adjust  these  claims,  great  injustice  will 
have  been  done  to  a  great  number  of  citizens. 
I  am,  Oolonel,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servmit, 

J.  M.  Shaokelford, 

JSrig,  Oenl  comcTff. 

After  the  capture,  Morgan  told  General  S.  that  he  wished 
to  present  him  with  the  fine  mare  that  he  was  riding  and  the 
Mexican  saddle  and  bridle.  General  S.  informed  him  that  he 
could  not  accept  them ;  but  would  present  his  request  to  Gene- 
ral Burnside,  and  he  could  do  as  he  saw  proper. 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  the  guerrillas,  General  Burnside 
removed  his  headquarters  from  Cincinnati  to  Camp  Nelson, 
Kentucky ;  and  a  man  came  in  with  a  witness  who  swore  that 
the  saddle  and  bridle  wpre  stolen  from  him  by  Morgan's  men. 
General  Burnside  delivered  them  up.  The  story  was  false  ;  as 
General  Gordon  brought  them  from  Mexico  and  gave  them  to 
General  Morgan  —  as  was  ascertained  after  they  were  gone. 
General  B.  issued  an  onler  and  presented  the  mare  to  Gen.  S. 

General  Shackelford  soon  started  on  the  East  Tennessee 
campaign;  crossed  the  mountains,  and  was  sent  to  Loudon 
after  Buckner,  who  crossed  the  bridge  over  t)ie  Tennessee  and 
burned  it  after  his  passage.  From  Loudon  he  proceeded  to 
Knoxville,  and  was  then  ordered  to  take  Cumberland  Gap. 
After  leaving  Knoxville,  General  Burnside  ordered  General 
Shackelford  to  take  command  of  the  division  composed  of  three 
brigades  of  cavalry.  General  Frazier,  the  Confederate  com- 
mander had  more  men  in  the  forts  at  the  Gap  than  General 
Shackelford  had  to  oppose  him.  However,  General  Shackelford 
proceeded  to  the  mountains,  and  sent  up  a  flag  demanding  the 


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Effansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  117 

surrender  of  Frazier.  He  refused  ;  and  that  night  General  S. 
burned  the  mill  in  the  Gap  and  all  the  means  Frazier  had  for 
sustenance.  On  the  next  day,  General  BurnRide  reached  the 
Gap  with  a  brigade  of  infantry,  and  General  F.  surrendered, 
with  four  thousand  men,  a  large  amount  of  stores,  and  over 
forty  pieces  of  artillery. 

For  three  months,  General  Shackelford  was  fighting  up  and 
down  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  valleys.  General  Burnside 
formed  a  cavalry  army  corps,  composed  of  sixteen  regiments, 
and  numbering  over  fifteen  thousand  soldiers,  and  placed  Gen- 
eral Shackelford  in  command.  When  General  Burnside  was 
ordered  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  Rosecrantz,  he  ordered  General 
Shackelford  to  cover  his  movement  by  marching  up  the  Virginia 
valley  and  passing  through  Bristol.  General  S.  fought  at  Blue 
Springs  a  large  body  of  the  enemy.  The  Confederates  were 
strongly  fortified  at  Cartersville,  and  General  S.  flanked  them  ; 
moving  as  if  he  was  going  to  Bristol.  General  Shackelford 
met  them,  fought  and  drove  them  in  a  perfect  stampede  up  the 
valley  toward  the  Salt  Works.  General  Burnside  having  ordered 
General  Shackelford  to  burn  the  bridges  and  tear  up  the  rail- 
road, he  captured  Bristol,  with  a  large  amount  of  sugar,  tobacco  ; 
burned  five  bridges,  and  tore  up  five  or  six  miles  of  railroad. 
Grcneral  Burnside  did  not  go  any  farther  than  Knoxville  ;  and 
as  Longstreet's  and  Wheeler's  cavalry  were  moving  on  Knox- 
ville, General  Shackelford  was  placed  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Tennessee  River,  to  oppose  Wheeler.  General  Shackelford  met 
him  fifteen  miles  out,  at  Marysville,  and  fought  him  from  there 
to  the  fortifications.  Burnside  met  Longstreet  at  Loudon ; 
Longstreet  was  driving  Burnside,  while  Wheeler  was  driving 
General  Shackelford  back.  The  siege  then  commenced  ;  and 
after  two  days,  General  Shackelford  was  placed  in  command  of 
all  the  forces  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  When  the  siege 
was  raised,  General  Burnside  gave  General  Shackelford  a  leave 
of  absence,  to  be  taken  at  any  time  that  he  saw  proper.  Not- 
withstanding  his  leave  of  absence,  General  Shackelford,  with 
his  cavalry,  followed  LonB;street  and  drove  his  cavalry  out  of 
Bean  Station  and  fixed  his  headquarters  there.  Longstreet 
was  encamped  six  miles  Irom  them  with  his  whole  besieging 
army.  General  Shackelford  was  nine  miles  in  advance  of  all 
the  infantry*  >         t 

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118  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

In  the  latter  part  of  1863,  Longstreet  moved  his  army 
down  on  General  Shackelford,  at  Bean  Station.  The  fight  com- 
menced at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  lasted  until  the  night. 
After  night,  he  was  ordered  back  two  and  one-half  miles,  and 
the  infantry  advanced  Longstreet  lost  seven  hundred  men. 
Next  day,  skirmishing  continued  ;  but  this  was  the  last  of  the 
battles  in  that  campaign. 

After  that,  he  came  to  Kentucky  on  his  leave  of  absence. 
Having  lost  his  wife,  and  having  four  little  children  and  an  aged 
mother,  as  well  as  a  mother-in-law,  to  look  after,  Greneral  S. 
resigned.  Mr.  Lincoln  offered  him  a  Major-Generars  commis- 
sion if  he  would  remain  in  the  army. 

General  Shackelford  proved  a  true  soldier  under  all  circum- 
stances. Brave,  to  the  verge  of  rashness  ;  unconscious  of  fear, 
and  at  all  times  capable  of  making  the  best  disposition  of  his 
men  ;  a  good  disciplinarian,  yet  much  beloved  by  his  men  ; 
strictly  conscientious,  he  has  manifested  rare  ability  in  the  midst 
of  great  trials.  He  never  failed  to  do  what  he  could  for  the 
helpless,  and  to  protect  their  rights,  as  far  as  his  authority 
extended. 

In  speaking  of  General  Shackelford's  career  as  a  lawyer  in 
EvansviUe,  a  brother  attorney  says  :  "  His  forte  consists  not  so 
much  in  the  preparation  of  his  cases  for  trial — though  in  this  he 
is  quite  accurate  —  as  in  the  peculiar  adroitness  with  which  he 
manages  his  causes  in  courc.  His  mode  of  conducting  the  ex- 
amination of  a  witness  is  conciliatory,  and  well  calculated  to 
disarm  prejudice  ;  leading  slowly  but  surely  to  some  point  which 
he  desireb  to  make.  On  the  contrary  he  is  exceedingly  laconic 
with  an  adverse  witness ;  rarely  if  ever  putting  a  cross-inter- 
rogatory, unless  it  is  a  dishonest  witness,  whom  he  sometimes 
castigates  most  unmercifully.  His  style  of  speaking  is  easy 
and  fluent*;  sometimes  vehement  and  declamatory,  but  never 
harsh.  His  voice  is  full,  well  modulated,  and  with  a  great  flow 
of  words.  He  is  never  at  a  loss  for  a  word,  and  his  style  of 
handling  the  subject  is  much  after  the  manner  of  developing 
the  evidence  in  the  case  :  first  presenting  the  weaker  points  and 
gradually  approaching  the  climax  —  reserving  the  most  impor- 
tant testimony  for  the  last ;  and  there  rests  his  case." 

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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  119 

General  Shackelford's  legal  career  hafl  not  reached  its 
height ;  and  the  eminence  which  he  may  attain  in  the  fatare 
may  be  imagined  from  his  brilliant  course  in  the  past.  The 
brave  soldier  and  eminent  lawyer  may  be  seen  every  Sunday  at 
his  post  of  duty,  as  teacher  of  the  Bible  class  in  the  Oumber- 
land  Presbyterian  Sunday  School ;  and  in  this,  as  in  other 
affairs,  he  holds  a  prominent  position  among  the  ablest  biblical 
teachers  in  the  land. 


(/.  J.  Kleiner, 


PUXOXPAL  OV  ^m   BTAII8TII.XA  OOMMBAOIAL  COLLKOS. 


^r  HE  business  education  of  the  youth  of  our  land  has  for 
some  time  attracted  the  attention  of  parents.  For 
several  years  the  Commercial  College  of  the  city  has  sent  forth, 
annually,  from  its  halls  several  hundred  young  men,  pre{)ared 
for  the  busy  walks  of  commercial  life.  As  the  head  of  this 
prominent  educational  feature  of  our  city,  Mr.  Kleiner  has 
become  noted,  not  only  as  a  successful  teacher,  but  also  as  a 
leading  citizen  of  the  Crescent  City. 

He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Pennsylvania,  in  1845.  When 
our  subject  was  only  three  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to 
Medina  County,  Ohio,  and  located  within  thirty  miles  of  Cleve- 
land. He  prepared  for  college  at  the  Eclectic  Institute,  Hiram, 
Ohio,  and  was  under  the  charge  of  Professor  Piatt  R.  Spencer, 
the  celebrated  teacher  of  penmanship,  for  nearly  two  years.  He 
left  the  lAstitute  and  enlisted  in  the  Second  Ohio  Cavalry,  as  a 
private,  for  three  months,  and  re-enlisted  in  the  &ighty-sixth 
Ohio  Infantry,  and  served  till  the  Summer  of  1864 ;  when,  on 
account  of  the  expiration  of  bis  term  of  service  he  was  dis- 
charged. He  entered  Dennison  University  in  1864,  and 
remained  there  three  years.  In  1867  he  came  t^  Indianapolis 
and  studied  book-keeping  at  Gregory's  Commercial  College. 

In    the    Fall   of    1867    he    became  connected  with    the 


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120  Mvansvilte  and  iU  Men  of  Mark, 

business  management  of  the  Evansville  Commercial  College; 
of  which,  since,  since  that  date,  he  has  become  the  sole  propri- 
etor. The  College  has  prospered  from  its  commencement ;  and 
on  its  catalogue  are  found,  annually,  the  names  of  nearly  five 
hundred  students.  The  system  as  taught  by  Professor  Kleiner 
is  that  adopted  by  the  leading  Business  Colleges  of  the  country ; 
and  the  citizens  can  justly  be  proud  of  an  institution  which 
attracts  to  our  city  so  many  of  the  young  men — and  ladies,  also 
— of  this  and  the  neighboring  States.  ^  The  people  last  Spriug 
expressed  their  confidence  in  his  integrity  by  electing  him  a 
member  of  the  City  Council  from  the  Sixth  Ward. 


Hon.  H.  G.  Gooding. 


l^ON.  H.  C.  GOODING  was  born  at  Greenfield*,  Indi- 
ana, on  the  14th  day  of  June,  1838.  His  father,  Asa 
Gooding,  and  his  mother,  Matilda,  were  both  from  Kentucky. 
His  grandfather  was  also  a  Kentuckian,  and  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  early  Indian  wars  of  the  country.  He  commanded 
a  Kentucky  regiment  at  the  hard- fought  battle  of  the  Thames. 
His  regiment  always  claimed  for  him  the  honor  of  killing  the 
celebrated  Tecumseh.  Certain  it  was  that  he  he  took  the  scalp 
of  an  Indian  warrioi -chief,  which,  if  not  the  identical  scalp  of 
Tecumseh,  closely  resembled  it.  The  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  a  merchant  at  Greenfield,  and  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  of  that  now  beautiful  and  thriving  town.  He  died  in 
1842,  leaving  his  widow,  Matilda  Gooding,  with  but  little  prop- 
erty and  a  large  family  of  children,  eight  in  number,  to  support 
By  dint  of  wonderful  industry,  management  and  ecopomy,  she 
succeeded  in  raising  and  educating  all  of  her  children  ;  and  now 
lives  to  see  them  comfortable  and  thriving  in  the  world.  One 
of  her  sons  is  the  Hon.  David  S  Gooding,  for  a  long  time  Judge 
and  State  Senator,  and  Elector  for  the  State  at  Large  in  1864. 
upon  the  Union  Ticket.  Another  of  her  sons  is  General  O.  P. 
Gooding,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  a  gallant  officer  in  the 
late  war  —  serving,  with  particular  prominence,  at  the  siege  ol 
Port  Hudson  and  on  the  Red  River  campaign. 

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BvmuviUeanditaMenof  Mark.  121 

Mr.  H.  Clay  Ghxxling,  after  leayiDg  the  schools  of  his  na- 
tiye  town,  attended  Asbary  Uniyersity,  at  Qreencastle,  Indiana, 
where  he  graduated  in  1859.  While  in  college  he  bore  a  con- 
spicaoos  part  in  the  literary  society  to  which  he  belonged,  and 
was  often  chosen  to  represent  it  in  public  contest  debate.  Like 
most  of  the  students  of  the  institutions  of  that  day,  he  was 
compelle<l  at  times  to  '*  lay  out  of  college  '*  and  teach  school  to 
earn  money  necessary  to  defray  his  e>  penses.  After  graduat- 
ing, he  immediately  started  South  to  try  his  fortune  among 
strangers.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  */  carpet-bagger  *'  before  that 
phrase  was  coined — ^all  his  worldly  goods  he  carried  in  one  car- 
pet-bag. After  tarrying  for  a  short  time  near  Winchester,  Ten- 
nessee, he  proceeded  westward,  along  the  line  of  the  Memphis 
and  Charleston  Railroad,  in  search  of  a  school.  At  length 
after  many  yain  efforts  to  get  employment,  and  after  almost  the 
last  dollar  was  spent  and  hope  was  flagging,  he  found  an  empty 
school-house  at  Macon,  Tennessee.  Here  he  was  told  by  the 
citizens  that  he  might  take  possession,  and  try  what  he  could 
do  as  a  teacher ,  that  seyeral  larger  and  older  men  than  hi.m- 
self  had  tried  the  experiment,  but  had  been  driyen  out  by  the 
enemies,  and,  in  some  cases,  the  yiolence  of  the  older  scholars. 
Pocket-pistols  and  reyolyers  were  as  common  as  pen-holders, 
and  the  life  of  a  Yankee,  at  that  time,  was  not  held  particularly 
aacred  among  the  rough  classes.  He  succeeded,  howeyer,  in 
teaching  out  the  term,  and  retired  from  the  place,  taking  with 
him  three  hundred  dollars  in  gold,  congratulating  himself  on 
his  pecuniary  success  and  his  personal  safety.  During  his  stay 
as  a  teacher  at  Macon,  the  famous  raid  of  John  Brown  was 
made  in  Virginia ;  and  all  Northerners,  especially  teachersi 
were  ''  suspicioned  "  and  watched  throughout  the  South. 

From  Macon  he  proceeded  to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  where 
he  remained  some  time  with  his  uncle,  Harper  S.  Hunt,  a  prom- 
inent and  wealthy  citizen  of  that  city.  It  soon  oecame  appa- 
rent that  war  between  the  North  and  South  was  imminent,  and 
not  wishing  to  be  on  the  side  of  secession  and  rebellion,  be  re- 
tamed  to  the  North.  After  remaining  a  while  at  home  he 
sought  the  West,  and  located  for  a  time  at  Oarlinyille,  Illinois, 
reading  law  in  the  office  of  Gk>yernor  Johnson,  until  his  pecu- 
niary resources  were  exhausted,  when  he  retired  to  Brighton, 

16 

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122  Svansvitle  and  iU  Hen  of  itark. 

Illinois,  and  took  charge  of  the  academy  at  that  place  for  one 
year.  His  career  at  Brighton  was  eminently  snccesefal,  and 
endeared  him  to  the  people  of  that  village,  of  all  ages  and 
classes. 

When  the  war  between  the  North  and  South  became  seri- 
ous, and  the  disaster  of  Bull  Run  chagrined  and  mortified  the 
people  of  the  North,  he  enlisted  as  a  private,  was  elected  Lieu- 
tenant, and  immediately  detailed  as  Adjutant  of  the  regiment, 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second  Illinois.  He  served  as 
Adjutant,  Post-Adjutant  and  Judge- Advocate,  at  different 
points,  till  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out,  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky.  About  the  close  of  the  war,  his  brother, 
Judge  Gooding,  who  had  been  for  several  years  on  the  bench  in 
the  State  Senate,  was  appointed  Marshal  of  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, and  he  prevailed  upon  the  subject  of  this  sketch  to 
accompany  him  to  Washington  Oity.  Mr.  H.  0.  Gk>oding,  doubt- 
ing his  ability  to  succeed  as  an  attorney  at  the  Capital,  was, 
nevertheless,  induced  to  ''  swing  out  his  shingle."  After  a  few 
weeks  of  close  application  to  the  local  law  of  the  District,  he 
began  the  practice,  and  succeeded  far  beyond  his  expectations. 
He  soon  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  promising  young 
men  at  the  Capital,  and  for  two  years  engaged  in  an  honorable 
and  lucrative  practice.  But  he  had  never  relinquished  his  love 
for  the  West,  and  determined,  without  further  delay,  to  take 
up  his  home  at  the  place  of  his  present  residence,  Evansville. 

He  located  at  Evansville  in  September,  1867,  and  began 
the  practice  of  the  law,  taking  the  office  of  Judge  Morris  S. 
Johnson,  then  recently  elected  to  the  bench.  In  a  short  time 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Colonel  J.  S.  Buchanan  ;  and  they 
have  ever  since  been  associated  as  partners,  and  rank  as  one  of 
the  best  firms  in  the  city. 

In  1870  Mr.  Grooding  was  nominated  at  Princeton,  Indi- 
ana, as  Republican  candidate  for  Congress.  This  was  all  the 
more  flattering,  because^  of  the  number  and  character  of  the 
candidates  for  the  nomination.  Among  his  opponents  were 
Hon.  Cy.  Allen,  Hon.  A.  L.  Robinson,  Judge  Edson,  Captain 
Ferguson,  Dr.  Lewis  and  R.  A.  Hill.  Captain  0.  made  a  vig- 
orous and  able  canvass.  He  held  twenty-two  joint  debates 
with  his  opponent,  Judge  Niblack,  who  had  been  for  many 

I 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  128 

years  a  member  of  Congress.  Though  defeated,  as  all  Republi- 
can candidates  in  the  District  had  been  before  him,  he,  never- 
theless  did  honor  to  himself  and  the  cause,  by  his  industrious 
and  able  canvass. 

In  the  Winter  succeeding,  on  the  15th  of  February,  1871, 
Mr.  0.  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Babcock,  the  amiable  and 
highly  -  educated  daughter  of  Charles  and  Amelia  Babcock,  of 
Evansville. 

In  1872  he  was  urgently  requested  by  many  friends  to  allow 
his  name  to  be  presented  to  the  Republican  Convention  of  the 
County  for  the  o£Sce  of  State  Senator.  This  he  finally  con- 
sented to  do,  and  was  nominated  by  a  very  flattering  vote.  His 
opponent  before  the  Convention  was  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers 
of  the  State  —  Hon.  Asa  Iglehart.  Captain  G.  served  at  the 
special  and  regular  sessions  of  1872-3.  Though  a  new  mem- 
ber, he  was  placed  upon  the  most  important  Committees,  and 
bore  a  most  conspicuous  part  in  the  legislation  of  both  sessions. 

Captain  Gooding,  though  a  young  man,  has  arrived  at  an 
honorable  position  in  the  legal  profession.  A  keen  and  logical 
debater ;  possessed  of  a  rich  and  full-toned  voice ;  his  reputa- 
tion at  the  bar,  as  an  advocate  or  an  orator  on  the  stump,  is 
well  established,  and  betokens  an  honorable  distinction  in  the 
future. 


Judge  William  P.  Hargrove. 


^S  the  son  of  Rev.  Richard  H.  Hargrave,  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who  spent  fifty  years  in 
the  service,  thirty  of  which  were  in  the  saddle.  The  Judge  was 
born  at  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  June  Ist,  1832.  His  early  ed- 
ucation was  acquired  in  the  Seminary  at  Crawfordsville  and  the 
places  where  his  father  was  stationed,  and  with  such  success 
that,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
He  entered  Asbury  University  one  year  afterward,  and  gradu- 
ated in  the  Class  of  '54.  His  aptitude  for  the  classics  and  gen- 
eral literary  taste  are  still  remembered  at  that  institution,  and 

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IM  BvamviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

he  was  always  selected  by  its  members  as  their  representative 
in  debates  or  exercises  with  the  other  classes.  Upon  gradnat- 
ing,  he  at  once  began  the  study  of  law  in  Judge  DeBmler's 
office,  at  Jasper,  Indiana.  He  was  also  engaged  in  teaching 
school,  and  daring  this  time  performed  the  feat  of  mastering 
the  four  volumes  of  Blackstone.  He  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
the  study  of  his  profession,  when  not  teaching  —  working  with 
great  diligence  from  4  o'clock  to  8  in  the  morning,  and  from  7 
till  10  at  night.  In  July  and  August  of  that  year  he  attended 
the  first  Normal  Institute  ever  held  in  Southern  Indiana,  and 
which  met  at  Jeffersonville,  He  afterwards  read  law  with  Hon. 
Sam  Jndah,  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  at  the  bar. 
Judge  Hargrave  was  admitted  to  practice  at  Vincennes,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years.  Here  he  obtained,  in  the  course  of 
a  few  years,  considerable  business,  and  was  very  successful  in 
his  course  He  was  an  inveterate  reader,  and  having  access  to 
a  large  libiary,  he  improved  his  opportunity  to  drink  wisdom  at 
the  very  fountains  of  the  law. 

In  April,  1862,  he  came  to  Evansville,  associated  with 
Judge  Iglehart,  and  bt>gan  work  under  the  most  favorable  aus- 
pices. His  labors  were,  however,  interfered  with  by  the  war  ; 
when,  in  the  August  of  that  year,  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  with 
a  Captain's  commission,  in  the  Ninety-first  Indiana,  remaining 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  For  three  months,  during  the  Fall  of 
'63,  he  commanded  a  district  in  Kentucky ;  and  was  Command- 
ant of  the  Post  at  Cumberland  Gap,  in  the  Winter  of  '63-*64. 
Till  the  close  of  the  war  he  occupied  the  position  of  Commi&> 
sary  of  Musters,  to  which  he  was  detached  while  his  regiment 
was  on  the  way  to  the  front. 

In  the  Fall  of  '65  he  returned  to  his  professional  duties 
here.  The  citizens  honored  him  by  electing  him  to  the  respon* 
sible  position  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the  Fifteenth  Judicial 
District.  Such  has  been  his  success  in  the  discharge  of  his  official 
duties  that  he  served,  by  the  vote  of  the  people,  for  eight  consecu. 
tive  terms  in  this  capacity.  At  the  organization  of  the  Vander- 
burgh Criminal  Court,  he  was  commiesoned  as  Prosecuting  Attor- 
ney of  that  Court ;  and  in  May,  1872,  was  appointed  its  Judge, 
and  is  still  in  the  satisfactory  discharge  of  its  duties. 

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BvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  126 

Judge  Hargrave's  ideal  practice  of  the  profession  is  adyo- 
cacy,  in  all  its  departments ;  and  upon  this  he  has  attained  his 
reputation.  He  is  in  the  enjo^'inent  of  good  health,  notwith- 
standing his  severe  mental  labors  ;  his  physique  shows  no  bane- 
ful effects  of  his  sedentary  habits.  He  is  very  laborious  in 
preparing  his  evidence,  and  his  briefs  are  condensed  and  ar- 
ranged in  an  invincible  manner  The  Judge  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  foremost  in  the  legal  profession,  but  is  also  a  court- 
eons  and  thorough  gentleman,  and  esteemed  by  all  our  citizens. 


James  D.  Saunders 


I  AS  born  in  the  County  of  Lancashire,  England,  on 
the  2d  of  November,  1820.  His  father  was  a  Gov- 
ernment Engineer,  and  belonging  to  the  Ordnance  Department 
of  the  service,  was  employed  in  the  Trigonometrical  Survey  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the  great 
railroad  passing  through  Manchester,  the  Bolton  Water  Works 
and  other  important  enterprises. 

His  son,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  attended  Sand- 
hurst College,  near  London.  He  was  articled,  for  five  years, 
with  Mr.  Hawkshaw,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Lancashire  and 
Yorkshire  Railroad.  In  November,  1850,  he  left  Liverpool  for 
America,  arriving  at  New  Orleans  in  January,  1851, 

Before  coming  to  America,  he  was  in  France,  Ireland  and 
Belgium.  In  the  latter  country  he  was  Engineer  on  the  Liege 
and  Orand  Riiilway  He  retuigaed  to  England  and  occupied 
the  same  position  on  the  Lancashire  Railway.  It  was  his  inten- 
tion, after  leaving  the  Lancashire  Railway  to  go  to  India  as  an 
Engineer  on  the  Madras  and  Bombay  Railway. 

From  New  Orleans  he  went  immediately  to  Louisville, 
where  he  was  employed  on  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  and 
Chicago  Railroad  as  Division  Engineer.  In  *53  he  severed  his 
connection  with  that  roeul.  and  surveyed  the  route  from  Craw- 

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126  JSvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

fordsville  to  Terre  Haute.  He  then  engaged  with  H.  0.  Moore 
afl  Engineer  of  the  Evansville,  Indianapolis  and  Cleveland 
Straight  Line.  He  retained  this  situation  till  the  company 
failed.  In  1854  Mr.  Saunders  made  Evansville  his  home  ;  and 
immediately  after  the  failure  of  the  Ust-mentioned  road,  he 
was  elected  City  Engineer. 

In  1861  he  entered  the  army  as  Captain  of  Company  £, 
Forty-second  Indiana  Volunteers.  He  remained  in  the  service 
one  year.  In  1862  he  was  elected,  for  the  second  time,  City 
Engineer,  without  opposition.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  acted  in 
this  capacity — there  being  a  few  years  ad  interim  He  has  now 
in  contemplation  a  map  showing  the  profile  of  the  city's  plat. 
It  is  to  be  published  in  a  style  surpassing  anything  hitherto 
known. 

While  a  resident  of  England,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Swee- 
ney, the  daughter  of  a  soldier  who  served  under  Wellington. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  at  the  Cathedral  of  Manchester. 
On  coming  to  America,  he  left  his  wife  in  England  ;  she  after- 
wards joined  him  at  Madison,  Indiana. 


John  H.  Beadle. 


L^AMES  W.  BEADLE,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Jefferson  County,  Kentucky,  in  the  year  1805. 
In  1830  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Bright ;  and  in  the  year 
1837  removed  to  Liberty  Township,  Parke  County,  Indiana, 
when  John  H.  was  born,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1840. 

His  early  education  was  su6h  only  as  could  be  obtained  in 
the  very  common,  schools  of  a  very  remote  country  neighbor- 
hood. He  was,  even  thus  early  in  life,  distinguished  for  a 
temarkably  active  and  retentive  memory  —  three  perusals  of  a 
paragraph  being  sufficient  to  fix  it  in  his  mind.  At  the  age  of 
ten  years  he  obtained  a  prize,  given  by  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Sunday  School,  ol  Rockville,  for  having  committed  the 
entire  New  Testament  to  memory — the  greater  portion  of  whioh 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  127 

he  retaine  at  the  pr^pent  time,  as  perfectly  as  when  he  received 
the  reward  for  committing  the  same. 

At  the  age  of  nine  years  he  completed  the  coarse  of  study 
taught  in  the  common  schools  at  that  time,  and  his  father  re- 
moved to  Rockville,  in  the  same  county,  in  order  to  give  his 
children  better  educational  advantages.  In  three  years  John 
H.  and  his  older  brother  had  completed  the  high-school  course, 
and  were  ready  to  enter  college.  But  our  subject  being  at  this 
time  of  a  peculiarly  delicate  constitution,  it  was  decided  that 
his  school-days  were  at  an  end.  This  he  did  not  relish ;  as  hav- 
ing great  aptitude  and  love  of  study,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
having  but  little  inclination  or  capacity  for  manual  labor,  he 
could  but  think  this  decree  a  perversion  of  the  laws  of  Nature. 
Yet,  for  the  next  five  years  he  spent  the  time  on  his  father's 
farm,  near  Rockville  —  it  being  about  equally  divided  between 
ordinary  farm-labor  and  driving  stock.  He  also,  during  this 
time,  attended  two  short  Winter  terms  of  school  at  the  Rock- 
ville Academy,  in  which  he  reviewed  his  high-school  studies ; 
making,  beside,  some  progress  in  Greek  and  Surveying. 

In  October,  1857,  he  entered  the  Freshmen  Class  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor.  Here  he  acquired  con- 
siderable distinction  in  the  study  of  languages — ^his  remarkable 
memory  makine;  it  but  an  easy  pastime  for  him  to  acquire  a 
language  so  that  he  could  read,  write,  and  speak  it  in  a  shorter 
space  of  time  than  is  ordinarily  spent  on  the  rudiments. 

During  the  second  year  his  health  gave  way,  and  for  some 
time  his  life  was  despaired  of.  After  recovering  suflSciently  to 
travel,  he  made  a  short  visit  home  ;  then  started  on  an  exten- 
sive tour  through  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa  and  Minnesota — much 
of  the  time  on  foot,  and  earning  his  subsistence  by  such  work  as 
he  could  find  to  do :  such  as  farm-labor,  teaming,  selling  books, 
etc.  After  four  months*  residence  in  Minnesota,  his  heath  be- 
came so  much  improved  that  he' was  able  to  return  to  college  in 
1860,  where  he  remained  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war. 

After  an  extended  tour  through  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  he  came  home,  and  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate in  Company  A,  of  the  Thirty-first  Indiana  Volunteers, 
and  served  until  after  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  when  expos- 
are  brought  on  a  disease  of  the  lungs,  which  nearly  terminated 
his  life. 

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128  JBvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

During  the  next  four  years  he  alternately  traveled,  taught 
school,  and  studied  law ;  and  in  1866  settled,  as  he  supposed, 
permanently  in  Evansyille,  in  the  practice  of  that  profession. 
But  his  liealth  began  to  give  way,  and  in  1868  he  started  for 
California,  attempting  a  correspondence  with  the  Cincinnati 
Oommercial — as  he  tells  us  in  the  **  Undeveloped  West " — with 
"  the  hope  of  being  able  to  pay  part  of  his  expenses.**  And 
during  the  next  Winter  the  readers  of  the  Oommercial  were 
delighted  by  a  series  of  fresh,  spicy  and  original  letters  from 
Salt  Lake  City,  signed  *'  Beadle,**  which  proved  to  be  the  *'  trial 
letters  '*  of  Mr.  Beadle.  These  letters  soon  brought  him  into 
notoriety,  causing  him  to  be  classed  as  one  of  the  first  newspa- 
per correspondents  in  our  country. 

While  in  Utah  he,  for  one  year  edited  the  Scdt  Lake  Re- 
porter^ the  only  non-Mormon  paper  in  the  Territory.  He  soon 
made  this  one  of  the  spiciest  sheets  in  the  West,  and  a  contin- 
ual   **  thorn  in  the  flesh  '*  to  the  Mormons. 

Since  leaving  this  paper  he  has  traveled  continuously  in 
the  Western  States  and  Territories,  corresponding  for  the  Cin- 
cinnati Oommercial,  Western  World,  and  other  papers  —  at  the 
same  time  gathering  facts  for  his  books. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1870  he  issued  his  first  work, 
entitled  '*  Life  in  Utah.**  This  is,  perhaps,  the  best  and  most 
complete  history  of  Mormonism  yet  written.  There  have  been 
but  few  books  that  have  sold  better  than  this  —  Mr.  Beadle*s 
first  book.  Up  to  the  present  time,  eighty  thousand  copies  have 
been  sold.  This  work,  which  reflects  great  honor  on  the  writer 
from  the  clear,  impartial  statement  of  the  rise,  progress,  and 
workings  of  Mormonism — acquired  only  by  the  most  hard  and 
patient  labor ;  and  from  the  forcible  and  interesting  style  in 
which  it  is  written,  will  deservedly  rank  it  among  the  reliable 
histories  of  our  land. 

Mr.  Beadle  in  the  following  year  issued  a  small  work,  enti- 
tled **  The  Confessions  of  Bill  Hickman,  the  Destroying  Angel 
of  the  Mormons.*'    This  work  had,  also,  quite  a  circulation. 

During  the  present  year  *•  The  Undeveloped  West,** — the 
best,  as  yet  of  Mr.  Beadle's  works — has  been  issued.  It  con- 
tains a  full — and  what  is  somewhat  remarkable  for  a  work  on 
the  *'  great  West  **  —  a  truthful  description  of  the  far  Western 

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EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark  129 

States  and  Territories.  This  must  deservedly  prove  a  very 
popular  work ;  as  well  from  the  happy  style  in  which  it  is  writ- 
ten, as  from  the  fund  of  useful  information  it  contains. 

Mr.  B/s  style  is  enlivening  rather  than  finished  and  often 
drops  to  colloquialisms  and  "  Hoosier  '  phrases ;  and  after 
reading  his  latest  work  one  feels  as  if  some  good-humored  friend 
had  dropped  in  and  talked  a  few  hours  in  the  vernacular. 

Mr.  Beadle  has,  perhaps,  as  fine  and  varied  an  education 
as  that  of  any  man  in  our  State ;  which,  together  with  his  re* 
markable  memory  and  more  than  ordinary  happy  faculty  of 
of  expression,  has  gained  for  him,  even  thus  early  in  life,  sue- 
cess  and  fame. 

On  last  Christmas  Mr.  Beadle  was  married  in  Evansville, 
to  Miss  Jennie  Clole  —  a  lady  who  is  peculiarly  qualified,  not 
only  to  gild  his  life  with  happiness,  but  to  help  and  assist  him 
in  his  intellectual  labors. 

Mr.  Beadle  is,  as  yet,  but  a  young  man,  and  we  shall  expect 
him  to  add  much  to  the  success  he  has  already  obtained ;  and 
the  future  to  mark  him  as  one  of  America's  l^est  and  most 
widely-known  writers. 


The  Lindenschmidt  Brothers. 


PhARLES  and  HENRY  LINDENSCHMIDT  were  born 
in  Germany,  and  at  an  early  day  were  apprenticed  in 
the  locksmithing  and  blacksmithing  business.  The  motto  of 
**  Labor  conquers  all  things,*'  has  been  fully  illustrated  in  their 
career.  On  their  arrival  in  America,  in  1849,  they  went  to 
work  at  their  old  trade,  visiting  several  parts  of  the  country  till 
1855,  when  they  located  in  Evansville,  After  engaging  with 
Henry  Schreiber,  Sr.,  and  Roelker  &  Co.,  several  months,  in 
the  latter  part  of  1856  they  commenced  work  on  their  own  ac- 
count as  blacksmiths,  on  First  street,  between  Elm  and  Pine, 
Beside  their  business  as  smiths,  they  made  safes,  worked  in 
stoves,  beside  doing  a  general  repair  business.     The  energy  and 

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IdO  JSvanavUle  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

faitbfalness  with  which  thej  labored  for  their  patrons  gradually 
brought  them  an  extensive  as  well  as  lucrative  business.  Their 
little  shop — 20x30 — has  expanded  into  the  Washington  Foun- 
dry, and  which  employs  about  thirty  operatives  and  where  the 
annual  sales  are  at  present  over  sixty-five  thousand  dollars. 
Their  architectural  castings  have  illustrated  fully  the  mechan- 
ical ingenuity  and  ability  of  Evansville  citizens,  and  have  been 
the  means  of  attracting  to  our  city  a  large  and  rapidly  increas- 
ing trade.  Many  rare  and  unique  machines  are  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  products  of  this  firm.  Steam*power  is  ex- 
clusively used  ;  and  all  the  improvements  of  the  present  util- 
izing age  have  been  added  from  time  to  time  to  the  equipments 
of  the  Washington  Foundry.  From  poverty  to  comparative 
affluence  their  career  has  been  gradual  but  sure.  With  a  pur- 
pose to  become  manufacturers,  they  labored  on  from  year  to 
year,  till  at  last  t)ie  full  fruition  of  their  long  and  cherished 
desires  were  realized ;  and  to-day  they  occupy  an  honorable 
{)Osition    in   the  mercantile  circles  of  the  city. 


Hon.  Samuel  Hall. 


IaMUEL  hall,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Hall,  was 
born  on  the  1st  of  June.  1797,  in  Somerset  County,  in 
the  State  of  Maryland.  In  the  year  1805,  his  father  moved 
with  his  family  to  the  West,  antl  located  in  Jefferson  County, 
•  Kentucky,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1822.  His  mother  was  a 
Ward,  sister  of  the  late  David  L.  Ward,  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising men  of  the  age,  who  amassed  an  immense  fortune  by  his 
individual  efforts. 

At  the  time  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  a  boy,  there 
were  but  few  schools  in  the  State  of  l^entucky.  The  test  of 
qualifications  in  a  teacher,  in  those  days,  was  his  handwriting  : 
if  that  was  good,  no  further  inquiries  were  made ;  if  bad,  no 
qualifications,  however  exalted,  could  secure  him  a  place  as 

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JBvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  181 

teacher.  All  the  schooling  the  subject  of  this  memoir  receiyed 
was  in  a  log  cabin  on  **  Flat  Rock,"  in  Jefferson  County,  Ken- 
tucky. He  had,  howeyer,  pious  parents,  who  instilled  into  him 
the  principles  of  yirtue,  and  a  strict  regard  for  truth. 

In  the  year  1814,  while  yet  a  boy,  he,  with  the  consent  of 
his  parents,  left  his  home  in  Kentucky,  and  settled  in  Gibson 
County,  Indiana.    Through  the  recommendation  of  friends,  he 
obtained  a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  country  store.     His  employer 
soon  affcer  dying,  he  was  again  out  of  business.     Being  entirely 
out  of  funds,  he  contracted  with  the  famed  General  Robert  M. 
Eyans,  then  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  Gibson  County,  to 
write  in  his  office.     By  the  terms  of  his  contract,  young  Hall 
was  to  get  his  board  and  fifty  dollars  per  annum — a  little  oyer 
four  dollars  per  month.      While  thus  engaged  he  employed  all 
his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  the  law.     By  the  most  unre- 
mitting perseyerance,  he  prepared  himself  for  the  practice  in 
seyenteen  months.      Not  seyenteen  months  deyoted  to  study ; 
but  the  spare  hours  in  that  time  from  his  daily  employment. 
His  practice  was,  to  lise  early  in  the  morning,  and  study  till 
breakfast ;    write  in  the  office  till  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  then  re- 
sume and  continue  his  study  till  12,  and  sometimes  1  o'clock  at 
night.    Often  has  he  trimmed  the  midnight  lamp  while  poring 
oyer  Blackstone,  Coke  upon  Ltttleton,  Piowden  and  Bacon.   He 
had  no  instructor,  no  guide,  other  than  the  books  he  borrowed. 
Though  the  path  before  him  looked  dark  and  gloomy — without 
funds,  without  education,  and  without  patronage — yet  he  ueyer 
wayered  in  his  purpose.     His  course  was  onward.     He  had  de- 
termined, if  he  liyed,   on   success;  and  success  crowned   his 
efforts.      In  1820,  he  obtained  a  license  and   commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  ;  and  such  was  his  attention  to  busi- 
ness, that  he  soon   obtained  a  large  and  lucratiye  practice. 
Though  he  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker,  yet  his  earnest  manner 
always  commanded  respect  and  engaged  the  attention  from  both 
court  and  juries.     He  made  it  a  point  to  study  and  inyestigate 
in  extenao  eyery  litigated  case  in  which  he  was  employed.     He 
neyer  trusted  to  chance  what  he  could   reach  by  yigilance  and 
study.     He  was  always  ready,  when  his  cases  were  called,  to 
take  them  up  and  dispose  of  them.    In  the  course  of  time,  he 
acquired  the  enyiable  reputation  of  being  an  honest  and  success- 


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182  Evaneville  and  its  lien  of  Mark. 

ful  lawyer.  Early  in  his  profession  he  adopted  a  rule  from 
which  he  never  departed  —  and  that  was  to  make  an  effort  to 
bring  about  a  compromise,  without  suit.  Many  persons  now 
residing  in  Southwestern  Indiana,  are  living  witnesses  to  his 
success  in  restoring  a  friendly  relation  between  disputants  who, 
if  they  had  not  been  checked  in  time,  would  have  embarked  in 
lawsuits  that  might  have  taken  years  to  settle,  and  probably  at 
the  ruin  of  the  parties. 

In  1823  he  was  admitted  as  an  attorney  and  counselor  of 
law  in  the  Supreme  Ooart  of  Indiana,  and  in  the  District  Oourt 
of  the  United  States.  He  continued  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion without  interruption,  until  the  year  1829,  when  he  yii  Ided 
to  the  solicitations  of  his  friends,  and  became  a  candidate  for 
the  Legislature.  He  was  elected  over  his  opponent  by  a  large 
majority.  He  was  re-elected  in  the  year  following  to  the  same 
office,  and  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee. 
In  that  capacity  he  introduced  many  reforms  in  the  practice  of 
the  law. 

In  1832  he  was  elected  by  the  General  Assembly  Presi- 
dent Judge  of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Circuit  of  the  State  of  Indi- 
ana. He  held  this  office  for  about  two  years, when,  to  the  regret 
of  the  bar  and  community,  he  resigned  it. 

It  is  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  times,  that  in  the  year 
1886,  the  western  country  ran  wild  over  the  subject  of  internal 
improvements.  The  State  of  Indiana  embarked  in  schemes 
which  would  have  cost,  when  finished,  thirty  millions  of  dollars. 
A  Board  of  Public  Works,  consisting  of  nine  members,  was 
created  by  the  General  Assembly.  This  Board  had  extraordi- 
nary powers.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  chosen  as  a  mem- 
ber. He  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  assigned  him 
in  the  Spring  of  1837.  From  the  very  onset  he  attempted  to 
check  extravagant  appropriations  of  money.  He  made  efforts 
to  confine  the  expenditures  within  the  means  under  the  imme- 
diate control  of  the  Board,  He  warned  the  friends  of  the  sys- 
tem of  the  ruinous  consequences  of  entering  into  engagements 
beyond  their  present  means  to  meet ;  that  such  a  course  would 
in  the  end,  break  down  the  system,  and  bankrupt  the  State. 
But  his  warning  voice  was  disregarded.  A  mania  for  a  grand 
system  seemed  to  have  blinded  the  great  mass  of  the  commu- 


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Bvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  183 

nity.  Finding  his  views  opposed,  at  the  end  of  seven*  months 
he  resigned  the  office  as  a  member  of  the  Board.  At  a  subde- 
quent  period,  after  the  system  had  exploded,  the  Legislature 
appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the  subject  and  the  con- 
duct of  the  members  of  the  Board,  to  whose  management  the 
system  had  been  confided.  The  committee  was  composed  of 
three  Whigs  and  two  Democrats.  They  spent  months  in  the 
investigation  of  the  matter.  They  at  last  made  a  report  to  the 
General  Assembly.  Some  members  of  the  Board  they  censured. 
Against  others  they  recommended  suit  to  be  brought  in  the 
name  of  the  State.  As  respects  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  the 
following  is  extracted  from  the  journals  of  the  Senate  : 

'*  Mb.  Samuel  Hall. — This  gentleman  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Internal  Improvement,  and  acting 
commissioner  on  the  Central  Canal  for  eight  or  nine  months. 
During  this  time  he  was  engaged  in  active  service,  attending  to 
all  the  arduous  duties  imposed  on  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
Internal  Improvement,  at  that  period.  The  act  of  1836  allowed 
to  members  of  the  Board  a  compensation  of  $2  per  day  and 
reasonable  expenses.  By  a  somewhat  liberal  construction  of 
the  act,  and,  in  the  opinion  of  the  committee,  an  unjustifiable 
one,  the  Board  construed  this  act  to  allow  them  $2  per  day  for 
the  entire  year,  as  appears  from  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Yandes, 
Gen.  Long,  and  others;  the  entire  pay  would  amount,  at  this 
rate,  to  $730. 

''  Not  being  able  to  keep  small  accounts  of  expenditures 
with  convenience,  by  an  equally  liberal  construction  of  the  act, 
the  Board  fixed  the  rate  of  their  daily  expenditure  at  $1  50  per 
day  tor  the  entire  year,  making  total  allowance  for  expenses 
the  sum  of  $2,277  50.  It  is  but  just  to  remark  that  one  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  justifies  his  allowance  by  the  usage  established 
by  members  of  tne  Legislature  under  a  similar  act,  in  taking 
their  per  diem  for  holidays  and  Sundays  during  the  session.  So 
far  as  the  holidays  are  concerned,  your  committee  think  that 
the  case  is  fully  in  point,  and  that  those  members  who  vote 
for  adjournment  at  Christmas  and  New  Year's  day,  should  by  no 
means  charge  the  per  diem  for  that  time.  We  are  admonished 
by  this  instance,  by  which  one  abuse  ia  justified  by  another,  to 
set  better  examples  in  the  future.  Mr.  Hall,  in  this  matter, 
stands  on  high  ground  ;  he  performed  duties  eoual,  or  nearly 
so,  to  those  of  any  other  member  of  the  Board  of  Internal  Im- 
provement and  received  his  per  diem  for  the  time  actually  en- 
gaged in  the  public  service,  charging  no  more  than  actual 
expenses,  making  a  total  of  a  little  less  than  $95.  We  find  no 
charge  against  him  whatever.'* 

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134  EvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Iq  the  year  1840  Judge  Hall  was  elected  Lientenant-Gov- 
ernor  of  the  State  of  Indiana  for  the  term  of  three  years.  Being 
ex-officio  President  of  the  Senate,  he  discharged  the  duties  as 
presiding  officer  of  that  body  for  two  sessions  only.  At  the 
close  of  the  first  session,  the  Senate,  in  token  of  respect,  unan- 
imously adopted  the  following  resolution  : 

"  On  motion  of  Mr.  Chamberlain,  it  was 

**  Beaolved,  That  as  an  expression  of  the  regard  we  enter- 
tain for  Lieutenant-Governor  Hall,  President  of  the  Senate,  we 
extend  to  him  our  thanks  for  the  dignified,  impartial,  and  highly 
satisfactory  manner  in  which  he  has  presided  over  our  delibe- 
rations." 

At  the  close  of  the  second  session,  the  Senate  unanimously 
adopted  the  following  resolution : 

**  On  motion  of  Mr.  Davis, 

**  The  orders  of  business  were  suspended,  and  leave  granted 
him  to  introduce  the  following  resolution  : 

*'  Resolved,  By  the  Senate  unanimously,  that  the  Hon.  Sam- 
uel Hall,  President  thereof,  is  entitled  to  our  thanks  for  the 
impartiality,  dignity  and  ability  which  has  characterized  his 
presidency,  during  the  present  session  of  the  General  Assembly. 

"  Which  was  adopted." 

The  reason  why  Judge  Hall  did  not  take  his  seat  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Senate  the  third  session  to  which  he  was  elected, 
may  be  interred  from  the  following  proceedings,  which  are  taken 
from  the  journals  of  the  Senate : 

**  On  motion  of  Mr.  Collins, 

'*  The  orders  of  business  were  suspended,  and  leave  granted 
him  to  offer  the  following,  which  was  unanimously  adopted . 

'*  Whereas,  in  the  dispensation  of  an  inscrutable  Providence 
it  has  pleased  the  Giver  of  all  G^od  to  visit  the  Hon.  Samuel 
Hall,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  this  State  with  a  severe  domestic 
bereavement,  by  taking  from  him  and  his  family  his  excellent 
consort,  whose  exemplary  life  and  many  virtues  have  endeared 
her  to  a  numerous  acquaintance,  and  shed  lustre  within  her 
sphere,  and  given  happiness  to  all  aronnd  her  :  Therefore, 

*'JBe  it  unanimousCy  resolved  hy  the  Senate,  That  the  melan- 
choly affliction  of  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hall,  in  the  loss  of  his  wite, 
is  deeply  felt  by  the  Senate. 

''Resolved,  unanimously,  That  the  sympathy  of  the  Senate 
be  tendered  him,  and  that  the  Senate's  sincere  condolence  is 
hereby  assured  him,  in  the  deeply  afflcting  dispensation  it  has 
pleased  Providence  to  visit  upon  him. 

''Resolved,  unanimously,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Senate 
be  directed  to  communicate  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  preamble 
and  resolutions  to  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hall.'* 

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EvcunwUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  135 

Judge  Hall  was  called  upon  to  preside  over  the  delibera- 
tions of  the  Senate  of  Indiana  at  a  time  when  party  spirit 
raged  at  its  highest.  It  required  strict  integrity  and  a  firm 
resolution  to  prevent  a  bias  in  favor  of  party  predilections. 
Bat  he  had  presided  but  a  short  time  when  his  political  friends 
ascertained  that  nothing  was  to  be  expected  from  him  but  a 
strict  and  impartial  discharge  of  his  duty. 

Having  accumulated  a  large  estate  by  his  assiduty  to  bus- 
iness, Judge  Hall  gave  up  the  practice  of  the  law,  as  a  business, 
about  the  year  1840;  and  afterward  did  not  give  much  attention 
to  the  legal  profession. 

In  the  1849  it  was  decided  by  the  people  of  Indiana  to  call 
a  convention  to  remodel  their  constitution.  In  the  year  follow- 
ing, an  election  took  place  throughout  the  State  for  the  election 
of  delegates  to  the  convention. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  premise  that  Judge  Hall  has 
always  been  a  consistent  Whig.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Vice-Presidents  of  the  great  Whig  Convention  which  assembled 
at  Nashville  in  the  year  1840.  In  the  year  1844  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  Delegate  to  the  Baltimore  Convention,  and  after 
reaching  that  place  was  chosen  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents; 
which  latter  convention  nominated  Henry  Clay  for  President  of 
the  United  States.  With  a  knowledge  of  these  facts,  the  Dem- 
crats  as  well  as  the  Whigs  of  Gibson  Bounty,  with  great  una- 
nimity, united  in  placing  him  in  nomination,  and  after- 
wards  electing  him  a  Delegate  to  the  State  Convention  to  amend 
the  constitution. 

That  convention  assembled  on  the  first  Monday  of  October, 
1850.  It  was  Democratic,  nearly  two  to  one.  Jndge  Hall  was 
placed  as  chairman  of  one  of  the  most  important  committees  — 
"  On  State  Debt  and  Public  Works." 

Identified  with  the  prosperity  of  his  adopted  State,  he  felt 
a  deep  interest  in  looking  forward  to  that  period  of  time  when 
Indiana  shall  be  out  of  debt.  He  made  a  labored  calculation, 
based  upon  the  future  resources  of  the  State,  by  which  he  proved 
with  great  clearness,  that  in  sixteen  years,  the  last  dollar  of  her 
indebtedness  would  be  paid  off.  In  order  to  prevent  a  diver- 
sion of  the  revenues  of  the  State,  he  drew  up  and  reported  the 
section  which  provides  that  *'  all  the  revenues  derived  from  the 

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ISS  SvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

sale  of  any  of  the  public  works  belonging  to  the  State,  and  from 
the  net  annual  income  thereof,  and  any  surplus  that  may,  at 
any  time,  remain  in  the  treasury,  derived  from  taxation  for  gen-, 
eral  State  purposes,  after  the  payment  of  the  ordinary  expenses 
of  the  Government,  and  of  the  interest  on  bondd  of  the  State, 
other  than  bank  bonds ;  shall  be  annually  applied,  under  the 
direction  of  the  General  Assembly,  to  the  payment  of  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  public  debt." 

He  also  reported  another  section,  which  prevents  any  new 
debt  being  contracted  on  the  part  of  the  State,  except  to  meet 
casual  deficits  in  the  revenue.  Both  of  these  sections  were  in- 
corporated in  tne  new  constitution. 

Judge  Hall,  for  many  years,  contended  that  it  was  wrong 
in  the  fundamental  laws  of  a  country  to  allow  any  person  to 
become  answerable,  as  security,  for  the  debt  of  another.  He 
says  the  contracting  parties,  being  alone  interested  in  the  profits 
growing  out  of  the  contract,  the  one  in  selling,  the  other  in 
purchasing,  they  alone  should  run  the  risk  of  a  loss.  He 
brought  the  subject  before  the  Legislature  of  Indiana,  in  the 
year  1831,  but  the  doctrine  being  new,  did  not  meet  with  much 
favor.  He  brought  the  subject  before  the  convention  in  1850. 
As  chairman  of  the  committee  to  whom  the  subject  was  refer- 
red, he  reported  the  section  here  appended.  It  was  sustained 
by  a  respectable  minority  in  the  convention,  but  ^  as  voted  down 
by  the  majority.  He  thought  the  time  would  arrive  when  it 
would  be  adopted  as  the  law  of  the  land. 

The  section  above  referred  to  read  as  follows  : 

"  No  man  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  the  ddbt,  default  or 
miscarriage  of  any  other  person  upon  any  contract  entered  into 
from  and  after  the  year  1860,  except  in  cases  where  executors, 
administrators,  cuardians,  trustees,  and  public  officers,  are 
required  to  give  oond  and  security,  and  where  security  is  la^ven 
to  persons  acting  in  a  fiduciary  capacity." 


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H.  W.  CLOUD,  M.  D. 


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H.  W.  Cloud,  M.D.,A.M. 


,AMES  C.  CLOUD,  the  father  of  Dr.  H.  W.  Olotjd,  was 
born  in  Boone  County,  Kentucky,  in  the  year  1805,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  remained  here  until  his  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Susan  Sny^der,  of  the  same  county.  Mr.  Cloud 
soon  afterward  removed  to  Henderson  County,  and  engaged  in 
the  family  grocery  business. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1833,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born ;  and  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  his  parents 
went  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  he  enjoyed  excellent  facil- 
ities in  securing  a  common  school  education.  Having  a  taste 
for  books,  and  literary  ambition,  coupled  with  a  determination 
to  secure  an  education,  he  entered  Asbury  University  with  only 
twenty  dollars  to  last  him  for  four  years.  He  remained  here 
until  the  second  term  of  his  Senior  year,  when,  with  eight  of 
his  class,  in  the  noted  Rebellion  of  '56,  he  withdrew  from  As- 
bury, and  graduated  at  the  State  University. 

While  at  college,  Dr.  Cloud's  favorite  studies  were  Geology 
and  Chemistry,  and  he  pursued  an  after-graduate  course  in 
chemistry  and  medicine  at  the  University  of  Kentucky,  at  Lou- 
isville. He  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Bloomington, 
and,  in  1871,  the  same  honorary  degree  from  Asbury.  For 
some  time  Dr.  Cloud  had  charge  of  a  select  school  at  Owens- 
boro :  and  his  rare  fund  of  information,  his  excellent  literary 
qualities  and  genial  disposition,  made  it  a  great  success.  He 
was  speedily  called  to  the  Presidency  of  Henry  Female  College, 
at  Newcastle,  Kentucky.  There  is  no  doubt,  had  he  chosen  to 
follow  his  course,  he  would  have  gained  high  rank  among  the 
best  professors  and  educators  of  the  country.  The  college  was 
in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty 
ladies  in  attendance,  mostly  from  the  South.  The  breaking  out 
of  the  war  interfered,  however,  with  its  further  progress ;  and 
18 


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138  ^vanwiUe  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

in  1862  Dr.  Cloud  left  Kentucky  and  engaged  in  the  retail  drug 
business  at  Sullivan,  Indiana.  In  1865  he  came  to  Evansville^ 
and  engaged  with  his  brother-in-law,  Wm.  M.  Akin,  Esq.,  in 
the  wholesale  drug  business,  and  had  complete  control  of  the 
manufacturing  department.  As  a  practical  chemist,  Dr.  Cloud 
has  enjoyed  rare  success ;  while  his  business  ability  and  manly 
traits  as  a  gentleman  are  well  recognized  in  this  section.  He 
has  followed  his  favorite  study — Chemistry  and  its  kindred 
subjects — with  ardor  all  his  life  ;  but  not  to  the  neglect  of  gen- 
eral literature  and  history.  He  is  well  versed  in  philological 
studies,  and  is  a  very  fine  Latin  scholar,  in  particular.  Dr. 
Cloud  is  an  educated  man  and  a  gentleman  of  high  worth,  and 
has  accomplished  much  for  the  educational  interests  of  our  city 
in  his  responsible  position  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. In  '59  Dr.  Cloud  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Akin, 
daughter  of  R.  M.  Akin,  Esq.,  of  Carlisle,  Indiana.  Three  child- 
ren have  been  born  to  them  —  two  daughters  and  one  son  — 
the  latter  named  in  honor  of  the  greatest  of  living  scientists  of 
the  present  generation — Faraday. 


Prudence  Sherwood. 


^flfljJ?RS.  PRUDENCE  SHERWOOD,  wife  of  Marcus 
'vSsS?  Sherwood,  of  this  city,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in 
January,  1808.  Her  father  ancf  mother,  Alexander  and  Mary 
Johnson,  removed  to  Gibson  County,  Robb  Township,  in  1820, 
and  remained  in  that  township  till  about  1826,  when  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Evansville.  The  mind  of  Prudence  was  early 
turned  to  the  subject  of  religion.  Her  parents  were  pious,  and 
early  taught  their  daughter  her  duty  to  her  Heavenly  Father. 
She  became  decidedly  pious  when  about  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  was  firm  in  Christian  character  throughout  the  remainder 
of  her  life. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1884,  she  was  united  to  Marcus 
Sherwood  in  marriage. 


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PRUDENCE  SHERWOOD. 


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/  ■ .  ■■'  ^- 


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EvanmnUe  and  Ua  Men  of  Mark.  189 

Her  life  has  been  spent  in  this  city.  She  ever  took  a  lively 
interest  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the  community. 
Active  and  industrious,  she  ever  gave  earnest  aid  to  her  hus- 
band in  his  various  enterprises.  She  did  not  stop  at  caring  for 
tlie  material  interests  alone  ;  she  sought  to  promote  the  moral 
and  spiritual  interests  of  society.  She  was  generous  —  full  of 
noble  impulses.     Her  charity  kept  pace  with  all  other  interests. 

This  is  attested  by  the  number  of  orphan  children  she  has 
reared  and  trained  for  usefulness.  No  less  than  four  of  those 
helpless  ones  have  found  a  home  in  her  house  —  some  of  them 
remaining'  with  her  during  seventeen  years.  At  times  there 
were  in  her  family  three  of  them  together.  Thus  did  she  prove 
her  theory  by  actual  work.  Her  steady  piety  was  conspicuous 
in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  she  was  a 
member  from  its  organization  in  January,  1851.  From  that 
time  until  her  death  she  was  active  in  all  that  she  thought  use- 
ful to  her  congregation. 

The  church  was  feeble,  and  but  few  gentlemen  were  mem- 
bers— much  of  the  work  of  the  church  had  to  be  performed  by 
the  ladies,  and  Mrs.  Sherwood  bore  her  full  share  in  those  duties. 

Her  house  was  a  place  of  rest  and  welcome  to  the  ministers 
of  religion.  Her  sound  judgment  and  quick  discernment  ena- 
bled her  to  afford  useful  hints  to  her  pastor,  in  the  various  parts 
of  his  official  duty.  She  was  much  given  to  prayer  and  medi- 
tation on  the  moral  and  religious  state  of  those  around  her ; 
hence,  she  was  warmly  in  sympathy  with  those  in  distress.  The 
poor,  the  needy,  the  sick,  were  neither  forgotten  nor  neglected. 

But  her  useful  life  is  finished.  It  closed  amid  life's  duties 
performed  to  the  last.  Those  duties  were  carried  down  to  the 
last  nloments  that  found  her  with  strength  to  do,  or  voice  with 
which  to  counsel.  Death  came  after  a  severe  illness  of  more 
than  fourteen  weeks.  She  endured  very  great  suffering  during 
all  that  time,  with  admirable  fortitude  and  resignation.  Some 
weeks  before  she  died  she  was  greatly  comforted  by  the  pre- 
cious promises  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  She  often  spoke  of  the 
blessing  and  comfort  of  religion,  and  earnestly  urged  her  imme- 
diate family  to  seek  an  interest  in  the  Saviour — now  so  gracious 
to  her. 

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liO  EvanavUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

When  the  hour  for  her  departure  came,  she  was  MXy  pre- 
pared. On  the  morning  of  July  18th,  1870,  at  five  minutes  past 
2  o^clock,  she  gently  sank  to  rest.  "  The  memory  of  the  just  is 
blessed."  Her  bereaved  husband  and  her  only  son  share  the 
sympathy  of  the  community,  while  the  church  laments  the  loss 
of  a  true  and  faithful  member. 


James  Henderson  McNeely 


[*AS  born  in  Lawrenceburgh,  Dearborn  County,  Indi* 
ana,  July  2d,  1828.  Received  a  common  school 
education,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  commenced  to  make 
his  own  living  by  clerking,  trading,  and  u'orking  in  the  news- 
paper offices  of  his  native  town.  In  1846  he  set  in  as  an  appren- 
tice to  learn  the  printing  business  in  the  Western  Republican 
office  at  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1847  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  in 
order  to  gain  a  better  insight  into  the  ''Art  Preservative  "  than 
he  could  hope  to  enjoy  in  a  provincial  office.  Worked  in  the 
Commercial,  Gazette,  and  other  offices  in  the  **  Queen  City " 
until  1849,  and  when  the  cholera  became  epidemic,  returned 
to  Lawrenceburgh.  During  that  Summer  and  Fall,  in  connec- 
tion with  two  fellow-printers,  he  was  engaged  in  publishing  the 
Journal,  the  only  daily  paper  ever  published  there. 

In  November,  1849,  he  removed  to  Indianapolis,  and  after 
a  year*8  experience  in  telegraphing  (as  manager  of  the  O'Reilly 
office,  on  the  first  line  built  in  this  State,)  clerking,  and"  travel- 
ing as  journeyman  printer,  he  entered  the  Indianapolis  Journal 
office  as  local  editor,  proof  reader,  and  general  "  utility  man  " 
of  the  establishment.  Remained  there  until  1854.  Was  one 
of  an  association  of  five  interested  with  the  proprietor — Hon. 
John  D.  Defrees — in  the  profits  of  the  establishment  during  the 
last  year.  In  April,  1854,  he  started,  in  connection  with  one 
of  his  associates — Wm.  S.  Cameron — the  "  Capital  Book  and  Job 
Printing  Office,"   the  first  of  the   kind   ever  in   Indianapolis. 

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JSvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  141 

Continued  in  that  business  until  November,  1859,  when  he 
removed  to  Evansville.  Part  of  the  time  he  was  one  of  the 
publishers  of  the  Indiana  Republican,  daily  and  weekly,  and 
the  Citizen,  a  daily  evening  newspaper.  He  assisted  in  edit- 
ting  the  former,  and  was  principal  editor  of  the  latter  while 
performing  other  duties. 

In  December,  1859,  he  became  one  of  the  proprietors  and 
editors  of  the  Uvansville  Jou/mal,  daily  and  weekly.  In  May, 
1861,  became  Postmaster,  was  re-appointed  in  1865,  and  re- 
mained in  that  office  until  May,  1867,  when  he  was  removed  for 
political  reasons  by  President  Johnson.  In  July,  1866,  sold 
his  interest  in  the  Journal  to  Colonel  J.  W.  Foster,  Turned 
his  attention  to  the  business  of  a  real  estate  agent,  and  acted 
as  assignee  in  a  number  of  bankruptcy  cases,  also  as  a 
notary,  in  connection  with  Mr.  John  Schubert,  (now  deceased,) 
until  July.  1869,  when  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office 
of  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue  for  the  First  District  of 
Indiana,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  in  May.  In  May, 
1873,  the  office  ceased,  all  assessorships  having  been  abolished 
by  act  of  Congress  the  previous  December.  He  bore  an  active 
part  in  the  practical  duties  of  both  offices,  and  there  are  good 
reasons  for  believing  that  both  the  public  and  the  Gh)vernment 
were  well  served  during  hie  incumbency, 

Mr.  McNeely  has  recently  been  appointed  Superintendent 
of  Construction  of  the  Public  Building  to  be  erected  by  the 
United  States  at  Evansville.  Work  will  probably  not  com- 
mence thereon  until  the  Spring  or  Summer  of  1874 ;  but  in  the 
meantime  he  is  engaged  in  the  genera]  agency  business.  He 
does  not  propose  to  remain  idle,  as  his  motto  is :  "  Better  wear 
out  than  rust  out.*' 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  T)n  Christmas  Eve, 
1853,  to  Miss  Margaret  Park,  of  Avon,  Lorain  County,  Ohio. 
They  have  two  children  —  daughters  —  having  lost  a  son  and 
daughter  by  death  in  1856  and  1857  respectively. 

Mr.  MoNeely  has  had  considerable  to  do  with  political 
matters,  and  though  an  active  partisan,  he  has  no  other  than 
kind  feelings  toward  political  opponents.  He  was  raised  a 
Whig,  and  has  been  a  Republican  since  that  party  was  organ- 
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142  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

He  became  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  in  January,  1851,  and  has  been  a  member  cootinnoaaly 
since  that  time.  He  passed  all  the  ''  Chairs  "  in  the  Lodge  and 
Encampment  branches,  and  attained  membership  in  bolh  Grand 
bodies,  many  years  ago. 

Our  subject  is  descended  from  Scotch-Irish  stock.  Hia 
father  and  mother  —  Elisha  and  Catharine  D.  McNeely  —  re- 
moved from  Western  Pennsylvania  in  the  early  period  of  the 
settlement  of  our  State.  Their  immediate  ancestors  bore  an 
active  part  in  the  Indian  and  border  troubles  of  that  section. 
Two  of  the  family  names  —  Hamilton  and  Laughery  —  were 
prominent  in  the  early  history  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  West. 
Laughery  Greek,  in  Southeastern  Indiana,  was  named  in  honor 
of  one  of  the  latter.  Colonel  Archibald  Laughery,  who.  with  a 
detachment  of  troops,  was  massacred  by  the  Indians,  near  that 
stream,  while  on  their  way  to  reinforce  General  George  Rogers 
Clarke,  in  the  year  17S1. 


Rev.  J.  V.  Dodge 


[AS  born  in  New  York  City,  Oct.  14.  1815.  Col.  Henry 
S.  Dodge,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  the  present 
sketch,  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  stationed  at  Sack- 
ett*s  Harbor  with  the  command  of  General  Richard  Dodge,  and 
his  mother  was  a  niece  of  Colonel  Richard  Varick.  In  1818 
the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  a  French  settlement.  Colonel 
Dodge  practiced  law  here  for  seven  years.  He  then  returned 
to  Brooklyn,  where  he  died  in  1824. 

His  son  had  occasionally  attended  school  in  Kaskaskia, 
where  he  was  remarkable  for  his  good  spelling.  On  his  return 
to  Brooklyn  a  tutor  was  employed  for  him.  Wm.  Sherwood,  a 
celebrated  Scotch  teacher,  fitted  him  tor  Columbia  College  in 
eighteen  months ;  and  on  account  of  his  progress,  Colonel  Var* 
ick  made  him  a  Director  for  life  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

Digitized  by  \^Uijy  IV^ 


Svanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  148 

He  remained  only  one  year  at  Columbia,  when  he  entered  the 
Sophomore  class  at  Tale.  He  graduated  in  1836  and  immedi- 
Utely  entered  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  where  he  gradu- 
ated in  1887.  Evansville  became  the  field  of  his  first  pastoral 
labor.  His  church  consisted  of  six  members,  and  as  yet  they  had 
no  house  of  worship.  He  was  ordained  and  installed  in  St.  Paul's 
Episcopal  Ohuroh  in  1841  by  the  Presbytery  of  Vincennes.  He 
was  pastor  at  the  time  the  Vine  Street  Church  was  built — the  lot 
being  purchased  by  the  Henderson  Presbyterian  Church  for  $300 
and  presented  to  the  Church.  The  building  cost  S2,108.  Hav- 
ing a  new  building  in  prospect,  this  property  was  recently  sold 
for  $14,000.  Mr.  Dodge  remained  in  this  connection  ten  years, 
at  the  close  of  which  time  the  church  numbered  one  hundred 
and  twenty  members.  Since  1850  ho  has  preached  in  Jackson- 
ville, Canton,  Providence,  and  Wheeling,  Virginia, 

In  '61  he  returned  to  Evansville.  He  was  appointed  chap- 
lain of  the  Government  hospitals,  in  which  position  he  remained 
three  years.  While  here  he  had  the  misfortune  to  break  both 
arms,  the  accident  being  caused  by  the  horses  attached  to  the 
ambulance  wagon  running  away. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Augusta  Dupuy,  daughter  of  B. 
F.  Dupuy,  a  highly  respected  citizen.  Six  children  were  born 
to  them :  Rev.  Henry  A.  Dodge,  stationed  at  St.  Paul ;  Mrs. 
Helen  Ames,  completing  her  musical  education  in  Europe,  and 
Mise  Jennie  Dodge,  are  the  only  ones  now  living, 

Mrs.  Dodge  died  at  Jacksonville  in  1855.  In  1857  Mr. 
Dodge  married  Miss  Mary  Eliza,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 


Allen  Hamilton,  Esq. 


|T  is  a  crowning  glory  of  the  United  States  that  the  paths 
to  wealth  and  tb  political  and  social  distinction  are 
here  open  to  all — to  the  adopted  as  well  as  the  native-born  cit- 
izen ;  and  there  are  few  whose  histories  better  illustrate  what 
can  be  accomplished  by  energy  and  integrity,  under  republican 
institutions,  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


144  Evansville  and  itn  Men  of  Mark. 

Mr.  Hamilton  <¥a8  a  foreigner  by  birth.  He  was  bom  in 
the  year  1798,  in  the  county  of  Tyrone,  in  th€  north  of  Ireland. 
His  ancestors  emigrated  from  Scotland  at  an  early  period,  and 
their  descendant,  whose  biography  we  shall  briefly  sketch, 
seems  to  unite  in  his  disposition  and  character  some  of  the 
most  striking  qualities  of  both  nations :  the  warm-heartedness 
and  impulsiveness  of  the  Irish,  with  the  energy,  perseverance 
and  frugality  of  the  Scotch.  His  father,  Andrew  Hamilton, 
was  a  younger  son,  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  maintained,  for 
many  years,  a  respectable  standing  as  an  Irish  attorney.  He 
held,  for  some  time,  the  honorable  position  of  Deputy  Clerk  for 
the  Crown.  Having,  however,  lived  fully  up  to  his  income,  and 
resigned  his  clerkship,  and  soon  after  his  resignation  having 
been  attacked  by  a  severe  sickness,  which  prostrated  not  only 
his  physical,  but,  to  some  degree,  his  intellectual  energies,  his 
afiairs  fell  into  confusion,  he  became  deeply,  and,  as  it  proved, 
inextricably  embarrassed. 

About  the  same  time  his  elder  brother,  to  whom  had  de- 
scended the  real  estate  of  the  family,  became  involved  in  expens- 
ive litigation,  which  resulted  in  leaving  him  in  circumstances 
scarcely  better  than  those  of  his  brother  Andrew. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  young  Hamilton,  who  was  the  eldest 
of  the  family,  became  old  enough  to  appreciate  his  condition, 
he  perceived  that  he  could  expect  no  aid  from  his  father  or  his 
relatives,  and  that  if  he  made  headway  in  the  world,  it  must 
be  by  his  own  efforts.  This  conviction,  however,  it  seems,  in*- 
stead  of  disheartening  him,  only  stimulated  him  to  exertion, 
and  developed  powers  that  otherwise  might  never  have  been 
brought  into  action.  It  was  the  habit  of  self-reliance  thus 
formed  in  his  boyhood,  that  nerved  him  to  leave  his  home  and 
his  friends,  cross  the  Atlantic,  travel  on  foot  from  Montreal  to 
Philadelphia,  push  on  to  the  West,  and  fight  his  way  to  wealth 
and  respectability,  amid  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  a  wild 
country. 

Fortunately  for  Mr.  Hamilton,  his  mother,  Elizabeth  Allen, 
was  a  woman  not  only  of  warm  afiections,  but  of  great  strength 
of  character.  Though  highly  connected  and  reared  in  opulence, 
the  embarrassments  of  her  husband  neither  embittered  her  dis- 
position nor  impaired  her  energies.     It  is  to  her  influence,  her 

Digitized  by  V^OOQ IC 


Bvanmjille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  145 

iostmctions  and  prayers,  that  Mr.  Hamilton  mainly  attribates 
bis  snccess  in  life,  and  bis  escape  from  tbose  follies  and  vices 
into  wbicb  yoang  men,  exposed  as  be  bad  been,  are  so  apt  to 
fall.  From  ber  be  learned  tbose  lessons  of  moral  rectitude  for 
wbicb  be  baa  ever  been  distinguished .  From  her.  too,  be  inher- 
ited, as  far  as  it  was  hereditary,  that  energy  of  purpose  wbicb 
has  enabled  him  to  overcome  difficulties  wbicb,  to  most  young 
men,  would  have  been  insnrmounta'>le. 

Finding  that  the  embarrassed  circumstances  of  ber  husband 
would  den}  her  son  proper  opportunities  for  an  education  at 
home,  and  determined  to  do  for  him  everything  in  ber  power, 
she  applied  to  ber  aunt,  Mrs.  Montgomery,  of  Donegal  County, 
to  take  him  for  a  season  into  ber  own  family,  and  send  him  to 
an  academy  in  the  vicinity  of  ber  house.  The  application  met 
with  a  favorable  response,  and  young  Hamilton,  at  the  age  of 
twelve,  was  transferred  to  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Mrs  Mont- 
gomery, where  he  remained  for  two  years  attending  school  and 
enjoying  the  advantages  of  a  fine  society,  which  the  position  and 
talents  of  bis  relative  drew  around  ber.  When  be  was  four- 
teen be  returned  home,  and  found  that  the  embarrassments  of 
bis  father  had  so  much  increased  during  the  past  two  years,  as. 
to  make  it  the  duty  of  his  son  to  do  what  he  could  to  aid  in  the 
support  of  the  family.  He  therefore  reluctantly  gave  up  bis 
studies,  and  the  hopes  he  bad  entertained  of  obtaining  such  an 
education  as  would  qualify  him  for  the  bar,  and  for  the  next 
four  years  be  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the  service  of  bis 
father.  When  be  was  eighteen  years  old,  at  one  of  his  annual 
visits  to  Mrs.  Montgomery,  be  was  introduced  to  a  gentleman 
who  had  just  returned  from  a  tour  through  the  United  States 
and  warm  in  bis  praises  of  this  new  country  and  its  free  insti- 
tutions. From  this  gentleman  be  obtained  a  copy  of  Jefferson's 
Notes,  which  be  read  with  avidity ;  and  from  this  time  the 
United  States  became  to  him  the  land  of  promise.  During  this 
visit,  a  grandson  of  Mrs.  Montgomery,  a  young  gentleman  of 
his  own  age,  now  an  English  barrister,  taunted  him  with  bis 
poverty  and  bis  gloomy  prospects,  Hamilton  was  proud  and 
sensitive.  Undeserved  as  he  felt  the  reproaches  of  bis  compan- 
ion to  be,  they  nevertheless  wounded  him  severely.  He  re- 
flected more  seriously  than  be  bad  ever  done  before  upon  bis 

^^  Digitized  by  VjUU^  11^ 


146  thjonsvitle  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

own  prospects  and  those  of  his  family.  The  country  about  which 
he  had  been  hearing  and  reading,  where  there  were  no  privil- 
eged classes  and  no  bloated  aristocracy,  bat  an  open  field  for 
the  exercise  of  industry  and  talent,  came  up  to  his  mind  in 
vivid  contrast  with  his  dearly  loved  but  down-trodden  Ireland, 
and  before  he  returned  home  he  determined  to  emigrate  to 
America,  as  soon  as  he  could  raise  money  enough  to  pay  his 
expenses. 

Mrs.  Montgomery,  to  whom  he  communicated  his  determin- 
ation, warmly  approved  of  it,  but  insisted  that  he  should  go  to 
Canada  instead  of  the  United  States.  This  was  contrary  to  his 
wishes,  but  having  confidence  in  l^er  judgment,  and  being  prom- 
ised letters  to  friends  of  hers  in  Quebec,  he  submitted  himself 
to  her  direction.  Returning  home,  he  set  himself  resolutely  to 
work  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  his  departure,  and 
having,  within  the  next  year,  by  his  own  exertions  and  the  aid 
of  some  friends,  raised  money  enough  to  pay  for  his  passage  and 
to  support  him  for  a  few  weeks  after  his  arrival  in  the  New 
World,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  relatives  and  friends  and  to  his 
native  land,  and  sailed  for  Quebec  in  July,  1817. 

Having  arriv.ed  at  his  place  of  destination,  he  delivered 
his  letters  of  introduction  to  a  Mr.  Irwin,  of  the  police  depart- 
ment, by  whose  kindness  he  became  acquainted  with  some  fam- 
ilies of  distinction,  through  whose  influence  he  obtained  the 
promise  of  employment  as  clerk  in  an  extensive  shipping  hoc^e. 
He  was,  however,  doomed  to  severe  disappointment.  Before  he 
entered  upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  clerkship,  he 
was  taken  down  with  ship  fever,  which  had  broken  out  in  the 
ship  in  which  he  had  taken  passage,  before  her  arrival  in  Que- 
bec. The  attack  was  a  severe  one,  but  a  stout  heart  and  a 
good  constitution  triumphed  over  the  disease,  and  after  being 
prostrated  for  six  weeks,  during  which  time  his  little  stock  of 
money  was  nearly  exhausted,  he  was  able  to  leave  hiaroom,  but 
not  to  occupy  the  place  that  had  been  secured  for  him.  The 
terrible  fever,  which  is  so  generally  fatal,  had,  in  this  instance, 
been  foiled  of  its  prey,  but  it  had  so  impaired  the  constitution 
of  the  younn;  emigrant  that  his  physician  was  of  the  opinion 
that  a  Canadian  Winter  would  be  too  severe  for  him,  and  advised 
him  to  leave  Quebec  for  a  milder  climate.    In  accordance  with 

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EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  147 

this  advice,  he  proceeded  to  Montreal,  bat  had  scarcely  reached 
that  city  before  he  had  a  relapse,  on  his  recovery  from  which, 
he  found  that  he  had  bat  a  little  more  money  than  enough  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  his  sickness. 

In  a  strange  land,  without  friends  and  without  money,  and 
with  a  constitution  severely  shattered  by  disease,  the  prospects 
of  the  young  adventurer  were  gloomy  enough.  Unable  to  work, 
without  a  single  acquaintance  to  whome  he  could  apply  for  ad- 
vice, he  determined  to  make  an  eflort  to  reach  the  United  States. 
Selecting,  therefore,  from  his  wardrobe  such  articles  of  cloth- 
ing —  not  excepting  his  only  overcoat  —  as  were  not  absolutely 
necessary  for  his  journey,  he  disposed  of  them  tor  such  prico  as 
he  could  obtain,  and  with  a  small  bundle,  containing  a  change 
of  linen,  and  a  few  dollars  in  his  pocket,  he  started  for  the 
South. 

He  walked  to  St.  John's  and  passed  over  to  Vermont  in  an 
Indian  canoe.  Continuing  his  journey,  he  proceeded  on  foot 
through  Albany  and  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  the  climate  of 
which  he  supposed  would  be  more  favorable  to  him  than  that 
of  any  city  further  north. 

This  journey  must  have  been  as  disheartening  to  the  unfor- 
tunate emigrant  as  can  easily  be  imagined. 

He  had  no  acquaintance  in  the  United  States.  His  con- 
stitution, which  had  been  excellent  before  he  left  Ireland,  had 
giyen  way  under  the  attacks  of  fever  at  Quebec  and  Montreal. 
His  natural  enthusiasm  had  yielded  to  the  stern  realities  of  his 
trials  and  his  sufferings ;  yet,  day  after  day,  he  pursued  his 
toilsome  journey,  sustained  by  a  firmness  of  purpose  that  would 
not  yield  to  discouragements,  and  by  the  hope  that  fortune 
would  yet  smile  upon  him  and  open  the  way  lor  him  not  only 
to  better  his  own  condition,  but  to  secure  a  home  and  a  compe- 
tency for  his  parents.  Having  reached  Philadelphia,  and  taken 
the  cheapest  respectable  lodgings  he  could  find  he  started  out 
in  quest  of  employment.  All  his  efforts  were,  for  a  time,  una- 
vailing. Penniless  and  almost  disheartened — refused  employ- 
ment as  a  common  porter  on  account  of  his  delicate  appear- 
ance— he  wandered  through  the  streets  until  his  eye  was 
arrested  by  an  advertisement  for  laborers,  on  the  door  of  an  iron 
store.     He  immediately  entered  the  store  and  presented  him- 

Digitized  by  VjiDOV  l^ 


148  EvansviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

self  before  the  proprietor  and  asked  for  work.  FortUDately  for 
Hamilton,  the  gentleman  he  addressed  was  a  kind-hearted  Qua- 
ker, who  was  at  once  interested  in  the  delicate  appearance  and 
earnest  but  respectful  manner  of  tlie  young  Irishman.  He 
drew  from  him  his  history,  and  promised  him  assistance.  Nor 
was  the  promise  forgotten  :  in  a  day  or  two  a  clerkship,  with  a 
salary  of  one  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  board,  was  obtained 
for  the  young  adventurer,  and  from  that  time  his  lucky  star  was 
in  the  ascendant.  He  remained  with  his  employer,  at  an  iu- 
creased  sieilary  after  the  first  year,  until  the  Spring  of  1820, 
wheri  he  determined  to  visit  a  cousin.  General  James  Dill,  who, 
he  understood,  resided  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Indiana.  He  arrived 
at  Lawrenceburgh  in  July  ;  found  his  cousin,  clerk  of  the  court 
for  Dearborn  Oounty,  and  entered  his  office  with  a  view  of  pre- 
paring  himself  for  the  bar,  agreeing  to  write  six  hours  a  day 
for  his  l>oard  and  the  use  of  his  cousin's  library.  While  at 
Lawrenceburgh  he  was  introduced  to  some  of  the  first  men  of 
the  State,  and  became  intimate  at  the  house  of  Hon.  Jeese  L. 
Holman,  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Oourt,  and  after- 
ward Judge  of  the  United  States  Court  of  the  District  of  Indi- 
diana;  one  of  whose  daughters,  Miss  Emeline  J.,  a  young  lady 
of  rare  virtue  and  accomplishments,  he  afterwards  married. 

In  the  year  1823.  Captain  Samuel  0.  Vance,  who.  had  been 
an  officer  under  the  gallant  but  unfortunate  General  St.  Glair, 
was  appointed  Register  of  the  Land  Office,  at  Fort  Wayne^  in 
the  heart  of  an  unbroken  wilderness.  At  his  instance  Hamil- 
ton was  induced  to  visit  this  frontier  post.  The  situation  of 
Fort  Wayne,  at  the  junction  of  two  beautiful  rivers,  the  St. 
Mary  8  and  St.  Joseph's  at  the  head  of  the  great  Wabash  val- 
ley, pleased  and  interested  him.  He  perceived,  also,  its  great 
local  advantages,  and,  shortly  after  his  arrival,  he  determined 
to  make  it  his  place  of  permanent  residence.  As  soon  as  this 
resolution  was  formed,  he  entered  the  office  of  Captain  Vance 
as  Deputy  Register,  and  pursued  for  some  time  his  legal  studies 
with  a  view  of  being  admitted  to  the  bar  as  soon  as  the  natu- 
ralization laws  of  the  country  would  permit.  It  shortly,  how- 
ever, became  obvious  to  him  that  the  practice  of  the  law  in  so 
new  a  country  as  the  one  in  which  he  had  located,  would  not 
be  profitable  enough  to  enable  him  to  carry  into  eflfect  his  long 

Digitized  by  VjOOV  It: 


Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


CQ 

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CQ 
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2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  149 

cherished  plan  of  removing  his  parents  to  the  United  States, 
and  he  determined  to  tarn  his  attention  to  merchandising,  the 
only  bosiness  that  seemed  to  promise  safety  in  investment  and 
speedy  and  profitable  returns.  His  gcx)d  character  enabled  him 
to  purchase  a  small  stock  of  goods  on  credit,  and  the  year  after 
his  arrival  at  Fort  Wayne,  he  commenced  a  small  trade  chiefly 
with  the  Indians.  His  saccess  altogether  exceeded  his  expect- 
ations, and  in  the  coarse  of  a  year  or  two  he  found  himself  with 
capital  and  credit  enough  to  carry  on  an  extensive  and  profit- 
able business. 

It.  was  the  good  fortune  of  Mr.  Hamilton  to  be  connected, 
in  his  mercantile  and  real  estate  operations,  with  Gyrus  Taber, 
Esq.,  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Logansport,  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  indefatigable  men  of  the  State.  The  connec- 
tion was  formed  soon  after  Mr«  Hamilton  settled  at  Fort  Wayne 
and  continued  for  many  years.  The  firm  of  Hamilton  &  Taber 
became  widely  known,  and  none  in  the  State  has  ever  enjoyed 
a  higher  or  more  merited  credit. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  also  fortunate  in  securing  at  an  early 
day  the  confidence  of  John  B.  Richardville,  for  many  years  the 
principal  chief  of  the  Miami  Indians.  This  chief  was  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  men  which  his  nation,  prolific  as  it  had 
been  of  marked  characters  ever  produced.  Olear-headed,  cau- 
tious, prudent,  non-committal,  always  adroitly  obtaining  the 
opinion  of  others  before  he  made  known  his  own,  no  advantage 
could  be  obtained  over  him  in  his  negotiations  with  the  Govern- 
ment, and  no  trader  could  obtain  the  good  will  of  the  nation 
contrstry  to  his  wishes.  For  some  time  after  Hamilton  settled 
in  Fort  Wayne,  the  chief  marked  his  course  with  his  usual  cau- 
tion and  discrimination ;  and,  being  pleased  with  the  manly 
character,  steady  habits,  and  honorable  bearing  of  the  young 
stranger,  he  solicited  his  friendship  and  gradually  gave  him  his 
confidence.  For  many  years  before  his  death  he  took  no  impor- 
tant step,  in  relation  to  his  own  affairs  or  those  of  the  nation, 
without  consulting  his  friend.  The  friendship  of  the  chief  se- 
cured for  Hamilton,  to  a  large  degree,  the  confidence  of  the 
nation  ;  and  while  this  confidence  resulted  in  solid  advantage  to 
him,  it  was  never  abused.  After  the  death  of  Richardville, 
and  before  the  nation  was  removed  to  its  present  home,  west  of 

Digitized  by\^tJOy  IV^ 


150  Evansville  and  its  Men-  of  Mark. 

the  Mississippi,  he  continned  to  be  the  steadfast  friend  of  the 
tribe,  and  exerted  in  their  ooancils  a  greater  influence  than  was 
probably  ever  possessed  by  any  one  who  was  not  of  their  blood. 

In  the  year  1829,  the  year  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton sent  to  Ireland  for  his  next  younger  brother  ;  and  in  1831, 
he  prepared  to  carry  into  execution  his  long  cherished  deter- 
mination of  removing  his  parents  and  other  brothers  and  sisters 
to  the  United  States.  Before  this  could  be  effecledi  however, 
his  mother  died  ;  and  he  was  thus  denied  the  happiness  of  wel- 
coming her  to  the  home  he  had  labored  so  hard  to  secure  for 
her  in  his  adopted  country.  The  rest  of  the  family  accepted 
his  invitation,  and  he  had,  soon  after,  the  satisfaction  of  greet- 
ing them  under  his  own  roof,  and  makintur  suitable  provision  for 
their  comfort  and  happiness  in  their  new  home. 

Nor  is  it  as  a  business  man,  and  in  pecuniary  matters  alone 
that  Mr.  Hamilton  has  been  ^uocessful ;  he  has  received  a  libe- 
ral share  of  public  honors. 

In  1824  he  was  appointed  sheriff  to  organize  the  county  of 
Allen,  which  office  he  held  two  years,  by  the  election  of  the 
people.  In  1880  he  was  elected  Oounty  Olerk,  which  office  he 
held  for  seven  years.  In  1884  he  was  selected  to  be  Secretary 
of  the  commission  appointed  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with  the  Mi- 
amies.  In  1888  the  same  office  was  again  tendered  to  him  and 
accepted. 

In  the  Spring  of  1840,  under  the  administration  of  Mr. Van 
Buren,  the  Government  being  desirous  of  extinguishing  the  title 
of  the  Miamies  to  their  lands  in  Indiana,  and  inducing  them  to 
remove  to  the  West,  appointed  Mr.  Hamilton,  though  a  political 
opponent  of  the  administration,  one  oi  the  commissioners  to 
treat  with  them  upon  these  important  matters.  A  treaty  was 
effected  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Government,  by 
which  the  Indians  sold  their  remaining  lands  in  Indiana,  and 
agreed  to  remove  to  the  home  that  had  been  secured  for  them 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  witlnn  a  period  of  five  years 

These  three  last  and  important  treaties  could  not,  it  is 
probable,  have  been  effected  without  the  cooperation  of  Mr. 
Hamilton.  Such  was  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the 
chief  and  his  council,  thas  no  treaty  could  have  been  made  con- 
trary to  his  wishes  and  advice. 

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^anwille  and  iU  Men  of  Mark.  151 

He  advised  the  Indians  to  sell  their  lands  in  Indiana  and 
remove,  because  he  had  been  long  satisfied  that  their  preserva- 
tion, as  a  race,  depended  upon  their  being  withdrawn  from  the 
corrnpting  influences  that  surrounded  them  where  they  were. 

In  1841  Mr.  Hamilton  was  appointed,  under  the  influence 
of  the  administration  of  General  Harrison,  agent  of  the  Miam- 
ies,  which  office  he  held  until  the  election  of  Mr.  Polk,  when  he 
resigned.  During  this  period,  he  disbursed  between  $300,000 
and  $400,000,  and  discharged  the  responsible  duties  of  the 
agency  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Qovernment  and  the  Indians. 
As  agent,  although  not  clothed  with  any  judicial  power,  it  be- 
came necessary  for  him  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  claims 
which  were  presented  to  the  tribe  for  payment  on  the  receipt  of 
their  regular  annuities.  ^  His  conduct,  therefore,  was  watched 
with  the  utmost  keenness  and  jealousy,  and  it  is  the  highest 
compliment  to  Mr.  Hamilton,  that  during  his  guardianship  of 
the  Miamies,  no  charge  was  ever  brought  against  him  implicat- 
ing his  honor  or  his  integrity.  The  Indians  confided  in  him  as 
a  friend  and  protector,  while  the  traders  were  forced  to  respect 
an  integrity  that  could  not  be  seduced,  even  while  it  stood  in 
the  way  of  their  interests. 

In  1850  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  delegate  for  the  county 
of  Allen,  to  the  convention  for  the  revision  of  the  constitution 
of  Indiana.  The  county  was  largely  Democratic,  and  his  com- 
petitor tf  Democrat  of  large  acquaintance  and  skillful  address. 
The  election  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  under  such  circumstances,  by  a 
handsome  majority,  is  evidence  of  the  estimation  in  which  he 
was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens.  In  the  convention  he  was  ap- 
pointed Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Currency  and  Banking, 
being  among  the  most  interesting  and  exciting  subjects  that  de- 
manded the  consideration  and  action  of  that  body.  Being  him- 
self favorable  to  a  continuance  of  the  State  bank  system,  but  at 
the  same  time  not  opposed  to  a  well-regulated  system  of  free 
banking,  that  should  give  entire  security  to  the  bill-holder,  he 
necessarily  came  in  conflict  not  only  with  those  who  were  op- 
posed to  all  banks,  but  also  with  those  who  were  so  wedded  to 
a  particular  theory  as  to  be  unable  to  see  merit  in  any  other. 

The  result  of  the  deliberations  of  the  convention  upon 
these  subjects  was  an  adoption  of  the  provision  authorizing  the 

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152  Evanmyille  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

establishment  of  free  banks,  in  imitation  of  the  New  York  sys- 
tem, and  also  of  one  granting  to  the  Legialatare  the  power  of 
incorporating  a  State  bank  an«l  branches.  The  authority  was 
therefore  left  to  the  people  to  adopt  either  system,  or  both,  as 
the  want«  and  experience  of  the  future  should  direct.  The 
adoption  of  these  compromise  provisions  was  as  much  owing  to 
the  (^ourse  and  influence  of  Mr.  Hamilton  as  that  of  any  other 
member  of  the  convention.  Under  the  new  constitution  a  free 
banking  law  was  enacted.  Tne  wisdom  of  the  convention,  in 
the  disposition  it  made  of  this  subject,  is  generally  acknowl- 
edged. The  aim  of  Mr.  Hamilton  in  the  convention  was  to  be 
useful ;  and  although  he  was  not  classed  among  the  eloquent 
men  of  that  body ,  there  were  few  who  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  subjects  that  came  up  for  consideration  clearer  views  or 
safer  judgment. 

He  believed  that  the  organic  law  of  a  State,  while  con- 
servative in  its  character,  should  throw  no  obstacles  in  the  way 
uf  progress  in  the  right  direction.  While  he  opposed  the  radi- 
calism that  would  entirely  disregard  the  experience  of  the  past, 
he  would  not  hesitate  .to  adopt  a  principle  which  appeared  to 
his  mind  practicable,  and  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the 
age,  merely  because  it  had  not  received  the  sanction  of  previous 
law-makers.  His  views,  and  those  of  kindred  minds,  prevailed 
in  the  convention,  and  the  new  constitution  of  Indiana,  while 
it  violates  no  law  and  fully  protects  the  person  and  property  of 
the  citizen,  presents  no  barrier  to  the  most  searching  and  com- 
prehensive reforms. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  ample  fortune. 
*The  little  trading-post.  Fort  Wayne,  has  become  one  of  the 
most  important  cities  in  the  State,  and  the  wilderness  which 
once  surrounded  it  has  become  the  home  of  a  large  and  enter- 
prising population.  His  mercantile  operations  were  entirely 
successful,  and  his  investments  in  real  estate  more  than  realized 
his  anticipations.  His  position  presented  an  agreeable  contrast 
with  his  prospects  when  he  wandered  through  the  streets  of 
Philadelphia,  seeking  employment  as  a  common  laborer. 

For  some  years  he  had  been  engaged  in  no  regular  busi* 
ness.  He  held,  for  many  years,  the  presidency  of  the  Branch 
Bank  at  Fort  Wayne.    The  duties  of  this  position  did  not  oc- 

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Svansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  163 

eupy  much  of  his  time,  and  he  has  enjoyed  for  many  years  the 
"  otium  cum  diffniiate"  which  is  the  legitimate  result  of  honest 
enterprise  and  succebsful  labor. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  firm  and  consistent  friend  of  the  Erie  & 
Wabash  Canal,  and  assisted  our  citizens  in  many  of  their  rail- 
road projects.  Though  never  a  resident  of  our  city,  his  contin- 
ual symathy  with,  and  labors  for  this  section  have  indissolubly 
connected  his  name  with  our  progress  in  the  last  forty  years. 

— Review. 


George  W.  Norton,  Esq. 


fiLLIAM  NORTON,'the  father  of  George  W.  Norton, 
removed  from  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Rus- 
selivilie,  Kentucky,  in  1811.  In  1813  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Hise,  a  lady  distinguished  for  her  intelligence,  energy,  and 
practical  good  sense.  He  was  universally  esteemed  for  his  pro- 
bity and  industry. 

George  W.,  the  oldest  child,  was  born  and  educated  in 
Bussellville.  In  his  fifteenth  year  he  went  into  a  dry  goods 
store  as  clerk  ;  by  industry  and  attention  to  his  duties,  gained 
the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  was  enabled  to  begin  bus- 
iness on  his  own  accbuut  in  his  nineteenth  year.  He  was  actively 
and  successfully  eiigaged  in  commercial  pursuits  until  the  Au- 
tumn of  1849,  when  he  determined  to  retire  from  active  employ- 
ments until  his  naturally  feeble  constitution  and  usually  feeble 
health  could  be  somewhat  restored. 

The  charter  of  the  Southern  Bank  of  Kentucky,  with  a 
capital  of  two  millions  of  dollars,  having  been  amended  by  the 
Legislature  of  his  State,  the  friends  of  the  institution  in  the 
Spring  of  1850,  determined  to  put  it  into  operation  at  once. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  at  the  very 
urgent  solicitations  oi  the  stockholders  and  directors,  Mr.  Nor- 
ton was  induced  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  bank.  His 
success  in  commercial  pursuits  gave  confidence  to  the  community 
that  the  bank  would  be  prudently  and  judiciously  managed — 
20 

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164  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

expectations  which  were  not  disappointed.  The  Southern  Bank 
of  Eentacky  had  the  confidence  of  the  public  to  an  extent  not 
surpassed  by  any  similar  institution. 

In  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men  he  has  endeavored 
to  be  influenced  by  strict  integrity — as  a  consequence  he  has  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 

At  the  age  of  about  eighteen  he  became  a  member  of  the 
church,  and  has  endeavored  to  live  the  life  of  a  Christian. 

In  1847  he  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Stewart  Henry, 
daughter  of  the  late  Major  M.  W.  Henry,  of  Kentucky. 

As  President  of  the  Southern  Bank  of  Kentucky,  Mr.  Nor- 
ton's pecuniary  aid  to  Evansville's  enterprises  has  made  his 
name  familiar  to  our  ears  as  a  constant  friend  to  the  Crescent 
City. 


Hon.  Archibald  Dixon. 


[From  "  Portnitt  of  Bmlnent  Ameriouii,*'  1863.] 


r  0  write  the  biography  of  a  living  man  is  a  task  qf  diffi- 
culty and  delicacy.  To  speak  well  of  him  would  be 
deemed  adulation  by  his  enemies  ;  and  to  speak  ill  of  him,  no 
better  than  murder  by  his  friends.  In  the  following  we  shall 
endeavor  to  speak  the  truth,  yet  we  will  not  deny  that  our  pre- 
possessions are  in  favor  of  our  subject ;  and  must  candidly  ad- 
mit that  if  we  had  esteemed  it  our  duty  to  condemn  more  than 
to  praise,  we  should  have  left  the  work  to  other  hands.  As  it 
is  brief,  it  may  not  be  tedious  ;  and  as  it  is  the  life  of  one  whose 
name  has  not  yet  been  associated  with  national  affairs,  it  may 
excite  curiosity. 

Abohibald  Dixon,  of  Kentucky,  was  born  on  the  2d  of 
April,  1802,  in  the  county  of  Caswell,  North  Carolina.  His 
grandfather,  Henry  Dixon,  was  a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary 
army  ;  and  at  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs  received  a  wound 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  155 

from  a  cannon  shot,  which  carried  away  a  great  part  of  one  side 
of  his  face,  and  of  which  he  afterward  died. 

Wynn  Dixon,  the  son  of  Henry  Dixon,  and  the  father  of 
the  sabject  of  this  memoir,  entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, as  an  ensign  ;  and  for.his  gallant  conduct  and  soldier-like 
bearing  in  the  battles  of  Camden,  Eutaw  and  Guilford  Court- 
house, was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  served 
during  the  war. 

Mr.  Dixon's  mother  was  the  daughter  of  David  Hart,  of 
North  Carolina,  and  the  niece  of  Colonel  Thomas  Hart,  of  Lex- 
ington, Kentucky,  whose  daughter  Is  the  wife  of  Hon.  Henry 
Clay.  Wynn  Dixon  emigrated  to  Henderson  County,  Kentucky, 
with  his  son,  Archibald,  in  the  year  1805,  where  he  continued 
to  reside  until  his  death.  He  had  once  been  wealthy,  but  in 
an  unfortunate  hour,  becoming  surety  for  his  friend,  he  was  re- 
duced from  affluence  to  indigence  ;  and  he  was  unable  to  do 
more  for  his  son  than  to  afford  him  a  plain  English  education, 
such  as  was  to  be  obtained  in  the  neighborhood  county  schools. 
But  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  circumstances  to  depress  the  ener- 
gies of  a  man  who  is  determined  to  rise.  Poverty  and  misfor- 
tune may  delay,  but  can  not  prevent  his  ultimate  success. 

Mr.  Dixon  made  good  use  of  the  few  opportunities  at  his 
command ;  and,  though  without  that  intellectual  cultivation 
which  is  rarely  to  be  acquired  except  within  college  walls,  and 
which  seems  absolutely  necessary  with  ordinary  minds  to  smooth 
the  pathway  to  professional  eminence,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty 
entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law. 

His  preceptor  was  Mr.  James  Hillyer,  a  gentleman  of  good 
legal  attainments,  and  who  possessed  many  excellent  and  noble 
qualities.  With  the  use  of  a  good  library,  and  an  occasional 
hint  from  Mr.  Hillyer,  Mr.  Dixon  made  rapid  progress  in  his 
studies.  His  whole  heart  was  in  the  work.  His  days  and  nights 
were  devoted  to  the  prosecution  of  a  science  which,  to  a  begin- 
ner, seems  to  be  made  up  of  recondite  principles  and  dry  details. 
Pleasure  was  forgotten  ;  amusement  was  disregarded.  He  had 
no  time  to  loiter  by  the  way.  He  was  not  only  inspired  by  am- 
bition, but  urged  by  poverty.  He  worked  not  for  fame  only, 
bat  for  bread. 

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166  Evansville  and  it8  Men  of  Mark, 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  had  made  sufficient  progress 
in  his  studies  to  justify  his  admission  to  the  bar.  Immediately 
on  obtaining  his  license,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  At  this  period  the  "  state  of  his  finances"  was  low 
indeed.  He  wanted  even  the  means  to  purchase  a  suit  of  clothes 
to  appear  in  a  decent  garb  among  his  fellow  -  members  at  the 
bar.  This,  however,  was  the  last  mortification  of  a  pecuniary 
kind  to  which  he  was  subjected.  His  acknowledged  talents, 
energy  and  business  habits,  soon  placed  him  beyond  the  reach 
of  want.  His  business  rapidly  increased.  In  a  short  time  his 
reputation  as  a  sound  lawyer  and  eloquent  advocate  was  e-^tab- 
lished;  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  himself  employed  in 
all  the  important  cases  in  the  circuit. 

In  the  Western  States  the  connection  between  law  and 
politics  is  so  intimate,  that  is  next  to  impossible  for  a  lawyer 
who  possesses  a  talent  for  public  speaking,  to  avoid  participat- 
ing in  the  exciting  discussions  of  the  day.  If  his  own  ambition 
does  not  impel  him  to  take  the  lead,  the  importunities  of  his 
personal  and  political  friends  will  force  him  into  a  prominent 
position. 

Accordingly,  we  find  Mr.  Dixon,  in  the  Summer  of  1830, 
called  upon  by  his  fellow-citizens  of  the  county  of  Henderson, 
to  represent  them  in  the  popular  branch  of  the  Legislature, 
His  course,  during  the  session  which  he  serveil,  was  marked  by 
his  usual  industry  and  talent  Among  other  reforms  which  he 
advocated,  was  a  bill  for  the  better  protection  of  the  rights  of 
married  women,  which,  though  unsuccessful  at  the  time,  has 
since  been  arlopted  in  its  most  important  features,  and  become 
one  of  the  most  popular  laws  of  the  State.  From  this  time 
until  18H6  he  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  which  bad  now  become  not  only  extensive  but  lucra- 
tive. The  rewar.d  of  his  early  toils  and  resolute  self-denial, 
when  both  necessity  and  ambition  impelled  him  to  "  shun  de- 
lights and  live  laborious  days "  was  in  his  hands.  He  had 
obtained  what  my  Lord  Bacon  oalls  the  "  vantage  ground  of 
jurisprudence."  It  was  not  his  place  now  to  wait  for  clients, 
but  for  clients  to  wait  for  him. 

In  1836  Mr.  Dixon  was  elected  to  represent  the  counties 
of  Henderson,  Hopkins  and  Daviess,  in  the  Senate.     In   1841 

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Evanaville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark,  157 

he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  from  the  county  of  Hen- 
derson, without  opposition.  In  1843  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Whig  convention  of  Kentucky  for  the  office  of  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, on  the  same  ticket  with  Mr.  Ousley.  and  was  not  only 
elected  over  his  competitor  by  a  triumphant  majority,  but  far 
outran  the  gubernatorial  candidate.  During  the  canvass,  his 
advocacy  of  the  principles  and  measures  of  the  Whig  party  was 
unusually  able — particularly  his  defence  of  our  domestic  manu- 
factures. The  protective  policy  has  never  been  so  popular  in 
the  Southern  States  as  in  the  more  densely-populated  districts 
of  .the  North,  where  labor  is  cheap  and  capital  is  abundant. 

The  interests  of  the  people  are  not  bound  up  in  its  success. 
Their  means  are  not  invested  in  manufactures  but  in  agriculture, 
and  it  is  a  task  of  some  difficulty  to  convince  them  that  a  mea- 
sure which  apparently  takes  money  out  of  their  pockets  can  be 
just  or  expedient.  Mr.  Dixon,  nevertheless,  made  the  features 
of  the  American  system  occupy  the  most  important  place  in  his 
discussions,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  treated  the  eubjoct  was 
so  able,  and  his  arguments  so  convincing,  that  he  obtained  the 
greatest  applause  from  all  quarters  except  the  ranks  of  the  op- 
position ;  and  we  think  ourselves  justifiable  in  saying,  that  he 
succeeded  in  establishing  this  most  important  policy  upon  a 
much  more  secure  and  permanent  basis  than  it  had  hitherto  oc* 
cupied  in  Kentucky.  During  the  next  four  years  he  was  ex- 
officio  President  of  the  Senate,  and  in  the  difficult  and  often 
perplexing  duties  of  his  position  he  had  the  pleasure  of  giving 
universal  satisfaction  to  both  parties.  Ever  present  at  his  post, 
the  promptitude  of  his  decisions  was  only  equaled  by  their  in- 
flexible justice.  In  1848  he  was  preferred  by  a  majority  of  the 
Whig  party  for  the  office  of  Governor  ;  and,  but  for  the  unyield- 
ing opposition  of  the  friends  of  the  opposing  candidates,  would 
have  received  the  nomination  at  the  hands  of  the  convention. 
Being  satisfied  that  the  excitement  of  feeling  which  existed  in 
the  two  sections  of  the  party  would  materially  impair  its  effi- 
ciency in  the  approaching  gubernatorial  and  presidential  con- 
tests, he  did  not  hesitate  to  sacrifice  his  personal  ambition  for 
the  good  of  the  Whig  cause  ;  and  Mr.  Crittenden  being  placed 
in  nomination,  he  instructed  his  friends  to  withdraw  his  name. 
The  year   1849   was  a  period   of  great  political    excitement 

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168  JBvatuvill^  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

throQghout  the  State.  A  constitutional  convention  was  about 
to  assemble  for  the  reformation  of  the  organic  law,  and  many 
new  and  highly  important  questions  were  presented  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  people.  Among  these,  not  the  least  interest- 
ing, was  a  proposition  for  the  gradual  emancipation  of  the  slave 
population.  This  measure  was  advocated  by  several  highly 
distinguished  persons,  and  though  there  was  scarcely  a  proba- 
bility of  its  immediate  success,  yet  the  mere  agitation  of  the 
question  was  deemed  by  Mr.  Dixon  impolitic  and  dangerous. 
The  shock  which  it  might  give  to  the  stability  and  security  of 
sixty  millions  of  property  would,  in  his  opinion,  more  than 
counterbalance  any  remote  and  doubtful  advantage  which  could 
possibly  accrue  from  the  discussion  of  so  delicate  a  subject.  He 
accordingly  opposed  and  denounced  it  with  all  the  energy  and 
vehemence  of  his  nature.  Being  chosen,  without  opposition,  a 
member  of  the  convention,  he  brought  forward  the  following 
resolution,  which  he  sustained  with  marked  ability,  and  which, 
in  substance,  was  finally  incorporated  into  the  constitution  : 

"  Whereas,  The  right  of  the  citizen  to  be  secure  in  his  per- 
son and  property  is  not  only  guaranteed  by  all  free  govern- 
ments, but  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of  them  ;  and  whereas, 
the  powers  derived  to  this  convention,  immediately  and  collect- 
ively, are  distinctly  from  the  people :  and,  although  not  expressed 
are  implied,  and  that  among  them  is  the  power  so  to  change  the 
constitution  of  the  State  as  to  afford  a  more  ample  protection 
to  the  civil  and  religious  rights  of  the  citizen,  but  not  destroy 
them  ;  and  whereas,  the  slaves  of  citizens  of  this  commonwealth 
are  property,  both  those  that  are  now  in  esse,  and  those  hereafter 
born  of  mothers  who  may  be  slaves  at  the  time  of  such  birth  ; 
therefore, 

''Resolved,  That  this  Convention  has  not  the  power  or  right 
by  any  principle  it  may  incorporate  into  the  constitution  of  the 
State,  to  deprive  the  citizen  of  his  property,  without  his  consent, 
unless  it  be  for  the  public  good,  and  only  then  by  making  to 
him  a  just  compensation  therefor." 

As  a  specimen  of  the  style  of  Mr.  Dixon  we  insert  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  the  speech  which  he  delivered  when  the 
above  resolution  was  brought  up  for  discussion  : 

**  But  my  friend  from  Nelson  maintains  another  proposition 
and  I  intend  to  call  attention  to  it  now.  Yes  ;  it  is  a  strange 
proposition,  and  that  is,  that  all  the  right  we  have  to  our  slave 
population  is  derived  from  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the 


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State.  If  the  gentleman  would  but  look  back  to  the  history  of 
the  acquisition  of  titles  to  slave  property,  he  would  find  there 
a  refutation  of  his  whole  position.  How  did  we  originally  ac- 
quire any  title  to  slave  property  in  this  country  ?  If  he  will 
look  back  as  far  as  1620,  he  will  find  that  the  very  first  slaves 
were  brought  to  Virginia,  in  that  year,  in  a  Dutch  vessel.  If 
he  will  look  back  not  quite  so  far,  that  charters  were  granted 
by  Queen  Elizabeth  to  certain  companies,  empowering  tnem  to 
go  to  Africa  and  possess  themselves  of  slaves,  and  bring  them 
to  the  then  colonies  of  North  America.  He  will  find  that  they 
were  permitted  to  go,  and  that  many  went  without  any  permis- 
sion at  all.  Well ;  when  they  went  there,  what  did  they  do  ? 
They  acquired  the  property ;  they  captured  or  purchased  the 
negroes ;  they  exercised  their  manual  strength  and  labor  in  ac- 
quiring the  possession  of  that '  property  ;  they  became  owners 
by  occupation,  or  by  purchase  —  a  way  of  acquiring  property 
that  gentlemen  will  readily  understand.  I  say  they  became 
owners  by  occupation,  as  those  gentlemen  who  have  gone  to 
California  to  dig  gold. 

**  There  being  no  law  to  protect  it,  they  became  entitled  to 
the  gold  from  the  very  fact  that  they  exercise  manual  labor  to 
separate  it  from  the  earth  in  which  it  has  been  long  imbedded. 
Law  does  not  provide  the  right  to  the  gold,  and  it  does  not  pro- 
vide the  right  to  capture  and  appropriate  the  slave.  They  nad 
the  gold  without  any  law,  and  they  have  now  called  a  conven- 
tion of  gold-diggers  and  miners,  and  for  what  purpose  ?  To 
give  them  title  to  the  gold  ?  Not  at  all ;  they  have  that  right 
now,  but  it  is  to  give  protection  to  those  rights  which  they  have 
acquired  by  occupancy.  That  is  the  object  and  design.  To  give 
them  rights  ?  Not  at  all ;  but  the  protection  of  the  rights  that 
DOW  exist.  Let  us  take  this  matter  a  little  farther.  I  believe 
that  when  Kentucky  separated  from  Virginia — or  to  go  farther, 
that  before  any  constitution  was  formed  in  the  United  States, 
the  people  of  Virginia  had  their  slaves,  and  they  had  a  right  to 
them.  And  when  the  act  of  separation  was  passed  on 
the  part  of  Virginia,  allowing  Kentucky  to  become  a  sepa- 
rate State — when  she  separated  herself  and  threw  herself  back 
on  first  principles,  and  declared  her  sovereignty  in  the  act  of 
establishing  organic  law,  her  citizens  then  had  this  right  of  pro- 
perty in  slaves.  Those  rights  of  property,  therefore,  were  not 
derived  from  the  laws  of  Virginia,  or  from  the  constitution  of 
1792  or  1799  ;  they  existed  prior  to,  and  independent  of  those 
laws.  They  existed  because  they  were  rights  clearly  acquired 
from  those  who  first  acquired  the  slaves,  and  which  had  come 
down  to  their  descendants  by  descent,  or  which  had  been  trans- 
ferred by  purchase.  Thus  were  these  rights  existing  prior  to 
the  adoption  of  any  organic  law.     But  at  this  particular  period 

Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


160  Evansville  <md  its  Men  of  Mark, 

of  time,  when  all  things  are  thrown  back  to  their  original  ele- 
ments, and  all  permitted  to  express  their  opinions  and  views  on 
all  and  every  question,  a  strange  proposition  is  springing  up  in 
the  midst  of  our  excited  countrymen.  What  is  it?  One  says 
to  another,  you  have  no  right  to  all  that  land  of  yours ;  and 
another,  you  have  no  right  to  your  negroes ;  and  another,  you 
have  no  right  to  your  strong  box.  It  is  a  strange  proposition 
springing  up  right  here  in  the  community.  What  will  be  the 
result  of  it? 

*  *Mr.  0.  A.  WiOKLiFFE.  Does  the  gentleman  mean  to  say 
that  I  advocate  such  doctrine  on  this  floor  ?  If  so,  he  is  mis- 
taken. 

**  Mr.  Dixon.  I  mean  that  such  is  the  effect  of  the  gentle- 
man's proposition.  I  say  that  it  is  the  true  consequence  of  the 
doctrine  advanced,  that  all  power  belongs  to  this  convention, 
and  that  no  right  exists  independent  of  th«  organic  law  it  may 
make,  or  the  statute  laws  which  may  be  passed  under  it.  I  say, 
then,  let  us  go  back  to  the  state  of  society  I  have  mentioned  to 
the  gentleman.  Let  the  proposition  be  made  and  proclaimed 
to  the  people  of  Kentucky,  that  prior  to  the  adoption  of  their 
constitution,  the  right  to  property  does  not  exist,  and  what 
would  be  the  condition  of  every  member  of  society  ?  The  very 
assumption  of  the  principle  would  be  looked  upon  as  a  violation 
of  every  principle  of  right  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  every 
free  government. 

"  Well,  our  title  to  our  slaves  is  not  derived  from  Virginia, 
or  from  the  constitution  or  statute  laws  of  Kentucky,  but  it  is 
derived  in  the  manner  which  I  have  represented.  We  come, 
then,  to  the  formation  of  our  present  constitution.  What  shall 
we  do  here  ?  We  intend  to  unite  in  framing  a  constitution  that 
will  protect,  not  destroy  ;  to  Imild  up.  and  not  to  pull  down  ; 
to  throw  the  segis  of  our  protection  around  the  rights  of  the  cit^ 
izen,  and  not  to  put  in  the  hands  of  the  incendiary  a  torch  to 
consume  or  a  sword  to  destroy  and  murder.  This  convention 
has  no  such  power.  And  if  such  a  power  can  exist,  if  it  is  to 
be  proclaimed  here  that  fifty-one  men  in  this  convention  have 
the  right  to  seize  on  the  property,  should  they  see  proper  to  do 
it,  then  away  with  the  rights  of  the  people !  If  this  is  not 
radicalism,  the  rank  old  agrarianism,  starting  up  here  as  from 
the  very  floors  of  the  old  Roman  Senate,  shaking  his  gory  locks 
at  us,  it  is  very  like  it.  I  will  say  to  it.  *'  Thou  canst  not  say 
I  did  it ;  "  but  I  will  say,  also,  it  is  you,  and  you,  who  proclaim 
such  doctrines,  who  did  it.  And  where  is  this  thing  to  stop? 
Who  can  tell  what  a  people  may  do  hereafter,  and  what  a  ma- 
jority may  favor  hereafter — where  is  it  to  stop  ?  I  said  the 
other  day,  when  it  is  once  admitted  that  a  mere  majority  has 
the  right  and  the  power  to  seize  upon  the  property  of  the  peo- 


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JBvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  161 

pie  and  to  appropriate  it  to  such  uae  as  they  may  think  proper, 
there  is  no  longer  any  safety  in  society.  Yon  have  but  to  pro-  - 
claim  to  all  the  vagabond  population  of  the  world  that  tney 
have  only  to  become  citizens  of  Kentucky,  and  a  majority,  in 
order  to  seize  upon  the  property  of  our  citizens  and  appropriate 
it  as  they  think  proper  ;  you  have  but  to  call  upon  the  wild 
spirits  that  inhabit  the  free  States  and  the  great  cities,  the 
skulking  vagabond  population,  who  only  seek  an  opportunity 
for  plunder  and  murder ;  you  have  but  to  call  upon  those  people 
of  other  countries  who  have  been  expatriated  from  their  own 
lands  by  the  laws,  and  who  are  driven  from  necessity  to  violence 
and  outrage  on  those  who  are  better  off;  you  have  but  to  call 
upon  these  classes  to  come  to  Kentucky,  and  to  assert  the  rights 
of  a  citizen,  and  obtain  the  privilege  of  voting,  and  what  would 
be  the  result?  They  would  pour  in  upon  us  as  did  the  Goth 
and  Vandal  barbarians  upon  the  Roman  territory ;  they  would 
come,  as  «lid  the  Huns  under  the  lead  of  Atilla,  sweeping  be- 
fore them,  as  with  a  whirlwind  ot  desolation,  all  the  great  insti- 
tutions of  the  country,  and  monopolizing  all  its  property.  They 
would  rally  around  some  great  leader,  like  that  "  scourge  of 
nations  "  and  destroyer  of  civil  institutions,  who  looked  back 
on  the  desolation  he  had  left,  and  forward  on  the  beauty  that 
was  spread  before  him,  and  like  that  conqueror  exclaim :  "  I  look 
ahead  and  all  is  beautiful,  all  is  cheering  to  my  eyes  and  hopes. 
I  look  behind,  and  my  track  is  marked  in  ashes  and  blood. 
Desolation  spreads  itself  in  my  rear,  and  the  beauties  of  civiliz- 
ation wither  at  my  approach."  And  your  beautiful  land  of 
Kentucky — this  fair  garden  of  the  United  States  —  this  spot 
where  poets  delight  to  dwell,  and  the  statesman  and  hero 
delight  to  linger — this  great  Kentucky  of  ours,  so  glorious  in 
the  memory  of  the  past,  and  so  bright  in  the  vista  of  the  future 
— it  is  to  become  like  the  plains  of  Italy  ;  it  is  to  be  scourged 
by  those  who  come,  like  the  Goths  and  Vandals,  and  Huns 
under  Atilla,  scattering  ruin  and  waste  through  our  land.  I 
never  will  subscribe  to  such  a  doctrine,  or  agree  that  fifty-one 
men  shall  be  armed  with  the  sovereign  po^^'er  of  seizing  on  my 
life,  liberty,  or  property,  and  appropriating  it  to  their  own  use, 
in  violation  of  the  great  principle  which  lies  at  the  foundation 
of  all  free  governments." 

The  firm  and  resolute  course  pursued  by  Mr.  Dixon  on  the 
slave  question,  as  may  naturally  be  supposed,  had  no  tendency 
to  increase  his  popularity  with  the  emancipationists.  Having 
receive  the  nomination  for  Governor  in  1851,  their  influence  and 
suffrages,  with  but  few  exceptions,  were  withheld  from  him,  and 
as  an  immense  majority  of  them  were  Whigs,  his  election  was 
thereby  defeated.     His  vote,  however,  was  larger  than  that  of 

21  Digitized  by  X^UOV  IV^ 


162  lihfanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

any  other  Whig  candidate  who  had  previously  aspired  to  the 
office.  The  emancipation  candidate,  Mr.  Cassias  M,  Clay,  run 
both  as  a  Whig  and  an  emancipationist. 

Some  time  before  the  nomination  was  conferred  upon  Mr. 
Dixon,  he  became  satisfied  that  his  election  was  impossible,  and 
addressed  a  letter  to  his  fellow-citizens  of  Kentucky,  withdraw- 
ing his  name  from  all  connection  with  the  office,  assigning  his 
reasons  for  the  course  which  he  pursued,  and  calling  on  the  con- 
vention to  select  some  other  standard-bearer,  who  would  be  able 
to  unite  both  the  emancipationists  and  the  old  Whigs.  But 
against  hia  own  better  judgment,  and  in  opposition  to  his  remon- 
strances, his  friends  in  the  convention,  who  constituted  a  )arge 
majority,  determined  upon  his  nomination.  With  the  conscious- 
ness that  he  was  leading  a  forlorn  hope  ;  nay  that  it  was  almost 
absolutely  impossible  that  he  should  be  elected,  his  ardor  was 
not  damped,  *'  nor  his'  natural  force  abated."  He  was  still 
found  in  the  fore  front  of  battle  striking  bold  strokes  himself, 
and  urging  on  his  party  to  the  contest.  It  was  a  period  not 
only  of  great  interest  to  the  domestic  politics  of  Kentucky,  but 
of  intense  political  excitement  throughout  the  country.  Two 
great  parties  at  the  North  and  the  South  were  set  against  each 
other  in  hostile  array.  *'  The  imprisoned  winds  were  let  loose. 
Tne  East,  the  North,  and  the  stormy  South,  combined  to  throw 
the  whole  ocean  into  commotion,  to  toss  its  billows  to  the  skies, 
and  disclose  its  profoundest  depths."  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  that  Mr.  Dixon  was  not  found  among  the  number  of  those 
who  lent  their  influence  to  add  to  the  fury  of  the  storm.  Eve- 
rywhere, throughout  the  whole  State,  his  voice  was  heard, 
trumpet-toned,  in  the  defence  of  the  Union,  and  deprecating, 
as  the  most  terrible  of  calamities,  its  dissolution  and  destruc- 
tion. While  tliose  giants  of  intellect,  Mr.  Webster  and  Mr. 
Clay,  were  defending  it  at  the  capital,  their  hands  were  upheld 
and  the  position  which  they  occupied  made  secure,  by  the  able 
and  patriotic  efforts  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Dixon  among  the  peo- 
ple. From  every  speaker's  stand  in  Kentucky  his  eloquent 
voice  was  heard  calling  upon  the  people  to  stand  by  the  institu- 
tions of  their  fathers,  and  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Union 
against  the  insidious  attacks  of  Northern  abolitionists,  and  the 
more  violent  and  furious  onslaughts  of  Southern  secede rs. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  163 

Those  spirit-stirring  appeals  were  not  lost.  They  were  not 
thrown  away  upon  listless  ears.  The  people  of  Kentucky,  we 
assert  holdly,  have  more  true  loyalty  of  feeling,  and  deep,  un- 
selfish, patriotic  affection  and  admiration  for  the  Republic  than 
those  of  any  other  State.  These  patriotic  sentiments  Mr.  Dixon 
by  his  bold  and  manly  eloquence,  awakened  into  activity  at  a 
time  when  the  expression  of  such  sentiments  on  the  part  of  the 
masses  was  necessary  to  sustain  the  course  of  the  great  states- 
men, who  stood  like  faithful  pilots  at  the  helm,  and  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  weathering  the  storm.  He  spoke  not  for  his  own 
election  merely,  nor  for  the  success  of  the  Whig  party,  but  for 
the  Union. 

The  gubernatorial  campaign,  as  he  had  anticipated  and 
predicted,  resulted  in  his  defeat  by  a  small  majority.  But  the 
emancipation  party,  though  it  possessed  a  sufficient  number  of 
votes  to  control  the  election,  before  the  people,  on  account  of 
the  almost  equal  division  of  the  State  between  the  Whigs  and 
Democrats,  did  not  possess  the  same  commanding  power  in  the 
Legislature,  and  the  immense  majority  who  coincided  with  Mr. 
Dixon  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  determined  to  reward  his  tal- 
ents and  fidelity  with  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  He 
was  opposed,  however,  by  the  whole  emancipation  influence 
in  the  contest  which  ensued  for  this  high  office,  and  was  run 
against  nearly,  every  prominent  Whig  in  the  State,  Mr.  Critten- 
den included.  A  caucus  having  at  last  been  called  lor  the  pur- 
pose of  deciding  the  claims  of  the  respective  candidates,  it  was 
found  that  Mr.  Crittenden  and  Mr.  Dixon  were  the  only  compe- 
titors. The  friends  of  Mr.  Dixon  claimed  a  majority  of  two, 
but  the  adherents  of  Mr.  Crittenden  remaining  firm  or  obsti- 
nate, as  the  apoligists  of  either  side  may  prefer,  Mr.  Di^on 
consented,  for  the  sake  of  harmony  in  the  Whig  party,  that  his 
own  name  should  be  withdrawn,  in  connection  with  the  with- 
drawal of  that  of  Mr.  Crittenden.  It  being  anticipated,  how- 
ever, that  a  vacancy  in  the  Senate  might  soon  occur,  the  friends 
of  Mr.  Dixon  still  adhered  to  him.  resolved  upon  his  ultimate 
success,  and  in  a  short  time  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Clay  again 
called  upon  the  Legislature  of  Kentucky  to  choose  a  represent- 
ative to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  that  great  man.  The  name 
of  Mr.  Dixon  was  immediately  presented  to  the  two  houses  of 

Digitized  by  VjiDOVlt: 


Id4  Bvanaville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

the  legislative  body  for  their  suffrages,  and  in  opposition  to  it 
those  of  many  other  prominent  and  distinguished  Whigs,  but 
after  a  few  ballotings  his  election  was  carried  without  difficulty. 
He  took  iiis  seat  in  that  illustrious  body,  which  had  so  long 
been  adorned  by  the  most  brilliant  talents  of  the  nation,  on  the 
first  Monday  in  December,  1852. 

The  person  of  Mr.  Dixon  is  tall  and  slender,  but  erect  and 
commanding.  His  features  are  regular,  and  their  combined  ex. 
pression  stern  but  vivacious.  The  style  of  his  oratory  is  bold, 
vigorous,  and  highly  impassioned.  In  his  conduct  at  the  bar 
he  employs  his  whole  mind  and  soul,  every  thought,  feeling  and 
sentiment,  in  his  cause.  During  the  progress  of  the  trial,  the 
court,  the  jury,  and  the  witnesses,  constitute  the  whole  world 
to  him.  All  beyond  that  little  circle,  which  is  hemmed  in  by 
the  iron  rails  of  the  bar,  is  forgotten  ;  but  not  the  slightest  cir- 
cumstance which  occurs  within  that  circle  is  disregarded. 
These  qualities,  so  invaluable  in  a  lawyer,  could  not  have  failed 
to  secure  him  the  most  abundant  success  in  his  profession. 
From  the  outset  of  his  career,  he  has  steadily  advanced  in  for- 
tune and  reputation. 

As  a  criminal  lawyer,  his  success  has  been  unusual,  and 
almost  unprecedented.  If  he  is  more  at  home  in  any  one 
branch  of  his  profession  than  another,  it  is  in  this.  His  peculiar 
style  of  oratory  is  perhaps  better  suited  to  it.  In  the  solemnity 
of  such  an  occasion,  when  the  life  of  a  human  being  hangs  upon 
the  opinion  of  a  jury  of  twelve  men,  when  the  audience  is  silent 
from  the  intense  intetest  which  is  always  excited  by  the  impor- 
tance of  the  proceedings,  it  is  then  that  his  talent,  as  a  forensic 
speaker,  displays  itself  in  its  full  force  and  brilliancy.  If  you 
were  not  certain  that  he  is  the  master  of  his  subject  you  might 
suppose  that  his  subject  was  the  master  of  him,  so  completely 
does  he  appear  to  be  absorbed  in  the  cause  of  his  client.  His 
voice  rises  to  the  highest  pitch,  or  descends  to  the  deepest  tone 
of  solemnity.  His  eye  flashes  with  enthusiasm,  the  muscles  of 
his  face  work  with  the  energy  of  his  feelings,  and  the  violence 
of  his  gesticulation  convinces  that  the  whole  soul  of  the  orator 
is  awakened  and  aroused.  Nor  does  his  spirit  flag,  or  the  vigor 
of  his  declamation  abate,  until  he  has  thoroughly  weighed  and 
investigated  every  point  in  his  cause,  and  awakened  every  sen- 
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^ansville  and  its  Mm  of  Mark.  166 

timent  of  humanity  that  may  exist  in  the  bosome  of  the  jary. 
His  masterly  conduct  of  this  class  of  cases  has  become  so  well 
known  and  universally  acknowledged,  that  his  services  are  al- 
most invariably  secured  when  it  it  possible  for  him  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  treal. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Dixon  is  a  decided  Whig,  and  has  ever 
supported  the  principles  of  the  Whig  party  with  undeviating 
consistency.  An  ardent  admirer  and  devoted  friend  of  Mr. 
Olay,  he  has  steadily  advocated  the  national  policy  of  that 
illustrious  statesman,  and  yielded  him  his  warmest  support.  In 
heart  and  soul  an  advocate  for  the  union  of  the  States,  the  late 
brilliant  efiorts  of  the  '*  Great  Pacificator  "  were  contemplated 
by  him  with  satisfaction  and  delight.  He  is  for  the  compromise 
as  it  stands,  without  the  slightest  abatement  or  reservation,  as 
a  final  settlement  of  those  alarming  questions  which  have  so 
long  agitated  the  country.  He  has  at  all  times  supported  by 
his  voice  and  by  his  influence  a  judicious  system  of  public 
schools ;  a  subject  on  which  too  little  attention  has  been  hith- 
erto bestowed  in  Kentucky.  Having  been  poor  himself,  and 
risen  by  his  own  unaided  efforts  from  the  ranks,  Mr.  Dixon 
knows  well  how  to  sympathize  with  the  feelings  and  wants  of 
this  class  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  he  has  always  found  them 
his  firmest  and  most  reliable  adherents  in  the  various  contests 
through  which  he  has  passed.  On  his  part,  at  every  period 
of  his  HFe,  he  has  given  his  faithful  and  energetic  support  to 
those  measures  which  were  calculated  to  elevate  their  condition. 
On  the  various  political  questions  which  have  occupied  the  at- 
tention of  the  country  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  he  has 
expressed  himself  with  freedom  and  boldness,  but  it  must  be 
confessed  that  he  has  not  at  all  times  profited  by  his  candor. 
As  a  man  and  citizen,  his  character  is  above  reproach.  Devot- 
edly beloved  by  his  friends,  his  unsullied  honor  and  unbending 
integrity  have  obtained  for  him  the  respect  of  all.  His  course 
of  life  from  the  commencement  of  his  professional  career,  has 
been  in  the  main  prosperous,  and  we  may  be  permitted  to  ex- 
press the  hope  and  expectation  that  he  will  slather  fresh  laurels 
in  his  new  field  of  exertion. 

Mr.  Dixon  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  to  fill 
the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Henry  Olay,  and 


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v^oogle 


166  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

in   that   capacity  proved   an  able  successor  to  that  illustrious 
statesman. 

As  a  friend  of  Evansville,  in  tlie  past  as  well  as  in  the 
present,  the  old  citizens  of  this  city  can  testify  as  to  his  eflforts 
at  the  time  of  the  great  Canal  excitement  and  other  enterprises- 


Joshua  B.  Bowles. 


[Review— 1868.] 


[jOSHUA  B.  BOWLES  was  born  in  Albemarle  County, 
Virginia,  1795.  The  circumstances  of  his  father  pre- 
venting a  more  liberal  education,  he  obtained  such  a  one  £is  was 
usually  afforded  by  those  country  schools  at  that  early  period 
of  our  history  whose  highest  range  of  studies  would  scarcely 
comprise  the  initiatory  course  of  the  present.  Here  he  was  dis- 
tinguished by  the  rapid  progress  which  he  made  in  his  studies, 
and  his  quick  apprehension.  Such  was  the  love  and  admiration 
engendered  in  the  heart  of  his  preceptor  toward  his  pupil,  that 
a  few  years  since  he  came  many  miles  to  see  him,  though  far 
advanced  in  years,  and  gloried  in  the  realization  of  the  proph- 
ecy which  he  had  made,  while  his  tutor,  that  "  Joshua  would 
make  for  himself  a  name  if  he  lived."  At  an  early  age  he  ac- 
companied his  father,  who  was  of  a  roving  disposition,  on  an 
excursion  "  to  the  West,"  then,  as  now,  the  '*  cynosure  of  neigh- 
boring eyes."  After  many  wanderings  and  hair-breadth 
escapes,  they  arrived,  in  1814,  in  Charlestown,  Indiana.  His 
father's  habits  having  become  unsatisfactory  to  the  son,  called 
forth  many  filial  expostulations  from  him  ;  but  finding  these 
unavailing,  and  that  a  longer  stay  could  not  benefit  the  former, 
and  would  be  detrimental  to  his  own  interests,  he  determined 
to  leave  him,  though  his  heart  still  glowed  with  the  warmest 
filial  instincts.  Nor  has  he  ever  failed  in  all  the  duties  incum- 
bent upon  him  as  a  son  or  relative.     And  now,  without  a  friend 

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Evan»ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  167 

to  adyise  him,  and  with  no  patrimony  but  a  sound   intellect^ 
which  was  his   by  birthright,  and  high  moral  principles  which 
he  had  early  imbibed,  together  with  a  firm  dependence  on   the 
Supreme  Giver  of  all  Grood,  we  behold  him  at  the  early  age  of 
eighteen  fully  accoutred  for  the  warfare  which  the  combatant 
on  life's  busy  field  of  action  must  ever  wage  when  in  pursuit  of 
an  object  unattainable,  unless  he  resolve  at    the  onset    that  no 
obstacles  shall   overcome   his   exertions,   no    impediments    be 
deememed  insurmountable,  the  word  "  I  can't "  be  erased  from 
his  vocabulary,  and  bis  word  be  ever  '*  onward."     A  company 
of  rangers,  who  were  sent  out  by  the  general  Government,  des- 
tined for  the  Western  frontier  of  the  then  territory  of  Indiana, 
having  at  this  time  arrived  in  Charlestown,  he  accepted  the  in- 
vitation of  the  captain  to  accompany  him  as  trader  at  the  post. 
These  were   troublous  times  indeed,  when  the  border  warfare 
was  carried  on  with  the  most  unrelenting  cruelty   by  the  untu- 
tored savages  on  the  one  hand   and  on  the  other  by  passions 
scarcely  less  malignant  by  the  boasted  civilized  white  man.   Life 
and  property  had  become  so  insecure,  that  many  of  these  com- 
panies were  sent  out  to  protect  the  inhabitants  of  these  thinly 
populated   regions.     They  were   allowed   to   establish   trading 
houses  for  the  supply  of  the  wants  of  the  soldiery  and  friendly 
Inndians  in  the  vicinity.     On  their  arrival  at  the  place  of  ren- 
dezvous,  our  young  friend  lost  no  time  in  getting  to  business. 
His  little  store  was  soon  opened,  and  the  Delawares  and  other 
tribes  amicably  disposed  brought  their  furs  and  peltries,  and  in 
return  received  such  goods  as  they  could  procure  of  him,  and 
the  soldiers  were  credited  until  their  service  money  became  due. 
This  was  an  important  office  for  a  youth  to  perform,  as  much 
robponsibility  devolved  upon  him.     It  required  strict  attention 
to  duties  and  a  discriminating  judgment  to  know  whom  to  trust 
and  how  far  to  extend  credit  to  so  reckless  and  prodigal  a  class 
as  those  he  was  now  dealing  with.  But  he  happily  accomplished 
what  he  had  undertaken,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  term 
found  himself  fully  prepared  to  settle  up  accounts  to  the  satis- 
faction  of  all   concerned.     On   his  return   to  Charlestown,  he 
found  that  his  father  had  joined  the  army  during  his  absence. 
For  a  small  salary  he   became  clerk  and  salesman  for  Judge 
Shelby,  of  that  place,  who,  in  addition  to  his  office  of  judge, 

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168  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

added  those  of  tavern-keeper  and  dry-goods  merchant.  But  he 
soon  found  their  united  exertions  did  not  prove  very  profitable ; 
and  at  the  end  of  two  years  he  resolved  on  seeking  a  larger 
sphere  of  action. 

In  pursuance  of  this  object,  he  came  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  month  of  January,  1816.  The  beautiful  city  of 
that  name  which  now  stands  unequaled  by  any  city  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  Ohio  or  Mississippi  for  the  salubriousness  of  its  cli- 
mate, the  beauty  of  its  situation,  and  the  unparalleled 
commercial  advantages  which  she  possesses,  as  being  the  head 
of  navigation  for  boats  of  largest  class,  was  at  that  time  re- 
tarded in  its  progress  by  its  unheal thfulness.  Situated  in  the 
midst  of  swamps  and  marshes  whose  poisonous  miasms  and  pes- 
tilential exhalations,  under  the  form  of  typhoid  and  bilious 
fevers,  sent  their  scores  of  victims  to  the  grave,  it  required 
some  degree  of  courage  to  take  up  a  residence  there  permanently 
But  with  that  penetration  for  tvhich  he  has  ever  been  distin- 
guished, he  foresaw  its  future  importance,  and  at  once  deter- 
mined to  locate  himself  there,  trusting  to  his  habits  of  temper- 
ance and  cautiousness  in  diet  to  ward  off  the  fell  destroyers. 
Yes,  Death  had  indeed  entered  the  field,  and  was  reaping  a  rich 
harvest  among  the  dying,  and  binding  the  cords  of  sorrow 
around  the  hearts  of  the  living ;  and  one  of  weaker  nerve  and 
purpose  might  have  faltered  at  the  threshold,  but  his  decision 
had  been  made ;  and  then  at  the  outset,  as  well  as  at  all  subse- 
quent periods  of  his  active  life,  when  his  judgment  has  fully 
confirmed  what  reason  dictated  as  the  course  proper  to  be  pur- 
sued, he  has  ever  followed  it  with  unswerving  steadfastness. 

Now,  we  well  know  that  this  principle  may  be  much 
abused,  and  under  the  form  of  decision  of  character,  an  obsti- 
nate, blind  adherence  to  preconceived  opinions,  founded  on  a 
false  basis,  may  be  the  cause  of  much  evil  in  the  world  ;  but 
much  the  same  mode  of  reasoning  may  be  applied  to  all  the 
attributes  of  greatness  when  they  are  possessed  by  those  who 
have  not,  as  their  results  prove,  a  well-regulated  mind. 

But  to  resume  :  Not  one  familiar  face  greeted  him.  A 
stranger  unknowing  and  unknown,  he  walked  the  streets  of  the 
dismal  city  from  "  morn  to  dewey  eve,*'  endeavoring  to  find 
employment.     But  did   he  falter?    No.    The   bright  star   of 

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J3vanavitle  <md  its  Men  of  Mark,  1^ 

hope  was  ever  in  the  ascendant,  and  whispering  him  words  of 
comfort  and  cheer,  that  the  industrious  and  persevering  would 
always  find  their  efforts  crowned  with  success  in  the  end.  Wea- 
ried at  length  of  this  means  of  attaining  that  end,  he  walked 
into  a  hotel,  kept  by  a  Major  Taylor,  and  presented  himself  be- 
fore him.  After  some  questions  and  answers  had  been  passed 
between  them,  '*  My  business  will  not  warrant  me  in  taking 
yon,  sir,"  said  the  host,  "  as  I  could  not  afford  to  pay  you  any- 
thing." "  1  want  no  pay,  sir,"  was  the  prompt  reply  of  the  in- 
domitable suitor,  **  and  I  will  stay  a  few  days  with  you  anyhow." 
The  old  major,  gazing  upon  that  open,  manly  brow,  which  it 
needed  not  the  skill  of  a  professional  physiognomist  to  deter- 
mine was  the  index  of  an  honest  heart,  smiled  his  assent  to  this 
proposition.  Now,  we  might  suppose,  on  a  superficial  view,  that 
these  conditions  were  not  very  favorable  to  our  young  friend, 
but  he  soon  commenced  operations  on  such  a  scale  as  to  show 
that  he  was  fully  competent  to  any  emergency.  "  Mine  host," 
a  merry,  jovial  soul,  who  took  no  thought  for  the  morrow,  was 
one  of  those  who,  after  spending  a  fortune  in  the  pursuit  of 
pleasure  while  young,  are  forced  in  old  age  to  resort  to  some 
means  for  obtaining  support.  He  hailed  from  the  Old  Domin- 
ion many  years  before,  with  the  wreck  of  his  possessions,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  who  was  as  thriftless  as  himself.  He  had  a 
kindly  greeting  for  all  who  patronized  him,  and  provided  they 
could  tell  4  good  story  and  produce  merry  peals  of  laughter, 
their  accounts  were  not  very  strictly  scrutinized,  But  a  change 
soon  became  apparent  in  every  department,  and  order  was 
brought  out  of  chaos  by  the  vigilance  of  our  young  friend.  He 
soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of  affairs.  No  part  escaped  his 
ever  watchful  eye.  From  the  highest  to  the  lowest  offices  of 
the  establishment,  he  was  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  or 
exert  a  salutary  supervision.  The  books,  too,  were  overhauled. 
Accounts  which  had  grown  mouldy  with  age  were  brushed  up 
and  presented  for  payment  to  the  astonished  creditors,  who  had 
fondly  hoped  they  had  taken  "  that  sleep  from  which  there  is  no 
waking."  Moneys,  too,  lent  in  bygone  years,  and  which  had 
long  since  ceased  to  live  in  the  memory  department  of  the  good- 
natured  proprietor,  or  who  had,  from  his  want  of  courage  to 
enforce  his  demand,  yielded  their  claims  to  his  sympathy,  wera 
22 

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170  Bvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

exhumed  from  their  burial-place,  and  stared  once  more  in  living 
characters  before  the  visions  of  those  who  had  thus  taken  ad- 
vantage of  the  easy  temperament  of  their  creditor.  Among 
many  others  who  were  witnesses  of  the  revolution  eflfected  by 
him  in  the  affairs  of  the  major,  was  James  McCrum,  a  highly 
respectable  hardware  merchant  of  the  place,  who  boarded  at 
the  hotel.  He  was  struck  by  this  admirable  conduct  of  our 
young  friend,  and  showed  the  interest  with  which  he  regarded 
him  by  giving  him  the  hand  of  friendship,  and  by  many  of  those 
little  acts  of  courtesy  which  too  many  of  those  who  are  im- 
mersed in  business  and  enveloped  in  its  mazy  folds  fail  to  be- 
stow, but  which  when  freely  profiered  bind  together  with 
blessed  links  the  brotherhood  of  mankind.  And  here  might  it 
not  be  deemed  flattery  to  eulogize  the  living,  we  might  be 
tempted  to  say  much  in  commendation  of  this  gentleman,  who, 
prompted  by  the  generous  impulses  of  a  truly  noble  soul,  showed 
so  deep  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  this  youth,  and  recognized 
in  this  indefatigable  industry  and  untiring  efforts  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duties,  the  germs  of  a  comprehensive  mind  and 
that  business  tact  so  eminently  developed  in  after  years. 

With  what  satisfaction  must  this  gentleman,  now  declining 
in  the  vale  of  life,  look  back  to  that  period  when  he  cheered  our 
young  friend  onward  in  the  course  he  was  pursuing,  and  ten- 
dered him  that  friendship  and  confidence  which  the  lapse  of 
many  years  has  but  tended  to  cement  more  flrmly  I  We  can 
scarcely  appreciate  to  its  full  extent  the  influence  which  it  is  in 
the  power  of  those  to  exert,  who,  having  themselves  escaped  the 
shoals  and  quicksands  which  beset  their  path  in  youth,  find  that 
they  are  safely  harbored  in  the  stream  of  the  wise  and  good  of 
the  community  in  which  they  dwell.  These  are  beacons  stand- 
aloft  on  the  coast  ways  of  existence,  cheering  by  their  light 
the  inexperiemced  navigator,  who  spreads  his  canvas  to  the 
breeze,  determined  to  secure  a  like  safe  anchorage,  or  a  warning 
ing  to  others  to  escape  the  fatal  Scylla  and  Chary  bdis  which 
they  so  happily  escaped,  but  in  whose  vortex  so  many  "  youth 
of  promise  fair  "  have  been  decoyed  to  their  irretrievable  ruin. 
Four  months  had  scarcely  elapsed  since  our  young  friend's  ar- 
rival at  the  hotel,  when  Mr.  McCrum  offered  him  a  situation  as 
salesman  in  his  store.  To  this  with  pleasure  he  consented,  not- 
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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  171 

withstanding  the  entreaties  and  expostulations  of  the  major  and 
his  wife,  who,  finding  these  unavailing,  resorted  to  tears  and 
every  inducement  which  they  could  offer  to  change  his  deter- 
mination. But  he  had  decided  ;  and  in  a  few  days  we  find  him 
"  at  home  "  in  his  new  vocation,  more  than  fulfilling  the  expect- 
ations of  his  employer.  Tne  same  habits  which  had  marked 
his  previous  course  were  still  pursued.  Early  in  the  morning^ 
while  the  city  was  still  buried  in  slumber,  he  might  have  been 
seen  putting  things  in  the  neatest  order,  placing  bis  wares  in 
the  most  favorable  position  for  the  attraction  of  customers,  and 
making  arrangements  for  the  business  of  the  day. 

In  after  life  he  was  frequently  heard  to  say,  *'  My  success 
in  business  I  attribute  mainly  to  this  habit  of  early  rising. 
After  I  commenced  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business  especially, 
it  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  be  up  and  on  the  lookout 
for  strangers,  who  generally  rise  early  to  view  the  localities,  etc. 
Often  have  I,  while  in  their  slippers,  their  boots  undergoing 
the  process  of  blacking  —  introduced  myself  to  them  while 
standing  in  my  door,  as  they  walked  the  pavement  in  front  of 
the  hotel  near  which  my  store  was  situated.  Such  a  one,  after 
the  morning's  salutation,  I  would  ask  to  walk  in,  view  my  goods, 
etc.  After  breakfast,  being  booted  and  ready  for  making  pur- 
chases, he  calls  again  ;  I  sell  him,  perhaps,  several  boxes  of 
goods,  the  seller  6  name  being  marked  on  one  corner.  He  goes 
home ;  the  name  attracts  the  attention  of  other  merchants  in 
the  vicinity.  Through  him  they  are  introduced  to  the  whole- 
sale dealer,  and  thus  I  have  acquired  the  trade  of  whole  vil- 
lages. 

Mr.  McCrum  left  home  a  few  months  after  Mr.  Bowles* 
engagement  with  him,  and  entrusted  the  latter  with  the  sole 
direction  and  guidance  of  his  business  concerns  during  his 
absence.  The  responsibility  thus  devolved  upon  Mr.  B.  was 
great.  But  his  untiring  exertions,  both  mental  and  physical, 
kept  pace  with  the  occasions  that  called  them  forth  ;  and  on  Mr. 
McCrum's  return,  after  an  absence  of  three  or  four  months,  he 
so  well  appreciated  the  manner  in  which  his  affairs  had  been 
managed,  that  he  proffered  him  a  stock  of  hardware  to  com- 
mence business  on  his  own  account.  Deeply  gratefal  for  such  a 
disinterested   manifestation  of  friendship,  Mr.  Bowles  accepted 

Digitized  by  VjUOV  IV^ 


172  Evansville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark, 

the  proposition  ;  bat  concluded,  before  putting  it  into  execution 
that  he  would  visit  his  relatives  in  Virginia,  as  he  had  not  seen 
them  since  leaving  there  in  childhood.  With  a  few  hundred 
dollars  which  he  had  saved  from  hih  salaries,  he  left  Louisville 
for  that  purpose,  and  spent  two  months  in  the  delightful  en- 
dearments of  home,  to  which  he  had  so  long  been  a  stranger. 

He  returned  in  the  Fall  of  18—.  Mr.  McCrum,  whose 
heath  had  been  precarious  for  some  time  past,  and  who  wished 
to  settle  up  accounts  abroad,  collect  debts,  etc.,  now  offered  Mr. 
Bowles,  on  his  return  from  Virginia,  the  entire  stock  of  mer- 
chandise, together  with  the  stand  which  he  then  occupied.  The 
purchase  was  made;  credit  to  extend  from  three  to  fifteen 
months.  Success  crowned  his  efforts,  and  he  was  enabled  to 
make  a  payment  of  seven  thousand  dollars  within  the  first 
twelve  months.  At  this  time  the  difficulties  in  the  financial 
world  were  almost  unprecedented.  The  wars  which  hatl  so 
long  desolated  Europe  had  tended  to  banish  gold  and  silver  as 
a  medium  of  exchange.  The  ordinary  channels  of  commerce 
had  been  dried  up.  Not  only  those  who  had  sowed  the  wind 
now  reaped  the  whirlwind,  but  its  ruinous  consequences  were 
felt  by  the  whole  civilized  world.  The  inflated  paper  currency 
which  had  accumulated  to  an  enormous  extent  was  now  reduced 
to  its  nominal  value.  With  the  return  of  peace  commerce  re- 
vived, and  the  metalic  basis  attained  its  lawful  place  in  the 
monetary  world.  Europe,  blessed  with  the  genial  sunshine  of 
peace,  endeavored  by  the  pursuits  of  active  industry  to  make 
reparation  for  the  long  night  of  darkness  which  it  had  been  her 
melancholy  lot  to  endure.  Things  were  now  tending  to  an 
equilibrium.  Our  commodities  which  had  attained  a  false  value 
sank  to  their  real  value.  Bankruptcy  and  ruin  were  the  inev- 
itable result.  Relief  measures  were  projected  by  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State.  That  of  Kentucky  established  forty-two 
independent  banks,  without  a  specie  basis  or  safeguards  to  pro- 
tect the  community  from  the  disastrous  effects  of  a  redundant 
paper  currency ;  the  object  being  to  enable  the  debtor  to  pay 
his  debts,  the  creditor  being  obliged  to  receive  this  irredeem- 
able paper  in  payment  for  those  contracted.  The  Legislature 
followed  up  their  mistaken  system  of  relief  by  various  succes- 
sive laws.     Replevin,  valuation  and  stay  laws  were  enacted,  but 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  173 

all  to  no  purpo8€.  In  the  moral  as  well  as  the  physical  world, 
where  there  is  a  radical  error,  it  must  be  expunged  ere  the  dis- 
ease can  be  eradicated.  The  bubble  soon  exploded,  and  those 
who  had  foreseen  how  this  state  of  things  must  terminate,  and 
had  taken  advantage  of  their  more  sapient  neighbors  by  specu- 
lation in  lands,  etc.,  now  urged  their  claims  on  their  hapless 
victims.  To  meet  their  views  the  replevin  law  was  extended. 
Then  the  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth  was  chartered.  The  first 
issue  of  its  notes  were  at  a  discount  of  10  per  cent,,  and  soon 
went  down  to  50  per  cent.,  for  several  years  ranging  from  45  to 
60  per  cent.  The  pressure  was  overwhelming.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  barriers  which  society  had  interposed  for  the  good 
of  all  were  about  to  be  overleaped.  The  better  feelings  of  the 
moral  part  of  the  community  prevailed,  however,  and  parties 
became  divided  under  the  names  of  Relief  and  Anti-relief  par* 
ties.  These  were  afterward  merged  into  the  New  and  Old 
Court  parties,  and  these  for  several  years  continued  to  convulse 
the  body  corporate  to  a  degree  which  we  of  the  present  can 
scarcely  realize  ;  living,  as  we  do,  at  an  era  when  our  moneyed 
institutions  are  the  pride  and  boast  of  the  sons  of  Kentucky, 
their  structures  being  reared  on  so  solid  a  basis,  that  not  all  the 
sad  calamities  which  have  befallen  the  monetary  concerns  of  the 
country  in  later  days  have  been  able  to  prostrate  her  credit  in 
the  commercial  world. 

In  1825  the  moral  sentiment  had  undergone  so  decided  a 
change  for  the  better,  that  the  obnoxious  measures  were  re- 
pealed. The  eminent  judges  who  had  been  displaced  by  the 
dominant  party  of  former  years  for  their  strict  adhesion  to  con- 
stitutional restrictions,  were  now  replaced  by  a  large  majority 
in  the  Legislature. 

We  have  thus  given  a  hasty  sketch  of  this  period  in  our 
earlier  history  —  *'  times  indeed  which  tried  men's  souls,  and 
showed  what  spirits  they  were  of."  Those  men  particularly 
who  were  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  felt  more  sensibly 
than  others  each  throb  that  agitated  the  public  pulse  ;  and  they 
who  passed  this  fiery  ordeal  unscathed  certainly  *'  acted  well 
their  part.'*  The  temptation  to  speculate  with  funds  so  easily 
obtained  had  been  so  great,  that  the  ordinary  process  of  accu- 
mulating property  by  slow  and  industrial  pursuits,  were  aban- 

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174  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

doned  as  too  dull  and  tedious.  The  fruits  of  these  ruinous 
proceedings  were  now  to  be  reaped,  and  the  harvest  of  misery 
and  woe  which  resulted  we  will  not  pause  to  contemplate. 

Mr,  Bowles,  whose  habits  of  close  observation  and  just  ap- 
preciation of  men  and  things  well  qualified  him  to  grapple  with 
the  times,  saw  the  great  upheaving  of  the  storm  which  he  had 
anticipated  undismayed,  and  by  prompt  decision,  strict  adher- 
ence to  fixed  principles,  and  a  judgment  almost  unerring  in  these 
matters,  was  enabled  to  maintain  his  position  amid  the  convuls- 
ive throes  which  agitated  the  body  politic.  These  qualifications 
which  enabled  him  to  analyze  the  character  of  the  elements 
at  work  around  him,  and  to  stem  the  torrent  as  it  approached. 
His  maxim  had  ever  been  to  **  mind  his  own  business,"  and 
though  we  might  suppose  this  homely  phrase  almost  obsolete  in 
these  days,  yet  its  application  is  as  useful  now  as  it  then  was. 
Though  he  might  have  amassed  a  fortune  more  readily,  had  he 
followed  the  general  impulse,  and  speculated  in  lands,  etc.,  at 
this  time,  yet  he  preferred  the  more  certain  path  to  its  acquire- 
ment by  a  strict  attention  to  the  daily  routine  of  duties. 

The  man  who  adopts  this  as  his  line  of  conduct  will  more 
assuredly  achieve  a  triumph  than  he  whose  mind  is  distracted 
by  every  fluctuating  breeze.  But  though  not  swayed  from  his 
pursuits  as  a  merchant  by  the  excitements  of  the  day,  yet  has 
M.  Bowles  always  considered  it  his  duty  as  a  good  citizen  to 
array  himself  on  the  side  of  order,  and  give  whatever  influence 
he  might  possess  to  its  preservation.  He  has  always  been  con- 
servative in  his  views,  and  consequently  was  one  of  the  Old 
Court  party  during  those  struggles  between  the  advocates  of 
order  and  demagogism. 

We  portrayed  the  unsettled  state  of  things  during  the  first 
years  of  his  commercial  life  to  show  under  what  difficulties  he 
labored  ;  yet  he  safely  steered  his  course  amid  the  contending 
elements,  and  by  prudence  averted  the  storm.  Writiug  to  his 
brother,  who  had  emigrated  to  Tennessee,  and  was  called  by 
the  public  voice  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature  of 
that  State,  *'  Never,"  said  he,  *'  seek  public  offices  which  are 
opposed  to  your  interests  as  a  merchant.  Leave  them  to  those 
who  have  nothing  to  interfere,  and  distract  their  attentions 
from  such  pursuits.     Your  vocation  as  a  merchant  is  incompat- 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  175 

ible  with  that  of  a  politician,  and  if  you  wish  to  pursue  it  suc- 
cessfully, give  it  your  exclusive  attention.  Whether  you  succeed 
or  not  in  your  efforts,  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  you 
as  a  merchant,  which  has  hitherto  so  well  sustained  you,  will 
be  impaired.  I  like  the  maxim,  'Cobblers,  stick  to  your  last.'  '* 
The  brother  did  not  listen  to  these  wise  counsels,  was  elected 
and  the  result  predicted  was  too  soon  verified. 

The  Spring  of  1825  found  Mr.  Bowles  in  a  condition  to 
enlarge  his  business,  and  he  accordingly  opened  a  wholesale  dry 
goods  house.  Prior  to  this,  however,  his  thoughts  had  been 
turned  into  another  channel.  In  his  efforts  to  obtain  an  inde- 
pendence, he  had  remained  impervious  to  the  attractions  of  the 
gentler  sex.  But  there  are  moments  when  perchance  the  cita- 
del of  the  heart  is  not  so  strongly  fortified  as  at  others.  At  any 
rate,  who  that  has  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  can  say  that  he 
has  never  been  subject  to  the  sway  of  woman?  It  is  curious 
how  Oupid  will  wedge  himself  into  the  recesses  of  the  human 
heart.  As  his  arrow  penetrates  that  fortress,  the  stern  warrior 
becomes  as  docile  as  a  child,  and  is  disarmed  of  his  prowess, 
the  statesman,  on  "  whose  nod  hung  the  destiny  of  nations,' 
becomes  the  humble  suppliant.  The  orator,  who  holds  en 
tranced  the  multitude,  is  struck  dumb.  The  poet,  who  luxuri 
ates  in  the  ideal ;  the  practical  man,  who  scorns  the  theorist, 
and  laughs  at  the  dreams  of  the  poet  —  all,  each  in  turn,  sue 
cumb  at  the  summons  of  this  little  despot. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  hero's  heart  yielded  was  Mary,  the 
daughter  of  Richard,  and  niece  of  General  Winchester,  whose 
military  deeds,  during  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  in  de- 
fence of  his  country,  has  caused  his  name  to  be  enrolled  in  its 
historical  annals.  Endowed  by  nature  ^ith  the  rarest  beauty, 
combined  with  a  sound  intellect  and  amiable  disposition,  this 
lady  was  calculated  not  only  to  capture  but  to  retain  possession, 
and  he  looked  forward  to  days  of  prolonged  happiness  with  her 
to  whom  he  was  united.  On  the  foreground  nought  is  percep- 
tible on  the  glowing  canvas — love  has  woven  but  scenes  of  calm 
domestic  enjoyment,  varied  by  the  beauteous  tints  reflected 
from  the  lustrous  eyes  of  the  cherub  infant  encircled  by  its 
mother's  arms.  But  veiled  from  sight,  the  background — could 
we  but  penetrate  the  dismal  gloom  which  hides  it  from  our  vis- 


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>gk 


176  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

ion — would  present  a  far  difierent  aspect.  There  stands  the 
stern  destroyer  of  all  human  hopes  contemplating  this  scene  of 
connubial  felicity.  Already  the  fatal  aim  is  taken.  Will  he 
relent  ?  Ah,  no  I  that  arrow  may  not  miss  its  aim.  The  grim 
archer,  "  steady  to  his  purpose,"  feels  not  remorse.  The  groans 
of  the  agonized  husband,  the  prayers  and  tears  of  dearest  rela- 
tives are  alike  ineffectual.  He  who  gave  has  seen  best  in  His 
wisdom  to  take  away  the  idol,  for  on  His  altar  alone  would  He 
have  us  sacrifice  our  affections.  Afflictions  affect  us  in  various 
ways.  Some  sink  under  the  infliction  of  such  chastisements, 
and  suffer  unavailing  regrets  to  sap  the  current  of  blessings 
still  left  them ;  others,  too  forgetful  of  the  sacred  recollections 
entwined  around  the  past,  suffer  the  tomb  to  obliterate  alltrace 
of  their  existence,  and  hasten  to  utter  fresh  vows  of  love  to 
another.  Not  thus  with  Mr.  Bowles.  Though  the  axe  was  laid 
to  to  the  root  of  the  heart's  tendrils,  yet  he  struggled  for  that 
resignation  to  the  Divine  will  which  can  alone  soothe  the  trou- 
bled spirit.  In  after  life  he  has  been  called  upon  to  endure 
repeated  bereavements  by  death.  Many  children  successively 
has  it  been  his  hard  fate  to  follow  to  the  grave  ;  and  though 
nature  will  exact  her  tribute,  and  the  seared  heart  recoil  from 
contact  with  the  world  at  such  times,  yet  has  he  been  enabled, 
by  the  goodness  of  God,  to  fulfill  the  duties  incumbent  upon 
him  in  active  life.  The  many  years  of  retirement  from  scenes 
of  gayety  attested  the  sincerity  of  the  grief  which  the  bereave- 
ment referred  to  above  laid  upon  him,  though  to  the  careless 
observer  he  might  have  appeared  entirely  engrossed  in  his  bus- 
iness. 

We  have  referred  above  to  the  triumph  of  the  Old  Court 
party  in  1826.  After  so  desperate  a  struggle  it  required  some 
time  for  the  fermentation  to  subside,  but  amid  the  inextricable 
confusion  of  such  a  crisis  Mr.  Bowles'  business  continued  stea- 
dily to  increase  far  beyond  his  anticipations. 

From  1828  to  1832  the  great  contest  of  State  politics  be- 
came merged  into  one  of  a  more  national  character.  The  Old 
Court  party,  who  had  assumed  the  more  appropriate  title  of 
National  Republicans,  and  to  which  Mr.  B.  belonged,  were  now 
at  issue  with  their  old  opponents,  and  the  name  of  Harry  Clay 
was  the  rallying  signal  around  which  the  hopes  of  the  patriot, 

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EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  177 

whether  merchant,  artiBan.  or  those  of  professional  character, 
clustered.  Harry  Clay!  Kentucky's  noblest  son! — who  can 
write,  who  can  read  that  name  without  feeling  the  blood  quicken 
every  pulsation,  as  it  vibrates  through  the  veins  ?  Let  us  pause 
to  contemplate  this  era,  for  the  time  itself  seems  identified  with 
the  name  of  him  who  was  the  embodiment  of  all  excellence. 
The  elections  of  '31,  in  which  Olay  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States,  proved  that  the  foul  calbmnies  with  which 
his  enemies  had  endeavored  to  blacken  his  fair  fame,  had  not 
impaired  the  confidence  which  his  fellow  citizens  and  those  of 
the  State  at  large  reposed  in  him.  The  almost  unparalleled 
love  and  admiration  with  which  those  of  his  own  State  regarded 
him,  are  among  the  brightest  jewels  that  adorn  his  character  • 
and  throughout  his  long  public  career  they  never  wavered  in 
their  attachment,  freely  confiding  the  interests  of  the  State 
into  his  hands.  In  '32  the  great  question,  whether  the  talents 
of  the  eminent  civilian  could  outweigh  the  military  deeds  of 
the  military  hero  of  the  sword,  was  to  be  decided.  Fierce  was 
the  combat.  But  the  dire  slanders  of  which  the  envenomed 
shafts  of  the  enemy  had  sped  with  malicious  zeal  from  one  end 
of  the  confederacy  to  the  other  had  done  their  bidding,  and  the 
latter  was  triumphant.  A  train  of  evil  consequences,  **  the  end 
of  which  is  not  yet,"  we  fear,  was  the  result.  But  it  is  not  our 
business  to  trace  these.  Local  considerations  demand  our 
time  and  attention.  In  1829  Mr.  Bowles  had  married  Grace, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Shreve,  a  Quaker  gentleman,  who,  in  con- 
nection with  his  two  brothers,  had  long  occupied  a  conspicuous 
place  as  merchant  in  Alexandria,  District  of  Columbia.  The 
war  of  1812  had  numbered  him  among  its  many  mercantile  vic- 
tims ;  and  a  large  cotton  factory,  in  which  much  of  his  capital 
had  been  invested,  becoming  unproductive,  completed  his  ruin. 
He  first  rewovetl  to  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  but  finding  matters 
growing  worse,  he  concluded  to  emiis^rate  to  Cincinnati,  where, 
within  two  years  from  their  arrival,  the  nuptials  above  referred 
to  took  place.  Thomas  H.  Shreve,  author  of  "  Drayton  "  and 
many  other  publications  in  the  different  periodicals  which  ema- 
nated from  the  press  some  years  ago,  and  of  late  years  one  of 
the  principal  editors  of  the  Louisville  Journal^  which  is  well 
known  throughout  the  Union  for  the  ability  and  talent  dis- 
played in  its  editorials,  is  brother  to  this  lady.  23 

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178  JBvoMviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

We  resnme  our  narrative.  The  replevin  laws  having  been 
repealed,  and  the  paper  of  the  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth 
having  been  burned  by  legislative  authority,  the  dawning  of  a 
brighter  day  appeared.  Thus  reassured,  business  had  resumed 
its  wonted  activity,  and  confidence  was  restored.  But  the  elec- 
tion of  *32  had  caused  another  reaction.  A  bank  of  the  United 
States  at  Louisville,  and  another  at  Lexington,  had  taken  the 
place  of  those  iormerly  in  use.  The  dominant  party,  whose  ob- 
ject it  was  to  ruin  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  that  they 
might,  in  its  stead,  form  a  multiplicity  of  those  institutions, 
subservient  to  their  own  purposes,  now  carried  their  plans  into 
execution  with  remorseless  hands.  The  States  had  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  establish  local  banks.  In  '32  Mr.  Bowles  was  active, 
with  many  of  the  other  leading  men  of  the  city,  in  obtaining  a 
charter  from  the  Legislature  for  the  establishment  of  the  Bank 
of  Louisville.  This  was  granted,  and  the  bank  went  into  ope- 
ration with  a  capital  of  18,000,000.  Mr.  Bowles  was  chosen 
one  of  its  directors  at  its  commencement,  and  con.tinued  in  that 
capacity  until  1840,  when  he  was  elected  president,  which  office 
he  still  continues  to  hold.  The  Legislature,  at  the  session  of 
1834,  granted  charters  for  the  establishment  of  the  Bank  of 
Kentucky,  and  the  Northern  Bank  in  1835.  No  institutions  of 
the  kind  in  the  Union  have  maintained  a  more  honorable  stand- 
ing than  those  banks  throughout  the  disastrous  periods  through 
which  it  has  been  their  lot  to  pass. 

In  1837  the  troubles  consequent  upon  the  destruction  of 
the  National  Bank,  caused  an  enormous  multiplication  of  others 
in  its  stead,  had  reached  their  climax.  The  salutary  check 
which  it  had  imposed  on  the  local  banks  was  then  withdrawn, 
and  the  country  had  become  inundated  with  paper  currency. 
This  had  produced  its  legitimate  fruits.  Past  experience  was 
no  obstacle  to  the  speculating  spirit  which  again  pervaded  all 
classes.  The  nominal  value  which  had  been  attached  to  com- 
modities was  now  reduced  to  its  proper  standard.  Heavy  debts 
had  accumulated,  and  the  creditor  was  unwilling  to  be  reim- 
bursed with  the  spurious  currency.  At  this  crisis  the  Legisla 
ture  of  Kentucky  legalized  the  suspension  of  the  banks,  not 
requiring  them  to  resume  specie  paymentb.  This  act  of  forbear- 
ance was  justly  appreciated  by  the  managers,  who,  by  their 

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I 


Bvcmsville  and  U§  Men  of  Mark.  179 

ability  and  strenuous  exertions,  resumed  their  liability  after 
the  lapse  of  little  more  than  a  year.  But  this  was  only  a  short 
interval  of  peace  which  preceded  the  second  suspension.  A 
perfect  tornado  burst  in  fury  on  the  heads  of  numberless  vie- 
tims,  who  had  hoped  they  were  beyond  the  reach  of  the  fluctu- 
ations of  the  money  market.  Corporations  which  had  weathered 
all  previous  storms  now  lost  anchor,  and  were  shipwrecked  in 
the  general  ruin.  At  length  the  bankrupt  bill  was  introduced 
into  Congress.  This,  it  was  thought,  would  be  a  panacea  for 
all  their  woes  by  those  who  were  overwhelmed  in  debt ;  but  it 
was  a  law  which  told  cruelly  upon  the  interests  of  the  hapless 
creditor.  Great  opposition  was  manifested,  not  only  by  these, 
but  those  also  who  feared  the  demoralizing  effects  of  such  a 
measure.  Mr.  Bowles,  who  was  then  President  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  in  Louisville,  united  with  his  colleagues  in  a  pro- 
test against  the  bankrupt  law,  which,  for  cogency  of  reasoning, 
and  the  solid  arguments  on  which  it  was  based,  was  admitted 
to  be  one  of  the  most  masterly  documents  which  were  presented 
at  that  session  of  Congress.  Mr.  B.  was  one  of  the  few  mer- 
chants who  escaped  bankruptcy  in  these  perilous  times,  though 
his  losses  in  so  extensive  a  business  as  he  was  engaged  in  at  that 
time  were  necessarily  great.  "  Misfortunes  seldom  come  alone." 
At  the  height  of  these  monetary  embarrassments,  when  our 
merchants  felt  their  blood  almost  to  stagnate  within  them  the 
great  fire  oeojrred — a  distinctive  title  to  which  it  may  well  lay 
claim,  as  the  fury  of  that  devouring  element  has  never  raged 
to  the  same  extent  within  our  city  either  before  or  since.  Two 
blocks  of  the  finest  and  most  commodious  warehouses  on  Main 

.  street  were  consumed  and  a  vast  amount  of  goods  destroyed. 
It  started  from  a  wholesale  house  adjoining  the  one  which  Mr. 
B.  occupied,  about  the  center  of  the  square  to  the  corner ;  then 
crossed  in  an  opposite  direction,  and  burned  down  the  principal 
part  of  that  street,  till  it  reached  a  house  which  Mr.  B.  had 
shortly  before  vacated.  The  congratulations  of  his  acquaint- 
ances the  next  day  were  general.  "  Mr.  Bowles,  you  are  always 
in  luck  " — **  You  were  certainly  born  under  a  lucky  star." 
"They  call  me  lucky,"  said  he  to  his  wife,  **  but  I  would  rather 
attribute  my  escape  to  the  means  I  used  to  insure  my  luck.  I 
should  have  shared  the  same  fate,  probably,  with  my  neighbors, 

• 

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180  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

had  I  not  used  proper  precautions  to  avert  it.  On  arriying  at 
the  scene  of  the  conflagration,  I  found  the  roof  of  my  house  in 
flames.  Instead  of  throwing  my  doors  open  and  having  my 
goods  pitched  into  the  street,  I  hired  several  men  to  enter  with 
me,  and  barred  the  door,  stationing  some  one  to  see  that  no  one 
entered  by  force,  Blankets  were  plenty.  We  ascended  to  the 
roof,  extinguished  the  flames,  and  then,  by  aid  of  water  and 
blankets,  we  were  able  to  arrest  its  further  progress,  and  thus 
I  saved  my  house  and  goods.*' 

But,  though  not  losing  in  this  way,  yet  he  indirectly  suf- 
fered loss.  The  Franklin  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  which 
he  was  President,  had  been  chartered  by  the  Legislature  with 
a  capital  of  1100,000,  and  he  and  his  colleagues  were  at  first 
apprehensive  that  their  liabilities,  which  were  largely  involved 
in  the  recent  calamity,  would  prove  too  heavy  for  their  redemp- 
tion. But  by  strenuous  exertions  they  paid  up,  and  extricated 
themselves:  with  credit  unimpaired. 

In  1837  the  charter  was  obtained  fr&m  the  State  Legisla- 
ture by  the  City  Council,  for  the  organization  of  a  medical  in- 
stitute in  the  city  of  Louisville.  Mr.  Bowles,  with  many 
others,  were  actively  engaged  in  getting  up  this  noble  enter- 
prise, but  to  Dr.  Caldwell  it  is  mainly  attributable.  This  gen- 
tleman, who  is  well  known  not  only  in  this  country  but  in 
Europe,  for  his  superior  talents  and  great  literary  attainments, 
seeing  the  great  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  the  city 
from  such  an  institution,  was  unremitting  in  his  exertions  in 
enlightening  the  public  mind  on  the  subject.  At  length  the 
charter  was  obtained,  and  a  noble  edifice  erected,  which  stands 
a  monument  to  his  genius  and  perseverance.  The  Council  ap- 
propriated $50,000  for  the  outlay.  Since  that  time  several 
acres  have  been  set  aside  for  a  law  university,  high  school,  etc, 
Mr.  Bowles  was  chosen  one  of  the  board  of  managers  on  its 
organization.  The  able  body  of  men  whom  they  have  enlisted 
from  different  parts  of  the  Union  to  fill  the  professorships 
reflect  great  credit  upon  those  who  selected  them. 

Under  the  auspices  of  such  men  as  Caldwell,  Cobb,  Flint, 
Yandell,  Miller,  Short,  Gross,  Silliman,  etc  ,  it  has  risen  to  its 
present  pre-eminent  station  among  the  Western  schools  of  med- 
icine, and  few  at  the  East  have  more  commanding  influence. 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  181 

Gommenoing  in  1838  with  a  class  of  eighty  students,  last  Win- 
ter it  numbered  four  hundred,  and  four  thousand  young  men 
have  attended  the  course  of  instruction  within  its  walls. 

Mr.  Bowles  haying  suffered  many  severe  afflictions  by 
deaths  in  his  family,  determined  to  leave  the  city  and  retire 
into  the  country,  thinking  it  would  be  conducive  to  the  health 
of  his  surviving  children.  With  this  view,  he  purchased  a 
beautiful  country  residence  between  two  and  three  miles  from 
the  city,  and  removed  there  in  the  Fall  of  1845 ;  and  here  we 
bid  adieu  to  his  commercial  life. 

We  have  endeavored  to  give  a  short  sketch  of  the  life  of 
one  of  our  merchants.  We  would  not  be  thought  exclusive. 
Many  similar  records  might  be  given  of  this  class  of  our  enter- 
prising citizens,  men  who,  more  than  any  other  portions  of  a 
oomnxercial  community,  give  a  tone  and  character  to  the  city  in 
which  they  dwell, 

Louisville  may  well  feel  proud  of  her  merchants.  For 
strict  integrity  in  their  moneyed  transactions,  for  the  liberal 
spirit  which  they  manifest  on  all  occasions  where  their  aid  is 
sought,  they  are  justly  esteemed  no  less  than  for  theii  industry 
and  enterprise. 

Mr.  Bowles,  having  removed  to  the  country,  pursued  the 
same  systematic  course  which  he  had  adopted  in  early  life.  The 
truism,  '*  The  boy  is  father  to  the  man/'  is  exemplified  in  his 
case.  At  dawn  of  day  he  may  still  be  seen  taking  an  early 
view  of  all  around,  and  seeing  that  all  things  are  adjusted  for 
the  labors  of  the  coming  day  ;  or,  not  unfrequently,  with  im- 
plement in  hand,  giving  a  practical  illustration  of  his  theories. 
After  an  early  breakfast  he  drives  to  town,  attends  to  business, 
but  so  soon  as  bank  hours  close,  returns  home,  where  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  is  passed  in  performing  the  various  duties 
and  pleasures  which  belong  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  A  sincere 
lover  of  nature  in  all  her  beautiful  phases,  he  never  tires  of  her 
company,  and  thus,  though  still  engaged  somewhat  in  moneyed 
concerns,  yet  most  of  his  time  is  passed  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
in  which  his  chief  pleasures  lie. 

In  view  of  writing  the  life  of  a  merchant,  the  materials  for 
erecting  a  monument  to  his  memory  which  could  be  of  interest 
to  the  public  eye,  appear  so  scant  that  a  feeling  of  discourage- 


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182  Bvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

ment  comes  over  the  mind  of  the  writer.  His  character,  as  it 
passes  in  review  before  him,  exhibits  none  of  those  traits  which 
serve  to  intoxicate  the  mind  of  the  reader^  or  render  so  easy 
the  task  of  the  narrator.  He  mast  deal  with  facts.  The  plain 
and  anuarnished  truths  of  everyday  life  are  the  basis  on  which 
his  arguments  are  laid.     Our  duty  is  iulfilled. 

If  one  young  man  should  chance,  on  reading  our  unpre- 
tending pages,  to  resolve  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  our  mer- 
chant, we  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  our  trouble  in  elucidating 
his  career.  Let  him  resolve  to  do  something  as  a  worthy  citi- 
zen, or  as  a  son  of  our  glorious  republic  ;  and  having,  after 
mature  consideration  and  advice,  resolved,  let  him  pursue  his 
course  unflinching,  and  with  the  blessing  of  Divine  Providence, 
his  labors  will  be  crowned  with  success. 

In  addition  to  his  labors  for  his  own  city,  he  also  accom- 
plished much  for  the  future  of  Evansville.  Many  are  the  loans 
that  our  merchants  and  capitalists  received  from  our  subject, 
and  he  is  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  many  of  our  most 
influential  citizens. 


Major  H.  A.  Mattison. 


Hamilton  a.  mattison  was  bom  in  Rensellaer 
County,  New  York,  ou  September  23d,  1832.  His 
father.  Allen  J.  Mattison,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  the 
son  of  a  Rhode  Island  Quaker,  who  left  that  sect  to  enter 
the  Revolutionary  army,  where  he  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  finally  settled  in  the  Empire  State. 

Major  Mattison,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  passed  his  time 
in  the  usual  way  of  farmers*  boys  until  his  nineteenth  year 
when  he  went  to  Troy  and  clerked  in  a  store  there  for  the  two 
succeeding  years.  Here  he  saved  sufficient  money  to  keep  him 
two  years  at  the  New  York  Conference  Seminary,  at  Charlottes- 
ville, Schoharie  County.     He  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty- 


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MAJOR  H.  A.  MATTISON. 


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.:  "'•  ■;.: -V, 


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EvoMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  188 

five,  and  among  the  stadents' — in  number  780,  and  of  both  sexes 
— he  became  acquainted  ^ith  the  most  estimable  ladj,  who 
afterwards  became  his  wife.  He  left  this  institution  with  the 
highest  honors,  being  the  valedictorian  of  his  class.  After 
teaching  till  1856,  he  entered  the  Sophomore  class  at  Union 
College,  and  graduated  in  the  Summer  of  1860. 

He  at  once  became  Principal  of  the  Bacon  Seminary,  in 
Salem  County,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  students  under  his 
care.  Here  he  remained  until  his  patriotism  was  aroused  to  its 
highest  pitch,  lEtnd  he  determined  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  his 
endangered  country.  The  Governor  of  his  native  State  com- 
missioned him  as  Second  Lieutenant,  and  having  raised  a  com- 
pany, he  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy,  and  before  leaving  the 
State  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Major  of  the  regiment 
to  which  his  company  belonged.  His  company  was  then  the 
color-bearing  company  of  the  regiment,  and  formed  a  part  of 
the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  and 
our  subject  remained  in  the  service  till  July,  1865. 

Its  first  battle  was  at  Chancellorsville,  where  he  was 
wounded  in  two  places,  and  his  comrades  supposed  tbat  they 
would  prove  fatal.  He  was  taken  to  Washingtorr,  and  after- 
wards sent  East.  His  excellent  constitution  and  good  nursing 
enabled  him  to  rejoin  the  army  in  September,  and  he  became 
attached  to  the  staff  of  General  Alexander  Hayes,  Third  Divis- 
ion, Second  Army  Corps.  He  was  engaged  in  all  the  battles  of 
the  Wilderness.  In  the  Spring  of  1864  his  bravery  gained  him 
the  promotion  to  the  position  of  Assistant  Inspector  General, 
and  he  was  ordered  to  report  to  Major-General  Nelson  of 
the  Second  Army  Corps ;  and  in  this  position  he  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  May,  1864,  during  the  gr.eat  Wilderness  battles,  while 
his  corps  was  charging  on  the  main  line  of  Lee's  forces,  his 
horse  was  killed  and  he  was  captured  by  the  enemy.  The  re- 
port of  his  death  among  his  comrades  was  believed,  and  a  body, 
supposed  to  be  his,  and  found  •  near  the  spot,  was  honored  with 
a  soldier's  burial ;  while  his  friends  at  home,  and  particularly 
the  young  lady  who  had  plighted  to  him  her  troth,  mourned 
him  as  dead.  But  worse  even  than  death  awaited  the  heroic 
soldier  in  the  Southern  prison-pens.  He  passed  through  Lynch- 


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184  Evanwille  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

burgh,  Virginia,  Burksyille,  AndersoDville,  Macon,  Savannah, 
and  finally  was  removed  to  the  Charleston  jail-yard,  in  South 
Carolina.  In  September,  of  *64,  yellow  fever  having  broken 
out  in  Cahrleston,  the  prisoners  were  conveyed  to  Columbia, 
two  miles  out  of  that  city.  Here  he  was  confined  in  a  place 
without  shelter,  barely  clothed,  and  fed  solely  upon  coarse  com 
meal  and  sour  sorghum.  All  the  torturee  and  sufiTerings 
which  are  famed  all  over  the  world  were  experienced  by  our 
subject  and  his  gallant  fellow-prisoners.  Endurance  was  no 
longer  possible,  and  on  the  28th  of  November,  1864,  he,  in  com- 
pany with  Major  Schermerhorn,  of  Rockport,  Indiana,  endeav- 
ored to  make  his  escape.  The  two  started  without  money, 
with  hardly  sufficient  clothing  to  cover  their  nakedness — no 
boots,  no  hats — and  traveled  across  the  State  of  South  Caro- 
lina. No  pen  can  properly  paint  the  picture  of  their  perilous 
journey.  Sleeping  by  day,  traveling  at  night,  with  the  aid  of 
the  colored  people,  they  reached  the  city  of  Savannah,  and  en- 
tered General  Sherman's  line  about  the  6th  of  June,  1865.  In 
a  personal  interview  with  the  General  he  told  him  the  route 
over  which  he  had  passed,  and  the  Union  army  followed  the 
tracks  of  the  escaping  prisoners.  He  was  ordered  to  report  to 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  as  soon  as  he  was  in  proper  condition . 
After  a  recuperative  tour  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  on  the 
1st  of  March  he  rejoined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  reported 
for  duty,  where  he  did  noble  service  in  every  battle  till  the 
overthrow  of  the  Rebellion  and  the  surrender  of  General  Lee. 

With  a  previous  study  of  law,  he  finished  his  legal  course 
at  the  Albany  School,  and  graduated  as  L.L.  B.  at  that  institu- 
tion in  the  Spring  of  1866. 

In  the  Winter  of  1865  he  was  married  to  the  constant  and 
true  woman  who  had  followed  him  with  genuine  devotion 
through  his  daring  and  dangerous  career — Miss  Nellie  C.  Fair- 
child,  daughter  of  Hon.  M.  Fairchild,  of  Salem,  New  York. 
This  lady  died  in  this  place,  on  the  14th  of  April  187H,  leaving 
a  husband  and  one  daughter,  Wfth  a  wide  circle  of  friends  to 
mourn  her  loss. 

Major  Mattison  practiced  law  with  success  at  Salem,  until 
March,  1868,  when  he  came  to  Evansville.  He  formed  a  part- 
nership with  George  P.  Peck,  and  in  July  following  the  two 


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EvanwiUe  and  its  Mm  of  Mark.  185 

united  with  James  M.  Warren,  in   a  law  firm,  which  was  dis- 
solved in  January  of  the  present  year. 

Governor  Baker,  in  January,  1872,  appointed  Major  Matti- 
son,  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Vanderburgh  County,  and  in 
October  of  the  same  year  the  people  elected  him  to  the  same 
position  by  a  large  majority.  He  is  now  in  the  satisfactory 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  this  honorable  position. 


Joseph  K.  Frick 


]^  a  native  of  Switzerland,  having  been  born  at  Vilter*8 
Canton,  St.  Gallen,  in  that  country,  January  15th,  1823. 
Up  to  his  twelfth  year  he  remained  with  his  parents,  who  were 
Catholics, — his  grandfather  on  his  mother*s  side  having  been  in 
Napoleon  Bonaparte's  army.  His  father  was  an  architect  and 
builder,  and  some  of  his  ancestry  were  high  priests  at  Basel 
and  Rome,  and  were  of  noble  birth. 

The  father  of  tbe  subject  of  this  sketch  desired  his  son  to 
learn  all  the  mechanical  branches  in  the  line  of  building,  from 
the  work  of  the  mortar-maker  up  to  the  finisher,  and  accord- 
ingly sent  him  to  Munich,  Bavaria,  for  that  purpose.  He  also 
went  to  the  drawing-school  at  the  same  time,  where  he  displayed 
native-born  qualities  for  the  mechanical  arts,  learning  very  fast 
and  advancing  rapidly  in  the  drawing-school.  After  a  two 
years'  apprenticeship  he  went  to  Milan,  Italy,  where  his  friends 
advised  him  to  accept  the  invitation  of  Father  Poreani,  Supe- 
rior of  a  large  Jesuit  convent,  with  whom  he  became  acquainted 
in  Switzerland  a' few  years  before.  This  functionary  agreed  to 
take  him  as  an  apprentice,  gratis,  for  one  year.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  second  year  the  convent  authorities  wanted  to  shave 
a  spot  on  the  head  of  the  young  man,  as  a  sign  of  their  Order. 
This  frightened  him  so  that  he  ran  away  from  the  Convent  Fatte 
Benne  Fratilli  and  went  directly  to  Alia  Brarra  Neli  Belli  Arti 
d'  Architectura  di  Milano.  Here  he  remained  eight  years,  and 
24 

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186  l^ansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

during  that  time  he  received  the  best  diploma  and  premium  of 
his  classes ;  beside,  spending  a  few  months  in  Rome,  Naplesi 
Florence,  Pisa,  Pavia,  Parma,  Mantua,  Verona,  and  Venice. 

At  Venice  he  was  assistant  superintendent  of  the  stone 
railroad  bridge  over  the  Laguna  to  the  city  of  Venece.  After 
thirteen  months  he  returned  to  Milan  to  superintend  one  of  the 
towers  on  the  dome  of  Milan  ;  and  while  thus  engaged  the  peo- 
ple revolted,  in  1847,  against  the  Austrian  Gk)vernment.  Be- 
fore the  Italian  Revolution  he  often  spoke  with  General  Radeski, 
Heinmann  and  Wierdisch  gratz ;  and  during  the  first  revolution 
met  General  Giuseppe  Garibaldi,  along  the  Lake  of  Oomo,  with 
his  little  army.  At  the  time  the  Revolution  of  1847  broke  ot.t 
Mr.  Frick  left  his  government  situation  and  went  to  battle  with 
the  people  for  Liberty  and  Freedom.  He  was  commissioned  to 
buy  arms  for  the  Italian  soldiery.  The  revolution  proved  a 
failure,  and  the  Austrinas  surrounded  the  city  Milan  and  again 
ruled  it.  Orders  were  given  out  that  insurgents  should  be  shot 
in  the  streets  upon  a  certain  day.  The  contractor  who  supplied 
the  soldiers  with  bread  got  a  government  baker-wagon,  put  our 
subject  into  the  bread-box,  and  brought  him  safe  outside  the 
military  guard ;  and  from  there,  in  two  nights,  he  walked  to 
the  line  of  Switzerland,  near  the  Lake  of  Como,  and  was  in  the 
Canton  Grigione,  Switzerland.  Here  he  commenced  to  super- 
tend  the  corrections  ou  the  river  Rhine,  for  the  Government. 

About  the  same  time  two  of  his  nephews  came  home  from 
school ;  the  oldest,  Kilian  Frick,  civil  engineer,  was  a  graduate 
of  the  Poly  technical  School  at  Munich,  Bavaria  ;  John  Frick 
had  a  common  high  school  education.  Both  of  these  young 
men  informed  him  that  they  had  permission  from  their  father 
to  go  to  America,  provided  he  would  go  along ;  and  so,  in  1863, 
they  arrived  in  Chicago,  but  the  financial  crises  there  in  1856 
and  '57  forced  them  to  look  for  another  home,  and  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1857  our  subject,  his  brother,  Peter  Frick,  and  his  two 
nephews,  moved  to  Evansville.  He  was  elected  County  Sur- 
veyor, but  during  his  term  of  office  the  war  broke  out  and  they 
were  all  engaged  in  the  war, 

Kilian  Frick  was  Topographical  Engineer,  with  General 
Sherman.     He  came  home  in  the  Spring  of  1864,  sick  and  worn 

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I^vansville  and  its  Mm  of  Mark,  187 

out  from  the  effects  of  overwork  io  the  war,  and  died  soon 
afterward. 

John  Frick  was  a  Captain  in  the  Eleventh  Indiana  Volnn- 
nnteers.  He  was  wounded  in  his  right  knee  in  one  of  the  last 
engagements  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  received  his  discharge 
and  came  home.  He  complained  of  a  pain  in  his  knee,  and 
was  persuaded  by  our  subject  to  go  to  Chicago  for  medical 
treatment.  From  there  he  went  to  several  places  East,  and  at 
last  to  Dr.  Pope  of  St.  Louis,  where,  after  three  months*  trial 
with  the  Captain's  case,  he  informed  him  that  his  injuries  were 
past  the  curing-point.  He  came  home  to  Evansville,  and  his 
limb  being  amputated,  he  soon  died  —  after  a  suffering  of  four 
years  duration. 

Jacob  Frick  was  a  soldier  in  the  Eleventh  Indiana,  and 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Vicksburg ;  and  the  bones  of  the 
three  heroes  all  rest  in  Oak  Hill  Cemetery. 

Our  subject  cared  for  his  relatives  from  the  time  of  their 
leaving  Switzerland  until  they  were  dead.  It  took  all  his 
means  for  years  to  get  them  a  practical  education ;  and,  as  he 
was  not  married,  he  gave  up  much  of  his  time  in  attending  to 
their  wants  while  in  the  army.  He  often  visited  them,  provid- 
ing them  with  money,  clothing,  and  other  things,  which  showed 
the  noble  generosity  of  his  nature. 

Mr.  Frick  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  scientific  archi- 
tects in  this  section  ;  and  many  large  and  elegant  public  and 
private  structures  attest  the  force  of  his  mechanical  genius. 


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H.  M.  Sweetser, 


I  HE  mercantile  annals  of  no  city  in  America  contain 
the  record  of  a  more  honorable  and  saccessful 
career  than  that  of  H.  M.  Swbetber,  Esq.,  the  leading 
wholesale  notion  dealer,  of  Evansville.  The  imagination  can 
easily  conceive  of  a  poor  boy,  with  stray  scraps  of  information 
laid  away  in  a  head  full  of  brains,  climbing,  step  by  step,  his 
way  to  afSnence  and  influence  Bat  to  actually  be  such  a  one 
—  to  strive  in  the  race,  and  to  conquer  —  has  been  the  experi- 
ence of  Mr.  Sweetser.  Take  away  this  extensive  establishment 
from  the  city  to-day,  and  one  department  of  its  mercantile  life 
would  be  virtually  dead.  Such  success  has  seldom  been  reached 
in  the  experience  of  the  thousands  of  American  merchants. 

Henry  M.  Sweetser  was  born  at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in 
the  year  1839.  His  parents  dying  when  he  was  yet  a  child,  he 
was  early  compelled  to  rely  upon  himself;  and  his  ambition, 
together  with  his  necessities,  laid  the  foundation  for  his  energy 
and  self-reliance.  Even  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  he  worked 
upon  his  uncle's  farm  during  the  Summer,  and  attended  school 
during  the  Winter. 

In  this  way  his  early  life  was  passed  until  the  age  of  six- 
teen. When,  in  1855,  he  arrived  in  the  city  of  Evansville  from 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  with  Mr.  E.  S.  Alvord,  and  first  engaged 
in  the  general  store  of  Willard  Carpenter  A  Co.,  as  their  porter, 
and  stayed  with  them  in  that  capacity  until  they  retired  from 
business,  and  then  went  with  their  successors,  Jewell  &  Benja- 
min. Next  he  was  emyloyed  in  the  house  of  Archer  A;  Mackey, 
dealers  in  dry  goods,  boots,  shoes,  hats  and  caps.  About  this 
time  Evansville  became  more  prominent  as  a  point  for  jobbing 
goods ;  and  as  an  evidence  of  this,  the  separation  of  different 

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190  JBvanmHlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

lines  of  business  began,  and  instead  of  such  establishments, 
general  stock  stores  began  to  open  out  in  separate  lines.  In 
1862,  then  he  started  the  first  wholesale  notion  house  in  the 
city,  in  conjunction  with  W.  H.  McGary  and  S  0.  Woodson,  in 
the  second  story  of  the  house  now  occupied  by  Nolte,  Brink- 
meyer  &  Oo*,  on  Main  street.  They  passed  six  months  in  that 
house,  but  the  business  having  greatly  increased,  they  removed 
to  the  house  where  Healy,  Isaacs  &  Co.  are  now  situated  ;  and 
at  the  end  of  the  year  Mr.  Sweetser  retired  from  the  firm  and 
formed  a  new  copartnership  with  A,  H.  Edwards,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Sweetser  &  Edwards — buying  out  the  firm  of  Mil- 
ler &  Witt,  in  the  house  which  J.  0.  Flickner  now  occupies. 
At  the  end  of  another  year,  Mr.  Sweetser  purchased  the  inter- 
est of  Mr.  Edwards  in  the  business,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
"  played  it  alone,"  occupying  that  stand  until  February  9th, 
1872,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  excellent  location  —  one  of 
the  most  elegant  and  best-appointed  establishments  to  be  found 
in  the  West. 

Mr.  Sweetser 's  establishment,  situated  as  it  is,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  First  and  Sycamore  streets,  occupies  a  most  command- 
ing position.  The  house  is  of  brick,  and  built  in  metropolitan 
style,  four  stories  high,  with  a  basement,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long  by  twenty-five  feet  wide,  and  has  probably  more  floor 
room  than  any  business  house  in  the  city  of  Evansville.  The 
front  of  the  building  is  graced  by  handsome  French  plate  glass 
doors  and  windows,  as  clear  as  a  polished  mirror. 

The  first  floor  is  lighted  from  one  side  by  oval  windows 
over  the  shelving,  which  give  a  strong  flood  of  light  to  the 
salesroom,  and  cause  the  neat  and  cleanly-painted  counters  and 
shelving  to  look  cheerful  and  inviting,  either  to  the  customer 
or  the  visitor.  In  the  rear  of  the  first  floor  may  be  found  the 
accountant's  office,  well  arranged  with  oil-walnut  furniture,  and 
its  walls  decorated  with  paintings  and  photographs  of  many  of 
the  leading  manufactories  of  the  country.  Near  by  the  count- 
ing-room is  one  of  Reedy 's  patent  elevators,  running  from  the 
basement  to  the  fourth  story.  The  basement  is  a  very  orderly 
apartment,  indeed,  and  is  paved  with  brick,  lighted  with  gas, 
and  has  water-works  and  a  cistern  holding  water  for  general 
use.  or  for  precaution  in  case  of  fire.    The  second,  third  and 


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Evanwille  cmd  its  Men  of  Mark.  191 

fourth  stories,  although  not  exactly,  are  similarly  arranged  as 
the  first.  Throughout  the  entire  building  there  is  the  most 
perfect  adaptation  of  the  different  departments  to  the  conveni- 
ence of  their  immense  trade,  and  we  present  it  as  a  model  Wes- 
tern mercantile  palace. 

From  this  house  goods  are  shipped  to  nearly  all  of  the 
prominent  cities  and  towns  in  Southern  Indiana,  Southern  Illi- 
nois, Kentucky  and  Tennecsee,  and  his  sales  thus  far  for  the 
season  are  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  over  a  similar  period  of  last 
year  ;  thus  indicating  the  rapid  growth  and  increasing  prosper- 
ity of  the  city's  commerce. 

From  an  obscure  and  humble  beginning,  Mr,  Sweetser,  by 
strict  attention,  energy,  and  perseverance  in  business,  has  pros- 
pered ;  and  to-day  his  credit  in  New  York  is  such  th^t  he  is 
enabled  to  buy  goods  as  cheap  os  any  house  in  the  country,  and 
he  has  shown  by  the  extent  of  his  trade  that  he  can  compete 
with  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  in  selling 
goods  at  the  very  doors  of  the  above  cities.  In  this  way  he  has 
helped  to  draw  trade  to  this  city,  and  has  benefited  other  lines 
of  business  as  well  as  his  own  thereby.  Besides  devoting  him- 
self to  his  business,  he  has  been  one  of  Evansville's  most  prom- 
inent citizens,  in  the  promotion  of  every  enterprise  that  has 
been  brought  forward  for  her  advancement,  contributing  means 
and  working  energetically  to  help  them  along.  As  an  instance  of 
his  high  and  noted  liberality ,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  only  a  few 
weeks  ago  he  proposed  to  give  one  hundred  dollars  toward  the 
purchase  of  new  volumes  for  the  Public  Library,  and  the  thor- 
re-establishment  of  that  institution.  He  called  upon  others  to 
join  him  in  this  donation.  And  this  is  only  one  of  the  many 
instances  wherein  he  has  shown  a  generosity  as  broad  as  his 
understanding,  and  as  large  as  his  heart. 

Mr.  Sweetser  was  one  of  the  original  movers  in  getting  up 
the  St.  Louis  and  Southeastern  Railroad,  and  was  one  of  the 
committee  that  went  over  the  ground  to  estimate  its  importance 
and  locate  it.  He  has  long  been  an  active  stockholder  in  the 
Evansville  and  Cairo  Packet  Company,  is,  and  has  been  for  a 
number  of  years,  it«  Secretary  and  Business  Manager  ;  he  is  also 
a  director  in  the  German  National  Bank,  and  the  Evansville 
Street  Railroad  Company. 

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192  EvantviUe  and  Ua  Men  of  Mark. 

Mr.  Sweetser  has  not  yet  reached  his  prime,  and  is  a  noble 
specimen  of  the  Western  merchant  —  a  vigorous,  energetic  and 
capable  business  man. 


John  William  Gompfon,  M.  D. 


\A&  born  near  Hardenburg,  Breckinridge  Gonnty, 
Kentucky,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1825.  His  father, 
J.  D.  Compton,  was  a  farmer,  and  arrived  in  Kentucky  from 
Virginia  with  his  parents  when  but  a  small  child.  Our  sub- 
ject's education  was  obtained  partly  in  the  very  common  schools 
of  a  sparsely-settled  country  neighborhood,  and  also,  for  a  few 
months,  iri  a  private  school,  taught  by  a  Professor  Fabrique — a 
man  of  letters,  who  had  located  in  the  vicinity  of  his  native 
village.  John  worked  on  the  farm,  and  in  a  saw-mill  operated 
by  his  father,  till  about  sixteen  years  of  age  :  and  then,  wish- 
ing to  adopt  the  medical  profession  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  he 
commenced  teaching,  and  laying  aside  the  proceeds  of  his  labor 
for  that  purpose.  After  four  years  service  in  the  educational 
field,  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Norton  Green,  then  of  Duncan 
Springs,  now  of  Louisville.  The  young  man  proved  an  apt 
student.  After  his  association  with  Dr.  Green,  he  was  also  a 
student  in  the  office  of  Dr.  S.  G.  Scott,  of  Cloverport,  Ken- 
tucky, and  then  attended  a  full  course  of  lectures  at  the  Medi- 
cal Department  of  the  University  of  Louisville,  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  1849. 

Dr.  Oompton  first  located  in  Knottsville,  Davis  County, 
Kentucky,  and  here  his  practice  was  snch  as  to  gain  for  him  an 
enviable  reputation.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Owensboro,  the 
county-seat,  where  he  continued  in  active  practice  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  was  then  commissoned  Assistant 
Surgeon  of  the  Seventh  Kentucky  Infantry,  and  remained  in 
the  field  about  six  months,  being  stationed  at  Nashville  and 
Clarksville,  Tennessee,   and   Russellville,   Kentucky.     In  the 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  198 

Spring  of  1862  he  was  commissioned  Surgeon  ot  the  Board  of 
Enrollment  of  the  Second  District  of  Kentucky,  and  was  ac- 
tively engaged  in  that  capacity  till  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865. 

In  October,  1865,  he  removed  to  Evansville  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Dr,  J.  P.  DeBruler,  which  terminated  in  1869, 
by  Dr.  Compton's  removal  to  the  village  of  McCutchanville  and 
endeavoring  to  carry  out  his  favorite  project  of  uniting  farming 
with  the  practice  of  medicine  After  five  months*  experience 
he  returned  to  this  city,  and  has  since  been  busily  engaged. 
His  work  is  laborious  and  extends  over  an  exceedingly  exten- 
sive territory. 

Dr.  Compton's  reputation  as  a  successful  practitioner  is 
well  established,  and  his  many  patients  and  acquaintances  can 
testify  as  to  his  uniform  courtesy  of  manner  toward  the  poor  as 
well  as  the  rich. 

The  social  element  predominating  in  the  character  of  Dr. 
Compton  caused  him  to  join  the  Masonic  fraternity  as  soon  as 
his  age  would  admit  him  to  membership.  He  filled  all  the 
offices  in  succession,  from  Junior  Deacon  to  Master  of  the  Lodge, 
and  once  represented  his  Lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Ken- 
tucky. A  greater  part  of  his  early  life  he  was  connected  with 
the  Sons  of  Temperance  and  Temple  of  Honor,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church  for  thirty  years. 

Dr.  Compton  was  married  on  the  29th  of  November.  1853, 
to  Miss  Sallie  Morton,  daughter  of  David  Morton,  an  old  mer- 
chant of  fifty  years  standing  in  Davis  County.  Kentucky, 


Hon.  D.  T.  Laird. 


[^ESSE  LAIRD,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Ireland,  and  emigrated  to  this  country 
with  his  parents,  while  a  small  boy,  about  the  year  1799,  and 
settled  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  year  1807  Jesse 
Laird  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Tharp,  a  lady  of  Green  County, 
Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  parentage.  In  1813  the  young 
25 

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Id4  Bvansvitle  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

couple  removed  to  the  county  of  Dearborn,  in  the  Territory  of 
Indiana,  and  settled  there — building  a  cabin  where  that  part  of 
the  town  of  Lawrenceburgh  called  Newtown  now  stands.  A  few 
years  before  the  father's  death  he  could  point  out,  and  often 
did  so,  the  exact  spot  where  the  cabin  formerly  stood.  The 
land  at  that  time  overflowed  and  was  very  unhealthy,  and  a  few 
years  afterward  Mr.  Jesse  Laird  moved  about  three  miles  west 
of  Lawrenceburgh,  to  Wilson  Creek,  where  he  had  entered 
land  and  where  he  continued  to  live,  pursuing  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer  up  to  the  time  of  his  de&th,  which  occurred  in  1867 
— the  mother  having  died  in  1837. 

It  was  in  the  cabin  above  referred  to,  on  the  20th  day  of 
February,  1816,  while  Indiana  was  yet  under  a  territorial  gov- 
ernment— she  having  been  admitted  in  the  Union  as  a  State  on 
the  11th  day  of  December,  1816  —  that  Hon.  D.  T.  Laird  was 
born.  We  have  found  but  few  persons  now  living  in  the  State 
who  were  born  in  the  Territory  prior  to  her  admission  as  a 
State.  Our  subject  is  not  only  a  native  Indianian,  but  he  has 
always  resided  in  this  State.  When  young,  his  means  and  op- 
portunities for  obtaining  an  education  were  very  limited — his 
father,  like  most  of  the  early  settlers,  being  poor,  with  a  large 
family  and  no  means  of  support  except  his  own  labor.  In  1830, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  David  left  home  and  commenced  work  in 
a  printing  office — the  Western  Statesman,  published  at  Law- 
renceburgh, by  Milton  Gregg — without  education,  except  that 
he  could  read  and  spell.  The  education  he  afterward  acquired 
was  obtained  by  his  own  efforts,  without  the  assistance  of  schools 
of  any  kind.  With  great  diligence  he  pursued  his  studies  on 
Sundays  and  in  the  evenings  and  mornings  before  he  was  re- 
quired to  go  to  work. 

When  about  twenty  years  of  age,  having  read  all  the  stand-, 
ard  histories,  ancient  and  modern,  within  his  reach,  and  studied 
English  Grammar,  as  well  as  it  could  be  done  without  a  master, 
he  commenced  reading  law ;  the  Hon.  Geo.  H.  Dunn  having 
kindly  given  him  the  use  of  his  law  library  and  his  advice  as 
to  the  books  he  should  read  at  the  outset. 

In  1833  he  was  employed  as  assistant  engineer  in  surveying 
the  Lawrenceburgh  and  Indianapolis  Railroad.  It  was  about 
the  first  railroad  surveyed  and  commenced  in  the  State  under 

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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  195 

what  was  then  known  as  the  (General  luternal  Improvement 
System. 

Among  his  associates  there  were  many  young  men  who  have 
since  acquired  distinction  and  eminence,  of  whom  are  General 
Don  Oarlos  Buell,  Hosea  H.  Durbin,  Henry  Ward  Beecher  and 
James  H.  Lane,  beside  many  others.  The  distinguished  men 
who  yet  live  in  his  earliest  recollection  are  Hon.  John  Test, 
Hon.  G^o.  H.  Dunn,  Hon.  Amos  Lane,  Hon.  Ezra  Ferris,  Hon. 
James  Dill,  Hon,  Pinckney  James,  Hon.  Abel  G.  Pepper,  and 
Crovernor  Noah  Noble,  General  W.  H.  Harribon,  Rev.  Allen 
Wiley,  Rev.  John  P.  Durbin  and  Rev.  John  N.  MoflPett. 

On  the  8th  day  of  August,  1838,  Hon.  D.  T.  Laird  was 
married  to  Clarrissa  P.  Hayden,  of  Boone  County,  Kentucky, 
who  is  still  living.  They  have  six  children — two  boys  and  four 
girls  —  all  of  whom  are  married  except  Anna,  the  youngest 
daughter. 

In  1847  Mr.  Laird  removed  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Perry 
County  and  settled  at  Troy.  At  the  September  term,  1848, 
of  the  Perry  Circuit  Court,  held  then  at  Rome,  the  Hon.  Jas. 
Lockhart  presiding,  our  subject  made  application  to  be  admit- 
ted to  practice  as  an  attorney  at  law  ;  and  on  the  motion  of  Hon. 
John  A.  Breckinridge,  the  court  appointed  Hon.  John  A. 
Breckinridge,  Hon.  Samuel  Frisbee  and  Judge  H.  G.  Barkwell 
a  committee,  who,  after  an  examination,  filed  in  court  their  cer- 
tificate of  qualification,  and  he  was  licensed  and  admitted  as  an 
attorney  at  law,  and  commenced  the  pi^actice  at  the  age  of  thir- 
ty-three years.  In  1853  he  was  admitted  as  an  attorney  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State  and  the  Circuit  Court  of  ihe  United 
States  for  the  District  of  Indiana. 

In  1857  he  removed  from  Troy,  in  Perry  County,  to  Rock- 
port,  in  Spencer  County,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  In 
politics,  to  which  he  has  devoted  much  study  and  thought,  and 
has  been  highly  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens,  he  was  a  Whig 
until  that  party  ceased  to  exist ;  and  since  1858  he  has  voted 
and  acted  with  the  Democrats. 

In  1852  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Representative  in 
the  Legislature  from  the  county  of  Perr^,  and  served  as  such 
during  the  session  of  1853. 

In  1856  he  was  the  Filmore  elector  in  the  Second  Congres- 
sional District.     In  1860  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  office  of 

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196  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mwrk. 

Representative  of  Spencer  County.  General  J.  0.  Veatch  was 
his  opponent,  and  our  subject  was  defeated  by  thirteen  votes. 
Shortly  afterward  General  Veatch  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the 
Twenty-fifth  regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers,  creating  a  vacancy 
in  the  office  of  Representative.  Hon.  D.  T.  Laird  was  again  a 
candidate,  and  was  elected  to  hold  out  his  unexpired  term  as  a 
Representative. 

In  1862  Mr.  Laird  was  electetl  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  in  the  Third  Common  Pleas  District,  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Spencer,  Perry,  Orange,  Crawford  and  Dubois.  He 
was  again  elected  to  the  same  office  in  1864,  and  again  in  1868. 
In  1870  he  resigned  the  office  of  Jtldge  of  the  Common  Pleas, 
and  the  same  year  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  in 
the  Fifteenth  Judicial  Circuit.  By  the  act  of  the  Legislature 
of  1873,  abolishing  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  re-district- 
ing the  State  for  judicial  purposes,  and  increasing  the  number 
of  circuits,  the  Second  Judicial  Circuit,  composing  the  counties 
of  Warrick,  Spencer,  Perry  and  Crawford,  was  assigned  to  him 
and  he  is  still  discharging  the  duties  of  this  high  position,  hay- 
ing raised  himself  from  an  humble  position  by  the  force  of  his 
own  worth  and  industry.  Our  subject  is  well  known  in  this 
section  for  his  high  legal  attainments,  his  judicial  integrity, 
and  the  respect  which  he  enjoys  from  the  members  of  the  legal 
fraternity. 


Dr.  George  Brinton  Walker. 


\R.  WALKER,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
€ii(ffs)  December  6th,  1807,  at  Salem,  New  Jersey.  His 
father,  William  Walker,  was  a  resident  of  Delaware,  but  was 
marrried  to  Miss  Catharine  Tyler,  a  highly  accomplished  lady 
of  Salem,  at  which  place  the  then  young  couple  took  up  their 
abode.  Dr.  Walker  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
that  city  and  Cincinnati,  and  afterward,  at  the  latter  city,  pur- 
sued an  extensive  medical  college  course,  graduating  at  the 

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EvauMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  197 

Medical  College  of  Ohio  in  1830,  For  the  five  following  years 
he  engaged  zealously  and  successfully  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  Cincinnati,  when,  in  1835,  he  removed  to  Evansville. 

For  over  forty  years  his  professional  skill  has  been  put  to 
the  test  in  this  city.   Each  year  has  added  to  his  increasing  fame. 

In  politics.  Dr.  Walker  has  been  a  Democrat ;  though  he 
favored  the  Union  cause  during  the  war.  His  first  vote  was 
cast  for  General  Jackson.  Our  subject  did  eflBcient  service  for 
two  years  during  the  Rebellion,  as  Hospital  Surgeon,  at  the 
soldiers*  hospital  at  this  place.  He  has  also  been  connected 
with  all  the  prominent  movements  of  the  medical  fraternity  of 
this  section  ever  since  he  began  bis  practice  here.  As  trustee 
of  the  hospital,  as  President  and  tnember  of  the  Board  of 
Health  for  several  years,  his  sphere  of  usefulness  has  been  of 
the  widest  nature.  He  was  a  member  of  the  old  medical  col- 
lege faculty,  and  is  at  present  Dean  and  Professor  of  Obstetrics 
in  our  city's  Medical  College.  During  the  construction  of  the 
Evansville  and  Craw  for  dsville  Railroad  he  was  a  director.  He 
was  a  State  Director  of  the  Evansville  Branch  of  the  State 
Bank  of  Indiana,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Direct- 
ors of  the  Public  Hall  Company,  and  of  the  Evansville  Street 
Railway,  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  Convention 
which  met  at  Baltimore  in  1856  and  nominated  Franklin  Pierce 
for  the  Presidency.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Evansville 
Medical  Society,  the  Drake  Academy  of  Medicine  and  the  Ind- 
iana State  Medical  Society  since  they  were  first  started. 

In  company  with  Judge  Battele,  Dr.  Walker  was  appointed 
by  the  citizens  of  Evansville  iu  1856  to  visit  Indianapolis  to 
request  the  Governor  of  the  State  to  provide  means  for  supress- 
ing  the  riotous  proceedings  in  Clay  County,  in  the  cutting  of 
the  bank«  of  the  canal.  The  delegation  was  entirely  successful 
in  the  accomplishment  of  its  mission,  and  the  result  was  the 
breaking  up  of  what  was  called  the  "  Clay  County  War.*' 

Dr.  Walker  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Clark,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, on  the  23d  of  June,  1835. 

Dr.  Walker  is  a  thorough  gentleman,  a  man  of  high  sense 
of  professional  honor,  with  the  utmost  benevolence  toward  his 
fellow  men. 


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Hon.  William  Hall  Walker, 


"he  brother  of  Dr.  Walker,  was  also  born  in  Salem,  New 
Jersey,  on  the  18th  of  September,  1812.  Mr.  Walker 
received  his  early  education  at  Cincinnati,  and  in  due  course  of 
time  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  continued  in  this 
manner  until  the  year  1845,  when  he  was  appointed  Auditor  of 
Vanderburgh  County.  So  faithfully  were  the  duties  of  this  oflSce 
discharged,  that  for  seventeen  years  he  was  successively  re- 
elected. He  was  intimately  associated,  from  1845,  with  political 
movements  and  public  enterprises.  In  the  war  he  was  a  zeal- 
ous supporter  of  the  Union,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  uphold 
the  cause.  He  organized  a  company  of  home  guards,  and  was 
elected  its  captain  ;  he  was  also  appointed  by  the  County  Com- 
missioners, in  the  early  part  of  the  Rebellion,  to  go  East  to 
negotiate  the  purchase  of  arms  for  the  protection  of  the  county. 
In  1868  he  was  a  candidate  for  Mayor  of  the  city,  against  the 
late  William  Baker,  and  was  elected  to  this  high  position.  He 
was  twice  re-elected  by  the  people,  and  died  while  in  office,  on 
the  9th  of  September,  1870. 

During  his  administration  many  memorable  local  improve- 
ments were  made.  The  High  School  building  was  built,  also 
the  Fulton  avenue  School-house ;  the  Water  Works  enterprise 
was  commenced,  and  the  system  of  underground  drainage  ;  the 
sewerage  of  the  city  was  largely  extended  ;  the  Evansville  por- 
tion of  the  St.  Louis  and  Southeastern  Railroad  was  also  pro- 
jected and  commenced  during  this  period.  In  all  these  move- 
ments—  although  a  majority  of  the  City  Council  was  opposed 
in  politics  to  the  policy  ot  the  Mayor,  and  maintained  a  i^ost 
bitter  opposition  to  it — their  personal  relations  were  on  the  most 
friendly  and  cordial  basis ;  while  his  good  intentions  and  high 
integrity  were  never  so  much  as  questioned. 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  199 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1836,  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
Evansville,  Mayor  Walker  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  M, 
Spenning,  who  died  a  few  weeks  after  the  birth  of  her  fir^t 
child,  in  1888.  He  was  married  a  second  time  on  September 
15th,  1852,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Ellison,  of  Mobile ;  and  this  lady 
died  in  1857.  Of  the  four  children  born  to  them,  there  were 
two  girls  and  two  boys  —  the  youngest  child  living  but  a  short 
time  after  the  death  of  its  mother. 

Mayor  Walker  was  beloved  in  every  walk  of  life ;  his  pub- 
lic integrity  and  private  honesty  Vere  known  to  rich  and  poor 
alike,  and  a  sorrow-stricken  city  followed  his  corse  to  its  last 
resting-place  in  Oak  Hill  Cemetery,  and  his  name  will  ever  be 
mentioned  with  reverence  in  this  city. 


A.  Hazen,  Esq. 


HAZEN,  Esq.,  was  born  in  Hartford,  Windsor 
County,  Vermont,  November  3d,  1822,  and  at  an 
early  age  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  Far  West : 
accordinfi;ly,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1836,  he  left  his  native 
town  and  came  direct  to  Nevirbargh,  where  he  arrived  October 
10th.  He  was  employed  in  the  store  of  A.  M.  Phelps  until  the 
Summer  of  1845.  In  this  year  he  entered  into  business  on  his 
own  account,  buying  a  very  complete  line  of  dry  goods,  and 
opening  a  general  dry  goods  establishment.  This  was  in  Sep- 
tember, 1845. 

Mr.  Hazen  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Ann  Roberts,  eldest 
daughter  of  Judge  Oaines  H.  Eoberts,  on  the  6th  of  December, 
1846. 

For  almost  thirty-four  years  he  has  lived  in  Newburgh ; 
and  during  the  last  twenty-five  years  has  scarcely  been  sick  a 
single  day.  For  twenty- two  years  he  has  been  an  honored 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  has  only 
been  able  to  claim  one  week's  benefits,  amounting  to  $3.00.  He 

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200  EvanaviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

has  witnessed  his   native  town's  growth  from   200  people  to 
1,800.  and  that  of  Evansville  from  2,500  to  35,000. 

Mr,  Hazen  is  thus  extensively  known,  not  only  along  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio — being  associated  in  its  navigation  interests 
— bat  also  interior  districts.  His  course  in  life  has  been  straight- 
forward, honest  and  successful,  in  every  respect. 


Anthony  Reis. 


f  R.  REIS  is  one  of  those  men  who  illustrate  in  their 
lives  the  idea  that  labor  is  ennobling.  Although 
the  necessity  for  labor  has  long  since  passed  from  him,  his  active 
mind  and  body  are  almost  constantly  employed  ;  and  although 
apparently  one  of  the  busiest  of  men,  he  is  not  absorbed  for 
the  love  of  gain,  but  his  business  is  to  him  a  field  of  study,  in 
which  his  mind  finds  means  to  expand,  while  he  improves  in 
the  art  to  .which  a  great  portion  of  his  life  has  been  devoted. 

Born  in  Cincinnati,  May  11th,  1829,  of  German  parents, 
who  were  in  moderate  circumstances,  he  early  became  a  worker. 
While  yet  a  boy,  he  entered  the  tannery  of  his  brother-in-law 
as  a  volunteer  worker,  and  after  a  time  thus  spent,  he  entered 
upon  a  regular  apprenticeship  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
rier, at  which  he  worked  two  years  as  a  journeyman  after  his 
term  as  an  apprentice  expired.  He  then  began  business  on  his 
own  account,  and  continued  in  the  business  until  1855,  when 
he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Evansville,  and  in  1857  opened  a 
leather  store,  and  subsequently  established  a  tannery  to  run  in 
connection  therewith. 

In  this  tannery  is  where  Mr.  Reis'  character  is  most  forci- 
bly reflected.  When  he  bought  it,  it  was  small,  inconvenient, 
and  had  very  little  machinery ;  but  his  own  genius  and  a  proper 
appreciation  of  the  genius  of  others,  as  applied  to  the  art  of 
producing  leather,  have  been  freely  used,  until  now  his  estab- 
lishment is  at  once  one  of  the  most  convenient,  best  furnished, 


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MRS.  SHARPE. 


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PETER  SHARPE. 


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and  most  effective  in  the  world.  There  is  among  old  tanners  a 
sort  of  prejudice  against  machinery,  that  for  some  years  seemed 
almost  insurmountable ;  but  Mr.  Reis  shares  none  of  this,  as 
will  be  seen  by  the  cunning  devices  in  his  tannery  hy  which 
work  is  done,  that  it  has,  time  and  again  been  declared  it  was 
impossible  to  do  except  with  human  hands. 

In  the  study  of  his  business  Mr.  Reis  has  perfected  himself 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  principles  underlying  the  art  of  leather 
making,  and  in  speaking  of  it,  his  conversation  is  not  only  in- 
telligent but  highly  interesting. 

Mr.  Reis  is  not  only  a  successful  tanner  ;  he  is  an  intelli- 
gent and  cultivated  gentleman,  who,  notwithstanding  his  busy 
life,  has  found  time  to  store  his  mind  with  useful  knowledge, 
and  to  gratify  his  taste  for  the  beautiful.  His  elegant  residence 
on  Second  avenue,  is  an  evidence  of  the  refinement  of  his  taste 
and  love  of  the  beautiful,  and  his  desire  for  the  improvement 
of  Evansville.  With  the  same  earnestness  with  which  he  pros- 
ecutes his  business,  he  enters  into  any  enterprise  that  promises 
to  promote  Evansville's  interests  and  give  her  importance. 

•  In  person,  Mr.  Reis  is  of  medium  size,  dark  complexion, 
and  of  so  rugged  build,  that  he  will,  in  all  probability,  far  out- 
live the  allotted  three  score  and  ten. 


Peter  Sharpe,  Esq. 


^ETER  SHARPE,  Esq.,  was  born  September  3d,  1798, 
at  Wynantskill,  in  the  town  of  Grensburgh,  about 
four  and  oue-half  miles  from  the  city  of  Troy,  New  York.  His 
father,  Frederick  Sharpe,  was  well  known  in  tl)e  State,  being 
an  extensive  land-holder. 

Mr.  Peter  Sharpe,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest 
son  of  his  family.  He  received  a  good  education  at  Schenec- 
tady, New  York,  and  graduated  under  the  celebrated  Professor 
Nott.  After  finishing  his  collegiate  course  and  receiving  his 
diploma,  he  took  charge  of  an  academy  in  New  Jersey,  not  far 

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202  JSvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

from  Rabway.  In  the  second  year  of  his  engagement  his  health 
failed  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  home  to  recuperate. 
After  being  at  bis  father's  home  for  two  years,  in  his  twenty- 
second  year,  be  went  in  company  with  David  P.  Baringer, 
About  the  time  of  the  expiration  of  this  partnership,  Mr.  Bar- 
ringer  died,  and  after  closing  up  the  business  of  the  old  firm, 
embarked  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  with  Elias  Mur- 
man.  When  the  firm  was  dissolved  by  limitation,  his  partner's 
health  failed,  and  not  wishing  to  extend  the  business,  he  sold  it 
out  in  the  year  1831. 

On  the  26th  of  April,  of  the  same  year,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Emily  Babcock,  and  in  1833  he  entered  upon  the  whole- 
sale tea  and  grocery  business  in  New  York  City.  Here  he  con 
tinned  in  a  very  large  trade  until  the  Fall  of  1839,  when  he 
returned  to  Troy  and  carried  on  an  extensive  flouring  and  mill- 
ing business,  which  was  interfered  with,  however,  iu  1841,  by 
the  death  of  bis  partner,  John  Vandertine, 

On  Jane  23d,  1843,  he  removed  to  Evansville  ;  and  since 
that  period  has  been  identified  with  its  growth,  and  mercantile 
prosperity.  He  entered,  as  a  partner,  the  firm  of  Babcock  & 
Brothers,  remaining  in  the  company  for  eighteen  months.  He 
then  engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  grain. 

Mr.  Sharpe  was  always  guided  in  business  by  the  rules  of 
strictest  integrity  and  mercantile  honor  ;  and  it  was  about  this 
time  in  his  life  that  he  united  with  the  Episcopal  Church, 
although  he  had  been  reared  in  New  York  in  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed faith.  He  was  a  devoted,  consistent  professor  of  reli- 
gion, and  discharged  the  duties  of  a  warden  for  a  number  of 
years  previous  to  his  death. 

In  the  latter  portion  of  his  life  he  retired  from  active  pur- 
suits, his  income  having  been  won  by  the  toil  and  sacrifice  of 
his  younger  days  He  was,  however,  an  active  and  useful  citi- 
zen. He  acted  as  Township  Trustee  and  City  Councilman  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  interested  himself  in,  and  lent  his  aid 
to,  all  public  enterprises.  He  was  prominent  in  the  State  fairs 
and  gave  some  little  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  —  pur- 
chasing fifty  acres  of  ground,  now  within  the  city  limits,  and 
carrying  on  scientific  experiments  upon  it  He  was  a  zealous, 
practical  philanthropist,  and  gave  up  large  portions  of  his  time 

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JOHN  INGLE,  Jr. 


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to  visiting  the  poorer  classes,  advising  them  and  rendering  them 
pecuniary  assistance  in  times  of  sore  distress. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  from  his 
twenty-fiist  year,  when  he  had  charge  of  the  academy  in  New 
Jersey,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

During  his  whole  life,  from  his  youth  to  his  old  age,  his 
morals  were  above  reproach  —  temperate  and  steady,  his  ambi- 
tion was  to  be  of  some  use  to  the  world  and  his  fellow-men. 
And  he  was  always  patient  in  adversity  ;  bearing  with  Chris- 
tian fortitude  the  protracted  sufferings  attending  his  last  illness. 
While  he  was  honorable  to  the  world,  he  was  a  kind  husband 
and  an  affectionate  father.  His  respected  widow  survives  him. 
Of  the  three  children  which  were  born  to  them,  one  son  is  still 
living — a  daughter  having  died  in  infancy,  and  a  son  dying  in 
the  thirty-first  year  of  his  age. 

The  name  of  Peter  Sharpe,  Esq..  is  one  of  the  most  respected 
in  the  annals  oi  Evansville's  worthy  citizens. 


John  Ingle,  Jr., 


PbKSIDKNT  EtANBYILLS  a.  CRAWFOBDSYIIiLX  RAILROAD. 


|f|||  HE  success  in  life  which  our  subject  has  attained  was 
achieved  by  his  own  individual  efforts.  His  en- 
ergy and  studious  habits  have  placed  him  high  in  the  profes- 
sional and  mercantile  world.  No  one  can  glance  at  this  brief 
sketch  without  feeling  that  similar  energetic  efforts  may  pro- 
duce as  great  results,  if  they  will  only  work  as  earnestly  as  did 
John  Ingle,  Jr.,  from  his  early  youth. 

John  Ingle,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Sftmersham,  Huntingtonshire 
England,  in  1788.  By  profession  a  farmer,  he  had  been  in  good 
circumstances  till  the  close  of  the  war  with  Napoleon  with  the 
Allied  Powers.  Having  a  strong  belief  in  the  success  of  the 
United  States,  he  immigrated  to  America  and  arrived  at  Evans- 
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204  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

ville  on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1818.  He  chartered  a 
wagon  and  proceeded  to  Princeton,  where  he  purchased  a  house. 
In  a  short  time  he  returned  to  Vanderburgh  County  and  bought 
a  farm  in  Scott  Township,  at  a  point  now  known  as  Inglefield. 
He  was  appointed  Postmaster  by  President  Monroe,  and  retained 
that  office  for  over  forty-five  years.  Mr.  Ingle  was  an  intelli- 
gent gentleman,  and  "  John  Ingle's  cabin  "  was  a  sort  of  half- 
way house  for  the  traveling  preachers  who  occasionally  visited 
this  section.  The  emigrants,  too,  often  tested  the  hospitality  of 
Mr.  Ingle,  and  his  reputation  for  keeping  **  open  house  "  was 
well  known  for  many  years.  The  aged  pioneer  yet  resides  on 
the  old  homestead.  Plain  and  simple  in  his  habits,  though  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five,  his  health  appears  to  be  good, 
and  we  trust  that  his  life  may  be  spared  for  many  years  to 
come. 

The  eldest  son,  John  Ingle,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Somersham, 
Huntingtonshire,  England,  on  the  29th  of  January,  1812.  He  at- 
tended, for  several  months,  a  "dame"  school,  taught  by  an  elder- 
ly lady,  who  tried  to  keep  the  children  out  of  mischief.  When 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  he  was  a  student  for  a  year  and  a 
half  in  the  common  schools  of  Princeton,  His  father  had  a 
small  but  select  library,  and  th©  young  lad  pored  over  the 
books  hour  after  hour,  while  the  wolves  were  howling  on  the 
outside  of  the  cabin  door.  He  worked  for  two  years  at  the 
cabinet  and  furniture  business  at  Princeton,  and  completed  his 
apprenticeship  at  the  trade  at  Stringtown. 

In  1833  he  started  South,  and  first  worked  as  a  journey- 
man cabinet-maker  at  Vicksburg,  at  the  time  of  the  great  chol- 
era excitelneut.  He  then  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  after 
working  there  eighi-  weeks,  engaged  passage  in  the  steerage  of 
a  sailing  vessel  bound  for  Philadelphia.  Solitary  and  despond- 
ent, he  walked  the  streets  of  Philadelphia  for  over  two  weeks, 
looking  for  employment.  His  hogskin  cap  and  Kentucky  jeans 
clothes  made  quite  a  sensation  in  the  streets  of  the  Quaker  City. 

He  found  a  place  where  he  worked  earnestly  ten  hours  a 
day  at  his  trade,  and  also  read  law  for  eight  more  in  an  office 
where  George  R.  Graham,  the  well-known  editor  of  Graham's 
Magazine,  and  Charles  J.  Peterson,  since  publisher  of  Petei'son's 
Ladies*  Magazine,  were  also  students.      The  lawyer,  Thomas 

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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  205 

Armstrong,  Jr., — since  celebrated  for  professional  success — 
was  president  of  a  debating  society,  of  wbicb  the  young  men 
were  members,  and  in  the  wide-awake  debates  of  those  early 
days,  our  subject  was  proficient  for  his  skill  in  handling  the 
unpopular  side  of  many  a  knotty  question. 

After  reading  in  th«  office  for  three  years,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  March,  18B8.  He  came  to  Evansville  and  opened 
and  office  with  Hon.  James  Lockbart.  The  partnership  contin- 
ued about  a  year,  and  then  he  was  associated  with  Charles  I. 
Battel.  This  professional  association  secured  a  large  share  of 
practice.  Mr.  Ingle's  labors  for  his  clients'  interests  obtained 
for  him  a  leading  position  at  the  bar.  His  intelligent  and  hon- 
orable course  made  him  popular  with  the  people  at  large,  and 
his  reputation  as  a  jurist  was  only  equaled  by  the  favor  with, 
which  he  was  received  by  the  citizens  generally. 

In  1846  he  was  associated  with  E.  Q.  Wheeler.  In  1849, 
Asa  Iglehart  was  admitted  as  junior  member  of  the  firm. 

In  1850  Mr,  Ingle  bid  farewell  to  professional  engagement 
and  took  hold  of  the  Evansville  &  Orawfordsville  RR.  enterprise, 
which  had  been  started  by  Judge  Lockhart,  Judge  Jones,  him- 
self and  others.  Judge  Hall  was  afterward  associated  with  the 
movement.  Evansville  was  then  a  collection  of  shanties ;  the 
Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  had  utterly  failed ;  and  some  outlet 
was  wanted  to  the  country.  The  leading  citizens  thought  if 
anything' was  to  be  accomplished  for  Evansville,  it  must  be  done 
immediately.  There  was  no  money  ;  but  the  city  issued  bonds 
for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  the  county  contributed 
an  equal  amount.  With  these  as  collateral,  the  iron  was  ob- 
tained and  the  road-bed  to  Princeton  was  soon  finished,  the 
track  laid,  and  business  on  a  small  scale  commenced  to  ply  be- 
tween Evansville  and  the  North.  Mr.  Ingle  at  first  acted  as 
Superintendent,  and  in  that  capacity  proved  an  invaluable  offi- 
cial. His  ability  as  a  financier  added  to  his  skillful  manage- 
ment, was  the  means  of  his  being  elected  President  of  the 
corporation,  in  which  official  capacity  he  continues  at  the  date 
of  writing 

How  our  subject  toiled  year  after  year  in  finishing  and 
stocking  the  road  is  a  matter  of  liistory,  and  which  will  never 
be  forgotten.     Indomitable  in  his  labors  for  the  welfare  of  the 

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206  Evansville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

road,  cautious,  possessing  a  well-balanced  judgment,  very  de- 
cided in  the  execution  of  his  plans,  his  business  capabilities 
were  eminently  calculated  to  insure  success.  There  was  not  a 
perplexing  trial  from  which  he  shrank,  no  labor  which  he  could 
not  perform,  and  no  kind  deed  which  he  was  not  ever  ready  to 
do  for  the  interest  of  the  road  and  its  employees.  Though 
somewhat  enfeebled  by  his  labors  of  the  past  twenty  years,  we 
trust  that  his  life  may  be  long  preserved  to  the  city,  and  that 
the  benefit  of  his  labors  and  experience  may  be  of  service  to 
the  **  future  metropolis  of  Indiana.'* 

Mr.  Ingle  was  married  in  1842,  at  Madison,  Indiana,  to 
Miss  Isabella  C.  Davidson,  daughter  of-  William  Davidson,  for- 
merly of  Scotland.  Seven  children  are  the  result  of  the  union, 
all  of  whom  are  living. 


Major  Blythe  Hynes. 


HE  Bar  of  the  State  has  no  better  representative  than 
^"^SBJ!^  in  the  person  and  high  qualifications  of  Mr.  Blythe 
Hynes.  He  was  born  at  Bardstown,  Nelson  C)unty,  Ken- 
tucky, on  the  10th  of  November.  1833.  His  father.  Dr.  A.  M. 
Hynes  was  an  old  settler  and  practitioner  in  that  section,  and 
was  both  largely  and  favorably  known. 

Our  subject  entered  St.  Joseph's  Jesuit  College  in  1846, 
and  graduated  in  1850,  on  the  10th  of  April,  He  entered  im 
mediately  afterward  the  oflSce  of  Jones  &  Blythe,  of  this  city, 
and  after  a  most  thorough  course  in  legal  studies,  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1855.  Two  years  subsequently  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  John  Jay  Chandler,  which  lasted  till  1864,  and 

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A.  M.  PHELPS. 


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the  firm  enjoyed  the  patronage  of  an  extensive  list  of  clients. 

In  1860  Mr.  Hynes  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  for 
the  Fifteenth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  during  his  two  years'  term 
of  office  added  largely  to  his  reputation,  hy  the  earnest  and 
vigorous  discharge  of  its  duties.  The  people  appreciated  his 
efforts,  and  elected  him,  in  1864,  as  County  Clerk,  which  he 
held  for  four  years.  This  was  a  flattering  testimonial  to  our 
suhject,  as  he  was  absent  in  the  army  at  the  time  of  his  first 
candidacy. 

He  was  appointed  Provost  Marshal  by  President  Lincoln, 
and  resigned  the  office  to  go  into  the  hundred-days'  service,  as 
Major  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth  Indiana  Infantry. 

Major  Hynes  was  married,  in  1858,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Jones, 
daughter  of  Colonel  J.  G.  Jones. 

Time  has  dealt  lightly  with  the  strong  physical  frame  of 
our  subject;  and  his  good  health,  in  addition  to  his  well-trained 
and  capacious  intellect,  will  be  of  vast  aid  to  him  in  the  close 
application  with  which  he  attends  to  his  professional  duties. 

An  affable  gentleman  he  is  a  strong  man  before  a  jury  and 
a  very  sagacious  and  far-sighted  counselor. 


A.  M.  Phelps. 


M.  PHELPS,  Esq.,  was  one  of  four  children  of  Cad- 
well  and  Margaret  Phelps.     His  father  was  married 
to  Margaret  Hamilton,  February  19th,  1795. 

Mr.  Phelps  was  born  January  6th,  1798,  in  Hartford,  Wind- 
sor County,  Vermont,  where  his  father  had  settled  in  1796, 
when  the  country  ^as  almost  a  wilderness  —  being  of  English 
descent.  His  father,  being  an  early  settler,  had  but  limited 
means  ;  and  there  being  but  poor  opportunities  for  him  to  give 
his  children  an  education,  young  Phelps  did  not  acquire  much 
of  an  education  while  at  home.  On  one  occasion,  while  yet  but 
fourteen  years  old,  his  father  said  to  him  :  "  Abram,  I  must  go  to 
work  and  try  to  make  money  enough  to  buy  this  farm  " — refer- 

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206  EvansvUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

ring  to  the  land  that  lay  south  of  them,  and  which  was  then 
for  sale  —  "  for  you,  when  you  become  of  age.**  "  No,"  said 
Abram  ;  **  I'm  bound  for  the  West,  when  that  day  arrives.** 

When  nineteen,  his  father  gave  him  his  time,  and  he  went 
to  work  for  ten  dollars  a  month,  which  was  then  consid- 
ered high  wages.  He  worked  for  about  two  years.  After  this 
he  went  to  school  about  one  year  in  Royalton  Academy,  in 
Vermont. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1820,  with  all  the  goods  he  had,  on 
his  back  and  only  thirty- three  dollars  in  his  pocket,  he  started 
on  foot  and  alone  for  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  set  out  on  Monday. 
On  Sunday  following  he  came  to  a  church  where  the  people 
were  worshipping,  and  a  large  number  of  boys  near  the  house 
playing  ball,  which  seemed  very  strange  to  him,  after  having 
been  accustomed  to  the  strict  observance  of  the  Sabbath  where 
he  was  raised.  This  was  on  the  Mohawk  River,  New  York.  In 
a  few  days  after  he  passed  through  the  Gennesee  country.  New 
York,  where  Governor  Clinton  had  been  instrumental  in  hav- 
ing a  canal  built,  which  they  were  then  at  work  on,  and  which 
was  so  frequently  called  "  Governor  Clinton's  Ditch  " —  being 
now  the  Great  Western  Ship  and  Barge  Canal. 

Shortly  after,  he  arrived  at  Lake  Erie,  at  what  was  then 
called  Black  Rock,  four  miles  below  Buffalo,  where  the  steamer 
"  Walk-in-the- Water," — the  first  and  only  vessel  that  was  built 
on  the  Western  waters — was  to  sail  from  next  day.  But  before 
venturing  out  ''to  sea"  next  morning,  four  yoke  of  oxen  were 
hitched  to  the  steamer  to  pull  it  about  three  miles,  for  fear  she 
might  go  over  the  falls.  Although  steam  was  up  and  the  wheels 
were  in  motion,  she  did  not  move  faster  than  the  oxen  could 
travel.  After  the  oxen  were  loosed  from  her  she  only  moved 
four  or  five  miles  an  hour.  In  about  fifty -six  hours  she  reached 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  miles. 

He  had  an  uncle  and  aunt  living  about  six  miles 
from  Cleveland,  at  a  little  town  called  Newburgh,  where  he 
visited  about  two  weeks,  and  then  started  farther  West,  reach- 
ing Franklin,  thirty-five  miles  north  of  Cincinnati,  on  the  Big 
Miami  River,  where  he  taught  school  in  one  school-house  two 
years  and  six  months.  He  then  hired  as  a  hand  to  go  on  a  flat- 
boat  to  New  Orleans.   Before  starting  he  laid  out  all  his  money 

Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


EvoMviUe,  and  U$  Mm  of  Mark.  1U)9 

in  purchasing  flour  and  chickens,  which  enabled  him  to  secnre 
forty  barrels  of  flour  and  about  thirty  dozen  of  chickens.  This 
was  in  April,  1823.  They  had  to  wait  for  a  rise  in  the  river, 
so  as  to  cross  the  mill-dams,  which  were  about  twenty-four  in 
number  between  that  and  the  Ohio  River. 

He  had  a  pleasant  voyage  down  the  river,  which  gave  him 
a  good  opportunity  to  examine  the  country  and  towns  along  the 
banks ;  and  on  his  way  down  he  made  Evansville  his  choice  for 
a  residence.  While  in  the  South — Louisiana  and  Mississippi — 
he  learned  that  reeds  to  weave  with  were  very  scarce  and  com- 
manded a  high  price.  In  June  following  he  returned  to  Evans- 
ville, and  from  his  ingenuity  he  went  to  work  making  reeds — 
there  being  an  abundance  of  cane  growing  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  out  of  which  these  reeds  were  made.  Between 
that  time  and  the  middle  of  November  lie  made  about  one  hun- 
dred, and  built  a  large  skiff,  covering  it  over  with  canvass,  and 
started  the  second  time  for  the  South,  with  a  boy  named  Jones, 
whose  mother's  name  was  Abbot,  where  he  peddled  out  the 
reeds  at  from  two  to  five  dollars  apiece,  and  took  for  part  pay 
beef  hides,  deer  skins  and  beeswax,  which  h(^  sold  in  New  Or- 
leans. After  he  had  sold  his  reeds  he  purchased  a  lot  of  dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  had  his  skiff  brought  up  on  a  steamboat 
to  Memphis,  and  then  peddled  out  his  goods  in  his  skiff  going 
down.  This  he  did  five  successive  trips.  By  this  time  he  had 
about  one  thousand  dollars  ;  this  he  laid  out  in  dry  goods,  boots 
and  shoes,  and  returned  to  Evansville  in  June  following. 

On  July  17,  1827,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  John- 
son, with  whom  he  had  formed  an  acquaintance  about  a  year 
previous. 

In  October  following  he  put  all  his  goods  in  a  small  flat- 
boat,  and  employed  a  yellow  man,  named  ''  Dave,"  who  formerly 
belonged  to  Hugh  McGary,  and  again  started  down  tbe  river 
and  peddled  out  his  goods — reaching  New  Orleans  in  January, 
where  he  again  purchased  goods  and  returned  to  Evansville. 
After  his  return  he  commenced  business  in  a  frame  house  where 
the  Marble  Hall  now  stands,  where  he  did  business  in  a  small 
way.  His  first  clerk ,  who  commenced  with  him  when  he  was 
fourteen  years  old,  was  James  Jones  —  afterward  Judge,  then 
Colonel — who  lived  with  him  two  years,  when  he  sold  out. 

27 

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210  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

While  in  business  he  took  in  pork  and  nearly  all  kinds  of 
produce,  which  he  run  to  New  Orleans  in  flat-boats,  making 
two  or  three  trips  a  year,  selling  and  buying  goods,  fle  bad 
then  about  two  thousand  dollars  in  United  States  paper.  In 
1830,  after  being  absent  ten  years,  he  visited  his  old  home  in 
Vermont ;  but  before  he  returned  home  he  went  to  New  York 
and  purchased  goods  with  what  money  he  had,  and  purchased 
some  on  credit.  On  his  return  he  moved  to  Newburgh,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  went  into  business  again — being  about  the  1st  of 
October.  1830. 

Since  then  he  has  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  in  stage 
coaches  and  canal  boate  more  than  forty  times,  going  to  and 
coming  from  New  York  and  Philadelphia  to  purchase  goods  be- 
fore railroads  were  built.  When  he  first  settled  here  it  was 
almost  a  wilderness,  there  being  only  Ave  tamilies  where  the 
town  now  is.  With  the  means  he  had  and  with  good  credit  he 
soon  established  a  very  heavy  business,  having  only  very  small 
competition.  In  a  few  years  he  became  acquainted  with  the 
settlers  in  this  and  the  adjoining  counties.  Pike,  Dubois,  and 
Spencer,  who  gave  him  an  extensive  trade.  Many  of  the  set- 
tlers at  that  time  lived  on  *'  Congress  *'  land,  and  many  of 
these  got  him  to  purchase  their  lands  for  them,  which  he  did, 
giving  them  time  to  pay  him  —  they  paying  a  reasonable  inter- 
est. He  rendered  them  further  assistance  to  make  their  pay- 
ments, by  taking  their  produce,  of  which  he  run  several  flat 
boat  loads  every  year  to  New  Orleans  and  shipped  their  tobacco. 
According  to  the  records  of  the  county,  about  one-tenth  of  all 
the  lands  of  Warrick  County  has  passed  through  his  hands. 

During  his  business  career  he  had  frequently  to  hire  from 
three  to  seven  clerks,  of  whom  the  following  may  be  named : 
His  brother,  Cadwell  Phelps,  who  about  two  years  after,  com- 
menced business  at  Boonville,  in  which  he  was  successful ; 
Henry  Williams,  Neely  Johnson  —  afterward  Governor  of  Cali- 
fornia— Albert  Hazen,  Smith  Hazen,  Isaac  Adams,  Union  Bethel 
John  DeArmona,  Tillman  Bethel,  D.  B.  Hazen,  Robert  Hall ; 
most  of  whom  are  living  and  doing  well.  During  his  business 
in  Evansville  he  kept  liquor  for  sale ;  but  on  commencing  in 
Newburgh,  he  felt  it  was  time  to  abandon  it« 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  211 

In  1834  he  made  a  profession  of  religion.  Id  1837  he  built 
the  first  church  in  the  town  and  county,  fitting  it  all  up  in  good 
order  for  services,  donating  it  to  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church ;  which  house  was  afterward  donated  to  the  Indiana 
Presbytery  for  school  purposes,  which  was  then  named  and 
afterward  known  as  Delaney  Academy. 

Mr.  Phelps  has  been  associated  with  many  of  £vansville*s 
most  noted  improvements.  He  has  been  known  as  an  intelli- 
gent laborer  for  the  many  railroad  and  other  projects  of  the 
past,  whose  histories  are  related  elsewhere,  and  is  to-day  as 
earnest  as  of  yore  in  the  advocacy  of  any  improvements  for  the 
building  up  of  Evansville  and  this  section. 

Possessing  a  warm  and  sympathetic  nature,  his  labors  for  the 
poor,  and  his  generous  gifts  to  the  needy  and  oppressed,  have 
obtained  for  him  a  wide-spread  reputation  as  a  practical  philan- 
thropist. 


Rev.  J.  W.  Youngblood. 


>EV.  J.  W.  YOUNGBLOOD  was  a  South  Carolinian  by 
birth,  having  been  born  in  the  Abbeville  District,  in 
1796,  and  is  now  in  his  77th  year.  His  parents  were  Samuel 
and  Jane  Youngblood.  The  father  was  an  old  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  suffered  much  in  that  war,  often  being  robbed  and 
plundered  by  the  tories.  There  were  ten  children  in  the  family  t 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  most  of  them  living  to  be  grown , 
our  subject  being  the  eighth  one  of  the  family.  The  mother 
died  when  he  was  about  twelve  years  old,  and  his  father  then 
broke  up  housekeeping,  leaving  his  children  without  the  kindly 
influences  of  a  living  mother.  They  had  no  education,  for 
their  father  was  poor  and  in  a  slave  country,  where  the  common 
class  had  little  opportunity  to  better  their  condition.  Under- 
standing these  disadvantages,  and  heariug  of  the  new  territories 
opened  up  to  emigration,  the  father  concluded  to  bring  our  sub- 
ject and  his  youngest  brother  to  Tennessee  to  live  among  some 
acquaintances  and  some  kinsfolk.    They  left  South  Carolina 

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212  BvohmMIs  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

with  only  one  horse  for  the  three,  came  through  the  State  of 
Oeorgia,  where  they  stopped  a  short  time  to  recruit,  they  then 
turned  through  the  Cherokee  country,  and  had  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  a  great  number  of  these  Indians  every  day.  They 
were  generelly  friendly  when  they  were  not  drinking,  but  when 
intoxicated  could  not  be  trusted.  Rev.  Youngblood  calls  up 
often  to  his  friends  many  incidents  that  happened  as  the  party 
passed  through  this  nation.  His  father  was  quite  a  hunter  and 
had  got  a  large  bell  to  put  on  their  horse,  so  that  when  camp- 
ing out  they  would  take  a  couple  of  hickory  withes  and  plait 
them  together  and  make  what  was  called  hopples  and  fasten 
the  bell  upon  the  horse  for  the  night.  Game  was  plenty  in  the 
nation,  and  the  father  had  brought  his  rifle  with  him  and  would 
often  give  his  sons  the  large  bell  to  rattle  along  the  road,  while 
he  would  look  for  a  deer  through  the  brufeh.  One  day  as  they 
were  rattling  the  bell  along  the  road,  the  father  stayed  out 
hunting  for  so  long  a  time  that  the  boys  became  uneasy  lest 
something  had  befallen  him,  and  they  concluded  to  turn  back. 
Being  alarmed,  they  continued  to  ring  the  bell  and  commenced 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  The  noise  soon  gathered  a 
large  crowd  of  Indians  and  one  of  them  spoke  to  the  boys  very 
roughly,  and  wanted  to  know  what  they  meant  by  so  much  fuss. 
They  were  quieted,  however,  as  soon  as  the  lads  were  able  to 
explain  their  situation. 

Their  journey  proceeded,  and  they  entered  the  State  of 
Tennessee  some  time  in  August,  1811,  where  they  remained 
about  one  year,  and  then  came  to  Kentucky,  staying  there  also 
about  a  year. 

A.t  this  time  the  subject  of  our  sketch  came  to  Indiana 
Territory,  this  part  of  the  country  at  that  time  being  very  thinly 
settled,  but  the  people  were  very  friendly,  and  dependani  much 
on  each  other,  the  rules  of  good  neighbors  being  observed  very 
generally. 

The  face  of  the  country  resembled,  however,  a  wilderness, 
the  Indian  moccasin  tracks  had  hardly  disappeared.  The  game 
such  as  bear,  deer,  elk,  wolves  and  panth^s,  were  in  great 
abundance,  and  their  meat  served  largely  to  feed  the  people. 

About  the  Fall  of  1813,  our  subject  came  to  this  section  and 
was  married  September  21st,  1815,  to  Ann  Musgrave,  the  oer- 

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BvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  213 

emony  being  probably  one  of  the  earliest  ones  performed  in  oar 
immediate  viciDitj. 

Eleven  children  were  born  to  them,  one  daughter  only  dy* 
ing  in  infancy,  the  rest  growing  ap  to  be  heads  of  families,  and 
all  bat  three  are  still  living. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader  to  know  how  the  people 
managed  to  live  in  this  country  at  that  early  day.  Of  course 
they  were  comparatively  poor  and  moneyless.  They  did  not 
live  80  fast  nor  so  extravagant  as  they  do  at  the  present  time. 

There  were  no  mills  and  every  man  made  his  own  mill  and 
ground  his  own  meal,  and  baked  his  own  bread,  sometimes  in 
the  ashes,  and  sometimes  on  a  board  before  the  fire,  and  again 
in  what  we  called  a  **  dutch  oven."  And  no  complaints  against 
fortune  went  up  from  their  rude  tents 

For  clothing,  they  exchanged  their  merchandize,  transport- 
ed by  pack  horses  to  the  Cotton  States,  where  they  purchased 
the  cotton,  brought  it  back  with  them,  and  the  wometi  would 
card,  spin  and  weave  it  by  hand.  One  of  these  home-made 
garments  would  outwear  three  of  the  factory  work. 

The  men  in  cold  weather,  dressed  in  skins  of  deer  and  other 
animals,  which  they  were  first  compelled  to  kill. 

Buckskin  pants  were  considered  elegant.  The  first  time 
our  subject  ever  saw  Governor  Ratli£f  Boone  he  remembers 
that  he  was  dressed  in  his  buckskin  hunting  apparel. 

There  was  no  church  or  school  house  throughout  the  entire 
region.  The  people  were  rough,  and  the  only  way  they  heard 
the  gospel  in  their  smoky  cabins  was  when  some  minister  who 
was  pioneering  in  the  western  wilds  would  come  into  their  set- 
tlement and  assemble  a  congregation. 

And  Ood  often  wonderfully  blessed  the  labors  of  those 
faithful  men.  These  men  had  much  to  contend  with,  for  the 
new  country  was  sorely  infested  with  horse-thieves,  counterfeit- 
ers and  house-breakers.. 

Many  amusing  incidents  can  be  related  by  our  subject  in 
regard  to  the  rough  pioneer  life  of  these  early  days ;  and  no 
one  can  listen  to  him  without  feeling  a  profound  reverence  for 
this  reverend  gentleman  himself,  who,  after  a  life  of  noble  deeds, 
calmly  awaits  the  call  of  his  Master. 

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214  Bvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

No  one  is  more  eloquent  and  sanguine  than  he,  in  regard 
to  the  progress  of  oar  country,  the  clearing  of  a  wilderness  and 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil ;  the  building  of  churches ;  the  estab- 
lishing Sabbath  Schools  for  the  benefit  of  the  young.  The  rise 
and  progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  even  during  the  last  half 
century ;  from  all  the  inconveniences  of  the  early  days,  he  has 
lived  to  see  railroads,  steamboats,  and  the  electric  telegraph. 

The  life  of  this  worthy  gentleman  is  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  hardships  of  a  by-gone  generation,  that  a  de- 
scription, as  given,  was  necessary,  in  order  that  the  reader  could 
properly  appreciate  trials.  After  his  father  had  settled  his  boys 
in  Tennessee,  he  left  them  to  their  fate  and  returned  to  Caro- 
lina, where,  while  settling  up  his  business,  he  died.  Shortly 
after  his  marriage  our  subject  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Ohurch,  and  not  very  long  afterwards  the  church  gave  him  au- 
thority to  preach ;  and  for  some  forty  years  he  has  labored 
zealously  in  the  cause  of  Christy  doing  much  good  throughout 
this  section.  He  has  often  labored  with  his  own  hands  for  his 
support,  and  never  coveted  any  man*s  silver  and  gold,  or  apparel 
— preaching  the  Truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

He  is  now  the  last  one  of  the  old  ministers  that  is  yet  liv- 
ing Almost  all  of  the  old  settlers  who  were  living  when  he 
began  his  ministerial  labors  have  died  or  removed  to  distant 
lands ;  but  the  reputation  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Toungblood,  for  kind- 
ness to  the  poor,  for  generosity  to  his  fellow-men,  as  well  as  his 
fervent  piety  and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  his  Master,  will  never 
be  forgotten. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


The  Social  Experiment  at  New  Harmony. 


By  Robkbt  Dauc  Owsn. 


^N  the  Summer  of  1824  there  came  to  Brazfield  a  gentle* 
man  whose  visit  to  as  there  determined,  in  great  meas- 
ure, the  course  of  my  future  life. 

Richard  Flower.an  experienced  English  agriculturist,po8se«8ed 
of  considerable  means,  had  emigrated,  some  years  before,  to  the 
United  States,  and  had  settled  at  Albion,  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Illinois,  and  about  twenty-five  miles  from  a  German  vil- 
lage founded  by  emigrants  from  the  Kingdom  of  Wurtemberg^ 
schismatics  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  led  by  their  pastor  George 
Rapp.  These  people  came  lo  America  in  1804,  settling  first  on 
the  waters  of  Oonequenessing,  Pennsylvania ;  afterwards,  namely 
in  1813,  on  the  Lower  Wabash  River  and  about  fifteen  miles 
from  the  town  of  Mount  Vernon  on  the  Ohio.  There  they  pur- 
chased thirty  thousand  acres  chiefly  government  land,  and 
erected  a  village  containing  about  a  hundred  and  sixty  buildings, 
one  half  brick  or  frame,  the  other  half  of  logs.  They  held  it 
to  be  a  religious  duty  to  imitate  the  piimitive  Christians,  who 
"  had  all  things  in  common  ''*  to  conform  to  St,  Paul's  opinion 
that  celibacy  is  better  than  marriage  ;t  and  desiring  also  to  be 
like  the  early  disciples,  '*  of  one  heart  and  of  one  80ul,'*|  they 
called  their  little  town  Harmonie. 

Their  experiment  was  a  marvellous  success  in  a  pecuniary 
point  ot  view ;  for  at  the  time  of  their  immigration  their  prop- 
erty did  not  exceed  twenty-five  dollars  a  head,  while  in  twenty- 
one  years — to-wit,  in  1825 — a  fair  estimate  gave  them  two 
thousand  dollars  for  each   person  —  man,  woman,  and   child  ; 

*Acto  Iv.  32.    The  land  wm  entered  in  the  nMuee  of  the  entire  community;  and  wm 
conveyed  by  Bspp,  under  a  power  of  attorney  from  tbem  to  my  father, 
ti  OorinthiaiiB,  viL  8.    They  lived  together  as  the  Shakers  Jo. 
i  Acts  iv.  3. 


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216  EvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

probably  ten  times  the  average  wealth  throaghoat  the  United 
States ;  for  at  that  time  each  person  in  Indiana  averaged  bat  a 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  of  property,  and  even  in  Massacha- 
setts  the  average  fell  short  of  three  hundred  dollars  for  each 
adult  and  child.  Intellectually  and  socially,  however,  it  was 
doubtless  a  failure ;  as  an  ecclesiastical  autocracy,  especially 
when  it  contravenes  an  important  law  of  nature,  must  eventu- 
ally be.  Rapp  was  absolute  ruler,  assuming  to  be  such  in  virtue 
of  a  divine  call ;  and  it  was  said,  probably  with  truth,  that  he 
desired  to  sell  out  at  Harmonic,  because  life  there  was  getting 
to  be  easy  and  quiet,  with  leisure  for  thought ;  and  because  he 
found  it  difficult  to  keep  his  people  in  order,  except  during  the 
bustle  and  hard  work  which  attend  a  new  settlement.  At  all 
events  he  commisioned  Mr.  Flower  to  offer  the  entire  Harmony 
property  for  sale. 

The  offer  tempted  my  father.  Here  was  a  villa'ge  ready 
built,  a  territory  capable  of  supporting  tens  of  thousands  in  a 
country  where  the  expression  of  th^^ught  was  free,  and  where 
people  were  unsophisticated.  I  listened  with  delight  to  Mr. 
Flower's  account  of  a  frontier  life  ;  and  when,  one  morning,  my 
father  asked  me,  "  Well,  Robert,  what  say  you  —  New  Lanark 
or  Harmony?"  I  answered,  without  hesitation,  "Harmony." 
Aside  from  the  romance  and  the  novelty,  I  think  one  prompting 
motive  was,  that  if  our  family  settled  in  Western  America  it 
would  facilitate  my  marriage  with  Jessie. 

Mr.  Flower  could  not  conceal  from  us  his  amazement,  say- 
ing to  me,  I  remember,  '*  Does  your  father  really  think  of  giv- 
ing up  a  position  like  his,  with  every  comfort  and  luxury,  and 
taking  his  family  to  the  wild  life  of  the  Far  West  ?  "  He  did 
not  know  that  my  father's  one  ruling  desire  was  for  a  vast  the- 
atre on  which  to  try  his  plan  of  social  reform.  Robert  Owen 
thought  he  had  found  one ;  crossed  the  Atlantic  —  taking  my 
brother  William  with  him,  and  leaving  me  manager  of  the  mills 
— in  the  Autumn  of  1824 ;  completed,  in  April,  1825,  the  pur- 
chase, for  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  of  the  Rapp 
village  and  twenty  thousand  acres  of  land  ;  and  in  the  course 
of  the  Summer  some  eight  hundred  people  had  flocked  in.  in 
accordance  with  a  public  invitation  given  by  him  to  "  the  indus* 
rious  and  well  disposed  "  of  all  nations  and  creeds.  Every  dwel- 
ling house  was  filled. 

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JBvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  217 

The  purchase,  though  not  judicious  merely  as  a  pecuuiarj 
investment,  seeing  that  the  estate  lay  in  an  interior  nook  of  the 
country,  o£f  any  main  line  of  travel,  actual  or  projected,  and 
on  a  river  navigable  for  steamers  during  a  few  months  in  the 
year  only,  was  eligible  enough  for  my  father's  special  purpose. 
The  land  around  the  village,  of  which  three  thousand  acres 
were  under  cultivation,  was  of  the  richest  quality  of  alluvial 
soil,  level  but  above  the  highest  water-mark,  and  in  good  farm- 
ing order.  This  valley-land  was  surrounded  by  a  semicircular 
range  of  undulating  hills,  rising  sixty  or  seventy  feet  above  the 
plain  below,  and  sweeping  round  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
village  on  its  southern  side.  On  a  portion  of  these  hills  where 
the  descent  was  steep  were  vineyards  in  full  bearing,  covering 
eighteen  acres  and  partly  terraced.  On  the  west,  where  this 
range  of  hills  increased  in  height,  is  terminated  abruptly  on  a 
"  cut-off"  of  the  Wabash  River,  which  afforded  water-power 
used  to  drive  a  large  flour-mill ;  and  near  by,  on  the  precipi- 
tous hillside,  was  a  quarry  of  freestone.  Across  the  cut-off  was 
an  island  containing  three  thousand  acres,  affording  excellent 
woods  pasture. 

The  village  had  been  built  on  the  bottom  land,  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  the  river.  Seen  from  the  brow  of  the  hill-range  as 
one  approached  it  from  Mount  Vernon  it  was  picturesque 
enough  literally  embowered  in  trees,  rows  of  black  locusts  mark- 
ing the  street  lines.  Several  large  buildings  stood  out  above 
the  foliage,  of  which  a  spacious  cruciform  brick  hall  the  trans- 
cept  a  hundred  and  thirty  feet  across,  was  the  chief.  There 
was  also  a  church,  a  steam  mill,  a  woolen  factory,  and  several 
large  boarding-houses.  The  private  dwellings  were  small,  each 
in  a  separate  garden-spot.  Adjoining  the  village  on  the  south 
were  extensive  apple  and  peach  orchards. 

When  my  father  first  reached  the  place,  he  found  among 
the  Germans — its  sole  inhabitants — indications  of  plenty  and 
material  comfort,  but  with  scarcely  a  touch  of  fancy  or  orna- 
ment ;  the  only  exceptions  being  a  few  flowers  in  the  gardens, 
and  what  was  called  "  The  Labyrinth,"  a  pleasure-ground  laid 
out  near  the  village  with  some  taste,  and  intended — so  my 
father  was  told — as  an  emblematic  representation  of  the  life 
these  colonists  had  chosen.    It  contained  small  groves  and  gar- 

28 

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218  Evanmnlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

dens,  with  numerous  circuitous  walks  enclosed  by  high  beech 
hedges  and  bordered  with  flowering  shrubbery,  but  arranged 
with  such  intricacy  that,  without  some  Daedalus  to  furnish  a 
clew,  one  might  wander  for  hours  and  fail  to  reach  a  building 
erected  in  the  center.  This  was  a  temple  of  rude  material,  but 
covered  with  vines  of  the  grape  and  convolvulus,  and  its  inte- 
rior neatly  fitted  up  and  prettily  furnished.  Thus  (Jeorge  Rapp 
had  sought  to  shadow  forth  to  his  followers  the  diflficulties  of 
attaining  a  state  of  peace  and  social  harmony.  The  perplexing 
approach,  the  rough  exterior  of  the  shrine,  and  the  elegance 
displayed  within  were  to  serve  as  types  of  toil  and  suffering, 
succeeded  by  happy  repose. 

The  toil  and  suffering  had  left  their  mark,  however,  on  the 
grave,  stolid,  often  sad  Qerman  faces.  They  looked  well  fed, 
warmly  clothed — my  father  told  me  —  and  seemed  free  from 
anxiety.  The  animal  had  been  sufficiently  cared  for ;  and  that 
is  a  good  deal  in  a  world  where  millions  can  hardly  keep  the 
wolf  from  the  door,  drudge  as  they  will,  and  where  hundreds 
of  millions,  manage  as  they  may,  live  in  daily  uncertainty 
whether,  in  the  next  week  or  month — chance  of  work  or  means 
of  living  failing — absolute  penury  may  not  fall  to  their  lot.  A 
shelter  from  life-wearying  cares  is  something;  but  a  temple  typ- 
ifies higher  things — more  than  what  we  shall  eat  and  what  we 
shall  drink  and  wherewithal  we  shall  be  clothed.  Knapp*s  dis- 
ciples had  bought  these  too  dearly,  —  at  eipense  of  heart  and 
soul.  They  purchased  them  by  unquestioning  submission  to  an 
autocrat  who  had  been  commissioned — perhaps  as  he  really  be- 
lieved, certainly  as  he  alleged — by  Grod  himself.  He  bade  them 
do  this  and  that,  and  they  did  it ;  required  them  to  say,  as  the 
disciples  in  Jerusalem  said,  that  none  of  the  things  they  pos- 
sessed were  their  own,  and  they  said  it;  commanded  them  to 
forego  wedded  life  in  all  its  incidents,  and  to  this  also  they 
assented. 

Their  experiment  afforded  conclusive  proof  that,  if  a  com- 
munity of  persons  are  willing  to  pay  so  high  a  price  for  abund- 
ant food,  clothing,  shelter  and  absolute  freedom  from  pecuniary 
cares,  they  can  readily  obtain  all  this,  working  leisurely  under 
a  system  of  common  labor,  provided  the  dictator  to  whom  they 
submit  is  a  good  bcsiness  manager.     The  success  of  the  Rapp- 


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Mvansville  cmd  its  Men  of  Mark,  219 

ites,  such  as  it  was,  wonderfully  encouraged  my  father.  He 
felt  sure  that  he  could  be  far  more  successful  than  they,  without 
the  aid  either  of  bodily  and  mental  despotism  or  of  celibacy. 
Aside  from  rational  education,  which  he  deemed  indispensable, 
he  trusted  implicitly,  as  cure  for  all  pocial  and  industrial  ills,  to 
the  principle  of  co-operation. 

There  was  much  in  the  economical  condition  of  England 
to  lead  a  mind  like  my  father's,  accustomed  to  generalizations, 
and  imbued  with  sanguine  confidence  in  whatever  he  desired,  to 
such  a  conclusion  ;  and,  unless  I  here  devote  a  page  or  two  to 
a  succinct  statement — in  mere  outline  it  must  be — of  the  main 
statistical  facts  whicn  go  to  make  up  that  strange  and  unprece- 
dented condition,  I  shall  leave  my  readers  without  a  clew  to  the 
motives  which  caused  a  successful  business  man  like  my  father 
to  relinquish  wealth,  domestic  ease,  affluent  comforts,  and  an 
influential  position,  and  to  adventure,  with  a  faith  which  admit- 
ted not  even  the  possibility  of  failure,  an  untried  experiment 
on  an  unknown  field,  then  little  better  than  a  wilderness. 

As  a  large  manufacturer,  much  cogent  evidence  bearing  on 
that  condition  had  been  brought  home  to  him.  Ten  years 
before,  Oolquhoun  had  published  his  work  on  the  Resources  of 
the  British  Empire,  and  that  had  supplied  important  additional 
data. 

My  father  felt  that  there  was  then — as  there  is  now — one 
of  the  great  problems  of  the  age  still  to  be  solved  :  I  can  here 
but  briefly  state,  not  seek  to  solve  it.  It  connects  itself  with 
the  unexampled  increase  of  productive  power  which  human 
beings  in  civilized  life  have  acquired  in  little  more  than  a  single 
century,  and  with  the  momentous  question  whether  this  vast 
gift  of  labor-saving  inventions  is  to  result  in  mitigation  of  the 
toil  and  melioration  of  the  condition  of  the  millions  who  have 
acquired  it.  Few  persons  realize  the  extent  of  this  modern 
agency,  the  changed  state  of  things  it  has  brought  about,  or  the 
efiect  of  its  introduction,  so  far,  upon  the  masses,  especially  in 
European  countries. 

From  certain  Parliamentary  reports  made  in  1815,  in  con- 
nection with  Sir  Robert  Peel's  Factory  Bill  (already  alluded 
to),  my  father  derived  data  in  proof  that  the  machinery  em- 
ployed in  Great  Britain  in  cotton-spinning  alone — in  one  branch, 

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220  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

therefore,  of  one  manufacture — superseded  at  that  time  the 
labor  of  eighty  million  adults ;  and  he  succeeded  in  proving,  to 
the  satisfaction  of  England's  ablest  statistician,"'  that  if  all  the 
branches  of  the  cotton,  woolen,  flax,  and  silk  manufactures 
were  included,  the  machine-baved  labor  it  producing  English 
textile  fabrics  exceeded  in  those  days,  the  work  which  two  hun- 
dred millions  of  operatives  could  not  have  turned  out  previous 
to  the  year  1760. 

This  statement  of  my  father's  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
British  political  economists  of  that  day,  was  virtually  adopted 
by  them  soon  after,  and  became,  as  these  vast  inanimate  powers 
increased,  the  foundation  of  successive  calculations  touching 
their  aggregate  amount  in  all  branches  of  industry  carried  on  in 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  In  1835  my  father  put  down  that 
aggregate  as  equal  to  the  labor  of  four  hundred  million  adults  ; 
and  estimates  by  recent  English  statisticians,  brought  up  to  the 
present  time,  vary  from  five  hundred  to  seven  hundred  millions. 
We  may  safely  assume  the  mean  of  these  estimates — six  hun- 
dred milliona — as  closely  approximating  the  truth  to-day. 

But  the  population  of  the  world  is,  in  round  numbers, 
twelve  hundred  millions  ;  and  the  usual  estimate  of  the  pro- 
ductive manual  labor  of  a  country  is,  that  it  does  not  exceed 
that  of  a  number  of  adult  workmen  equal  to  one  fourth  of  its 
population.  Thus,  the  daily  labor  of  three  hundred  million 
abuits  represents  the  productive  maniuil  power  of  the  world. 

It  follows  that  Great  Britain  and  Ireland's  labor  saving 
machinery  equals  in  productive  action,  the  manual  laLor  power 
of  two  world  >  as  populous  as  this. 

It  follows,  further,  inasmuch  as  the  present  population  of 
the  British  Isles  is  less  than  thirty  millions,  that  seven  millions 
and  a  half  of  adults  represent  the  number  of  living  operatives 
who  control  and  manipulate  that  prodigious  amount  of  inani- 
mate force. 

Thus,  in  aid  of  the  manual  labor  of  seven  and  a  half  mill- 
ions of  human  workmen,  Great  Britain  may  be  said  to  have 
imported,   from   the   vast  regions  of  invention,   six   hundred 

*Colqiihoun,  whose  celebrated  work  on  a  cognate  subject  is  aboTo  referred  to.  See, 
for  Robert  Owen*t  oonTertation  with  Colqnhoun  on  this  subject,  his  (0wen*B)  aatobk«> 
raphy,  p.  127. 


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Comtr  MtUbturry  and  Second  8treeU, 
Erected  1873. 

Vm  STREET  PRESBYTERIAN  CHlllmt,      -    Rev.  C.  B.  H.  Martin,  Pastor. 


ROBERT  BOYD,  Arohlteot, 

GONTRAGTOBS  : 
Brick  Work  and  Slating,    •    -    Wm.  Bedford,  Jr.     Stone  Work,    ....    Albtcker  A  GadAa. 
Carpenter  and  Joiner,    .    .    •    Thomas  Eaton.         Galvanised  Iron  and  Tin  Work,  J.  B.  Meckel . 

BUILDING  OOMMITTKE  : 
Wm    E.  Fbbkoh,  N.  M.  Ooodlbtt,  L.  BunPHBB,  Ja^^^l^ 

FINANCE  GOMMITTEE  : 
Sam'l  M    Abcbbb,  CvpaiAx  PauTov,  Wm.  G.  Bbowk. 


Evanmnlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  221 

millioDB  of  powerful  and  paseive  slaves ;  slaves  that  consume 
neither  food  nor  clothing;  slaves  that  sleep  not,  weary  not 
sicken  not ;  gigantic  slaves  that  drain  subterranean  lakes  in 
their  master's  service,  or  set  in  motion,  at  a  touch  from  his 
hand,  machinery  under  which  the  huge  and  solid  buildings  that 
contain  it  groan  and  shake ;  ingenious  slaves  that  outrival,  in 
the  delicacy  of  their  operations,  the  touch  of  man,  and  put  to 
shame  the  best  exertions  of  his  steadiness  and  accuracy ;  yet 
slaves,  patient,  submissive,  obedient,  from  whom  no  rebellion 
need  be  feared,  who  cannot  suffer  cruelty  nor  experience  pain. 

These  unwearying  and  inanimate  slaves  outnumber  the 
human  laborers  who  direct  their  operations  as  eighty  to  one. 
What  is  the  result  of  this  importation  ? 

If  we  shut  our  closet  doors  and  refuse  to  take  the  answer 
from  the  state  of  things  as  it  actually  exists,  we  shall  probably 
say  that  inestimable  aid,  thus  sent  down  from  Heaven  as  it 
were,  to  stand  by  and  assist  man  in  his  severest  toils,  must  have 
rendered  him  in  easy  circumstances,  rich  in  all  the  necessaries 
and  comforts  of  life,  a  master  instead  of  a  slave,  a  being  with 
leisure  for  enjoyment  and  improvement,  a  free  man,  delivered 
from  the  original  curse  which  declared  that  in  the  sweat  of  his 
brow  should  man  eat  bread  all  the  days  of  his  life .  But  if 
rejecting  mere  inference,  we  step  out  among  the  realities 
around  us,  with  eyes  open  and  sympathies  awake,  we  shall  see, 
throughout  the  Old  World,  the  new  servants  competing  with 
those  they  might  be  made  to  serve.  We  shall  see  a  contest 
going  on  in  the  market  of  labor,  between  wood  and  iron  on  the 
one  hand,  and  human  thews  and  sinews  on  the  other ;  a  dread- 
ful contest,  at  which  humanity  shudders,  and  reason  turns  as- 
tonished away.  We  shall  see  masters  engaging,  as  the  cheapest 
most  docile,  and  least  troublesome  help,§  the  machine  instead 
of  the  man.  And  we  shall  see  the  man,  thus  denied  even  the 
privilege  to  toil,  shrink  home,  with  sickening  heart  to  the  cellar 
where  his  wife  and  children  herd,  and  sink  down  on  its  damp 
floor  to  ask  of  his  despair  where  these  things  shall  end, — wheth- 
er  the  soulless  slaves,  bred   year   by  year  from  the   teeming 

9 «« The  telf-ftotixig  muU  has  the  importftnt  advMitege  of  rendering  the  mill  owners 
lnd^>endant  of  the  combinations  and  strikes  of  the  working  spinners.'*— Baine's  Cotton 
Mamifbctiire,  p.  a07. 


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222  Mvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

womb  of  science,  shall  gradually  thrust  aside,  into  idleness  and 
starvation  their  human  competitors,  until  the  laborer,  like  other 
extinct  races  of  animals,  shall  perish  from  the  earth. 

I  have  made  a  special  study  of  the  statistical  facts  which 
go  to  justify  more  than  all  I  here  assert.  But  the  limits  of 
this  narrative  allow  me  to  give  only  a  condensed  abstract  of  the 
results. 

For  two  centuries  after  the  Conquest,  feudal  oppressions 
and  intestine  wars  grievously  oppressed  British  labor.  At  any 
moment  the  serf  might  be  taken  from  the  plough  to  arm  in  his 
liege  lord's  quarrel ;  and  if,  spite  of  all  such  interruptions,  the 
seed  was  sown  and  the  harvest  ripened,  the  chance  remained 
that  it  might  be  cut  down  by  the  sword  of  the  forager  or  tram- 
pled under  the  hoof  of  the  war-horse.  Nothing  is  more  charac- 
teristic than  the  Borderer's  account  of  an  ancient  raid,  in  Scott's 
Lay: — 

'*  They  orotMd  the  Uddell  at  curfew  hour, 
And  burnt  my  little  lonely  tower. 
The  fiend  reoelTe  their  eoiibi  therefor : 
It  hftd  n't  been  bnmt  this  jmt  or  more  !** 

The  peasantry,  or  rather  villeinry,  of  those  days — many  of 
them  thralls — had  the  scantiest  wages,  often  mere  food  and 
clothing,  living  miserably.  But  during  Edward  the  Third's 
wars  with  France,  he  was  compelled  to  manumit  many  bonds- 
men, in  order  to  recruit  his  armies ;  and  the  forced  services  of 
villeinage  were  gradually  exchanged  for  free  labor,  often  fixed 
by  statute.  In  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,  common 
labor  on  a  farm  was  set  at  three  pence  half  penny  a  day  ;  in 
harvest,  four  pence.  But  at  that  time  wheat  did  not  exceed 
six  pence  a  bushel,  and  other  staple  articles  of  food  were  in 
proportion.  So  in  the  fifteenth  century,  harvest  wages  were 
five  pence,  and  wheat  was  seven  ponce  halfpenny  a  bushel. 
With  all  this  accords  what  Sir  John  Cullum,  the  English  anti- 
quarian (quoted  as  reliable  authority  by  Hallam),  tells  us, 
namely,  that  in  the  fourteenth  century  a  week's  wages  in  har- 
vest enabled  the  laborer  to  buy  four  bushels  of  wheat.  The 
weekly  wages  of  common  farm  labor,  however,  throughout  the 
year,  were  the  equivalent  of  three  bushels  of  wheat  only.  This 
last  may  be  safely  assumed  as  the  purchasing  power  of  ordinary 

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HvanmHlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  228 

farm  labor  in  England  four  hundred  and  five  hundred  years 
ago. 

After  many  fluctuations,  weekly  wages  of  ordinary  labor 
settled  down,  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  to  about 
a  bushel  and  a  half  of  wheat.f  By  the  middle  of  the  present 
century  a  common  farm  laborer  could  purchase,  with  his  eight 
shillings  for  a  week's  work,  but  one  bushel  of  wheat.  Since 
then  wages  have  slowly  risen ;  and  to-day  a  farm  laborer,  with 
nine  and  sixpence  to  ten  shillings  a  week,  can  earn  a  bushel  and 
a  quarter  of  wheat. 

Though,  for  brevity *s  sake  I  have  here  confined  the  compari- 
son to  staple  bread-stuff  alone,  I  have  verified  the  fact  that  it 
applies  equally  to  other  »rticlee  of  common  use  or  necessity.  In 
the  fiteenth  century  a  week's  labor  bought  sixty-four  pounds  of 
butchers'  meat ;  now  it  will  hardly  purchase  nineteen.  So,  in- 
stead of  ten  geese,  three  would  now  absorb  a  week's  labor ; 
instead  of  a  sheep  a  week,  a  laborer  must  toil  four  weeks  for  a 
single  sheep.  Again,  a  day*s  wages  will  now  buy,  not  eight 
dozen  of  eggs,  as  then  it  did,  but  three  dozen  ;  not  eight  pounds 
of  cheese,  but  three ,  not  five  pounds  of  butter,  but  two.  Even 
in  some  staple  articles  of  clothing,  the  balance  is  against  the 
peasant  of  to-day.  Three  day's  labor  will  now  hardly  procure 
him  the  stout  pair  of  shoes  which  a  single  day  formerly  paid 
for ;  and  nine  day's  labor  instead  of  six,  are  needed  to  obtain 
the  material  for  a  winter  coat,  that  is,  if  a  farm  laborer  should 
be  extravagant  enough  to  buy  coarse   broadcloth   for  such   a 

purposa 

Labor  in  factories  is  somewhat  better  paid  than  farm  labor ; 

adult  operatives  receiving  from  nine  to  eleven  shillings  a  week 
when  fully  employed.  But  there  are  thousands,  weavers  and 
others  in  every  manufacturing  district,  who  have  only  occasional 
work  at  home  and  live  in  squallid  wretchedness, — wretchedness 
that  has  often  but  five  cents  a  day  to  keep  each  human  body 
and  soul  together,^ — wretchedness  that  terribly  shortens  life. 

tHee  table  of  wages  and  prices  ffom  1813  back  to  1495,  by  Barton,  in  his  Enquiry  into 
the  DepredatioD  of  Labor. 

tin  Mlnutee  of  Evidence  before  a  Select  Committee  of  the  Honae  of  Oommona 
1S33,  Mr.  William  Stocks,  secretary  of  a  committee  of  factory  owners,  deposed  to  certain 
facts  obtained  and  verified  by  that  committee  during  visits  to  the  cottages  of  laborera 
lo  and  aronnd  ilnddersfleld,  thns  smnming  np  the  results :    *'  We  found  13,236  Individ- 


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224  Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Another  most  significant  fact  is,  that  whereas,  three  hun- 
dred years  ago,  the  poor-law  system  of  England  scarcely  existed, 
my  father  found  one  in  ten  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  Great  Brit- 
ain a  pauper,  receiving  parish  relief.§  Without  the  English 
poor-laws,  there  would  long  since  have  been  wholesale  starva- 
tion among  those  able  and  willing  to  work,  and,  probably  a  re- 
bellion instigated  by  despair. 

With  all  the  foregoing  data  tallies  an  estimate  made  by 
Hallam,  in  his  History  of  the  Middle  Ages,  of  the  relative 
value  of  money  ;  which  is,  that  any  given  sum  in  the  fourteenth 
century  must  be  multiplied  by  twenty,  and  in  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury by  sixteen,  to  bring  it  to  the  standard  of  our  day.  If  so^ 
then  the  common  laborer's  wages  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
centuries  were  equivalent  to  five  shillings  of  the  modern  En- 
glish currency  per  day,  or  to  thirty  shillings  per  week ;  at  least 
three  times  as  much  as  such  a  laborer  receives  at  present. 

But  to  guard  against  possible  exaggeration,  let  us  deduct 
one  third  from  this  result :  and  the  startling  fact  still  forces  it- 
self on  our  attention,  that  the  working-classes  employed  in 
tilling  the  garden  soil  ot  Great  Britain,  or  in  tending  her  mag- 
nificent machinery,  receive  now,  as  the  price  of  their  toil,  but 
one  half  as  much  as  their  rude  ancestors  did  fiv-e  centuries  ago. 

As  cure  for  such  evil  and  suffering,  my  father  found  the 
political  economists  urging  a  reduction  of  taxes.  But  his  ex- 
perience taught  him  to  regard  that  as  a  mere  temporary  pallia- 
tive.    The  very   reduction   of  government  burdens   might  be 

uals  thftt  averaged  two  pence  halfpeony  (fire  cento)  per  day  to  live  on.    That  sum  inclu- 
ded all  parish  relief ;  and  it  was  not  wholly  applicable  to  meat  and  driok,  for  they  had 
*  rent  and  everything  to  pay  ont  of  it,  including  wear  and  tear  of  looms  *'    Mioutes  of 
Evidence,  July  28.  and  August  3.  1833 

The  Report  of  the  Liverpool  Branch  of  the  Anti-Oom-Law  League  for  1833  shows  a 
similar  state  or  wholesale  misery.  It  sUtee  that  "in  Vauxhall  Ward,  Liverpool,  con- 
taining in  all  6,000  families,  or  24,000  souls,  the  number  of  3,462  families  had  but  two 
pence  halfpenny  (five  cents)  per  individual  to  live  on.** 

fiLa  our  manufacturing  districts  every  eleventh  inhabitant,  and  in  our  agricultural 
oounties  every  eighth  Inhabitant,  receives  parish  relief.  But  this  by  no  means  repreeeata 
the  whole  mass  of  snflTering,  The  horror  of  being  branded  as  a  pauper  is  so  prevalent 
among  the  industrial  population,  that  thousands  prefer  death  by  gradual  starvation,  to 
placing  themselves  on  the  parish  funds,**— Report  of  lliverpool  Brauch  of  the  Anti- 
Com-Law  League,  1833. 

These  calculationa  are,  however,  for  the  middle  of  the  present  century.  Wages  hav* 
ing  since  risen  twenty  or  twenty-five  per  cent.,  the  proportion  of  paupers  is  considerably 
less  to-day. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  225 

taken  as  an  all  sufficient  plea  for  the  farther  redaction  of  wages. 
Labor  could  be  afforded  for  less.  And  down  to  the  very  point 
at  which  it  can  be  afforded, — which  means  at  that  point  on  the 
road  to  famine  at  which  men  are  not  starved  suddenly,  but  die 
slowly  of  toil  inadequately  sustained  by  scanty  and  unwhole- 
some food, — down  to  that  point  of  bare  subsistence  my  father 
saw  the  laborer  of  Britain  thrust.  How  ?  Wherefore  ?  By 
what  legerdemain  of  cruelty  and  injustice  ? 

Thus  the  problem  loomed  upon  him.  We  may  imagine 
his  reflections.  Why,  as  the  world  advances  in  knowledge  and 
power,  do  the  prospects  and  the  comforts  of  the  mass  of  man- 
kind darken  and  decline  ?  How  happens  it  that  four  or  five 
centuries  have  passed  over  Britain,  bringing  peace  where  raged 
feuds  and  forays,  affording  protection  to  person  and  property, 
setting  tree  the  shackled  press,  spreading  intelligence  and  liber- 
ality, reforming  religion  and  fostering  civilization, — how  happens 
it  that  these  centuries  of  improvement  have  left  the  British 
laborer  twofold  more  the  slave  of  toil  than  they  found  him  ? 
Why  must  mechanical  inventions — inevitable  even  if  they  were 
mischievous,  and  in  themselves  a  rich  blessing  as  surely  as  they 
are  inevitable — stand  in  array  against  the  laborer,  instead  of 
toiling  by  his  side. 

Momentous  questions  these  !  My  father  pondered  them 
day  and  night.  If  he  had. tersely  stated  the  gist  of  his  reflec- 
tions— which  he  was  not  always  able  to  do — they  might  have 
assumed  some  such  form  as  this :  Will  any  man,  who  stands  on 
his  reputation  for  sanity,  affirm  that  the  necessary  result  of 
over-production  is  famine  ?  That  because  labor  produces  more 
than  even  luxury  can  waste,  labor  shall  not  have  bread  to  eat? 
If  we  can  imagine  a  point  in  the  progres  of  improvement  at 
which  all  the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life  shall  be  produced 
without  human  labor,  are  we  to  suppose  that  the  human  laborer, 
when  that  point  is  reached,  is  to  be  dismissed  by  Jkis  masters 
fiom  their  employment,  to  be  told  that  he  is  now  a  useless  in- 
cumbrance which  they  cannot  afford  to  hire  ? 

If  such  a  result  be  flagrantly  absurd  in  the  extreme,  it 
was  then,  and  is  now,  in  Great  Britain,  a  terrible  reality  in  the 
degree.  Men  were  told  that  machines  had  filled  their  places 
and  that  their  services  were  no  longer  required.    Certain   En- 

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226  Evansville  and  ita  Men  of  Mark, 

glifih  economists  scrupled  not  to  avow  the  doctrine,  that  a  man 
born  into  a  world  already  occupied  and  overstocked  with  labor 
has  no  bioht  to  claim  food  ;  that  such  a  one  is  a  being  super- 
fluous on  the  earth,  and  for  whom,  at  the  great  banquet  of  na. 
ture,  there  is  no  place  to  be  found.f 

My  father's  conclusions  from  the  data  which  I  have  here 
furnished  were  : 

1.  That  the  enormously  increased  productive  powers  which 
man  in  modern  times  has  acquired,  involve,  and  in  a  measure 
necessitate,  great  changes  in  the  social  and  industrial  structure 
of  society. 

2.  That  the  world  has  reached  a  point  of  progress  at  which 
co-operative  industry  should  replace  competitive  labor, 

3.  That  society,  discarding  large  cities  and  solitary  homes, 
should  resolve  itself  into  associations,  each  of  fifteen  hundred 
or  two  thousand  persons,  who  should  own  land  and  houses  in 
common  and  labor  for  the  benefit  of  the  community.  In  this 
way,  he  believed,  labor-saving  power  would  directly  aid,  not 
tend  to  oppress,  the  workman. 

The  first  proposition  is  doubtless  true,  especially  as  to  old 
countries  largely  engaged  in  manufactures;  the  question  re- 
maining, however,  of  what  character  and  to  what  extent  the 
changes  should  be. 

The  second  proposition  is  now  on  trial  in  England  on  a 
large  scale.  Through  the  kindness  of  an  English  friend  I  have 
before  me  a  report  of  the  Fifth  Annual  Go-operative  Oongresa, 
held  at  Newcastle  on  the  12th,  18th  and  14th  of  last  April,  and 
which  was  attended  by  two  hundred  delegates  from  all  parts  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.^  The  two  most  prominent  speakers 
were  members  of  Parliament ;  namely,  the  well-known  Thomas 
Hughes,  author  of  Tom  Brown  at  Oxford,  and  Walter  Morrison. 

Mr.  Hughes  introduced  the  resolution,  **  That  this  meeting 
recognizes  in  co-operation  the  most  effective  means  of  perma* 
nently  raising  the  condition  of  the  people."    And  }lr,  Morrison 

See  MalthvB,  in  his  EsMy  on  the  Principle  of  Population,  But  my  father  bdiered 
in  the  axiom  put  forth  by  a  French  historian :  **AYant  tontes  les  lois  sodalea,  I^omme 
ayoit  le  droit  de  snbsister.'*-  Baynal,  Hlstolre  des  Indes,  Vol.  X,  p.  2S2. 

X  Published  in  the  Newcastle  Weekly  Chronicle  of  April  19, 1878,  aud  coTering  twen- 
ty-nine doaely  printed  columns.  This  paper  is  larger  than  the  Mew  York  Tribune 
and  waa  esUblished  in  1764. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  227 

moved  the  following  :  **  That  it  is  of  the  essence  of  co-operation 
to  recognize  the  right  of  labor  to  a  substantial  share  in  the 
profits  it  creates.'*  Both  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted- 
Mr.  Oowen,  chairman  of  the  Congress,  said,  in  opening  one 
of  its  meetings  :  '*  I  am  not  an  old  man.  yet  I  recollect  a  meet- 
ing which  was  held  in  this  room  thirty  years  ago.  It  was  ad- 
dressed by  the  father  of  co-operative  principles  in  this  country, 
Mr.  Robert  Owen.  [Cheers.]  To  the  discredit  of  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Newcastle,  they  brought  the  meeting  to  a  close 
by  breaking  the  windows  and  dispersing  the  audience.  They 
refused  to  listen  to  the  patient  and,  I  may  say,  affectionate 
appeals  which  Mr.  Owen  made  to  his  hearers.  We  have  con- 
siderably advanced  since  then." 

The  experiments  then  commenced,  in  the  way  of  co-ope- 
rative stores,  failed  at  that  time,  probably  because  the  current 
of  public  opinion  set  in  strongly  against  them.  How  great 
the  contrast  is  to-day  appears  from  the  statistics,  founded  on 
Parliamentary  documents,  which  were  laid  before  this  Congress. 
One  wholesale  co-operative  store  in  Manchester  has  two  hund- 
red and  seventy-seven  shareholding  societies,  and  has  five  hund- 
red societies  doing  business  with  it ;  has  a  capital  of  nearly  three 
quarters  of  a  million  dollars,  and  its  present  annual  business 
falls  but  little  short  of  six  millions.  During  eight  years  past  it 
has  done  business  to  the  amount  of  twenty  millions,  and  has 
incurred  in  that  period  but  a  single  thousand  dollars  of  bad 
debts.  Another,  the  North  of  England  wholesale  store,  does  a 
business  varying  from  a  hundred  thousand  to  a  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  dollars  a  week. 

There  are  in  all,  throughout  England,  about  a  thousand  co- 
operative stores,  and  full  returns  have  been  made  to  Parliament 
by  three-fourths  of  these.  These  three-fourths  had,  in  1871, 
two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  members;  a  capital  of  more 
than  twelve  and  a  half  millions  ;  were  doing  a  business  of  more 
than  forty-seven  millions  a  year,  with  an  annual  profit  of  four 
millions,  that  is,  eight  and  a  half  per  cent,  on  the  capital  in- 
vested. 

Besides  these  stores,  English  co-operators  have  engine 
works  employing  five  hundred  hands;  a  mining  company,  with 
twelve  hundred  workers  ;  an  industrial  bank   at  Newcastle ; 


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228  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

linen,  cotton,  and  other  factories;  corn-mills;  a  printing  soci- 
ety ;  an  agricultural  and  horticultural  association,  with  Thomas 
Hughes  in  its  council ;  and  a  Central  Agency  Society,  with  two 
members  of  Parliament  on  its  committee  of  management. 

Profiting  by  the  experience  of  the  past,  many  errors  in  or- 
ganization and  in  management  have  been  avoided.  At  this 
time,  with  some  twenty  millions  of  capital  employed,  these  co- 
operative enterprises  are,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  a  pecuni- 
ary success. 

As  to  the  third  proposition, — the  resolving  of  society  into 
small  communities  of  common  property — my  father  resolved  to 
test  it  at  New  Harmony.  I  think  it  was  a  mistake  to  change 
the  scene  of  the  experiment  from  England  to  the  United  States. 
The  average  wages  of  farm  labor  here  amount  to  a  dollar  and 
a  quarter  a  day,  or  seven  dollars  and  a  half  a  week ;  and  even 
if  we  put  wheat  at  a  dollar  and  eighty-five  cents  a  bushel, 
which  is  its  price  only  in  our  seaboard  cities  and  when  it  is 
ready  for  shipment,  a  week's  labor  in  husbandry  will  purchase 
four  bushels  of  wheat  instead  of  a  bushel  and  a  quarter,  as  in 
England  The  need  of  co-operation  or  some  other  protection 
for  la')or  may  be  said  to  be  threefold  greater  there  than  here. 

My  father  made  another  and  a  still  greater  mistake.  A 
believer  in  the  force  of  circumstances  and  of  the  instinct  of  self- 
interest  to  reform  all  men,  however  ignorant  or  vicious,  he  ad- 
mitted into  his  village  all  comers,  without  recommendatory 
introduction  or  any  examination  whatever.  This  error  was  the 
more  fatal,  because  it  is  in  the  ziature  of  any  novel  experiment, 
or  any  putting  lorth  of  new  views  which  may  tend  to  revolu- 
tionize the  opinions  or  habits  of  society,  to  attract  to  itself — as 
the  Reformation  did,  three  hundred  years  ago,  and  as  Spiritu- 
alism does  to- day — waifs  and  strays  from  surrounding  society  ; 
men  and  women  of  crude,  ill-considered,  extravagant  notions ; 
nay,  worse,  vagrants  who  regard  the  latest  heresy  but  a  stalk- 
ing-horse for  pecuniary  gain,  or  a  convenient  cloak  for  immoral 
demeanor. 

He  did,  indeed,  take  the  precaution  of  establishing  at  New 
Harmony,  in  the  first  instance,  a  preliminary  society  only ;  and 
he  did  refrain  from  any  conveyance  of  real  est(«^te  to  its  mem- 
bers.    But   he  allowed  this  motley  assemblage  to  elect  its  own 

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St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church. 

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JBvcmsville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  229 

Committee  of  Management,  though  the  constitution  of  the  soci- 
ety vested  in  him  the  appointing  power.f  The  constitution  was 
laid  before  the  inhabitants,  April  27,  1825  :  Robert  Owen  then, 
for  the  first  time,  addressing  the  inhabitants.  It  was  adopted 
May  14  But  my  father  was  able  to  remain,  to  watch  its  pro- 
gress, little  more  than  a  month.  He  departed,  early  in  June, 
for  England  ;  leaving  a  school  of  a  hundred  and  thirty  children 
who  were  boarded,  clothed,  and  educated  at  the  public  expense. 
As  to  to  the  other  inhabitants,  they  received  a  weekly  credit  on 
the  public  store  to  the  amount  which  their  services  were,  by 
the  committee,  deemed  worth.  There  was  a  good  band  of  mu- 
sic; and  the  inhabitants,  on  my  father's  recommendation, 
resolved  to  meet  together  three  evenings  each  week  :  one  to 
discuss  all  subjects  connected  with  the  welfare  of  the  society, 
another  for  a  concert  of  vocal  and  instrumental  music  ;  while 
the  third  was  given  up  to  a  public  ball. 

My  father's  reception  in  America  had  been  kind  and  hospi- 
table ;  and  he  gave  us,  on  his  return  to  Braxfield,  a  glowing  ac- 
count of  the  favor  with  which  his  plans  of  social  reform  were 
regarded  in  the  New  World,  and  of  the  condition  of  things^ 
and  the  bright  promise  for  the  future  at  New  Harmony  I  was 
captivated  ^ith  the  picture  he  drew,  and  embarked  with  him 
toward  the  end  of  September  from  Liverpool  in  the  packet-ship 
New  York,  exulting  as  an  Israelite  may  have  exulted  when 
Moses  spoke  to  him  of  the  Land  of  Promise. 

We  had  a  jovial  set  of  passengers,  including  the  opera 
troupe  of  the  elder  Garcia,  together  with  his  son  Manuel,  twenty 
years  old,  and  his  two  daughters — Maria,  then  aged  seventeen  ; 
and  Pauline,  then  only  four  years  old,  but  who  afterwards  be- 
came a  celebrated  singer  and  actress,  and  married  a  Paris  jour- 
nalist of  some  reputation.  Monsieur  Viardot.  She  was  the  pet 
of  passengers  and  crew  ;  and  I  have  heard  the  child  reply  in 
four  languages,  with  almost  equal  facility,  to  remarks  in  French, 
German,  Italian  and  Spanish,  addressed  to  her,  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, by  the  members  of  her  father's  company. 

t  See  New  Hwmony  Oftsetie.  Vol  1,  pege  186.  My  faUxer  reoommended  four  of  the 
Mven  peraone  who  oompoeed  the  oommlttee ;  and  theee  four  together  with  three  others, 
were  elected  by  the  citlsens. 

:  A  copy  of  this  constitutioD  will  be  found  in  New  Harmony  Gazette,  Vol  1,  pp.  2,  g 

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230  EvoMviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Her  elder  sister,  Mademoiselle  Garcia,  afterwards  world- 
renowned — her  brief  career  sad  indeed  in  private,  but  brilliant 
in  public  to  a  degree  hardly  paralleled  in  the  annals  of  the 
gtage — had  the  previous  Spring  made  a  successful  debut  in  Lon- 
don. She  was  a  most  interesting  girl,  simple,  frank,  bright  as 
could  be,  charming  in  conversation,  a  general  favorite  ;  and  I 
think  that  during  our  somewhat  protracted  voyage  she  capti- 
vated the  heart  of  Captain  McDonald,  a  young  English  officer, 
a  great  friend  and  admirer  of  my  father,  who  had  accompanied 
us  on  our  Transatlantic  trip.  It  came  to  nothing,  perhaps,  be- 
cause Mc  Donald,  though  a  noble,  generous  fellow,  had  then  lit- 
tle besides  his  commission  to  depend  on  ;  but  I  doubt  not  she 
would  have  been  far  happier  as  his  wife  than  she  afterward  Was 
— poor  girl ! — with  the  reputed  rich  but  bankrupt  Malibran. 

Her  health  seemed  feeble,  and  this  may  have  been  due  in 
part  to  the  extreme  severity  with  which  that  terrible  Spaniard, 
her  father,  treated  his  children.  The  troupe  had  frequent  re- 
hearsals on  deck  when  the  weather  was  fine,  greatly  to  the  de- 
light of  the  passengers.  The  only  drawback  to  our  pleasure  in 
listening  to  some  of  the  finest  voices  in  the  world  was  the  brutal 
manner  in  which  Garcia  sometimes  berated  the  singers,  but  es-  * 
pecially  his  son  and  daughter,  when  their  performance  did  not 
please  him. 

One  evening,  after  a  rehearsal  at  which  he  had  been  so 
violent  that  his  daughter  seemed  in  mortal  fear  of  him,  she  and 
I  sat  down,  on  a  sofa  on  deck,  to  a  game  of  chess.  At  first  she 
appeared  almost  as  lively  and  bright  as  usual ;  but,  ere  the  game 
<)uded,  she  turned  deadly  pale,  her  head  sunk  on  my  shoulder, 
and  had  I  not  caught  her  in  my  arms  she  must  have  fallen  to 
the  floor.  I  carried  her  down  to  the  cabin,  quite  insensible,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  she  recovered. 

Another  day,  at  the  close  of  a  rehearsal,  the  old  man  spoke 
in  insulting  terms  to  his  son,  I  and  other  passengers  being  pres- 
ent. Manuel  replied  in  a  respectful,  almost  submissive  tone ; 
yet  he  earnestly  vindicated  himself  against  the  charge — of  wil' 
tul  negligence,  I  think  it  was — which  his  father  brought  against 
him.  This  incensed  Garcia  to  such  a  degree,  that  he  suddenly 
struck  his  son  a  blow  with  his  fist  so  violent  that  the  youth 
dropped  on  the  deck  as  if  shot.      We  instantly  went  in  search 


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EvanaviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark,  231 

of  the  captain,  telling  him  what  had  happened,  and  he  came  on 
deck  at  once,  confronting  the  still  enraged  father. 

"  What  is  this,  sir  ?  *'  he  said,  the  tone  low,  but  with  a 
dangerous  ring  in  it.  '*  Is  it  true  that  you  dared  to  knock  your 
son  down  ?  " 

The  great  singer  was  silent  and  looked  sullen. 

*'  It  is  true  then  ?  "  The  tone  rose  a  little,  and  the  eyes 
flashed  ;  we  saw  there  was  mischief  in  them,  *'  Do  you  know, 
sir,"  he  went  on,  "  that  I  am  master  here  —  ruler  in  my  own 
ship — with  the  right  to  do  whatever  I  please,  if  it  is  necessary 
to  protect  my  passengers  either  from  insult  or  injury  ?  Do  you 
know  that  sir  ?  " 

Still  no  answer. 

**  Do  you  see  these  men  ?  **  pointing  to  some  sailors  who 
were  looking  on  at  a  distaace  with  eyes  of  curiosity.  ''A  single 
word  from  me  and  they  *11  seize  you  on  the  spot !  But  I  don't 
want  a  fuss  on  board  my  ship.  This  time  1 11  pass  it  by.  Bat 
now  attend  to  what  I  say  ;  you  had  better,  for  your  own  sake. 
If  you  lay  a  finger  again  on  a  single  passenger  here  —  on  your 
son,  on  your  daughter,  or  on  any  other  soul  on  board — 1*11  have 
you  below  in  irons,  sir — in  irons/    Do  you  understand  that  ?** 

He  did  understand,  and  he  was  fairly  cowed  at  last.  He 
muttered  an  unintelligible  excuse ;  and  the  captain,  turning 
away,  issued  some  common -place  order  to  the  mate,  as  quietly 
as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

From  that  day  forth,  though  Garcia  still  scolded  and  grum- 
bled, he  used,  in  our  hearing,  no  insulting  language,  nor  com- 
mitted any  other  violent  act.  To  us,  when  nothing  crossed  his 
will  or  went  wrong,  he  was  polite  and  even  obliging.  We 
amused,  ourselves  throughout  the  somewhat  tedious  voyage  by 
getting  out  a  weekly  newspaper — quite  a  creditable  production 
it  was — and  in  its  last  number  appeared  a  song,  the  words  by 
one  of  our  party,  Mr.  Stedman  Whitwell,  a  London  architect, 
and  a  convert  to  my  father's  views ;  the  music,  graceful  and 
spirited,  by  Garcia.  It  was  afterwards  published  in  New  York 
under  the  title  of  Ebor  Nova,  and  had  quite  a  run  ;  for  the 
Garcias  won  for  themselves  quite  a  reputation. 

Our  pleasant  voyage  came  to  an  end  November  7,  1825— 
the  day  on  which  I  was  twenty-four  years  old.    New  York's 

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282  Svansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

magnificent  bay,  its  surface  just  stirred  by  a  gentle  breeze,  and 
dotted  all  over  with  white  sails — signs  of  a  busy  and  enterpris- 
ing nation  —  while  beyond,  the  city's  hundred  spires  shot  up 
white  in  the  sunshine  of  a  fresh  autumn  morning — all  this,  as  I 
came  upon  it  after  the  even  tenor  of  a  long  ocean  voyage,  out- 
went whatever  I  had  imagined  of  New  World  scenery.  I  had 
reached  the  Canaan  of  my  hopes,  and  its  first  glimpse  was  beau- 
tiful even  beyond  my  dreams.  I  landed,  as  in  vision  of  the 
night  one  enters  fairy-land. 

Our  first  letters  of  introduction  brought  us  into  contact 
with  a  people  genial  and  magnetic,  who  seemed  to  me,  as  to 
temperament,  to  occupy  middle  ground  between  the  distant 
conventionality  of  my  own  countrymen  and  the  light  vivacity 
of  the  French.  I  liked  them  from  the  first,  and  with  a  youth- 
ful precipitancy,  which,  however,  I  have  never  repented,  I  went 
at  once  to  a  prothonotary*s  office  and  declared  my  intention  to 
become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

That  was  nearly  forty-eight  years  ago.  Kindly,  indulg- 
ently, has  my  adopted  country  treated  me  since  ;  and  well  do 
I  love  her  for  it. 

She  has  her  peculiarities,  of  course,  like  other  nations ; 
and  it  was  not  long  before  we  came  in  contact  with  some  uf 
these.  Martin  Luther  is  said  to  have  had  his  latter  years  em- 
bittered, perhaps  his  life  shortened,  by  certain  crotchety  and 
ill-conditioned  fanatics,  as  the  Anabaptists,  Libertines,  and 
others,  "  who  played  such  fantastic  tricks  before  high  heaven  '* 
as  brought  the  name  of  Protestant,  which  they  had  assumed, 
into  no  little  discredit  for  the  time.  A  radical  reformer,  if  he 
be  of  any  note,  commonly  attracts  around  him  erratics  of  this 
class ;  and  my  father  did  not  escape  the  common  fat«. 

One  morning  he  had  gone  out  on  a  visit,  leaving  Captain 
McDonald  and  myself  in  a  parlor  of  the  Howard  House  in  Broad- 
way— where  we  had  put  up — writing  letters  home,  when  a  waiter 
entering,  handed  me  a  strange-looking  visiting  card,  with  the 
message,  *'  A  gentleman  to  see  your  father,  sir.  I  told  him  he 
was  out,  but  he  would  have  me  bring  up  this  card."  It  was  of 
green  pasteboard,  and  bore  the  single  name,  ''  Page.**  I  bade 
him  invite  Mr.  Page  to  walk  up. 

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JEvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  288 

"  A  angular  fancy/'  said  I  to  McDonald,  "  to  color  visit- 
ing cards  green.  Bat,  of  course,  in  new  countries,  we  must 
expect  new  fashions.*' 

Thereupon  the  door  opened,  and  there  stalked  in,  in  a 
solemn  way,  a  middle-aged  personage,  quite  as  queer-looking  as 
his  card.  He  was  dressed,  from  head  to  foot,  in  light-green 
broadcloth ;  his  overcoat,  cut  with  a  plain  Quaker  collar,  reached 
his  ankles ;  his  cap  and  boots  were  of  green  cloth,  and  his 
gloves  of  green  kid,  all  matching  the  rest  of  his  costume.  His 
long  hair  was  divided  in  the  center  and  dropped,  slightly  curl- 
ing, on  his  shoulders. 

McDonald  and  I  were  so  taken  aback  by  this  sudden  appa« 
rition,  that  we  forgot  to  offer  our  visitor  a  chair.  He  seemed 
to  prefer  standing,  as  about  to  declaim.  His  manner  was  dig- 
nified, and  his  gestures  had  a  certain  grace,  as  he  proceeded  to 
say :  ''(Gentlemen,  I  have  come,  in  my  public  capacity,  to  wel- 
come a  brother  philanthropist.  But  you  do  not  know  who  I 
am." 

To  this  we  assented,  and  he  went  on,  '*My  name  is  Page. 
I  am  the  page  of  Nature.  She  has  enlisted  me  in  her  service, 
I  wear  her  livery  as,  you  see,"  (pointing  to  his  dress),  ''as  a  re- 
minder of  the  official  duty  I  owe  her.  She  talks  to  me,  instructs 
me  in  the  way  I  should  go,  and  tells  me  how  I  can  best  benefit 
my  fellow  creatures.  In  the  olden  time  I  was  King  David's 
page  ;  and  I  was  a  great  comfort  to  him,  as  he  had  been  to  his 
master,  Saul,  when  the  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  was  upon  him, 
and  when  David's  playing  on  the  harp  refreshed  Saul  and 
caused  the  evil  spirit  to  depart.  David  had  his  dark  hours 
also,  when  his  sins  weighed  upon  his  spirit ;  and  at  those  times 
I  was  able  to  console  and  encourage  him.  But  Nature's  service 
is  better  than  that  of  any  king." 

We  were  mute  with  amazement.  He  paused,  then  drew 
from  a  capacious  pocket  a  thick  roll  of  manuscript.  It  was 
written  on  long  sheets  of  green  paper. 

"  Some  of  the  words  of  wisdom,"  he  pursued,  "  that  my 
gracious  mistress  has  vouchsafed  to  commit  to  her  votary.  They 
ought  to  have  been  written  in  green  ink ;  but  to  human  eyes 
the  words  might  not  have  been  very  intelligible.  And  black 
cannot  be  said  to  be  inappropriate.     In  summer  holiday,  indeed, 

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2B4  SvansvUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark 

Nature's  vestment  is  green  ;  but  she  has  her  seasons  when  all 
is  black — the  starless  midnight  hour,  the  wintry  storm's  murky 
darkness.     That  may  justify  the  black  ink.'* 

He  unrolled  and  smoothed  out  the  manuscript ;  but  reading 
in  our  faces,  perhaps,  the  alarm  which  we  certainly  felt  at  the 
threatened  infliction,  he  seemed  to  change  his  purpose ;  and  with 
the  air  of  a  father  making  allowance  for  his  thoughtless  chil- 
dren, he  said  :  "  Young  people  have  not  always  leisure  or  in- 
clination to  hear  divine  truth.  Hand  these  leaves  from  the 
Great  Book  to  Robert  Owen  ;  for  he  is  a  disciple  of  Nature,  like 
me,  and  he  will  appreciate  them." 

With  that,  having  bowed  ceremoniously  to  us  both,  he 
swept  slowly  and  majestically  from  the  room. 

McDonald  sat  looking  intently  at  the  Are  for  a  minute  or 
two  after  the  door  closed,  then  suddenly  turned  to  me  :  "Are  we 
all  crazy,  do  you  think,  Robert  ?  Have  we  been  poking  into 
great  subjects  and  thinking  of  a  world's  reform,  until  our  brains 
are  addled,  and  we  are  flt  inmates  of  a  lunatic  asylum?" 

"  Well,"  said  I,  '*  We  knew  already  that  there  are  harmless 
bedlamites  who  are  suffered  to  go  at  large.  We  still  dress  like 
other  people.  We  have  not  come  to  the  conclusion  yet,  that 
the  Goddess  of  Nature  keeps  a  lot  of  pages  to  whom  she  dictates 
homilies  to  be  written  out  on  green  foolscap ;  and  we  are  not 
Hythagoreans,  believing  that  our  souls  were  once  in  the  service 
of  ancient  kings." 

"  For  all  that,"  replied  McDonald,  "  it's  uncomfortable ;  it 
gives  one  a  shock." 

The  manuscript,  like  a  hundred  others  which  it  has  been 
my  hard  fortune  since  to  glance  over,  was  a  dull  tissue  of  senti* 
mental  commonplaces,  with  mad  streaks  through  it,  but  with  a 
certain  method  in  the  madness.  The  author  had  sense  enough 
to  give  his  address  at  the  close,  and  we  carefully  returned  it  to 
him. 

In  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks  several  pleasant  and 
intelligent  people  had  joined  us,  bound  for  New  Harmony ; 
among  them  Thomas  Say,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  in  Philadelphia,  who  six  years  before  had 
accompanied  Major  Long  on  his  expedition  to  the  Rooky  Moun- 
tains, as  its  naturalist ;  Charles  Lesueur,  a  French  naturalist 


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EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  285 

and  designer,  who  had  explored,  with  Peron,  the  coasts  of  Aqs- 
tralia ;  Gerard  Troost,  a  native  of  Hollood  and  a  distinguished 
chemist  and  geologist,  who  was  afterwards  professor  of  chemis- 
try in  the  Nashville  University ;  also  several  cultivated  ladies, 
including  Miss  Sistare — afterwards  the  wife  of  Thomas  Say — 
and  two  of  her  sisters.  Whether  William  Maclure,  president 
of  the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Sciences,  and  one  of  the  most 
munificent  patrons  of  that  institution,  accompanied  us,  or  came 
on  a  tew  weeks  later,  I  am  not  quite  certain.  He  afterwards 
purchased  from  my  father  several  thousand  acres  of  the  Har- 
mony estate. 

At  Pittsburg,  which  we  reached  early  in  December,  finding 
that  steamboats  had  ceased  to  ply  on  the  Ohio,  we  purchased  a 
keel-boat  and  had  it  comfortably  fitted  up  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  our  party,  then  amounting  to  some  thirty  or  forty  per- 
sons. About  eight  miles  from  Beaver,  Pennsylvania,  the  ice^ 
closing  in  upon  us,  arrested  our  voyage  for  a  full  month. 

During  that  month,  immensely  to  my  satisfaction,  I  took 
my  first  lessons  in  Western  country  wood-craft.  A  dense,  al- 
most unbroken  forest  adjoined  the  spot  where  we  had  tied  up 
our  boat.  I  had  bought  in  Pittsburg,  an  excellent  rifle  and 
appurtenances,  together  with  a  good  supply  of  ammunition. 
The  second  or  third  day  I  came  upon  the  cabin  of  an  old  hunter 
of  the  Leather-stocking  school,  named  Rice,  whose  good- will  I 
gained  by  the  timely  gift  of  a  pound  or  two  of  excellent  rifle 
powder.  He  taught  me  the  names  and  qualities  of  the  forest 
trees,  the  habits  and  haunts  of  the  game  then  plentiful  enough 
in  that  district ;  but,  above  all,  he  trained  me  to  rifle  shooting 
with  a  patience  which  I  yet  gratefully  remember.  Before  leav- 
ing home  I  had  read,  with  enthusiasm,  Cooper's  Pioneers,  and 
now  some  of  the  primitive  scenes  I  had  pictured  to  myself  were 
enacted  before  my  eyes.  The  eagerness  with  which  I  sought 
instruction,  and  the  manner  in  which  I  profited  by  it,  made  me 
quite  a  favorite  with  the  old  man,  and  after  a  week  or  two,  I 
was  domesticated  in  his  cabin.  With  his  wife,  also,  I  found  fa- 
vor by  telling  her  stories  of  the  **  old  country."  From  her,  I 
remember,  came  my  first  reminder  that  I  had  reached  a  land  of 
practical  equality,  in  which  all  [white?]  adult  males,  rich  or 
poor,  were  men.    I  had  a  handsome   silver-mounted  powder 

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236  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

horn  which  attracted  the  attention  of  one  of  the  half-clad 
urchins  who  were  running  about  the  cabin,  and  I  had  ceded  it 
for  his  amusement.  He  was  making  off  with  the  coveted  play- 
thing out  of  doors  when  his  mother  recalled  him,  '*  Here,  you, 
George  Washington,  give  the  man  back  his  powder-horn.*' 
Later,  I  learned  the  meaning  which  attaches  in  the  West — fair- 
ly enough,  too — to  the  word  gentleman,  I  was  bargaining  with 
a  young  fellow  who  had  agreed  to  make  a  few  thousand  rails  to 
repair  a  fence  on  one  of  our  farms :  and,  profiting  by  Biceps  in- 
struction, I  warned  him  that  they  must  be  of  such  and  such 
timber ;  I  would  accept  none  of  inferior  quality ;  whereupon 
he  said,  '*  Mister,  I'm  a  gentleman,  and  I  wouldn't  put  any  man 
off  with  bad  rails." 

Toward  the  close  of  our  ice-bound  sojourn  1  accompanied 
Rice  to  a  shooting  match.  He  obtained  the  first  prize,  and  I, 
to  his  great  delight  carried  off  the  fourth  or  fifth, — a  wild 
turkey  worth  twenty  five  cents.  I  carried  it  home  in  triumph 
to  our  keel-boat. 

Soon  after  the  middle  of  January,  1826,  we  reached  Har- 
mony ;  but  I  must  delay,  until  next  month,  the  recital  of  what 
I  found  there. — Atlantic. 


Mv  Experience  at  lifew  Harmony. 


By  Bobebt  Dals  Owbk, 


JEFORE  I  left  England,  in  1825,  the  facts  already  stated 
y^  connected  with  the  enormously  increased  power  to 
produce,  coexisting  with  the  decreased  and  ever  decreasing 
means  to  live,  among  the  laboring  millions  in  that  country,  had 
convinced  me,  not  only  that  something  was  grievously  wrong 
and  out  of  adaptation  to  the  new  industrial  aspect  of  things, 
but  that  the  essential  remedy  for  the  suffering  which  I  witnessed 
around  me  was,  as  my  father  declared  it  to  be,  the  subbtitutioQ 
of  oo-operative  industry  for  competitive  labor ;  and  I  jumped 

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i^M 


Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  237 

to  the  conclusion  that,  under  a  system  of  co-operation,  men 
would  speedily  be  able,  by  three  or  four  hours  of  easy  labor 
each  day,  to  supply  themselves  with  all  the  necessaries  and 
comforts  of  life  which  reasonable  creatures  could  desire.  Nay, 
with  Utopian  aspirations  I  looked  forward  to  the  time  when 
riches,  because  ol  their  superfluity,  would  cease  to  be  the  end 
and  aim  of  m»n's  thoughts,  plottings,  lifelong  toilings;  when 
the  mere  possession  of  wealth  would  no  longer  confer  distinc- 
tion, any  more  than  does  the  possession  of  water,  than  which 
there  is  no  property  of  greater  worth. 

To-day,  with  half  a  century  of  added  experience,  I  think, 
indeed,  that  invaluable  truths  underlie  these  opinions ;  but  I 
think  also  that  I  much  erred  in  judging  one  branch  of  a  great 
social  subject  without  sufficient  reference  to  other  collateral 
branches  ;  and  that  I  'still  more  gravely  erred  in  leaving  out 
of  view  a  main,  practical  ingredient  in  all  successful  changes, 
namely,  the  element  of  time. 

The  human  race,  by  some  law  of  its  being,  often  possesses 
powers  in  advance — sometimes  ages  in  advance — of  capacity  to 
employ  them.  Alfred  Wallace,  in  a  late  work  on  Natural  Se- 
lection, reminds  us  that  the  oldest  human  skulls  yet  discovered 
are  not  materially  smaller  than  those  of  our  own  times ;  a  Swiss 
skull  of  the  stone  age  corresponds  to  that  of  a  Swiss  youth  of 
the  present  day ;  the  Neanderthal  skull  has  seventy-five  cubic 
inches  of  brain-space  ;  and  the  Engis  skull — perhaps  the  oldest 
known  —  is  regarded  by  Huxley  as  '*  a  fair  average  skull  that 
might  have  belonged  to  a  philosopher."  Wallace's  inference  is 
that  man,  especially  in  his  savage  state,  "  possesses  a  brain  quite 
disproportionate  to  his  actual  requirements  —  an  organ  that 
seems  prepared  in  advance  only  to  be  fully  utilized  as  he  pro- 
gresses in  civilization  .f 

So  also  I  think  it  is  in  regard  to  man's  industrial  powers. 
He  has  acquired   these  in  advance  of  the  capacity  to  take  ad- 

t  Contrlbntioni  to  the  Theory  of  Nataral  Sedection,  by  Alfred  RoueU  WallAce,  au- 
thor of  the  Malay  Archipelago,  etc. .  London  and  New  York.  1870,  p.  818. 

Mr.  Wallace  adds :  "  A  brain  slightlr  larger  than  that  of  the  gorilla— whieh  is  thirty 
to  thirty-four  cubic  inches— would,  according  to  eyidence  before  us,  have  fully  sufficed 
lor  the  mental  development  of  the  savage  " 

Size  of  brain  in  the  chief,  though  not  the  sole  element  which  determines  the  mental 
power.  An  adult  male  Ruropeao  with  less  than  sixty-five  cubic  inches  of  brain  is  inva- 
riably idiotic. 


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238  jBvanavUle  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

vantage  of  them,  except  to  a  limited  extent.  The  variooB  de- 
partments of  human  progress  mast  go  forward,  in  a  measure, 
side  by  side.  Material,  even  intellectual,  progress  brings  scanty 
result,  unless  moral  and  spiritual  progress  bear  it  company . 

I  still  think  it  is  true  that  social  arrangements  can  be  de- 
vised under  which  all  reasonable  necessaries  and  comforts  could 
be  secured  to  a  nation,  say  by  three  hours'  daily  work  of  its 
able-bodied  population.  But  in  the  present  state  of  moral  cul- 
ture, would  that  result,  in  this  or  any  civilized  country;  be  a 
benefit  ?  Would  leisure  throughout  three-fourths  of  each  day 
be  a  blessing  to  uneducated  or  half-educated  men  ?  If  such 
leisure  were  suddenly  acquired  by  the  masses,  would  life  and 
property  be  safe  ?  Think  of  the  temptations  of  intemperance 
Some  of  the  reports  even  from  the  eight-hour  experiment  are 
dibcouraging. 

Then,  as  to  the  popular  worship  of  wealth, — characteristic 
of  a  period  of  transition  or  half-civilization, — that  cannot  be 
suddenly  corrected.  The  gallants  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  day 
sought  distinction  by  the  help  of  rich  velvets  slashed  with  sat- 
in, costly  laces,  trussed  points,  coats  heavy  with  embroidery. 
It  would  have  been  in  vain,  in  those  days,  to  take  them  to  task 
about  their  finery.  It  has  now  disappeared,  even  to  its  last  lin- 
gering remnant,  the  lace  ruffle  at  the  wrist ;  but  common  sense 
had  to  work  for  centuries,  ere  men  were  satisfied  to  trust,  for 
distinction,  to  something  better  than  gaudy  apparel. 

I  still  think  that  co-operation  is  a  chief  agency  destined  to 
quiet  the  clamorous  conflicts  between  capital  and  labor ;  but 
then  it  must  be  co-operation  gradually  introduced,  prudently 
managed,  as  now  in  England.  I  think,  too,  that  such  co-opera- 
tion, aside  from  its  healthy  pecuniary  results,  tends  to  elevate 
character.  Evidence  of  this,  ever  multiplying,  comes  daily  to 
light.  I  have  just  received  a  paper  on  that  subject  by  Thomas 
Hughes,  published  in  Macmilian's  Magazine,  in  which  the  writer 
says :  **  It  is  impossible  to  bring  before  you,  in  the  space  I 
have  at  my  disposal,  anything  like  proofs  of  a  tithe  of  the  good 
which  the  co-operative  movement  has  done  ;  how  it  is  steadily 
strengthening  and  purifying  the  daily  lives  of  a  great  section  of 
our  people.  From  his  own  observation  and  that  of  a  Mr.  Lud- 
low, who  he  says,  "  has  had  as  much  experience  in  this  matter 
as  any  living  man,"  Mr.  Hughes  states  :  ^ 

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That  the  co-operative  system,  founded  sonipnlonsly  on 
ready-money  dealings,  delivers  the  poor  from  the  credit  system. 

That,  if  a  co-operative  workshop  has  elements  of  vitality 
sufficient  to  weather  the  first  few  years*  struggles,  it  is  found  to 
expel  drunkenness  and  disorder,  as  inconsistent  with  success  ; 
to  do  away  with  the  tricks  and  dishonesties  of  work,  now  fre- 
quent between  employers  and  employed ;  to  bring  about  fixity 
of  employment ;  to  create  new  ties,  new  forms  of  fellowship 
even  a  sort  of  family  feeling  between  man  and  man  ;  and  thus» 
after  a  time,  to  develop  a  new  type  of  workingmen,  character- 
ized "  not  only  by  honesty,  frankness,  kindness,  and  true  cour- 
tesy, but  by  a  dignity,  a  self-respect,  and  a  consciousness  of 
freedom  which  only  this  phase  of  labor  gives." 

The  writer  met  with  such  a  type  first  in  the  Associationa 
Ouvrierea  of  Paris,  and  confidently  regards  it  as  a  normal  result 
of  co-operative  production. 

Finally,  as  co-operative  producers  and  consumers  have  a 
common  interest,  this  system  shuts  out  adulteration  in  articles 
of  food,  and  dishonest  deterioration  of  goods  in  general,  whether 
caused  by  faulty  workmanship,  or  by  employing  worthless  ma- 
terials. 

A  point  of  vast  importance,  this  last !  The  debasement 
of  quality  which,  under  the  pressure  of  competition,  has  gradu- 
ally extended  of  lata  years  to  almost  every  article  used  by 
man,  is  notorious.  Tet  as  few  persons  except  the  initiated  re- 
alize the  immense  loss  to  society  from  this  source,  an  illustrative 
experience  of  my  own  may  here  be  welcome. 

When  my  father  left  me  manager  of  the  New  Lanark  cot- 
ton mills,  in  the  winter  of  1824-25,  a  certain  Mr.  Bartholomew, 
who  had  long  been  a  customer  of  ours  to  the  extent  of  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  thousand  dollars  a  year,  came  to  me  one  day, 
asking  if  I  could  make  him  a  lot  ot  yarn  suitable  for  ordinary 
shirting,  at  such  a  price,  naming  it. 

"  We  have  but  one  price,"  I  said,  "  and  you  know  well 
that  we  sell  such  yarn  twenty  per  cent,  above  the  rate  that  you 
propose." 

"  I  know  that,"  he  replied, ;  *'  but  you  could  make  it,  so  as 
to  be  sold  at  my  price." 

''  Tes,  by  using  waste  and  mixing  in  weak,  short-stapled 
cotton," 

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240  EvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

"  And  it  would  look  almoet  as  well  ?*' 

•*  Perhaps." 

-Then  ril  risk  it." 

*'  My  father's  instructions,"  I  replied,  "  are  not  to  lower  the 
quality  of  our  goods.     I'm  sorry,  but  I  can't  fill  your  order." 

He  went  off  in  a  huff,  but  returned  two  days  later. 

"  See  here,"  he  said,  "  don't  be  Quixotic.  I  can  have  the 
yam  I  asked  you  about  spun  elsewhere.  What's  the  use  of 
driving  a  good  customer  from  you  ?  I  shall  get  the  stuff  I 
want,  and  use  it,  all  the  same." 

**  It  would  injure  the  character  of  our  mill." 

"  Not  if  you  leave  off  your  trade  mark.  What  do  I  care 
about  the  picti4re  ?  f    Mark  it  as  you  will." 

I  hesitated,  and  finally — not  much  to  my  credit — agreed  to 
make  the  yarn  for  him. 

I  had  it  marked  with  a  large  B.  "  It  will  stand  for  Bar- 
tholomew or  for  bad,"  I  said  to  him  when  he  came  to  look  at 
it.    '*  I'm  ashamed  to  turn  such  an  article  out  of  our  mill." 

But  three  weeks  later  he  came  again.  "  Just  the  thing  !" 
he  said,  and  he  gave  me  a  second  order,  thrice  as  large  as  the 
first. 

The  B  yarn  became  a  popular  article  in  the  market ;  the 
shirting  that  was  made  from  it  looking  smooth,  and  being  sold 
at  some  ten  per  cent,  less  than  that  made  from  our  usual  qual- 
ity. Yet  to  my  certain  knowledge, — for  I  tried  it, — it  did  not 
last  half  as  long  as  the  other. 

That  transaction  sits  somewhat  heavily  on  my  conscience 
still.  Tet  it  helped  to  teach  me  a  great  lesson.  It  is  my  firm 
belief  that,  at  the  present  time,  purchasers  of  cotton,  woolen, 
linen,  and  silk  goods,  of  furniture,  hardware,  leather  goods,  and 
all  other  manufactured  staples,  lose,  on  the  average,  because  of 
inferior  quality,  more  than  half  of  the  money  they  pay  out. 
And  I  doubt  whether,  except  by  co-operation,  this  crying  evil 
can  be  remedied. 

When  I  reached  Harmony,  early  in  1826,  these  genera} 
ideas  ruled  in  my  mind,  untempered  by  the  **  sober  second 
thoughts  "  which  an  after  life  brought   with  it.     I   looked   at 

t  On  each  ton*poiiDd  package  we  were  wont  to  paste  an  engraTing  of  the  milla  and 
Tillage ;  and  onr  yarn,  in  oonieqnence,  vrent  far  and  near,  by  tbe  name  of  '*  pictare« 
yarn." 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  241 

everything  with  eyes  of  entHusiasm,  and  for  a  time,  the  life 
there  was  wonderfully  pleasant  and  hopeful  to  me.  This,  I 
think,  is  the  common  experience  of  intelligent  and  well  dis- 
posed persons  who  have  joined  the  Brook  Farm  or  any  other 
reputable  community.  There  is  a  great  charm  in  the  good- 
fellowship  and  in  the  absence  of  conventionalism  which  charac- 
terize such  associations. 

Then  there  was  something  especially  taking — to  me  at  least 
— in  the  absolute  freedom  from  trammels,  alike  in  expression 
of  opinion,  in  dress,  and  in  social  converse,  which  I  found  there. 
The  evening  gatherings,  too,  delighted  me ;  the  weekly  meeting 
for  discussion  of  our  principles,  in  which  I  took  part  at  once , 
the  weekly  concert,  with  an  excellent  leader,  Josiah  Warreuy 
and  a  performance  of  music,  instrumental  and  vocal,  much  be- 
yond what  I  had  expected  in  the  backwoods ;  last,  not  least,  the 
weekly  ball,  where  I  found  crowds  of  young  people,  bright  and 
genial  if  not  specially  cultivated,  and  as  passionately  fond  of 
dancing  as,  in  those  days,  I  myself  was. 

The  accommodations  seemed  to  me,  indeed,  of  the  rudest 
and  the  fare  of  the  simplest ;  but  I  cared  no  more  for  that  than 
young  folks  usually  care  who  forsake  pleasant  homes  to  spend  a 
summer  month  or  two  under  canvas, — their  tents  on  the  beach, 
perhaps,  with  boats  and  fishing  tackle  at  command,  or  pitched 
in  some  sylvan  retreat,  where  youth  and  maiden  roam  the  for- 
est all  day,  returning  at  nightfall  to  merry  talk,  improvised 
music,  or  an  impromptu  dance  on  the  greensward, 

I  shrank  from  no  work  that  was  assigned  to  me,  and  some- 
times, to  the  surprise  of  my  associates,  volunteered  when  a  hard 
or  disagreeable  job  came  up,  as  the  pulling  down  of  sundry 
dreadfully  dusty  and  dilapidated  cabins  throughout  the  village; 
but,  after  a  time,  finding  that  others  could  manage  as  much 
common  labor  in  one  day  as  I  in  two  or  three,  and  being  invited 
to  take  general  charge  of  the  school  and  to  aid  in  editing  the 
weekly  paper,  I  settled  down  to  what,  I  confess,  were  more 
congenial  pursuits  than  weilding  the  axe  or  holding  the  plough 
handles. 

I  had  previously  tried  one  day  of  sowing  wheat  by  hand, 
and  held  out  till  evening  ;  but  my  right  arm  was  comparatively 
UHeless  for  forty-eight  hours  after.    Another  day,  when  certain 

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242  Svansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

young  girls  were  baking  bread  for  one  of  the  large  boarding- 
honses,  lacked  an  additional  hand,  I  offered  to  help  them  ;  but 
when  the  result  of  my  labors  came  to  the  table,  it  was  suggested 
that  one  of  the  loaves  should  be  voted  to  me  as  a  gift  for  my 
diligence ;  the  rather,  as,  by  a  little  manipulation,  such  as 
apothecaries  use  in  making  pills,  it  might  save  me  the  trouble 
of  casting  bullets  the  next  time  I  went  out  rifle-shooting. 

To  atone  for  these  and  similar  mishaps,  I  sometimes  suc- 
ceeded where  others  had  failed.  When  I  first  took  charge  of 
the  school,  finding  that  the  teachers  occasionally  employed  cor- 
poral punishment,  I  strictly  forbade  it.  After  a  time  the  mas- 
ter of  the  eldest  boys'  class  said  to  me  ^one  day,  "  I  find  it 
impossible  to  control  these  unruly  rascals.  They  know  I'm  not 
allowed  to  flog  them  ;  and  when  I  seek  to  enforce  rules  of  order 
they  defy  me." 

I  sought  to  show  him  how  he  might  manage  them  without 
the  rod,  but  he  persisted  :  "  If  you'd  try  it  yourself  for  a  few 
days,  Mr.  Owen,  you'd  find  out  that  I'm  right." 

"  Good,"  said  I.  "  I'll  take  them  in  hand  for  a  week  or 
two." 

They  were  a  rough,  boisterous,  lawless  set ;  bright  enough, 
capable  of  learning  when  they  appHed  themselves;  but  accus- 
tomed to  a  free  swing,  and  impatient  of  discipline  to  which 
they  had  never  been  subjected,  I  said  to  them,  at  the  start, 
**  Boys,  I  want  you  to  learn  ;  you'll  be  very  sorry  when  you 
come  to  be  men  if  you  don't.  But  you  can't  learn  anything 
worth  knowing,  without  rules  to  go  by,  I  must  have  jou  or- 
derly and  obedient.  I  won't  require  from  you  anything  unrea- 
sonable, and  I  don  t  intend  to  be  severe  with  you.  But  what- 
ever I  tell  you,  has  to  be  done,  and  shall  be  done,  sooner  or 
later  "  Here  I  observed  on  one  or  two  bold  faces  a  smile  that 
looked  like  incredulity ;  but  all  I  added  was,  "  You'll  save 
time  if  you  do  it  at  once." 

My  lessons,  often  oral,  interested  them,  and  things  went  on 
quietly  for  a  few  days.  I  knew  the  crisis  would  come.  It  did, 
in  this  wise.  It  was  May,  the  thermometer  ranging  toward 
ninety,  and  I  resolved  to  take  the  class  to  bathe  in  the  Wabash, 
much  to  their  delight.  I  told  them  in  advance,  that  by  the 
doctor's  advice  they  were  to  remain  in  the  water  fifteen  minutes 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  243 

only  — that  was  the  rule.  When  I  called,  "  Time  up !  "  they 
all  come  out,  somewhat  reluctantly,  however,  except  ono  tall 
fellow,  named  Ben,  a  good  swimmer,  who  detained  us  ten  min- 
utes more,  notwithstanding  my  order,  several  times  repeated,  to 
come  on  shore. 

I  said  nothing  about  it  till  we  returned  to  the  school-room; 
then  I  asked  the  class,  ''  Do  you  remember  my  saying  to  you 
that  whatever  I  told  you  to  do  had  to  be  done  sooner  or  later?*' 
They  looked  at  Ben,  and  said,  *•  Yes.'*  Then  I  went  on  :  **  I 
am  determined  that  if  I  take  you  to  bathe  again,  you  shall  stay 
in  fifteen  minutes  only.  How  do  you  think  I  had  best  manage 
that?  "  They  looked  at  Ben  again,  and  seemed  puzzled,  never, 
very  surely,  having  been  asked  such  a  question  before.  **  Has 
no  one  any  plan  ?  "  I  said. 

At  length  a  youngster  suggested,*  "  I  guess  you'd  better 
thrash  him,  Mr.  Owen." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  do  that,"  I  replied ;  I  think  it  does  boys 
harm.  Besides,  I  never  was  whipped  myself,  I  never  whipped 
anybody,  and  I  know  it  must  be  a  very  unpleasant  thing  to  do. 
Can't  some  of  you  think  of  a  better  plan  ?  " 

One  of  the  class  suggested,  "  There's  a  closet  in  the  garret 
with  a  stout  bolt  to  it.  Tou  might  shut  him  up  there  till  we 
get  back." 

'*  That's  better  than  flogging ;  but  is  the  closet  dark  ?  " 

"  It's  dark  as  hell." 

"  You  must  n't  talk  so,  my  child.  You  can't  tell  whether 
there  is  such  a  place  as  hell  at  all.  You  mean  that  the  closet 
is  quite  dark,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes.  " 

"  Then  you  ought  to  say  so.  But  I  think  Ben  would  not 
like  to  be  shut  up  in  the  dark  for  nearly  an  hour." 

**  No ;  but  then  we  don't  like  to  be  kept  from  bathing,  just 
for  him." 

Then  one  little  fellow,  with  some  hesitation,  put  in  his 
word  •  "  Please,  Mr.  Owen,  wouldn't  it  do  to  leave  him  in  the 
playground?" 

"  If  I  could  be  sure  that  he  would  stay  there ;  but  he 
might  get  out  and  go  bathing,  and  remain  in  half  an  hour  per- 
haps." 

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244  Uvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

At  this  point,  Ben,  no  longer  able  to  restrain  himself, — he 
had  been  getting  more  and  more  restless,  turning  first  to  one 
speaker,  then  to  another,  as  we  coolly  discussed  his  case, — burst 
forth;  **  Mr.  Owen,  if  you'll  leave  me  in  the  playground  when 
they  go  to  bathe  next  time,  I'll  never  stir  Irom  it.  I  won't. 
You'll  see  I  won't." 

**  Well,  Ben,"  said  I,  "  I've  never  known  you  to  tell  eC 
falsehood,  and  I'll  take  your  word  for  it  this  time.  But  re- 
member !  If  you  lie  to  me  once,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  trust 
you  again.   We  couldn't  believe  known  liars  if  we  were  to  try." 

So  the  next  time  we  went  bathing,  I  left  Ben  in  the  play- 
grouud.  When  we  returned  he  met  me,  with  eager  face,  at  the 
gate.  **  I've  never  left  even  for  a  minute ;  ask  them  if  I  have" 
— ^pointing  to  some  boys  at  play. 

"  Your  word  is  enough.     I  believe  you." 

Thereafter  Ben  came  out  of  the  water  promptly  as  soon  as 
time  was  called ;  and  when  any  of  his  comrades  lingered,  he 
was  the  first  to  chide  them  for  disobeying  orders. 

Once  or  twice  afterward  I  had  to  take  a  somewhat  similar 
stand — never  against  Ben — persisting  each  time  until  I  was 
obeyed.  Then  bethinking  me  of  my  Hofwyl  experience,  I 
called  in  the  aid  of  military  drill,  which  the  boys  took  to  very 
kindly  ;  and  when  three  weeks  had  passed,  I  found  that  my 
pupils  prided  themselves  in  being — what,  indeed,  they  were, — 
the  best  disciplined  and  most  orderly  and  law-abiding  class  in 
the  school. 

So  I  carried  my  point  against  a  degrading  relic  of  barbar- 
ism, then  countenanced  in  England,  alike  in  army,  navy,  and 
some  of  the  most  accredited  seminaries.  I  had  witnessed  an 
example  the  year  before,  in  London,  during  a  visit  to  the  central 
school  of  Dr.  Bell,  the  rival  of  Lancaster,  patronized  by  the 
Anglican  Ohurch.  A  class  were  standing  up  for  arithmetic. 
"  Seven  times  eight  are  fifty-six,"  said  one  boy.  **  Is,  not  are," 
sternly  cried  the  teacher,  dealing  the  ofiender  such  a  buffet  on 
the  ear  that  he  staggered  and  finally  dropped  to  the  ground : 
then  adding,  *'  Get  up  I  Now  perhaps  you'll  remember  that, 
another  time."  But  whether  it  was  the  blow  or  the  bit  of  doubt- 
ful grammar  he  was  bidden  to  remember  seemed  not  very  clear. 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  245 

I  still  recollect  how  iny  nature  revolted  against  this  out- 
rage— for  such  it  appeared  to  me  ."  Father,'*  I  said,  "  I'm  very 
sorry  you  gave  any  money  to  this  school."  He  smiled,  and 
apologized  for  the  teacher,  saying,  **  The  man  had  probably 
been  treated  in  the  same  manner  when  tie  was  a  child,  and  so 
knew  no  better."  My  father  bad,  some  time  before,  subscribed 
two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  in  aid  of  the  Bell  system, 
offering  to  double  that  sum  if  Dr.  Bell  would  open  his  schools 
to  the  children  of  dissenters.  But  this  the  ex-chaplain  or  his 
committee  had  refused  to  do. 

On  the  whole,  my  life  in  Harmony,  for  many  months,  was 
happy  and  satisfying.  To  this  the  free  and  simple  relation 
there  existing  between  youth  and  maidens  much  contributed. 
We  called  each  other  by  our  Christian  names  only,  spoke  and 
acted  as  brothers  and  sisters  might ;  often  strolled  out  by  moon- 
light in  groups,  sometimes  in  single  pairs,  yet  withal,  no  scandal 
or  other  harm  came  of  it,  either  then  or  later,  unless  we  are  to 
reckon  as  such  a  few  improvident  or  unsuited  matches,  that 
turned  out  poorly,  as  hasty  love-matches  will.  What  might 
have  happened  to  myself  amid  such  familiar  surrouiidings,  if 
my  heart  had  not  been  preoccupied,  I  cannot  tell.  I  met  almost 
daily  handsome,  interesting,  warmheaited  girls,  bright,  merry 
and  unsophisticated ;  charming  partners  at  ball  or  picnic,  one 
especially,  who  afterwards  married  a  son  of  Oliver  Evans,  the 
celebrated  inventor  and  machinist,  to  whom,  I  believe,  we  owe 
the  high-pressure  engine.  But  this  girl,  many  years  since  dead, 
and  others  both  estimable  and  attractive,  were  to  me,  engrossed 
by  recollections  of  Jessie,  but  as  favorite  sisters. 

Naturally  enough,  under  such  circumstances,  I  was  not 
haunted  by  doubts  as  to  the  success  of  the  social  experiment  in 
which  we  were  engaged.  The  inhabitants  seemed  to  me  friend- 
ly and  well  disposed.  There  was  much  originality  of  character, 
and  there  were  some  curious  eccentricities,  but  nothing  to  match 
the  Page  of  Nature,  who  had  so  startled  Captain  McDonald  and 
myself  at  New  York. 

One  example  occurs  to  me, — an  old  man  mamed  Green- 
wood, father  of  Miles  Greenwood,  well  known  afterwards  to  the 
citizens  of  Cincinnati   as  chief  of  their   Fire  Department,  and 

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2i6  hh}aiMvill6  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

still  later,  as  owner  of  the  largest  foundry  and  machine-shops 
then  in  the  West.  We  had.  during  the  summer  of  1826,  sev- 
eral terrific  thunder  storms,  such  as  I  had  never  before  witness- 
ed. The  steeple  of  our  church  was  shattered  and  one  of  our 
boarding  houses  stAick.  It  was  during  one  of  these  storms, 
when  the  whole  heavens  seemed  illuminated  and  the  rain  was 
falling  in  torrents,  that  I  saw  old  Greenwood,  thoroughly 
drenched,  and  carrying,  upright  as  a  soldier  does  his  musket,  a 
slender  iron  rod,  ten  or  twelve  feet  long.  He  was  walking  in 
the  middle  of  the  street,  passed  with  slow  step  the  house  in 
which  I  was,  and,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  paraded  every  street 
in  the  village  in  th  e  same  deliberate  manner.  Next  day  I  met 
him  and  asked  an  explanation.  "  Ah  well,  my  young  friend," 
said  he,  *'  I'm  very  old,  I'm  not  well,  I  sufter  much,  and  I 
thought  it  might  be  a  good  chance  to  slip  off  and  be  laid  quietly 
in  the  corner  of  the  peach  orchard. 

**  You  hoped  to  be  struck  by  the  lightning?" 

**  You  see,  I  don't  like  to  kill  myself — seems  like  taking 
matters  out  of  God's  hands.  But  I  thought  he  might  perhaps 
send  me  a  spare  bolt  when  I  put  myself  in  the  way.  If  He  had 
only  seen  fit  to  do  it,  I'd  then  have  been  at  rest  this  very  min- 
ute ;  all  my  pains  gone,  no  more  trouble  to  any  one,  no  more 
burden  to  myself." 

**  You  don't  know  how  useful  you  may  be  yet,  Mr.  Green- 
wood." 

"  Under  the  green  grass  would  have  been  better,  but  it 
wasn't  to  be,  just  yet," 

In  the  educational  department  we  had  considerable  talent, 
mixed  with  a  good  deal  of  eccentricity.  We  had  a  Frenchman 
patronized  by  Mr.  Maclure,  a  M.  Phiquepal  d'Arusmont,  who 
became  aftei  wards  the  husband  of  Frances  Wright;  a  man  well 
informed  on  many  points,  full  of  original  ideas,  some  of  practi- 
cal value,  but,  withal,  a  wrong  headed  genius,  whose  extrava- 
gance and  wilfulness  and  inordinate  self-conceit  destroyed  his 
usefulness.  He  had  a  small  school,  but  it  was  a  failure  ;  he 
gained  neither  the  good  will  nor  the  respect  of  his  pupils. 

Another,  of  a  very  different  stamp,  was  Professor  Joseph 
Neef,  from  Festalozzi's  in  Switzerland.  Simple,  straightforward, 
and  cordial,  a  proficient  in  modern  languages,  a  good  musician 

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JSvanwilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  247 

he  had  brought  with  him  from  Pestalozzi's  institDtion  at  Iyer, 
dan  an  excellent  mode  of  teaching.  To  his  earlier  life,  as  an 
officer  under  Napoleon,  was  due  a  blunt,  off-hand  manner  and 
an  abrupt  style  of  speech,  enforced  now  and  then  with  an  oath, 
— an  awkward  habit  for  a  teacher,  which  I  think  he  tried  inef- 
fectually to  get  rid  of.  One  day,  when  I  was  within  hearing,  a 
boy  in  his  class  used  profane  language. 

"  Youngster,"  said  Neef  to  him,  **  you  musn't  swear.  It's 
silly,  and  it*s  vulgar,  and  it  means  nothing.  Do  not  let  me  hear 
you  do  BO  again." 

'*  But  Mr.  Neef,"  said  the  boy,  hesitating  and  looking  half 
frightened,  "  if  it 's  vulgar  and  wrong  to  swear,  why — " 

"  Well,  out  with  it !  Never  stop  when  jou  want  to  say 
anything,  that  is  another  bad  habit.  You  wished  to  know 
why — " 

**  Why  you  swear  yourself,  Mr.  Neef?" 

"  Because  I  'm  a  d — d  fool.     Don't  you  be  one,  too. 

With  all  his  roughness,  the  good  old  man  was  a  general  fa- 
vorite alike  with  children  and  adults.  Those  whose  recollec- 
tions of  Harmony  extend  back  thirty  years  preserve  a  genial 
remembrance  of  him  walking  about  in  the  sun  of  July  or  Aug- 
ust, in  linen  trousers  and  shirt,  always  bareheaded,  sometimes 
barefooted,  with  a  grandchild  in  his  arms,  and  humming  to  his 
infant  charge  some  martial  air,  in  a  wonderful  bass  voice,  which 
it  was  said,  enabled  him,  in  his  younger  days,  when  giving  com- 
mand to  a  body  of  troops,  to  be  distinctly  heard  by  ten  thousand 
men. 

We  had,  at  this  time,  in  the  educational  department,  a  good 
many  persons  of  literary  and  scientific  ability.  But  dissensions 
crept  in  among  them,  and  several,  including  Dr.  Troost,  finally 
left  the  place.  Mr.  Lesueur,  however,  remained  many  years* 
and  Thomas  Say  settled  in  Harmony,  where  he  spent  his  time 
in  preparing  his  beautifully  illustrated  work  on  American  En- 
tomology, dying  there  in  1834. 

I  think  my  father  must  have  been  as  well  pleased  with  the 
condition  of  things  at  New  Harmeny,  on  his  arrival  there,  as  I 
myself  was.  At  all  events,  some  three  weeks  afterwards,  he 
disclosed  to  me  his  intention  to  propose  to  the  Harmonites  that 
they   should  at  once   form  themselves  into  a  Community  of 

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248  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Equality,  based  on  the  principle  of  common  property.  This 
took  me  by  surprise,  knowing  as  I  did,  that  when  the  prelimi- 
nary society  had  been  established,  nine  months  before,  he  had 
recommended  that  this  novitiat  should  continue  two  or  three 
years,  before  adventuring  the  next  and  final  step. 

It  was  an  experiment  attended  with  great  hazard.  Until 
now  the  executive  committee  had  estimated  the  value  of  each 
person's  services,  and  given  all  persons  employed  respectively 
credit  for  the  amount,  to  be  drawn  out  by  them  in  produce  or 
store  goods. 

But  under  the  new  constitution,  all  members,  according  to 
their  ages,  not  according  to  the  actual  value  of  their  services, 
were  to  be  "  furnished,  as  near  as  could  be,  with  similar  food, 
clothing,  and  education  ;  and,  as  soon  as  practicable,  to  live  in 
similar  houses,  and  in  all  respects  to  be  accommodated  alike.'* 
Also  the  real  estate  of  the  association  was  to  be  "  held  in  per- 
petual trust  forever  for  the  use  of  the  Community  ";  persons 
leaving  the  society  to  forfeit  all  interest  in  the  original  land, 
but  to  have  claim  for  ''a  just  proportion  of  the  value  of  any 
real  estate  required  during  their  membership  "  The  power  of 
making  laws  was  vested  in  the  Assembly,  which  consisted  of  all 
the  resident  adult  members  of  the  Community.  There  was  an 
Executive  Council,  having  superintendence  and  empowered  to 
*'  carry  into  efiect  all  general  regulations  ";  but  the  Council  was 
"  subject  at  all  times  to  any  directions  expressed  by  a  majority 
of  the  Assembly  and  communicated  by  the  clerk  of  the  Assem- 
bly to  the  secretary  of  the  Council."  After  the  first  formation 
of  the  Community,  the  assent  of  a  majority  of  the  Assembly 
was  necessary  to  admit  a  member. 

Liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity,  in  downright  earnest  ! 
It  found  favor  with  that  heterogeneous  collection  of  radicals, 
enthusiastic  devotees  to  principle,  honest  latitudinarians,  and 
lazy  theorists,  with  a  sprinkling  of  unprincipled  sharpers  thrown 
in.  A  committee  of  seven — my  brother  William  and  myself 
included — elected  at  a  town-meeting  held  January  26,  1826, 
were  authorized  to  frame  and  report  a  constitution.  They  re- 
ported on  February  1 ;  and,  after  a  few  days  debate,  the  con- 
stitution, somewhat  amended,  was  adopted  on  February  5. 
Every  member  of  the  preliminary  society  who  signed  the  con- 

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EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  249 

stitatioD  within  three  days,  was,  with  his  family,  admitted  into 
the  Community.  All  but  a  few,  who  soon  after  left  the  place, 
subscribed ;  and  then  the  books  were  closed. 

I  made  no  opposition  to  all  this.  I  had  too  much  of  my 
father's  all-believing  disposition  to  anticipate  results  which  any 
shrewd,  cool-headed  business  man  might  have  predicted. 

How  rapidly  they  came  upon  us  I  Any  one  who  still  owns 
a  file  of  the  weekly  paper,  then  published  in  New  Harmony, 
may  readily  trace  them. 

Two  weeks  after  the  formation  of  the  Community  we  find : 
"  On  the  19th  instant  (February)  a  resolution  was  adopted  by 
the  Assembly  directing  the  Executive  Council  to  request  the 
aid  of  Mr.  Owen  for  one  year  in  conducting  the  concerns  of  the 
Community,  in  conformity  with  the  principles  of  the  constitu- 
tion." Three  weeks  later  in  an  editorial  we  read  :  "  General 
satisfaction  and  individual  contentment  have  taken  the  place 
of  suspense  and  uncertainty.  Under  the  sole  direction  of  Mr. 
Owen,  the  most  gratifying  anticipations  of  the  future  may  be 
safely  indulged." 

It  was  four  years  after  the  declaration,  in  Paris,  in  1848, 
of  a  Republic,  before  France  settled  down  under  the  leadership 
of  one  man  ;  but,  at  Harmony,  five  weeks  sufficed  to  bring  about 
a  similar  result.  The  difference  was,  however,  that  Louis  Na- 
poleon, false  to  his  oath,  and  resorting  to  a  coup  'd  etatf  upset 
the  Republic,  while  my  father  conscientiously  adhered  to  the 
instructions  given  by  the  Assembly  to  conform  to  the  principles 
of  the  constitution.  This  very  adherence,  beyond  doubt  caused 
his  failure. 

For  a  time,  however,  things  improved  under  his  manage- 
ment. Under  date  March  22,  an  editorial  tells  us:  '*  While  we 
have  been  discussing  abstract  ideas,  we  have  neglected  practi- 
cal means.  Our  .energies  have  been  wasted  in  useless  efforts  .  . 
But  by  the  indefatigal)le  attention  of  Mr.  Owen,  order  and  sys- 
tem have  been  introduced  into  every  branch  of  business.  Our 
streets  no  longer  exhibit  groups  of  idle  talkers,  each  is  busily 
engaged  in  the  occupation  he  has  chosen.  Our  public  meetings 
instead  of  being  the  arena  for  contending  orators,  are  now 
places  of  business,"  etc. 

32 

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250  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

This  is  a  aseful  lifting  of  the  curtain,  disclosing  what  the 
immediate  effects  of  a  premature  step  had  been.  Two  months 
later  appear  symptoms  of  doubt.  My  father,  reviewing  the 
proceedings  of  the  Community,  May  10,  says:  **The  great  ex- 
periment in  New  Harmony  is  still  going  on,  to  ascertain  whether 
a  large,  heterogeneous  mass  of  persons,  collected  by  chance,  can 
be  amalgamated  into  one  community.  Up  to  that  time,  it  would 
seem,  he  had  delayed  making  any  conveyance  of  the  land. 

When  three  months  more  had  passed,  my  father,  address- 
ing the  Assembly,  said,  in  reply  to  a  question  as  to  having  all 
things,  land  included,  in  common,     **  I  shall  be  ready  to  form 

such  a  community  whenever  yon  are  prepared  for  it But 

progress  must  be  made  in  community  education  before  all  par- 
ties can  be  prepared  for  a  community  of  common  property.*' 
He  then  proposed,  and  the  Assembly  adopted,  a  resolution  that 
they  meet  three  evenings  in  the  week  for  community  education. 

These  meetings  continued,  with  gradually  lessening  num- 
bers for  a  month  or  two.  Then  comes  an  editorial  admission 
that  **  a  general  system  of  trading  speculation  prevails,"  to- 
gether with  '*  a  want  of  confidence  in  the  good  intentions  of 
each  other.*' 

Finally,  a  little  more  than  a  year  after  the  Community  ex- 
periment commenced,  came  official  acknowledgement  of  its  fail- 
ure. The  editorial  containing  it,  though  without  signature,  was 
written  by  my  brother  William  and  myself,  as  editors,  on  our 
own  responsibility ;  but  it  was  submitted  by  us,  for  revision  as 
to  the  facts,  to  my  father.  We  said :  "  Our  opinion  is,  that 
Robert  Owen  ascribed  too  little  influence  to  the  early  anti-so« 
cial  circumstances  that  had  surrounded  many  of  the  quickly 
collected  inhabitants  of  New  Harmony  before  their  arrival 
there ;  and  too  much  to  those  circumstances  which  his  experi- 
ence might  enable  them  to  create  around  themselves  in  future. 
•  .  .  .  We  are  too  inexperienced  to  hazard  a  judgment  on  the 
prudence  and  management  of  those  who  directed  its  execution  ; 
and  the  only  opinion  we  can  express  with  confidence  is  of  the 
perseverance  with  which  Robert  Owen  pursued  it  at  great  pecu- 
niary loss  to  himself.  One  form  of  government  was  at  first 
adopted,  and  when  that  appeared  unsuitable  another  was  tried ; 
until  it  appeared  that  the  members  were  too  various  in  their 


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I!vansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  251 

feelings  and  too  dissimilar  in  their  habits  to  govern  themselves 
harmoniously  as  one  community.  . . .  New  Harmony,  therefore, 
is  not  now  a  community." 

Thenceforth,  of  course,  the  inhabitants  had  either  to  sup- 
port themselves  or  to  leave  the  town.  But  my  father  offered 
land  on  the  Harmony  estate  to  those  who  desired  to  try  smaller 
community  experiments,  on  an  agricultural  basis.  Several  were 
formed,  some  by  honest,  industrious  workers,  to  whom  land  was 
leased  at  very  low  rates  ;  while  other  leases  were  obtained  by 
unprincipled  speculators  who  cared  not  a  whit  for  co-operative 
principles,  but  sought  private  gain  by  the  operation.  All  finally 
failed  as  social  experiments.  To  the  workers  who  had  acted  in 
good  faith  my  father  ultimately  sold,  at  a  low  price,  the^lands 
they  occupied.  By  the  speculators  he  lost  in  the  end  a  large 
amount  of  personal  property,  of  which,  under  false  pretences* 
they  had  obtained  control. 

My  present  opinion  is  that,  in  stating  the  causes  which  led 
to  the  failure  of  my  father's  plans  of  social  reform  at  New  Har- 
mony, my  brother  and  I  omitted  the  chief  error,  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  any  industrial  experiment  can  succeed  which  proposes 
equal  remuneration  to  all  men,  the  diligent  and  the  dilatory, 
the  skilled  artisan  and  the  common  laborer,  the  genius  and  the 
drudge.  I  speak  of  the  present  age  ;  what  may  happen  in  the 
distant  future  it  is  impossible  to  foresee  and  imprudent  to  pre- 
dict. What  may  be  safely  predicted  is,  that  a  plan  which  re- 
munerates all  alike  will,  in  the  present  condition  of  society, 
ultimately  eliminate  from  a  co-operative  association  the  skilled, 
efficient,  and  industrious  members,  leaving  an  ineffective  and 
sluggish  residue,  in  whose  hands  the  experiment  will  fail,  both 
socially  and  pecuniarily. 

The  English  associations  which  are  now  succeeding  were 
organized  under  a  special  act  of  Parliament,  as  joint  stock  com- 
panies— limited  ;  all  heads  of  families  and  single  adults  within 
each  being  at  once  the  stockholders  who  furnish  the  necessary 
capital,  and  if  it  be  a  store,  the  customers,  or,  if  it  be  a  manu- 
facturing or  agricultural  establishment,  the  workers  who  give 
that  capital  its  value.  A  small  executive  board,  its  members 
being  themselves  experienced  workers,  and  having  moderate 
fixed  salaries,  is  elected  by  the  association,  and  superintends  all 

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252  Hvansvilie  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

operations.  These  superintendents  are  required  to  visit,  at 
stated  hours  throughout  the  day,  each  department  of  industry, 
and  to  register,  on  books  kept  for  that  purpose,  the  exact  hour 
and  duration  of  these  visits.  Each  artisan  or  other  laborer  is 
paid  wages  at  the  rate  which  his  services  would  command  in 
the  outside  world ;  and  is  entitled,  at  the  end  of  each  year, 
when  the  profits  are  declared,  to  a  dividend  on  his  stock,  in 
addition. 

There  are  other  important  details,for  example,  arrangements 
in  the  nature  of  benefit  societies  in  case  of  sickness ;  but  they 
would  be  out  of  place  here.  This  slight  sketch  may  suffice  to 
show,  in  a  general  way.  how  the  workman,  if  he  can  once  lay 
up  in  a  savings'  bank  or  elsewhere  a  small  capital,  may  obtain 
the  entire  value  of  his  labor,  may  secure  permanent  employ- 
ment, which  only  misconduct  can  forfeit ;  and  besides,  have  fair 
wages  regularly  paid,  and  his  just  proportion  of  profits,  deduct- 
ing only  the  necessary  expense  of  a  judicious  and  economical 
management. 

Robert  Owen  distinguished  the  great  principle,  but,  like  so 
many  other  devisers,  missed  the  working  details  of  his  scheme. 
If  these,  when  stated,  seem  to  lie  so  near  the  surface  that  com- 
mon sagacity  ought  to  have  detected  them,  let  us  bear  in  mind 
how  wise  men  stumbled  over  Columbus's  simple  puzzle  ;  failing 
to  balance  an  egg  on  one  end,  till  a  touch  of  the  great  naviga- 
tor's solved  the  petty  mystery. 

I  have  little  doubt  that  the  English  co-operators  are  grad 
ually  furnishing  a  practical  solution  of  the  most  important  o 
industrial  mysteries, — the  great  problem  how  increased  powers 
to  produce  shall  not  only  procure  increased  comforts  to  the  pro- 
ducer, but,  at  the  same  time,  elevate  him.,  day  by  day  in  the 
moral  scale,  until  he  becomes,  as  the  years  go  on,  a  self-respect- 
ing, upright,  intelligent  man. 

That  these  civilizing  influences  should  result  from  the  prin- 
ciple of  association  for  mutual  benefit  is  according  to  the  due 
order  of  human  progress.  Animals  are  self-dependant,  and 
individually  isolated,  and  so  are  liable  to  grave  injury  from 
slight  cause,  and  are   daily  in  peril  from  stronger  and   fiercer 

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tSvansville  and  its  Men  of  Maark.  268 

brates.t  Savage  man  is  bat  a  step  in  advance  of  this ;  and 
scarcely  more  secure  than  he  is  the  laborer  of  modern  days, 
when  segregated  from  his  class,  and  fighting  the  life  battle, 
single-handed,  against  capital  and  competition.  Divided,  he 
falls  lower  and  lower  in  the  social  scale.  United  only — but  it 
must  be  judiciously  united.J — can  he  succeed  in  attaining  secu- 
rity and  comfort.  Nor  need  he  scirrender  wholesome  liberty  in 
associating  for  common  good.  The  English  co-operative  work- 
man is  far  more  free,  as  well  as  more  safe,  than  his  isolated 
neighbors. 

Such  considerations  my  palliate,  in  may  father's  case,  the 
charge  of  rash  confidence,  and  what  may  seem  reckless  self 
sacrifice  iti  carrying  out  his  favorite  plans.  He  expended  in 
the  purchase  of  the  Harmony  property,  real  and  personal,  in 
paying  the  debts  of  the  Community  during  the  year  of  its  ex- 
istence, and  in  meeting  his  ultimate  losses  the  next  year  by 
swindlers,  upwards  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Had  his  plans  succeeded,  he  would,  beyond  question,  have 
conveyed  the  whole  of  his  Indiana  property  in  trust  forever, 
without  value  received,  or  any  compensation  other  than  the 
satisfaction  of  success,  to  support  co-operative  associations  there. 
Thus,  as  his  property  did  not  then  reach  quarter  of  a  million, 
he  was  willing  to  give  up  more  than  four  fifths  of  what  he  was 
worth  to  this  great  experiment. 

The  remainder,  not  exceeding  forty  thousand  dollars,  might 
have  sufficed  for  a  competence  had  he  been  content  to  live  qui- 
etly upon  it.  But  it  soon  melted  away  in  a  hundred  expendi- 
tures for  experiments,  publications,  and  the  like,  connected 
with  social  and  industrial  reform.  He  seems  to  have  felt  it  to 
be  a  point  of  honor,  so  long  as  he  had  means  left,  to  avert  re- 
proach from  the  cause   of  co-operation   by   paying  debts  left 

fThe  efTect  upon  ftnimaU  of  what  has  been  called  "  natorul  selection,"  says  Wallace, 
depends  mainly  on  their  aelf-dependanoe  and  IndiTidual  isolation,  A  slight  ix^ury,  a 
temporary  illness,  leares  the  indiyidual  powerless  against  its  enemies.— Work  on  Natn- 
rml  Svleotion  already  qnoted,  p.  811. 

What  is  the  effect  npon  a  laboring  father  of  a  fiamily,  with  two  dollars  and  a  half 
a  week  to  support  them  of  "slight  injury  or  temporary  illness  ?**  Is  he  not  at  the 
msrcy  of  his  enemies— abject  penary,  starratiop  ? 

^Trades  Unions  are  often  but  disgnised  Tyrannies ;  examples  of  an  ezoellent  princi- 
ple, miserably  perrerted. 


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^ki  EvoMfville  afkd  its  Men  of  Mark. 

standing  at  the  close  of  ansuccessful  experiments  when  these 
had  been  condacted  in  good  faith.f 

One  result  of  all  this  seems  to  me  now  so  little  like  what 
nsnally  happens  in  this  world,  that,  if  it  provoke  incredulity,  I 
think  the  skeptics  may  be  readily  excused.  It  relates  to  my 
brother  Willian  and  myself,  exemplifying  the  effect  of  early 
habits  and  impressions.  Soon  after  our  return  from  Hofwyl, 
my  father  made  us  partners  in  the  New  Lanark  mills,  conveying 
to  each  of  us  one  share  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  We  bought 
whatever  we  wanted,  and,  as  it  happened,  our  profits  amply 
sufficed  for  our  wants.  Tet  I  cannot  call  to  mind  that  I  ever 
examined  my  partnership  account,  or  posted  myself  as  to  the 
balance. 

When  my  father  proposed  to  devote  four-fifths  of  the  prop- 
erty that  would  naturally  have  come  to  us  as  his  heirs,  to  the 
cause  of  reform,  neither  William  nor  I,  to  the  best  of  my  recol- 
lection, expressed  or  even  felt  regret  that  it  was  about  to  pass 
away  from  us.  Several  years  after  the  purchase  of  Harmony, 
when  we  learned  from  my  father  that  his  funds  were  running 
low,  we  both  volunteered  to  transfer  to  him,  unconditionally, 
our  New  Lanark  shares.  He  accepted  the  offer  as  frankly  as  it 
was  made ;  but  he  conveyed  to  us  jointly  land  on  the  Harmony 
estate  worth  about  thirty  thousand  dollars.  Engrossed  with 
the  sanguine  hopes  of  youth  and  the  vague  dreams  of  enthusi- 
asm, I  believe  that  I  scarcely  bestowed  a  second  thought  on  the 
pecuniary  independence  for  life  which  I  was  thus  relinquishing. 
If  ony  one  had  lauded  my  disinterestedness,  it  would  have 
been  unmerited  praise ;  it  was  simply  indifference,  not  self- 
sacrifice.  Nor  do  I  remember  ever  pining  after  the  luxuries  of 
Braxfield,  or  wishing  myself  back  again  in  the  Old  World. 

t  In  the  year  1882  (for  example),  there  wm  established  in  London,  by  workingmen 
friendly  to  co-operation,  a  Basaar,  or  *'  Labor  Exchange.*'  At  first  my  father  was  re- 
quested to  act  as  manager,  which  he  did  withont  salary,  merely  stipulating  that  no  ex- 
pense or  risk  should  devolve  upon  him  ;  but,  after  a  time,  the  parties  concerned  thought 
they  could  manage  better  themselves,  and  my  father  withdrew.  When  at  a  later  period 
(says  one  of  his  biographers,)  the  business  was  wound  up,  '*  there  was  a  deficiency  of 
upwards  or  twelve  thousand  dollars  ;  and  when  it  was  represented  to  Mr.  Owen  that  it 
was  through  confidence  in  him  that  many  persons  had  been  led  to  make  deposits,  vthoee 
distress  or  even  ruin  would  ensue  if  the  loss  were  not  made  up,  he  assumed  and  paid  the 
whole."    Life  of  Robert  Owen,  Philadelphia^  1866»  pp,  233,  224. 

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Bvanaville  and  its  Mm  of  MarK  255 

My  father's  intention  in  bringing  ns  up  thas  nnoonoerned 
about  money  and  careless  as  to  its  acquisition  was  kind  and 
commendable ;  it  was  far  better  than  to  have  taught  us 
that  riches  are  the  main  chance  in  life,  and  that  all  things  else 
should  be  postponed  to  money-getting ;  but  I  am  of  opinion 
now  that  it  was  a  grave  mistake,  nevertheless,  I  think  a  father 
ought  to  say  to  his  sons,  as  I  have  said  to  mine  :  **  Money  is  a 
power  for  good  as  well  as  for  evil.  It  is  an  element  of  personal 
independence.  Do  not  grasp  after  it,  yet  seek  to  acquire  it 
fairly,  honorably  without  doing  hard  things,  especially  without 
grinding  others.  Do  not  enter  public  life  until  you  shall  have 
set  apart  what  suffices  for  a  reputable  living,  and  invested  your 
savings  with  reference  to  absolute  safety  rather  than  to  a  high 
rate  of  interest.  Thus,  on  solid  ground  yourself,  you  can  the 
more  effectively  lend  a  hand  to  the  cause  of  reform,  and  if  you 
are  elected  a  legislator,  or  to  other  civil  service,  you  can  act 
out  your  convictions,  without  fear  that  loss  of  office  will  reduce 
you  to  poverty." 

My  father  took  a  less  practical  if  more  Scriptural,  view  of 
things,  virtually  telling  us,  '*  Seek  first  the  good  of  human  kind 
and  all  other  things  shall  be  added  unto  you.'*  He  protected 
us,  however,  to  a  great  extent,  from  suffering  while  following 
such  advice.  For,  at  a  later  period,  he  conveyed  to  his  sons, 
then  citizens  of  the  United  States,  the  New  Harmony  property, 
his  only  surviving  daughter  being  already  provided  for.  All  he 
required  of  us  in  return  was  to  execute  a  deed  of  trust,  of  some 
thirty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  land,  burdened  with  an  annu- 
ity to  him,  during  life,  of  fifteen  hundred  a  year ;  after  that  a 
life  interest  to  his  daughters-in-law,  and  the  fee  to  their  child- 
ren. The  above  annuity  was  his  sole  dependence  for  support 
during  many  years  of  his  life.  We,  with  the  means  he  put  into 
our  hands,  might  have  readily  accumulated  an  assured  inde- 
pendence by  the  time  we  reached  middle  age,  had  we  known — 
which  we  did  not — how  to  manage  and  improve  Western  prop- 
erty, and  had  we  steadily  followed  up  the  pursuit  of  a  compe- 
tency, as  we  'ought  to  have  done.  There  is  more  power  in 
knowledge  than  in  gold,  no  matter  how  large  the  pile. 

In  looking  back  upon  myself  as  I  was  in  those  days,  I  have 
often  wondered  how  far  my  after  life  might  have  been  affected 

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256  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

by  the  judiciouB  advice  of  some  cool-headed,  dispassionate 
friend,  one  who,  while  sharing  many  of  my  aspirations,  would 
have  brought  the  chastening  experience  of  a  long  life  to  mould 
and  give  wise  direction  to  them ;  what,  for  example,  would 
have  been  the  result  if  the  Robert  Dale  Owen  of  seventy  could 
have  been  the  counselor  of  the  Robert  Dale  Owen  of  twenty-five 
— talking  over  that  eager  youth's  ideas  of  reform  with  h^m  ;  dis- 
secting his  views  of  life  here  and  his  doubts  of  life  hereafter ; 
correcting  his  crudities  and  calling  in  question  his  hasty  con- 
clusions. 

I  found  no  such  mentor,  but  met.  instead,  with  a  friend 
some  ten  years  my  senior,  possessing  various  noble  qualities,  but 
with  ideas  on  many  subjects,  social  and  religious,  even  more 
immature  and  extravagant  than  my  own.  This  new  acquaint- 
ance mainly  shaped,  for  several  years,  the  tenor  of  my  life. 

Frances  Wright  was  a  cultivated  Englishwoman  of  good 
family,  who  though  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  had  received 
a  careful  and  finished  education,  was  thoroughly  versed  in  the 
literature  of  the  day,  well  informed  on  all  general  subjects, 
and  spoke  French  and  Italian  fluently.  She  had  traveled  and 
resided  for  years  in  Europe,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  General 
Lafayette,  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  leading  reform- 
ers, Hungarian,  Polish  and  others,  and  was  a  thorough  repub- 
lican ;  indeed,  an  advocate  of  universal  suffrage,  without  regard 
to  color  or  sex,  —  a  creed  that  was  much  more  rare  forty  years 
ago  than  to-day  Refined  in  her  manner  and  language,  she  was 
a  radical  alike  in  morals,  politics  and  religion. 

She  had  a  strong,  logical  mind,  a  courageous  independence 
of  thought  and  a  zealous  wish  to  benefit  her  fellow-creatures ; 
but  the  mind  had  not  been  submitted  to  early  discipline ;  the 
courage  was  not  tempered  with  prudence,  the  philanthropy  had 
little  of  common-sense  to  give  it  practical  form  and  efficiency. 
Her  enthusiasm,  eager  but  fitful,  lacked  the  guiding  check  of 
sound  judgment.  Her  abilities  as  an  author  and  lecturer  were 
of  a  high  order ;  but  an  inordinate  estimate  of  her  own  mental 
powers  and  an  obstinate  adherence  to  opinions  once  adopted 
detracted  seriously  from  the  influence  which  her  talents  and 
eloquence  might  have  exerted.  A  redeeming  point  was,  that 
to  carry  out  her  convictions  she  was  ready  to  make  great  sacri- 

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EvwMvUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  257 

fices,  personal  and  pecuniary.  She  and  a  younger  sister,  a  lady 
alike  amiable  and  estimable,  had  always  lived  and  journeyed 
together,  were  independent  in  their  circumstances,  and  were 
devotedly  attached  to  each  other. 

She  had  various  personal  advantages, — a  tall,  commanding 
figure,  somewhat  slender  and  graceful  though  the  shoulders 
were  a  little  bit  too  high  ;  a  face  the  outline  of  which  in  profile^ 
though  delicately  chiseled,  was  masculine  rather  than  feminine, 
like  that  of  an  Antinous,  or  perhaps  more  nearly  typifying  a 
Mercury ;  the  forehead  broad  but  not  high  ;  the  short  chestnut 
hair  curling  naturally  all  over  a  classic  head  ;  the  large  blue 
eyes  not  soft  but  earnest,  When  I  first  met  her  in  Harmony  in 
the  Summer  of  I8269  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  character 
above  set  forth  had  not  developed  themselves.  She  was  then 
known,  in  England  and  here,  only  as  the  author  of  a  small 
work  entitled  A  Few  Days  in  Athens,  published  and  favorably 
received  in  London ;  and  of  a  volume  of  travels  in  the  United 
States,  in  which  she  spoke  in  laudatory  tone  of  our  institutions 
and  of  our  people.  She  condemned,  indeed,  in  strong  terms, — 
as  enlightened  foreigners  were  wont  to  do, — that  terrible  ofience 
against  human  liberty  '^tolerated,  alas  !  by  our  Constitution) 
which  the  greatest  war  of  modern  times  has  since  blotted  out. 

But  she  did  more  than  to  condemn  the  crime  of  slavery : 
she  sought,  albeit  with  utterly  inadequate  means  and  knowl- 
edge, to  act  as  pioneer  in  an  attempt  to  show  how  it  might  be 
gradually  suppressed.  She  had  already  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  unimproved  farming  land,  situated  in  West  Tennessee,  about 
fourteen  miles  back  of  Memphis,  on  both  sides  of  a  small  stream 
called  by  the  Indians  Ne-sho-ba,  or  Wolf  River  ;  and  she  had 
bought  and  removed  to  that  place  nine  negro  slaves.  Her  con- 
fident hope  was  to  prove  that  these  people  could,  in  a  few  years 
by  their  own  labor,  work  out  their  liberty  ;  and  with  a  strange 
ignorance  alike  of  Southern  character  and  of  the  force  of  life- 
long habits,  and  of  the  sway  of  selfish  motive  among  the  rich 
and  idle,  she  was  credulous  to  expect  that  the  better  intentioned 
among  the  ])lanters  of  the  South  would  gradually  follow  her 
example. 

Miss  Wright's  vigorous  character,  rare  cultivation,  and 
hopeful  enthusiasm  gradually  gave  her  great  influence  over  me ; 

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258  EvanwiUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark. 

and  I  recollect  her  telling  me,  one  day  when  I  had  expressed 
in  the  New  Harmony  Gazette,  with  more  than  osaal  fearless- 
nes,  some  radical  opinions  which  she  shared,  that  I  was  one  of 
the  lew  persons  she  had  ever  met  with  whom  she  felt  that,  in 
her  reformatory  efforts,  she  conld  act  in  nnison.  Thus  we  be- 
came intimate  friends,  and  in  the  seqael  coeditors. 

Friends ;  but  never,  throughout  the  years  we  spent  together 
anything  more.  I  felt  and  acted  toward  her,  at  all  times,  just 
as  I  wonld  toward  a  brave,  spirited,  elder  comrade  of  my  own 
sex.  Affections  already  engaged  and  the  difference  of  age  may 
have  had  their  weight ,  but,  aside  from  this,  while  I  saw  much 
to  admire  in  Frances  Wright,  I  found  nothing  to  love. 

Whether  I  was  ever  Quixotic  enough  to  believe  that  her 
experiment  at  Nashoba — so  she  named  her  plantation — would, 
to  any  appreciable  extent,  promote  negro  emancipation,  I  can- 
not now  call  to  mind.  I  think  that  the  feature  in  her  plan 
which  chiefly  attracted  me  was  her  proposal  there  to  collect, 
from  among  the  cultivated  classes  of  England  and  America,  a 
few  kindred  spirits,  who  should  have  their  small,  separate  dwel- 
lings, contribute  to  a  common  fund  enough  for  their  support, 
and  spend  their  time  in  "  lettered  leisure.**  I  probably  pic- 
tured to  myself  a  woodland  cottage,  with  honeysuckle -shaded 
porch,  and  with  Jessie  and  myself  as  its  inmates. 

We  learn  from  one  of  Homer*s  heroes  that  the  gods 

**  Omited  half  hii  prayer; 
The  rest  the  winds  dispersed  in  empty  sir**; 

but  I  was  less  favored  ;  no  part  of  my  Tennessee  dream  was  to 
be  realized. — Atlantic, 


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Francis  Brinley  Fogg. 


Ow  Nabhtiixs,  TsmrsBBU. 


^AS  born  in  Brooklyn,  Connecticut,  on  the  2l8t  of 
September,  1795.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Fogg 
— a  native  of  New-Hampshire — was  a  clergyman  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church,  and  falfiUed  the  duties  of  his  sacred 
office  for  forty-one  years,  in  the  same  parish,  honored  and  es- 
teemed  for  his  goodness  and  piety,  by  all  men  of  all  claeses  and 
every  Christian  denomination.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Brinley,  came  from  one  of  the  most  respected  and  respect- 
able families  in  New-England — she  ornamented  and  piously 
adorned  a  long  life  by  the  practice  of  all  the  virtues  of  her  sex, 
and  died  a  few  years  ago,  in  extreme  old  age,  crowned  with  un- 
clouded hope  and  faith,  and  blessed  to  the  last  hour  in  the  lull 
enjoyment  of  all  her  faculties. 

The  immediate  subject  of  this  brief  memoir — the  oldest  of 
his  father's  offspring — continued  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  had  reached  his  tenth  year,  receiving  up  to  that  age,  such 
instruction  only,  as  could  be  obtained  at  home  and  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  township.  He  was  subsequently  removed 
for  further  culture  and  improvement,  to  a  classical  academy  in 
Plainfield,  where  he  was  quickly  noted  by  his  teacher,  and  all 
his  youthful  associates,  for  his  extraordinary  attainments  in  the 
ancient  languages,  and  in  the  different  branches  of  mathemat- 
ics. So  rare  and  rapid,  indeed,  were  the  varied  powers  of  his 
mind,  that  a  few  years  of  study  at  Plainfield  earned  him  unri- 
valed distinction,  and  satisfied  his  friends  that  he  possessed,  in 
an  eminent  degree,  an  intellect  sufficiently  strong  to  master  any 
language  and  every  science,  however  abstruse  or  difficult  of 
comprehension.  When  he  left  that  academy,  though  only  thir- 
teen years  old,  he  was,  in  fact,  an   accomplished  scholar  in  the 

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260  Bvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Greek  and  Latin  readings ;  and  having,  ever  since,  industriously 
kept  up  his  learning,  he  happily  retains  to  this  day,  a  ready 
and  profound  acquaintance  with  both  of  these  languages. 

There  are  few  of  those  who  shall  read  this  rapid  sketch, 
especially  men  of  New-England,  who  will  not  have  heard  of 
the  Hon.  William  Hunter,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island — an  able, 
great  and  eminent  statesman  aud  civilian — for  some  years  a 
senator  in  Congress  from  his  State,  and,  in  the  latter  part  of  his 
life,  American  Minister  to  Brazil.  Erudite  and  learned  him- 
self,  devoted  to  the  beauties  of  literature  and  the  fine  arts,  and 
the  generous  patron  of  genius  in  others,  this  distinguished  gen- 
tleman, delighted  with  the  early  talents,  the  application  and 
the  remarkable  acquirements  of  a  promising  kinsman,  invited 
his  youthful  relative — the  subject  of  these  lines — to  pursue  his 
studies,  including  the  study  of  law,  in  his  family  at  Newport, 
and  under  his  own  immediate  care  and  instruction.  Nor  could 
a  more  sincere  friend,  or  competent  teacher,  have  offered  to  dis- 
cipline and  direct  the  mental  energies  of  a  virtuous  and  aspiring 
lad.  The  boon  so  nobly  volunteered,  was  thankfully  accepted , 
and  henceforth,  between  the  tutor  and  his  pupil,  a  congeniality 
of  taste  and  sentiment,  and  great  natural  endowments,  genera- 
ting a  warm  mutual  attachment,  united  age  and  boyhood  in  a 
bond  of  friendship  which  was  never  severed  ;  and  which,  in  its 
happy  consequences,  blessed  both  the  giver  and  receiver  of  an 
inestimable  favor — the  former,  in  the  subsequent  contemplation 
of  the  rich  fruits  of  his  own  benificent  care  and  culture  ;  the 
latter  in  the  fortune,  fame  and  honor  he  has  since  so  proudly 
achieved  among  men. 

Under  the  guidance  of  his  accomplished  master,  the  youth* 
ful  student  of  our  text,  full  of  hope  and  courage,  applied  him- 
self dilligently ;  and  being  gifted  by  nature  with  a  powerful 
and  retentive  memory,  and  a  mind  capable  of  deep  research  and 
the  severest  mental  service,  garnered  in  a  few  years,  abundant 
and  lasting  stores  from  every  department  of  knowledge.  He 
made, especial  and  successful  preparation  in  that  particular 
branch  to  which  he  had  resolved  to  devote  his  life ;  and  having, 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  sufficiently  qualified  himself,  he  made  for- 
mal application  for  a  legal  commission,  and  obtained  admittance 
to  the  Newport  bar.    Nor  was  he  suffered  to  take  this  early  and 

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^ansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  261 

difficult  honor  without  a  close  and  critical  examination  before  a 
learned  and  inflexible  tribunal :  for  in  the  strict  discipline  of 
that  day  —  more  rigid  by  far  than  this  —  neither  the  courts  of 
justice  nor  the  people  could  be  induced  to  countenance  superfi- 
cial learning  in  the  profession,  or  to  patronize  a  presumptuous 
and  half-taught  candidate,  who,  unprepared  for  the  high  and 
responsible  warrant,  had  the  vanity  to  demand  the  dignity  of 
the  gown  and  green  bag ;  and  it  is  to  be  deplored — deeply  de- 
plored, indeed — that  the  same  stringent  regulations,  in  regard 
to  authorized  membership  in  a  great  and  indispensable  depart- 
ment of  our  civil  polity,  does  not  still  prevail  in  every  part  of 
our  country ;  for  it  must  be  readily  granted  by  every  consider- 
ate observer,  that  if  the  bar  was  only  accessible  to  men  of  tried 
and  established  worth,  with  suitable  qualifications,  much  public 
injury  or  mischief  would  be  averted ;  our  courts  would  be,  as 
they  always  should  be,  the  venerated  sanctuaries  of  justice,  and 
the  profession  would  be  relieved  of  much  of  the  prejudice  and 
obloquy  which  ignorant,  unworthy  and  discreditable  empirics 
have  too  frequently  cast  upon  it. 

At  the  time,  too,  of  which  we  now  speak,  the  bar  in  the 
principal  cities  of  New  England — always  renowned  for  learn- 
ing and  integrity — was  everywhere  adorned  and  occupied  by 
men  whose  just  influence  and  popularity  had  monopolized  the 
practice  of  the  different  courts,  and  left  little  or  no  immediate 
room  for  new  beginners  in  the  profession.  A  long,  tedious  and 
doubtful  struggle  awaited  every  junior  aspirant  for  forensic 
honor  and  employment ;  so  long,  indeed,  that  no  young  man  of 
limited  means,  however  great  his  courage  or  acquirements,  could 
prudently  hazard,  on  the  most  flattering  prospective  hopes,  the 
probation  he  would  necessarily  have  to  encounter ;  whilst  he 
tarried  at  the  threshold,  like  the  afflicted  Hebrew,  for  the  trou- 
bling of  the  healing  waters  of  the  pool,  he  must  eat,  and  drink 
and  dress  ;  and  the  charge  for  these,  though  never  so  cheap, 
would  drain  his  scanty  purse,  and  leave  him  to  want  and  desti- 
tution, or  to  the  cold,  humbling,  and  reluctant  charity  of  friends 
and  relatives.  It  was  so  at  that  day  in  New  England  in  every 
department  of  life  ;  it  is  more  so  now  under  the  necessities  of 
a  largely  increased  and  increasing  population.  But  then,  as 
now,  the  spirit  of  the  ''  pilgrim  fathers  "  stimulated  their  sons 

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262  ^ansviUe  and  iU  Men  of  Mark, 

and  descendants)  and  taught  them  that  it  was  more  noble  and 
manly  to  strive  for  peace  and  happiness  and  fortune  in  a  land 
of  strangers,  than  to  linger,  sickened  and  discouraged  under 
"  hope  deferred/'  around  the  graves  of  the  unpromising  homes 
of  their  ancestors.  It  was  this  spirit  which  made  and  still 
makes  New  England  the  hive  whence  issue  to  the  "Great  West" 
and  everywhere  over  the  civilized  world,  yearly,  and  large  sup- 
jplies  of  talent,  of  indomitable  industry  and  enterprise,  and,  in 
a  just  homage  to  truth,  we  must  add  of  men,  most  of  whom 
carry  with  them,  whithersoever  they  go,  a  characteristic  trait 
of  soberness,  shrewdness,  and  accumulative  industry.  And  it 
was  this  same  spirit  which,  politely  rejecting  a  generous  offer 
from  his  great  friend  and  instructor,  Mr.  Hunter,  to  join  him  in 
the  profession  at  the  Philadelphia  bar,  on  equal  shares  in  their 
practice,  induced  the  subject  of  this  short  story,  in  the  early 
dawn  of  manhood,  to  become  a  cheerful  exile,  and  to  follow  his 
fortunes,  whatever  they  might  be,  in  a  remote  society,  and 
among  people  of  whom  he  had  heard  but  little  and  knew  still 
less.  Accordingly,  at  a  tender  age  in  life,  having  only  passed 
his  twenty -second  year,  and  with  money  barely  sufficient  to  de- 
fray the  necessary  expense  of  traveling,  he  bade  a  painful  adieu 
to  his  family,  his  friends,  and  all  the  loved  scenes  of  his  native 
land  ;  and,  passing  through  Washington,  where  he  remained  a 
few  days,  he  continued  his  journey,  until,  in  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1818,  he  reached  and  settled  himself  in  Columbia,  a 
beautiful  and  thriving  village  in  Tennessee,  about  forty  miles 
south  from  the  city  of  Nashville. 

Many  there  must  be  among  his  resolute  countrymen,  who, 
having  enterprised  a  similar  fate,  could  pencil,  better  than  we 
can,  the  strong  emotions  of  a  young  and  lonely  adventurer,when 
he  finds  himself  seated,  for  the  first  time,  in  a  new  home,  sur- 
rounded by  an  '*  unknowing  and  unknown  "  multitude,  and 
withal,  an  object  of  attraction  to  every  gazing  and  inquisitive 
eye.  'Tis  then  that  the  iron- hearted  stranger — silently  contem- 
plating the  past,  the  present  and  the  future — remembering  all 
he  had  left  and  lost,  and  all  he  then  beholds,  and  dreading  the 
days  to  come  with  all  their  doubtful  fortunes — sinks  beneath 
his  own  profound  reflection,  and  repents,  perhaps,  the  folly  or 
the  courage  that  taught  him,  in  an  evil  hour,  to  exchange  every 

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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  268 

endearment  and  all  the  ties  and  tender  associations  of  life  for 
any  hope  or  hopeful  expectation  of  honor  or  of  profit.  Some, 
it  is  true,  better  able  to  conceal  than  to  resist  the  feeling,  may 
be  too  proud  to  show  or  acknowledge  the  amiable  weakness. 
Bat  the  instincts  of  nature — the  same  in  every  human  bosom — 
can  not  be  so  easily  repressed ;  and  all  mankind,  of  every 
clime,  of  every  tongue,  and  of  every  condition,  feeling  the  force 
of  these  instincts,  prove  this  **  common  law  "  of  humanity  by 
submitting  to  its  supremacy.  Time,  we  admit,  with  new  in- 
terests and  new  associations,  may  heal  or  harden  the  wounds  of 
the  exile's  heart.  Time  will  almost  always  mellow,  sanctify, 
and  finally  cure  the  deepest  and  keenest  cuts  of  the  soul ;  but, 
although  it  may  obscure  their  brightness,  time  can  never  oblit- 
erate the  fond  and  ineffacable  images  which  memory  has  im- 
printed on'the  mind.  In  the  spring-day  of  youth,  in  vigorous 
manhood,  and  alike  in  the  dimness  of  old  age — wherever  we  go 
or  how  far  soever  we  may  remove — we  cling  forever  to  cher- 
ished recollections,  and  pay  eternal  love  and  homage  to  the 
scenes  and  the  joys  and  affections  of  our  early,  thoughtless,  or 
happy  hours.  How  it  fared  on  this  occasion  with  the  subject  of 
this  brief  history  we  know  not.  We  are  certain,  nevertheless, 
that  we  should  do  gross  injustice  to  his  benevolent  nature  and 
to  the  deep  attachments  he  always  manifested,  if  we  should 
suppose  him  incapable  of  pair.ful  reflections,  where,  under  sim- 
ilar circumstances,  much  sterner  hearts  have  bowed  submissively 
and  in  sorrow  to  the  uninvited,  but  grateful  visions  of  the  past. 
But  whatever  he  may  have  suffered,  we  are  sure  he  did  not  for- 
get his  dignity,  or  give  way  to  useless  repinings.  Opening  an 
office  at  once,  he  returned  to  his  studies  with  renewed  eager- 
ness and  ambition  ;  and  cultivating  in  the  meantime  a  proper 
acquaintance  with  the  society  into  which  he  had  so  lately  en- 
tered, it  was  not  long  before  he  engaged  the  notice  and  gained 
the  respect  and  consideration  of  all  observing  people.  Patron- 
age with  its  emoluments  would  have  soon  followed,  but  a  more 
broad  and  elevated  platform  awaited  the  labor  and  the  exhibi- 
tions of  our  young  adventurer. 

The  late  Hon.  Felix  Grundy,  justly  celebrated  in  his  day 
as  a  distinguished  statesman  and  an  able  and  very  eloquent 
advocate,  possessing  in  a  high  degree  the  ready  faculty  of  dis- 

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264  EvanaviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Afark. 

cerning  geniae  and  merit  ander  the  most  plain  and  unpretend- 
ing attire.  He  was,  at  the  same  time,  equally  ready  to  encour- 
age the  growth  and  developments  of  such  happy  endowments 
wherever  he  found  them ;  but  especially,  whenever  he  saw 
youth  and  talent  struggling,  unaided  and  unadvised,  in  a 
doubtful  conflict  against  the  united  antagonism  of  poverty  and 
the  cold  and  repulsive  friendship  of  an  unfeeling  world.  Re- 
markable, too,  for  an  easy,  kind  and  affable  address,  and  for  the 
most  agreeable  powers  of  conversation,  that  gentleman  had, 
with  many  other  attractive  qualities,  an  eminent  facility  for 
winning  the  confidence  and  good  opinion  of  all  who  enjoyed  his 
society. 

Fortunately  for  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  Mr.  Grundy 
was,  at  this  particular  period  of  our  narrative,  a  regular  attend- 
ant on  the  Columbia  bar.  There  in  that  free  and  ccArdial  inter- 
course which  then  signalized  the  members  of  the  profession,  an 
introduction  between  the  parties,  leading,  as  it  did,  to  frequent 
intercourse,  0peedily  satisfied  that  gentleman  of  the  great  per- 
sonal worth  and  extraordinary  attainments  of  the  youthful 
stranger;  and  he  lo^t  no  time  in  frankly  advising  him  of  his  faulty 
location,  and  earnestly  commending  his  immediate  removal  to 
Nashville.  The  limited  means  and  that  natural  diffidence  which 
first  induced  Mr.  Grundy's  new  acquaintance  to  seat  himself  in 
Columbia,  were  forgotten,  or  soon  overcome  by  the  plausible 
arguments  of  his  experienced  counselor ;  and  thenceforth 
Nashville,  with  all  its  undeniable  advantages,  social  and  pro- 
fessional, became  his  home,  and  has  ever  since  been  the  princi- 
pal theatre  of  his  actions.  This  important  move  was  executed 
in  the  latter  part  of  1818,  and  as  a  consequence,  bealed  for  good 
the  fortune  of  the  worthy  subject  of  this  hasty  treatise. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  now  write,  Tennessee,  though 
celebrated  for  her  patriotism  and  for  the  heroic  achievements 
which  closed  our  last  war  with  England  in  a  blaze  of  glory, 
was  little  more  than  a  strong  frontier  province,  chiefly  popu- 
lated— comparatively  speaking — by  a  rough,  but  honesfr.,  brave, 
and  unsophisticated  people ;  and  Nashville,  the  acknowledged 
city  of  the  State — was  no  more  than  a  large  and  very  respect- 
able village.  Nevertheless,  the  Nashville  bar,  which  in  ante- 
rior years  had   acquired  and  always  held  a  goodly  fame,  was 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  265 

then  renowned  and  held  throughont  the  State  and  in  many  for- 
eign parts,  for  the  learning,  the  great  abilities,  and  the  honor- 
able bearing  of  its  members.  There  were  among  them  men 
whose  giant  powers  and  cultivated  minds  could  have  success- 
fully grappled  with  the  learning  and  the  lore  of  the  oldest  and 
most  refined  communities,  and  men,  too,  whose  great  names  re- 
main to  this  day,  richly  perfumed  in  the  history  of  the  pro- 
fession. Their  manner  of  practice  was  liberal,  though,  in  the 
progress  of  the  day  in  which  they  lived,  they  had  not  sufficiently 
learned  to  question  or  condemn  the  absurd  technicalities  of  the 
law,  those  astute  and  fast  departing  mummeries  of  a  distant 
and  darker  age  of  legal  science.  Their  rivalries,  were,  for  the 
most  part,  peaceful  and  honorable ;  and  it  was  their  habit  to 
extend  to  their  worthy  juniors  great  condescensions  and  the 
kindest  encouragement. 

In  their  intercourse,  which  was  always  easy  and  informal, 
manhood  and  youth  always  mingled  freely  at  the  social  banquet; 
the  former  was  never  arrogant,  and  the  latter  never  unmindful 
of  proper  observances  to  their  superiors.  Suck  was  the  bar, 
into  which  our  adventurer  had  just  entered ;  such  the  character 
of  its  principal  members.  If  he  could  not  flatter  himself  with 
a  prospect  of  immediate  employment,  he  was  sure,  at  least,  of 
the  society  and  friendship  of  men  of  agreeable  and  highly  im- 
proved minds.  He  was.  too,  under  the  special  regard  and  pro- 
tection of  a  liberal,  generous  and  enlightened  relative,  residing 
not  far  from  Nashville,  whose  good  heart  had  opened  an  ample 
purse  and  placed  its  whole  contents  at  his  command.  Pleased 
with  the  change  of  residence,  and  encouraged  by  the  prospect 
before  him,  he  seated  himself  again  to  his  studies,  well  content 
to  wait,  in  becoming  patience,  the  issue  of  his  exertions. 

Another  man,  with  half  the  intellect  nnd  prepai-ation,  but 
possessed  of  a  larger  share  of  boldness  and  self-confidence, 
would  have  successfully  hastened  that  issue,  and  much  sooner 
crowned  himself  with  the  emoluments  of  the  profession.  We 
have  often,  still,  in  this  most  enlightened  age,  to  witness  and 
lament  the  truth  of  this  criticism ;  and  we  shall  be  compelled 
to  witness  and  lament  its  truth  so  long  as  mankind,  too  often 
taking  sound  for  sense,  suffer  themselves  to  pass  by  true  merit 
only  to  be  captivated  and  carried  away  by  the  false  but  winning 

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266  J^ansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

displays  of  superficial  learning.  In  these  ways  of  conceit  or 
forward  assumptions,  our  new-comer  was  poorly  gifted ;  for,  in 
his  temper  and  disposition,  vanity  and  self-confidence  had  no 
place  whatever.  He  was  not,  we  dare  say,  unconscious  of  his 
own  strength  ;  but  naturally  modest  and  retiring,  and  altogether 
devoid  of  popular  art,  he  could  not  advance  himself  by  practices 
which,  when  adroitly  played  off,  seldom  fail  to  promote  the  for- 
tune of  inferior  minds.  Under  the  operation  of  these  virtuous 
but  unpropitious  causes,  his  progress  was,  of  course  retarded. 
But  the  slowness  of  his  professional  growth — by  giving  him 
larger  opportunities  for  study  and  reflection — added  strength 
and  solidity  to  his  forensic  conquests,  and  in  these  consequences 
assured  the  height  and  durability  of  the  fame  he  had  subse- 
quently accomplished.  By  the  members  of  the  bar  with  whom 
he  would  be  in  daily  contact  he  hoped,  no  doubt  to  be  some- 
what  favored  in  an  introduction  to  public  notice  and  considera- 
tion ;  for  as  they  must  be  the  first  to  weigh  and  estimate  his 
pretensions,  it  was  not  in  vain  on  his  part  to  suppose  that  they 
would,  at  no  very  distant  day,  invite  his  aid  and  co-operation 
in  the  management  and  dispatch  of  business.  Nor  in  this  re- 
quest if  such  were  his  reflections,  was  he  at  all  laistaken  or  dis- 
appointed; for  it  so  soon  afterward  happened  that,  by  the 
countenance  and  good  opinions  of  those  who  knew  him,  as  well 
as  by  his  studious  habits,  and  by  a  quiet  and  becoming  exhibi- 
tion of  his  legal  knowledge,  he  attracted  the  observation  and 
applause  of  his  older  brethren  An  adept  in  that  most  difficult 
branch  of  legal  science,  he  was  first  employed  to  make  up 
pleadings  :  and.  blessed  with  a  strong  memory  and  a  ready  and 
wonderful  acquaintance  with  the  books,  he  was  next  brought 
into  counsel,  and  not  unfrequently  engaged  in  the  preparation 
of  bills  and  answers  in  chancery.  These  tokens  of  approved 
personal  worth  and  professional  skill  led  to  an  unsolicited  part- 
nership with  a  most  worthy  and  long  established  attorney  of 
the  Nashville  bar ;  and,  as  a  notable  fact  in  the  history  of  this 
connection,  we  may  remark  that  it  was  the  means  of  gaining 
him  an  advocacy,  with  a  large  contingent  fee,  in  a  suit  for  wild 
and  distant  lands,  the  successful  recovery  of  which,  in  the  sub- 
sequent rapid  increased  value  of  many  "  broad  acres,"  gave 
him  a  very  large  reward  tor  his  services. 


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JSvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  267 

Thenceforth  the  way  was  open  to  the  man  of  this  short 
record.  His  reputation  was  fairly  established  by  the  united 
judj^ent  of  his  professional  compeers,  and  the  foundation  of 
his  fortune  thereby  securely  laid.  But  as  patronage,  where  the 
leading  members  of  the  bar  are  sufficiently  enlightened  and  at- 
tentive, does  not  readily  run  into  new  channels,  the  number  of 
his  retainers,  though  steadily  adyancing,  did  not  yet  correspond 
with  his  just  claims  and  his  acknowledged  abilities.  A  good 
practice,  *tis  true,  gave  him  ample  support,  with  moderate  accu- 
mulations ;  but  he  was  left  still  with  many  leisure  hours. 
They  were  not,  however,  hours  of  idleness  or  of  fruitless  dis- 
content ;  for,  imbued  by  nature  with  a  mind  which  is  happily 
exempt  from  despondency  as  from  its  opposite  weakness,  he 
pursued,  umler  every  phase  of  life,  the  *'  even  tenor  of  his  way,** 
In  his  office  and  by  his  books — the  temple  and  the  earthly  idols 
of  his  heart — mingling,  in  his  daily  exercises,  the  study  of  law 
with  polite  and  abstruse  literature,  and  never  forgetting  to 
keep  up  and  extend  his  critical  learning,  in  the  ancient  classics, 
he  was  constantly  improving  himself,  and  enlarging  the  rich 
and  abundant  stores  that  have  since  obtained,  for  his  judgments 
and  opinions,  oracular  confidence  and  authority. 

In  our  worldly  affiairs  it  sometimes  pleases  Fortune  to  lend 
a  capricious  smile,  where  neither  true  merit,  nor  wisdom,  nor 
industry,  entitles  an  unworthy  object  to  the  grateful  concession. 
But,  less  fickle  in  her  gifts  and  good  will  than  the  sportive  god- 
dess is  famed  to  be,  that  poetic  deity  seldom  fails  to  add  her 
grace  and  blessing  wherever  virtue,  and  constancy,  and  quali- 
fication, unite  to  aid  the  good  man  in  a  heroic  struggle  for  hon- 
est promotion.  In  the  former  case,  her  wavering  and  unstable 
countenance  is,  oftentimes,  quickly  clouded  or  forever  turned 
from  an  undeserviug  favorite  ;  in  the  latter,  patience  and  per- 
severance, with  the  help  of  time  and  opportunity,  will,  under 
many  disadvantages,  sustain  our  efforts,  and,  in  the  end,  crown 
our  labors  and  our  trembling  hopes  with  a  propitious  and  last- 
ing harvest  of  honor  and  profit.  Nor  do  we  know  of  any  one 
whose  progress  and  career  illustrate  more  handsomely  than  his 
the  truth  of  this  last  reflection.  Penniless,  friendless,  young, 
and  a  stranger — a  voluntary  exile  for  the  sake  of  the  hope  be- 
fore him,  and  armed  alone  with  his  learning  and  integrity — he 

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268  JSvanwilte  and  its  Men  of  Hark, 

abaDdoned  his  native  soil  and  all  its  manifold  endearments,  and 
resolutely  built  his  youthful  home  in  a  distant  land,  and  in  the 
midst  of  an  unknown  people.  We  have  followed  him  through 
the  gloom  which,  in  the  early  moments  of  his  enterprise,  shad- 
owed his  path  ;  we  have  witnessed  the  courage  and  firmness 
with  which  he  braved  all  difficulties  and  every  disappointment ; 
and  we  behold  him  now,  at  the  end  of  his  probation,  without 
pride  and  without  vanity,  seated  at  the  side  of  the  very  fore- 
most of  his  profession,  honored  of  all  men,  and  daily  attended 
by  a  crowd  of  rewarding  clients.  Great,  indeed,  is  his  triumph 
— not  greater,  we  faithfully  proclaim,  than  the  measure  of  his 
high  and  indisputable  claims  do  justly  challenge. 

It  was  thus,  soon  after  he  had  passed  his  twenty-eighth 
year,  that  this  virtuous  and  gifted  man  so  happily  succeeded  in 
executing  the  great  object  and  design  of  his  life.  Poor,  but 
full  of  laudable  ambition,  and  trusting  to  his  own  good  valor 
and  resolution,  he  came  to  us  in  quest  of  a  home,  of  honorable 
employment,  and  of  a  name  worthy  to  be  noted  among  men« 
By  his  talents  and  application,  and  by  his  amiable,  dignified, 
and  unpretending  deportment,  he  commanded  the  applause  and 
enlisted  the  good  feelings  of  his  elder  brethren  at  the  bar,  and 
finally  attained  before  the  public  an  enviable  and  extended 
fame,  together  with  all  the  emoluments  that  follow  high  profes- 
sional distinction.  The  means,  too — upright  and  honorable — 
that  enabled  him  to  reach  this  eminence,  proved  the  strength 
and  the  broad  basis  of  his  reputation,  and  gave  the  most  relia- 
ble promise  of  a  happy  and  prosperous  future.  He  could  well, 
then,  and  with  a  prudent  confidence,  contemplate  a  new  and 
important  relation  in  life ;  and  he  thence  resolved  to  seek,  at 
the  domestic  altar,  those  solid  and  precious  enjoyments  that 
can  only  be  hoped  for  or  found  in  a  congenial,  affectionate,  and 
enduring  union  of  the  sexes.  Accordingly,  in  the  Fall  of 
1823,  having  previously  engaged  his  heart  to  a  lady,  young, 
lovely,  and  admired  for  her  personal  charms  and  for  the  bright- 
ness of  her  intellect  and  her  acquirements,  he  was  married  to 
a  daughter  descended,  on  both  sides,  from  ancestors  pre-emi- 
nently revered  and  distinguished  in  the  Revolutionary  annals 
of  South  Carolina  for  chivalry  and  patriotism,  and  for  a  pure 
and  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  American  liberty.  To  our  well- 
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^ansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  269 

informed  readers  we  need  not  elucidate  this  text  by  repeating 
the  historic  names  of  Middleton  and  Rutledge — patriots  and 
statesmen  of  an  age  that  **  tried  men's  souls,**  and  which,  for 
good  or  for  evil,  consecrated  or  doomed  their  characters  with 
posterity. 

This  alliance  —  cherished  and  heartily  sanctioned  by  the 
parents  of  the  bride — enlarged  the  happiness  of  their  adopted 
son,  and  widened  the  circle  of  his  associations  ;  but  it  did  not 
interrupt  his  professional  labors,  or  abate  the  ardor  with  which 
he  had  previously  pursued  his  studies  or  engagements.  In  his 
habits  of  industry  he  found  time  to  cultivate  the  gladness  of  his 
his  new  estate,  and,  withal,  to  forward  the  business  of  his  clients* 
and  still  to  augment,  by  close  and  continued  literary  research 
his  large  stock  of  learning.  Such,  indeed,  was  his  unrelaxed 
observance  of  all  these  voluntary  duties,  that  the  honeymoon, 
which,  to  most  others,  is  a  lengthened  carnival  of  exhausting 
or  unprofitable  pleasure,  was  to  him  —  in  the  brightness  and 
freshness  of  his  joy  —  only  a  season  of  quiet  felicity,  softened 
and  refined  in  the  abscence  of  all  nuptial  parade,  by  the  purity 
and  significance  of  strong  but  silent  emotions. 

This  last  important  step,  on  his  part,  was  soon  followed  by 
a  new  professional  association,  which,  after  a  peaceful  and  hap- 
py existence  for  nearly  the  fourth  of  a  century,  was  amicably 
terminated  within  the  last  few  years,  leaving  the  parties  where 
that  association  found  them,  mutually  allied  and  bound  together 
in  reciprocal  sentiments  of  profound  and  unalterable  confidence 
and  attachment. 

A  member  of  the  Nashville  bar,  raised  and  educated  in 
that  city,  and  fortunately  favored  with  a  large  practice  and  a 
corresponding  income,  finding  himself  unable  to  keep  up  the 
business  of  the  office,  invited  the  partnership  to  which  we  refer 
and  which,  after  some  honorable  scruples,  was,  at  last,  politely 
accepted.  By  an  arrangement  between  the  parties  of  their  re- 
spective branches  of  labor,  the  subject  under  our  pen  was 
placed  in  a  position  which,  whilst  it  best  suited  his  disposition, 
and  his  particular  learning,  gave  him  a  fine  field  for  the  exer- 
cise and  display  of  his  surpassing  talents  and  abilities  in  the 
higher  departments  of  jurisprudence.  To  his  care  was  assigned, 
by  a  joint  and  cordial  consent,  all  the  service  in  the  Courts  of 

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270  hSHmaviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Chancery  and  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and  to  his  partner  the 
business  of  the  common  law  courts,  State  and  Federal,  together 
with  the  financial  duties  and  adjustments  of  their  office,  and  the 
task  of  their  correspondence,  at  home  and  abroad,  commensu- 
rate in  its  extent  with  nearly  all  the  commercial  litigation  of 
half  the  State. 

We  do  not  intend  to  report  in  further  detail  the  history  of 
this  long  partnership,  and  only  stop  to  add,  that  the  parties 
harmonized  and  prospered  for  many  years ;  one  of  them — stu- 
diously and  exclusively  pursuing  his  profession — continued  to 
gather,  all  the  time,  fresh  laurels  and  high  renown ;  while  the 
other,  more  flexible  in  his  resolutions — we  write  by  permission 
and  without  offence — was  too  frequently  won  away  by  the 
whisperings  of  his  own  political  ambition,  or  by  the  flattering 
and  seductive  persuasions  of  the  popular  tongue.  The  former, 
we  know,  does  not  repent  his  prudence, — the  latter  will  not, say 
perhaps,  that  he  was  overwise.  Their  destinies,  though  they 
are  both  happily  content  in  their  present  fortunes,  differ  widely, 
and  in  the  contrast,  their  best  friends  may  judge  between  them 
which  of  the  two  has  most  reason  to  rejoice  in  the  policy  or  the 
good  sense  that  caused  those  diverging  movements  in  their 
several  lives.  But  naturally  and  sincerely  averse,  as  the  able 
and  virtuous  citizen  of  our  text  has  ever  been  to  public  honor 
and  service,  his  name,  twice  in  his  time,  has  been  suspended  at 
the  hustings — once  without  his  knowledge  or  consent,  and, 
again,  after  a  long  interval,  when,  in  an  important  crisis  in  our 
State  legislation,  he  yielded  reluctant  obedience  to  a  call,  which 
under  the  circumstances,  he  could  not  properly  disregard.  On 
both  of  these  occasions  his  popularity,  founded  solely  on  his 
great  abilities  and  his  acknowledged  integrity,  carried  him  tri- 
umphantly through  the  polls,  and,  in  the  first  instance,  consid- 
erably ahead  of  time-honored  and  influential  competitors,  and 
that,  too,  without  a  serious  effort  on  his  part :  for,  contrary  to 
our  custom  here,  and  the  uniform  pra  ctice  of  candidates,  he 
never  went  out  of  his  way  to  seek  favor  and  support,  and  only 
addressed  the  people  when  he  was  occasionally,  but  rarely  called 
up  in  the  large  assemblies  that  sometimes  convened  in  Nash- 
ville during  a  political  canvass. 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  271 

It  was  thus,  that,  in  1834,  he  was  a  member  of  the  conven- 
tioQ  that  framed  the  present  Constitution  of  Tennessee,  and  it 
was  thus,  too,  that  he  served  his  county  and  its  wealthy  and 
enlightened  metropolis  in  the  Legislature  of  that  State. 
In  both  situations  he  exalted  his  own  high  character,  and  was 
honored  and  distinguished  by  all  men  of  every  party  for  his 
great  learning  and  integrity,  and  for  the  profound  and  practical 
wisdom  he  displayed  on  all  questions  under  consideration  and 
debate  in  those  important  assemblies.  If  he  ever  set  any  par- 
ticular value  on  his  own  services  or  his  influence  in  either  of 
these  situations,  his  native  delicacy  has  not  suffered  him,  we 
are  sure,  to  whisper  the  silent  compliment  to  his  own  bosom. 
But  all  who  have  noticed  his  acts,  and  witnessed  the  diligence, 
the  thought  and  the  judgment  he  daily  manifested  in  discharg- 
ing his  official  duties,  will  join  us  in  saying  that  by  his  knowl- 
edge, and  by  the  confidence  and  admiration  with  which  he 
inspired  his  compeers,  he  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  engrafting 
on  our  jurisprudence  many  important  and  beneficial  reforms. 
He  has  never  failed,  indeed,  everywhere  to  laugh  at,  condemn 
and  assault  the  idle  forms,  the  barbarisms,  the  fictions,  and  all 
the  learned  nonsense  and  jargon  of  the  old  law,  and,  we  dare 
say,  he  heartily  rejoiced  in  the  deadly  blows  which  he  success- 
fully dealt  upon  these  insufierable  relics  of  a  darker  or  more 
designing  period.  But  we  must  hasten  to  the  close  of  a  memoir 
already  drawn  beyond  its  intended  limits. 

Mr.  Fogg,  as  our  readers  will  have  observed,  is  approach- 
ing the  conclusion  of  his  fifty-seventh  period  ;  but  a  sound  con- 
stitution, fortified  and  strengthened  by  a  habit  of  strictest  tem- 
perance in  all  the  pleasures  and  good  things  ot  the  world  give 
him  a  hopeful  guarantee  of  lengthened  years.  He  inherits  this 
promise,  indeed,  from  a  long-lived  ancestry,  and  is  not  likely, 
we  are  sure,  to  forfeit  or  endanger  his  chances  on  life  by  an  im- 
prudent act,  or  by  an  undue  indulgence  that  would  be  caclulated 
to  impair  his  health,  or  shorten  the  number  of  his  days.  In 
stature  he  is  about  five  feet  seven  inches  in  height,  of  a  vigorous 
and  rotund  frame,  with  a  quiet,  pleasing  and  benign  counte- 
nance, and  a  light  gray  eye,  which,  though  it  does  not  sufficiently 
herald  his  extraordinary  intellect,  evinces  deep  and  deliberate 
thought  and  great  reflection.     Nevertheless,  that  eye  readily 

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272  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

beams  an  approviDp;  smile,  or  drops  a  sympathetic  tear.  It 
always  sparkles  brightly  under  joyous  or  pleasurable  emotions, 
and  is  altogether  unused  to  bitter,  scornful  or  indignant  looks. 
The  marked  lines  in  face,  and  his  blanched  locks,  indicate  more 
years  than  he  has  passed  ;  but  care  and  great  sorrows  frequently 
leave  their  indelible  impress,  and  alter  and  relax,  without 
fatally  wes^kening  the  faculties  of  the  mind,  or  the  muscular 
powers  of  the  body. 

Of  these  cares  and  sorrows  our  good  friend  has,  of  late 
years,  tasted  deep  and  felt  much.  Called,  in  a  sudden  and  un- 
expected hour,  to  mourn,  in  an  early  manhood,  the  loss  of  a 
noble,  generous  and  accomplished  son, — the  senior  of  three 
only  children — wise  and  learned,  as  he  was,  beyond  his  tender 
age,  beloved  and  honored  by  the  young,  and  full  of  all  good 
promises  as  to  the  future,  his  disconsolate  fatht  r  had  scarcely 
ceased  to  weep  over  an  object  too  well  loved  ever  to  be  forgot- 
ten, when,  in  an  hour  quite  as  sudden  and  overwhelming,  the 
**  angel  of  death  "  stood  again  at  his  door.  An  only  daughter, 
lovely,  and  of  rare  endowments  and  abilities,  the  fairest  and 
brightest  jewel  of  his  heart,  praised  and  everywhere  courted 
and  caressed,  a  sweet  rose  of  the  spring  in  its  early  and  most 
delicious  bloom,  sank  to  a  most  untimely  grave,  leaving  one 
only  remaining  child  to  comfort  is  grief  or  desolation,  by  hold- 
ing up  a  solitary  but  dear  and  hopeful  light  in  the  house  of 
mourning.  That  he  should,  for  a  time,  languish  and  repine 
under  these  great  afflictions,  was  to  be  expected  of  a  father  so 
full  of  kindness  and  affection  ;  but  Heaven,  we  are  assured,  all 
in  due  time  ''  tempers  the  breeze  to  the  shorn  lamb  ";  and  we 
rejoice  to  know  that  the  wounds  which  bowed  a  strong  man  to 
the  earth  are  gradually  healing,  though  the  scars  thereof  can 
never  be  effaced. 

We  have  said  before  that  this  excellent  man  is,  in  his  gen- 
eral manner  and  bearing,  habitually  quiet  and  unobtrusive. 
But  this,  we  must  add,  is  only  his  every-day  out-of-door  dress  ; 
for  those  who  know  him  best  will  testify  to  his  warm  feelings, 
his  generous  and  noble  disposition,  and  to  the  happy  and  inter- 
esting fervor  which,  in  a  circle  of  cherished  and  confiding 
friends,  oftentimes  turns  hib  natural  and  accustomed  gravity 
into  sounds  of  joyous  mirth,  or  accents  of  animated  and  highly 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  273 

excited  colloquy.  In  such  scenes  he  delights  in  the  sportive 
and  well  told  anecdote,  or  an  consciously  rising  from  his  seat  be 
lectures  and  enlightens  his  small  audience  with  yehement 
learning  on  any  topic  that  may  be  started.  Nor  does  his  au- 
thoritative manner  on  such  occasions  prove  against  him  either 
vanity  or  presumption.  No  man  condemns  these  unworthy 
vices  more  than  he  does ;  no  man  is  more  free  from  their  hate- 
ful practice.  Such  indeed,  is  the  gentleness  and  simplicity  of 
his  heart,  that  he  never  manifests  a  feeling  of  pride  or  superi- 
ority, but  seems,  in  the  eyes  of  every  one,  to  be  the  only  person 
who  is  ignorant  of  his  own  acknowledged  and  commanding 
powers.  And  in  this  respect,  we  must  pause  to  say,  he  imitates 
the  finest  example  of  true  greatness — for,  it  may  be  well  re- 
peated, that  nothing  more  conclusively  shows  a  want  of  true 
merit  and  greatness  than  a  vain  assumption  of  these  rare  and 
inestimable  endowments. 

In  his  speeches  at  the  bar  and  everywhere  else,  he  is  clear, 
cogent  and  methodical,  and  never  injures  by  dilating  an  argu- 
ment. He  labors  to  convince  the  mind,  and  seldom  attempts 
the  passions  or  the  imaginations  of  men  ;  hence,  he  is  always 
forcible,  terse  and  succinct.  But  hurried  away  by  his  feelings, 
we  have  seen  him,  at  times,  rise  to  the  sublimity  of  real 
eloquence  ;  and,  long  or  short,  as  his  speeches  may  be.  his  audi- 
ence— always  charmed  with  his  wisdom  and  evident  sincerity 
— adhere  in  silence  to  Ms  accents,  and  never  fail  to  seize  with 
avidity  the  last  words  that  fall  from  his  lips. 

Such  is  the  short  but  faithful  history  of  the  subject  of  this 
memoir ;  such  his  virtues  and  his  learning ;  such  the  traits  of 
his  amiable  and  unblemished  personal  character;  and,  as  such, 
he  is,  and  we  can  truly  add,  without  an  enemy  to  mar  or  inter- 
rupt his  peace  and  happiness.  Many  may  equal  —  all  should 
emulate — but  none  can  rival  or  excel  his-worth. — Review, 

He  was  a  friend  of  many  of  Evansville's  enterprises,  and 
was  often  consulted  in  regard  to  questions  which  threatened  the 
overthrow  of  the  young  city. 


85 


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Southern  Indiana  in  the  War. 


TwxHTT-roTrmTH  BBonaeiiT. 


^HE  Admin istration  did  not  realize,  when  the  rebellioD 
commenced,  the  immense  task  it  had  undertaken. 
Hence,  but  a  small  force  was  called  to  meet,  what  was  then 
thought  to  be,  an  immediate  emergency.  The  call  was  promptly 
filled.  The  martial  spirit  of  the  West  was  aroused,  and  the 
number  of  volunteers  exceeded  the  troops  demanded.  By  inces- 
sant application  to  the  President  and  War  Department,  per- 
mission was  given  C.  M.  Allen  and  others  to  raise  four  additional 
regiments  in  Indiana,  and  a  request  was  made  to  that  effect 
to  Governor  Morton,  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  The  (Jovernor, 
accordingly,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1861,  issued  orders,  through 
his  Adjutant-Genaral,  that  these  regiments  should  be  recruited 
in  the  first,  second  and  third  Congressional  districts,  popularly 
called  "  The  Pocket." 

The  Twenty-fourth  was  recruited  and  organized  under  this 
order,  and  rendezvoused  at  Vincennes.  A  military  camp  was 
a  novelty  to  the  citizens  of  that  section,  and  for  miles  around 
they  flocked  to  ''  Camp  Enox  "  with  baskets  filled  with  sub> 
stantial  fare  for  their  friends  —  the  volunteers.  Many  warm 
friendships  were  formed  at  this  camp,  and  some,  who  were  then 
visitors,  have  since  been  the  heroes  of  hard-fought  battles. 

On  the  31st  of  July  the  regiment  was  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  T.  J.  Wood, 
U.  S,  A.     Its  roster  was  as  follows  : 

Field  and  Staff  Officers. — Colonel,  Alvin  P.  Hovey,  Mount 
Vernon  ;  Lieutenant-Colonel,  John  Gerber,  Madison  ;  Major 
Cyrus  C.  Hines,  Indianapolis ;  Adjutant,  Richard  F.  Baxter, 
Mount  Vernon;  Regimental   Quartermaster,  John    M.   Clark, 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  275 

Vincennes ;  Surgeon,  Robert  B.  Jessup,  Vincennes ;  Assistant 
Surgeon,  John  W.  Davis,  Vincennes;  Chaplain,  Charles  Fitch, 
Mount  Vernon. 

Oompany  A, — Captain,  Hugh  Erwin,  Mitchell ;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, George  Sheeks,  Mitchell ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Hiram  F. 
Bazton,  Bedford. 

Oompany  B. — Captain,  Solomon  Dill,  Paoli ;  First  Lieu- 
tenant, John  W.  Tucker,  Orleans ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Stephen 
H.  Southwick,  Paoli. 

Oompany  O. — Captain,  John  F.  Grill,  Evansville ;  First 
Lieutenant,  Charles  Larch,  Mount  Vernon  ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
William  Miller,  Vincennes. 

Oompany  D, — Captain,  Nelson  F.  Bulton,  Washington  : 
First  Lieutenant,  Jacob  Covert,  Washington  ;  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, Samuel  M.  Smith,  Washington. 

Company  E. — Captain,  Samuel  R.  Morgan,  Petersburg ; 
First  Lieutenant,  John  E.  Phillips,  Princeton  ;  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, John  T.  Deweeson,  Petersburg. 

Oompany  F, — Captain,  Amizon  Connett,  Evansville ;  First 
Lieutenant,  Thomas  £.  Ashley,  Evansville  ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
Joseph  A.  Launders,  Evansville. 

Oompany  O, — Captain,  Wm.  T.  Spicely,  Orleans;  First 
Lieutenant,  Charles  T.  Jenkens,  Orleans ;  Second  Lieutenantt 
Arthur  W.  Gray,  Orleans. 

Oompany  H, — Captain,  Wm.  L.  Merrick.  Petersburg ;  First 
Lieutenant,  John  B.  Hutchens,  Petersburg  ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
James  J.  Jones,  Winslow. 

Oompany  I, — Captain,  Samuel  T.  McGuflSn,  Loogootee ; 
First  Lieutenant,  James  Wood,  Loogootee ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
Benjaiain  J.  Summers,  Loogootee. 

Oompany  K. —  Captain,  Thomas  Johnson,  Washington  : 
First  Lieutenant,  Francis  M.  Redburn,  Princeton  ;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, William  T.  RoUand,  Cynthiana. 

Colonel  Hovey  at  once  instituted  drill,  and  thoroughly  in- 
structed the  men  in  their  duty  as  soldiers.  He  was  ably  assisted 
by  Captain  Spicely. 

On  the  16th  of  August  muskets  were  drawn,  and  the  regi- 
ment was  equipped  for  the  field. 

Then  there  was  an  urgent  demand  for  troops  in  Missouri 


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276  Evannville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

t.o  meet  the  invaeion  of  that  State  by  the  rebel  General  Price. 
Indiana  responded  to  that  call  bv  sending  several  regiments, 
including  the  Twenty- fourth. 

On  the  18th  the  regiment  left  Camp  Knox,  and  marching 
to  the  depot,  took  cars  for  St.  Louis,  and  bivouacked  opposite  the 
city  that  night.  The  next  morning  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
marched  through  the  streets  of  St.  Louis,  and  camped  in  Park 
Lafayette.  Here  it  remained  a  few  days,  and  then  marched  to 
Oarondelet,  seven  miles  below  St.  Louis,  where  it  formed  camp, 
and  was  assigned  to  guard  the  gunboats,  then  in  process  of  con* 
struction. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  Colonel  Hovey,  with  six  compa- 
nies of  the  regiment,  were  conveyed  twenty-five  miles  on  the 
Iron  Mountain  railroad.  They  then  made  a  rapid  march  of  £f- 
teen  miles,  and  reached  a  rebel  camp,  but  the  enemy  had  fled. 
The  detachment  then  returned  to  Oarondelet. 

On  the  16th  the  regiment  embarked  on  a  steamer,  and 
sailed  for  St.  Louis.  On  learning  that  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac was  their  destination,  the  men  filled  the  air  with  their  glad 
shouts.  Arriving  at  St.  Louis,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
take  cars  for  Jefferson  City,  Missouri. 

The  train  slowly  moved,  and  soon  found  the  track  so  much 
obstructed  by  weeds  as  to  impede  progress.  After  forty  eight 
hours'  hard  labor,  the  cars  ran  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles.     Xhe  regiment  went  into  camp  at  Syracuse. 

On  the  20th  the  regiment  marched  seven  miles  along  the 
railroad,  and  halted  where  the  pioneers  were  constructing  a 
bridge.  Here  it  guarded  the  workmen  and  fortified  the  position. 
The  bridge  being  completed,  the  regiment  crossed  on  the  24th, 
and  made  a  wearisome  march  over  a  plowed  prairie  to  George- 
town. 

On  its  arrival  here  it  was  brigaded  with  the  Eighteenth 
and  Twenty-second  Indiana,  the  brigade  being  under  command 
of  Colonel  Jeff  C.  Davis,  of  the  Twenty -second,  and  applied 
itself  to  the  learning  of  the  various  maneuvres  necessary  for  an 
active  campaign.  In  a  few  weeks  afterward  the  regiment 
reached  Sedalia,  and  taking  cars,  arrived  at  Tipton,  where  it 
went  into  camp.  Here  it  was  assigned  to  General  Hunter*b 
division. 

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BSvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  277 

General  Fremont  was  then  engaged  in  gathering  an  army, 
preparatory  to  moving  on  the  rebel  General  Price,  at  Spring- 
field, MiBsouri.  The  troops,  rapidly  as  they  could  be  properly 
equipped,  were  marched  to  Warsaw,  on  the  Osage  river.  The 
river  at  this  point  is  about  three  hundred  yards  wide  with  a 
swift  current.  It  was  soon  bridged,  and  the  regiment,  joining 
the  expedition,  crossed  on  the  24th  of  October,  and  bivouacked. 
Next  day  it  marched  seven  miles,  then  halted  and  waited  for 
rations  from  Tipton.  Rations  having  been  procured,  the  regi- 
ment marched  eight  miles  and  bivouacked.  It  was  then  assigned 
to  another  brigade.  This  change  gave  Oolonel  Hovey  the  com- 
mand of  a  brigade,  leaving  Lieutenant- Oolonel  John  Gerber  in 
command  of  the  regiment. 

Soon  orders  were  received  for  the  army  to  march  on  Spring- 
field ;  and  the  soldiers,  with  cheerful  faces  and  gladdened  hearts, 
pushed  rapidly  forward. 

On  the  3d  of  November  General  Fremont's  advance  entered 
Springfield,  driving  out  the  loitering  rebel  cavalry  Here  Fre- 
mont's army  halted  for  the  purpose  of  concentrating  and  falling 
on  the  rebel  Gkneral  Price,  then  posted  at  Wilson's  Creek  ;  but 
before  an  advance  was  made.  General  Fremont  was  superceded 
by  General  Hunter,  and  the  proposed  campaign  was  abandoned. 

The  regiment  left  Springfield  on  the  9th,  and  reached  War- 
saw on  the  14th.  After  resting  one  day  it  marched  to  Tipton, 
reaching  there  on  the  18th,  and  went  into  their  old  camp,  hav- 
ing marched  three  hundred  miles.  It  was  now  Winter,  yet  the 
nctw  troops  were  kept  in  constant  motion. 

On  the  8th  of  December  the  regiment  marched  to  Lamoine 
bridge,  and  while  engaged  in  putting  up  huts  for  shelter,  was 
ordered  to  join  the  Warrensburg  expedition.  The  object  of 
this  movement  was  to  intercept,  if  possible,  capture  a  large 
number  of  recruits  and  a  large  wagon  train,  on  their  way  to 
join  Price's  army.  The  expedition  was  planned  and  executed 
by  Colonel  Jeff.  C.  Davis.  One  thousand  five  hundred  rebels, 
with  their  baggage,  arms  and  ammunition,  were  captured. 

The  regiment  went  into  camp,  at  Tipton,  on  the  23d  of 
December,  and  a  deep  snow  had  fallen,  and  there  was  no  shel- 
ter for  the  men.  Scraping  away  the  snow,  they  built  large  fires 
and  bivouacked.  Soon  Sibley  tents  were  drawn,  and  the  men 
enjoyed  comfortable  quarters. 

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278  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

On  the  7tb  of  February  the  regimeDt  broke  caamp ;  and, 
after  a  severe  march,  reached  Jeflferson  City  on  the  10th. 

On  the  15th  it  took  care  for  St.  Louis,  and  arriving  there, 
embarked  on  a  steamer,  under  orders  to  join  General  Grant's 
army,  on  the  Cumberland  river.  Sailing  down  the  Mississippi 
and  up  the  Ohio  and  Cumberland  rivers,  the  regiment  arrived 
at  Fort  Donelson  on  the  18th,  two  days  after  its  surrender. 

On  the  let  of  March  the  regiment  marched  to  Fort  Henry, 
and  on  its  arrival  there,  was  brigaded  with  the  Eleventh  Indi- 
ana and  Eighth  Missouri,  the  brigade  being  under  command  of 
Colonel  Morgan  L.  Smith,  of  the  Eighth  Missouri.  This  brig- 
ade was  attached  to  General  Lew.  Wallace's  division.  Major 
Hynes  being  promoted  to  the  Lieutenant-Colonelcy  of  the  Fifty- 
seventh  Indiana,  took  leave  of  the  regiment,  and  Captain 
Spicely  was  promoted  to  the  Majority, 

On  the  7th  the  regiment,  with  the  Twenty-third  Indiana, 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Telegraph  No.  3,  and  sailed  up  the 
Tennessee  river  with  the  fleet  of  General  Grant.  On  reaching 
Savannah  the  regiment  landed,  and  accompanied  General  Lew. 
Wallace's  division  on  a  reconnoissance  to  Crump's  Landing, 
seven  miles  distant.  No  enemy  being  encountered,  the  regi- 
ment returned  with  the  division  to  the  boats. 

Remaining  on  the  boats  five  days,  the  division  —  to  which 
the  regiment  was  attached  —  disembarked  and  went  into  camp 
on  the  bluffs  at  Crump's  Landing  on  the  18th.  Here  it  en- 
gaged in  drill,  picketing,  and  other  duties,  until  the  5th  April. 

Meanwhile  General  Grant  had  landed  his  main  army,  at 
Pittsburg  Landing,  and  placed  it  in  position  to  cover  and  defend 
that  point,  waited  the  advance  of  Buell's  army,  which,  by  easy 
marches  across  the  country,  by  way  of  Nashville  and  Bowling 
Green,  was  expected  to  reinforce  him.  But  the  wily  rebel  Gen- 
erals were  fully  cognizant  of  our  plans,  and,  before  Buell 
effected  a  junction  with  Grant,  assumed  the  offensive. 

At  midnight  of  the  5th  of  April,  the  camp  of  General  Lew. 
Wallace'^  division  was  aroused  by  the  beating  of  the  '*  assem- 
bly." The  division  marched  through  rain  and  mud  to  Adams- 
ville.  No  enemy  being  found,  the  troops,  weary  and  exhausted, 
returned. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  the  sleeping  troops  of 
Wallace's  division  were  wakened  by  the  roar  of  artillery.    The 

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Gkneral  ordered  the  division  to  form  and  prepare  for  an  instant 
march.  At  noon  the  command  received  orders,  and  moved  for 
the  field  of  battle.  Proceeding  several  miles  it  was  ascertained 
that  because  of  the  falling  back  of  Grant's  army  our  line  of 
march  would  lead  to  the  enemy's  rear,  and  expose  the  division 
to  capture  or  destruction.  A  countermarch  was  at  once  made, 
and  General  Wallace's  division  reached  Pittsburg  Landing  at 
dusk.  It  was  immediately  hurried  to  the  front  and  placed  in 
position.  The  Twenty-fourth  was  placed  on  the  extreme  right 
of  the  division.  No  demonstration  was  made  that  night  by 
either  of  the  opposing  armies,  and — save  the  regular  thirty-min- 
ute guns  from  the  gunboats  Tyler  and  Lexington — all  was  quiet. 

Early  next  morning  General  Lew.  Wallace  opened  the  bat- 
tle. Bringing  an  enfilading  fire  to  bear  on  a  rebel  battery,  it 
was  soon  driven  from  position.  Then  his  whole  division  ad- 
vanced, and  reached  an  open  field.  Beyond  this  field  was  tim- 
ber, through  the  edge  of  which  the  head  of  a  rebel  column 
appeared,  marching  to  our  right.  On  this  column  batteries 
were  open<?d,  which  were  sharply  responded  to  by  the  rebels, 
Skirmishers  were  thrown  forward.  Wallace's  main  line  ad- 
vanced, and  the  rebel  column  disapppeared  in  the  woods. 

The  rebel  line  was  again  encountered  beyond  these  woods. 
The  regiment  advanced,  with  the  brigade,  and  held  its  position 
under  a  severe  fire  from  the  enemy.  A  well-served  battery  of 
the  rebels,  named  Watson's  Louisiana  battery,  caused  sad  havoc 
in  our  ranks.  Here  the  gallant  Lieutenant  Stephen  H.  South- 
wick,  while  urging  forward  his  company,  fell.  Lieutenant 
Oolonel  John  Q^rber  rode  up,  and,  while  exciting  the  men  to 
avenge  the  loss  of  thier  Lieutenant,  was  struck  by  a  cannon 
ball  and  instantly  killed.  The  brave  Captain  Samuel  T.  Mc- 
Gnffin  here  also  fell.  The  Twenty-fourth  held  its  position  four 
hours,  though  repeatedly  charged  by  the  enemy. 

At  2  p.  H.  the  enemy's  line  gave  way,  then  a  charge  was 
ordered  along  the  whole  Union  line.  The  enemy  fled  in  con- 
fusion. The  Twenty-fourth  joined  in  the  pursuit,  took  a  num- 
ber ol  prisoners,  and  bivouacked  that  night  on  the  battle  field. 
The  regiment  lost  heavily  in  this  engagement.  The  next  day 
was  occupied  |in  burying  the  dead  and  providing  for  the  wounded. 
For  several  days  the  regiment  bivouacked  in  line  of  battle.  On 

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280  ^vanaville  and  iU  Mm  cf  Mark. 

the  16th  tents  were  received,  and  the  Twenty- fourth  went  into 
camp  near  the  battle  field,  where  it  remained  until  the  4th  of 
May.    It  then  removed  to  Gravel  Ridge. 

Daring  the  seige  of  Oorinth  the  regiment  was  stationed  at 
Gravel  Ridge,  aud  attached  to  the  reserve  of  General  Halleck*8 
army,  then  advancing  by  parallels  on  that  important  position. 
Oorinth  was  evacuated  by  the  enemy  on  the  SOth,  then  the 
Union  troops  took  possession.  About  this  time  Colonel  Alvin 
P.  Hovey  was  commissioned  a  Brigadier-General,  and  Captain 
Spicely  promoted  to  the  Colonelcy.  Adjutant  Barton  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant-Colonel,  and  Captain  Grill  received  the 
Majority. 

On  the  2d  of  June  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  march  for 
Memphis.  Breaking  up  camp,  the  line  of  march  was  taken, 
passing  through  a  flourishing  section  of  country  never  before 
penetrated  by  Union  troope.  Private  property  was  then  re- 
spected, and  no  foraging  allowed.  Hence,  neither  ruined  house- 
hold nor  devastated  plantation  marked  the  route  of  the  moving 
column.  By  easy  marches,  the  troops  passed  through  Purdy, 
Bolivar  and  Summerville,  halting  long  enough  in  each  place  to 
rest.  The  weather  was  intensely  warm  and  the  roads  were 
dusty,  but  good  water  was  plentiful.  Thus,  by  easy  marches, 
the  regiment  reached  Memphis  on  the  17th,  and  found  it  in 
possession  of  Union  troops.  Halting  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city 
the  men  were  preparing  to  camp,  when  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  march  into  the  city.  Moving  in  a  terrible  storm,  it 
bivouacked  in  the  rain,  and  the  next  day  encamped  on  Front 
street,  where  it  remained  for  twelve  days. 

On  the  SOth  the  regiment  embarked  on  a  steamer  bound 
for  White  River,  and,  sailing  down  the  Mississippi  and  up  the 
White  River,  reached  Crockett's  Bluff  on  the  3d  of  July  Die- 
embarking,  it  joined  the  forces  of  Colonel  Fitch,  then  exploring 
that  section  of  the  country. 

On  the  6th  Colonel  Spicely  was  ordered  to  take  the  right 
wing  of  the  regiment  and  move  in  the  direction  of  Grand  Prai- 
rie, and  instructed  to  attack  the  enemy  wherever  found.  Col. 
Fitch  was  to  follow,  in  supporting   distance,  with  the  brigade. 

The  detachment  under  Colonel  Spicely  marched  at  4  ▲.  k. 
and  encountered  the  enemy's  pickets  a  short  distance  from 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  281 

camp.  Brisk  skirmishiDg  eusued,  and  the  rebels  were  pressed 
back  for  three  miles,  until  the  command  reached  Grand  Prairie, 
when  it  halted  in  the  edge  of  the  timber  skirting  the  prairie. 
Here  the  enemy  was  found  in  line  of  battle  on  the  open  prairie, 
a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  showing  a  front  of  two  companies 
of  cavalry.  Colonel  Spicely  shrewdly  suspecting  the  intention 
of  this  maneuvre,  deployed  three  companies  as  pickets  and 
flankers,  and  sent  Lieutenant  Barton  with  a  squad  of  men,  for 
reinforcements.  The  main  force  of  the  enemy,  who  was  then 
secreted  in  the  wo'ods  in  our  rear,  seeing  the  three  companies 
advance,  arose  from  cover,  and  dashed  through  the  woods,  with 
drawn  sabres,  on  the  rear  of  our  reserves.  The  command 
"  About,  face  I  '*  was  at  once  given,  and  as  the  rebels  charged 
they  were  met  by  a  spirited  fire.  A  sharp  fight  ensued,  but 
soon  the  rebels  fled,  leaving  their  killed  and  wounded  on  the 
field.  The  Twenty-fourth  had  only  eighty  men  against  four 
hundred  rebels.  Its  loss  was  one  killed  and  twenty-one 
wounded.  That  of  the  enemy,  sixty  killed  and  wounded,  and 
thirteen  prisoners.  Colonel  Fitch,  hearing  the  musketry,  hur- 
ried his  brigade  to  our  support,  but  arrived  too  late  to  partici- 
pate in  the  fight. 

Next  day  the  brigade  marched  through  Grand  Prairie, 
driving  the  enemy  wherever  he  made  a  stand,  and  by  marching 
rapidly  that  day  and  night  reached  Clarenden  next  morning. 
The  enemy  having  disappeared,  the  brigade  embarked  on  steam- 
boats and  sailed  down  White  Eiver  and  up  the  Mississippi  to 
Helena,  where  it  disembarked  and  went  into  camp.  The  object 
of  this  expedition  was  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  enemy 
while  General  Curtis  moved  into  Arkansas  from  Missouri.  This 
was  accomplished. 

The  regiment  had  a  neat  camp  at  Helena,  and  was  occupied 
in  drill,  expeditions,  and  scouting.  On  the  24th  the  regiment 
was  pleasantly  surprised  by  the  arrival  of  General  Hovey  with 
the  rest  of  the  brigade.  General  Hovey  immediately  assumed 
command  of  the  post  and  infused  activity  into  the  troops.  The 
next  day  two  companies  of  the  regiment  went  up  the  river,  and 
destroyed  all  the  boats,  canoes  and  rafts  which  they  could  find, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  having  communication  with 

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282  Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

the  opposite  shore  of  the  Mississippi.  Several  days  of  hard 
and  hazardous  labor  were  passed  on  this  expedition. 

On  the  4th  of  August  the  regiment  marched  to  Clarenden 
in  support  of  a  cavalry  force  under  General  Washburn.  No 
enemy  being  encountered,  it  returned  to  Helena  and  worked  on 
the  fortifications  On  the  15th  of  November  it  embarked  with 
an  expedition  under  General  Hovey  for  White  River,  but  on 
arriving  at  the  mouth  of  that  stream  found  that  the  boats  could 
not  pass  over  the  oar,  The  troops  landed,  procured  a  large 
quantity  of  supplies,  and  again  re-embarking,  returned  to 
Helena. 

On  the  27th  another  expedition  was  projected,  in  which  the 
regiment  took  a  prominent  part.  The  infantry  was  under  com- 
mand of  General  Hovey,  and  supported  the  cavaly  under  Gen- 
eral Washburn.  General  Grant  was  making  preparations  to 
move,  overland,  against  Vicksburg.  The  object  of  this  move- 
ment was  to  destroy  the  Tennessee  and  Mississippi  Central 
Railroad.  The  command  embarked  on  transports,  and  sailing 
down  the  Mississippi,  landed  twenty  miles  below  Helena,  on  the 
Mississippi  shore ;  thence  marched  to  Ooldwater.  General  Ho- 
vey halted  his  infantry  column  at  Ooldwater,  and  dispatched 
Colonel  Spicely,^with  the  Eleventh  and  Twenty-fourth  Indiana 
as  a  support  to  the  cavalry.  Colonel  Spicely  reached  the 
Yachna  river,  and  detailing  two  companies  to  guard  a  ferry, 
marched  to  Michell's  Gross  Roads,  where  he  halted  until  the 
next  evening,  the  let  of  December.  Here  he  was  met  by  the 
cavalry  of  General  Washburn,  who  had  accomplished  their  mis- 
sion, by  destroying  much  rolling-stock  and  cutting  two  railroads. 
That  night  sharp  musketry  firing  was  heard  in  the  direction  of 
the  ferry.  The  regiment  started  to  reinforce  their  comrades. 
The  cavalry,  however,  arrived  fir%t,  and  the  Twenty-fourth, 
rapidly  following,  had  a  smart  skirmish  with  the  enemy.  On 
this  occasion  General  Hovey  rode  twelve  miles  in  forty  minutes 
to  rejoin  his  favorite  regiment,  and  was  received  with  wild  en* 
thusiasm.  The  rest  of  the  infantry  rejoined  the  command  at 
the  ferry  next  day,  and  remained  there  while  the  cavalry  made 
another  raid  on  a  railroad.  On  the  return  of  the  cavalry,  the 
force  marched  bark  to  the  river,  embarked  on  steamers,  and 
reached  Helena  on  the  7th. 

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EvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  283 

On  the  11th  of  January,  1863,  the  regiment  accompanied 
a  fleet  under  command  of  General  German,  which  was  to  ascend 
White  River  to  act  in  conjunction  with  General  McClernand, 
who  was  then  moving  on  Arkansas  Post.  The  regiment  reached 
St.  Charles  op  the  14th,  after  being  exposed  to  a  violent  snow 
storm,  which  caused  much  suffering  to  the  men.  Duvall's  Bluff 
was  reached  on  the  16th,  and  was  found  evacuated  by  the  ene- 
my, but  the  command,  landing,  pursued  the  retreating  foe,  cap- 
turing a  number  of  prisoners.  The  next  day  Colonel  Spicely, 
with  his  command,  proceeded  thirty  miles  to  Des  Arc,  where 
the  railroad  crosses  the  river.  The  rebels  again  fled,  leaving 
their  sick  in  the  hospital.  Colonel  Spicely  paroled  the  sick, 
destroyed  the  telegraph,  captured  a  number  of  small  arms,  and 
the  military  librnry  of  Jeff.  Thomas,  and  returned  to  the  main 
force.  The  fleet  then  sailed  for  Helena,  arriving  there  on  the 
2l8t  of  January. 

The  last  expedition  from  Helena  participated  in  by  the  reg- 
iment was  for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  Yazoo  Pass,  and  thus 
reach  the  rear  t>f  Vicksburg.  This  pass  was  a  chute  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Cold  water  River.  The  rebels,  however,  an- 
ticipated this  movement,  and  erected  Fort  Greenwood,  which 
the  expedition  was  unable  to  reach  by  land,  and  the  gunboats 
could  not  approach  by  water.  Our  forces  worked  several  days 
and  removed  the  logs  out  of  the  bayou,  then  marched  to  Wood- 
burn  and  had  a  skirmish  with  the  enemy.  The  expedition  then 
returned  to  the  boats  and  went  back  to  Helena,  where  the  troops 
disembarked  and  went  into  camp. 

General  Grant  was  now  gathering  his  grand  army  to  make 
his  great  move  against  Vicksburg.  Notwithstanding  the  many 
repulses  the  Union  army  had  experienced  in  attempting  to  cap- 
tut  e  that  rebel  stronghold,  the  troops  at  Helena  were  anxious 
to  renew  the  attack. 

On  the  10th  of  April  the  welcome  order  to  march  was  re- 
ceived, and  Genera]  Hovey's  division,  embarking  on  transporte, 
sailed  down  the  Mississippi,  and  landed  at  Milliken's  Bend  on 
the  14th  The  next  day  was  employed  in  preparing  lor  an  ac- 
tive campaign.  On  the  16th  Hovey's  division  started  by  way 
of  Richmond,  to  march  across  the  bend  opposite  Vicksburg  and 
reached  Roundaway  bayou  on  the  21st,  where  they  halted  un- 

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284  Bvansville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark, 

til  a  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  bayou.  The  march  was  then 
resumed,  and  continued  until  Perkins*  plantation  was  reached. 
On  the  28th  the  division  embarked  on  steamboats,  and  reached 
Hard  Times  Landing.  The  next  day  the  regiment  witnessed 
the  bombardment  of  Grand  Gulf.  On  the  30th,  Hovey's  divis- 
ion crossed  the  Mississippi.  Landing  late  in  the  evening,  it 
pushed  rapidly  forward,  and  reached  Thompson's  Cross  Roads, 
sixteen  miles  distant,  at  3  o'clock  next  morning.  Here  General 
Benton's  brigade,  of  Osterhaus*  division,  was  actively  engaged 
with  a  rebel  battery  posted  on  a  hill  in  their  front,  supported 
by  infantry.  Hovey's  division  at  once  advanced  to  Benton's 
support,  when  the  rebels  retired.  Our  weary  troops  then  biv- 
ouacked. 

The  next  morning  was  fought  the  battle  of  Magnolia,  or 
Thompson's  Cross  Roads.  A  corps  of  Pemberton's  rebel  army, 
and  Hovey's  and  Osterhaus'  divisions  were  the  troops  princi- 
pally engaged.  The  battle  was  commenced  by  the  rebels  ad- 
vancing on  the  division  of  General  Osterhaus,  driving  in  his 
pickets,  and  pressing  heavily  his  main  line.  General  Hovey 
ordered  Colonel  Spicely  to  advance  with  the  Twenty-fourth  to 
the  support  of  Osterhaus.  A  heavy  cane-brake  lined  the  cliffs 
in  front.  When  the  regiment  heard  the  voice  of  their  gallant 
Colonel,  giving  the  command,  "  Forward !  "  it  moved  swiftly 
through  the  cane- brake,  clambered  over  the  cliffs,  and  reached 
Benton's  brigade,  which  had  just  repulsed  the  enemy  with  ter- 
rible slaughter.  At  this  moment  General  Osterhaus  rode  up, 
and  ordered  Colonel  Spicely  to  move  his  regiment  quickly  to 
the  left,  and  fight  as  his  judgment  dictated.  '*  That  suits  me  !" 
said  Colonel  Spicely,  and,  ordering  his  regiment  to  move  on  the 
double-quick,  prepared  to  charge  a  rebel  battery  which  was  an- 
noying our  line.  When  the  regiment  arrived  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  battery,  the  Eleventh  Indiana  had  captured  it. 
The  enemy  then  fell  back,  took  a  strong  position,  and  awaited 
another  assault. 

General  Hovey's  whole  division  having  now  reinforced  the 
shattered  lines  of  General  Osterhaus,  an  advance  was  ordered. 
The  Twenty-fourth  was  sent  to  the  support  of  Colonel  Slack's 
brigade.  As  the  regiment  gained  the  summit  of  a  hill,  the 
rebels  were  discovered  massing  on  an  opposite  hill.     Between 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  285 

the  opposing  parties  was  a  level,  open  country,  through  which 
run  a  deep  ravine.  This  ravine  formed  an  excellent  defensive 
position.  To  reach  it  was  the  object  of  both  the  rebel  and  fed- 
eral soldiers.  Its  shelter  was  gained  by  the  Twenty-fourth. 
Quickly  forming,  it  poured  a  galling  fire  into  the  rebel  ranks, 
driving  him  back  in  confusion.  The  foe,  forming  his  shattered 
ranks,  charged ;  but  from  that  ravine  issued  a  fire,  so  bharp 
and  destructive,  that  the  enemy  was  again  hurled  back.  For 
an  hour  and  a  half  were  the  rebel  columns  preciptated  on  this 
position,  only  to  be  repulsed  with  loss.  They  were  finally  com- 
pelled to  retreat  in  great  disorder.  The  regiment,  owing  to  the 
protection  afforded  by  the  ravine  met  with  but  small  loss — five 
being  killed,  and  eighteen  wounded.  That  night  it  bivouacked 
on  the  battle  field. 

The  next  day  the  regiment  marched  through  Port  Gibson, 
the  enemy  having  evacuated  that  place.  'The  following  day  the 
regiment  reached  Grand  Gulf,  which  had  also  been  abandoned 
by  the  enemy.  On  the  5th  a  march  of  twenty  miles  was  made, 
and  the  regiment  encamped  at  Hawkins'  ferry . 

While  stationed  here,  General  Grant  issued  orders  congrat- 
ulating the  troops  on  their  success,  and  commending  their 
bravery  on  the  battle  field. 

On  the  10th  the  regiment  advanced  ten  miles  toward  Jack- 
son ;  on  the  12th  our  troops  pressed  the  enemy,  and,  by  hard 
skirmishing,  drove  him  beyond  Fourteen-mile  Creek.  The  next 
day  the  regiment  marched  three  miles,  and,  when  near  Edwards 
Station,  found  the  enemy  in  heavy  force. 

Sharp  skirmishing  commenced,  and  the  attention  of  the 
enemy  was  occupied,  while  General  Sherman  captured  Jackson 
and  McPherson  fought  the  battle  of  Raymond.  Then  all  our 
columns  united,  and  moved  on  Vicksburg. 

On  the  14th  the  regiment  marched  through  Raymond,  and 
thence  to  Clinton,  halting  near  Bolton  on  the  evening  of  the 
following  day.  It  was  known  that  the  rebels  were  in  force  and 
in  strong  position  at  Baker's  Creek,  four  miles  distant,  and  it 
was  evident  he  intended  to  make  a  desperate  resistance  to  the 
further  aduance  of  tlie  Union  army  towards  Vicksburg.  Gen* 
eaal  McClernand's  corps  was  in  the  advance,  and  he,  without 
waiting  for  the  rest  of  the  army  to  arrive,  opened  the  battle  of 
Champion's  Hill. 

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286  EvanavUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

On  May  16th,  at  6  a.  m.,  General  Hovey's  division  moved 
in  the  advance — General  McGinnis'  brigade  being  in  the  ad* 
vance  of  the  division,  and  the  Twenty-fourth  the  advance  regi- 
ment in  the  brigade.  Three  companies  of  the  regiment  were 
thrown  out  as  skirmishers,  and  the  command  moved  cautiously 
forward.  The  advance  was  aninterrupted  until  10  a.  m.,  when 
our  cavalry  returned  from  the  front,  reporting  the  enemy  posted 
in  force  on  Champion's  Hill. 

The  brigade  was  formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  advancing  to 
the  open  field  soon  came  in  contact  with  the  enemy.  In  a  short 
time  the  fight  became  desperate.  The  rebels  massed  and 
charged  on  the  brigade  battery,  which  was  supported  by  the 
Thirty-fourth  Indiana.  Colonel  Spicely  ordered  the  Twenty- 
fourth  to  give  the  rebels  an  oblique  fire.  This  voUey  caused 
them  to  fall  back,  then  our  lines  advanced  eight  hundred  yards 
into  the  woods,  driving  the  enemy.  Here  the  rebels  massed  in 
front  of  Hovey's  divisiori,  and  made  a  verrible  onset.  They 
were  met  by  a  severe  fire,  but  their  overpowering  number  was 
pressing  severely  on  the  right  center  of  Hovey's  division,  when 
Colonel  Spicely  received  orders  to  move  to  his  support.  Al- 
though sharply  engaged  with  the  enemy,  the  Colonel  executed 
the  order,  moving  by  the  left  flank,  to  the  support  of  the  Elev- 
enth Indiana,  whic^h  having  been  overpowered,  had  fallen  back 
a  short  distance.  The  Twenty-fourth  moved  to  the  assistance 
ot  the  brave  Eleventh,  and,  while  the  Eleventh  retired,  the 
Twenty-fourth  iell  into  position,  and  held  the  point  with  great 
coolness,  under  a  severe  enfilading  fire.  An  Indiana  Colonel, 
who  witnessed  the  contest,  said  :  '*  I  was  compelled  to  lie  with 
my  regiment  where  I  could  see  the  rebels  massing  in  front  of 
the  Twenty-fourth.  Column  after  column  advanced,  delivering 
their  fire,  and,  as  one  column  gave  way,  a  fresh  one'  took  its 
place,  keeping  the  Twenty-fourth  enveloped  in  flame !  My 
blood  boiled  for  my  Hoosier  brethren,  to  whom  I  could  give  no 
assistance.     I  wondered  how  they  endured  the  slaughter.*' 

The  enemy  threw  a  large  part  of  his  force  against  the  por- 
tion of  the  line  held  by  the  Twenty-fourth,  yet  it  stood  unwav- 
ering, though  its  brave  men  fell  by  scores.  It  met  and  returned 
the  converging  fire  of  the  enemy,  holding  him  in  check  until 
the  main  line  gave  way,  then  the  regiment  retired  seventy-five 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  -  287 

yards  to  straighten  the  line,  and  poured  into  the  massed  rebel 
ranks  a  sheet  of  flame  and  lead.  Again  the  regiment  was  com- 
pelled to  change  position,  falling  back  a  short  distance,  it  again 
halted,  and  prepared  to  meet  the  surging  foe.  At  this  moment 
the  colors  fell,  the  staff  having  been  iiroken  by  a  shot  from  the 
enemy.  Lieutenant-Oolonel  Barton  rushed  forward,  seized  the 
colors,  and  defiantly  waved  them  in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  A 
shot  from  the  enemy  shattered  his  arm.  The  regiment  being 
out  of  ammunition,  fell  back,  covered  by  fresh  troops,  and  took 
position  with  the  Eleventh  Indiana,  whose  young  and  gallant 
Colonel  had  fallen  severely  wounded.  Colonel  Spicely  took 
command  of  both  regiments,  replenished  their  cartridge  boxes  > 
and  again  moved  to  the  front.  McPherson's  corps  arrived,  and 
fiercely  charging  the  rebel  right,  forced  him  to  a  disorderly 
retreat. 

Fresh  troops  rapidly  pursued.  The  command  of  Colonel 
Spicely  halted  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  quietly  rested  after 
the  victory  they  had  so  nobly  won.  For  three  hours  the  men 
of  the  Twenty-fourth  had  been  engaged  in  constant  battle  ; 
they  fired  one  hundred  rounds  each,  and  used  the  cartridges 
from  the  boxes  of  their  fallen  comrades.  Half  its  effective  force 
was  disabled.  Captain  Felix  G.  Wellman,  Lieutenant  Jesse  L. 
Cain,  Lieutenant  Ballwin,  Assistant  Surgeon T.  M.  C.Williams, 
Sergeant  Delemater  and  J.  W.  Overton,  with  twenty-seven  non- 
commissioned officers  and  men  were  killed.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Barton,  Lieutenant  Samuel  Smith,  Fred  Butler  and  H.  H.  Lee, 
were  severely  wounded.  Of  four  hundred  and  eighty-five  men 
who  went  into  battle,  only  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  es- 
caped the  fire  of  the  enemy. 

General  McGinnis'  brigade  halted  on  the  field,  and  was 
detailed  to  bury  the  dead  and  care  for  the  wounded.  Tenderly 
were  these  duties  performed. 

On  the  19th  the  regiment  marched  to  Black  river  bridge, 
Here  our  victorious  army,  following  up  the  victory  at  Cham- 
pion's Hill,  had  charged  the  rebel  rear  guard,  defeated  it,  and 
crossing  the  Black  river,  driven  the  rebel  General  Femberton's 
army  into  the  trenches  at  Vicksburg.  On  the  2l8t  the  brigade 
of  General  McGinnis  crossed  the  Big  Black  river,  and  marched 
to    the   supporting   line   of  the   Union   army,  then  encircling 

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288  Evanm)iUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Vioksbnrg.  On  the  22d  the  regiment  moved  to  the  front,  and 
was  placed  in  a  ravine  near  the  rebel  works.  An  assault  was 
made  during  that  day  on  the  enemy's  works,  bat  our  forces  were 
repulsed  with  much  loss. 

The  regiment  intrenched  in  the  ravine,  and  gradually  ad- 
vancing, protected  by  trenches,  reached  a  position  where  its 
sharp-shooters  were  able  to  pick  off  the  rebel  gunners,  render- 
ing their  artillery  useless.  On  the  26th  the  regiment  acted  as 
a  support  to  heavy  artillery  until  the  guns  were  placed  in  posi- 
tion, and  the  next  day  returned  to  the  trenches. 

Our  army,  skirmishing  by  day  and  digging  by  night, 
tightened  its  grasp  on  the  foe.  On  July  3d  a  flag  of  truce  from 
the  enemy  asked  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities. 

Then  the  heroes,  who  so  long  had  listened  to  the  familiar 
sound  of  musketry  and  the  roar  of  artillery,  leaped  from  their 
trenches  and  rifld-pits,  and  filled  the  echoing  cliffs  with  their 
glad  shouts.  On  the  4th  of  July,  Vicksburg,  together  with  tlie 
army  of  General  Femberton,  was  surrendered. 

General  Hovey's  division  was  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
city.  General  McGinnis — the  gallant  leader  of  the  First  brig- 
ade of  Hovey's  division,  who  had  been  in  every  march,  and 
battle,  and  hardship,  for  sixty-three  days — received  leave  of 
absence  to  visit  his  home.  His  position  was  filled  by  the  cool, 
determined  and  brave  Colonel  W.  T.  Spicely,  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth.  The  war-worn  veterans  of  the  First  brigade — compris- 
ing the  Eleventh,  Twenty-fourth,  Thirty-fourth,  and  Forty-sixth 
Indiana  and  Twenty-sixth  Wisconsin — desiie  no  better  leaders 
than  the  soldier  McGinnis,  and  the  gallant  Spicely. 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th  the  brigade  moved  toward  Big 
Black  river  bridge,  where  it  arrived  the  next  night  and  bivou- 
acked. The  next  morning  the  troops  crossed  Big  Black  river, 
and,  with  parched  throats  and  blistered  feet,  marched  rapidly 
forward.  At  dark  they  reached  Bolton,  where  they  bivouacked. 
The  following  morning  the  march  was  resumed,  and  the  brigade 
reached  Clinton  and  halted.  The  next  day  it  arrived  within 
two  miles  of  Jackson,  where  it  halted  and  bivouacked.  On  the 
11th  the  brigade  took  position  in  the  line  of  investment  of 
Jackson. 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  289 

As  it  moved  into  position,  General  Hovey  selected  the 
Twentj-fonrth  to  accompany  him  and  staff  on  a  reconnoissance. 
Under  command  of  Major  Grill,  the  regiment  formed  in  line, 
and  advanced  through  the  woods,  two  companies  being  thrown 
out  as  skirmishers.  The  rebel  pickets,  on  the  Raymond  road, 
were  encountered  and  driven  two  miles.  The  regiment  then 
rejoined  the  brigade,  which,  advancing  rapidly  through  field 
and  thicket,  drove  the  enemy  beyond  the  New  Orleans  and 
Great  Western  railroad.  The  brigade  then  bivouacked.  The 
next  day  the  advance  was  resumed,  with  the  Twenty-fourth  and 
Thirty-fourth  in  reserve.  By  heavy  skirmishing  the  enemy 
was  driven  into  his  works,  which  our  lines  closely  invested,  and 
heavy  picket  firing  closed  the  day. 

On  the  18th  the  Twenty-fourth  was  moved  to  the  front, 
where  it  skirmished  all  day.  It  remained  on  this  advanced 
line  until  the  morning  of  the  17th,  when  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  enemy  had  evacuated  Jackson  during  the  night  previ- 
ous. The  Union  troops  entered  Jackson  and  destroyed  the 
place.  Several  days  were  occupied  in  destroying  the  railroads 
diverging  from  Jackson. 

On  the  21st  the  regiment  marched  for  Vicksburg,  arriving 
there  on  the  23d,  much  reduced  in  numbers,  many  of  the  men 
having  fallen  from  fatigue  on  the  march.  It  remained  in  camp 
until  August  5th.  Then  embarked  on  a  steamboat,  and  sailing 
down  the  Mississippi,  arrived  at  OarroUton,  six  miles  above  New 
Orleans,  on  the  13th, 

At  Carrollton,  a  well  supplied  market  furnished  every  nec- 
essary and  luxury,  at  reasonable  rates,  and  the  men,  having  the 
appetites  of  veterans,  lived  like  epicures.  The  duties  were 
light,  and  the  city  furnished  sufficient  amusement.  This  pleas- 
ant interval  was  broken  on  the  12th  of  September  by  orders  to 
march. 

On  that  day  the  regiment  crossed  the  Mississippi,  landed 
at  Algiers,  and  took  the  cars  for  Brashaer  Oity ;  on  arriving 
there,  camped  and  built  quarters,  which  the  men  thatched  with 
palm  leaves.  They  left  these  cosy  quarters  on  the  28th,  and 
crossing  Berwick  Bay,  camped  in  a  small  village  of  that  name, 
and  waited  for  the  rest  of  the  Thirteenth  corps  to  arrive.  The 
regiment  was  now  connected  with  General  Franklin's  Teche  ez- 

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1190  BvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

pedition,  whose  object  was  to  rescue  that  fertile  garden  of  Lou- 
isiana from  rebel  sway.  This  country  was  a  great  source  of 
supply  to  the  rebel  army  in  the  Trans -Mississippi  department. 

On  the  3d  of  October,  the  regiment  marched  to  Franklin, 
overtaking  and  passing  the  Nineteenth  corps  at  New  Iberia. 
The  route  was  through  a  rich  country,  the  roads  were  lined  with 
orange  groves,  and  the  plantations  luxuriant  with  fiehls  of  the 
waving  sugar  cane.  At  New  Iberia,  Colonel  Cameron,  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  Indiana,  received  his  commission  as  Brigadier 
General,  and  assumed  command  of  the  brigade,  and  Colonel 
Spicely  returned  to  the  Twenty-fourth.  Resuming  the  march, 
the  regiment  reached  Vermillion  bayou,  where  it  remained  five 
days.  On  the  I5th  the  march  was  again  resumed,  and  at  a  late 
hour  that  night  the  regiment  halted  within  ten  miles  of  Ope- 
lonsas.  The  regiment  remained  at  this  camp  four  days,  haviug 
occasional  skirmishes  with  a  small  rebel  force. 

On  the  23d  the  Thirteenth  corps  advanced,  and  driving  a 
small  rebel  force,  marched  eight  miles  beyond  Opelousas,  to 
Barr's  Landing,  on  Bayou  Thibaux.  This  position  was  held 
until  the  30th  when  the  army  fell  back.  On  the  1st  of  Novem- 
ber our  forces  occupied  the  same  position  they  held  on  the  20th 
of  October. 

General  Burbridge,  in  command  of  a  small  brigade,  was 
stationed  several  miles  in  advance  of  the  main  army,  to  check 
the  small  force  which  had  annoyed  our  march.  On  the  3d  of 
November,  the  enemy,  under  command  of  General  Green,  made 
an  attack  on  this  detached  brigade,  with  a  largely  superior  force, 
and,  after  a  short  and  severe  engagement,  routed  General  Bur- 
bridge  and  took  most  of  his  command  prisoners.  General  Mc- 
Ginnis,  hearing  the  musketry,  moved  quickly  to  the  rescue,  and 
falling  on  the  exultant  enemy,  drove  him  from  the  field  and 
recaptured  the  lederal  camps.  The  regiment  bivouacked  on  the 
battle  field  that  night,  and  the  next  day  fell  back  to  Vermillion- 
ville,  where  it  remained  eleven  days.  Thenr  marched  through 
Iberia  and  Franklin  to  Brashaer  City ;  from  thence  it  was  con- 
veyed  by  rail  to  Algiers. 

No  incident  of  importance  occurred  until  the  regiment  re- 
enlisted  as  veterans.  It  was  the  first  regiment  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Gulf  which  re-enlisted.    The  Twenty -fourth  then 


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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  291 

left  for  Indianapolis.  On  its  arrival  there,  it  was  furloughed 
for  thirty  days,  and  at  the  ezpiaation  of  which  time  it  reported 
at  Vincennes  and  was  sent  to  Evansville.  After  remaining  here 
three  weeks,  it  embarked  on  a  steamboat,  and  sailing  down  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi,  landed  at  Baton  Rouge.  Here  it  remained 
six  months.  Its  soLlierlike  condact  during  this  stay,  won  for  it 
the  warm  friendship  of  the  people.  Soldiering  at  Baton  Rouge 
was  the  poetry  of  war.  The  members  of  the  regiment  will  ever 
remember  the  many  happy  days  passed  in  that  pleasant  village. 
In  the  Fall  the  regiment  moved  to  Morganza  Bend,  where  it 
went  into  oamp  and  remained  several  months,  protecting  the 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi. 

CONSOLIDATION. 

In  December,  1864,  the  Twenty-fourth  was  consolidated 
with  the  Sixty-seventh  Indiana,  the  united  regiments  being 
known  as  the  Twenty-fourth  Tha  organization  of  the  regi- 
ment was  reduced  to  five,  companies,  forming  the  left  wing, 
while  the  same  number  of  companies  from  the  Sixty-seventh 
composed  the  right  wing  of  the  regiment.  Colonel  Spicely  re- 
tained command  of  the  regiment.  Major  Sears,  of  the  Sixty- 
seventh  was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  Captain  Kelley, 
of  the  Sixty-seventh,  Major.  This  organization  increased  the 
rank  and  file  to  eight  hundred  and  fifty.  Soon  after  its  consol- 
idation the  regiment  embarked  for  New  Orleans,  and,  on  arriv- 
ing there,  joined  the  expedition  of  General  Canby  against 
Mobile. 

In  January,  1865,  the  regiment  embarked  on  an  ocean 
steamer,  and  sailing  down,  the  Mississippi,  entered  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  landed  at  Dauphin  Island.  From  thence  it  sailed 
to  Barancas,  Florida,  and  on  landing,  were  brigaded  with  the 
Sixty -ninth  Indiana,  and  Seventy-sixth  and  Ninety-seventh  Il- 
linois, designated  as  the  Second  brigade.  Second  division.  Thir- 
teenth army  corps.  Colonel  Spicely  assumed  command  of  the 
brigade,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sears  of  the  regiment.  The  brig- 
ede  was  then  detached  to  join  General  Steele's  column,  at  Pen- 
sacola,  which  was  preparing  to  move  to  Florida  and  Alabama, 
with  the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  while 

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292  BvoMviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

General  Oanby  moved  with  the  Thirteenth  and  Sixteenth  corps 
on  the  defences  of  Mobile. 

On  the  20th  of  March  the  regiment  left  Pensacola,  and 
after  a  severe  march  of  eleven  days,  through  swamps  and  bay- 
ous, reached  the  Tensas  river,  a  short  distance  above  Blakely. 
Moving  rapidly  forward,  General  Steele's  column  struck  the 
Mobile  and  Montgomery  railroad,  at  Pollard,  destroying  it  so 
effectually  as  to  prevent  reinforcements,  and  then,  turning  west 
marched  rapidly  for  Blakely,  and  joined  the  troops  besieging 
that  place. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  Colonel  Spicely's  brigade  took  position 
in  the  line  of  troops  besiegiLg  Blakely,  and  the  Twenty-fourlh, 
being  in  the  front  line,  had  much  active  service.  The  usual 
approaches  were  made  by  parallels,  and  warm  skirmishing  was 
constant.  Our  sharp-shooters  protected  themselves  mth  logs, 
which  they  slowly  rolled  before  them.  On  the  8th,  Spanish 
Fort  was  evacuated  by  the  rebels.  This  left  Blakely  the  only 
defence  of  Mobile.  It  was  decided  at  once  to  carry  these  works 
by  assault. 

Oolonel  Spicely  formed  his  brigade,  with  the  Sixty-ninth 
Indiana  and  Ninety-seventh  Illinois  in  front,  and  the  Twenty- 
fourth  Indiana,  and  Seventy-sixth  Illinois  in  the  supporting 
column.  The  range  of  the  rebel  guns  was  so  short  that  the  sup- 
porting line  was  equally  exposed  with  the  front. 

As  the  order  to  charge  was  given  the  brigade  arose,  and, 
with  a  rush  and  a  cheer,  scaled  the  rebel  works.  The  fighting 
on  the  parapets  was  brief  but  desperate ;  for  the  Union  troops, 
swarming  in,  compelled  surrender.  The  regiment  lost  thirty  iu 
killed  and  wounded.  Thus  ended  its  last,  glorious  battle  in 
the  Department  of  the  Gulf. 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  Blakely  the  regiment  marched  to 
Shark's  Landing,  where  it  remained  until  the  20th  of  April.  It 
then  embarked  on  a  transport  and  dropped  down  the  river  to 
Mobile,  which  had  surrendered  after  the  fall  of  Spanish  Fort 
and  capture  of  Blakely. 

On  the  22d  the  regiment  sailed  up  the  Alabama  river  with 
a  fleet,  under  command  of  General  Steele.  No  resistance  was 
encountered,  and  the  regiment  landed  at  Selma  on  the  27th. 
Here  our  troops  heard  the  glad  tidings  of  peace.    The  regiment 

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ST.  6B0B0E  HOTEL. 


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EvansviUe  and  ita  Men  of  Mark.  298 

went  into  camp  in  a  beantifal  grove  near  Selma,  and  passed  two 
happy  weeks.  There  was  no  anxiety  respecting  the  next  battle; 
no  work  on  defences ;  no  guard  duty ;  no  hard  marches,  or 
short  rations  to  be  endured.  All  spoke  of  home  and  the  pros- 
pect of  reaching  that  beloved  spot. 

On  the  12th  of  May  the  regiment  embarked  on  a  steamer 
and  sailed  to  Mobile,  where  it  landed  and  encamped  in  pine 
woods,  remaining  there  three  weeks.  It  then  marched  to  Mo- 
bile and  camped  on  Broad  street,  until  the  Ist  of  July,  when  it 
embarked  for  Texas.  After 'a  [disagreeable  voyage  of  ten  days, 
it  landed  at  Galveston.  Soon  after  its  arrival,  the  members  of 
the  Sixty- seventh  were  mustered  out  and  sailed  for  home.  Col. 
Spicely  having  been  mustered  out  with  the  Sixty-seventh,  Cap- 
tain Pollard  was  commissioned  Lieutenant  -  Colonel  of  the 
Twenty-fourth. 

The  regiment  ariived  at  Indianapolis  on  the  4th  of  August 
and  was  cordially  welcomed  by  the  citizens  at  a  public  recep- 
tion in  the  State  House  park.  Appropriate  addresses  were 
delivered  by  Lieutenant- Governor  Conrad  Baker,  General  A.  P. 
Hovey,  and  others.  The  returning  officers  and  men  made  an 
aggregate  of  three  hundred  and  ten. 

The  battalion  still  remaining  in  the  service  was  compoe>ed 
of  the  veterans  of  the  Twenty-fourth,  and  such  recruits  for  that 
and  the  Sixty-seventh  regiment  as  were  retained  in  the  service 
because  of  the  non-expiration  of  their  term  of  enlistment. 


TWENTY-FIFTH    REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Evansville,  on  the  17th  day 
of  July,  and  mustered  into  service  August  19th,  under  the  fol- 
lowing officers : 

Field  and  Staff. — Colonel,  James  C.  Veatch,  Rockport ; 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  William  H.  Morgan,  Crawfordsville ;  Ma- 
jor, John  W.  Foster,  Evansville  ;  Adjutant,  William  H.Walker, 
Jr.,  Evansville ;  Quartermaster.  Alexander  H.  Foster,  Evans- 
ville ;  Chaplain,  Frederick  A,  Heuring,  Rockport ;  Surgeon, 
John  T  Walker,  Evansville  ;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Arthur  White, 
Rockport. 

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3M  Evaneville  and  its  Men  of  Mark^ 

Company  A, — Captain,  George  W.  Saltzman,  New  Harmo- 
ny ;  First  Lieutenant,  Enoch  J.  Randolph,  Mount  Vernon ; 
Second  Lieutenant,  Absalom  Boren,  Ne«ir  Harmony. 

Company  B. —  Captain,  John  Rheinlander,  Evansville; 
First  Lieutenant,  Alexander  Darling,  Evansville  ;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, Daniel  W.  Darling,  Evansville. 

Company  C. — Captain,  Edwin  C.  Hastings,  Evansville ; 
First  Lieutenant,  Alfred  G.  Quinlan,  Evansville ;  Second  Lieu- 
tenant; Henry  L.  Brickett,  Evansville. 

Company  D, — Captain,  Charles  S.  Finch,  Rockport;  First 
Lieutenant,  Lewis  Hurst,  Grandview;  Second  Lieutenant, 
Albert  Verhoeff,  Grandview. 

Company  E, — Captain,  Charles  Jones,  Elizabeth  ;  First 
Lieutenant,  James  L.  Wright,  Rockport;  Second  Lieutenant, 
William  N.  Walker,  Rockport. 

Company  F. — Captain,  Victor  C.  Larkin,  Mount  Vernon  ; 
First  Lieutenant,  Robert  G.  Shannon,  Mount  Vernon  ;  Second 
Lieutenant,  Miles  Wilsey,  Grayville,  Illinois. 

Company  O, — Captain,  John  W.  Poole,  Medora;  First 
Lieutenant,  Jesse  Patterson,  Medora ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
Azrial  W.  Flinn,  Medora. 

Company  H, — Captain,  John  H.  Darby,  Newburg  ;  First 
Lieutenant,  John  R.  Bell,  Newburg ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Chas. 
Lucas,  Newburg. 

Company  L — Captain,  Thomas  F.  Bethell,  Newburg  ;  First 
Lieutenant,  John  R.  Bell,  Newburg ;  Second  Lieutenant,  John 
T.  Johnson,  Newburg. 

Company  JT. — Captain,  William  F.  Wood,  Rockport ;  First 
Lieutenant,  Samuel  Laird,  Rockport ;  Second  Lieutenant,  An- 
drew  J.  Enlow,  Rockport. 

On  the  26th  of  August  the  Twenty-fifth  moved  to  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  went  into  camp  where  it  remained,  drilling  and 
preparing  for  the  field,  until  the  15th  day  of  September.  It 
then  proceeded  by  rail  to  Jefferson  City  and  thence  to  George- 
town. 

In  October  the  regiment  participated  in  the  long  and  fati- 
guing march  of  Fremont's  army,  to  Springfield  and  back  to 
Otterville.  It  then  marched  to  Syracuse,  and  thence  back  to 
Lamine  river,  where  it  remained  till  December,  when  it  marched 

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with  Pope's  division,  south  of  Warrensburg,  forming  part  of  the 
auxiliary  force  that  captured  thirteen  hundred  rebels  on  the 
19th  of  December,  on  the  Black  Water.  The  regiment  on  the 
following  day  took  charge  of  the  prisoners  and  escorted  them 
to  St.  Louis,  where  it  remained  until  the  second  of  February, 
1862,  when  it  embarked  on  transports  and  proceeded  to  Oairo, 
Illinois,  and  thence  up  the  Ohio  and  Tennessee  rivers,  to  rein- 
force the  army  operating  against  Fort  Donelson.  Passing  Fort 
Henry  on  the  11th,  it  reached  Fort  Donelson  on  the  12th,  and 
participated  in  the  attack  on  the  fort  the  following  day. 

The  regiment  was  ordered  to  charge  the  enemy's  center 
,works.  The  order  was  most  gallantly  obeyed,  but  owing  to  the 
obstructions,  they  were  compelled  to  halt.  Several  times  they 
got  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  works,  and 
were  subjected  to  a  continuous  fire  from  the  enemy.  They  were 
ordered  to  lie  down  just  in  time  to  escape  the  ravages  of  a  ter- 
rible shower  of  grape  and  canister,  which  came  sweeping  over 
from  a  rebel  battery,  at  point  blank  range.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  remain  in  that  position  for  about  half  an  hour,  when 
a  detachment  of  sharp-shooters  were  thrown  into  a  neck  of 
woods  to  their  right.  They  soon  silenced  the  rebel  guns,  by 
picking  off  the  gunners,  which  allowed  the  regiment  to  with- 
draw. They  retreated  in  good  order,  every  officer  and  man 
acting  with  the  coolness  of  veterans.  The  loss  of  the  regiment 
was  sixteen  killed  and  eighty  wounded. 

On  the  15th  the  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the  storming 
party  that  entered  and  held  the  outer  works,  sustaining  a  loss 
of  four  wounded.  On  the  16th  it  marched  in  and  occupied  the 
fort,  and  on  the  following  day  Company  E  took  charge  of  Gen- 
eral ^uckner  and  staff,  escorting'  them  to  Indianapolis  and  re- 
joining the  regiment  on  the  5th  of  March. 

The  same  day  the  regiment  left  Fort  Donelson  and  marched 
to  Fort  Henry,  where  it  embarked  on  transports,  and  moved 
down  the  river,  disembarking  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  going 
into  camp  on  the  18th. 

On  the  6th  and  7th  of  April  the  regiment  participated  in 
in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  losing  twenty -seven  killed  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty-two  wounded.  The  officers  and  men  be- 
haved most  gallantly ;  and  it  is  easy  to  suppose,  from  the  num- 

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296  Evansville  and  ita  Men  of  Mark, 

ber  of  the  losses,  that  the  Twenty-fifth  took  an  active  part  in 
the  hottest  portion  of  the  engagement.  Although  compelled  to 
retreat,  every  inch  of  ground  was  hotly  contested.  Early  in 
the  engagement  Lieutenant  Colonel  Morgan,  commanding  the 
regiment,  was  severely  wounded,  and  the  command  devolved 
upon  Major  Carter,  who  performed  his  duties  with  great  skill, 
coolness  and  bravery. 

Colonel  James  C.  Veatch,  the  brigade  commander,  for  his 
gallant  conduct,  was  promoted  brigadier  general  of  volunteers, 
and  Lieutenant  Colonel  W.  H.  Morgan  was  promoted  colonel  of 
the  regiment. 

The  regiment  next  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  rebels  to 
Corinth,  and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  that  place  until  it  was 
evacuated,  when  it  marched  to  and  occupied  Grand  Junction 
on  the  10th  (^  June.  Thence  it  moved  to  Holly  Springs,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  to  Lavergne,  where  it  remained  until  the  17th  of 
July,  when  it  marched  to  Memphis. 

It  remained  at  Memphis,  principally  engaged  in  guerrilla 
hunting  and  scouting  expeditions,  until  the  6th  of  September, 
when  it  marched  to  Bolivar,  where  it  remained  until  the  5th  of 
October. 

General  Hurlbut,  commanding  the  division,  received  orders 
to  intercept  Price  and  Van  Dorn  on  their  retreat  from  Corinth. 
He  immediately  moved  out  with  the  command  and  met  the 
rebels  at  Hatchie  river,  where  a  fierce,  but  short  and  decisive 
battle  took  place. 

The  enemy  having  but  two  brigades  and  a  battery  across 
the  river,  our  forces  charged  them,  capturing  four  twelve  pound 
brass  guns,  and  driving  their  infantry  in  confusion  across  the 
stream.  The  division  pursued  them  several  miles,  capturing  a 
large  number  of  small  arms,  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  and 
several  prisoners.  The  loss  of  the  regiment  was  three  killed  and 
seventy-six  wounded. 

Returning  to  Bolivar,  they  marched  into  Northern  Missis- 
sippi. During  the  campaign  six  companies  were  stationed  at 
Davis'  Mills, — a  point  at  which  the  Mississippi  Central  railroad 
crosses  Wolf  river — and  the  remaining  four  companies  were 
distributed  along  the  line  of  the  railroad  to  within  six  miles  of 
Holly  Springs,  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  communications. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  297 

On  the  2l6t  of  December,  Oolonel  Morgan,  in  command  at 
Davis*  Mills,  received  a  summons  to  surrender  the  command  to 
the  rebel  General  Van  Dorn.  The  Colonel  with  characteristic 
firmness,  refused  to  comply  with  the  demand,  and  a  brisk  fight 
ensued.  The  enemy  made  three  desperate  charges  upon  the 
little  garrison,  and  were  as  often  repulsed,  when  they  beat  a 
hasty  retreat,  leaving  twenty-three  dead,  and  many  wounded 
and  prisoners  behind.  The  regiment  lost  three  slightly  wounded. 
From  Davis*  Mills  the  regiment  moved  back  to  Memphis, 
arriving  on  the  14th  day  of  January,  1863.  It  was  employed 
on  provost  duty  until  November,  when  it  moved  again  to  Grand 
Junction,  and  guarded  the  railroad  from  that  place  to  Moscow. 
On  the  2d  of  January.  1864,  the  regiment  pursuing  Forrest 
to  Cold  Water,  Mississippi,  but  failing  to  bring  him  to  a  stand, 
it  returned  to  Grand  Junction,  where  it  remained  a  few  days 
and  then  marched  to  Memphis,  where  it  embarked  and  moved 
down  the  river,  to  join  Sherman's  army  at  Vicksburg.  It  par- 
ticipated with  that  army  in  the  raid  through  the  Mississippi, 
being  engaged  in  a  skirmish  at  Marion  Station. 

On  the  return  the  regiment  re-enlisted  at  Canton,  Missis- 
sippi, on  the  29th  of  February,  1864,  and  on  returning  to 
Vicksburg,  proceeded  thence  to  Indianapolis,  where  they  ar- 
rived on  the  2l8t  of  March. 

At  the  expiration  of  their  veteran  furloughs  they  assembled 
at  Evansville,  on  the  24th  of  April,  and  proceeded  to  Decatur, 
Alabama. 

Colonel  Morgan  resigned  on  the  20th  of  May,  leaving 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Rheinlander  in  command  of  the  regiment. 
Remaining  at  Decatur  until  the  4th  of  August,  meantime 
participating  in  several  skirmishes  with  Roddy's  rebel  cavalry, 
the  regiment  moved  by  rail  to  Atlanta,  joining  the  Fourth  di- 
vision. Sixteenth  army  corps,  in  front  of  that  city.  It  was  ac- 
tively engaged  in  the  siege  of  that  place  from  the  8th  until  the 
26th,  when  the  army  was  withdrawn  from  before  Atlanta,  and 
the  Twenty-fifth  was  left  on  picket  for  the  corps. 

On  the  27th,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Rheinlander,  together 
with  several  of  the  old  officers  resigned.  Captain  James  S. 
Wright  assumed  command  of  the  regiment. 

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296  Svansville  and  Us  Uen  of  Mark. 

On  the  28th,  the  enemy  pressing  them  close,  they  with- 
drew, and  joined  the  army  then  on  the  march  to  Jonesboro*. 
The  regiment  lost,  in  front  of  Atlanta,  three  killed,  six  wound- 
ed, and  four  prisoners.  Participating  in  the  battle  of  Jonee- 
boro*,  it  lost  two  wounded. 

After  the  occupation  of  Atlanta,  the  regiment  returned  to 
East  Point  and  went  into  camp.  While  there,  Captain  Wright 
obtained  leave  of  absence,  and  returned  to  Indianapolis  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  recruits  and  commissions  for  officers. 

On  the  3d  of  October  the  regiment  broke  camp  and  joined 
in  the  pursuit  after  Hood.  While  in  the  advance,  on  the  15th, 
they  attacked  the  rebels  at  Snake  Creek  Grap,  driving  them 
from  their  works,  with  a  loss  to  the  regiment  of  nine  killed  and 
fourteen  wounded.  Moving  on  to  Gaylesville,  Alabama,  where 
they  halted,  they  were  joined  by  Major  Wright,  who  brought 
with  him  several  commissions  for  line  officers.  From  Gktyles- 
ville  they  marched  to  Marietta,  where  they  received  four  hun- 
dred recruits. 

Preparationb  were  now  commenced  for  ''  Sherman's  March 
to  the  Sea."  On  the  12th  of  November  they  moved  out  and 
destroyed  the  railroad  from  Marietta  to  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
marching  towards  Atlanta  the  next  day.  Leaving  Atlanta  on 
the  15th,  and  moving  south — the  weather  being  clear  and  beau- 
ful — their  march  was  uninterrupted  until  the  8th  of  December^ 
when  they  encountered  a  detachment  of  the  enemy  and  had  a 
slight  skirmish,  driving  him  before  them. 

On  the  9th  they  arrived  in  front  of  Savannah,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  investment  of  that  city,  until  the  14th,  sustaining 
a  loss  of  nine  wounded. 

The  regiment  then  marched  with  the  division  and  assisted 
in  destroying  the  railroad  from  Altamaha  to  the  Ogeechee  river 
near  Fort  Mc  Alister. 

Returning  to  Savannah  on  the  22d,  they  remained  in  camp 
until  the  4th  of  January,  1865,  when  they  removed  with  the 
Seventeenth  corps,  on  transports,  to  Beaufort,  South  Carolina, 
and  from  thence  to  Pocotalico,  where  they  arrived  on  the  13th 
of  January. 

The  march  to  Goldsboro*,  North  Carolina,  commenced  on 
the  30th.    During  this  march  they  were  ensajec^^a^^Ucp^ : 


Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  299 

Battle  of  Rivers*  Bridge,  on  the  2d  and  3d  of  February, 
with  a  loss  of  ten  wounded  and  one  captured ;  skirmish  at 
Binaka's  Bridge,  on  the  South  Edisto  river,  on  the  9th ;  skir- 
mish at  Favetteville,  North  Carolina,  killing  five  rebels,  with 
no  loss  to  the  regiment ;  battle  of  Bentonville  on  the  2l8t,  with 
a  loss  of  two  killed,  twelve  wounded,  and  two  missing. 

In  this  battle  they  lost  the  gallant  Oaptain  Bobert  G.  Shan- 
nen  of  Company  F.  He  served  in  the  Mexican  war.  He  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Ohepultepec ;  wounded  at  Hatchie 
river,  October  5th,  1862 ;  wounded  at  Snake  Creek  Gap,  Octo- 
ber 16th,  1864 ;  and  at  Bentonville,  as  above  stated,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died  on  the  23d  of  March,  1865.  After  re- 
ceiving his  wound  at  Snake  Creek  Gap,  he  went  home,  but  re- 
joined the  regiment  at  Pocatalico,  hardly  able  for  duty.  When 
the  regiment  started  on  the  march  from  that  place,  Colonel 
Wright  tried  to  persuade  him  to  remain  behind  ;  but  he  would 
go  with  his  company,  despite  the  entreaties  of  his  friends.  He 
was  an  officer  beloved  and  respected  by  all,  and  his  death  threw 
a  shadow  over  the  hearts  of  his  men  not  soon  to  be  removed. 

On  the  24th  of  March  the  regiment  arrived  at  Goldsboro* 
— having  marched  five  hundred  miles  in  fifty-four  days. 

Marching  thence  to  Raleigh,  it  remained  there  until  the 
surrender  of  Johnson's  army,  and  then  started  for  Washington 
by  way  of  Petersburg,  Richmond  and  Fredericksburg. 

They  arrived  at  Washington  on  the  17th  of  May,  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  5th  of  June,  when  they  were  transferred 
to  Louisville,  Kentucky, 

July  17th,  twenty-six  officers  and  .four  hundred  and  sixty 
men,  comprising  the  regiment,  were  mustered  out  of  the  service^ 
They  proceeded  to  Indianapolis,  where  they  arived  on  the  18th 
and  were  publicly  received  at  the  Capitol  grounds  on  the  21st, 
and  addressed  by  Lieutenant  Governor  Baker,  General  Hovey, 
and  others.  A  few  days  afterwards  they  were  finally  dis- 
charged and  paid  off,  when  they  separated  and  started  for  their 
various  homes,  to  engage  in  the  pursuits  of  civil  life. 

During  its  term  of  service,  the  Twenty-fifth  was  engaged 
in  eighteen  battles  and  skirmishes,  sustaining  and  aggregate  loss 
of  seventy-six  killed,  two  hundred  and  fifty -five  wounded,  four 
missing,  and  seventeen  captured ;  making  a  total  of  three  hun- 


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800  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

dred  and  fifty-two.  They  marched  on  foot  three  thousand  two 
handred  miles ;  traveled  by  rail  one  thousand  three  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  and  on  transports,  two  thousand  four  hundred 
and  thirty  miles ;  making,  in  all,  six  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  traveled. 

At  the  original  organization  it  numbered  one  thousand  and 
forty-six,  officers  and  men,  and  received  at  subsequent  times  six 
hundred  and  eighty-six  recruits.  Of  these  three  hundred  and 
ninety-one  died  of  disease  or  wounds  ;  six  hundred  and  ninety- 
five  were  discharged  on  account  of  wounds,  disabilities,  and 
and  other  causes ;  thirty -three  were  transferred  to  other  regi- 
ments, and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  deserted.  Of  the 
thirty-eight  officers  —  field  and  line  —  mustered  with  the  regi- 
ment, but  one  remained  until  the  regiment  was  mustered  out. 

Oolonel  James  S.  Wright  started  out  as  Fist  Lieutenant  of 
Company  E,  and  was  promoted  to  Captain  of  Company  H  in 
1862.  In  1864  he  was  promoted  to  Major,  and  again  to  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  in  1865.  He  was  afterwards  commissioned  as 
Colonel ;  but  owing  to  the  regiment  being  so  much  reduced,  he 
could  not  be  mustered.  During  his  term  of  service  he  was  ab- 
sent but  twice ;  once  on  business  for  the  regiment,  and  once  on 
a  few  days'  leave.  He  endured  every  hardship  and  danger  of 
the  enlisted  men,  and  participated  in  every  engagement  of  the 
regiment,  except  that  of  Snake  Creek  Gap.  He  won  the  esteem 
of  both  officers  and  men,  and  the  approbation  of  his  friends  and 
countrymen. — Roll  of  Honor. 


James  P.  DeBruler,  M.  D. 


^0  the  faithful,  skilled,  and  successful  labors  of  De.  De 
Bbulee,  too  high  a  tribute  can  not  be  paid.  Over 
sixteen  years  of  service  in  his  high  capacities  as  a  practitioner, 
in  this  city  and  as  many  more  in  the  town  of  Rockport,  have 
given  to  him  a  fame  of  which  any  man  might  justly  feel  pi^ud. 
His  chief  characteristics  have  been,  through  all  these   years, 


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JAMES  P.  DeBRULER,  M.  D. 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  801 

a  love  of  his  profession  and  an  enthusiastic  devotion  to  his  du- 
ties. Day  and  night  he  has  responded  to  the  calls  of  distress ; 
and  bringing  to  the  sick  bad  the  highest  possible  attainments  of 
education  and  experience.  Under  his  arduous  labors  his  best 
friends  have  often  feared  that  his  own  health  might  give  way  ; 
but  owing  to  bis  strict  observance  of  sanitary  laws  and  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  strong  constitution,  he  has  been  preserved  for  all 
the  triumphs  possible  to  be  obtained  in  the  highest  walks  of  the 
medical  profession. 

Dr.  James  P.  DeBruler  was  born  in  Orange  County,  North 
Carolina,  September  2l8t,  1817.  While  an  infant  his  parents 
emigrated  to  this  State,  and  settled  on  White  River,  in  Pike 
County.  This  whole  section  was  at  that  time  almost  a  trackless 
forest  with  here  and  there  a  rude  cabin  to  mark  the  beginnings 
of  civilization.  Thus  surrounded,  as  he  was,  his  early  life  wafi 
subjected  to  all  the  inconveniences  and  to  all  the  hardships  of  a 
pioneer*s  child.  Under  the  protection  of  the  broad  forest  trees, 
his  lullaby  at  night  was  not  the  piano  or  guitar ;  but  the  growl 
of  the  bear,  the  howl  of  the  wolf,  or  the  hooting  of  the  night- 
owl.  But  he  enjoyed  good  digestion — had  plenty  to  eat :  hog 
and  hominy,  good  milk,  golden  butter,  etc. 

To  him  early  training  was  well  nigh  impossible.  But 
though  it  was  irregular  and  imperfect,  he  made  some  progress 
by  the  aid  of  a  quick  mind,  in  the  way  of  acquiring  knowledge. 
His  little  neighborhood  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  as  a 
teacher,a  Scotchman,  named  Graham, who  was  admirably  adapted 
to  his  calling.  Under  his  guidance,  our  subject  made  rapid  ad- 
vances in  his  studies,  and  to  this  day  he  has  often  expressed  his 
indebtedness  to  the  tact  of  his  old  and  early  Scotch  teacher.  He 
could  only  attend  school  in  the  Fall  and  Winter,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  work  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  Summer-time. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, and  subsequently  graduated  in  the  Medical  Department  of 
the  University  at  Louisville.  He  began  his  practical  work  in 
his  profession  at  Rockport,  where  he  remained  nearly  twenty 
years ;  enjoying,  perhaps,  the  largest  practice  that  was  ever 
confided  to  any  physician  of  this  section.  The  result  has  proven 
that  he  entered  upon  a  larger  sphere  of  usefulness.  What  he 
was,  as  a  citizen  of  Rockport,  he  has  been,  in  a  larger  and  fuller 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


302  £fvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

measure,  to  Evansville — a  thorough  gentleman  of  high  honor, 
integrity,  and  public  virtue. 

Dr.  DeBruler  has  never  been  a  politician,  in  any  technical 
sense  of  the  word ;  his  interest  in  such  matters  has  been  only 
that  which  every  good  citizen  feels  in  the  management  of  affairs. 
In  1856  he  was  honored  with  a  nomination  as  candidate  for  the 
Legislature,  and  was  defeated.  He  profited  so  far  by  the  lesson 
as  to  believe  that  the  germ  of  what  might  become  a  formidable 
disease  —  the  love  of  political  position  —  had  been  eradicated. 
He  has  never  lost  a  day  in  politics  since.  He  has  never  held  an 
office  other  than  those  connected  with  his  profession.  He  was 
appointed — without  any  solicitation  on  his  part — Postmaster  of 
this  city,  by  President  Johnson,  but  resigned ;  having  never 
taken  charge  of  the  office  for  an  hour.  He  was  appointed,  by 
President  Lincoln,  Surgeon  of  the  Marine  Hospital  in  this  city, 
and  continued  on  duty  there  until  it  was  changed  into  a  mili- 
tary hospital,  early  in  the  war.  He  was  its  first  surgeon,  and 
acted  in  that  capacity  as  long  as  there  was  any  need  of  his  ser* 
vices.  Since  that  time  his  entire  time  and  energies  have  been 
devoted  to  his  large  private  practice.  It  is  to  him  a  labor  of 
love  :  never  neglecting  his  patients  ;  kind  and  considerate  when 
called  to  consult  with  his  professional  brethren  ;  at  home  in  the 
social  circle,  the  laboratory,  or  by  the  sick  bed — this  city  enjoys 
in  Dr.  DeBruler,  an  example  of  the  value  x>i  a  thoroughly 
educated,  model  American  physician. 

Dr.  DeBruler  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  E.  Graham, 
daughter  of  the  late  Judge  J.  W.  Graham,  of  Rockport  Indi- 
ana, on  the  2d  of  September,  1847,  Their  son,  Mr.  Claude  G 
DeBruler,  is  an  editor  and  part  proprietor  of  the  EvansvilU 
Daily  Journal, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


Philip  Heidelbach. 


^MONO  the  merchants  of  Cincinnati  who  have  reached 
out  the  hand  of  enterprise  to  aid  our  city,  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  He  was  prominent  among  those  who  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  commercial  importance  of  Cincinnati, 
after  the  early  settlers  had  given  place  to  others,  and  worked 
out  the  grand  results  that  have  been  achieved ;  and  for  more 
than  thirty  years  ot  the  well-known  firm  of  Heidelbach,  Sea- 
songood  k  Co.  The  following  is  taken  from  his  biography,  in 
'*  Cincinnati,  Past  and  Present  *' : 

"  He  is  the  son  of  David  and  He£fe  Heidelbach,  of  Pfarr- 
weisach,  Bavaria,  where  he  was  born  June  25, 1814.  His  parents 
being  poor,  instead  of  obtaining  an  education  at  school,  during 
boyhood,  he  was  obliged  to  early  inure  himself  to  toil  and  ob- 
tain what  practical  lessons  he  could  by  contact  with  the  world ; 
and  the  sequel  proves  him  to  have  been  a  very  apt  scholar  in 
that  broad  school.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  apprenticed 
to  a  butcher  for  two  years.  And  after  the  expiration  of  that 
term  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  until  he  was  of  age,  receiving 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  year,  out  of  which  he 
gave  considerable  toward  the  support  of  his  parents,  besides 
providing  himself  with  clothing  and  paying  other  incidental 
expenses ;  and  although  his  knowledge  of  figures  was  extremely 
limited,  he  needed  no  mathematician  to  inform  him  that  it 
would  take  a  long  time  to  become  rich  at  that  ratio.  In  the  face 
of  difficulties,  he  had  managed  to  save  sufficient  to  purchase  a 
ticket  to  America,  and  he  was  not  long  in  deciding  to  invest  it 
in  that  way. 

He  landed  in  New  York  City  without  any  means  whatever ; 
but  he  soon  found   a  friend  who  procured  ci'j^^jyti^^i^^^ilm^^r 


804  Hvaneville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

eight  dollars'  worth  of  email  goods  with  which  to  commence 
bnsiness  as  a  peripatetic  mei  chant.  And  although  at  first  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  the  English  language,  he  succeeded  so  well  At 
the  end  of  three  months,  le  had,  from  eight  dollars  worse  than 
nothing,  acquired,  clear  of  all  expenses,  a  capital  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars.  This  was  encouraging,  and  he  began  to 
think  there  was  some  propriety  in  calling  this  the  '*  land  of 
promise.'*  He  transmitted  one- third  of  his  cash  to  his  parents, 
and  investing  the  balance  in  goods  he  started  for  the  great  west- 
ern country,  where  he  had  an  idea  that  a  more  profitable  busi- 
ness could  be  done.  Throughout  the  whole  journey  he  made 
sales  by  day  and  generally  stopped  at  farm  houses  at  night ; 
and,  as  the  universal  charge  for  supper,  bed  and  breakfast  was 
a  "quarter,"  it  may  be  surmised  that  our  peddler  made  a  profit- 
able overland  trip.  He  arrived  at  Cincinnaati  in  the  Spring  of 
1837 ;  which  contained,  according  to  his  own  estimate,  about 
forty  thousand  inhabitants,  although  many  more  were  claimed 
for  it.  He  commenced  business  so  earnestly,  and  continued  it 
so  faithfully,  within  a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles,  embracing  the 
adjoining  counties  of  Union  and  Liberty,  Indiana,  that  he  con- 
stantly increased  his  stock ;  and  by  the  Fall  of  that  year  he 
had  accumulated  a  handsome  little  capital  of  near  two  thousand 
dollars.  It  was  about  this  time  that  he  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  another  shrewd  and  industrious  young  man,  who  was 
engaged  in  the  same  business,  and  who  possessed  about  the 
same  amount  of  means :  it  was  Jacob  Seasongood.  The  two 
united  their  capital,  enlarged  "their  stock  and  increased  their 
facilities,  and  from  that  time  until  December,  1839,  did  a  very 
large  and  profitable  business. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1840,  Mr.  Heidelbach  was  married 
to  Miss  Hannah  Lewser,  with  whom  he  had  been  acquainted  in 
the  Old  Country.  This  estimable  lady  has  proved  a  true  help- 
meet all  through  his  busy  life. 

Having  considerable  means  at  their  command,  and  being 
somewhat  weary  of  the  laborious  and  unsettled  life  which  ped- 
dling involved,  they  were  disposed  to  purchase  a  stock  of  goods 
and  endeavor  to  build  up  a  city  trade.  They  secured  a  busi- 
ness place  on  the  corner  of  Front  and  Sycamore  streets,  and 
shortly  after  opened  a  retail  clothing  etore.    Here  fortune  £a- 


Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  806 

vored  them  to  such  an  extent  that  at  the  end  of  two  years  they 
were  able  to  open  a  dry-goods  store  on  Main,  one  door  below 
Pearl  street,  in  addition  to  their  old  establishment.  Mr.  Hei- 
delbach's  two  brothers.  Max  and  Simon,  were  admitted  as  part- 
ners about  this  time ;  which  enabled  the  firm  to  conduct  the 
business  with  a  limited  number  of  hired  clerks.  Mr.  Simon 
Heidlebach  died  of  cholera  in  1849 ;  and  the  surviving  partners 
continued  as  usuaJ  until  they  removed  all  their  business  to  a 
commodious  building  on  Pearl  street,  where  they  remained  until 
they  established  their  house  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Third 
streets,  doing  an  extensive  business  until  1860,  when  they  erected 
the  elegant  and  substantial  block  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Vine  and  Third  streets.  Success  still  attended  this  energetic 
firm  until  1868,  when  it  was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent. 
From  1862  until  the  dissolution  Mr.  Heidelbach  had  been  en- 
gaged in  banking  in  company  with  Messrs.  Seasongood,  Espy, 
Max  Heidelbach,  and  his  son  Louis,  and  has  continued  that  in- 
terest until  the  present  time,  white  Mr.  Seasongood  carries  for- 
ward the  original  branch  ;  each  party  having  demonstrated  since 
the  dissolution  that  all  the  elements  of  success  unite  in  him. 

Mr.  Heidelbach  has  had  six  children,  two  ^f  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Henrietta  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Simon  Rindscopf,  of  New 
York  City  ;  Louis  is  engaged  in  banking  in  company  with  his 
father,  and  is  still  unmarried ;  Jennie,  the  late  wife  of  Mr. 
Isaac  Ickleheimer,  of  New  York,  died  during  the  Summer  of 
1871,  aged  twenty- two ;  Ida  is  still  at  the  parental  home.  Mra 
Heidelbach  is  living  in  comparative  health 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Heidelbach  is  an  exception  to 
the  rule  that  first  calls  for  disappointment  and  vexation  on  the 
part  of  almost  all  foreigners  who  come  to  our  shores,  because 
they  do  not  know  how  to  obviate  it,  being  ignorant  of  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  people.  He  was  successful  from  the 
start ;  and  it  can  not  fail  to  be  interesting  to  all  ambitious 
young  men  to  know  what  he  regards  as  the  key  to  his  success. 
In  the  first  place,  he  bestowed  unremitting  attention  to  his  bus- 
iness ;  secondly,  he  would  never  incur  an  expense  he  was  not 
certain  he  could  defray  without  embarrassment;  thirdly,  he 
practiced  strict  economy  and  straightforward  dealing ;  these, 
with  a  little  common  sense  mixed  with  energy,  he  thinks  will 

^^  Digitized  by  VjUU^  11^ 


806  EvafisviVe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

iDsnre  a  moderate  success  to  almost  any  one.  And  we  may  add 
that  eminent  practicability,  more  than  depth  of  acquirement, 
has  contributed  to  his  success. 

Apart  from  his  business,  Mr.  Heidelbach  is  all  that  could 
be  asked  of  a  husband,  parent,  or  citizen,  and  enters  with  sym- 
pathy, into  every  really  philanthropic  movement.  He  has 
never  tried  to  **  mak  a  noise  in  the  world,"  but  is  simple  and 
unobtrusive  in  his  manner ;  and  while  his  will  is  strong,  it  is 
mild  in  expression.  Those  who  have  done  business  with  him 
for  nearly  forty  years  speak  of  his  integrity  as  of  the  moat  un- 
compromising kind,  and  aver  that  no  one  can  frequently  come 
in  contact  with  him  without  respecting  him  for  his  manly  vir- 
tues. He  is  remarkably  well  preserved,  and  able  to  transact  a 
large  amount  of  fatiguing  business.*' 

Hifl  addition  to  this  city  has  made  his  name  familiar  to  our 
citizens. 


Jacob  Elsas. 


HIS  successful  Israelite  is  the  son  of  Isaac  «nd  Rosa 
Elsas,  who  lived  at  a  small  village  in  the  kingdom  of 
Wuertenberg,  near  Stuttgart.  Elsas  was  the  name  pf  the  prov- 
ince in  France  that  he  had  moved  from,  and  was  taken  by  him 
when  the  number  of  scriptural  names  among  his  people  had 
becume  so  numerous  that  the  Gk)vernment  ordered  the  adoption 
of  other  family  names.  Jacob  was  born  February  15,  1815 ;  his 
parents  were  poor,  and  the  schools  in  Germany  were  very  infe- 
rior, the  short  time  devoted  to  educational  purposes  resulted  in 
a  little  practical  benefit.  He  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  family 
of  nine,  who  became  fatherless  when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age, 
and  was  then  hired  to  a  cattle  dealer,  at  eighty  cents  per  week, 
for  which  miserable  pittance  he  was  obliged  to  drive  cattle 
half  the  night.  It  was,  however,  promptly  given  to  his  mother 
toward  the  support  of  the  family,  and  when  not  kept  at  work 
too  late,  he  would  sometimes  walk  several  miles  after  dark  in 
order  to  buy  bread  for  the  family  at  a  trifle  cheaper  rate  than 

Digitized  by\^tJOy  IV^ 


Evansvilleland  Us  Men  of  Mark.         '  307 

was  practicable  in  their  immediate  neighborhood.  He  wonld 
perform  these  journeys  merely  by  the  force  of  hie  will,  being 
all  the  time  in  the  greatest  fear  of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins  and 
and  other  superstitions,  in  the  stories  of  which  the  country 
abounded.  We  have  been  fnrn?jBhed  with  a  running  history  ol 
our  subject,  commencing  about  two  years  subsequent  to  the 
death  of  his  father  and  ending  several  years  after  his  arrival  in 
this  country.    We  quote  as  follows: 

*'  When  thirteen  he  was  employed  in  making  bobbin  for  an 
elder  brother  who  was  a  weaver,  and  foor  of  the  family  being 
employed  in  this  way,  they  were  able,  in  about  two  years, 
to  open  a  little  store  for  the  sale  of  their  goods,  as  well  as  to 
attend  the  markets  at  the  different  towns  within  a  radius  of  fif- 
teen or  twenty  miles,  it  being  the  duty  of  Jacob  to  carry  the 
pack.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  and  his  brother  engaged  in 
the  cattle  business  and  continued  in  that  until  he  was  twenty, 
when  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  draw  a  ticket  to  be  a  soldier, 
but  was  more  fortunate  to  be  exempted,  through  the  kind  offices 
of  the  family  physician.  The  savings  of  his  nine  years'  labor, 
with  the  strictest  economy,  were  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
florins,  or  sixty  dollars  ;  and  with  this  he  determined  to  go  to 
America  in  company  with  twelve  or  fifteen  other  young  men 
from  his  neighborhood.  The  party  started  for  Havre,  via  Stras- 
burg  and  Paris ;  but  unfortunately  for  our  subject,  they  delayed 
on  the  road  for  several  weeks,  and  after  being  delayed  in  the 
harbor  a  number  of  days,  he  was  refused  a  passage  because  he 
was  unable  to  supply  himself  with  sufficient  crackers,  potatoes 
and  other  provisions  for  the  voyage.  In  this  extremity  he  was 
obliged  to  part  with  his  watch  ;  but  a  stormy  voyage  of  seven 
weeks  fully  justified  the  ship-owners  in  their  exactions,  for  with 
all  their  precautions  they  were  placed  on  very  short  rations  I  be- 
fore reaching  New  York.  On  landing  in  that  city,  in  the  lall 
of  1839,  he  only  had  two  francs,  or  about  forty  cents  in  our 
money;  and  as  he  was  anxious  to  proceed  to  Philadelphia 
where  he  expected  to  find  friends,  he  was  compelled,  much 
against  his  will,  to  part  with  a  gold  ring  given  him  by  his  moth- 
er on  leaving  home.  His  friends  in  Philadelphia  directed  him 
to  a  Mr.  Jacob  Steiner,  who  frequently  supplied  new-comers 
with  goods  to  peddle  through  the  city  and  adjoining  country. 

Digitized  by\^UOy  IV^ 


308  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Bat  having  found  the  establishment,  he  was  so  excessively  diffi. 
dent  that  he  could  not  go  in  and  ask  for  credit,  and  so  took  up 
a  position  outside  on  the  steps.  He  was,  however,  invited  in  by 
the  proprietor  after  a  time,  who  questioned  him  as  to  his  wants 
or  wishes  ;  and  after  due  consideration  of  his  case,  advised  him 
to  take  a  box  of  jewelry  and  peddle  in  the  city.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  he  was  industrious,  and  in  a  short  time  was  able  to 
send  his  parents  the  first  ten  dollar  bill  that  he  earned  in 
America. 

After  some  two  months  of  fair  success,  he  was  advised  by 
his  benefactor  to  take  a  large  bundle  of  goods  and  travel  in  the 
interior  of  the  State,  and  was  accordingly  loaded  down  with 
over  a  hundred  pounds  of  goods.  After  being  out  some  time, 
he  found  himself  at  Woodcock  Valley,  and  was  recommended 
to  go  to  MorrisoL's  Cove,  some  five  miles  distant,  through  the 
woods.  He  had  proceeded  but  a  short  way,  when  he  was  over- 
taken by  darkness  and  soon  lost  the  path.  After  vainly  trying 
to  find  his  way  out,  he  finally  sat  down  under  a  tree  with  the 
pack  upon  his  back,  fully  expecting  to  remain  in  the  woods 
£tll  night.  He  thought  of  home  and  mother  and  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  felt  indescribably  lonesome  as  he  then,  for  the  first 
time  since  leaving  them,  shed  tears.  But  his  reverie  was  sud- 
denly disturbed  by  the  solemn  march,  close  by  him,  of  an  im- 
mense number  of  turkeys,  the  first  wild  birdt;  of  that  species  he 
had  ever  seen,  which  only  served  to  increase  his  melancholy,  as 
they  almost  seemed  to  be  marching  to  his  funeral.  Shortly 
after  this  he  groped  about  till  he  discovered  a  light  not  far  dis- 
tant, which  proved  to  proceed  from  the  cabin  of  a  negro  woman, 
who  kindly  gave  him  the  best  the  house  afforded — potatoes  ;  and 
for  ten  cents  carried  his  pack  to  the  bridge  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  near  which  he  obtained  lodgings  for  the  night,  although  he 
was  required  to  leave  Lis  pack  down  stairs,  for  fear  he  might 
have  burglar's  tools  in  it.  He  rambled  through  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio  during  the  winter,  and  sold  out  his  goods,  and,  on  re- 
turning to  Philadelphia  to  pay  for  them,  discovered,  to  his  mor- 
tification and  loss,  that  owing  to  the  heavy  exchange  between 
Ohio  and  Eastern  money,  he  had  been  laboring  for  nothing, 
Mr.  Steiner.  however,  finally  paid  one- half,  and  he  was  thus  left 
with  a  little  ready  money.     Having  returned  and  made  an  hon- 


Digitized  by 


Google 


EvansvUle  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  309 

orable  settlement,  his  credit  was  good  for  another  stock  of  goods 
and  a  horse  to  ride ;  so  he  sent  twenty  dollars  to  his  parent  and 
then  made  a  trading  expedition  through  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and 
Virginia,  that  occupied  about  two  years,  during  which  time  he 
was  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the  Kentuekians  were  far  more 
hospitable  than  the  citizens  of  the  other  States  through  which 
he  had  traveled/' 

He  returned  to  Philadelphia,  paid  his  creditors,  and  found 
himself  with  the  handsome  capital  of  six  hutidred  dollars,  which 
he  invested  in  dry  goods  and  clothing  at  Cincinnati,  and  opened 
a  store  at  Portsmouth,  Ohio.  This  whs  in  1842 ;  and  bo  suc- 
cessful was  he  that  in  4844  he  did  the  most  extensive  business 
in  the  town. 

In  1845  Mr.  Elsas  was  married  to  Miss  Jeannette  Fechhei- 
mer,  of  Cincinnati,  a  lady  every  way  worthy  of  him,  who  has 
largely  contributed  to  his  success  by  her  hearty  co-operation 
and  prudent  counsels.  At  this  time  Mr.  Elsas  had  a  capital  of 
some  six  thousand  dollars  and  commenced  doing  a  jobbing  busi- 
nesSy  obtaining  goods  at  the  best  markets  East.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  purchased  his  first  house  at  sherifiTs  sale,  for  five 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  im- 
agined he  ^as  rich.  In  1847  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Elsas  was 
drowned  in  the  Scioto  river ;  and  being  unwilling  to  reside 
there  after  the  melancholy  event,  they  removed  to  Cincinnati, 
and  commencenced  tho  wholesale  boot  and  shoe  business  on 
Walnut  street,  near  Pearl,  which  was  about  the  first  business 
house  werit  of  Main  street.  After  two  years  he  lormed  a  part- 
nership with  Mechheimer  and  Goldsmith,  and  added  a  clothing 
de|..artment  to  their  house.  This  arrangement  was  continued 
only  one  year,  having  lost  heavily  by  the  Californid  excitement. 
During  this  year  he  erected  his  first  house  in  Cincinnati,  on 
Main  street,  near  Lower  Market;  where  he  remained  one  year, 
and  then  removed  to  18  Pearl  street,  between  Main  and  Wal- 
nut, where  he  carried  on  the  wholesale  clothing  business  until 
1854,  when  he  rented  a  store  in  NefTs  block,  one  square  west. 
During  this  year  l:e  built  a  beautiful  residence  on  Walnut  Hills, 
and  laid  put  some  of  the  handsomest  grounds  in  this  vicinity. 
He  resided  at  that  place  for  about  ten  years,  owing  to  the  deli- 
cate state  of  his  wife's  health.      He  removed  his  business  from 

Digitized  by\^tJOy  IV^ 


310  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Neffs  block,  on  the  completion  of  two  stores  which  he  erected 
on  Pearl  street,  between  Vine  and  Race,  where  he  was  very  suc- 
cessful until  1863,  when  he  discontinued  his  store  business  and 
put  all  his  available  means  into  buildings.  He  erected  two  sub- 
stantial blocks  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Race  and  Pearl  streets 
and  also  the  magnificent  Phoenix  block  on  Walnut  street,  and 
and  his  elegant  residence  on  Fourth  street,  near  John. 

In  1864  he  made  a  trip  to  Europe,  with  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter, t(>  see  his  motner,  then  in  her  seventy-fourth  year,  after  an 
absence  from  home  of  twenty-five  years.  This  venerable  parent 
died  in  1870.  In  1865  he  built  three  stores  on  Race  street,  be- 
tween Third  and  Fourth,  also  one  on  the  corner  of  John  and 
Fourth.  In  1866  he  erected  five  stores  on  Pearl  street,  between 
Race  and  Elm,  and  started  a  large  tannery  on  Hunt  street, 
where  business  is  conducted  under  the  firm  of  Elsas  &  Priiz. 
He  purchased  the  old  lunatic  asylum  at  Fairmount  and  started 
a  woolen  mill  that  he  disposed  of  to  his  nephews,  Adler  &  Co., 
which  is  now  producing  one  thousand  yards  of  jeans  a  day. 
The  Clifton  Brewery,  erected  in  1867,  has  proved  the  most  dis- 
astrous enterprise  in  which  he  ever  engaged,  but  happily  it  oc- 
curred when  he  was  able  to  sustain  the  shock  without  serious 
inconvenience.  During  the  same  year  he  built  nine  dwelling 
houses  on  the  east  side  of  Vine  street,  north  of  Mulberry.  In 
1869,  in  company  with  Mr.  Philip  Heidelbach,  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Evausville,  Indiana,  and 
.laid  out  fourteen  hundred  lots,  two  hundred  of  which  have  been 
sold.     It  is  doubtless  a  good  investment. 

Mr.  Elsas  has  always  been  an  ardent  advocate  of  public 
improvements,  and  believes  in  encouraging  manufactures  of  all 
kinds.  He  has  performed  many  acts  of  kindness  to  deserving 
men  of  business,  and  sometimes  to  those  not  deserving,  to  his 
own  hurt.  He  is  frank  and  sincere  in  all  his  transactions,  and 
and  has  earned  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  oy  a  careful 
and  honorable  conduct  of  business  for  twenty-five  years.  His 
success  has  been  very  remarkable,  and  he  has  manifested  a  pub- 
lic spirit  and  a  confidence  in  Cincinnati  and  also  in  Evansville^ 
that  are  worthy  of  emulation  by  hosts  of  our  wealthy  men,  by 
constantly  investing  his  means  in  blocks  of  buildings  that  will 
be  monuments  to  his  memory  and  a  credit  to  the  city.      He  is 


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Bvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  811 

hale  and  hearty  at  the  age  of  fifty-four,  and  able  to  sustain  a 
vast  amount  of  mental  labor.  We  trust  his  career,  that  confers 
so  much  benefit  to  the  public  while  it  enriches  himself  will  be 
prolonged  for  many  years. 

Aside  from  his  business  in  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Elsas  has  been 
for  many  years  a  large  property  owner  in  Evansville,  as  partner 
with  Mr.  H.  in  Heidelbach  &  Elsas'  Enlargement.  He  has 
twice  been  President  of  the  Jewish  Hospital,  and  a  trustee  of 
the  same  for  about  twenty  years.  He  also  has,  in  connection 
with  Mr.  Heidelbach,  laid  out  the  Jewish  Cemetery,  on  the 
Montgomery  Pike  ;  was  an  active  member  of  the  building  com- 
mittee during  the  erection  of  the  temple  on  Plum  street,  and 
has  been  a  member  of  that  congregation  since  his  residence  in 
the  city.  He  has  always  avoided  politics  and  politicians,  but 
was  induced  to  accept  the  appointment  of  a  park  commissioner- 
ship,  which  he  filled  for  two  years,  and  has  been  reappointed 
for  a  second  term.  This  not  being  a  lucrative  office,  he  can 
hold  it  without  hurt  to  his  feelings.  His  benevolence  and  patri- 
otism were  manifested  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  by  sup- 
plying fourteen  substitutes,  though  he  was  over  age ;  and  at  the 
close  of  the  war  he  erected  a  beautiful  monument  in  the  Jewish 
Cemetery  to  the  memory  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  battle.  He 
is  characterized  by  a  large-hearted  benevolence  whenever  a  de- 
serving object  presents  itself. 

Twelve  children  have  been  born  to  him,  nine  of  whom  are 
still  living .  Cecilia  is  the  wite  of  Samuel  Pritz  ;  Mary  is  the^ 
wife  of  Henry  Eisfelder ;  Clara  is  the  wife  of  Gabriel  Netter ; 
the  next  in  order  being  Nettie,  Ed  a,  twin  boys  Louis  and  Max, 
Cora  and  Samuel.  Mrs,  Elsas  is  now  in  excellent  health. — 
Oindnnatit  Past  and  Prtaent, 


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Stephen  8.  LHommedieu. 


^LTHOUQH  forty  years  have  not  elapsed  since  the  first 
railroad  was  put  into  operation,  but  few  cities  are  now 
without  that  important  handmaid  of  commerce.  And  the  fact 
has  been  demonstrated  that  the  cities  which  inaugurate  most 
liberal  policy,  and  exhibit  the  keenest  appreciation  of  railroad 
centers  and  radiations,  speedily  outstrip  less  enterprising  nvalp. 
It  is  useless  to  speak  of  what  Cincinnati  would  have  been  to- 
day without  railroads.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  she  has  assumed 
large  proportions,  accumulated  great  wealth,  and  is  second  to 
few  American  cities  in  all  that  which  combines  to  make  it  desir- 
able for  education,  business  or  pleasure ;  and  railroads  have 
largely  contributed  to  this  end.  To  represent  this  great  inter- 
est we  have  selected  Stephen  S.  L'Hommedieu,  the  builder  of 
the  road  and  for  more  than  twenty  years  the  President  of  the 
Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  Railroad  Company. 

Mr.  L'Hommedieu  was  born  in  Sag  Harbor,  Long  Island, 
New  York,  January  6,  1806,  and  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  a 
Huguenot  who  fled  to  this  country  from  France  after  the  siege 
of  Roche]  )e. 

In  the  Summer  of  the  year  1810,  Captain  Charles  L'Hom- 
medieu, father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati and  established  himself  there  as  a  merchant  and  manufiac- 
turer.  In  1813  he  died,  leaving  five  children.  Previous  to  his 
death  he  purchased  the  land  now  bounded  by  Central  avenue, 
Mound,  George  and  Seventh  streets,  for  pasturage  and  other 
purposes;  then  somewhat  remote  from  the  village,  but  now 
about  the  center  of  a  great  city.  The  property  was  kept  intact 
and  divided  equally  among  the  five  children  in  1828. 

S«  S.  L'Hommedieu,  at  the  age  of  twelve,  was  put  into  a 
store  with  his  uncle,  John  C.  Avery ;  and  in  1821,  when  fifteen 
years  of  age,  was  placed  in  the  office  of  the  Liberty  Hall  and 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  313 

CinclDnati  Grazette,  owned  and  conducted  by  Ephraim  Morgan, 
James  Lodge  and  Isaac  G.  Burnet,  to  learn  the  printing  busi- 
ness. A  few  weeks  after  coming  of  age  he  was  taken  as  a 
partner  in  the  Gazette.  At  that  period  it  was  feared  the  paper, 
then  a  semi-weekly,  would  be  deprived  of  its  chief  support, 
post-office  and  other  government  patronage,  by  the  election  of 
General  Andrew  Jackson  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 
On  consultation  with  its  then  able  editor.  Charles  Hammond,  it 
was  determined  to  make  the  Gazette  in  every  respect  an  inde- 
pendent paper — not,  however,  what  is  now  understood  as  a 
neutral  in  politics — believing  that  that  course  would  bring  a 
better  reward  than  all  the  patronage  the  Government  had  to 
bestow.  The  result  showed  the  wisdom  of  taking  such  an  inde- 
pendent position. 

In  1827  the  firm  of  Morgan,  Fisher  and  L'Hommedieu 
issued  the  Gazette  as  a  daily  paper,  commencing  with  only  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  subscribers,  but  few  of  whom  are  now 
living.  It  was  the  first  daily  paper  published  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany Mountains,  or  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  sheet,  issued  for  a  few  weeks,  the  year  pre- 
vious, in  Cincinnati,  by  S.  S.  Brooks,  The  reputation  of  the 
Gazette  from  1827  to  1840  under  the  principal  editorial  man* 
agement  of  Charles  Hammond,  is  well  known  to  the  country. 
Mr.  L*Hommedieu  closed  his  connection  with  the  Gazette  in 
the  year  1848,  having  been  in  its  service  twenty-seven  years. 
During  that  period  it  has  grown  in  public  favor  and  influence, 
and  all  those  connected  with  it  had  prospered  in  a  pecuniary 
point  of  .view.  He  was  the  more  willing  to  retire  from  a  con- 
nection with  it  as  his  early  associates,  Charles  Hammond,  James 
Lodge  and  Richard  F.  L'Hommedieu  had  been  taken  to  their 
graves  honored  and  lamented. 

On  retiring  from  the  Gazette  it  was  Mr.  L'Hommedieu's 
intention  to  devote  himself  to  horticultural  pursuits,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  cultivation  of  the  grape,  on  his  place  near  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  still  resides,  but  his  friends  soon  persuaded  him 
that  that  mode  of  life  was  neither  active  nor  useful  enough  for 
one  of  his  temperament.  Fully  appreciating  that  he  had  grown 
with  the  city,  and  been  liberally  sustained  by  her  citizens,  he 
was  ready,  on  the  call  of  friends,  to  undertake  that  which  he 
40 

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814  Svanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

believed  would  be  a  public  benefit.  Within  a  few  weeks  from 
the  time  he  retired  from  active  business,  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  Railroad 
Company  and  found  himself  again  with  full  employment.  The 
company  had  been  chartered  in  1846  with  only  a  capital  of  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  At  a  meeting  of  directors  in  Janu- 
ary, 1847,  Lewis  D.  Campbell,  of  Hamilton,  was  chosen  as  the 
first  President.  Under  his  administration  but  little  had  been 
accomplished,  as  other  official  duties  prevented  his  giving  that 
attention  which  so  important  an  undertaking  required.  Mr. 
L'Hommedieu  was  elected  to  succeed  him  at  the  annual  meeting^ 
July  3,  1848.  Contracts  for  the  construction  of  fourteen  miles 
of  road,  from  Hamilton  south,  had  been  made  two  months  pre- 
viously ;  but  after  thoroughly  examining  into  the  condition  of 
the  company,  its  limited  amount  of  stock  subscribed — $33,000 
— its  liabilities  of  more  than  double  that  amount  already  incur- 
red, as  well  as  the  limited  number  of  rights  of  way  obtained^ 
the  President  reported  it  to  be  expedient  to  suspend  the  work 
until  the  rights  of  way  had  been  obtained,  and  the  means  requi- 
site to  build  the  road  secured ;  the  directors,  as  individuals, 
advancing  money  to  pay  for  work  already  done.  More  than  a 
year  was  devoted  to  obtaining  rights  of  way,  and  not  until  the 
Fall  of  1849  did  the  President  make  personal  application  to  our 
citizens  for  the  means  with  which  to  build  the  road.  Such  was 
the  confidence  gained  by  him  in  the  value  of  the  enterprise  and 
its  management,  that  in  the  course  of  three  weeks  the  President 
succeeded  in  raising,  mostly  in  subscriptions  of  five  thousand 
dollars  and  upward,  about  three-fourths  of  a  million  of  dollars 
in  Cincinnati,  and  equal  to  about  one-third  of  that  amount  in 
the  city  of  New  York.  The  subscriptions  were  made,  with  but 
few  exceptions,  by  the  mechanics,  manufacturers  and  merchants. 

In  March,  1850,  the  work  on  the  road  was  resumed,  bnt 
was  soon  interrupted  by  injunctions  granted  to  individuals 
claiming  more  than  had  been  awarded  them  for  rights  of  way ; 
and  soon  after  these  difficulties  were  overcome  the  cholera  made 
its  appearance  among  the  laborers,  so  that  the  work  was  not 
fully  in  progress  of  construction  until  September,  1850. 

This  important  public  improvement  was  commenced  and 
successfully  carried  through  by  individual  enterprise  and  the 

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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  815 

public  spirit  of  our  citizens,  aided  by  friends  in  New  York.  No 
pity,  county,  or  State  aid  was  asked  tor  or  received.  In  one 
year  from  the  time  the  contractors  were  enabled  to  get  to  work 
the  road  was  so  far  completed  that  an  excursion  trip  through  to 
Dayton  was  made  with  three  trains,  carrying,  on  invitation • 
about  three  thousand  persons,  under  the  immediate  direction  of 
R.  M.  Shoemaker,  superintendent  and  civil  engineer  in  the  con. 
struction  of  the  road,  and  Daniel  M'Laren,  master  mechanic. 
The  road  was  regularly  opened  for  business  on  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember, 1851.  Its  first  year's  earnings  amounted  to  a  little  over 
$300,000.  Those  of  the  present  amount  to  about  a  million  and 
a  quarter  per  annum. 

The  site  of  the  depots  was  much  criticised  in  1851,  and 
they  were  said  to  be  too  far  from  the  business  of  the  city.  At 
this  time  the  city  and  its  business  extends  miles  beyond,  and 
before  many  years  the  depots  will  be  considered  quite  centrally 
situated.  The  large  amount  of  land  secured  by  the  managers 
of  the  road  for  depot  purposes  and  machine  shops  in  the  west- 
ern portion  of  the  city  was  also  much  commented  upon  at  the 
time,  but  the  subsequent  business  of  the  road  has  demonstrated 
the  wisdom  of  the  policy  pursued  in  securing  the  necessary 
ground. 

The  Dayton  and  Michigan  road,  extending  from  Dayton  to 
Toledo,  one  hundred  and  forty-two  miles,  was  leased  perpetu- 
ally by  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  Company  in  1863. 
The  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  has  also  the  controlling 
interest  in  the  Cincinnati,  Richmond  and  Chicago  road,  extend- 
ing from  Hamilton  to  Richmond,  and  the  number  of  miles  now 
rated  by  the  company  is  two  hundred  and  forty-seven.  Mr, 
L'Hommedieu  having  been  President  of  the  company  for  twenty- 
two  years,  embracing  the  whole  of  its  practical  history,  it  may 
readily  be  seen  why  we  should  give  a  running  history  of  it.  He 
resigned  his  position  as  President  on  the  4th  of  July  last,  and 
in  a  few  days  thereafter  sailed  for  Europe,  and  at  this  writing 
has  not  returned.  We  hear  of  him,  however  from  up  the  Nile 
and  as  far  east  as  Damascus. 

Since  Mr.  L'H.  retired  from  the  career  of  an  editor  and 
publisher  of  a  paper,  he  has  never  meddled  with  politics,  nor 
sought  for  political  position,  but  has  steadfastly  stood  by  the 

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316  JEvansville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

old  Flag.  Indeed,  had  he  desired  political  preferment  his  con- 
nection with  the  old  Whig  party  would  probably  have  stood  in 
his  way.  His  last  appearance  on  the  political  stage  was  at 
Philadelphia,  as  the  delegate  from  the  First  District  of  Ohio,  to 
the  National  Convention  of  Whigs,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1847,  at 
which  time  his  favorite,  Henry  Clay,  was  slaughtered  by  the 
politicians,  and  General  Zachary  Taylor  nominated  for  the 
Presidency.  His  ambition  since  has  been  to  contribute  his  time 
and  talents  to  the  building  up  of  our  goodly  city,  especially  that 
portion  of  it  which  in  early  times  seemed  to  have  no  advocates 
— west  of  Main  street.  Through  the  management  and  influence 
of  wealthy  citizens  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  city  the  Miami 
Canal  was  mislocated,  carried  down  Deer  Creek  Valley,  when 
it  should  have  been  located  west  of  Freeman  street.  The  first 
railroad,  by  the  same  management,  was  located  in  the  Little, 
when  it  should  have  been  in  the  Great  Miami  Valley.  The  city 
council,  controlled,  in  a  great  degree,  by  the  same  influence 
about  thirty-three  years  ago,  was  not  willing,  in  his  judgment 
to  do  justice  to  the  western  portion  of  the  city.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  council  at  the  time  referred  to,  and  fought  hard 
against  such  neglect,  if  not  injustice,  but  without  much  efiect. 
This  prompted  him,  to  seek  other  ways  for  building  the  city 
westward,  although  at  the  time  his  most  valuable  property  was 
on  Main  street.  Those  who  have  lived  here  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  know  how  effective  his  efforts  in  this  direction  have 
been. 

Mr,  L*Hommedieu*s  life  hsw  been  truly  one  of  activity  and 
usefulness.  The  period  during  which  he  has  achieved  his  great- 
est success  has  been  marked  with  unparalleled  progress.  The 
changes  which  have  taken  place  within  his  memory  are  wonder- 
ful to  contemplate.  He  sometimes  facetiously  remarks  that  he 
must  be  over  an  hundred  years  old,  because  for  twenty-seven 
years  he  was  connected  with  the  publishing  of  a  newspaper ; 
twenty -two  years  president  of  a  railroad ;  for  forty-one  years 
the  husband  of  one  wife,  and  for  eleven  years  was  employed  in 
other  matters,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  one  years. 
But  seriously,  he  remembers  seeing  Kentucky  troops  pass 
through  our  city,  on  their  way  to  repel  the  British  and  their 
Indian  allies  ;  was  on  board  the  first  steamboat  built  and  run  on 

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Evanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  317 

western  waters  on  her  first  trip ;  brought  to  the  West,  across 
the  mountains,  the  first  Adams,  and  the  first  steam  printing 
press ;  rode  on  the  first  mile  of  railroad  on  the  Atlantic  coast, 
before  tbe  introduction  of  locomotives,  and  has  passed  over  the 
last  mile  of  the  line  on  the  shore  of  the  Pacific  ;  and  in  the 
meantime  has  contributed  to  the  building  up  of  a  village  from 
a  few  hundred  inhabitante  to  a  city  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  mil- 
lion. He  has  been,  as  these  facts  abundantly  attest,  an  enter- 
prising man  in  an  age  of  enterprise.  Uniting  great  physical 
endurance  with  mental  activity — a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body 
— he  has  labored  with  great  zeal,  industry,  intelligence  and  un- 
wearied activity  in  the  many  enterprises  of  an  active  and  useful 
life. 

He  has  not  neglected  the  duties  which  instinctively  impel 
the  head  of  an  household  to  provide  for  the  comfort  and  inde- 
pendence of  his  family.  But  it  can  be  truly  said  of  him  that 
he  has  never  suffered  private  considerations  to  outweigh  his 
duty  to  the  public  ;  that  one  of  the  main  motives  of  his  activity 
has  been  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  the  community  in  which 
he  has  lived  for  so  many  years ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  con- 
tinually present  sources  of  his  gratification  that  he  has  not 
striven  for  himself  alone. — Qineinnati,  Past  and  Present, 

His  counection  with  the  railroad  enterprises  of  Southern 
Indiana  has  made  him  closely  identified  with  its  interests. 
What  he  may  do  for  Evansville  in  the  future,  time  alone  can 
tell  ;  as  for  the  past,  Evansville,  has  had  no  warmer  friend  than 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 


Horace  Plumer. 


f AS  born  in  Newbury,  Essex  County,  Massachusetts, 
on  the  26th  of  April,  1821.  He  was  the  youngest 
son  of  a  family  of  eight  children.  His  father,  Enoch  Plumer, 
was  a  thriving  farmer,  and  his  mother  died  before  he  was  two 
years  of  age.  ^         , 

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318  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

He  received  his  earliest  education  at  the  village  school  in 
his  native  town  ;  and  as  he,  at  an  early  age,  showed  a  fondness 
for  study,  his  father  determined  to  give  him  a  college  education. 
He  commenced  fitting  for  college  at  Dumer  Academy ;  then 
went  to  Atkinson,  New  Hampshire,  where  he  remained  until 
prepared  to  enter  Dartmouth  College  in  1836.  He  graduated 
in  July,  1840,  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class,  being  next 
to  the  youngest  member. 

He  studied  law  in  Newburyport,  Massachusetts,  in  the  oflBce 
of  Edward  LeBritton.  After  having  passed  a  satisfactory  ex- 
amination, he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  his  native  State,  In 
1844  he  married  N.  D.  Woodwell  of  Newburyport.  He  then 
removed  to  Tennessee,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  an  Acad- 
emy and  acquainting  himself  with  the  laws  of  that  State.  Hav- 
ing passed  an  examination,  he  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of 
the  legal  profession. 

As  the  climate  of  Tennessee  did  not  agree  with  his  health 
and  as  he  preferred  residing  in  a  free  State,  he  removed  to  Ev- 
ansville  on  the  2d  of  January,  1848.  From  that  time  he  united 
his  interests  with  those  of  this  city.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  this  place  in  March  following  his  arrival.  Up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  in  January.  1860,  he  took  a  lively  interest  in 
the  cause  of  education.  He  suffered  much  with  a  disease  of  the 
throat,  which  terminated  his  life.  He  left  a  widow,  two  daugh- 
ters, and  an  infant  son. 


David  Dale  Owen,  M.  D., 


[AS  born  at  Braxfield  House,  near  New  Lanark,  Scot- 
land, on  the  24th  of  June,  1807.     He  was  the  third 
son,  who  lived  to  manhood,  of  Robert  Owen,  the  Philanthropist. 
Dr.  Owen  was  educated  during  1824,  '25  and  '26,  at  Hof- 
wyl,  near  Berne,  Switzerland.     He  also  took  a  course  in  Chem- 
istry, with  Dr.  Andrew  Ure,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  then  at  the 

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University  of  London.  He  received  hie  diploma  as  M.  D.  from 
the  Cincinnati  Medical  College,  in  the  times  of  Drs.  Locke, 
Eberle  and  associates. 

He  was  engaged,  nearly  all  his  life  as  Geologist,  devoting 
his  Winters  to  chemical  analyses  connected  with  the  geological 
surveys.  He  was  the  first  State  Geologist  of  Indiana ;  then,  in 
1830,  United  States  Geologist  for  Iowa ;  and  afterward,  from 
1848  to  '50,  for  Minnesota  and  the  remaining  Northwestern 
Territory.  The  results  were  published  in  a  large  quarto  vol- 
ume, beside  plates  and  maps.  Afterward  he  was,  for  many 
years,  State  Geologist  of  Kentucky;  his  labors  for  that  State 
being  embodied  in  four  volumes,  large  octavo.  Subsequently, 
as  State  Geologist  of  Arkansas,  he  published  two  octavo  vol- 
umes. 

He  married  the  third  daughter  of  Joseph  Neef,  an  associate 
of  Pestalozzi.  They  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of 
whom  are  living.  One  son  was  Colonel  of  the  Eightieth  Indi- 
ana Volunteers.  Dr.  D.  D.  Owen  died  on  the  13th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1860. 

It  was  said  of  Dr.  Owen  that  his  ability  as  a  geologist  was 
only  equaled  by  h?jB  modesty  as  a  man.  The  labors  he  per- 
formed have  been  oi  invaluable  benefit  to  the  several  States  in 
which  he  labored,  and  the  volumes  edited  by  him  as  a  practical 
geologist  and  chemist,  have  made  the  name  of  Dr.  David  Dale 
Owen  famous  in  the  scientific  circles  of  Europe  as  well  as 
America. 


Prof.  Richard  Owen. 


f  AS  born   at  Braxfield  House,  near  New  Lanark,  Scot-  • 
land,  on  the  6th*  of  January.  1810.     He  was  the 
fourth  son  who  lived  to  manhood,  of  Robert  Owen,  the  Philan- 
thropist. 

After  early  training  in  Scotland,  he  remained  three  years 
at  the  celebrated  educational  institution  of  Mt.  Fellenberg,  at 
Hofwyl,  Switzerland,  and  pursued  Chemistry  an  additional  year 
under  Dr.  Andrew  Ure,  author  of  the  Chemical  Diet. 

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320  l^anaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

On  reaching  this  country,  he  spent  a  Summer  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, studying  their  system  of  farming ;  took  a  course  of  En- 
gineering in  Kentucky  at  the  West.  Military  Institute,  of  which 
he  was  afterward  Professor ;  pursued,  however,  first  after  return- 
ing from  the  Mexican  War,  geological  and  chemical  studies  in 
the  laboratory  of  his  brother.  Dr.  D.  D.  Owen,  and  gained  ex- 
perience in  field  work  as  assistant  in  his  United  States  Geolog- 
ical Corps  on  Lake  Superior. 

After  three  years'  study — from  1833-36  inclusive — of  the 
art  of  malting  and  brewing,  be  took  charge,  for  seven  years,  of 
a  steam  mill,  in  connection  with  stock-raising ;  finally  sold  out 
the  mill  and  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  farming  until  April, 
1847,  when  he  became  Captain  in  one  of  the  ten  new  regimente 
raised  for  the  Mexican  War,  remaining  fifteen  months  in  the 
Sixteenth  Infantry,  Colonel  Tibbatt's  command,  chiefly  under 
Generals  Taylor  and  Wool. 

On  returning  from  the  New  York  survey  he  was  elected 
Professor  of  Geology  and  Chemistry  in  the  Western  Military 
Institute,  [and  remained  with  it  nine  years  and  a  half.  The 
last  three  years  they  formed  the  Literary  Department  of  the 
University  of  Nashville  ;  and  General  B.  R.  Johnson  was  Su- 
perintendent, while  our  subject  was  commandant  of  the  corpe^ 
While  there  Mr.  Owen  published  a  geological  work  entitled 
'*  Key  to  the  Geology  of  the  Globe." 

Returning  in  the  Autumn  of  1858  to  Indiana,  he  became 
assistant  and  afterward  State  Geologist  of  Indiana,  and  pub- 
lished his  report  in  one  octavo  volume. 

In  April,  1861 ,  he  entered  the  Fifteenth  Indiana  Volun- 
teers as  Lieutenant-Colonel ;  and  after  the  battle  of  Greenbrier, 
Virginia,  was  promoted  to  the  Colonelcy  of  the  Sixtieth  Indi- 
ana With  them  he  guarded  prisoners  at  Camp  Morton  ;  was 
in  Kentucky ,with  Colonel  Dumont ;  at  the  first  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  with  General  Sherman,  and  at  the  taking  of  Arkansas 
Post.  He  was  with  General  Grant  at  the  taking  of  Vicksburg; 
with  jG^neral  Sherman  when  he  took  Jackeon,  Mississippi,  and 
afterward  commanded  a  brigade  under  General  A.  J.  Smith,  in 
Banks'  Red  River  campaign.  At  the  close  of  this  he  was  in- 
vited, in  the  Autumn  of  1863,  to  fill  the  Chair  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences in  the  Indiana  State  University,  where  he  has  remained 

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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  321 

until  the  present  time.  In  1872  our  subject  n^as  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Purdue  University,  the  State  Agricultural  College, 
located  at  Lafayette,  Indiana,  and  expects  to  enter  on  his  duties 
in  April,  1874.  In  1872  Wabash  College  voluntarily  conferred 
on  Mr.  Owen  the  degree  of  L.L.D. 

In  1837  he  married  the  fourth  daughter  of  Joseph  Neif. 
the  associate  of  Pestalozzi.  Their  two  sons  were  with  our  sub- 
ject in  the  army  ;  being  successively  Adjutant  of  the  Sixtieth 
Indiana.     Their  only  daughter  died  when  about  eight  years  old. 

Having  revisited  Europe  in  1869,  and  extended  his  travels 
to  Turkey,  Egypt  and  Palestine,  he  has,  at  various  times,  lec- 
tured on  those  countries,  and  has  contributed  many  articles  on 
these  and  educational  topics  for  the  New  AlNany  Ledger,  Ev- 
ansville  Journal  and  Indianapolis  Jou/mal,  and  during  his  jour- 
ney, for  the  New  York  Tribune. 

The  following  is  from  ''Indiana's  Roll  of  Honor'': 

"  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  Colonel  Owen  was 
elected  Captain  of  a  cavalry  company,  which  his  nephew,  after- 
wards Major  of  the  Fourteenth  Indiana  Cavalry,  had  raised  in 
his  own  town,  and  which  formed  a  part  of  that  regiment.  But 
as  Governor  Morton  oflPered  him  a  Lieutenant -Colonelcy  in  the 
Ffteenth  Indiana  Volunteers,  Colonel  Owen  left  the  cavalry,  and 
served  with  his  infantry  regiment  in  Western  Virginia.  While 
there,  besides  having  command  frequently  of  outposts,  several 
miles  from  camp,  and  making  reoonnoissances,  constructing  re- 
doubts, etc.,  he  was  ordered  to  advance  with  three  hundred 
men  to  meet  the  enemy  ;  but  not  to  bring  on  a  general  engage- 
ment. Bivouacking  the  first  night  about  six  miles  from  Elk- 
water,  the  detachment  lay  on  their  arms  in  silence  and  without 
fires  ;  and  being  aroused  by  their  comrades  before  daylight, 
came  upon  the  enemy's  outposts,  eleven  and  a  fourth  miles  from 
the  Federal  camp,  and  between  one  and  two  miles  from  the  en- 
emy's camp  at  Marshall's  Store,  a  still  larger  force  being  in  their 
rear  at  Big  Springs. 

Part  of  the  force  was  cavalry,  and  so  suddenly  did  our 
skirmishers  come  upon  them  that  they  had  not  time  to  mount, 
and  in  some  cases  a  hand-to-hand  engagement  took  place.  The 
attacking  party,  in  accordance  with  previous  orders,  now  pre- 
pared to  retire,  having  efifected  their  object  and  ascertained  the 

41 

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322  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

position  of  the  rebel  camp.  Prisoners  taken  afterward  said  that 
fifteen  men  were  killed  by  our  troops,  while  we  had  only  one 
man  wounded.  A  continuous  retiring  fire  was  kept  up  as  long 
as  the  enemy  was  in  view,  and  marching  back  at  a  slow  rate 
the  party  reached  Elkwater  camp  in  a  little  more  than  twenty- 
four  hours  after  leaving  it.  They  learned  afterwards  that  sev- 
eral regiments  and  pieces  of  artillery  arrived  on  the  ground  a 
short  time  after  Colonel  Owen's  command  left.  This  attack  on 
the  rebel  outposts  led  to  the  drawing  out  of  General  Lee's  en- 
tire force,  and  his  subsequent  unsuccessful  attempt  on  General 
Reynolds'  camp  at  Elkwater  and  Cheat  Mountain. 

Colonel  Owen  soon  after  led  the  Fifteenth  Indiana — Colo- 
nel Wagner  being  in  command  of  a  brigade — in  the  action  at 
Greenbriar,  where  the  regiment  remained  over  two  hours  in 
point  blank  range  of  the  batteries,  and  finally  withdrew  in  good 
order  to  Cheat  Mountain. 

Immediately  after  the  Greenbriar  reconnoissance.  Colonel 
Owen,  being  authorized  to  raise  a  new  regiment,  organized  the 
Sixtieth  Indiana,  which  was  employed  three  months  in  guard- 
ing prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Morton.  Afterwards  it  was  under 
General  Boyle  in  Kentucky,  near  the  Tennessee  line,  and  fol- 
lowed General  Morgan  to  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  in  which  place 
the  regiment  constructed  fortifications,  by  order  of  General 
Boyle. 

On  the  arrival  of  General  Dumont,  Colonel  Owen  was 
placed  by  him  in  command  of  a  brigade  to  expel  the  enemy 
from  Bardstown  ;  but  iourjd  they  had  evacuated.  It  was  after- 
wards ordered  to  form  in  line  of  battle  at  Lebanon  Junction, 
where  an  attack  was  momentarily  expected,  and  subsequently 
was  detached  by  order  ol  General  Gilbert,  commanding  at  Lou- 
isville, with  a  brigade  designed  to  relieve  the  Mumfordsville 
garrison.  On  receiving  this  order  General  Dumont  and  Colo- 
nel Owen  remarked  that  the  whole  brigade  was  certain  to  be 
sacrificed,  as  General  Bragg's  advance  was  known  to  be  near 
there,  but  nothing  remained  except  to  obey  orders. 

On  arriving  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the*  Star  Fort, 
in  which  Major  Abbott  was  killed  the  day  previous. 

After  one  day's  hard  fighting — September  16th,  1862 — the 
garrison  being  surrounded,   as   was  anticipated,  by   General 


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J0van8vilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  328 

Bragg's  entire  army,  with  a  large  amount  of  artillery,  command- 
ing and  enfilading  all  the  works,  there  was  no  avoiding  a  capit- 
ulation, which  was  granted  on  honorahle  terms,  commanders 
retaining  their  horses  and  side  arms. 

Colonel  Owen  and  his  regiment  were  exchanged  in  Novem- 
ber, and  ordered  on  the  Vicksburg  expedition.  Participating 
with  General  Sherman's  troops  in  the  attack,  Colonel  Owen  was 
ordered  to  skirmish  on  Chickasaw  Bayou,  and  cover  the  retir- 
ing army,  when  it  was  decided  to  evacuate. 

By  keeping  the  camp  fires  burning  and  making  a  noise  by 
chopping  wood,  until  just  before  leaving  at  4  a.  m.,  on  the  21st 
of  January,  1863,  they  deceived  the  enemy  and  reached  the 
boats,  five  miles  distant,  in  safety.  The  enemy  made  a  sortie, 
shelled  the  woods  and  attacked  some  boats  which  had  been 
delayed  in  casting  loose. 

The  next  work  in  which  Colonel  Owen  was  engaged,  with 
his  regiment,  was  at  Arkansas  Post,  where,  after  bivouacking, 
on  the  night  of  January  10th,  1863,  in  front  of  the  fort,  they 
formed  in  line  of  battle  on  the  11th,  and  about  noon,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Sixteenth  Indiana  and  Eighty-Third  Ohio, 
advanced  on  the  fort  under  heavy  artillery  direct  fire,  and  a 
cross  fire  from  the  rifle  pits.  Colonel  Owen  thrice  led  the  regi- 
ment to  the  charge,  in  the  first  of  which,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Templeton  of  the  Sixtieth,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Orr  uf  the 
Sixteenth,  were  wounded  near  him  ;  but  he  escaped  unhurt  on 
this,  as  on  previous  occasions,  although  exposed  to  the  same 
fire  which  the  regiment  sustained,  and  which  killed  or  wounded 
seventy  out  of  less  than  three  hundred. 

Colonel  Owen  remained  in  service  until  the  11th  of  July, 
1863,  when  he  resigned,  his  health  being  very  much  impaired." 


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Hon.  William  Reavis. 


j^UR  subject  was  born  near  Princeton,  Gibson  Co.,  on 
the  27th  of  August,  1815.  Isham  Reavis,  his  father, 
was  originally  from  North  Carolina,  but  had  removed  to  Ken- 
tucky some  years  previous  to  the  war  of  1812.  While  living  in 
Kentucky  he  was  married,  and  hearing  of  the  fertile  prairies 
of  Indiana,  he  resolved  to  make  his  home  in  that  territory.  In 
the  spring  of  1813,  he  started  on  a  keelboat  for  Shawneetown, 
and  thence  via  the  Wabash  and  Patoka  rivers  he  came  to  a 
point  now  known  as  Patoka,  but  which  was  tefmed  Smithland 
by  the  original  settlers.  The  Indians  were  prowling  about,  and 
as  no  Treaty  of  Peace  had  been  declared  bt  tween  Great  Britain 
and  the  United  States,  he  remained  within  the  fort  in  order  to 
secure  the  necessary  protection  till  the  final  close  of  hostilities 
in  1815.  Wolves,  deer,  etc.,  were  so  plentiful,  that  Mrs.  Reavis 
kept  a  rifle  and  often  shot  them  as  they  passed  through  the 
settlement.  On  one  occasion  she  killed  a  catamount  that  was 
attempting  in  midday  to  carry  off  a  young  pig.  Our  subject, 
while  a  boy,  never  had  a  year's  schooling.  At  what  time  he 
learned  his  letters,  he  can  not  remember;  but  his  companions 
have  told  us  of  his  intense  love  of  reading.  Every  book,  good 
or  bad,  was  read  carefully,  and  he  was  earnestly  hoping  for  an 
opportunity  to  obtain  an  education,  when  his  father  was  killed 
by  the  falling  of  a  tree,  in  1825,  and  the  support  of  the  family 
was  suddenly  thrown  upon  an  elder  brother  and  himself.  He 
remained  at  home  till  1835,  when  his  mother  gave  him  his  free- 
dom and  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle  He  sold  the  three  latter 
for  seventy-five  dollars,  and  devoted  the  proceeds  to  obtaining 
a  little  more  education  at  Fort  Branch.  After  four  months* 
experience  as  a  student,  he  started,  without  a  dollar  in  his 
pocket,  to  seek  his  fortune.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was 
married  to  Miss  E.  C.  Burton,  daughter  of  an  old  settler.     At 

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HON.  WM.  REAVIS. 


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S^dn^ville  dnd  it4  Men  of  Mark.  825 

tlie  age  of  sixteen,  he  had  taught  school,  and  soon  after  his 
marriage  he  again  commenced  teaching,  as  a  means  of  obtaining 
a  decent  living.  He  at  the  same  time  read  theology,  with  the 
view  of  entering  the  General  Baptist  ministry.  He  joined  the 
church  in  1839,  was  ordained  to  preach  during  the  same  year, 
and  was  fi i-st  located  in  Gibson  county.  From  1839  to  1847 
he  preached  regularly  at  various  places  in  Indiana,  Illinois,  and 
Kentucky.  Mr.  Reavis  was  regarded  as  among  the  leading 
divines  in  the  denomination,  and  was  intimately  associated  with 
such  shining  lights  as  Benoni  Stinson,  Jesse  Lane,  Jacob  Spt^ar, 
and  Geo.  P.  Cavanagh.  On  account  of  ill  health  he  was  forced 
to  retire  from  the  ministry,  though  he  continued  to  preach  at 
intervals  for  several  years.  In  1847,  he  was  elected  by  the 
Whigs  County  Treasurer  of  Gibson  County,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1849  to  the  same  position.  In  1852,  he  was  nominated  at 
Petersburg  for  Congress,  by  the  Whigs,  and  though  making  a 
most  splendid  canvass,  and  running  ahead  of  his  ticket  in  nearly 
every  township,  was  defeated  in  the  general  overthrow  of  the 
Whig  organization. 

In  1852,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  at  Princeton,  and 
at  the  same  time  acted  as  a  real  estate  broker.  He  was  not  ad- 
mitted till  1859,  when  he  moved  to  Benton,  Franklin  Co.,  111., 
where  he  received  many  favors  from  John  A.  Logan,  then 
practicing  law  in  that  county.  In  1860,  our  subject  removed 
to  McLeansboro,  and  was  successfully  engaged  in  ^he  profession 
when  the  civil  war  of  1861  made  a  sudden  change  in  his 
career.  He  con^menced  canvassing  Southern  Illinois  for  recruits 
and  made  hundreds  of  addresses  for  the  Union  cause.  In  the 
fall  of  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  56th  111.,  was  chosen 
captain  of  a  company,  and  immediately  marched  to  the  front. 
In  1862,  while  lying  sick  in  a  hospital,  and  acting  as  Colonel 
Commanding  of  the  Post,  the  battle  of  Corinth  was  in  progress. 
Capt.  Reavis  rallied  thirty -eight  invalids  and  took  a  prominent 
part  in  that  engagement,  which  resulted  in  such  a  glorious 
victory  for  the  Unipn  cause.  It  was  Capt.  Reavis  who  ordered 
the  horses  of  the  Richardson  battery  to  be  shot,  as  the  Con- 
federates were  about  taking  possession  of  the  guns. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  was  dis- 
charged from  the  service,  and  returned  to  Indiana.     In  Decem- 

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326  hSvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

ber  1862,  he  removed  to  Evansville  and  again  returned  to  the 
active  duties  of  the  legal  profession.  Capt,  Reavis  was  the 
leading  claim  agent  ot  Southern  Indiana,  and  has  prosecuted 
more  claims  against  the  government  than  any  attorney  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  In  1870,  he  was  appointed  Register  of 
Bankruptcy  for  the  First  Congressional  District,  and  is  in  the 
possession  of  that  office  at  the  date  of  writing. 

His  estimable  lady  died  in  1856.  In  1858  he  was  married 
to  Mrs.  Lathena  Damon,  of  Vanderbuigh  Co.,  a  lady  distin- 
guished for  her  financial  skill  and  forethought,  as  well  as  her 
genial  manners  in  the  social  circle. 

Capt,  Reavis  is  noted  alike  for  fine  quaiitieR  of  head  and 
heart,  and  none  outrank  him  in  the  esteem  oi  all  the  old  citizeob 
ot  Southern  Indiana. 


Willard  Carpenter. 


JN  the  history  of  every  community  may  be  found  some 
m)  one  man,  who,  for  far  reaching  sagacity,  business  enter- 
prise, and  public  spirit,  stands  pre-eminent  among  his  fellov?8. 
Evansville  has  such  a  man,  and  though  brought  into  competi- 
tion with  many  men  possessing  these  qualities  in  an  eminent 
degree,  it  is  not  invidious  to  claim,  that  the  man,  whose  name 
stands  at  the  head  of  this  page,  occupies  this  proud  position. 
When  an  iron  frame  is  bound  to  a  bold  comprehensive  mind, 
business,  commerce,  capacity  for  details,  and  indomitable  en- 
ergy, the  man  who  possesses  these  qualities  combined,  unless 
handicapped  heavily  in  life's  race  at  the  outset,  is  destined  to 
eminence.  Such  a  man  the  following  pages  will  show  Willard 
Carpenter  to  be,  and  though  he  has  had,  outside  himself,  no 
advantages,  not  possessed  by  all,  even  the  poorest  and  humblest 
of  our  young  men,  he  has  by  his  own  efi^orts  achieved  wealth 
and  reputation.  His  name  has  long  been  a  synonym  in  Southern 
Indiana  for  skill  and  sagacity.     And  this  is  not  all.     Many 

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^TLLABD  CARPENTER 


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Indii 

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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  327 

men  achieve  fortuDes  by  means  as  selfish  as  the  ends  they  pur- 
sue. Shrewd,  no  doubt,  and  acute  in  their  special  calling,  they 
are  still  men  of  narrow  mind — men  of  routine.  They  lack 
that  mental  breadth  and  comprehensiveness  which  enables  them 
to  taike  a  large  angled  view,  and  realize  that  even  the  largest 
business  success  is  secured  by  that  public  spirit,  which  looks  to- 
ward public  improvements  and  the  development  of  the  com- 
munity and  country  where  their  business  is  situated,  Willard 
Carpenter  had  that  mental  grasp.  Ambitious,  as  all  men  who 
succeed  are.  he  appreciated  from  the  beginning  the  importance 
of  public  improvements,  and  saw  with  singular  clearness,  that 
in  working  lor  the  public  good  and  the  development  of  the  city 
and  community,  he  was  also  working  in  the  most  effective  man- 
ner for  his  own  interests.  Some  men  are  incapable  of  appreciat- 
ing this  principle,  others  grasp  it  intuitively,  still  others  learn 
and  comprehend  it  more  or  less  perfectly.  It  is  far  better 
understood  and  more  generally  acted  upon  now  than  fifty  years 
ago.  But  the  lesson  learned  or  unlearned  makes  the  difference 
between  the  public  spirited  man,  whose  life  is  public  benefac- 
tion, and  the  fogy  who  is  a  clog  upon  community.  Mr.  Car- 
penter belongs  emphatically  to  t.he  first  class.  His  zeal  for  the 
public  interests  will  be  seen  to  have  been  the  leading  feature  of 
his  career,  a  zeal  always  tempered  with  judgment  and  almost 
always  crowned  with  success.  And  while  as  a  business  man  he 
has  always  intended  that  his  schemes  should  inure  to  his  own 
benefit,  he  was  never  unwilling  that  the  public  should  share  in 
the  benefits.  And  so  it  has  come  to  pass,  that  during  his  long 
and  active  career,  in  addition  to  the  substantial  personal  suc- 
cess which  has  deservedly  accrued,  Mr.  Carpenter  has  the  proud 
consciousness,  that  his  work  has  not  been  advantageous  to  self 
solely,  but  also  to  the  community  at  large.  His  biographer  can 
record  that  for  its  present  prosperity  Evansville,  and  indeed  the 
whole  Pocket  District,  is  indebted  to  no  man  more  largely  than 
to  Willard  Carpenter.  As  before  stated,  the  policy  of  public 
improvements  is  now  generally  conceded,  and  it  is  diflScult  for 
us  at  this  day  to  appreciate  the  difficultief  with  which  the 
public  spirited  man  a  generation  since  was  forced  to  contend. 
He  must  combat  with  ignorance,  indifference,  and  the  fiercer 
opposition  of  narrow  minded  men,  and  when  these  are  combined 

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328  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

it  requires  rare  gifts  and  great  industry  to  overcome  them. 
There  must  be  knowledge  to  instruct,  logic  to  convince,  and 
energy  to  arouse  and  execute  That  Mr.  Carpenter,  with  his 
compeers,  met  full  share  of  these  difficulties,  will  be  seen  in  the 
following  pages.  That  he  has  succeeded  so  often,  is  remarkable; 
that  he  has  failed  occasionally  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 

To-day  the  great  and  ever  growing  interests  of  the  Wept 
are  controlled  largely  by  home  talent.  Young  men,  born  in  our 
midst,  are  taking  the  lead  in  our  great  enterprises.  A  few 
years  ago  this  was  different.  Our  Bank  Presidents,  Rail  Road 
Directors,  Manufacturers,  Capitalists,  and  shrewdest  Speculat- 
ors were  imported,  principally  from  New  England.  This  at 
once  suggests  Mr.  Carpenter's  nativity.  He  is  a  Yankee — a 
Vermont  Yankee,  and  we  might  say,  in  reference  to  those 
qualities  of  thrift  and  energy,  which  have  made  New  England 
and  New  England  men  famous  all  over  the  known  world,  that 
he  is  a  typical  Yankee.  He  brought  to  the  West  with  him  the 
great  physical  powers  of  endurance,  the  pluck,  perseverance 
and  insight  of  his  people,  and  these  have  been  with  him  and 
formed  tlie  basis  of  his  success  through  his  lorig,  active  career, 
and  now,  with  his  three  score  and  ten  years  behind  him,  he  is 
able  to  do  and  daily  does  perform  more  business  than  many 
young  men.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  of  good  old  English  stock,  prop- 
agated for  generations  in  New  England,  and  then  transplanted 
to  the  rich  soil  of  the  West,  which  stimulates  all  growth  and 
gives  rich  results  where  the  stock  is  thrifty  and  strong.  He 
may  be  said  in  his  character  to  represent  the  three  elements 
which  enter  into  his  make-up.  The  sturdy  independence  and 
bull  dog  tenacity  of  Old  England,  the  keen  sagacity  of  New, 
and  the  large  generous,  liberal  views  which  characterize  the 
men  of  the  West.  Those  who  follow  his  history  in  these  pages 
will  see  all  these  qualities  prominent  in  his  life,  and  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say,  that  while  his  family  was  far  from  affluent  and  he 
had  to  combat  in  early  life  the  hardest  poverty,  he  yet  in- 
herited and  developed  that  within  himself  which  was  of  far 
more  worth  and  value,  both  to  him  and  others,  and  which  was 
far  better  capital  to  commence  life  upon  than  if  his  inheritance 
had  heen  instead,  broad  acres  and  a  large  bank  account.  Cer. 
tainly  the  story  of  his  life,  with  its  early  struggles,  its  privations 

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Evanmille  and  its  Men  of  McurK  829 

its  toils,  and  its  successes,  is  fuller  of  interest  to  the  young  man, 
is  more  valuable  as  an  example  of  what  courage  and  energy 
will  achieve  when  directed  by  judgment,  than  any  record  of 
money  spent  which  never  cost  labor  to  hand  or  brain. 

WiLLABD  Oaepenter  was  born  in  Strafford,  Orange  Co., 
Vermont,  on  the  15th  of  March,  1803.  He  was  born  upon  a 
farm  and  there  spent  his  earlier  years.  Among  his  first  re- 
collections is  that  of  assisting  to  pile  in  heaps  for  burning  the 
brush  and  undergrowth  which  his  father  and  elder  brothers 
cleared  away  in  preparing  the  ground  for  tillage.  The  section 
of  country  where  his  father  resided,  was  quite  as  wild  and  un- 
cultivated as  the  rural  districts  in  our  own  State  a  few  years 
ago.  Sparsely  settled,  the  original  forests  still  covering  the 
face  of  the  country,  roads  execrable  and  school  privileges 
meagre,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  experienced  in  Vermont  in 
his  childhood  most  of  the  hardships  incident  to  a  frontier  life. 
If  New  Englanders  find  it  difficult  to  realize  such  a  state  of 
affairs,  let  them  remember  that  '*  'Tis  sixty  years  since  "  of 
which  we  are  writing.  Mr.  Carpenter  had  the  usual  experiences 
of  a  boy's  life  on  a  farm.  He  drove  an  ox-team  over  the  rough 
roads  to  Tunbridge,  a  distance  of  nine  miles,  to  mill.  Worked 
during  the  summer  on  the  farm,  handled  the  plow,  hoe  or  ax, 
and  then  when  the  winter  came  and  the  farm  was  buried  under 
the  deep  snows  until  spring,  the  neighboihood  school  was 
opened,  and  tucking  his  pantaloons  into  his  cowhide  boots, 
along  ^ivith  the  other  embryo  Financiers,  Bank  Presidents  and 
Railroad  Directors  of  the  neighborhood,  he  broke  a  path 
through  the  snow  to  the  school-house,  and  spent  two  to  four 
months  on  the  hard  benches,  digging  out  of  musty  dog-eared 
books  the  knowledge  that  was  to  stand  him  in  such  good  stead 
through  life.  Spring  came  again,  slate  and  arithmetic,  copy- 
book and  reader  were  laid  away  for  nine  months,  spelling 
matches  were  forgotten*  and  the  hard  routine  work  of  the  farm 
began  again. 

When  this  is  the  round  from  year  to  year ;  nine  months 
on  the  farm  and  three  in  the  school-room,  often  under  an  ignor- 
ant, inefficient  teacher,  it  requires  more  than  average  intellect 
to  make  much  real  progress.  Most  of  the  ground  gained  in  the 
winter  is  apt  to  be  lost  in  the  remainder  of  the  year,  and 
42  >         T 

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330  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

every  winter  will  find  the  boys  traveling  over  pretty  much  the 
same  ground.  A  ahrewd  boy,  with  a  good  grip  on  ideas,  will 
retain  somethi*^g  of  last  winter's  lessons,  and  stand  a  chance  of 
seeing  the  last  pages  of  his  arithmetic  before  the  first  are  en- 
tirely worn  out. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  of  this  class,  and  five  years  of  this  life, 
averaging  perhaps  three  months  per  year  in  the  school-room, 
furnish  the  sum  total  of  his  educational  facilities  in  early  life. 
He  subsequently  taught  school,  and  in  all  probability  learned 
as  much  in  teaching  as  he  had  ever  learned  as  a  pupil ;  but  the 
fact  that  he  was  qualified  to  teach  at  all  illustrates  the  mental 
vigor  which  he  must  have  exercised  in  boyhood  and  gives  prom- 
ise of  his  future  life.  He  remained  at  home  with  his  father 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  old,  receiving  his  board  and  clothes, 
and  "education"  for  his  labor  upon  the  farm.  During  these 
years  he  had.  like  most  Yankee  boys,  **  turned  a  penny  "  and 
gained  a  little  stock  of  money  by  doing  odd  chores  for  the 
neighbors,  and  petty  speculations.  The  first  money  the  future 
financier  ever  earned  was  by  digging  sarsaparilla,  or  **  snake 
root",  and  selling  it  to  his  uncle.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale 
amounted  to  twenty -five  cents,  and  he  immediately  loaned  it 
out  at  6  per  cent,  per  annum.  In  process  of  time,  by  the  earn- 
ings of  odd  jobs  and  the  accumulations  of  interest,  all  securely 
invested,  his  capital  swelled  until  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
found  himself  unincumbered  and  undisputed  possessor  of  seven 
dollars.  With  this  sum  on  hands,  he  immediately  made  his 
preparations  and  set  out  to  seek  his  fortune.  We  can  not  say 
of  him,  as  is  always  said  in  the  fairy  stories :  that  his  way  was 
cleared  before  Lim,  and  a  good  genius  gave  him  success  without 
his  looking  for  it.  He  had  many  a  stout  wrestle  with  fortune. 
He  encountered  all  the  difficulties  a  poor,  unknown  young  man 
will  encounter  in  the  world.  H«  overcame  obstacles  as  many 
another  has  done,  and  many  another  will  do,  and  achieved  suc- 
cess by  struggling  and  fighting  for  it.  He  was  taking  a  heavier 
contract  than  he  knew,  but  his  capital — the  least  part  oi  it  was 
in  his  slender  purse — proved  sufficient  for  the  drafts  upon  it. 
His  preparations  for  departure  were  very  simple.  With  a  pack 
upon  his  back,  a  stout  cudgel  in  hand,  he  set  out  upon  foot  and 
turned  his  fsLce  westward.     A  long  stretch  lay  before  him,  but 


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Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  381. 

he  ivas  yoQDg  and  strong,  and  inured  to  toil  and  hardships. 
Occasionally  he  would  get  a  **lift'*  from  a  passing  teamster,  who 
would  good-naturedly  give  a  ride  to  a  traveller  in  return  for  a 
bit  of  gossip.  In  those  days  news  facilities  were  very  meagre, 
and  the  wayfarer  would  often  get  lodged  and  fed  in  return  for 
the  information  he  might  give  from  "  iurrin  parts"  and  the  host 
consider  himself  the  obliged  party  and  decidedly  the  gainer  by 
the  operation.  Id  this  manner  Mr.  Carpenter  proceeded  across 
the  country  to  the  MohawE,  and  passed  through  Troy  about  the 
time  of  the  great  fire  of  1822.  From  here  he  proceeded  down 
the  river  to  Albany,  reaching  there  in  May.  His  face  was  still 
westward,  and  he  remained  in  Albany  but  a  few  days.  At 
Albany  he  made  his  first  mercantile  venture.  His  investment 
— the  nemisor  ot  so  many  later  and  larger  ones — consisted  in 
turning  his  cash  capital  of  seven  dollars  into  a  stock  of  Yankee 
Notions.  With  his  pack  on  his  shoulder  he  resumed  the  route 
and  sturdily  tramped  up  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  jn  the  pleas- 
ant spring  weather  on  his  way  to  Buffalo.  The  route  through 
this  most  charming  region  which,  in  our  day,  in  one  of  tho 
ms^nificent  Palace  Coaches  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad 
consumes  but  a  few  hours,  and  is  a  perpetual  pleasure,  was  an- 
other kind  of  journey  to  the  itinerant  merchant.  Proceeding 
slowly  on  foot,  often  turning  aside  to  the  quaint  old  Dutch  farm 
houses  to  offer  his  wares  tor  sale,  he  no  doubt,  despite  his  youth, 
and  health,  and  strength,  had  many  a  back-ache  and  was  often 
footsore  and  weary,  still  the  journey  was  not  unprofitable. 

His  traveling  expenses  were  paid,  and  he  often  secured  a 
ride  in  the  huge  lumbering  old  freight  wagons,  which  Mt  that 
time  monopolized  the  carrying  trade  of  the  valley  between  Buf- 
falo and  Albany,  and  supplied  the  place  of  the  Ere  Canal  and 
the  New  York  Central  R.  R.  In  due  time  he  reached  Buffalo, 
but  did  not  tarry.  His  face  was  still  westward,  and  passing  on 
down  the  Lake  Shore,  he  crossed  Pennsylvania  and  penetrated 
Ohio  as  far  as  Salem.  Here  he  found  an  uncle  who  had  emi- 
grated to  Ohio  some  years  previously,  and  rested  from  his  long 
journey.  But  he  could  not  be  quiet  long.  He  ha<i  come  out 
into  the  world  to  make  hie  fortune,  and  his  activity  soon  mani- 
fested itself.  Ready  tor  anything  in  the  shape  of  business  that 
promised  remuneration,  he  wore  no  kid  gloves  and  was  not  fas- 
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832  Svansvitte  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

tidious.  If  he  could  not  find  the  work  that  suited  him  best,  he 
was  willing  to  take  what  might  offer,  and  was  as  ready  with  his 
muscle  as  he  was  ready  with  his  brain  when  the  time  came. 
The  first  employment  that  offered  was  a  job  of  clearing  off 
eighty  acres  of  forest  land.  He  promptly  closed  the  contract 
at  five  dollars  per  acre,  and  employing  two  men  he  set  to  work, 
and  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  the  same  year — 1822 — 
they  finished  the  contract.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  currency, 
grain  was  frequently  used  as  money,  and  even  notes  of  hand 
were  given  to  be  paid  in  grain.  Mr.  Carpenter  received  his 
pay,  $400,  in  notes  of  this  description,  and  after  settling  with 
his  assistants,  he  disposed  of  the  remaining  notes  to  a  Detroit 
distillery  firm. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  now  twenty  years  of  age.     He  had  done 
a  hard   Summer's  work,  and  had  evidently  made  a  favorable 
impression  upon  the  people,  by  his  pluck  and  willingness  to 
"  turn  a  hand."     A  school  teacher  was  needed  in  an  adjoining 
neighborhood.     The  school  directors  turned  their  minds  upon 
the  young  Yankee,  and  offered  him  the  situation.     The  place 
was  by  no  means  the  most  desirable  one.     The  country  was  new, 
and  the  pay  not  large.     They  bid  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars 
for  his  services  during   the  Winter.     He  accepted,  and  spent 
the   Winter  of   1822-3,  in   teaching.     In   the   Spring,  having 
received  his  pay  in  grain  notes,  as  before,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  mechanical  pursuits,  and  after  consideration,  concluded 
to  learn  the  business  of  tanning  and  shoe  making.     According- 
ly, he  formed  a  contract  with  a  Mr,  Brown,  and  entered    his 
employment.     As  he  gained  an  insight   into  the  business,  he 
became  dissatisfied.     It  was  not  so  pleasant  or  profitable  as  be 
had  supposed,  and  after  an  experience  of  six  months  he  retired. 
The  firm  was  well  pleased  with  him,  however,  and  were  very 
anxious  to  retain  his  services.     In  reply  to  their  solicitations, 
he  answered,  comprehensively :  "  You  have  been  here  ten  years; 
you  are  and  have  been  doing  all  the  business  in  this  section  of 
the  country.     You  are  now  worth  only  about  seven  thousand 
dollars,  including  both  land  and  personal  property.     This  will 
not  do  for  me ;   it  is  too  slow.     I  am  not  going  to  work  all  my 
life  and  accumulate  nothing.     I  shall  go  to  some  other  country." 
This  may  seem  pretty  large  talk  from  a  young  man   not    yet 

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walnut  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 

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E^)an9f)ille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  333 

twenty-one  years  old  and  probably  not  worth  two  hundred 
dollars  in  the  world.  But  this  young  Yankee  had  a  thing  or 
two  in  his  head,  and  knew  pretty  well  what  he  was  about.  He 
set  about  disposing  of  his  grain  notes,  the  proceeds  of  his  school 
teaching,  which  he  still  held,  and  in  a  short  {ime  concluded  a 
trade  for  a  horse  and  accoutrements,  a  silver  watch  and  sixteen 
dollars  in  money.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  turned  eastward  this 
time,  and  took  the  route  back  to  New  York,  intending  to  look 
out  for  a  location  where  he  could  turn  his  time  and  labor  to 
more  profitable  use  than  he  had  done  in  Ohio,  though  most  men 
would  have  been  satisfied  with  the  result  of  his  work  in  Salem. 
But  young  Carpenter  was  not  satisfied.  He  felt  that  a  wider 
field  was  needed  for  the  development  of  his  faculties,  and  he 
determined  to  seek  it. 

On  his  way  back  towards  Buffalo,  he  met  with  an  experi- 
ence, not  peculiar,  but  which  still  deserves  a  plaqe  in  this  biog- 
raphy. ^  It  taught  him  a  lesson  which  he  was  not  slow  to  learn, 
and  the  one  lesson  has  served  him  through  life.  It  has  never 
needed  to  be  repeated.  Many  men  learn  the  lesson  only  from 
experience,  and  it  was  probably  as  well  that  he  should  learn  it 
then,  as  later.  The  game  of  the  "  Little  Joker  *'  was  not  as  gen- 
erally understood  then  as  now,  and  though,  as  always,  it  was — 
"  Now  you  see  it,  and  now  you  don't  see  it " — young  Carpenter 
thought  he  had  seen  it  last  and  might  safely  risk  his  watch  on 
a  guess  as  to  its  whereabouts.  He  guessed  it  once,  but  instead 
of  being  satisfied  with  two  watches,  he  wanted  another.  His 
success  in  guessing  was  not  remarkable  afterward,  and  in  a  little 
time  both  watches  and  all  his  money  but  a  single  dollar  were 
gone.  The  sharpers  however,  not  after  the  manner  of  sharpers, 
gave  him  back  four  dollars  of  his  money.  He  sadly  mounted  his 
horse,  plucked  pigeon  as  he  was,  with  five  dollars,  four  of  them 
by  the  generosity  of  his  pluckers,  in  his  pocket,  and  felt  as  a 
man  may  be  supposed  to  feel  in  his  situation,  and  yet  withal 
glad  that  it  was  no  worse.  Indeed,  on  the  whole,  for  a  young 
man  who  has  started  out  to  make  his  fortune  and  who  bad  just 
left  a  situation  because  his  proprietors  had  made  but  seven  thou- 
sand  dollars  in  ten  years,  it  was  rather  humiliating.  However, 
as  the  lesson  came  early  and  at  a  time  when  he  had  little  to 
lose,  and  as  he  had  really  gotten  off  very  well  in  saving  his 

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3^  Evansville  and  ita  Men  of  Mark, 

horse,  and,  in  addition,  as  Mr.  Carpenter  has  never  hasarded  a 
guess  on  the  little  joker  since  that  day,  he  had  reason  to  con- 
gratulate himself  rather  than  otherwise. 

Mr.  Carpenter  proceeded  on  his  way,  and  before  he  reached 
Buffalo  he  wa^  attacked  with  a  serious  illness.  He  did  not  suc- 
cumb however,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  Manlins,  a  town 
lying  some  miles  eastward  from  Buffalo.  Here  he  found  an  old 
schoolmate  from  Vermont  who  had  settled  in  Manlins  as  a  mer- 
chant. Being  seriously  ill  and  his  money  exhausted,  he  grate- 
fully accepted  an  offer  from  his  old  friend,  and  remained  in  his 
house  about  two  weeks.  Recovering  his  health,  and  always 
feeling  restive  with  empty  pockets,  he  engaged  to  a  man  named 
Hutchings  to  assist  in  floating  a  raft  of  staves  down  the  Mohawk 
to  Schenectady,  about  two  hundred  miles.  He  was  to  receive 
sixteen  dollars  a  month  for  his  services.  He  concluded  to  leave 
his  horse  at  Manlins  with  Mr.  Preston,  his  host,  until  he  should 
return.  He  was  occupied  for  two  months  on  the  raft^  and  when 
they  reached  Schenectady  the  cargo  was  attached  for  debt. 
Mr.  Hutchins  failed  badly,  and  couJd  pay  nothing  to  his  hands. 
There  was  nothing  lor  it  but  to  walk  back  to  Manlins  alter  his 
horse.  But  Mr.  Carpenter  had  now  struck  a  streak  of  bad  luck 
and  it  seemed  that  the  lead  was  not  worked  out  yet.  On  arriy- 
ing  at  Manlins,  he  found  that  during  his  absence  his  horse  had 
died  and  of  all  his  savings  nothing  remained.  In  mining  par- 
lance, he  had  now  struck  "hard  pan."  He  could  get  no  lower. 
His  money  and  his  wages  were  gone,  his  horse  was  gone,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  fortune  could  do  no  more  against  him.  Any 
change  must  be  tor  the  better,  and  there  was  a  kind  of  comfort 
even  in  that.  He  was  not  daunted  ;  his  Yankee  blood  and 
pluck  had  now  an  opportunity  to  exhibit  itself.  He  had  been 
on  foot  at  first,  before  he  rode,  atd  though  he  was  on  foot  once 
more,  he  had  no  doubt  of  soon  being  able  to  ride  again.  Instead 
of  waiting  for  something  to  turn  up,  he  started  out  to  turn 
something  up,  and  we  next  see  him  engaged  at  eleven  dollais 
per  month  to  a  large  farmer  and  hop  grower,  named  Coolidge. 
He  remained  with  Coolidge  two  months  and  again  changed  his 
occupation. 

At  this  time  the  Erie  Canal  was  in  progress,  and  a  VLr. 
Anderson  of  Little  Knolls,  on  the  Mohawk,  had  quite  a  large  con- 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  335 

tract  and  employed  about  a  thousand  hands.  Carpenter  drifted 
into  this  crowd,  and  at  thirteen  dollars  per  month  went  to  work 
with  shovel,  pick  and  wheelbarrow.  The  work  and  pay  were 
not  bad.  but  the  lodgings  unsatisfactory  Young  Carpenter  was 
anything  but  fastidious,  but  two  hundred  Irishmen  in  a  long 
board  shanty,  piling  up  in  the  straw  on  the  floor,  did  not  prove 
agreeable.  After  three  nights  he  hunted  out  a  barn  in  the 
neighborhood,  and,  with  permission  of  the  farmer,  he  took  a 
blanket  and  found  abundance  of  clean  straw  and  no  Irishmen. 
He  made  this  barn  his  headquarters  for  five  months,  sleeping 
alone  and  joining  the  hands  at  the  shanty  before  the  day's  work 
began.  In  two  months  he  was  promoted  by  Mr  Anderson,  his 
employer,  to  the  position  of  **  jigger  carrier,"  to  serve  the  men 
with  their  grog.  During  the  time  he  held  this  position,  he  re- 
ceived twenty  dollars  per  month.  About  this  time,  also,  Mr. 
Anderson  advanced  him  ^ome  money  and  allowed  him  to  take  a 
trip  by  the  canal  down  to  Schenectady,  'He  purchased  some  arti- 
cles, such  as  the  men  would  need,  and  by  the  sale  of  them  again 
began  to  accumulate  a  little  money.  He  continued  at  Little 
Knolls  until  about  the  first  of  December,  when,  finding  his  barn 
lodgings  beginning  to  be  too  cold  for  comfort,  and  not  being 
able  to  suit  himself  elsewhere,  he  settled  up  with  his  employer, 
much  to  the  latter's  regret,  and  again  set  forth  on  his  travels. 
Thus  closed  Mr.  Carpenter's  connection  with  the  Erie  Canal,  a 
connection  not  so  distinguished  as  was  Geo.  Clinton's,  but  quite 
as  honorable,  and  of  which,  under  the  circumstances,  he  has  as 
just  reasons  to  be  proud.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  not  the  only  man  of 
mark  who  wrought  on  that  great  National  work.  Hon.  Ben. 
Wade,  of  Ohio,  once  handled  the  pick  and  shovel  there. 

Mr.  Carpenter  started  for  Troy,  and  at  a  place  called 
Granville  Corners,  he  stopped  at  a  tavern  for  dinner.  A 
school  was  in  session  in  the  neighborhood,  and  there  had 
been  going  on  for  some  time  a  discussion  between  the  big  boys 
and  the  teacher,  as  to  who  should  govern  the  school.  The  dis- 
pute had  culminated  and  the  crisis  had  arrived  tha  day  Mr.  Car- 
penter reached  the  neighborhood.  The  boys  had  proven  too 
many  for  the  pedagogue,  and  had  summarily  ejected  him  from 
his  throne.  The  trustees  felt  that  a  change  in  teachers  was 
needed.     One  of  them  got  a  sight  of  Mr.  Carpentet,  and  saw 

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336  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

somethiDg  in  the  young  man's  eye,  which  led  him  to  believe 
that,  if  he  could  induce  him  to  take  the  school,  and  the  old  dis- 
cussion should  come  up,  it  would  have  a  different  issue.  Inquir- 
ies were  made  if  Mr.  Carpenter  had  ever  taught,  and,  upon 
learning  that  he  had  wielded  the  birch  in  Ohio,  the  crucial 
question  was  asked:  "  Can  you  manage  the  boys,  and  keep  order 
in  the  school  ?  "  The  young  man  replied  that  he  did  not  think 
there  would  be  much  difficulty  in  that.  The  bargain  was  soon 
closed,  the  trustees  humorously  giving  Mr.  Carpenter  the  priv- 
ilege of  killing  one-half  of  the  pupils,  if  he  would  make  the 
other  half  eat  them.  Mr  Carpenter  took  charge  of  the  school 
immediately,  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  receive 
three  dollars  per  quarter,  for  each  scholar,  and  furnish  his  own 
board  and  lodging.  This  point  was  specified,  as  it  was  formerly 
the  custom  in  rural  districts,  for  the  "master"  to  *'  board  around" 
among  the  scholars,  that  is,  to  divide  up  the  time  and  spend  a 
week  with  each  of  his  patrons  successsively.  The  youcg  teacher 
grasped  the  birch  with  a  firm  hand,  and  determined  to  rule. 
Things  went  well  for  a  day  or  two.  The  two  hostile  parties, 
the  teacher  on  one  side  and  the  hitherto  victorious  boys  on  the 
other,  were  watching  each  other  and  studying  the  situation. 
The  boys  felt  that  their  reputation  was  at  stake,  and  probably 
realizing  that  the  moral  effect  of  their  late  triumph  would  be 
lost  if  they  deferred  operations  too  long,  they  commenced  hos- 
tilities. On  the  third  day,  while  the  teacher  was  at  dinner,  the 
enemy  took  possession  of  a  nice  new  ruler,  which  he  had  made, 
and  burned  it.  He  made  due  inquiry,  but  could  find  no 
trace  of  it.  He  quietly  made  another  and  waited  the  next 
move.  Two  days  afterward  the  trick  was  repeated,  and  his 
search  met  with  the  same  success  as  before.  He  now  took  one 
of  the  younger  boys,  a  bright  little  tellow  who  was  not  in  the 
ring,  into  his  confidence,  and  under  promise  of  secrecy,  exacted 
from  fear  of  the  older,  boys,  the  little  fellow  told  him  of  the 
conspiracy  and  the  names  of  the  conspirators,  as  well  as  the 
history  of  the  rulers.  The  next  day  he  sent  word  to  the  trustees 
to  meet  him  in  the  school  room  in  the  afternoon.  Coming  in 
from  dinner  he  gave  a  boy  his  knife  and  directed  him  to  go  to 
the  woods  and  cut  a  bundle  of  withes.  When  the  trustees  had 
arrived  and  withes  were  ready,  the  teacher  then  gave  a  history 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.   .  337 

of  the  conspiracy  and  the  overt  acts  already  committed.  He 
then  made  three  propositions :  1st,  That  the  offenders  should 
ask  pardon  of  the  teacher,  the  trustees  and  the  school,  and 
promise  obedience  for  the  future ;  2nd,  That  they  should  take  a 
flogging ;  or,  3d,  leave  the  school.  The  propositions  met  with 
the  approval  of  the  trustees,  and  Mr.  Carpenter  proceeded  to 
apply  them.  Calling  on  the  ring  leader,  older  and  larger  than 
the  teacher,  and  submitting  the  propositions,  asked  him  which 
hf  would  accept.  He  insolently  replied:  neither.  Here  was 
issue  clearly  made.  Walking  quietly  to  the  door,  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter opened  it.  Returning  to  the  room,  he  seized  the  fire  poker, 
and  made  a  rush  for  his  enemy.  The  blustering  bully  did  not 
stand  the  charge,  but  made  for  the  door,  and  tumbling  down 
the  steps,  measured  his  length  in  the  dooryard.  Considering 
him  disposed  of,  Mr,  Carpenter  closed  the  door  and  turned  to 
the  other  pupils,  and  called  upon  the  other  conspirators  to  stand 
up.  Feeling  that  their  case  had  gone  against  them,  no  one  was 
disposed  to  a  contest  with  the  man  who  had  routed  their  bully 
80  easily;  they  all  submitted.  Some  left  the  school;  others  took 
their  flogging,  and  from  that  hour  Mr.  Carpenter  was  the 
unquestioned  master  of  the  situation.  He  had  subdued  the 
most  troublesome  and  unruly  school  in  the  country,  in  less  than 
a  week,  and  never  had  trouble  with  them  afterward.  He 
remained  here  two  years,  gained  the  confidence  of  the  children 
and  their  parents,  and  even  a  good  feeling  was  established 
with  the  conspirators.  During  the  two  years  he  remained  here, 
he  rented  some  land  and  raised  about  twenty  acres  of  corn  each 
year,  receiving  assistance  from  his  pupils  in  tilling  it.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1824,  his  father  came  to  visit  him,  and 
strongly  urged  him  to  go  back  to  Vermont.  As  an  inducement  Iiis 
father  offered  him  a  farm.  But  Mr.  Carpenter  knew  that  fortune 
had  something  better  for  him  than  an  average  Vermont  farm. 

The  reader  will  remember  his  reasons  for  leaving  Ohio  and 
the  leather  business,  and  he  had  not  changed  his  mind  since. 
He  was  rather  an  ambitious  man,  this  young  Yankee.  With 
his  views  of  the  matter  it  did  not  require  much  self  denial  to 
reject  steadily  his  father's  offer.  We  have  now  to  record  an 
incident  which  brings  clearly  into  view  his  sturdy  independence 
and  bis  disposition  to  stand  upon  his  own  feet. 

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338  h'vanmnlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

When  he  refused  the  farm,  his  father  proposed  to  adjust 
the  matter  by  giving  him  an  equivalent  in  money.  This  would 
amount  to  six  hundred  dollars,  a  sum  equal  to  that  which  the 
other  children  received.  This,  for  some  reason  known  to  him- 
self, he  refused  also.  He  preferred  to  build  his  fortune  upon 
his  own  bfforts.  Soon  after,  his  school  closing,  he  visited  his 
father's  family,  and  after  spending  a  short  time  at  the  old 
homestead,  he  returned  to  New  York  in  the  year  1824,  and 
settled  in  Troy.  He  brought  to  Troy  his  older  brother  John, 
who  had  been  in  feeble  health,  (but  who  is  still  living  and 
resides  at  Portage,  Wisconsin.) 

Mr.  Carpenter  now  concluded  to  make  another  venture  into 
the  mercantile  world.  His  brother  had  no  means  and  his  cash 
capital  consisted  of  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  This 
was  rather  a  small  capital  with  which  to  commence  business, 
but  remembering  the  proverb  of  the  nimble  penny,  the  two 
brothers  laid  in  a  small  stock  of  groceries.  The  firat  year  8 
business  amounted  to  82,500.  This  was  rather  a  small  trade, 
and  though  the  brothers  had  lived  quite  economically,  boarded 
themselves,  cooked  for  themselves  and  washed  their  own  dishes, 
still  the  profits  could  not  have  been  large.  Mr.  Carpenter  con- 
cluded he  could  do  a  brisker  trade  with  a  horse  and  wagon,  and 
providing  himself  an  outfit,  started  into  the  country. 

This  trade  was  more  profitable,  and  in  the  year  1827  the 
brothers  ventured  into  the  dry  goods  line.  They  bought  a 
stock  of  goods  from  a  Mr.  Lewis  Burtis,  an  old  Quaker 
merchant  of  the  town.  The  stock  was  invoiced  to  them  at 
$1600,  and  they  were  to  have  a  credit  of  eighteen  months. 
This  was  the  foundation  of  a  dry  goods  business  which,  under 
Willard  Carpenter's  management  afterwards  grew  to  large  pro- 
portions. The  brothers  soon  found  that  they  had  given  a  very 
handsome  price  for  the  stock  of  old  shop  worn  goods  and  rem- 
nants. In  fact,  they  were  worth  about  half  what  had  been 
paid  for  them,  but  by  vigorous  use  of  the  horse  and  wagon  they 
were  finally  all  worked  off  on  the  route.  Willard,  the  senior 
partner,  then  by  advise  of  Mr.  Burtis,  who  had  sold  him  his 
stock,  concluded  to  buy  in  the  New  York  market.  The  shrewd 
old  Quaker  had  made  a  good  thing  out  of  him  himself,  and  as 
he  saw  the  young  man  was  bound  to  succeed,  he  was  not  un- 


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Evanmdlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  330 

willing  that  his  friends  should  make  something  out  of  him  too. 
So  he  accompanied  Mr.  Carpenter  down  to  the  Metropolis 
and  introduced  him  to  several  Quaker  friends,  making  such 
representations  of  his  ability  and  enterprise,  that  the  merchants 
sold  the  firm  $25,000  worth  of  goods  upon  their  notes,  without 
indorsement,  payable  in  bank  and  running  four,  six  and  eight 
months.  This  speakH  volumes  for  the  character  of  the  young 
man,  and  shows  how  firmly  his  business  reputation  had  become 
established  to  secure  such  recommendations. 

When  Willard  reached  home  an<l  showed  what  he  had 
done,  bis  brother  was  thunderstruck.  The  thing  was  astound- 
ing and  he  could  not  realize  it.  He  was  timid,  could  not  under- 
stand a  bold  stroke  of  business,  and  felt  himself  called  upon  to 
repudiate  the  transaction.  A  dissolution  immediately  followed. 
It  was  best  so.  No  timid  man  could  understand  or  appreciate 
such  a  mind  as  Willard  Carpenter's.  He  would  be  a  perpetual 
clog  upon  him,  and  it  was  better  that  the  dissolution  should 
occur  at  the  outset.  Willard  sent  for  his  brother  Ephraim, 
older  than  himself,  who  was  a  practicing  phybician  in  Vermont, 
and  invited  him  to  a  partnership.  Ephraim  entered  the  busi- 
ness. He  too  was  bold  and  enterprising,  a  man  after  his 
brother's  own  heart,  and  they  continued  together  ten  years, 
doing  the  heaviest  business  of  any  firm  in  Troy. 

In  the  year  1835,  A.  B.  Carpenter,  the  youngest  brother, 
emigrated  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Evansville.  He  began  a 
small  retail  dry  goods  business.  His  trade  grew  and  soon 
became  of  respectable  proportions.  Seeing  a  good  opening  for 
future  development,  he  visited  Troy  in  1836  and  induced  his 
brothers  composing  the  firm  there,  to  join  with  him  and  estab- 
lish a  wholesale  dry  goods  and  notion  house  in  Evansville.  The 
new  firm  began  under  favorable  auspices,  but  our  readers  will 
remember  that  it  was  just  on  the  eve  of  the  great  financial 
crash  of  1837.  In  common  with  all  the  business  of  the 
country  the  firm  of  Carpenter  Bros,  suffered.  New  firms 
especially  when  doing  a  bold  business,  of  course  were  least  pre- 
pared to  stand  the  shock,  and  in  1837  the  firm  was  dissolved, 
the  Troy  branch  passing  into  the  hands  of  E.  Carpenter  and  a 
brother-in-law  named  Liberty  Gilbert,  and  Willard  Carpenter 
together  with  A.  B.  Carpenter,  taking  charge  of  the  Evansville 
branch. 

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340  EvanHville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Thus,  in  1837,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  personally 
introduced  to  the  business  circles  of  Evansville,  He  was  thirty- 
four  years  old,  with  fine  physical  powers,  great  endurance,  and 
the  skill  acquired  during  the  last  twelve  past  years,  in  which 
he  had  conducted  a  prosperous  business  in  Tray.  He  soon 
found  opportunity  to  show  his  metal,  and  speedily  took  rank 
among  the  most  able  financiers  and  vigorous  business  men  of 
Southern  Indiana. 

Upon  arrival  at  Evansville  he  found  the  business  of  the 
firm  in  a  bad  way.  Their  up  country  correspondents  were  in  a 
very  precarious  condition,  and  it  would  take  sharp  work  to  real- 
ize any  thing  out  of  their  accounts.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  equal 
to  the  emergency.  Swift,  both  in  conception  and  execution, 
he  signalized  his  advent  to  Evansville  by  an  almost  incredible 
piece  of  work  which  distanced  all  his  competitors,  men  too  who 
were  familiar  to  the  ground  to  which  he  was  an  entire  stranger, 
and  saved  his  house  from  disaster  and  a  large  loss.  He  had 
reached  Evansville  on  Sunday  and  found  his  brother  at  the 
old  Mansion  House,  on  the  corner  of  First  and  Locust  streets, 
at  present  the  site  of  the  Opera  House.  On  the  Monday  follow- 
ing a  company  of  merchants  was  to  leave  for  the  upper  country 
by  way  of  Vincennes  and  Terre  Haute.  He  took  in  the  situa- 
tion at  a  glance  and  determined  to  outstrip  them.  Major 
Warner  of  the  Mansion  House  was  at  the  time  running  a  tri- 
weekly stage  line  to  Vincennes  and  Terre  Haute.  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter made  an  arrangement,  with  the  Major  for  a  relay  of  horses, 
and  at  9  P.  M.  on  Sunday  night  he  started  north.  Monday 
morning  found  him  in  Vincennes  He  employed  Judge  Law  to 
take  charge  of  his  business  there,  and  pushed  on  to  Terre 
Haute,  where  he  placed  his  accounts  in  the  hands  of  Judge 
Farington.  Daylight  Tuesday  morning  found  him  in  Danville, 
Illfi.,  closeted  with  an  attorney  and  arranging  for  the  care  of  his 
claims.  He  then  started  on  his  return.  With  fresh  horses 
every  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  and  keeping  in  the  saddle  day  and 
night,  he  was  enabled  on  about  Wednesday  noon  to  meet  the 
other  merchants  on  their  outward  journey,  between  Vincennes 
and  Terre  Haute.  The  result  may  be  stated  here:  The  Carpen- 
ters received  their  claims  in  full,  while  the  others  hardly  real- 
ized ten  cents  on  the  dollar.     This   remarkable   business  feat 


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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  341 

gave  Mr.  Carpenter  a  reputation  at  once.  Although  a  young 
man  yet,  he  was  at  once,  perhaps  in  allusion  to  his  mature 
judgment,  styled  **  Old  Willard",  a  soubriquet  he  has  retained 
ever  since. 

In  the  February  following,  Mr.  0.  returned  to  Troy  to 
finally  close  up  the  affairs  of  the  old  firm,  which  he  succeeded 
in  doing,  and  while  east  was  married,  in  1837,  to  Miss  Lucina 
Burcalow,  daughter  of  Leffordson  Burcalow,  Esq.,  of  Saratoga 
County,  New  York,  with  whom  he  has  lived  happily  for  thirty- 
six  years.  His  business  affairs  being  satisfactorily  settled  he 
left  Troy  on  the  3rd  of  July  for  New  York,  reaching  there  on 
July  4th.  He  remained  but  a  few  hours  in  New  York,  and  on 
the  same  day  set  out  on  his  return  to  Evansville.  He  came  by 
way  of  Philadelphia,  Pittsburgh,  and  thence  by  river.  Owing 
to  the  low  stage  of  water  in  the  Ohio,  he  was  two  weeks 
between  Pittsburgh  and  Evansville,  reaching  home  on  the  5th 
of  August. 

His  public  spirit  soon  began  to  manifest  itself.  He  erected 
the  Farmer's  Hotel,  and  stables  capable  of  accommodating  fifty 
horses.  He  had  small  encouragement  at  the  time  to  suppose 
that  the  investment  would  be  directly  profitable,  but  he  saw  the 
need  ol  the  accommodations  and  judged  that  they  would  facili- 
tate trade.  He  speedily  began  to  take  an  interest  in  public 
matters.  The  financial  disasters  of  the  year  before  had  been 
wide  spread,  and  the  State  of  Indiana,  which  had  been  going 
extensively  into  public  improvements,  some  years  before,  felt 
the  shock  severely,  and  the  public  credit  was  seriously  shaken. 
Large  amounts  of  bonds  had  been  issued  to  aid  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal.  The  financial  crash  had 
come  and  left  money  scarce,  times  hard,  and  prospects  gloomy. 
The  credit  of  the  State  was  strained,  and  she  was  unable  to  pay 
the  interest  on  her  debt.  The  outlook  was  very  gloomy  and 
many  feared  that  the  State  would  have  to  repudiate.  Carpen- 
ter realized  the  situation.  He  foresaw  clearly  the  disasters  that 
would  result  from  repudiation  and  devoted  his  energies  to  save 
bis  adopted  State  from  the  humiliation.  He  agitated  the  ques- 
tion in  connection  with  such  men  as  Chas.  I.  Battell,  Nathan 
Rowley,  Wm.  H.  Law,  Lucius  H.  Scott,  Hon.  Conrad  Baker, 
Judge  Law,  and  others  interested  in  the  financial  integrity  of 

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342  I4van9ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

the  State  and  the  prosperity  of  the  country.  He  urged  that  some 
method  should  be  taken  to  secure  the  validity  of  the  public 
debt,  and  after  several  meetings  were  held,  it  was  decided  that 
Congress  should  be  memoralized  and  asked  to  devote  one-half 
the  public  lands  within  the  boundaries  of  tbe  Eyansville  Land 
District,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  completion  of  the 
Wabash  and  Erie  Canal.  A  petition  was  drawn  np  in  accord- 
ance with  this  resolution,  and  Mr.  Carpenter  devoted  six 
months  to  traveling  at  his  own  expense  and  circulating  the 
petition.  He  visited  the  Legislature  of  New  York  and  several 
of  the  New  England  Legislatures,  and  by  his  representations, 
he  secured  the  passage  of  joint  resolutions  instructing  their 
several  delegations  in  the  two  houses  of  Congress  to  aid  in 
tbe  measure.  The  petition  was  circulated  in  seventeen  of  the 
States  largely  by  Mr.  Carpenter's  personal  efforts. 

In  the  autumn  of  1843  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  Evans- 
ville  and  it  was  decided  to  send  a  man  to  Washington  to  urge  tbe 
measure  upon  Congress  Willard  Carpenter  was  selected  as  the 
man,  and  accordingly  he  proceeded  to  Washington  and  was 
there  during  the  session  of  1843-4.  The  question  of  the  an 
nexation  was  the  exciting  topic  of  this  session,  and  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter found  party  feeling  running  very  high.  Carpenter  was  a 
Whig.  The  Congress  was  strongly  Democratic,  and  he  felt  the 
need  of  assistance  in  pressing  his  measure.  He  wrote  back  for 
help  and  Tilman  A.  Howard  was  sent  to  assist  him,  Howard 
was  of  material  aid.  Robert  Dale  Owen  was  the  chairman  of 
the  House  Committee  on  Public  Improvements,  and  Howard 
was  his  personal  and  political  friend.  He  was  also  a  personal 
friend  of  the  President.  The  current  was  soon  turned.  The 
matter  was  urged  and  favorably  looked  upon,  and  though  it  was 
not  reached  this  session,  it  came  up  and  was  passed  during  the 
session  of  1844-5. 

The  credit  of  this  measure  was  largely  due  to  Mr,  Carpen- 
ter. He  had  worked  long  and  efficiently  for  it,  and  when  it 
succeeded  the  State  saw  a  way  out  of  its  financial  embarrass- 
ment. But  for  it  repudiation  would  probably  have  been  the 
result. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  open  up  this  old  canal  question,  or 
enter  into  the  merits  of  the  settlement  between  the  State  and 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  343 

bondholders.  Such  a  discussion  would  be  foreign  to  the  pur- 
pose of  these  pages.,  even  if  want  of  space  did  not  forbid  it. 
They  are  alluded  to  only  so  far  as  is  necessary  to  show  Mr.  Car- 
penter's connection  with  them.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  after  con- 
siderable further  exertions  the  Butler  bill  was  passed  at  the 
Legislative  session  of  1846-7,  and  settlement  reached  upon 
that  basis.  One-half  of  the  bonds  were  cancelled,  the  canal  and 
lands  given  to  the  bondholders  in  lieu  thereof,  the  State  released 
from  the  burden,  and  repudiation  averted. 

In  tracing  continuously  Mr.  Carpenter's  connection  with 
the  Canal  question,  the  chronology  has  been  brought  forward 
beveral  years,  and  it  is  not  now  necessary  to  go  back  and  show 
that  he  was  energetic  and  busy  as  ever  in  other  directions. 

In  1840  Mr.  Carpenter  and  his  brother  sold  out  their  store, 
and  the  same  year  he  was  elected  County  Commissioner,  run- 
ning as  an  independent  candidate.  He  entered  rigorously 
upon  the  duties  of  the  office.  Made  a  personal  examination  of 
all  the  roads  leading  into  Evansville,  advanced  the  money  to 
build  the  first  bridge  over  Wagnon's  Creek,  and  also  to  corduroy 
the  Princeton  road  to  the  bridge.  He  advanced  freely  of  his 
money  to  aid  the  county,  and  for  a  small  part  of  these  advances 
he  received  County  Orders  at  par.  In  three  years  after  he 
took  office,  County  orders  advanced  from  87}  to  90  cents  on  the 
dollar.  The  County  was  paying  $3000  for  the  maintenance  of 
its  poor  on  his  accession  to  office.  In  1842  he  advocated  the 
building  of  a  County  Asylum,  but  was  opposed  by  his  Associ- 
ates. He  then  proposed  to  build  a  house  at  his  own  expense 
upon  his  own  land,  and  to  contract  for  81500  per  year  to  fur- 
nish board  and  lodging  for  the  county  poor.  This  offer  was 
accepted  by  the  Commissioners,  and  the  county  saved  one-half 
of  its  annual  expense  by  the  operation.  This  contract  was  re- 
newed for  two  years,  when  an  asylum  was  built. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  popularity  of  Mr.  Carpenter  as 
County  Commissioner,  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term  over  his 
own  protest. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Carpenter  took  an  active  part  in  the  Evans- 
ville and  Crawfordsville  Railroad  enterprise.  He  worked  vig- 
orously to  secure  subscriptions  of  stock,  and  subscribed  himself 
a  larger  amount  to  the  road   than  any  other  person  in  Evans- 


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344  JSvaJVfinlle  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

ville,  and  was  elected  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Directors. 
The  road,  as  is  well  known,  was  originally  intended  to  run  from 
Princeton  up  the  White  River  Valley,  but  owing  to  large  local 
subscriptions  and  personal  influence,  the  line  was  changed  to 
the  Wabash  Valley,  and  made  to  include  Vincennes  and  Terre 
Haute  in  the  route.  Mr.  Carpenter,  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Directors,  opposed  the  change  of  route,  but  was  overruled. 
After  two  years'  service,  Mr.  Carpenter,  dissatisfied  with  the 
policy,  resigned  his  position  as  Director. 

Soon  afterwards  he  became  associated  with  Hon.  Oliver  H. 
Smith,  United  States  Ex-Senator,  and  organized  the  Evansville, 
Indianapolis  and  Cleveland  Straight  Line  Railroad  Company. 
The  company  was  organized  under  a  general  charter  from  the 
State. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Lower  House 
of  the  State  Legislature  in  1851,  and  served  during  the  long 
session  of  1851-2.  He  was  known  as  a  valuable  working,  busi- 
ness member  of  the  body. 

The  Straight  Line  Railroad  enterprise  excited  much  oppo- 
sition. As  a  straight  line  road,  it  was  unable  to  satisfy  the  de- 
mands of  all  the  towns  lying  contiguous  to  its  proposed  route, 
and  they  naturally  opposed  all  grants  to  aid  its  construction. 
The  matter  is  a  very  voluminous  one,  and  it  is  not  proposed  to 
enter  into  it  very  extensively.  Mr.  Carpenter  determined  to 
prosecute  the  work.  The  City  Council  of  Evansville  voted 
8200,000  in  bonds  in  aid  of  the  enterprise,  and  this  encouraged 
Mr.  Carpenter,  the  brains  and  energy  of  the  enterprise,  to  begin 
the  work.  He  embarked  his  private  fortune,  and  by  vigorous 
efforts,  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  he  had  the  first  division  ot  fifty- 
five  miles,  from  Evansville  to  the  crossing  of  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi Railroad,  nearly  ready  for  the  iron.  In  the  latter  part 
of  April,  Mr.  Carpenter,  conceiving  that  enough  work  had  been 
done  to  give  promise  of  the  completion  of  the  road,  went  to 
Europe  to  procure  the  iron  for  the  first  division,  and  negotiate 
a  loan  from  the  foreign  capitalists.  He  visited  the  capitalists 
and  iron  manufacturers,  represented  the  road,  was  favorably 
received  and  had  strong  probabilities  of  success.  In  fact  he 
had  nearly  completed  the  purchase  of  the  iron  for  the  first  divi- 
sion with  the  first  mortgage  bonds  of  the  road. 


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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  345 

Daring  this  time  the  opponents  of  the  road  were  not  idle. 
A  pamphlet,  adverse  to  the  interest  of  the  enterprise,  was  sent 
to  England  and  distributed  among  the  bankers  and  iron  men, 
soon  after  Mr.  Carpenter's  arrival.  The  tide  turned.  Thus 
attacked  in  the  rear,  and  from  the  very  home  of  the  enterprise, 
he  was  unable  to  make  headway  and  his  negotiations  ultimate- 
ly failed.  Discouraged  but  not  despairing,  Mr.  Carpenter  left 
Europe  and  turned  his  face  homeward.  In  London  he  called 
upon  Vorse,  Perkins  &  Co.,  who  were  acquainted  with  the  rail- 
road interests  of  Evansville,  and  opened  negotiations  with  them. 
He  endeavored  to  enlist  them  in  an  effort  to  secure  the  iron  on 
the  bonds  of  the  road.  After  some  discussion,  the  question 
arose  as  ^o  the  freight  and  duties  on  the  iron,  which  could  be 
met  only  by  cash.  In  lieu  of  cash  he  offered  them  the  $100,- 
000  in  city  bonds.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  the  firm  agreed 
to  receive  the  bonds.  The  contract  was  then  arranged,  and  the 
bonds,  city  and  mortgage,  were  to  be  delivered  to  Messrs 
Vorse  &  Perkins,  in  July,  1857,  at  their  branch  office  in  New 
York.  Mr.  Carpenter  immediately  wrote  to  H.  D.  Allis,  the 
Vice  Pres't.  of  the  road,  to  have  the  City  Council  called  togeth- 
er and  the  issue  ordered  of  the  bonds.  Here  again  the  efforts 
of  Mr.  Carpenter  were  rendered  abortive  through  the  influence 
of  the  opposition.  The  Council  failed  to  order  the  issue,  and  the 
company  was  unaMe  to  carry  out  its  contract  with  Messrs.  Vorse 
&  Perkins.  This  was  the  finishing  blow  to  the  enterprise,  for 
that  time  at  least,  and  Mr.  Carpenter,  after  five  years  of  faith- 
ful work,  and  the  loss  of  a  great  part  of  his  fortune,  was  forced 
to  abandon  the  enterprise  and  wait  a  more  auspicious  time. 
The  road  failed  from  no  want  of  merit  of  its  own  or  skill  and 
vigor  in  its  management,  but  simply  because  other  and  antago- 
nistic interests  were  too  strong  for  it.  The  city  was  afterwards 
compelled  to  pay  the  bonds  which  Mr.  Carpenter  negotiated. 
Mr.  Carpenter  conld  not  extricate  himself  from  his  entangle- 
ment, and  soon  atter  failed,  and  lost  a  quarter  of  a  million  of 
dollars.  Since  that  time  his  life  has  been  comparatively  unevent- 
ful. He  was  over  ten  years  in  recovering  from  his  financial 
embarrasments. 

Every  man  who  has  met  with  the  succesjs  in  business,  which 
had  crowned  Mr.  Carpenter's  efforts,  and  who  is  posessed  of  that 

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846  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

great  good  sense  and  positive  character,  which  so  peculiarly  char- 
acterized the  man,  has  his  enemies  both  secret  and  open,  and  he 
did  not  prove  an  exception  to  the  rnle.  On  the  contrary,  his  nn- 
paralled  success  in  business,  his  superior  intellect  and  great 
positiyeness  of  character,  had  made  him  a  large  number  of  bitter 
and  inveterate  enemies,  and  these,  taking  advantage  of  the 
misfortunes,  which  without  fault  on  his  part,  had  overtaken  him 
in  the  Straight-Liftie  Railroad  enterprise,  and  swept  from  him 
his  large  fortune,  commenced  an  open  and  fierce  warfare  upon 
him. 

He  was  abused  and  his  character  slandered  and  traduced 
as  BO  other  has  been.  For  years  his  enemies  caused  a  stream 
of  calumny  to  be  poured  out  upon  his  name  and  character,  and 
the  result  was  that  his  hitherto  good  and  irreproachable  name 
and  character  suffered  greatly,  through  this  stream  of  misrepre- 
sentations and  slander.  For  yenrs  he  was  compelled  to  remain 
under  the  cloud  of  his  misfortunes,  but  with  his  iron  will, 
indominitable  energy  and  fixed  purpose  to  retrieve  his  ruined 
fortunes  and  vindicate  his  good  name  and  character,  he 
undauntedly  breasted  the  storm,  determined  to  fight  his  enemies 
wherever  and  whenever  they  offered  battle,  and  to  prove  to  the 
public  that  he  was  innocent  of  the  varied  charges  of  bad  faith 
which  had  been  brought  against  him.  In  his  extensive  bi^siness 
relations,  he  had  of  necessity  to  form  connections  with  people 
in  whom  he  placed  implicit  confidence  as  genuine  friends.  A 
number  of  these  proved  false  to  him,  and  instead  of  standing  by 
him  in  his  troubles,  as  they  were  in  duty  bound  to  do,  they 
joined  in  with  his  enemies  and  assisted  in  increasing  and  inten- 
sifying his  troubles,  by  involving  him  in  almost  interminable 
litigations. 

A  proof  of  the  wonderful  powers  of  Mr.  Carpenter's  will — 
his  rectitude  and  fixedness  of  purpose — is  to  be  found  in  the 
history  of  these  trials,  filled  as  they  were  with  questions  of 
interest,  all  of  which  he  met  with  an  evident  conscious  inno- 
cence, an  unyielding  will  and  consummate  bravery,  such  ae  is 
seldom  witnessed  in  the  history  of  any  one.  In  nearly  every 
instance  of  this  character  he  finally  triumphed.  After  he  had 
by  his  untiring  industry  and  bis  wonderful  business  qualifica- 
tions, succeeded  in  retrieving  his  lost  fortunes,  those  who  were 


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EvaiMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  847 

under  greater  obligations  than  all  the  others,  to  aid  him  in  his 
troubles,  joined  in  with  his  enemies  and  attempted  to  deprive 
him  of  all  his  property,  and  also,  to  destroy  his  name  forever. 

But  in  these,  as  in  every  other  instance  of  the  kind,  he  met 
the  attacks  manfully  and  thwarted  them  in  there  nefarious  pur- 
poses, and  thus,  from  the  commencement  of  his  pecuniary  mis- 
fortunes, he  has  gone  on  battling  with  his  enemies  until  he  has 
finally  triumphed  over  them,  and  his  popularity  and  standing 
among  his  fellow- citizens,  and  in  the  community  generally,  is 
fully  restored. 

His  efforts  for  the  past  twenty  years  have  been  mainly 
devoted  to  building  up  Evansville,  and  a  list  of  his  benefactions 
will  show  how  generously  he  has  used  his  means  for  this 
purpose.  The  religious  and  educational  interests  of  Evansville 
have  been  well  remembered  by  him. 

In  the  year  1869,  during  the  great  revival  conducted  by 
Mr.  Hammond,  he  united  with  the  Vine  St.  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Of  late  Mr.  Carpenter  has  been  associated  with  the  Rolling 
Mill  and  several  proposed  Railroads,  but  the  future  alone  will 
insure  their  success. 

It  is  impossible  in  the  limits  of  such  an  article  as  this,  to 
give  an  adequate  history  of  a  life  like  his.  But  it  has  been 
attempted  to  so  outline  the  salient  points  of  his  career,  that  in 
after  years  the  student  may  know  something  of  the  life  and 
struggles  of  one  whose  name  must  always  stand  prominent  in 
the  history  of  the  city,  and  who  has  contributed  largely  to  lay 
the  foundation  of  its  future  greatness. 


MEMORANDA,  CARPENTER  FAMILY. 


Willard  Carpenter,  Sr.,  was  born  April  3d,  1767,  and  died 
at  Strafford,  Vt.,  November  14th,  1854.  Was  married  to  Polly 
Bacon  at  Woodstock,  Conn.,  February  23d,  1791. 

Polly  Bacon  was  bom  March  15th,  1769,  and  died  March 
4th,  1860,  at  Strafford,  Orange  Co.,  Vt. 

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348  hivansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

CHILDBEN. 

Betsey  Carpenter  was  born  Dec.  15th,  1791. 
Parker  Carpenter  was  born  Jan.  24th,  1794. 
Ephraim  Carpenter  was  born  Feb.  5th,  1796. 
Harvey  Carpenter  was  born  Dec.  19th,  1798. 
John  Carpenter  was  born  Nov.  25th,  1800. 

{Mary  Carpenter  was  born  March  14th,  1803, 
Willard  Carpenter  was  born  March  15th,  1803. 
Joseph  Carpenter  was  boru  March  29th,  1805. 
Samantha  Carpenter  was  born  March  12th,  1807. 
f  Lucia  Carpenter  was  born  March  6th,  1810. 
\  Lucius  Carpenter  was  born  March  6th,  1810. 
Alvin  Bacon  Carpenter  was  born  July  17th,  1812. 

CHILDRENS*  DEATHS. 

Harvey  Carpenter  died"^March  9th,  1825. 
Ephraim  Carpenter  died  Aug.  6th,  1858. 
Joseph  Carpenter  died  Aug  ,7th,  1860. 
Betsey  Carpenter  died  1869. 

All  the  children,  twelve  in  number,  were  born  and  raised 
on  the  same  farm  in  Strafford,  Vt. 

(Fnma  Vermont  Paper .) 

DIED -In  Straffoid,  Vt..  at  the  reddeace  of  LaciaB  Oftrpenter.  March  3rd, 
1860,  Mrs.  Polly  OarpeDter,  relict  of  the  late  WiUtird  Carpenter,  aged  92  years. 

The  deceased,  with'  her  husband,  was  one  of  the  earU*Hit  settlers  of  the  town  of 
Strafford,  where  they  emigrated  !rom  Oonneoticnt  while  the  couDtry  wau  yet  a  wilder- 
ness. Here  they  lived,  till  at  the  time  of  her  decease,  the  deceased  had  had  12  children, 
62  grand-children,  53  great-grand-children  and  1  great-great-grand-cbild.  Thus  liring 
to  see  118  lineal  descendants. 


A.  B.  AND  W.  Cabpenteb*s  Business  Connbotions. 


About  the  Ist  of  May,  1828,  W.  Carpenter  sent  for 
A.  B.,  then  in  his  fifteenth  year,  to  come  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  and  his  brother  John  were  engaged  in  trade  in  a  small  way. 
A.  B.  was  with  them  about  two  years,  mostly  in  the  grocery 
trade.  In*  1831,  or  about  that  time,  Ephraim  came  from  Vt., 
and   purchased   his  brother  John's  interest,  and   Epliraim  and 

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tSvanwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  849 

W.  C.  formed  a  partnership  in  the  dry  goods  business,  and  A.  B. 
commenced  peddling  for  E.  &  W.  Carpenter,  they  furnishing 
the  goods  and  receiving  one-half  the  profits.  This  was  contin- 
ued for  about  five  years,  when  A.  B  became  a  partner ;  firm 
name,  A.  B.  Carpenter  &  Co.  In  1835,  purchased  a  stock  of 
dry  goods,  boots,  shoes,  etc.,  and  went  to  Evansville,  Indiana. 
In  1838,  Willard  purchased  the  interest  of  Ephraim  Carpenter 
in  the  West,  and  sold  to  him  the  Troy  and  Eastern  business. 
Willard  then  removed  to  Evansville,  where  he  continued  in 
business  until  1841,  when  he  sold  out  to  Steward  &  Amory. 
A.  B.  &  W-  C.  were  largely  engaged  in  real  estate  and  milling 
business.  A.  B.  removed  to  New  Orleans  for  the  purpose  of 
handling  flour  and  produce  shipped  from  Evansville.  Remained 
in  New  Orleans  one  year ;  then  returned  to  Evansville,  remain- 
ing there  until  the  Summer  |of  1846,  when  A.  B.  went  to 
Beloit,  Wisconsin.  In  1844,  W.  C.  &  A.  B.  had  a  settlement 
of  most  of  their  partnership  business.  For  over  forty  years  they 
have  had  dealings  to  a  large  amount  without  having  any  final 
settlement  until  May,  1872. 


A.  B.  Carpenter's  Family. 


Alvin  B.  Carpenter  was  married  to  Almira  L.  Butcher,  at 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  July  5th,  1839. 

OHILDBBN. 

James  M.  Carpenter  was  born  Nov.  3d,  1840,  at  Evansville, 
Ind. 

Mary  A.  Carpenter  was  born  June  9th,  1842,  at  New 
Orleans,  La, 

Hattie  A.  Carpenter  was  born  March  8th,  1847,  at  Beloit, 
Wisconsin. 

Annie  B.  Carpenter  was  born  July  29th,  1849,  at  Beloit, 
Wisconsin. 


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350  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

Addie  Carpenter  wa^  born  Oct.  4th,  1851,  at  Beloit,  Wis- 
consin. 

Cornelia  Carpenter  was  born  Ang.  23d,  1853,  at  Beloit, 
Wisconsin. 

Mary  A.  was  married  to  Alonzo  A.  Green,  Oct.,  1861. 

CHILDREN. 

Lulu  Green,  born  July  10th,  1863. 
Florence  Green,  born  June  24th,  1866. 


Jas.  M.  Carpenter   married   Hattie   G.  Root,  at   Mohawk, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  6th,  1864. 

Hattie  G.  Root  died  at  Beloit,  Aug.  27th,  1865. 

Married  to  Louisa  Ingle,  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  Dec.  23d,  1870, 

CHILDBEN. 

Alvin  B.  Carpenter  was  born  Dec.  23d,  1871. 
Ingle  Carpenter  was  born  April  17th,  1872. 

Annie  B.  Carpenter  was  married   to  J.  R.  Lawrence,  at 
Beloit.  Aug.  9th,  1871. 

CHILDREN. 

Jessie  C.  Lawrence  was  born  Feb.  23d,  1873. 


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~^^^S«Os    *'®*'"**'  Building. 


uilding.    Jfi:^^ 


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77?^  Evansville  Journal. 


^HERE  is  no  single  interest  which  so  completely  repre- 
sents the  growth  and  prosperity  of  a  community,  as 
that  of  the  Press.  Indeed,  the  newspaper  is  emphatically  the 
record  of  that  growth.  Its  columns  contain  the  history  of  every 
week  and  day — of  individuals,  organizations,  corporations,  and 
every  thing  originated  for  advancing,  or  calculated  to  retard, 
the  prosperity  of  the  community  which  it  represents.  Not 
only  is  it  the  record  of  events  as  they  transpire,  but  it  is  also 
the  exponent  of  public  opinion  at  the  time  it  is  published,  and 
in  this  particular  is  more  valuable  and  reliable  than  books 
which  simply  echo  the  opinions  of  their  authors.  In  this  view 
of  the  case,  a  brief  sketch  of  the  Evansville  Joubnal  may 
very  appropriately  take  its  place  in  a  book  entitled  **  Evansville 
and  its  Men  of  Mark.*' 

The  first  paper  published  in  the  then  town  of  Evansville 
was  called  the  Evansville  Oazette,  A  copy  of  this  paper,  dated 
September  4,  1824,  indicates  that  it  was  started  some  time 
during  the  month  of  August  in  the  year  1821.  The  proprietors 
were  Oeneral  Harrison  And  William  Monroe  under  the  firm 
name  of  Harrison  &  Monroe.  Gen.  Harrison  was,  at  the  time, 
a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  representing  a  Senatorial  district 
composed  of  the  Counties  of  Posey,  Vanderburgh  and  Warrick. 
William  Monroe  was  a  practical  printer,  having  learned  his 
trade  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  The  Gazette  of  September  4,  1824, 
was  published  exclusively  by  William  Monroe,  indicating  that 
Gen.  Harrson  did  not  remain  a  member  of  the  fiim  any  great 
length  of  time.  Old  settlers  speak  of  him  as  a  self-made  man 
of  remarkable  ability  and  energy.  He  never  went  to  school  a 
day  in  his  life,  yet  his  editorials  were  noted  for  their  force 
as  well  as  their  clearness  and  mildness.  William  Monroe  seems 
to  have  been  less  of  a  writer.     His  paper,  judging  from  the 

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352  EvanmHlle  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

samples  which  have  been  preserved,  was  mainly  made  up  of 
selections  from  other  papers,  in  addition  to  which  were  added 
the  laws  of  the  United  States,  of  which  its  proprietor  was  the 
authorized  printer.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1824,  or 
early  in  1825,  the  Oazttte  suspended  publication,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  Evansville  was  without  any  paper  whatever. 
Mr.  Monroe  afterwards  went  south  and  was  murdered  near 
Lake  Washington. 

The  successor  to  the  Oazeiie,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained from  the  recollections  of  the  oldest  citizens,  was  started 
by  William  Town  who  was,  for  several  years,  and  until  his 
death,  its  editor  and  manager.  He  gave  his  paper  the  name  of 
Evansville  Journal,  under  which  name  it  has  been  con- 
tinuously published  to  the  present  time.  He  began  the  publi- 
cation, aH  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained  from  old  files,  about  the 
first  of  November,  1833.  During  Mr.  Town's  management  of 
the  Journal  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  was  projected  and 
constructed.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that,  true  to  the  Genius 
of  Progress  and  Improvement,  the  Journal  advocated  this 
great  improvement  with  marked  zeal  and  ability,  as  it  did 
every  other  enterprise  which  seemed  to  promise  well  for  the 
future  development  and  growth  of  the  city. 

Politically,  the  Journal  advocated  the  principles  endorbed 
by  the  Whig  Party,  of  which  it  was  one  of  the  most  influential 
exponents  in  the  State.  Mr.  Town  was  a  man  of  mark  and 
impressed  his  views  and  opinions  upon  the  people  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  give  shape  to  many  of  the  public  enterprises  of  the 
day. 

In  the  spring  of  1839,  the  Journal  passed  into  the  hands 
of  W.  H.  &  J.  J.  Cbacdler.  At  the  time  these  gentlemen 
bought  the  ofBce  it  was  known  as  the  Evansville  Journal 
AND  Vanderburgh  Advertiser,  arising  from  some  combina- 
tion as  to  the  nature  of  which  the  writer  of  this  sketch  is  not 
familiar.  Fiom  tne  time  the  Chandler  brothers  took  possession 
of  the  Journal  it  seemed  to  have  new  life  breathed  into  it, 
and  it  became  a  powerful  exponent  of  public  sentiment  and 
political  opinion.  Its  editors  and  proprietors  —  sketches  of 
whom  will  be  found  in  this  volume — were  men  of  pluck,  decided 
in  their  opinions  and  bold  in  their  enunciation.     John   J.  was 


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Evansville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark,  358 

one  of  the  most  acute  thinkers  and  shrewd  managers  of  his  day, 
and  the  editorials  of  the  Jottrnal  at  that  time  evince  this  fact 
most  clearly.  The  typography  of  the  paper  was  unusually 
good,  showing  that  it  was  under  the  direction  of  a  skillful 
mechanic  and  a  workman  of  taste.  The  paper  was  an  enthu- 
siastic supporter  of  Gen.  Harrison's  election  in  1840,  as  it  was 
of  John  Adams  in  1836.  In  1840  it  was  also  an  advocate  of  one 
Presidential  Term,  in  this  particular  forestalling  by  thirty-two 
years  the  advocates  of  that  measure  in  1872.  John  J.  Chand- 
ler only  remained  in  the  firm  seventeen  months,  when  he 
retired  and  the  sole  management  devolved  upon  his  brother, 
William  H.  In  1846,  the  latter  started  the  Tri-Weekly 
Journal,  and  in  1848  commenced  the  Daily,  since  when  it  has 
been  continuously  published  in  Daily,  Tri-Weekly  and  Weekly 
editions.  Mr.  Chandler  is  yet  a  citizen  of  Evansville,  and 
though  for  many  years  he  has  been  an  intense  sufferer,  he  still 
displays  those  qualities  of  mind  which  made  his  paper  success- 
ful while  under  his  control. 

In  the  year  1848.  the  Journal  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Gen.  Add.  H.  Sanders,  or,  as  he  was  more  familiarly  known, 
Add.  Sanders.  The  latter  possessed  nearly  all  the  qualifica- 
tions that  go  to  make  up  an  expert  journalist.  His  editorials 
were  sparkling  and  pungent — never  verbose.  Small  in  stature, 
but  active  and  vigilant  in  thought  and  movement,  he  gave  to 
the  paper  a  spirit  and  dash  that  attracted  very  general  attention 
-throughout  the  entire  section  of  country.  With  the  instinct 
of  an  expert  paragraphist  he  early  saw  the  importance  of  the 
city  department  in  a  daily  paper,  and  to  that  he  gave  a  great 
deal  of  his  personal  attention.  Naturally  witty  and  abounding 
in  humor,  he  gave  to  his  local  paragraphs  a  fiavor  which  made 
them  attractive  even  to  those  who  were  some  times  the  sub- 
jects of  comments,  and  the  objects  of  his  satire  and  ridicule. 
During  Gen.  Sanders'  management  the  Journal  was  an  in- 
fluential  and  consistent  advocate  of  the  policy  of  the  Whig 
party  while  that  party  had  an  organized  existence.  After  the  dis- 
astrous campaign  of  1852,  and  the  party  had  virtually  disbanded, 
the  Journal  still  maintained  its  opposition  to  the  Democratic 
party,  an<l  lost  no  opportunity  to  strike  a  blow  at  that  organi- 
zation.    In  1854,  it  joined  in  the  celebrated  ^and  evanescent 

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354  Evaneville  and  its  Men  of  Ma/rk, 

Enow  Nothing  movement,  which  swept  over  the  country  like 
a  political  whirlwind,  for  the  time  prostrating  everything  in  its 
course.  In  1856,  the  Journal  supported  Millard  Fillmore  for 
President,  as  the  representative  of  the  American  party,  and  in 
September  of  that  year,  while  the  political  contest  was  fiercest. 
Gen.  Sanders  disposed  of  the  establishment  to  Mr.  F.  Y.  Carlile, 
of  Cannelton. 

Mr.  Carlile  was  a  peculiar  as  well  as  an  extraordinary 
man.  Raised  in  Connecticut,  he  possessed  many  of  the  quali- 
ties for  which  the  people  of  that  state  have  always  been  noted. 
Cool  and  calculating — never  off  his  guard — far  reaching  in  his 
thought  and  subtle  in  his  operations,  he  passed  among  his 
acquaintHUces  as  a  profound  thinker  and  scholar  of  fine  scientific 
attainments.  He  wielded  a  ready  as  well  as  a  graceful  pen,  and 
possessed  a  fund  of  keen,  biting  sarcasm  rarely  icund  even  in 
the  most  accomplished  politicians  and  scholars  of  the  day. 
Under  Carlile's  management  tne  Journal  continued  to  support 
the  American  qandidate  for  President,  who  was  notwithstand- 
ing severely  beaten  in  the  city,  county  and  state.  But  while 
the  Journal  seemed  to  lose  political  influence,  this  deficiency 
was  more  than  made  good  by  the  high  position  it  attained  in 
discussing  scientific,  manufacturing  and  financial  questions.  In 
these  departments  its  editorials  were  freely  copied  and  highly 
commended. 

In  the  Spring  of  1858,  Mr.  Carlile,  disgusted  by  the  trouble 
he  was  having  in  the  management  of  the  details  of  his  office, 
opened  a  correspondence  with  some  of  the  leading  publishers 
of  the  State,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  one  or  more  partners 
who  were  practical  printers.  At  the  suggestion  of  John  D. 
Defrees,  then  proprietor  of  the  Indianapolis  Journal^ 
F.  M.  Thayer  and  John  H.  McNeely,  graduates  in  the  ofiice  of 
Mr.  Defrees,  purchased  a  two-thirds  interest  in  the  Journal, 
and  assumed  control  of  its  financial  and  mechanical  manage- 
ment, Mr.  Carlile  remaining  as  editor.  The  new  partners  took 
their  places  in  April,  1858. 

At  that  time  the  Journal  office  was  located  in  the  second 
and  third  stories  of  the  old  Lewis  building,  corner  of  Main  and 
Water  Streets.  The  paper  and  ail  the  job  work  was  printed  on 
two  hand  presses.     The  assortment  of  type  was  what  printers 


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ISvantviUe  and  U9  Mm  of  Mark.  865 

would  call  only  fair  for  a  country  office.  The  weekly  bills  for 
labor,  including  compositors,  pressman  and  foreman,  were  about 
sixty  dollars.  The  new  proprietors  at  once  set  to  work  to  place 
the  office  more  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  age  and  the 
growing  importance  oi  the  city.  A  steam  engine  and  power 
press  and  a  job  pi  ess,  with  a  good  assortment  of  job  type,  wer^ 
purchased,  and  the  office  placed  on  a  footing  that  would  com- 
pare favorably  with  offices  in  cities  of  equal  or  even  greater 
importance.  Before  they  had  fully  consummated  their  plans, 
which  included  the  purchase  of  steam  newspaper  and  job  presses, 
and  new  fonts  of  type,  the  office  was  consumed  by  fire  which 
was  communicated  from  an  adjoining  building.  This  was  a 
severe  blow,  but  nothing  daunted,  the  new  proprietors  immedi- 
ately took  steps  to  repair  their  loss,  and  so  energetically  did 
they  carry  out  their  plans  that  the  Journal  was  suspended  for 
only  a  single  day,  and  in  a  couple  of  weeks  the  paper  appeared 
in  an  entire  new  dress,  and  was  pronounced  by  competent  critics 
to  be  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the  State.  In  addition  to  his 
duties  as  business  manager  of  the  office,  Mr.  Thayer  became 
associated  in  the  editorial  department,  and  gradually  took  upon 
himself  much  of  its  labor,  besides  coppying  the  dispatches, 
which  were  then  received  on  paper  and  read  by  the  operator  to 
the  copyist.  In  the  fall  of  1858,  the  proprietors  purchased  the 
lot  on  which  the  present  Journal  building  stands.  It  was  at 
that  time  occupied  by  a  two  story  frame  building,  fifty  feet  deep, 
with  a  basement  which  was  fitted  up  for  a  press  room.  This 
building  was  regarded  at  the  time  as  furnishing  ample  accom- 
modations for  many  years  to  come.  In  the  fall  of  1859,  owing 
to  disagreements  with  his  partners — political  and  otherwise — 
Mr.  Oarlile  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  James  H.  McNeely  of  In- 
dianapolis, who  became  associated  with  F.  M.  Thayer  in  the 
editorial  management  of  the  paper,  and  one-third  partner  in  the 
profits  of  the  concern. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Journal  had  been  classified,  politic- 
ally, as  an  opposition  paper.  It  advocated  the  election  of  Gen. 
Hovey  in  1858,  on  what  was  known  as  the  Anti-Nebraska  issue. 
It  had  given  the  Republican  Party  no  aid  and  comfort  what- 
ever, its  editor,  Mr.  Oarlile,  preferring  the  Democratic  Party 
as  what  he  termed  the  choice  of  two  evils.  But  with  the  retire- 
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356  EvansviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

ment  of  Mr.  Carlile  the  new  proprietors,  who  were,  individually, 
Republicans  in  1856,  determined  on  joining  the  fortunes  of  the 
Journal  to  that  new  and  rising  political  organization.  Accord- 
ingly, when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  nominated  at  Chicago,  the 
Journal,  against  the  advice  of  many  of  its  oldest  and  firmest 
friends,  announced  its  intention  to  advocate  his  election.  So 
adverse  was  public  sentiment  to  anything  that  savored  oi 
sectionalism  at  that  time,  and  so  thorough  the  conviction  of 
many  of  its  old  Whig  friends  that  the  Republican  Party  was 
sectional  in  its  objects  and  aims,  that  the  undertaking  seemed 
hazardous,  and  was  not  fully  determined  on  without  some  mis- 
givings. But  believing  they  were  right  in  standing  true  to 
political  convictions,  the  young  proprietors  unfurled  the  banner 
of  Republicanism  from  the  masthead  of  their  paper,  and  sailed 
into  the  memorable  contest  of  1860  with  all  the  zeal  and  deter- 
mination of  young  soldiers  embarked  in  a  holy  cause.  The 
details  of  that  struggle  need  not  be  repeated.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  the  Journal  achieved  a  most  signal  triumph  in  having 
the  v6te  of  Vanderburgh  County  recorded  in  favor  of  its 
candidates. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Lincolu's  inauguration,  Mr.  James  H. 
McNeely  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  thenceforth  devoted 
all  his  attention  to  that  office,  leaving  the  editorial  manage- 
ment of  the  Journal  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Thayer,  where  it  has 
mainly  rested  ever  since.  During  the  war  the  Journal  was 
unflinching  and  unflagging  in  its  support  of  the  government. 
For  its  fidelity  in  this  particular,  it  incurred  the  bitter  hostility 
of  a  large  Kentucky  element,  and  for  several  years  was  abso- 
lutely denied  any  circulation  in  that  State.  The  office  was 
repeatedly  threatened,  and  eflPorts  to  intimidate  its  proprietors 
were  frequent  but  of  no  avail.  The  paper  was  true  to  the 
Country,  and  the  proprietors  had  the  gratification  of  being 
heartily  endorsed  by  the  people  among  whom  it  circulated. 

In  1864,  it  supported  Mr.  Lincoln  for  re-election,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  papers  in  the  country  to  suggest  the  name 
of  Andrew  Johnson  for  Vice-President.  Yet,  when  the  latter 
abandoned  his  party,  the  Journal  was  among  the  first  to 
denounce  him. 


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^anwille  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  867 

In  the  Spring  of  1865,  the  Oompany  erected  one  section  of 
their  present  commodious  building.  It  was  a  three  story  brick, 
fifty  feet  deep.  In  July,  1866,  Col.  John  W.  Foster  bought  the 
one-third  interest  of  Mr.  James  H.  McNeely,  and  became  con- 
nected with  the  paper  as  one  of  its  editors  and  proprietors.  .  In 
January,  1867,  Mr.  Edward  Tabor,  who  had  for  years  been 
connected  with  the  office  as  book-keeper,  was  admitted  as  a 
partner,  taking  the  position  of  business  manager.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1867,  the  present  commodious  building  was  finished  and 
occupied.  In  1868,  Col.  Foster  was  appointed  Postmaster  by 
General  Grant,  and  assumed  the  duties  connected  with  that 
position,  the  editorial  management  remaining  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Thayer.  In  November,  1872,  Col.  Foster  disposed  of  his 
interest  in  the  office  to  Claude  G.  DeBruler,  Esq.,  at  the  time 
one  of  the  editorial  writers  on  the  Cincinnati  TiTnes  and  Chron- 
icle, Mr.  DeBruler  at  once  became  one  of  the  editors  of  the 
Journal,  and  is  at  present  filling  that  position. 

The  EvANSViLLE  Journal  establishment  at  the  present 
time,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  arranged  offices  in  the 
country,  comprising,  as  it  does,  all  the  departments  of  job  and 
book  printing  and  binding,  each  complete  in  itself  Under  the 
efficient  management  of  Mr.  John  H.  McNeely,  who  has  had 
charge  of  the  mechanical  department  since  April,  1858,  it  has 
gained  a  reputation  for  elegant  work  second  to  no  establishment 
in  the  West. 

The  paper,  in  its  several  departments  and  editions,  has  an 
editorial  force  of  ^^7^  workers.  In  addition  to  the  proprietors 
and  principal  editors,  its  railroad  and  river  departments  are 
conducted  by  Col.  J.  N.  Silverthorn,  a  veteran  newspaper 
writer,  who  has  most  faithfully  and  skillfully  served  the 
Journal  since  1862,  when  he  first  became  connected  with  the 
paper.  Its  city  department  is  well  sustained  by  Mr.  Frank  J. 
Ryan,  formerly  of  Chicago,  and  its  telegraph  and  news  depart- 
ments are  at  present  in  charge  of  Mr.  Feldwisch,  a  young  but 
promising  journalist  from  Cincinnati. 

In  addition  to  this  editorial  force,  the  Journal  has  a  most 
extensive  and  interesting  correspondence,  foreign  and  domestic. 
Possessing  these  advantages  it  is  not  strange  that  it  occupies  a 
most  infiaential  position,   not  only  on  the  Lower  Ohio,  but 

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d6d  Mvarvsville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

throughout  the  State  and  West  as  well.  The  people  of  Evana- 
ville  point  to  it  with  pride  as  an  exponent  of  their  enterprise, 
intelligence  and  thrift,  and  it  is  accorded  a  cheerful  weloome 
into  every  household. 


William  Johnson  Lowry. 


^LTHOUGH  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  a  long 
and  active  life  was  spent  in  Evansville,  William  J, 
Lowry  is  justly  entitled,  from  his  high  character  and  services, 
to  a  prominent  place  in  the  list  of  its  men  of  mark. 

He  was  one  of  the  Pioneers  of  the  West,  and  his  life  west 
of  the  Alleghanie'*  dates  from  the  beginning  of  the  century. 
A  worthy  member  of  that  hardy  band,  now  so  rapidly  dis- 
appearing, whose  muscle,  brain,  and  daring  spirit  subdued  the 
forests,  opened  broad  farms  and  laid  the  foundations  of  great 
cities,  Mr.  Lowry  was  permitted  to  live  long  among  the  scenes 
of  his  early  toils  and  hardships,  and  witness,  before  he  closed 
his  eyes,  the  vast  changes  of  half  a  century. 

He  was  born  in  Ann  Arundel  County,  Maryland,  on  the 
15th  of  October,  1795.  While  yet  a  mere  child,  his  parents 
having  heard  of  the  fertile  regions  west  of  the  Alleghanies, 
emigrated  to  Ohio  and  settled  at  Portsmouth.  Here  he  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  1812.  Life  at  that  early  time 
seems  to  have  been  more  real  than  it  is  now.  Divested  of  con- 
ventionalities,  and  going  back  to  first  principles,  it  developed 
courage,  energy,  self-reliance  and  the  manly  qualities  at  an  age 
earlier  than  can  be  attained  by  our  present  civilization.  Al- 
though but  seventeen  years  old,  young  Lowry  boldly  left  his 
father's  house  and  began  for  himself  the  struggle  of  life.  He 
went  to  Cincinnati  and  entered  the  employ  ot  a  merchant  there, 
but  continued  only  a  few  months.  His  young,  ardent  tempera- 
ment demanded  a  more  enterprising  pursuit,  calling  for  more 
activity,  and  he  entered  the  river  trade.  Unfortunately,  for 
the  next  few  years,  the  records  of  his  life  are  meager.     Quiet 

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\\TH.  J.  LOWRY. 


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/  .      r  ; 


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Bvaneville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  359 

and  UDoateDtatiouB  as  he  ever  was  in  spirit,  his  enterprise  and 
activity  was  a  matter  of  course,  and  nothing  was  further 
from  his  thought  than  preserving  material  for  a  biographer. 
For  the  next  eight  years  we  must  rely  upon  scanty  traditions, 
preserved  in  the  family,  for  any  knowledge  of  his  life,  and  yet 
it  is  known  that  in  the  eight  years  between  1812  and  1820,  he 
followed  the  river  for  a  portion  of  the  time,  and  twice  performed 
the  venturous  and  hazardous  feat  of  walking  the  whole  distance 
from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  through  what  was  then 
known  as  the  Indian  country;  that  he  ^as,  during  this  time, 
employed  by  the  Government  to  assist  in  surveys  of  public 
lands  in  Alabama,  Florida  and  Missouri ;  and  singular  to  say, 
so  quiet  was  he  in  reference  to  his  own  history,  and  so  careless 
of  the  records  referring  to  it,  that,  while  it  is  known,  that  he 
served  in  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  first  as  Adjutant 
and  afterward  attained  the  rank  of  Major  before  be  was  twenty 
years  old,  the  number  of  his  regiment  even  is  not  known,  nor 
in  what  engagements  he  participated. 

In  1819,  his  father's  family  removed  to  Posey  County,  Ind., 
and  settled  near  Springfield,  the  then  county  seat.  ^  In  the  fpl- 
lowing  year  Mr.  Lowry  joined  them,  and  for  the  eight  succeeding 
years  lived  in  and  about  Springfield.  He  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  trading,  and  with  success,  manifesting  the  same  energy, 
sagacity  and  high  probity,  which  afterwards  distinguished  him 
in  his  business  career.  In  the  year  182S  he  married  Miss  Sarah 
Nettelton,  also  of  Springfield.  This  was  a  peculiarly  felicitous 
union,  his  wife  possessing  as  strongly  marked  character  as  his 
own,  being  well  fitted  to  assist  him  in  the  battle  of  life,  and 
qualified  to  adorn  the  social  position  they  afterwards  attained. 

In  1828,  he  removed  from  Springfield  to  Mt.  Vernon,  and 
exchanged  agricultural  for  mercantile  pursuits.  He  achieved 
success,  and  soon  gathered  around  him  hosts  of  friends  by  his 
uniform  integrity  and  uprightness.  Mrs.  Lowry 's  brother, 
N.  G.  Nettelton,  who  had  been  engaged  for  some  years  in  a 
prosperous  business  in  New  Harmony,  Posey  County,  removed 
to  Cincinnati  and  engaged  in  banking.  Mr.  Lowry  removed 
to  Cincinnati  in  1855.  The  firm  of  Nettelton  &  Lowry  did  a 
profitable  business  and  gained  an  enviable  fame  for  the  high 
standard  of  business  honor   it  maintained  in  all  its   transac- 

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860  EvansviUe  and  it9  Men  of  Mark, 

tioDS.  The  life  of  a  silent  man  who  avoids  speculations, 
and  whose  days  are  spent  in  the  counting  house,  affords 
few  salient  points  for  the  biographer.  Not  uneventful,  for 
character  is  formed  and  matured  and  destinies  are  shaped 
there;  but  the  events  of  such  a  life  are  not  noted  and  remem- 
bered outside  the  domestic  circles,  and  would  be  of  little  inter- 
est to  the  public. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Lowry  removed  with  his  family  to  Evans- 
viUe, and  since  that  time  until  his  death  his  home  has  been  here 
and  his  interests  identified  with  our  city.  For  three  years 
afterward  he  was  President  of  the  Bank  at  Mt.  Vernon  and  its 
Business  Superintendent,  but  in  1864  he  severed  his  connection 
with  Mt.  Vernon,  and  since  that  time  his  business  relations  have 
all  centered  in  EvansviUe. 

In  the  autumn  of  1872,  while  on  a  visit  to  his  friends  in 
Posey  County,  he  received  an  injury  from  a  fall.  Up  to  this 
time,  though  in  his  77th  year,  his  great  vitality  and  strength  of 
constitution  had  given  hiia  remarkable  health  and  vigor.  He 
attended  to  his  business  as  closely  and  seemed  as  capable  of  the 
necessary  labor  as  much  younger  men.  But  alter  his  accident, 
it  became  painfully  apparent  to  his  friends  that  his  robust  con- 
stitution was  gradually  giving  way.  His  step,  as  he  passed  to  and 
fro,  became  slower  and  more  feeble.  Still,  tor  such  a  life  as  his, 
there  was  no  thougbt  of  rest.  He  could  not  brook  the  thought 
of  inaction  while  work  was  possible,  and  so,  until  within  a  few 
days  of  the  end,  the  sturdy  spirit  refused  to  yield,  and  the  man 
of  business  was  found  in  his  place.  On  the  22nd  of  February, 
almost  before  the  community  had  missed  him  frqm  the  bank  or 
the  street,  William  J.  Lowry  had  quietly  and  peacefully  breathed 
his  last,  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  It  was  a  fit  ending  for 
such  a  life  :  **  Ceasing  at  once  to  labor  and  to  live." 

Mr.  Lowry,  as  the  founder  and  President  of  the  EvansviUe 
National  Bank  and  the  senior  member  of  the  well  known  firm 
of  W.  J.  Lowry  &  Co.,  occupied  a  high  position  in  EvansviUe 
business  circles.  Others  have  been  more  prominently  before 
the  public  and  their  names  are  perhaps  wider  known,  but  few 
have  achieved  a  more  solid,  enduring  or  enviable  reputation 
than  he. 

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BvoMville  cmd  it$  Men  of  Mark,  861 

In  his  social  relations  he  was  universally  respected,  and  by 
his  more  intimate  friends  who  knew  him  best,  sincerely  loved* 
Reticent  by  nature  and  closely  immersed  in  business,  he  had 
neither  the  time  nor  inclination  to  enter  largely  into  social  life*. 
When  released  from  the  cares  of  business,  he  cared  more  for  the 
domestic  circle  and  the  comforts  of  home,  than  the  demands  of 
society.  He  had  the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education.  He 
also  had  keen  perceptions,  shrewd  business  sense  and  high 
principles  which  fitted  him  to  fill  any  position  to  which  he 
iaight  aspire.  Prudently  careful  of  his  own  interests,  he 
was  yet  economical  without  being  miserly,  and  charitable  with- 
out being  injudiciously  or  excessively  indulgent.  Remembering 
his  own  early  struggles,  he  was  always  ready  to  interest  him- 
self in  the  welfare  of  the  deserving,  and  his  practical  wisdom 
enabled  him  to  become  the  adviser  and  helper  of  a  number  of 
young  men  who  owe  their  prospects  in  life  to  his  judicious 
counsel  and  aid. 

While  striving  as  a  business  man  in  honorable  competition 
for  the  wealth  of  this  world,  Mr,  Lowry  was  not  unmindful  of 
the  riches  of  the  next.  For  forty-three  years  of  his  life,  he  was 
a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Quiet  and  unostentatious  in  his  church  as  in  all  other 
relations,  Mr.  Lowry  was  yet  a  valuable  and  efficient  worker  in 
the  church,  and  was  always  ready  with  his  personal  influence 
and  ample  means  to  cheerfully  co-operate  in  any  scheme  for  the 
promotion  of  the  moral  and  religious  interests  of  the  community. 
The  moral  influence  of  such  a  life  is  incalculable,  and  it  fur- 
nishes a  valuable  example  to  young  men  as  illustrating  how  the 
closest  devotion  to  business  is  yet  not  inconsistent  with  the 
deepest  piety  and  most  fervent  christian  spirit.  Amid  all  the 
pressing  engagements  of  his  active  life,  he  never  failed  in  the 
conscientious,  punctual  performance  of  his  religious  duties.  He 
died  as  he  had  lived,  in  the  clear  hope  of  immortality  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

As  a  testimony  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  Mr.  Lowry 
was  held  by  his  business  associates,  we  subjoin  the  resolutions 
of  respect  passed  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  German 
National  Bank,  at  a  meeting  held  the  day  of  his  death,  after 
the  fact  was  made  known  : 

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362  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Wheeeas,  In  the  death  of  Mr.  Lowry  this  Board  has  not 
onlj  sustained  the  loss  of  an  associate,  whose  long  experience  in 
business  would  have  been  useful  to  the  future  of  this  bank,  just 
entering  upon  its  new  field  of  duty  and  usefulness  to  the  public, 
but  they  deplore  the  loss  of  a  generous  friend,  a  good  citizen, 
and  a  true  man,  who  filled  all  tne  relations  of  life  with  faithful- 
ness, and  honored  every  position  in  which  he  was  placed: 
Therefore, 

Reaohed,  That  this  Board  record  their  testimony  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  worth  while  living,  and  of  his  loss  when 
dead  ;  and  desire  to  tender  to  his  sorrowing  family  their  earnest 
sympathy  in  this  their  great  bereavement. 

Resolved^  That  the  President  communicate  to  the  family 
this  expression  of  respect  and  esteem  for  him  who  was  so  near 
to  them  in  life,  and  whose  decease  they  now  deplore. 

Resolved,  That,  as  a  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the  deceased, 
this  Board,  as  a  body,  will  attend  his  funeral. 

Resolved,  That  the  foregoing  preamble  and  resolutions  be 
published  in  the  city  papers. 

Samuel  Orb,  President. 

Phil.  0.  Decker,  Cashier. 

This  was  the  testimony  of  the  men  who  had  been  most 
closely  connected  with  him,  and  their  testimony  was  most  cor- 
dially echoed  by  the  community. 

His  excellent  wife  who  had  been  his  efficient  helpmate ; 
who  had  shared  with  him  the  toils,  and  enjoyed  with  him  the 
prosperity  of  a  long  and  useful  life,  did  not  long  survive  him. 
A  fervent  Christian,  she  did  not  murmur  at  the  blow  which 
deprived  her  of  her  protector  and  friend,  but  lived  on  in  the 
firm  faith  of  an  early  reunion.  This  expectation  was  not  long 
delayed.  On  the  21st  of  Sept'eml)er,  but  a  little  more  than  half 
a  year  after  the  death  ot  her  husband,  Mrs.  Sarah  Lowry 
peacefully  passed  away  to  rejoin  him  in  that  Land  where  sepa- 
ration and  bereavement  are  not  known. 


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The  Courier. 


ITS  HI8TOBT,  A2n>  A  MENTION  OF  OTHEB  DEMOOBATXO  YAPBBS 
PUBLISHED  IN  THIS  OITT. 


In  attempting  to  give  a  succinct  account  of  tbe  establish- 
ment of  The  Coubieb,  and  the  yicissitades  it  encoun- 
tered in  its  early  career,  there  is  involved  a  good  deal  apper- 
taining to  efforts  previously  made  to  establish  a  Democratic 
newspaper  in  Evansville,  all  of  which  resulted  in  failure.  The 
CoUBiEB  is  the  only  paper  advocating  the  principles  ot  the 
Democratic  party,  which  has  obtained  an  enduring  support  in 
this  city,  and  it  is  now  secure  upon  a  basis  that  enables  it  not 
only  to  live  but  to  flourish  without  peradventure,  its  history, 
following  in  the  footsteps  of  its  Democratic  progenitors,  may  not 
be  uninteresting ;  and  it  becomes  our  pleasing  task  to  write  up 
the  record,  which  we  will  do,  as  bebt  as  we  can,  from  the 
imperfect  material  now  at  our  command, 

The  first  Democratic  newspaper  ever  published  in  Evans- 
ville  was  the  South  Western  /Sentinel,  edited  and  publishW  by 
Jacob  Page  Chapman,  who  was  afterwards  one  of  the  proprie- 
tors, and  for  many  years  the  managing  editor  of  the  Indianapo- 
lis Sentinel,  The  paper  was  started  in  1889,  continued  during 
the  Hard  Cider  aud  Log  Cabin  Campaign  of  1840,  and  went  out 
of  existence  with  the  overwhelming  defeat  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
in  the  latter  year.  For  about  seven  years  the  Democrats  of 
Evansville  had  no  representative  "organ,"  as  party  newspapers 
are  sometimes  called.  In  the  Winter  of  1847-8,  Mr.  H.  C.  Hunt- 
ington began  the  publication  of  the  Vanderburgh  Democrat^ 
which  lived  about  lour  years  before  it  succumbed  to  a  press  of 
circumstances  calculated  to  break  down  an  enterprise  which 
was  yet  an  experiment.  In  its  early  career,  the  Democrat  was 
a  vigorous  and  influential  newspaper,  and  it  obtained  a  wide- 
Digitized  by  V^OOVlt: 


864  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

spread  weekly  oirculatioD,  which  has  probably  not  been  excelled 
by  any  of  its  successors,  in  the  weekly  issue,  down  to  the  present 
time.  But  in  1860,  in  consequence  of  local  divisions  between 
political  leaders,  the  Democrat  lost  its  prestige  and  the  next 
year  ceased  to  live.  Before  it  expired,  Ben.  Stinson,  Esq.,  well 
known  to  most  of  our  citizens,  began  the  publication  of  the 
Evansville  Advertiser^  which  was  the  first  daily  Democratic 
newspaper  ever  published  in  this  city.  The  editorial  depart- 
ment was  managed  by  Col.  0.  W.  Hutchen,  one  of  the  most  vig- 
orous political  writers  in  the  Western  country.  After  a  short 
experience,  Mr.  Stinson  sold  his  office  to  Ool.  C.  K.  Drew,  Sr., 
and  Calvin  Frary,  who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  the 
Evansville  Republican,  and  in  turn  transferred  the  office 
to  Messrs  Clark  &  McDonald,  who  continued  the  publication 
of  the  Republican  about  one  year.  They  sold  out  to  William 
B.  Baker,  of  the  Terre  Haute  Journal,  under  whose  auspices  the 
paper  died,  in  the  summer  of  1851,  leaving  the  Democracy  of 
Evansville  without  a  local  organ. 

In  the  Presidental  Canvass  of  1852.  an  effort  was  made  to 
revive  the  paper,  and  Mr.  Charles  P.  Baymiller,  from  Madison, 
assisted  by  a  Mr,  J.  W.  Brewer,  commenced  the  publication  of 
a  tri-weekly  sheet  called  the  Times,  which  was  managed  with 
some  spirit  until  the  election  was  over,  when  it  ceased  publica- 
tion for  the  want  of  support. 

In  the  spring  of  1858,  Capt.  John  B,  Hall,  came  to  Evans- 
ville Yrom  Lawrenceburgh,  and  purchased  the  office  of  the 
Independent  Pocket,  a  neutral  paper,  began  the  publication  of 
the  Evansville  Daily  Enquvrer,  and  continued  it  about  six  years. 
Col.  Charles  Denby,  was  the  first  political  editor  of  the  paper 
and  conducted  it  during  the  stormy  scenes  of  the  know-nothing 
reign  in  1852.  Under  his  management  the  fame  of  the  paper 
extended  throughout  the  whole  nation.  The  editorials  were 
able,  determined,  startling  and  crushing,  and  the  paper  not  only 
received  the  emphatic  endorsement  of  all  who  Were  opposed  to 
the  plottings  of  the  Midnight  Cabal,  but  the  conspirators  them- 
selves learned  to  fear  its  utterances  as  being  fatal  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  schemes.  As  a  writer  Col.  Denby  was  chaste, 
forcible  and  scholarly,  and  his  productions  commanded  the  re- 
spect of  his  most  malignant  and  violent  political   adversanee. 

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JBvanmfille  and  4t9  Men  €f  Mark  865 

He  returned  from  the  tripod  to  enter  upon  the  profession  of  the 
law;  greatly  to  the  regret  of  all  men  who  desired  to  see  a  Dem- 
ocratic paper  firmly  established  in  Evansvilie,  He  is  now  one 
of  the  greatest  lawyers  in  Indiana. 

In  the  early  part  of  1859,  Oapt.  Hall  disposed  of  the 
Enquirer  to  A.  T.  Whittlesey,  Esq,,  who  conducted  the  paper 
about  one  year,  and  sold  out  to  the  late  Oapt.  Nathan  Willard 
and  S.  S.  Whitehead,  of  Illinois.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
great  rebellion  in  the  spring  of  1861,  Oapt  Willard  went  into 
the  union  service,  and  the  newspaper  suspended  publication. 
It  was  never  afterwards  resumed.  Again  the  Democrats  were 
left  without  an  organ.  Mr.  John  H,  Scott  published  a  small 
weekly  paper  during  the  summer  of  1862,  called  the  Gazette, 
but  it  abandoned  the  political  field  after  a  short  time  and  was 
conducted  for  a  year  or  two,  first  as  an  independent  newspaper, 
and  afterwards  as  an  advertising  sheet. 

The  political  campaign  of  1862,  resulted  in  a  complete 
Democratic  success  in  Vanderburgh  Oounty,  and,  before  another 
General  Election  came  on,  the  leaders  of  the  party  were  encour- 
aged to  commence  the  publication  of  a  daily  newspaper,  devoted 
to  the  principles  upon  which  the  victory  at  the  October  election 
in  1872  had  been  obtained.  To  this  end  a  subscription  of  about 
four  thousand  dollars  was  raised,  the  office  of  the  Evansvilie 
VolksbkU,  a  German  Republican  Paper,  purchased,  and  the 
services  of  the  lamented  Robert  S.  Sproule  procured  to  condcct 
a  newspaper  that  would  at  once  be  a  party  organ  and  a  reflex 
of  the  rapidly  developing  greatness  of  Evansvilie.  Mr.  Sproule 
brought  to  his  assistance  a  perfect  knowledge  of  Indiana  men, 
a  good  acquaintance  of  the  political  history  of  the  State  and 
a  thorough  conversation  with  the  feelings  of  the  Democracy  in 
every  State  of  the  Union.  He  had  the  assistance  of  Ben. 
Stinson,  Esq.,  an  excellent  business  manager,  and  of  Mr.  J.  B. 
Maynard,  a  finished  newspaper  contributor,  but  their  united 
efibrts  could  not  make  the  new  Evansvilie  Times  a  success. 
Following  the  election  of  1864,  like  its  prototype  of  a  dozen 
years  before,  it  suddenly  demised,  leaving  the  Democracy  with  a 
printing  office,  but  no  newspaper.  The  following  Winter,  George 
W.  Shanklin,  Esq.,  took  hold  of  the  office  and  for  a  few  weeks 
carried  on  a  sprightly  little  sheet  called  the  Evansvilie  jDupotoA. 

Digitized  by  VriUiJVlV^ 


866  EvansviUe  and  iU  Mm  of  Mark, 

The  yenture  was  not  a  saccess,  financially,  and  the  paper  made 
its  last  appeaeance  dressed  in  monrning  for  the  martyred  Lin- 
coln, the  very  day  the  citizens  of  Evansville  tamed  out  in  pro- 
cession to  pay  fitting  tribute  and  respect  to  the  death  of  the 
President. 

We  arrive  now  at  the  time  when  the  Evansville  Dailt 
AND  Weekly  Coubieb  sprang  into  existence.  The  printing 
o£Sce  was,  in  effect,  capital  held  by  five  trustees  for  the  benefit 
of  the  subscribers  to  the  fund,  out  of  which  the  material  was 
purchased.  The  trustees  were  Hon.  John  A.  Reitz,  Judge 
William  F,  Parrett,  Hon.  Thomas  E.  Garviii,  Col.  Charles  Denby 
and  the  late  Richard  Raleigh,  Esq.  These  gentlemen  were  em- 
powered to  make  any  disposition  of  the  presses  and  meterial 
that  would  secure  the  establishment  of  a  Democratic  newspaper 
in  Evansville.  While  matters  were  in  thib  shape,  a  visit  was 
made  to  Evansville  by  Alfred  S.  Kierolf,  William  M.  Holeman, 
J.  B.  Cavins  and  H.  H.  Homes,  four  practical  printers,  who 
proposed  to  start  a  Democratic  paper  in  the  city  that  was  es- 
teemed to  be  the  future  commercial  metropolis  of  Indiana.  At 
the  start  the  gentlemen  did  not  receive  encouragement.  They 
were  strangers,  and  sought  to  do,  in  a  strange  land,  that  which 
old  residents  had  failed  to  accomplish  But  they  persisted, 
and  finally  overcame  all  opposition.  They  were  permitted  to 
commence  the  publication  of  a  newspaper,  and  so  faithfully  did 
they  fulfil  all  the  conditions  of  their  enterprise  that  they  became 
in  a  little  time  the  owners  of  the  old  Times  establishment. 
On  the  7th  day  oi  January,  1865,  the  Coueieb  made  its  debiU 
in  Evansville,  with  Alfred  S.  Kieroli  as  managing  editor,  Mr. 
Cavins,  local  editor,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Collins,  now  editor  and 
publisher  of  the  Mt.  Vernon  Democrat,  as  foreman  of  the 
news  room. 

It  was  an  auspicious  day  for  the  men  who  had  struggled 
long  and  faithfully  to  give  to  the  Democracy  of  Evansville  a 
mouthpiece  that  would  speak  no  uncertain  sound,  when  the 
CouEiEE  first  appealed  for  support  to  the  people  of  Evansville. 
The  paper  enunciated  its  principles  without  fear  or  trembling, 
and  although  it  has  gone  through  many  changes,  the  oldest  and 
staunchest  friends  are  among  those  who  rejoice  in  its  prosperity, 
and  look  back  to  their  subscriptions  that  gave  it  birth,  as  bread 

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Evansville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark,  867 

cast  upon  the  waters  that  will  return  to  give  them  encourage- 
ment in  their  efforts  t.o  maintain  good  government  in  this  sadly 
mismanaged  land,  after  many — very  many — days. 

Mr.  Homes  retired  from  the  Ooueike  very  early  in  its 
career.  Early  in  the  Winter  of  1866,  Mr.  Gavins  disposed  of 
his  interest  to  Mr.  S.  R.  Matthews,  then  the  senior  partner  of 
Matthews  &  Fullerton,  dealers  in  wooden  and  willow  ware, 
kitchen  and  pantry  goods,  in  this  city.  Mr.  Matthews  contin- 
ued but  a  little  time  as  a  partner,  when  failing  health  induced 
him  to  sell  out  his  interest  and  return  to  his  old  home  in  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  died.  Messrs.  Eierolf  and  Holeman  continued 
the  paper,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Albert  C.  Isaacs, 
now  of  the  firm  of  Healy  &  Isaacs,  the  next  Spring.  Mr.  Isaacs 
soon  withdrew,  and  was  speedily  followed  by  Mr.  Kierolf,  the 
editor,  leaving  Mr.  Holeman  the  sole  proprietor. 

When  Mr.  Holeman  found  himself  the  sole  proprietor  of 
the  CouEiEE,  he  entered  into  a  contract  with  Robert  S.  Sproule 
to  manage  the  editorial  columns.  That  gentleman  entered 
upon  his  duties  with  his  accustomed  energy,  and  during  his 
control  revived  the  spirit  of  its  inception,  and  gave  the  friends 
of  the  paper  a  promise  of  a  brilliant  publication.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  establishment  had  contracted  pecuniary  obligations 
which  forbid  its  further  production  without  another  change,  and 
Mr.  Holeman  made  a  sale  of  the  concern  to  George.  W.  Shanklin, 
Esq.,  who  had  the  means  at  his  disposal  to  lift  the  enterprise 
above  the  fear  of  Sheriff's  executions. 

When  Mr.  Shanklin  became  the  purchaser,  a  strong  effort 
was  made  to  induce  the  retention  of  Mr.  Sproule  as  political 
manager.  But  the  new  proprietor  had  already  made  arrange- 
ments with  Mr.  W.  T.  Pickett,  of  Maysville,  Ky.,  to  do  the  edi- 
torial work,  and  Mr.  Sproule  was  compelled  to  retire. 
Mr.  Picket  was  no  unworthy  successor.  He  was  a  fluent  writer, 
a  genial  gentleman,  and  closely  devoted  to  the  editorial  profes- 
sion. During  his  control,  Mr.  John  Gilbert  Shanklin  returned 
home  from  Europe,  where  he  had  passed  three  years  as  a  student, 
and  became  associated  in  the  management  of  the  paper. 

About  the  time  that  the  Evansville  Ivmea  was  started  in 
1864,  by  means  of  subscription,  the  Evansville  Demokrat,  the 
excellent  German  paper  still  bearing  that  name,  was  begun  in 

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868  l^van&viUe  and  it9  Men  of  Mark. 

the  same  way.  Peter  Maier,  Esq.,  was  its  first  editor  and  pab- 
lisher.  He  disposed  of  his  right  to  Peter  Gfroerer,  Esq.,  who, 
in  tnrn,  sold  to  Dr.  Charles  Lauenstein,  and  he  associated  his 
brother,  Mr.  Fred.  Lauenstein,  with  him  in  the  publication.  In 
March,  1869,  the  Lauensteins  purchased  the  Coubieb  from 
Mr.  George  W.  Shanklin,  and  became  the  proprietors  of  both 
papers.  Under  their  management  the  Coubieb  has  become 
valuable  property  and  has  been  rapidly  amassing  wealth.  The 
best  evidence  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  they  paid 
$6,000  for  the  Coubieb  and  sold  it  for  $18,000,  to  the  present 
proprietors,  after  an  ownership  of  less  than  five  years. 

After  the  Lauensteins  had  become  the  purchasers  of  the 
Coubieb,  they  looked  around  for  an  experienced  editor  take  the 
management  of  its  columns.  They  first  endeavored  to  enter 
into  an  engagement  with  R  S.  Sproule,  but  did  not  succeed. 
They  were  next  induced  to  oflFer  the  position  to  Mr.  A.  T.  Whit- 
tlesey, who  was  then  about  to  retire  from  the  Evansville  Poet 
OflSce,  where  he  had  served  the  public  for  two  years.  Mr,  Whit- 
tlesey took  control  of  the  columns  of  the  Coubieb  in  the  latter 
part  of  M»*y,  1869,  and  continued  in  the  management  until  the 
middle  of  October,  1872.  How  well  he  succeeded  as  an  editor, 
need  uot  be  told  the  readers  of  this  paper.  Perhaps  at  no  time 
in  its  career  was  the  paper  so  extensively  quoted  as  authority 
by  other  publishers,  and  his  editorials,  preserved  for  future  use, 
stand  as  the  vindications  of  his  judgment  and  the  positive  char- 
acter of  bis  mind.  A  disagreement  with  the  proprietors  upon 
a  question  of  policy  severed  his  connection  with  the  paper.  He 
is  now  a  resident  of  Indianapolis,  acting  as  Secretary  for 
Governor  Hendricks. 

On  the  first  of  October,  1873,  Messrs.  S.  D.  Terry  &  Co., 
became  owners  and  managers  of  the  Coubieb,  the  newspaper, 
and  German  and  English  job  office.  The  terms  of  the  purchase 
have  been  stated. 

The  course  of  the  Coubieb  has  been  marked  out  in 
the  trenchant  editorials  that  have  already  graced  its  columns. 
All  our  citizens  seem  disposed  to  treat  it  with  the  utmost 
respect. 


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Elisha  Embree. 


^LISHA  EMBREE  was  the  son  of  Joshua  and  Elizabeth 
/Embree,  and  was  born  in  Lincoln  Co.,  Kentucky,  on  the 
28th  of  September,  1701.  When  he  was  a  small  child  his  par- 
ents removed  to  the  southern  part  of  Kentucky,  and  in  1811 
they  removed  to  Indiana,  and  settled  upon  Marsh  Creek  in 
Gibson  County,  about  three  miles  south-west  of  the  site  of  the 
town  of  Princeton.  About  a  year  after  their  arrival  in  Indiana, 
the  father  died,  leaving  a  widow  and  six  children.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  while  a  boy  and  young  man,  worked  as  a  farm 
laborer  during  the  summer,  thus  earning  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  attend  school  in  the  winter.  In  this  manner,  and  by 
means  of  diligent  private  study,  he  acquired  what  would  be 
deemed  a  good  english  education.  His  chosen  profession  was 
that  of  the  law,  the  practice  of  which  he  commenced  in  1825. 
In  1827,  he  was  married  to  Eleanor  Rubb,  eldest  daughter  of 
Major  David  Robb,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Gibson  County,  who 
in  1800,  settled  on  White  River  near  where  the  Town  of  Hazle- 
ton  now  stands,  In  1833  he  was  elected  to  the  Indiana  Senate, 
defeating  the  Hon.  George  H.  Proffit,  and  while  serving  in  that 
body,  he,  almost  alone,  opposed  the  Internal  Improvement 
Legislation  of  that  period,  which  has  since  borne  such  evil  fruit. 
In  1835  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Circuit  of 
Indiana,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  in  that  office  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hall,  and  in  1838  he  was  re-elected 
for  a  full  term,  miking  in  all  ten  year-i  that  he  occupied  that 
position.  In  1847  he  was  elected  to  Congress  from  the 
Fourth  District  of  Indiana,  his  competitor  in  the  contest 
being  the  Hon,  Robert  Dale  Owen.  He  served  in  this  ca- 
pacity for  a  period  of  two  years,  and  according  to  the  statement 
of  Horace   Greeley,  in  his  Recollections  of  a  Busy  lAfe,  he  was 

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370  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

the  originator  of  the  proposition  to  abolish  the  Congressional 
Mileage.  In  1849  he  was  again  a  candidate  for  Congress,  and 
was  deteated  by  the  Hon.  Nathainel  Albertson. 

He  was  a  Whig  while  the  Whig  Party  existed,  and  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life  he  was  a  Republican  in  Politics.  From 
the  time  of  his  marriage,  so  long  as  he  lived,  his  home  was  at 
Princeton,  Indiana,  and  here  on  the  28th  of  Feburary,  1863,  he 
died  during  one  of  the  darkest  periods  of  this  country's  history. 
He  died  in  full  faith  of  a  glorious  immortality,  and  also  with  a 
firm  belief  that  the  bloody  contest  then  being  waged  in  our 
land  would  result  in  the  triumph  of  Universal  Liberty. 
As  a  lover  of  his  Country  he  showed  his  faith  by  his  works. 
His  bouse  was  an  asylum  for  the  sick  soldier.  Much  of  his 
time  during  the  last  years  of  his  life  was  spent  with  his  sons  in 
the  Union  Army,  wliere  he  gave  much  needed  assistance  and 
care  to  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  It  is  supposed  that  his 
labors  and  exposure  during  this  period  shortened  his  life.  In 
1837  he  joined  the  M.  E.  Church,  of  which  he  remained  a  con- 
sistent and  active  member  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father 
of  six  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and  one,  James  T- 
Embree,  who  was  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  58th  Indiana  Reg- 
iment, died  in  1867.  His  other  children  and  his  widow,  Mrs. 
Eleanor  Embree,  are  still  living,  and  reside  at  Princeton, 
Indiana. 

Of  his  qualities  as  a  Lawyer,  Judge,  Legislator,  Man  and 
Christian,  his  cotemporaries,  many  of  whom  still  live,  can  besur 
witness*  He  was  a  man  of  plain  and  simple  habits,  and  disliked 
anything  like  show  or  parade,  and  would  no  doubt  regard  the 
act  of  one  of  his  descendants  furnishing  the  foregoing  sketch  for 
this  book  as  a  piece  oi  unpardonable  ostentation. 


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Robert  Owen. 


ROBERT  OWEN,   born  in  Newton,  Montgomeryshire. 
Wales,  on  the  14th  day  of  May,  1771,  was  the  son  of 
Robert  Owen  and  Anne  Owen,  of  Newton,  Wales. 

He  was  self  made  and  self  educated,  while  pursuing  his 
occupation  as  salesman  in  London,  and  later  as  cotton  spinner 
and  superintendent  of  the  mills  at  Manchester,  England. 

He  purchased,  along  with  several  partners,  the  N.  Lanark 
Cotton  Mills  in  Scotland,  originally  built  by  his  father-in-law, 
David  Dale,  at  one  time  Provost  of  Glasgow,  Scotland.  In  1797 
married  Anne  Caroline  Dale,  daughter  of  the  above  David  Dale. 
They  had  four  sons,  who  gre\¥  to  manhood,  and  three  daughters 
who  attained  maturity,  besides  other  children,  who  died  young. 

Robert  Owen*s  chief  aim  in  life  was  to  ameliorate  the  con- 
dition of  the  working  classes,  for  which  object  he  erected  large 
school  houses  and  other  buildings  at  N,  Lanark,  and  gave  lec- 
tures, which  developed  that  population  so  favorably  that  the 
mills  were  much  visited  by  strangers.  He  then  extended  his 
field  by  holding  frequent  public  meetings  in  London,  Liverpool, 
and  Manchester,  advocating  a  system  of  co-operation,  instead  of 
the  competitive  system  among  the  working  classes,  and  the 
formation  of  communities  comprising  about  1200  persons,  asso- 
ciated for  mutual  benefit  commercially,  mentally  and  morally ; 
the  buildings  to  occupy  a  quadrangular  form  near  the  centre  of 
the  farming  property  ;  which  should  furnish  the  chief  materials 
for  consumption  in  the  community.  His  followers  were  termed 
socialists.  His  views  were  set  forth,  also,  in  various  publica- 
tions, such  as  the  Oo-operative  Magazine,  and  the  New  Moral 
Worlds  which  latter  he  continued  to  edit  until  a  short  time 
before  his  death.  He  also  wrote  his  auto-biography  when 
visiting   in  London,  toward  the  close  of  his  life. 

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372  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

In  1824,  hearing  of  New  Harmony,  Posey  County,  Indiana, 
where  Greorge  and  Fred.  Bapp,  and  associates,  had  carried  on 
something  of  a  community  system  of  property,  he  purchased  the 
town  and  about  20,000  acres  of  land,  inviting  such  persons  as 
desired  to  test  the  social  experiment,  to  settle  there.  The  in- 
vitation brought  about  a  thousand  persons,  many  of  them  dis- 
interestedly anxious  to  give  the  system  a  fair  trial,  but  too 
many,  unfortunately,  who  only  desired  their  own  aggrandize- 
ment. 

After  one  year  of  the  so-called  Perliminary  Society,  the  ex- 
pense of  which  fell  almost  exclusively  on  Robt.  Owen,  the  mem- 
bers resolved  themselves  into  educational  and  agricultural 
communities,  which  were  carried  on  about  two  years  more.  At 
the  close  of  this  period,  it  was  found  there  were  too  many  con- 
flicting interests  and  tastes,  and  there  existed  too  much  selfish- 
ness for  success,  at  least  until  individuals  could  be  trained  to 
forego  some  individual  advantages  for  the  sake  of  social  union  ; 
hence  the  experiment  at  New  Harmony  was  abandoned. 

Robert  Owen  then  returned  to  Europe  and  labored  until 
his  death,  (attending  a  public  meeting  a  short  time  before  that 
event,  where  he  was  sustained  by  Lord  Brougham,  who  had 
always  been  one  of  his  friends),  in  developing  his  system  among 
the  working  classes  of  England. 

When  in  his  88th  year,  he  found  his  end  approaching,  he 
went  with  a  friend  to  his  native  town  in  Wales,  where  he  had 
visited  a  few  times,  and  dying  tranquilly  in  the  adjoining  house 
to  the  one  in  which  he  was  born,  he  was  laid  by  his  oldest  son, 
(then  on  his  way  back  to  America  from  Naples)  in  the  same 
grave  with  his  father  and  mother.  His  friends  and  disciples 
joined  in  erecting  a  plain  tablet  to  his  memory,  bearing  the  in- 
cription — 

ROBEBT  OWEN, 

THE  PHILANTHE0PI8T. 

Born  14  May,  1771.  —  Died  17  November,  1868. 


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77?^  Glarion. 


iN  1846,  Mr.  William  Kurtz,  serving  as  County  Auditor, 
feeling  the  necessity  of  a  local  newspaper,  undertook  to 
procure  the  establishment  of  one,  resulting  in  the  issue  of  the 
Democbatic  Clarion.  In  three  months  he  was  compelled  to 
take  hold  himself  and  run  the  machine^  or  there  would  have 
been  a  collaps  of  the  enterprise.  Nothing  daunted,  he  laid  hold 
as  Editor  and  Proprietor — mounted  the  tripod  and  run  the 
paper  continuously  up  to  1861,  in  the  interest  of  the  Democrat- 
ic party.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he  hoisted  the  stars  and 
stripes,  changed  its  name  to  that  of  the  Pbinceton  Clarion,  and 
continued  to  the  close  of  the  war,  at  which  time  he  closed 
out  the  concern  to  the  present  proprietor,  A.  J.  Calkins,  Esq., 
who  having  fought  through  the  war,  issued  it  in  the  interests  of 
the  Republican  party.  Mr.  Calkins  is  a  practical  printer  of 
the  first  class,  a  good  sensible  editor,  worthy  gentleman,  and 
a  christian.  The  paper  is  doing  well,  has  an  increasing  circu- 
lation among  the  members  of  both  political  parties,  and  is  a 
very  desirable  medium  for  advertisers. 

We  might  here  remark  *'for  the  truth  of  history,"  that  the 
Clarion  it  not  the  first  paper  that  was  started  in  Gibson 
County,  but  the  second.  The  Chronicle,  published  by  John  F. 
Burton  in  1845,  was  the  first  eflPort,  and  would  have  succeeded 
for  one  year  had  not  too  many  of  its  subscribers  backed  out  the 
first  six  months  by  saying  that  they  **only  subscribed  for  the 
paper  to  encourage  it."  Its  expiring  efforts  were  heralded  by 
frequent  issues  of  half  sheets,  terminating  at  last  in  column 
strips  of  old  advertisements,  and  finally  ending  in  a  spasmodic 
removal  across  the  Wabash  River. 


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77?^  Mt  Vernon  Republican 


["AS  established  in  September,  1872,  by  Thomas  Abl>ott, 
at  present  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Harbinger,  a 
denominational  sheet,  now  printed  at  St.  Lonis.  The  early 
history  o£  the  Republican  is  one  of  varying  fortunes  and  con- 
stant struggle  with  impecuniosity  and  sterility  of  sense,  in  both 
financial  and  editorial  management. 

In  November,  1872,  it  passed  into  the  control  of  Messrs. 
Mason  &  Veatch,  who  at  once  adopted  vigorous  measures  to 
place  it  out  ot  the  reach  of  financial  reverses.  Their  policy 
was  to  make  it  a  purely  local  paper,  devoted  to  local  interests, 
and  such  was  their  success,  that  in  four  weeks  after  taking 
charge  of  the  paper,  the  subscription  list  was  doubled,  and  by 
May  1st,  1873,  the  circulation  of  the  Republioan  exceeded  the 
combined  circulation  of  the  other  papers  oi  the  county. 

The  policy  adopted  by  Messrs.  Mason  &  Veatch  has  been 
rigidly  adhered  to,  and  the  columns  of  the  Republioan  contain 
weekly  letters  from  the  different  portions  of  the  county,  written 
by  a  carefully  selected  and  well  organized  corps  of  correspond- 
ents. The  Republican  was,  I  believe,  the  first  new><paper  in 
the  State  to  make  a  feature  oi  an  ''  Educational  Column/* 
This  column,  edited  by  Prof.  0.  J.  Snoke,  principal  of  the  city 
schools,  is  as  ably  edited  as  any  school  journal  in  the  State. 

In  June,  1873,  Mr.  0.  L.  Prosser,  known  throughout  the 
State  as  an  able  and  vigorous  writer,  purchased  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Veatch  in  the  office,  and  assumed  the  editorial  control  of 
the  paper.  Under  the  control  and  management  of  Messrs. 
Prosser  &  Mason,  the  Republican  will  achieve  a  long  career  of 
prosperity  and  influence.  Its  proprietors  promise  an  enlarge- 
ment and  new  outfit  for  the  first  number  of  1874. 


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EvcoMviUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  875 

ITS  EDITORS. 

0.  L.  Pbosseb,  cetat  40,  was  born  in  Mt.  Sterling,  Ky.,  in 
1833,  but  was  grown  in  this  city,  his  father,  the  late  Thomas  F. 
Prosser,  having  removed  to  this  city  in  1835.  Mr.  Prosser 
received  his  education  in  the  city  schools  and  from  his  father, 
who  was  a  scholar  of  rare  attainments.  He  early  learned  the 
cases  in  his  father's  printing  oflSce,  the  Courier,  and  is  to-day 
the  fastest  compositor  and  the  best  printer  in  his  county.  His 
editorial  life  commenced  very  early,  he  doing  all  the  editorial 
work  on  his  father's  paper  before  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  newspaper  business  all  his  life, 
the  ruling  passion  being  so  strong  in  him,  that  while  engaged 
in  other  business,  he  was  a  frequent  and  valued  contributor  to 
Forney* 8  Press,  of  Philadelphia. 

Up  to  the  commencement  of  the  Rebellion,  he  had  been 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  when  the  time  came 
to  choose,  he  was  found  on  the  side  of  the  Union,  fighting  its 
battles  in  Posey  County  with  the  earnestness  and  vigor  peculiar 
to  himself,  and  since  then  he  has  done  yeoman  service  for  the 
Republican  party. 

As  a  writer  of  editorials,  he  has  but  few  superiors  in 
Southern  Indiana.  Copious  in  language,  never  wanting  for  a 
word  to  express  his  idea,  with  a  tendency  to  the  argument  ad 
hominem,  the  blood  never  fails  to  follow  the  application  of  his 
editorial  lash.  Mr.  Prosser  is  of  slight,  gentlemanly  appear- 
ance, very  courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  others,  and  with 
great  deference,  apparently,  to  the  opinions  of  others.  He  is 
a  brilliant  talker,  and  always  has  something  sensible  to  say. 
He  is  the  man  to  share  his  last  cent  with  a  friend,  or  to  turn 
a  deaf  ear  to  the  entreaties  of  an  enemy.  Enduring  in  his 
friendships,  he  is  unforgiving  in  his  enmities.  With  many 
bitter  enemies,  he  has  a  host  of  warm  friends  in  both  political 
parties,  who  would  **  go  their  last  dollar  on  him." 

John  Mason — better  known  to  the  fraternity,  as  **  Rev." 
John  Mason — the  local  editor  and  business  manager  of  the 
Republican,  is  one  whose  life  has  been  one  of  strange  vicissi- 
tudes and    stranger  adventures.     Born   of    poor   but    honest 

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376  Eva/nsville  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

parents — I  believe  that  is  the  correct  phrase — at  Iowa  City, 
Iowa,  the  14th  of  September,  1842,  when  that  country  was  wild 
and  unsettled,  and  the  frontier  of  civilization,  he  was  not 
nurtured  in  a  tender  school  and  is  not  a  hot-house  plant.  He 
entered  Cornell  College,  Mt.  Vernon,  Iowa,  in  1857,  and  left  it 
to  enlist  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  ranks  of  the  First  Iowa. 
After  the  expiration  of  three  months  for  which  he  had  enlisted, 
and  with  which  he  made  what  was  known  as  the  Wilson's  Creek 
campaign,  under  the  lamented  Lyon,  serving  the  term  of  his 
enlistment,  he  was  commissioned  as  Captain  by  the  Governor  of 
Iowa,  before  becoming  eighteen  years  of  age.  A  difference 
with  his  Colonel,  Crocker,  afterward  Major  General,  caused  him 
to  throw  up  his  commission ,  and  after  serving  for  awhile  as  vol- 
unteer aid  on  the  staff  of  a  General  who  shortly  after  retired, 
he  entered  the  gun  boat  service,  in  which  he  remained  until 
November,  1864,  when  he  left  it  to  rejoin  his  old  regiment  at 
Atlanta.  He  was  too  late,  and  arrived  at  Cairo  only  to  find 
that  Sherman  had  **  burned  his  ships  behind  him,"  and  left  for 
Savannah.  He  returned  to  Iowa,  and  for  a  few  weeks  was 
quiet.  But  with  his  strong  Bohemian  instincts,  inherited,  he 
could  not  remain  quiet,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1865,  went  to 
Mexico,  where  he  remained  about  twenty  months,  and  from 
where  he  returned,  in  common  parlance,  •'  busted.'* 

Since  that  time,  he  has  been  newspaper  correspondent, 
Press  Agent  for  circus,  school  teacher  and  a  dabbler  in  politics, 
and  has  at  last  settled  down  to  his  present  business,  at  which 
he  proposes  to  remain,  with  occasional  intervals  of  travel,  when 
he  will  combine  business  and  rest  from  the  ordinary  duties  of 
newspaper  life.  He  is  at  present  writing  engaged  in  corres- 
pondence with  two  noted  theatrical  managers,  to  act  as  Agent 
lor  the  Winter  campaign  of  three  months. 

In  person,  Mr.  Mason  is  not,  perhaps,  as  handsome  a  man 
as  his  partuer,  but  is  a  more  decided  favorite  with  the  ladies. 
In  disposition  he  is  very  hot  tempered,  but  quickly  appeased  ; 
he  carries  anger  as  the  flint  bears  fire.  His  religious  convictions 
are  rather  unsettled,  though  he  believes  in  a  Supreme  Being, 
and  he  is  not  adverse  to  making  one  in  a  circle  of  friends  where 
the  ruby  is  freely  passed,  and  no  one  thinks  of  going  home  till 
the  "  rosy."     His  success  in  making  friends  is  remarkable,  and 

Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


^ansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  B77 

hie  genius  for  conductiDg  a  political  contest,  in  a  closely  con- 
ducted district,  is  very  rarely  surpassed.  He  is  one  of  those 
few  men,  that,  no  matter  the  amount  of  money  he  makes,  he 
is  always  poor:  he  floats  in  a  sea  of  impecuniosity,  and  will,  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  be  dependent  on  his  friends  for  a  decent 
burial.  While  Mason  remains,  the  Republican  will  be  wicked 
and  prosperous. 


Major  John  B.  Stinson. 


L^OHN  BEAZILL  STINSON  was  born  in  Virginia, 
March  1st,  1787,  of  English  parents.  Elijah  Brazill 
Stinson,  his  father,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Indian  War  of  1788, 
and  made  one  of  the  little  band  under  Col.  Geo.  Rodger  Clarke 
that  made  its  raid  into  Illinois,  subduing  Kaskaskia,  Oahokia, 
and  Vincennes  in  Indiana,  to  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Vir- 
ginia, in  1783. 

J.  B.  Stinson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  raised  in 
Virginia,  and  learned  the  cooper  trade,  that  being  his  father's 
vocation.  When  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he 
concluded  to  come  to  the  Indiana  Territory,  as  he  had  often 
beard  his  father  speak  of  the  trip  and  country.  He  left  home 
for  that  purpose,  but  stopped  in  Kentucky,  having  met  some 
friends.  He  located  in  the  region  known  as  Sandy  Ridge,  Ky., 
and  followed  the  cooper  trade,  making  water  vessels  of  all 
kinds,  and  at  the  same  time  farmed  a  little.  He  there  met 
Miss  Matilda  Paine  and  they  were  married.  He  afterward 
moved  farther  down  the  Ohio  River,  near  the  Fort,  which  W£is 
in  what  now  is  called  Henderson  County.  In  1809,  he  removed 
to  Indiana  Territory,  at  the  foot  of  the  coal  hill  just  below  the 
coal  mines,  and  built  a  substantial  log  house.  He  did  not  live 
in  peace  long,  as  the  Indians  became  so  troublesome  that  the 
settlers  thought  best  to  remove  their  families  to  the  Fort  across 
the  river,  in  Kentucky,  until  the  Indians  were  driven  away. 
This  was  about  1810,  during  the  Winter,     The  river  was  frozen 

48  Digitized  by  VjiDOV  VC 


878  Uvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

oyer  with  thin  ice,  and  they  could  Dot  take  their  stock ;  but 
had  to  crawl  on  hands  and  feet,  dragging  their  bedding  after 
them  with  long  poles,  as  the  ice  would  not  bear  a  loaded  man, 
Mr.  Stinson  took  his  family  to  the  ''camp"  he  had  built  (a  three 
sided  house,  with  no  floor,  built  of  logs  and  brush)  in  the  cane- 
brake,  extending  at  that  time  some  two  miles  over  the  point. 
He  lived  there,  under  the  protection  of  the  Fort,  for  two  years 
or  more,  when  he  removed  to  his  old  place  near  the  coal  hill, 
and  was  living  there  when  Gen.  Jackson's  fleet  of  '*dug-outs" 
passed  down  to  flght  the  i>attle  of  New  Orleans,  in  1814.  He 
enlisted  in  the  10th  Reg't  of  militia  of  Indiana  Territory,  and 
proved  a  good  soldier.  He  was  rewarded  by  being  commis- 
sioned Captain  of  the  10th  Reg't,  on  the  27th  of  June,  1814,  by 
Gov.  Thos.  Posey,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Territory  at  that 
time,  and  did  good  service  during  the  Indian  troubles. 

In  1818.  Gk>v.  Jonathan  Jennings,  Commander-in-Chief  at 
Corydon,  Ind..  the  Capital  of  the  State,  commissioned  John  B. 
Stinson  Sherifi"  of  Vanderburgh  County,  to  serve  until  the  next 
general  election,  his  commission  bearing  date  of  the  second 
year  of  Indiana  as  a  state. 

While  serving  as  Sherifi"  of  Vanderburgh  County,  he 
entered  a  tract  on  the  pre-emption  act,  about  1820,  out  of  town 
some  two  and  a  half  miles.  Moving  his  family  to  the  new 
home,  after  his  duties  as  Sheriff  had  ceased,  he  employed  his 
time  running  a  trading  boat  up  and  down  the  Ohio  River  for 
some  years.  Making  a  nice  little  fortune,  he  invested  it  in 
teams,  and  run  them  to  and  fro  from  the  different  trading  posts 
through  the  State.  He  then  removed  to  Evansville  and  opened 
a  settlers'  store,  keeping  everything  that  was  needed  by  the 
hardy  settlers  around  about. 

In  1821,  he  was  commissioned  Major  of  the  10th  Reg't  of 
militia,  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  by  Jonathan  Jennings,  Gk)v- 
ernor  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  Indiana. 

During  the  Harrison's  Indian  War,  he  was  a  sturdy  soldier 
and  was  well  beloved  by  his  men  and  comrades. 

In  1830,  he  removed  his  family  to  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Old  Stone  Quary,  living  there  until  he  died. 

J.  B.  Stinson  was  Probate  Judge  for  several  years ;  also, 
Associate  Judge  with  Judge  Hall.     For  over  thirty-four  years 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  379 

he  wae  an  able  and  eflScient  minister  in  the  General  fiaptist 
Communion. 

He  died  in  March,  1850,  being  sixty-three  years  and 
seventeen  days  old,  and  his  wife  died  in  1863,  thirteen  years 
later,  being  seventy-two  yeart  of  age. 

There  were  thirteen  children  born  to  them,  of  whom  seven 
are  living,  three  boys  and  four  girls,  viz  : 

Berry  T.  Stinson,  Benoni  Stinson,  H.  Clay  Stinson, 
Mrs.  Nancy  Calloway,  Mrs.  Saleta  Evans,  Mrs.  Fanny  P,  Green 
and  Mrs.  Missouri  Stinson. 


EvansvilleiHomefor  the  Friendless. 


?HE  name  of  Miss'Elbanob  E.  Johnson  is  inseparably 
associated  in  the  minds  of  our  citizens  with  this  noble 
charity,  better  known  to  our  community,  for  a  few  years  past, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Vanderburgh  Christian  Home." 

Although  not  an  old  institution,  it  is  established  on  a  secure 
basis,  and  the  work  it  has  done  and  is  doing  in  our  midst,  so 
commends  it  to  the  hearts  of  all  right  minded  people,  that  it 
takes  high  rank  among  the  charities  of  the  city  and  indeed 
of  the  country. 

The  leading  object  of  the  Home  is  succinctly  stated  in  the 
second  article  of  the  constitution  of  the  association : 

'*  The  object  of  this  association  shall  be  to  assist  women 
who  have  wandered  from  the  path  of  virtue  and  who  are  desirous 
of  leading  better  lives ;  also,  to  aid  those  who  are  in  circum- 
stances of  peculiar  temptation  ;  to  surround  them  with**  the 
blessed  influence  of  the  religion  of  Jesus,  and  to  teach  them  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation." 

That  the  church  and  society  owed  a  duty  to  this  unfortu- 
nate class  of  persons — often  more  sinned  against  than  sinning — 
referred  to  in  this  article,  had  long  been  recognized,  both  by 
Christians  and  well  disposed  persons  outside  the  church,  and 
the  need  of  a  home  and  systematised  work,  such  as  this  associa- 

Digitized  by\^UOy  IV^ 


380  Euansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

tian  contemplated  and  afterwards  effected,  had  loDg  been  felt, 
bnt  without  organized  effort  little  conld  be  accomplished,  so 
until  within  a  few  years,  except  by  occasional  individual  effort, 
the  work  was  left  undone.  In  1869,  Miss  Johnson,  who  had 
been  for  some  years  a  teacher  in  the  colored  schools,  under 
commission  of  the  American  Missionary  Association  of  New 
York,  by  faithful,  persistent  effort,  succeeded  in  effecting  an 
organization  for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  home.  When  the 
Association  was  regularly  organized  according  to  the  laws  of 
the  State,  and  Trustees  authorized  to  receive  property, 
Mr.  Willard  Carpenter  donated  a  house  and  lot  situated  on 
Ann  St.,  capable  oi  accommodating  fifty  inmates. 
The  property  was  regularly  conveyed  to  the  Trustees  of  the 
Association,  and  the  managers  at  once  commenced  soliciting  aid 
to  furnish  the  Home,  and  provide  a  fund  for  current  expenses. 
The  Home  was  first  occupied  in  May,  1870.  Applications  for 
admission  had  been  made  as  soon  as  it  was  known  that  the 
house  had  been  secured. 

Miss  Johnson,  to  whose  energy  and  persistence  the  success 
of  the  project  was  due,  was  appointed  Matron,  and  under  her 
efficient  and  capable  management,  the  great  value  of  the  charity 
was  speedily  manifest  and  the  future  success  of  the  Home 
assured.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  among  the  inmates  of 
the  Home,  there  were  some  who  would  otherwise  be  charges 
upon  the  County  Asylum,  and  the  County  Commissioners,  in 
view  of  this  fact,  considered  it  nothing  more  than  just  that  they 
should  contribute  something  as  an  equivalent,  to  an  institution 
which  was  actually  caring  for  the  poor  as  well  as  doing  a  much 
better  work,  viz  :  preventing  pauperism.  The  Commissioners 
first  appropriated  twenty  dollars  per  month  to  the  Home,  but 
afterwards  increased  the  appropriation  to  fifty  dollars,  where  it 
now  stands. 

The  same  considerations  which  bad  induced  the  aid  of  the 
county  authorities,  were  also  applicable  to  the  city,  and  a 
numerously  signed  petition  was  presented  to  the  City  Council 
asking  for  assistance.  Their  claim  was  recognized,  and  in  view 
of  the  peculiar  character  of  the  charity,  as  being  largely  devoted 
to  the  assistance  and  reclamation  of  fallen  women,  the  Council 
passed  an  order  donating  to  the  Home  the  proceeds  of  all  the 

Digitized  by\^UOy  IV^ 


Uvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  381 

fines  imposed  upon  houses  of  ill-fame,  and  those  arising  from 
the  patronage  of  immoral  haunts.  This  not  proving  a  desirable 
form  of  the  gratuity,  it  was  soon  changed  and  commuted  to  a 
monthly  subscription  of  fifty  dollars.  The  people  have  gener- 
ously responded  to  the  appeals  for  aid,  and  the  Home,  comfort- 
ably furnished,  with  a  small  but  increasing  revenue  and  a  sure 
place  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  hps  more  than  justified  its 
claim  to  existence,  and,  in  the  good  it  has  already  accomplished, 
given  glorious  promise  of  faithful,  efiective  Christian  work  for 
the  future.  One  hundred  and  ninety-six  names  are  already 
recorded  on  its  books  as  beneficiaries,  who  have  received  aid 
and  comfort  within  its  walls,  and  with  increasing  means 
the  managers  will  open  its  doors  still  wider  to  the  friendless 
and  needy.  In  addition  to  his  former  generous  gift,  in  1872 
Mr.  Carpenter  donated  to  the  Association  two  and  a  half  acres 
of  land  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  upon  which  the  managers 
will  erect  a  new  and  commodious  building  some  time  during 
the  coming  year.  The  following  well  known  citizens  compose 
its  present  Board  of  Trustees :  Willard  Carpenter,  Dan*l  G. 
Mark,  Christian  Decker,  J.  W.  Nexsen  and  Col.  Wm.  H. 
Hollinsworth. 

The  Board  of  Managers  is  a  guarantee  of  the  faithfulness 
with  which  the  work  of  the  Association  will  be  prosecuted.  It 
comprises,  as  will  be  seen  below,  many  of  the  best  known  ladies 
of  the  city,  whose  names  have  been  identified  long  since  with 
the  Christian  work  of  the  city  in  other  fields.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  their  names  : 

Mrs.  Amanda  L.  Crosby,  l^rest.;  Mrs.  Dr.  DeBruler,V.  Prest.t 
Mrs.  Eliza  T.  Drew,  Secy.;  Mrs.  Phillip  Decker,  Treas. ; 
Mrs.  Edward  Bostticher,  Mrs.  Jacob  Bennighof,  Mrs.  Willard 
Carpenter,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Schrader,  Mrs.  Jonas  Smith,  Mrs.  F.  M. 
Sellman,  Mrs.  Charles  Viele,  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Start,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Ross, 
Mrs.  Robert  Berridge,  Mrs.  James  M.  Warren. 

We  have  said  that  Miss  Eleanor  Johnson,  the  Matron  of 
the  Home,  made  the  enterprise  a  success  ;  and  it  is  true.  Cer- 
tainly, but  for  the  pecuniary  aid  and  noble  co-operation  of 
Christian  men  and  women,  she  could  not  have  achieved  success, 
but  it  was  through  these  means  that  she  did  achieve  it.  She  it 
was  who  conceived  the  plan  of  directing  Christian  efibrt  into 

Digitized  by\^tJOVlt: 


382  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

this  chaDDel.  She  took  hold  of  the  work  when  all  seemed  dark ; 
when  there  was  opposition  and  disconragement  to  be  met  with, 
and  even  captious  criticism ;  when  numbers  of  people  had  no 
faith  in  the  scheme.  She  is  the  one  who  persisted,  who  agita- 
ted, planned,  solicited  and  organized  the  work,  and  therefore 
we  say,  without  disparagement  to  others,  to  her  the  credit  is  due. 
A  passing  sketch  of  her  life  in  connection  with  the  Home  will 
be  of  interest. 

Miss  Johnson  was  born  in  Southborough,  Mass.,  in  1830. 
In  early  life  she  engaged  in  teaching,  and  also  devoted  some 
time  to  the  work  of  city  missionary,  in  Worcester,  Massachu- 
setts. Since  1899,  she  has  been  well  known  in  our  midst,  as  a 
faithful  Christian  worker  in  neglected  fields.  From  1869  to 
1864,  she  taught  a  school  in  the  colored  Methodist  church. 

In  the  latter  year  the  school  was  removed  to  the 
old  Barnes  house  on  Clark  St.,  an  old  dilapidated  structure, 
which  occupied  the  site  of  the  present  colored  school  building 
on  that  street.  After  great  efforts  the  brick  school  house,  on 
the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Chestnut,  was  ready  for  occupancy  in 
the  beginning  of  1866.  Miss  Johnson  taught  here  six  months 
only,  when  after  nearly  seven  years  in  this,  at  that  time,  difficult 
field,  she  resigned.  She  was  engaged  for  a  time  in  city  mis- 
sionary work,  being  employed  by  several  of  the  churches  in 
connection  with  each  other.  Afterward  she  was  for  nearly  a 
year  at  the  head  of  the  Orphan  Asylum.  The  work,  However, 
by  which  she  will  be  best  known  in  the  future,  is  that  in  which 
she  is  now  engaged.  After  all  her  labors  and  disappointments, 
she  is  now,  with  long  years  of  life  in  reasonable  prospect,  at  the 
head  of  a  well  organized,  practical,  effective  institution.  It 
may,  will  be,  that  she  may  yet  be  the  means  of  doing  incacu ta- 
ble good,  and  with  the  appliances  of  the  Evansville  Home 
FOR  THE  Friendless,  aid  in  rescuing  hundreds  from  that  pit  of 
sin  and  degradation,  which  yearly  engulfs  so  many  of  the 
daughters  of  our  land. 


Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


THE  Mi:\\' YORK 
PUBLIC  UHFARY 

A:^.^  «.l  !.  N'''X  AND       I 
TlLi-iN  hCL'M.A".;ON.' 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


DR.  ANDREW  LEWIS. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


Dr.  Andrew  Lewis. 


j|5||[  HE  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1813,  in  the  village  of  Lewisburg,  York  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  was  the  fifth  son  of  Dr.  Webster  Lewis,  a  physi- 
cian who  attained  great  eminence  in  the  profession  of  medicine. 
The  father  oi  Dr.  Andrew  Lewis  was  the  elder  brother  of  the 
late  Ellis  Lewis,  for  many  years  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania. 

He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
State,  as  those  schools  were  then  conducted  in  the  Qerman  set- 
tlements, where  the  elementary  branches  of  an  education  were 
only  taught,  and  the  text  books  that  were  used  were  far  inferior 
to  those  that  are  in  use  now.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, he  was  apprenticed  to  the  business  of  coach-making,  and 
for  four  or  five  years  continued  in  that  employment,  attaining 
considerable  dexterity  and  skill  in  the  use  of  such  tools  as  are 
brought  into  requisition  in  the  manufacture  of  coaches,  wagons 
and  other  vehicles. 

Before  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  study  of  medicine,  under  the  direction  of  his 
brother.  Dr.  Robert  Lewis,  then  a  practicing  physician.  The 
reading  and  study  of  medicine,  with  the  instructions  of  his  pre- 
ceptor, laid  the  ground-work  for  the  good  degree  of  eminence 
which  Dr,  Andrew  Lewis  afterwards  attained  as  a  physician,  in 
Princeton  and  the  surrounding  country. 

He  left  Pennsylvania  in  1839  for  a  far- western  home, 
intending  to  settle  in  Iowa,  but  stopped  in  Gibson  County,  Indi- 
ana, mainly  to  recruit  his  finances,  which  were  reduced  to  the 
small  amount  of  twenty-five  cents. 

The  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  being  then  in  course  of  con- 
struction, he  hired  himself  to  his  brother-in-law  to  drive  a  cart, 
but  subsequently  became  the  proprietor  of  two  horses  and  the 

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384  hh}anaville  and  iia  Men  of  Mark. 

same  nnmber  of  carts,  which  he  cod  tinned  to  work  until  he  was 
compelled  to  desist.  Three  years  before  starting  for  the  West, 
he  had  married  Miss  Jane  Ann  McCarer,  in  Cumberland  Co., 
Penn.,  who  accompanied  him.  While  he  was  employed  in  the 
construction  of  the  canal,  his  wife  became  sick,  and  with  the 
fond  affection  of  a  devoted  husband,  he  watched  over,  and  min- 
istered unto  her,  until  she  died,  which  event  occurred  in  the 
month  of  July,  1839.  Mrs.  Lewis  left  a  daughter  eighteen 
months  old,  who  grew  up  to  womanhood,  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
James  L.  Thornton.  The  extraordinary  labors  that  Mr.  Lewis 
performed,  of  fifteen  hours  a  day,  and  the  watching  and  minis- 
trations to  his  sick  wife,  with  the  great  anxiety  as  to  the  result 
in  her  case,  brought  on  him  an  attack  of  disease  that  came  well 
nigh  proving  fatal,  for  he  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  fonr 
months.  After  his  recovery,  in  the  lall  of  *39,  he  taught  a 
Winter  school  at  twenty  dollars  per  month,  and  as  was  the  cus- 
tom in  those  times,  and  even  later^  "  boarded  round."  After 
the  close  of  his  school,  in  the  month  of  January,  1840,  he  spent 
one  year  with  his  brother.  Dr.  Lewis,  in  Boonville,  Warrick  Co., 
where  he  pursued  his  study  of  medicine,  and  in  January,  1841, 
commenced  the  practice,  locating  in  Winslow,  Pike  Co.,  where 
he  remained  until  April,  1843,  when  he  removed  to  Princeton, 
Gibson  Co.,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  Then  he  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  continued  in  it  without 
interruption  until  the  Spring  of  1850,  when  he  became  a  candi- 
date of  the  Whig  Party,  for  the  office  of  Clerk  of  the  Gibson 
Circuit  Court,  and  was  elected  over  John  Hargrove,  ihe  Demo- 
cratic candidate,  and  Peyton  Devin,  an  Independent  Whig 
candidate.  The  vote  by  which  he  was  elected,  was  a  clear 
majority  of  all  the  votes  cast.  At  that  time  the  County  of  Gib- 
son was  Democratic,  and  yet  Dr.  Lewis  was  re-elected  in  the  fall 
of  1855,  over  Stewart  Cunningham,  the  regular  Democratic  nomi- 
nee. He  held  the  office  until  the  expiration  of  his  second  term, 
which  was  February,  1859. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  in  1861,  he  was  commis- 
sioned by  Gov.  0.  P.  Morton  to  recruit  the  58th  Ind.  Reg't. 
He  completed  this  work  in  four  weeks,  and  was  appointed,  with- 
out solicitation,  its  Colonel,  but  did  not  accept  the  appointment. 
The  Governor  subsequently  appointed  him  Commandant  of  the 

Digitized  by  VjiDOVlt: 


Evansville  and  it$  Men  of  Mark,  386 

First  Congressional  District,  and  as  SQch  he  recruited  the  65th, 
80th  and  91st  Indiana  Regimeuts,  and  sent  them  to  the  field  all 
properly  officered. 

The  services  of  Dr.  Lewis  were  highly  prized  by  our  War 
Governor  and  by  the  Patriotic  Citizens  of  this  part  of  Indiana, 
for  they  were  lavish  in  his  praise,  for  the  active,  efficient  and 
patriotic  labor  he  had  performed  in  his  country's  cause,  at  a 
time  when  it  was  struggling  for  its  very  life.  Nor  did  his 
Ifibors  or  devotion  to  the  Union  cause  cease  with  his  office  of 
commandant,  but  during  the  entire  continuence  of  the  war,  he 
was  known  at  home  and  abroad  as  the  friend  of  the  soldier  and 
the  soldier's  family.  His  contributions  to  the  cause  of  his 
country,  and  to  the  wants  of  those  who  were  in  active  service 
as  soldiers,  and  their  families,  equaled  his  entire  income,  and 
that  was  quite  considerable. 

As  a  citizen,  Dr.  Lewis  has  always  beenfore  most  in  enter- 
prizes  that  have  had  for  their  object  the  bettering  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  people,  by  advancing  their  public  and  private  in- 
terests, and  the  Town  of  Princeton  would  have  been  far  in  ad- 
vance of  what  it  is,  if  we  had  been  blessed  with  a  few  more  such 
men,  enterprising  and  diligent  in  the  use  of  their  means  to  im- 
prove the  town.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  incipient  steps 
that  gave  us  the  Evansville  &  Orawfordsville  Railroad,  and 
during  its  construction  in  1851  and  1852  he  took  a  large  con- 
tract on  the  same  and  successfully  completed  it.  In  1854  and 
1856,  inclusive,  he  undertook,  in  connection  with  Judge  Hall, 
the  entire  drainage  of  the  swamp  lands  on  the  Wabash  River 
Bottoms  in  the  County  of  Gibson.  This  work  was  performed 
under  the  direction  almost  entirely  of  Dr.  Lewis.  By  this  drain- 
age more  than  10,0C0  acres  of  land  was  rendered  fit  for  culti- 
vation, and  a  vast  district  of  country  was  rendered  compara- 
tively free  from  the  Malaria,  that  had  previously  made  it  a  very 
Pandora  Box  of  disease, 

In  1868,  when  the  Citizens  of  New  Albany  were  moving  in 
the  organization  of  a  company  to  build  the  "Louisville,  New 
Albany  &  St.  Louis  Air  Line  Railway,"  Dr.  Lewis  was  selected 
to  visit  New  Albany  with  a  view  to  securing  the  location  of  said 
Railroad  through  Princeton,  and  to  his  efforts  mainly  we  owe 
its  present  location  through   the  County   of  Gibson  and   the 

49  Digitized  by  VjiDO V  It: 


886  jBvitnmHUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Town  of  Princeton.  Soon  after  the  location  of  the  road,  Dr. 
Lewis  undertook  the  contract  of  bnilding  the  ten  miles  of  Rail- 
road connecting  Princeton  and  Mt.  Carmel,  111.  The  city  of 
Mt.  C&rmel  had  given  a  conditional  sabscription  of  $50,000, 
By  the  terms  of  the  sabscription  the  railroad  must  be  bailt  and 
the  cars  most  be  running  by  the  Ist  of  January,  1871.  To  save 
this  conditional  subscription,  he  took  the  contract  and  in  four 
months  completed  it.  On  the  20th  of  December,  the  first  train 
made  the  run  to  Mt.  Carmel.  He  is  now  the  contractor  for  the 
entire  Illinois  Division  of  the  *'Air  Line  Railroad,*'  from  Mt. 
Carmel  to  Mt.  Vernon,  111.,  a  distance  of  65  miles,  on  17  miles  of 
which  the  cars  are  running  regularly. 

While  Dr.  Lewis  has  been  largely  engaged  in  public  works, 
he  has  by  no  means  been  idle  in  his  private  enterprises.  The 
Town  of  Princeton  and  the  County  of  Gibson,  have  been  en- 
riched and  beautified  by  the  substantial  buildings,  consisting  of 
mills,  storehooses  and  other  buildings,  with  private  residences. 
To  the  farmers  of  Gibson  County  he  has  been  a  great  help, 
having  been  the  pioneer  in  the  milling  business,  and  for  18 
years  a  purchaser  of  their  grain  and  pork.  He  has  just  now  built 
and  completed  a  large  Grain  Elevator,  where  the  wheat  growers 
can  store  their  grain  safely,  and  be  ready  at  any  time  to  take 
advantage  of  a  rise  in  the  market. 

Dr.  Lewis  has  been  for  many  years,  and  is  now  a  man  of 
remarkable  business  capacity,  and  he  has  often  born  up  under 
pressure  in  business  and  enterprises  in  which  he  was  engaged, 
that  would  have  crushed  other  men,  and  completely  unfitted 
them  for  their  work.  If  a  dark  cloud  gathers  over  him,  full  of 
storm,  and  the  thunder  howls,  and  the  lightnings  glare  in 
grandeur,  he  looks  steadily  and  perseveringly  until  a  silver 
lining  appears,  and  there  hangs  his  hopes  for  the  coming  calm. 

Dr.  Lewis  was  married  happily  the  second  time  on  the  24th 
of  December,  1844,  to  Eliza  A.  Evans,  daughter  of  James 
Evans,  Esq.,  on  old  resident  of  Princeton,  who  for  nearly  thirty 
years  has  been  traveling  by  his  side  the  pathway  of  life,  sharing 
his  labors  and  his  honors.  She  has  been  with  him  in  feeling  in 
sunshine  and  cloud,  and  lite  with  them  both  has  been,  and  is 
now  happy  and  prosperous.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with 
five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  influence  and  ex- 
Digitized  by  VjiDOV  IV^ 


Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  887 

ample  of  Dr.  Lewis  as  to  industry,  enterprise  and  good  morals 
on  his  iamilv  and  friends  and  on  the  community  in  and  around 
Princeton,  can  not  fail  to  be  good.  His  is  an  example  worthy 
of  imitation. 

He  became  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Ohurch 
a  short  time  before  his  marriage,  viz:  in  the  fall  of  1844,  and 
has  retained  membership  in  that  church  ever  since,  giving 
probably  more  liberally  of  his  means,  much  of  that  time,  than 
any  other  member.  And  now  there  is  no  benevolent  enterprise 
in  the  movements  of  his  church,  that  he  is  not  with  the  foremost. 
As  an  officer  in  the  church,  his  counsel  is  often  sought  and 
almost  as  often  as  sought  it  is  followed,  for  he  is  a  safe  coun- 
sellor. Being  naturally  kind  hearted,  and  easily  approached,  he 
is  often  referred  to,  and  in  church  enterprises,  as  in  many  other 
things,  his  liberality  has  been  taken  advantage  of,  and  he  has 
given  at  times,  to  incite  others,  even  more  than  he  should  have 
given.  For  a  man  of  as  extensive  business  and  driving  in  his 
movements  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  ends,  he  is  compara- 
tively mild  in  his  disposition  and  temper,  yet  he  is  firm  and  de- 
cided, and  could  not  be  easily  moved  from  his  purpose  when 
fully  formed. 

Dr.  Andrew  Lewis  will  be  kindly  remembered  by  the  large 
circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends,  long  after  the  day  of  his 
life  closes,  and  it  is  the  earnest  wish  of  his  many  friends  that 
the  sun  of  bis  life  may  go  down  without  any  clouds  to  darken 
the  horizon. 


E.  G.  Van  Riper. 


IE  was  born  in  the  City  of  New  York,  on  the  4th  day  of 
October,  1841,  hence  is  now  about  32  years  of  age. 
His  parents  are  both  of  American  birth  and  descent,  all  of  them 
being  of  Knickerbocker  Stock.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
six  years  of  age,  leaving  a  large  family  without  a  superabundance 
of  this  world's  goods.     He  went  to  school  until  he  was  12  years 

Digitized  by\^tJijy  IV^ 


888  BwKMviUe  and  Us  Men  of  Mark, 

of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  the  world,  to  take  oare  of  himself, 
since  which  time  we  are  happy  to  say,  "He  paddled  his  own 
canoe,"  without  costing  anybody  anything.  He  had  several  ex- 
periences until  he  was  14  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  the 
business  of  Messrs.  Fatman  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  with  wjiom  he 
has  always  been,  and  is  still  connected  in  business,  so  he  can- 
not be  accused  of  being  a  "rolling  stone."  He  remained  in  the 
office  of  the  firm  in  New  York,  until  1858,  when  they  sent  him 
to  the  Green  River  in  Kentucky  to  join  Mr.  Morris  Ranger,  of 
that  house,  to  look  after  their  vast  Tobacco  interests.  He  contin- 
ued living  in  Kentucky  for  several  years,  their  business  rapidly 
extending,  until  at  last  they  covered  the  entire  Tobacco  area 
of  Southern  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Tennessee,  with 
headquarters  at  Evansville.  Mr  Ranger  was  chief  and  our  sub- 
ject second  in  command,  but  always  in  the  field.  Their  bus- 
iness became  so  vast,  that  they  owned  and  controlled  several 
steamboats  to  transport  their  Tobacco,  and  in  fact  they  virtu- 
ally monopolized  the  Tobacco  crop.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion,  they  were  doing  their  largest  business.  In  1862,  after 
having  spent  the  winter  in  purchasing  Tobacco,  this  house 
conceived  the  idea  of  engaging  in  a  Cotton  operation,  along  the 
line  of  the  contending  armies.  He  was  sent  to  Alabama,  and 
did  a  splendid  business  there,  until  the  fall  of  Memphis,  when 
he  removed  bin  headquarters  there,  and  immediately  started  on 
a  trip  through  the  federal  lines  in  Arkansas.  He  went  about 
80  miles  in  the  interior,  crossed  the  St.  Francis  River,  and  on 
the  fourth  day  was  captured  by  the  Rebles  and  charged  with 
being  a  Spy.  After  wandering  for  two  weeks  in  the  bushes 
with  them,  he  was  at  last  taken  to  Little  Rock  on  foot,  and 
thrown  into  jail.  He  remained  there  three  weeks  without  hear- 
ing what  was  to  become  of  himself,  and  without  having  a  friend 
in  the  State.  Oen.  Hi  ndman  was  in  command  of  the  confederates. 
Mr.  Van  Riper  wrote  several  letters  to  headquarters  asking 
to  be  heard  or  released.  At  last  one  Sunday  afternoon,  he  was 
escorted  by  a  guard  of  Soldiers  to  the  Anthony  House  in  Little 
Rock,  and  went  through  the  farce  of  a  trial  before  a  drumhead 
court  martial,  composed  of  three  officers.  Of  course  he  had  no 
witness,  and  they  would  not  take  his  word  for  anything.  It  was 
enough  that  they  charged  him  with  being  a  Spy  and  found  kirn 

Digitized  by\^tJOy  IV^ 


Bvansville  andits  Men  of  Mark.  889 

guilty,  and  sentenced  him  to  be  hanged  on  the  Tuesday 
following  at  12  M.,  not  a  very  agreeable  prospect  to  say  the 
least  for  a  young  man.  He  was  apprised  of  it  and  became 
reconciled.  On  Monday  night  a  new  commander  for  that  dis- 
trict arrived,  General  Holmes,  an  old  U.  S.  Army  officer ;  had 
traveled  night  and  day  from  Richmond,  to  relieve  Hindman, 
on  account  of  his  cruelties.  There  was  a  reign  of  terror  in 
Little  Bock,  and  hanging  and  shooting  were  the  order  of  the  day. 
Gen  Holmes  reprieved  everybody  untler  sentence,  and  after  a 
re-ezamination  of  his  case  he  sentenced  him  to  the  penitentiary 
to  remain  during  the  war.  This  was  in  July,  1862.  He  was 
kept  in  solitary  confinement  for  a  period  of  five  months,  spending 
his  twenty-first  birthday  in  prison.  He  was  now  released  through 
the  intercession  of  President  Lincoln,  acting  through  Gen. 
Sherman.  Messrs.  Fatman  &  Co.  had  labored  hard  to  this  end. 
He  came  out  a  sickly  young  men,  having  lost  45  lbs  by  the 
wretched  treatment  which  he  received.  He  returned  to  New 
York,  recruited  his  health,  and  returned  during  the  same  winter 
to  Evansville.  He  resumed  his  place  in  business,  and  continu- 
ed so  until  1865,  when  he  succeeded  Mr.  Hanger,  as  chief  in  all 
their  western  business,  with  an  interest  in  the  firm.  He  con- 
tinued to  prosecute  as  large  a  business  as  before,  and  never 
interfered  with  politics  or  public  affairs  until  1868,  when  he 
was  called  upon  to  allow  the  use  of  his  name  as  a  candidate  for 
Councilman  from  the  3d  ward.  His  opponent  was  Peter 
Semonin.  It  was  an  exciting  contest,  but  our  subject  received 
two  majority  and  the  certificate  of  election.  He  and  one  other 
were  the  only  ones  of  the  Democratic  Party  who  were  elected. 
The  remainder  of  the  board  were  of  the  opposition.  The  latter, 
on  the  plea  of  fraud,  determined  to  unseat  our  subject,  and  being 
assured  they  would  do  so,  he  resigned.  The  next  year  he  was 
nominated  for  councilman  in  the  2d  ward,  which  contained  a 
large  majority  of  his  political  opponents.  He  now  thought  he 
would  see  if  politics  ruled  everything.  He  was  elected  by 
twenty-six  majority,  and  the  council  was  now  composed  of  a 
majority  of  his  political  friends.  Unfortunately  for  the  new  coun- 
cil, Mr.  Van  Riper  and  his  friends  were  all  new  hands  in  the 
business,  and  the  Mayor,  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Walker,  was  taken  sick 
at  the   beginning  and   remained  so   until  he  died.     Mr.    Van 

Digitized  by  V^OO  V  It: 


390  ^ansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

Riper  was  selected  as  chairman  of  the  Financial  Oommittee,  and 
hence,  received  the  leadership  of  the  Council.  The  finances 
of  the  city  were  in  a  terihle  state,  large  obligations  falling  due, 
and  no  money  to  pay  them.  City  orders  were  worth  eighty-five 
cents.  He  had  had  an  extensive  experience  with  money  matt-ers 
in  his  time,  and  was  determined  to  restore  some  order  out  of 
this  chaos.  He  did  so.  He  paid  all  outstanding  debts  ;  restored 
the  credit  of  the  city ;  made  orders  worth  par ;  and  at  the  close 
of  the  term,  the  finances  were  in  a  much  better  shape  than  they 
had  been  for  many  years.  This  Council  did  a  great  deal  of 
work,  and  it  is  thought,  a  great  deal  of  good.  They  first  took 
the  Carmi  Railroad  (now  the  St.  Louis  &  Southeastern)  in  hand. 
It  had  been  handled  for  two  or  three  years,  without  any  result. 
There  was  an  election  of  Directors,  and  Mr.  Van  Riper  was 
selected  as  one,  receiving  the  compliment  of  an  unanimous  vote, 
(the  only  one  who  did.)  The  citizens  told  him  that  they 
expected  him  to  get  that  road  under  contract.  He  promised 
that  he  would,  and  he  did.  He  was  offered  the  Presidency,  but 
declined  the  same,  preferring  to  see  an  older  head  there.  He 
accepted  the  post  of  Secretary.  We  will  leave  it  to  any  one 
who  has  had  anything  to  do  with  that  enterprise,  to  say  :  **  Who 
is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  completing  the  road  ?"  (Go  to  Gkn. 
Winslow,  and  he  will  \e\\  you  )  Mr.  Van  Riper  continued  as 
Director  there,  until  the  machinations  of  some  of  the  leading 
citizens  caused  him  to  be  dropped,  just  before  he  left  Evansville. 
In  this  Council,  he  devoted  all  his  energies  to  have  the  Lake 
Erie  and  Straight  Line  Railroads  worked  through.  He  did  all 
that  lay  in  his  power  to  give  them  a  fair  start.  The  former  is 
in  process  of  construction  ;  the  latter  is  as  yet,  showing  no  signs 
of  life. 

He  next  turned  his  attention  to  the  supply  of  water,  and 
determined  that  the  city  should  have  Water  Works.  He  went 
through  all  the  details  of  an  examination,  everywhere  ;  advised 
a  vote  by  the  people,  which  resulted  in  favor  of  building  the 
works ;  made  a  contract,  and  the  city  issued  ?300,000  in  bonds, 
bearing  seven  and  three-tenths  per  cent,  interest  to  pay  for  it; 
succeeded  in  selling  the  whole  parcel  of  bonds,  through  Isaac 
Keen,  Esq.,  at  eighty-seven  cents  nett,  when  the  previous  Coun- 
cil had  been  selling  the  same  character  of  bonds  at  seventy-five 

Digitized  by  VjUOV  IV^ 


Evanaville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark,  891 

cents.  In  sixty  days  the  works  were  under  full  headway,  with 
a  cheap  contract.  He  left  before  they  were  finished  ;  the  con- 
actors  haying  met  with  unexpected  obstacles,  and  a  new  Coun- 
cil coming  in,  with  an  opposition  majority,  they  determined  to 
take  unto  themselves  the  credit  of  this  work,  and  we  think 
injured  the  work  almost  fatally. 

The  Mayor,  Mr.  Walker,  died  a  few  months  after  this 
Council  came  into  oflBce,  and  Mr.  Van  Riper  was  elected  by  the 
Council  as  acting-mayor,  with  all  the  powers,  etc.,  of  the  posi- 
tion. He  occupied  this  position  three  months,  devoting  his 
entire  time  to  its  various  duties.  In  this  time  be  prepared  the 
tax  duplicate,  which  he  refers  to  as  being  as  well  done  as  any 
mayor  ever  did.  He  reduced  the  rate  of  taxation  five  cents  per 
hundred  dollars.  At  the  eud  of  three  months,  a  new  election 
was  ordered  for  mayor.  He  was  offered  the  nomination  by  his 
party,  but  declined,  not  wishing  to  abandon  business  for  a 
political  position.  This  Council  improved  streets,  uniformed 
the  police,  made  important  annexations  to  the  city,  from  the 
surrounding  territory,  and  in  fact,  there  was  one  vast  system  of 
public  improvement  inaugurated,  which  it  was  impossible  for 
any  succeeding  Council  to  resist.  Hence  we  are  free  to  say 
without  contradiction,  that  the  impetus  Evansville  received 
from  this  Council,  was  the  dawning  of  a  new  and  prosperous 
era  for  the  city. 

However,  if  there  ever  was  an  abused  man.  it  was 
Mr.  Van  Riper.  He  was  maligned  and  traduced.  Every  act 
was  questioned  and  generally  abused  as  a  great  curse  by  all  the 
opposition.  Mr.  Van  Riper  would  remark  ;  *'  I  assure  you  that 
I  got  heartily  sick  of  it,  and  can  only  say  to  any  man  who 
never  gave  his  services  to  the  public,  that  if  he  values  his  good 
name  and  his  peace,  never  accept  a  public  office.'*  Time  rolled 
around,  and  a  new  election  came  for  a  new  Council.  He  deter- 
mined to  see  whether  the  people  were  craven  enough  to  believe 
all  that  the  opposition  had  said  of  him.  He  accepted  a  re-nom- 
ination for  the  Third  Ward,  (the  wards  being  changed.)  Then 
began  the  fiercest  contest  that  Evansville  ever  saw.  The  oppo- 
sition were  determined  to  defeat  Mr.  Van  Riper,  and  spent 
money  without  stint ;  voting  (we  are  told j  one  hundred  and 
fifty  negroes,  when  there  was  not  exceeding  thirty  in  the  ward. 

Digitized  by\^tJOy  IV^ 


892  Evansville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark. 

He  was  elected,  however,  by  seventeen  majority,  with  only  one 
other  of  his  political  friends  in  the  new  Council.  His  career  of 
usefulness  was  gone.  The  opposition  would  not  adopt  any  of 
his  measures,  but  he  was  a  check  on  all  their  schemes,  and 
hence  there  was  nothing  but  turbulence.  They  tried  to  tire 
him  out  by  insult,  abuse,  etc.,  but  he  checked  them  in  every 
scheme  they  brought  up.  At  last  he  received  a  summons  from 
his  house,  that  his  presence  was  required  in  Europe.  He  went 
to  New  York,  learned  the  nature  of  it,  returned. to  Evansville, 
and  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Council. 

On  the  Ist  of  November,  1871,  he  sailed  from  New  York 
foi  Liverpool.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been  traveling  all  over 
the  Continent  of  Europe,  extending  Fatman  &  Co.'s  business  of 
cotton,  so  that  he  feels  more  at  home,  if  possible,  in  Europe, 
than  America.  He  writes  home,  that  he  has  never  seen  any 
country  that  suited  him  so  well  as  his  own.  But  we  are  digres- 
sing. In  1870,  the  late  John  D.  Eoche  and  himself  conceived 
the  idea  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  Evansville  and  the 
poorer  class  of  citizens  to  have  a  Savings  Bank.  So  taking 
advantage  of  the  existing  State  law,  they  proceeded  to  organise 
the  same.  They  looked  around,  selected  a  Board  of  Trustees 
of  honest  men,  and  there  came  into  existence  the  '*  People's 
Savings  Bank,"  with  Mr.  Van  Riper  as  Vice-President  and 
Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee.  It  has  had  wonderful 
success  from  the  day  of  its  organization.  His  leaving  the  coun- 
try, compelled  him  to  resign.  This  was  one  of  the  regrets  of 
his  life,  as  he  regarded  that  as  a  pet  project. 

In  1865.  Mr.  Van  Riper  took  it  into  his  head  to  marry,  and 
soon  found  a  mate  in  Alice,  daughter  of  Col.  James  6.  Jones, 
one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  Evansville  She  was  the  belle  of 
the  city.  Three  children  have  blessed  that  union,  two  of  which 
(t^ins)  are  living.     They  are  with  their  parents  in  Europe. 

Our  subject  has  been  very  successful  in  life.  He  has 
accumulated  enough  to  make  his  family  safe  from  want.  He 
enjoys  good  health  and  enjoys  life.  We  hope  that  some  day  his 
Evansville  friends  will  not  be  too  proud  to  say  :  "  that  he  did 
something  for  them.** 


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JOHN  N.  SILVEBTHOBN 


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John  Newton  Silverthorn. 


BrVKB  AND  BaXIJK>AD  EDITOB  OV  THX  EtAKBYILUB  JOUBN AIm 


f'AS  born  on  the  12th  of  September,  1821,  in  Brooke, 
now  Hancock  County,  West  Virginia,  in  what  is 
denominated  the  Pan  Handle,  Hancock  being  the  extreme 
northern  county  of  the  State. 

He  was  the  son  of  Henry  and  Hannah  Silverthorn,  and 
the  youngest  of  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  reached 
maturity.  His  father  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  near  Logs- 
jail-town,  now  Johnsonburg.  His  mother  was  a  native  of 
Easton,  Pa.,  her  maiden  name  being  McOracken.  His  paternal 
grand -parents  were  Oliver  and  Abagail  Silverthorn. 

His  parents  moved  to  Western  Virginia  about  the  year 
1800,  and  settled  in  the  wild  wilderness  ;  their  nearest  neigh- 
bors living  four  miles  distant.  Here  they  built  a  log  house  and 
a  blacksmith  shop,  and  by  hard  work  and  economy,  opened 
their  farm  and  accumulated  some  property. 

J.  N.  SiLVEBTHORN  was  of  delicate  health  till  twelve  years 
of  age,  but  received  a  common  English  education  at  the  common 
schools  of  the  country — which  were  very  common  indeed — 
working  on  the  farm,  in  the  blacksmith  shop  or  the  grist  and 
saw  mill,  which  his  father  had  built  on  Tomilson's  run,  about 
the  time  his  youngest  son  was  born.  At  the  age  of  fifteen, 
Mr.  Silverthorn  went  to  work  to  learn  millwrighting  and  car- 
pentery.  After  three  years,  he  went  on  the  river,  hiB  first  expe- 
rience in  steamboating  being  on  the  "  North  Star."  He  soon 
retired,  and  returned  to  the  farm  ;  but  an  earnest  desire  for 
education,  and  a  passion  for  reading,  led  him  to  study  the  lan- 
guages and  mathematics  with  Rev.  R.  M<  White,  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  vicinity.     When  his  means  were 

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394  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

exhausted,  he  commenced  teaching  school.  His  first  effort  as 
a  pedagogue  was  in  Beaver  Oo.,  Pa.  He  afterwards  taught 
school  in  Paris,  and  near  Gross  Creek  village  in  Washington  Co., 
Pennsylvania. 

In  1845,  he  went  to  the  Florence  Academy  in  Pennsylvania, 
taught  by  Prof.  John  A.  Smith.  After  a  few  months  he  was 
induced  by  a  friend  to  come  West,  and  landed  at  New  Albany 
about  the  1st  of  September,  1845,  He  took  charge  of  the  pre- 
paratory department  of  J.  B.  Anderson's  Collegiate  Institute, 
but  the  position  not  proving  profitable,  he  went  to  Oldham  Co., 
Ky.,  and  taught  school  for  six  months,  when,  meeting  Rev.  Dr. 
Scoville,  President  of  the  Hanover  College,  he  was  induced  to 
go  to  that  institution,  where  he  remained  till  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1849,  with  the  exception  of  six  months,  while  in  charge 
of  the  Ripley  County  Seminary. 

On  the  8d  of  January,  1849,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet 
J,  Dinwiddie,  of  Hanover,  Ind.,  and  after  spending  the  Summer 
at  the  old  homestead  in  Virginia,  he  returned  to  Indiana  in 
August,  1849,  and  again  took  charge  of  the  Ripley  County 
Sominary,  remaining  till  March,  1852,  when  his  health  failing, 
he  engaged  for  active,  out-door  exercise  in  selling  clocks  in 
Western  Indiana  and  Eastern  Illinois,  in  which  business  he  con- 
tinued for  three  years,  and  achieved  an  enviable  reputation,  as 
a  *'  live  Yankee." 

Mr.  Silverthorn  next  took  charge  of  the  editorial  depart- 
ment of  the  American,  published  in  Terre  Haute  by  Isaac  N. 
Coltrin,  while  that  gentleman  made  a  visit  to  Kansas,  and  after 
a  few  weeks,  Mr.  Silverthorn  and  Isaac  M.  Brown,  late  of  the 
Sullivan  Oo.  Union,  bought  the  American  office,  and  conducted 
it  successfully  for  a  few  months,  when  Mr.  Silverthorn  sold  his 
interest  to  Col.  R.  N.  Hudson,  who  had  just  purchased  the 
Wabash  Express,  with  which  the  American  was  blended.  For 
nearly  a  year  Mr.  Silvt^rthorn  pursued  various  occupations, 
when  he  was  engaged  in  the  freight  office  of  the  T.  H.  &  R.  R.  R., 
but  after  a  few  weeks  was  transferred  to  the  Superintendency 
of  a  book  bindery  and  job  printing  office  owned  by  Sam'l  Craw- 
ford, Chas.  Wood  and  C.  W.  Ferguson — Mr.  Ferguson  having  left 
hurriedly — the  first  two  gentlemen  being  President  and  Secre- 
tary of  the  T.  H.  &  R.  R.  R.     Here  he  remained  three  years, 

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EvoMville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  995 

when  he  became  city  editor  of  the  Waba-'^h  Express,  in  the  fall 
of  1858,  and  continued  with  it  till  March,  1862  ;  having  almost 
full  control  of  the  paper  during  1861,  and  up  to  March,  1862, 
G^n.  Cruft,  the  then  proprietor,  being  absent  in  the  army. 

Mr.  Silverthorn  came  to  Evansville  and  entered  upon  duty 
as  local  and  river  editor  of  the  Journal,  March  28th,  1862. 
Having  a  strong  constitution,  and  willing  to  work,  for  the  first 
year  or  two,  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  river  and  city  editor, 
he  copied  nearly  all  the  telegraph  reports  which  were  then 
taken  on  paper,  the  old-fashioned  way,  there  being  no  "sounder" 
in  the  office. 

From  the  first  day's  labor  as  river  editor,  Mr.  Silverthorn 
has  made  a  strong  impression  upon  those  connected  with  the 
river  business,  and  this  impression  has  only  been  increased  \^ 
time.  He  is  better  posted  upon  subjects  connected  with  the 
steamboat  business,  than  any  man  in  this  section.  His  manners 
are  easy  and  courteous  to  all.  From  the  roustabout  to  the 
captain — all  regard  him  as  their  warm  friend  and  champion. 
As  river  editor  of  the  Journal,  Mr.  Silverthorn  has  won  an 
enviable  reputation.  To  him  much  credit  is  due  for  the  rapid 
increase  of  newspaper  matter  connected  with  the  river.  His 
labors  have  not  been  in  vain,  as  his  achievements  in  the  past 
have  made  him,  in  a  measure,  the  *'  King  of  Eiver  Editors." 

His  family  consists  of  a  wife  and  three  children,  two  sons 
and  one  daughter ;  having  lost  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  his 
first  two  and  last  child.  Now  at  the  age  of  fifty- two  he  is  vig- 
orous and  lively.  He  has  had  but  one  serious  spell  of  sickness 
during  the  last  thirty-five  years.  He  has  had  an  abundance  of 
fun,  **  if  he  has  not  saved  much  money." 

Mr.  Silverthorn  was  a  Democrat  till  1854  ;  since  1860,  a 
sturdy  unfaltering  Republican.  He  voted  for  Filmore  in  1856. 
He  was  the  first  to  place  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln  at  the 
head  of  a  paper,  for  President  in  1860. 


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Alexander  Marconnier. 


^AS  born  in  the  City  of  Bidarieux,  Department  of 
Lherault,  France,  on  the  25th  day  of  December, 
1822.  His  parents  being  in  bumble  circumstances,  he  did  not 
enjoy  the  advantages  of  any  other  education  than  that  which 
was  afforded  him  at  home,  during  leisure  hours.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  hatter  for  two  and  a  half  years, 
at  the  expiration  of  which,  he  began  traveling  in  the  capacity 
of  journeyman  hatter,  visiting  all  the  principle  cities  of  France, 
reaching  Paris  in  the  month  of  March,  1841,  where  he  remained 
until  September  12th,  1843,  having  at  that  time  perfected  an 
engagement  with  a  Mr.  J^inin  of  New  Orleans.  He  embarked 
at  Havre  de  Gras,  September  20th,  on  board  the  ship  Taglioni, 
and  sailed  to  the  land  that  was  to  be  his  future  home,  arriving 
at  New  Orleans  November  5th  of  the  same  year,  which  place 
he  left  in  July  of  the  year  following.  Passing  through  Cincin- 
nati, he  determined  to  remain  there,  providing  he  could  find 
employment  there.  In  this  he  was  successful.  During  the 
Winter  of  1846  and  '47,  an  Opera  Manager  passing  that  way, 
heard  of  his  vocal  abilities,  and  offered  him  an  engagement  in 
a  French  Opera  Troupe,  then  at  New  Orleans.  He  accepted, 
and  made  his  appearance  as  the  First  Premier  Tenor  in  the 
troupe.  As  a  singer,  the  papers  of  that  day  were  fulsome  in 
their  praises  of  his  talent,  and  vied  with  each  other  in  heaping 
encomiums  upon  his  career.  His  career  as  a  singer  was  of  <hort 
duration.  As  he  had  no  opportunity  to  obtain  an  instructor  in 
music,  he  returned  to  Cincinnati,  and  there,  for  the  next  five  or 
six  years  following,  held  the  position  of  foreman  in  several  of 
the  largest  shops.  In  1852,  he  established  himself  in  business 
with  Vinsent  &  Hibbard,  wholesale  and  retail  hat  manu- 
facturers, and  with  whom  he  remained  until  July,  1853,  when 
he  removed  to  this  city.     He  entered  into  co-partnership  with 

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Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  397 

Mr.  P.  Vantier  in  the  hat,  cap  and  far  bosiness,  and  established 
the  first  hat  store  in  the  city.  In  1854,  he  married  the  sister  - 
in-law  of  Mr.  Vautier,  Miss  Adele  Brack,  a  Swiss  lady,  who 
bore  him  five  children  ;  two  boys,  Lonis  and  Alphoosie,  and 
three  girls,  Olotilde,  Rose  and  Emma.  In  1867,  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Vautier,  who  now  resides  in  New  York,  and 
continued  the  business  on  his  own  account.  During  the  years 
1870,  '71  and  72,  he  was  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank. 

Mr.  Marconnier  has  not  only  obtained  an  enviable  position 
as  a  citizen  and  a  leading  merchant,  but  also,  as  the  father  of 
Evansville's  favorite  songstress — "the  Nilsson  of  Indiana" — 
Miss  Clotilde  Marconnier — ot  whom  we  expect  a  bright  and 
successful  career. 


Major  Jesse  W.  Walker. 


[AS  born  in  Evansville,  Indiana,  April  5th,  1841. 
His  grand-father,  Oapt.  Wm.  Walker,  was  killed  at 
Buena  Vista.  His  father,  John  T.  Walker,  M.  D.,  was  a  Surgeon 
in  the  Mexican  War,  and  also,  Surgeon  in  the  25th  Ind.  Reg't, 
during  the  late  war,  and  died  soon  after  leaving  the  service. 
His  older  brother,  Ool.  Wm.  H.  Walker,  died  in  service,  during 
the  late  war. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Evans- 
ville, and  in  Indiana  University.  He  left  the  University  in 
1849,  and  was  for  two  years  Deputy  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 
He  entered  the  army  in  the  Spring  of  '62.  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  Soon  after,  he  was  appointed  Adjt.  25th  Ind.  Reg't,  by 
Gov.  Morton.  In  '63,  he  was  detailed  by  order  of  Gen.  Grant, 
to  report  to  Maj.  Q^n.  Alvin  P.  Hovey,  as  Aid.  In  '64,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  President  Major  and  Ass't  Adj.  Gen.,  for  ser- 
vices in  the  field.  He  resigned  in  the  fall  of  '55.  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law,  in  partnership  with  Hon.  M.  S. 
Johnson ;  Esq.,  who  was  shortly  after  elected  Judge.  Since  that 
time  he  has  continued  in  the  practice  of  law. 

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898  Evcmaville  and  iia  Men  of  Mark, 

Major  Walker  is  of  a  retiring  disposition ,  and  seeks  no 
notoriety.  He  is  heartily  liked  by  the  citizens  of  Evansville, 
His  many  qualities  of  heart  and  word  have  secured  for  him  not 
an  enemy.  We  hope  that  he  may  live  long  to  enjoy  his  taste 
for  literature  and  the  fine  arts. 


John  L  Sianage. 


I  AS  born  in  Logan  County,  Ohio,  December  25th,  1844. 
His  father,  John  Stanage,  was  a  local  Methodist 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years, 
on  the  17th  day  of  July,  1849.  His  mother,  Mrs.  Malinda 
Stanage,  a  faithful  and  loving  wife,  died  July  24th,  of  the  same 
year,  leaving  the  third  son,  John  L.  Stanage,  an  orphan  at  the 
age  of  four  and  a  half  years,  and  also,  two  older  brothers,  aged 
respectively  fifteen  and  eleven  years,  and  a  younger  one,  aged 
nine  months. 

After  being  left  an  orphan,  John  L.  Stanage  was  placed 
under  the  care  of  his  uncle,  James  Stanage,  a  highly  respectable 
citizen  of  West  Liberty,  Logan  Co.,  Ohio,  who  was  engaged  in 
manufacturing  woolen  goods.  He  made  that  his  home  until  his 
sixth  year,  when  he  exchanged  it  for  one  at  his  aunt's,  a  sister 
of  his  father,  who  resided  in  Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  where 
he  remained  nearly  two  years.  At  the  age  of  seven  years,  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  took  up  his  abode  with  a  cousin,  a 
daughter  ot  his  uncle  James  Stanage,  which  place  he  made  his 
home,  and  entered  school  in  the  pleasant  little  village  of  West 
Liberty — the  home  of  the  great  "Piatt"  family,  one  of  the  most 
notable  and  hospitable  families  of  Ohio.  After  school  and  hours 
of  leisure,  he  would  be  engaged  in  selling  newspapers  and  fur- 
nishing subscribers  with  dailies  published  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
He  there  became  known  as  little  '*  Johnnie  the  news  boy."  A 
few  years  later  he  engaged  in  the  produce  business,  and 
remained  in  that  until  he  became  clerk  in  the  Post  OflSce  of  the 
village,  in  1861,  where  he  remained  for  three  years.     He  then 

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JOHN  L.  STANAGE. 


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Evansvilte  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  899 

went  South,  where  he  acted  in  the  capacity  of  citizen  clerk  in 
the  Department  of  Oommibsarj  of  Subsistence,  in  command  of 
James  0.  Stanage,  Capt.  and  0.  S ,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Capt.  Robt.  L.  McQuilquin,  and  he  by  Ool.  a.  0.  Kniffin.  With 
all  three  he  remained  until  he  was  ordered  to  Atlanta,  Oeorgia, 
where  he  ranked  as  Commissary  of  the  field,  until  Sherman  s 
march  to  the  sea.  He  then  left  Atlanta,  6a.,  and  came  to 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  where  he  re-entered  the  Commissary  De« 
partment,  under  Col.  0.  G.  Kniffin,  as  cashier  of  that  depart- 
ment, in  which  he  remained  until  December  17th,  1865,  when 
he  left  Murfreesboro  for  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

He  there  took  a  position  as  book-keeper  in  the  house  of 
Wm.  A.  Webb  &  Co.,  a  well  known  firm  of  that  day,  engaged 
extensively  in  the  wholesale  stationery  and  blank  book  manu- 
facturing business,  which  position  he  held  until  1868. 

He  then  became  connected  with  the  collection  department 
of  the  Singer  Manufacturing  Co.*s  office  at  Cincinnati,  and  final- 
ly had  full  charge  of  that  department,  for  the  Cincinnati  office. 
His  duties  in  this  position  made  him  acquainted  with  all  the 
details  of  their  immense  business.  He  was  often  detailed  to 
attend  to  important  business,  not  only  in  the  Cincinnati  office, 
but  also,  in  other  districts.  On  account  of  his  abilities  as  a  man- 
ager, he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Evansville  branch,  in  July, 
1873.  Few  persons  have  any  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
Sewing  Maching  business.  The  Singer,  as  the  leading  company, 
is  among  the  leading  corporations  of  this  country.  Their  sales 
for  the  last  year  (219,758  machines,  and  48,000  in  excess  of  any 
other  machine)  amounted  to  nearly  124,000,000.  The  business 
of  the  Evansville  branch  this  year,  will  Amount  to  over  $200,- 
000.  There  are  over  seventy  employees  connected  with  the 
Evansville  branch,  and  over  forty  wagons  are  supplied  from 
this  office.  The  office  of  the  company  is  fitted  up  in  first-class 
style,  and  has  the  reputation  of  ()eing  the  finest  in  Southern 
Indiana.  This  company  has  adopted  the  lease  system,  in  order 
to  have  their  machines  fully  represented  in  every  community. 
Under  this  manner  of  doing  business,  the  closest  care  is  requi- 
site, in  order  to  do  a  safe  and  profitable  business.  Over  a  thou- 
sand persons  to-day  are  paying  for  machines  on  the  above  plan. 
That  Mr.  Stanage,  though  only  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  is  the 

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400  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

right  man  in  the  right  place,  is  amply  demonstrated  by  his 
skillful  management  of  this  extensive  business,  and  though  we 
may  think  that  their  business  is  small,  yet  it  ranks  among  the 
leading  interests  of  the  city. 

There  is  not  a  more  skillful  manager  in  the  country,  than 
John  L.  Stanage,  and  we  bespeak  for  him  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful careers  of  any  man  in  the  country.  What  is  strange  for 
a  sewing  machine  man,  he  is  modest  and  retiring  in  his 
demeanor.  He  is  a  gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  and 
his  many  friends  regard  him  as  a  "  boon  companion  whose  con- 
versation is  replete  with  interesting  anecdotes  of  citizen  and 
soldier  life.*' 


David  Archer. 


i^AVID  ARCHER,  is  the  son  of  Thos.  Archer,  of  South 
Carolina,  who  left  there  in  1807  for  Indiana  Territory, 
but  stopped  in  Tennessee  and  raised  one  crop,  and  then  came 
on  to  this  Territory. 

David,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  1814,  May 
24th,  on  a  farm.  His  Mother  died  in  1836,  his  Father  in  1840. 
Before  his  Father  died,  he  was  staying  with  his  brother  Samuel' 
M.  Archer,  Merchant,  the  style  of  firm  being  at  that  time 
Stockwell  &  Archer,  afterwards  S.  M.  Archer.  Continued  in 
the  store  up  to  1847,  and  then  married  Martha  McCalla,  when 
he  set  up  a  store  in  Patoka,  in  connection  with  his  brother  ; 
continued  one  and  one-half  years  at  that  place,  and  came  back 
to  Princeton  and  bought  a  small  farm  at  the  edge  of  town, 
which  h8ks  since  been  incorporated  and  he  sold  it  out  in  lots. 
In  1869,  he  engaged  in  the  clothing  business,  with  Mr.  Crow, 
firm  Archer  &  Crow,  and  doing  good  business,  making  clothing 
a  specialty,  the  present  firm  being  successors  to  Robert 
Duncan,  the  first  clothing  firm  in  the  village. 

He  joined  the  Reform  Presbyterian  Church  in  1840.  The 
congregation  united  with  the  United  Presbyterians.  Two  chil- 
dren are  living,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  grown  and  unmarried. 

Digitized  by  VjiDO^^lt: 


B.  B.  Esfes. 


f  AME  to  Princeton,  Gibson  Co.,  Ind.,  in  1825,  with  his 
father,  Samuel  Estes,  who  came  from  North  Carolina  ; 
settled  on  a  farm  outside  of  the  village,  and  raised  a  crop  of 
corn,  and  died  in  1827,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  children  to 
mourn  his  loss.  Not  leaving  any  provision  for  his  family,  they 
lived  with  their  grand-father. 

The  subject  of  our  bketch,  B.  B.  Estes,  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  in  1818,  being  seven  years  of  age  when  he  arrived  in 
Gibson  County.  Being  young  when  his  father  died,  he  started 
out  to  battle  with  the  world,  quite  early.  He  attended  school 
during  the  Winter,  and  worked  at  all  work.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age,  his  brother,  G.  P.  Estes,  and  himself  borrowed  fifty 
dollars  and  entered  forty  acres  of  land,  and  moved  their  mother 
on  it  and  farmed,  keeping  their  mother  until  she  married  the 
second  time.  The  following  year,  entered  forty  acres  more  of 
land,  farming,  and  his  brother  worked  out  at  four  dollars  per 
month,  to  furnish  their  bread  and  meat.  They  got  along  fairly 
until  their  mother  married  Mr.  Holcomb,  which  broke  up  their 
home. 

In  1844,  B.  B.  Estes  started  oat  alone  in  the  world,  doing 
any  and  everything  to  make  a  living.  In  1845,  he  married 
Miss  Wheeler,  and  lived  happy  for  four  years,  when  she  died, 
leaving  him  no  children  to  console  him  in  his  misfortune. 

He  then  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  Patent  Wheat 
Fans,  with  some  others,  they  locating  at  different  places  for 
awhile,  making  and  selling  all  they  could  at  one  place,  when 
they  would  pull  up  stakes  and  settle  some  place  else.  He  trav- 
eled around  for  some  time  in  that  business,  when  he  returned 
to  Princeton,  and  married  Margaret  Ann  Devin,  daughter  of 
Alexander  Devin,  in  1858,  and  carried  on  different  trades,  until 
when  J.  P.  O'LowDsdial  and   himself  opened  a  country  store. 


51  .„..„..  .,.11  jgle 


Digitized  by  \^:jiJtJS 


402  SvanwiUe  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

and  did  well  Id  that  business.  He  afterwards  went  in  with 
Sam.  Devin,  but  his  partner  died  in  about  three  weeks,  so  he 
closed  the  business.  Afterwards  went  into  business  with  Ham- 
mond, the  firm  being  Estes  &  Hammond.  After  a  year's  good 
trade,  he  bought  his  partner  out,  it  being  about  1866.  His 
wife  died  two  years  afterwards,  in  1868,  leaving  him  three 
children,  who  are  still  living,  strewing  his  path  with  kind  atten- 
tion He  has  had  many  misfortunes,  but  is  now  in  comfortable 
circumstances,  and  enjoys  good  health,  which  bids  fair  to  pre- 
serve him  for  many  years,  selling  dry  goods  and  groceries  to 
the  Princetonians. 


Jonathan  Jaquess. 


^N  the  25th  day  of  September.  1805,  Jonathan  Jaquess, 
with  his  family,  arrived  and  located  in  what  is  now 
Robb  Township,  Posey  County,  Indiana.  He  purchased  the 
land  now  owned  by  his  son,  A.  C.  Jaquess.  There  being  a  small 
improvement  on  it,  he  paid  eighteen  hundred  dollars  in  gold 
and  silver,  for  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  entered  a 
quarter  section  of  land,  (paying  two  dollars  per  acre,  that  being 
the  congress  price  at  that  time)  for  each  child,  his  family  con- 
sisting of  James,  Garrison,  George,  Wesley.  Elizabeth,  Ogden, 
Permela,  Fletcher  and  A.  0.  Jaquess.  As  the  boys  and  girls 
grew  up  and  married,  each  went  to  his  or  her  quarter-section  of 
land,  and  commenced  to  clear  up  the  dense  and  heavy  forest, 
and  in  a  few  years  they  had  quite  a  settlement,  known  all  over 
the  country  as  the  Jaquess  Settlement, 

In  religion,  J.  Jaquess  and  Rebecca,  his  wife,  were  Method- 
ists, both  joining  the  church  when  young.  The  house  was  the 
home  of  all  the  circuit  riders,  as  well  as  all  Methodists.  Indeed, 
it  was  called  a  Methodist  town.  The  influence  of  J.  Jaquess 
and  his  wile  Rebecca,  was  always  directed  on  the  side  of 
morality.  They  were  the  first  persons  to  do  away  with  whisky 
at  log  rollings,  house  raisings  and  corn  huskings.     In  politics, 

Digitized  by  V^OOVlt: 


BvansfHlle  and  iU  Men  of  Mark.  403 

he  as  well  as  all  his  boys,  was  of  the  Whig  party,  believing  in 
Henry  Clay's  doctrine  of  home  protection,  and  opposed  to 
Slavery,  that  being  one  of  the  reasons  he  moved  from  Kentacky, 
to  get  out  of  the  influence  of  Slavery. 

J.  Jaquesss,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Middle- 
sex County,  New  Jersey,  on  the  28th  of  April,  1753.  His  wife 
Rebecca  was  born  in  Kent  County,  Maryland,  on  November  2d, 
1762.  He  was  a  sailor  when  the  great  struggle  for  liberty — 
the  American  Revolution — broke  out.  He  volunteered,  and 
served  during  the  war,  most  of  the  time  on  land,  but  part  of 
the  time  on  the  sea.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  White  Plains, 
King's  Bridge,  Long  Island  and  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 
After  the  war  was  over,  he  moved  to  Harrison  County,  Ken- 
tucky, remaining  there  several  years,  and  from  there  to  Indiana, 
at  the  point  designated  in  the  commencement  of  this  article. 

In  1865,  the  dencendants  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  had 
a  Jaqness  meeting,  or  a  family  re-union.  The  meeting  was  on 
the  25th  ot  September,  being  fifty  years  since  he  landed  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  A.  C.  Jaquess.  At  that  meeting 
there  were  over  one  hundred  descendants  and  relatives  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  well  might  it  be  called  a  re-union, 
for  many  relatives  met  there  that  had  never  met  before,  and 
many  met  to  renew  their  old  acquaintance  and  talk  of  their 
past  life  and  history.  It  was  a  meeting  of  joy  and  grief,  for 
many  a  dear  relative  was  gone  to  his  long  home,  and  in  refer- 
ring back  to  the  past,  there  was  many  a  pleasant  thought,  and 
many  a  cause  to  bring  a  sigh  and  a  tear. 

In  conclusion  I  would  say,  by  a  life  of  temperance  and  the 
blessing  of  God,  Jonathan  Jaquess  lived  to  the  good  old  age  of 
ninety  years,  two  months  and  one  day,  and  his  wife  lived 
to  be  eighty-six  years  old. 

Order  of  Births  in  Jonathan  Jaquess'  Family. 

Garretson,  Elizabeth,  George,  Rebecca,  Permela,  Wesley, 
Ogden,  Fltjtcher,  Asbury. 


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F^ 


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The  Lindley  Brothers. 


HOSE  who  observe  the  engraving  upon  the  opposite 
page,  will  readily  recognize  the  establishment  of 
James  F.  and  Hiram  M.  Lindley. 

The  above  are  of  Hoosier  birth.  Their  early  lives  were 
spent  upon  a  farm,  but  they  soon  decided  upon  another  and 
more  lively  field  of  operations.  They  each  acted  as  salesman 
in  New  Albany,  and  other  points.  In  1874,  the  firm  of  J.  F. 
Lindley  &>  Brother  was  formed,  and  till  1870,  the  Lindleys  were 
among  the  leading  houses  of  New  Albany. 

In  September,  1870,  they  removed  to  Evansville,  and 
located  at  No.  79  Main  Street.  The  requirements  of  their 
growing  business  made  a  change  necessary,  and  in  September, 
1872,  they  removed  to  their  present  location,  Nos.  305  and  307 
Main  Street. 

As  citizens,  the  above  have  been  second  to  none  in  public 
spirit  and  enterprise,  wnd  their  brief  business  career  in  this  city, 
has  gained  the  confidence  of  the  public.  Pleasant  and  inviting 
in  conversation,  honest  in  their  sales,  genial  in  appearance  and 
disposition,  they  can  not  but  succeed,  as  their  motto  is :  '*  Hon- 
esty and  one  price  for  all." 


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Judge  John  Pilcher. 


Editor  Htatorical  Publishing  Oonvpany  ; 
Deab  Sib  : 

In  reply  to  yours  of  the  5th  inst., 
I  have  to  say  that  I  know  very  little  of  my  father's  past  life  or 
history,  and  cannot,  therefore,  present  you  with  the  information 
desired. 

The  old  gentleman  was  born  at  Watertown  in  Connecticut, 
about  seventy- eight  years  ago.  His  legal  education  was  at 
Litchfield,  under  the  instruction  of  Judge  Reeves,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Aaron  Brown,  and  author  of  Reeves  Domestic  Relations, 
and  of  Judge  Gould,  author  of  Gould's  Pleadings,  both  eminent 
men,  and  founders  (I  think)  of  the  first  law  school  in  the  Uni- 
ted States.  Admission  to  the  Bar  was  at  Hartford,  Conn., 
about  1815.  Moved  west  soon  after.  First  wife  was  Miss  Gam- 
ble, a  sister  of  Commodore  Gamble,  U.  S.N.,  and  Col.  Jno. 
Gamble,  U.  S.  Marines.  Several  other  brothers  were  officers  in 
the  Navy.     The  family  was  from  New  Jersey. 

Second  wife  was  a  Miss  Cipna,  daughter  of  Dr.  Stephen  P. 
Cipiia,  who  was  at  one  time,  a  medical  officer  in  the  army,  and 
accompanied  Gen.  Clark's  Expedition,  etc.  The  doctor  died  at 
Rockport,  Ind.  Family  was  from  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Jamee 
G.  Jones  is,  I  have  been  told  by  the  late  Judge  Jones,  a  relation 
of  the  late  Dr.  Cipna,  and  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Crooks,  widow  of 
Col.  Jno,  W.  Crooks,  is  still  living.  Dates,  etc.,  I  can't  give 
you. 

My  father  has  attached  but  little  importance  to  matters  of 
pedigree,  and  I  imagine,  would  not  enlighten  you  much  upon 
that  subject,  in  a  long  conversation.  His  people  were  Tankeee 
of  pure  English  descent,  who  came  to  New  England  in  1719, 
(probably.) 

Religion  :  Episcopalian.  Confirmed  by  an  Episcopal  Bish- 
op, who  was  a  brother  of  Lord  Mansfield, 

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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  407 

Of  the  old  man's  relations  of  whom  I  know  and  have  heard 
from  other  members  of  the^  family,  I  can  only  name  the  late 
Nathaniel  Pitcher,  once  Governor  of  New  York,  and  the  late 
Dr.  Zena  Pitcher,  of  Detroit  Michigan,  both  cousins.  This  mat- 
ter of  kindred  might  be  generalized  by  saying  that  relationship 
embraced  about  half  of  New  England  and  New  York, 

I  have  given  you  about  all  the  light  upon  the  kindred 
subject,  of  which  I  am  capable. 

Very  Respectfully, 
Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Oct.  16,  1873.  H.  C.  Pitohbe. 


Joseph  Devin. 


[^OSEPH  DEVIN,  son  of  Alexander  and  Sarah  Devin, 
was  born  the  22nd  of  May.  A.  D.  1805,  in  Warren  Oo., 
Kentucky.  His  father  ^as  a  Baptist  minister.  He  moved 
from  Kentucky  to  Indiana,  and  settled  near  Princeton,  Qibson 
Oo.,  when  Joseph  was  about  five  years  old.  There  were  few 
settlers  in  the  county  at  that  time.  His  father  and  mother 
reared  a  large  family  on  a  farm,  two  and  a  half  miles  south-east 
of  Princeton. 

At  an  early  age,  Joseph  commenced  business  for  himself, 
first  farming,  then  teaching,  afterwards  clerking  for  Mr.  John 
Brownlee,  one  of  the  oldest  merchants  in  Princeton.  In  a  few 
years  he  went  into  mercantile  business,  and  finally  became  one 
of  the  largest  dealers  in  produce  and  merchandise,  in  the 
county. 

The  17th  of  September,  A.  D.  1833,  he  married  Nancy  Robb, 
daughter  of  Major  David  and  Nancy  Robb.  His  father-in-law 
was  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Gibson  County.  He  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  as  Captain  of  a  company  of  infant- 
ry, Joseph  and  Nancy  Devin  settled  in  Princeton,  one  square 
North  of  the  public  square,  and  continued  to  make  that  their 
home   during  his  life.     There  they  reared  six  children,  three 

Digitized  by  V^OOVlt: 


408  ^aneville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  very  cheerful,  kind  and 
indulgent,  in  his  family.  He  was  always  considered  an  upright 
man,  had  the  confidence  of  the  community,  always  ready  to 
assist  those  who  were  willing  to  assist  themselves,  and  ever 
ready  to  help  the  poor,  and  was  often  called  the  "poor  man's 
friend." 

For  years  there  was  not  a  bank  in  Princeton;  the  Treasurer 
deposited  the  money  of  the  county,  with  Joseph  Devin,  taking 
his  receipt  for  it ;  so  he  was  virtually  the  banker  of  the  county. 
In  politics,  he  was  termed  a  Whig,  during  the  existence  ot  that 
party.  He  served  one  year  in  the  Legislature,  aud  three  years 
as  County  Commissioner. 

In  the  Spring  of  1861,  he  made  a  profession  of  religion, 
and  lived  a  consistent  Christian.  He  labored  faithfully  for  the 
suppression  of  the  Rebellion  of  1861,  and  contributed  largely 
of  his  means  ;  in  fact,  never  seemed  to  allow  an  opportunity  to 
pass,  without  assisting  in  word  and  deed.  His  great  anxiety 
for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  seemed  to  hasten  his  death. 
He  died  the  10th  of  March,  A.  D.  1864,  and  was  interred  in 
the  cemetery  in  the  north-east  part  ol  Princeton. 


Ghar/es  G.  Schreeder. 


i\F  the  young  men  who  have  carved  out  their  own  for- 
^  tunes,  and  attained  an  honorable  position  in  society, 
is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Berlin,  Prussia, 
on  the  19th  of  January,  1847.  His  father,  Charles  Frederick 
Schreeder,  was  a  Democrat,  and  was  engaged  in  the  rebellion 
of  '48,  and  participated  in  those  noted  fights  in  the  streets  of 
Berlin. 

His  mother  started  for  America  on  the  Hd  of  April,  1852, 
as  a  passenger  on  the  sailing  vessel  Adolphphena,  and  on  the 
16th  of  August  arrived  in  Baltimore.  On  the  voyage, 
Mrs.  Schreeder  was  dangerously  ill,  and  at  one  time  her  life 
was  almost  despaired  of.     Having  friends  in  Huntingburg,  she 

Digitized  byVjDOy  IV^ 


Evanaville  and  iU  Men  of  Mark.  409 

immediately  started  for  that  destination,  and  arrived  there  on 
the  Ist  of  September.  Affcer  a  few  months'  residence  in  Hunting- 
burg,  Mrs.  Schreeder  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Frederich  Wiet- 
haup,  a  well  known  minister  of  the  German  Evangelical  church, 
and  the  family  removed  to  Evansville,  where  Mr.  Wiethaup  had 
charge  of  a  congregation  of  that  denomination,  and  continued 
in  his  labors  till  1855.  The  reverend  gentleman  now  resides  at 
Huntingburg,  in  the  enjoyment. of  good  health. 

Our  subject's  school  privileges  were  exceedingly  limited. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  several  terms  at  Evansville 
and  other  places  where  his  father  was  stationed.  In  1860, 
while  his  father  was  stationed  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  he  attended  one 
term  at  the  California  school  of  that  city. 

In  1863,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  enlisted  in  Oo.  D.  of  the 
2nd  Ohio,  and  was  engaged  in  chasing  Morgan.  After  six 
months'  bervice,  he  was  discharged,  and  immediately  thereafter 
came  to  Evansville.  and  endeavored  to  learn  the  saddler's  trade. 
Hifl  health  not  permitting,  he  did  not  continue  that  occupation. 
In  the  month  of  January,  1865,  he  again  enlisted,  this  time  in 
Co.  E.  143d  Reg't,  Ind.  Vol.,  under  the  command  of  Col.  J.  F. 
Grill.  On  the  17th  of  August,  he  was  wounded  while  scouting, 
and  was  disabled  for  life.  He  returned  home  in  October,  1865, 
and  went  to  woik  for  C.  Decker  &  Sons. 

He  was  married  on  the  12th  of  April,  1868,  to  Miss  Louisa 
C.  Behrens,  daughter  of  Herman  Behrens,  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers, and  also,  the  first  merchant  of  Huntingburg. 

In  January,  1869,  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Real  Estate 
Appraiser  of  Vanderburgh  County,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
with  credit  to  himself,  and  profit  to  the  county.  In  April, 
1870,  he  was  elected  City  Assessor,  and  held  that  office  one 
term.  From  January,  1870,  to  April,  1870,  he  was  also  Deputy 
Township  Collector,  with  Wm.  Warren,  Sr.  In  the  fall  of  1870, 
he  was  elected  Township  Assessor,  and  held  that  office  till 
April,  1872,  when  he  was  elected  City  Clerk,  and  retained  that 
position  till  April,  1873.  His  official  career  was  honorable,  and 
if  a  high-minded  management  of  his  business  was  any  criterion, 
Mr.  Schreeder  was  a  successful  official.  Since  Spring,  Mr.  Schree- 
der has  been  engaged  in  various  mercantile  operations. 
52 

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STROUSB  k  BROB.*  CLOTHING  PALACE. 


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Robert  Sfockwe/l. 


|0N  of  Samuel  and  Ann  Stopkwell,  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  27th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1785.  He  was  the  youngest  of  six  sons,  and  next  to 
youngest  of  eleven  children.  His  parents  emigrated  to  Ken- 
tucky in  1786,  and  settled  in  Bourbon  County.  In  1792,  they 
removed  to  Fleming  County,  where  the  family  obtained  a  per- 
manent home.  Kentucky  was  a  wilderness,  but  our  hardy 
pioneers  went  bravely  to  work,  and  made  pleasant  homes  for 
their  families.  His  father  died  in  1794,  and  his  mother 
in  1817. 

In  December,  1815,  our  subject  went  to  Pittsburg,  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  goods,  loaded  a  flat-boat,  and  floated  down 
the  Ohio.  In  January,  1816,  after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage, 
he  landed  at  what  is  now  known  as  Evansville.  Hugh  McGary 
had  a  double  log  cabin  on  the  bank,  and  his  family  assisted  in 
dragging  the  goods  out  of  the  way  of  the  water,  and  extended 
to  him  many  courtesies.  Mr.  Stockwell  had  an  acquaintance 
at  Princeton,  and  he  immediately  started  for  that  point,  then 
only  two  years  old,  and  containing  twenty  cabins.  A  Court 
House  built  of  salmon  brick  and  common  mortar,  was  the  pride 
of  the  village.  In  company  with  J.  W,  Jones,  father  of  the  late 
Judge  Jones,  he  sold  dry  goods,  etc.,  for  over  four  years.  Till 
1846,  Mr.  Stockwell  remained  in  Princeton,  and  his  store  was  the 
headquarters  of  nearly  all  the  settlers.  For  many  years  he  was 
county  agent  and  overseer  of  the  poor.  He  cared  not  for  polit- 
ical preferment,  but  rather  sought  the  quiet  walks  of  life,  where 
in  an  unostentatious  manner,  he  cared  for  the  poor  and  needy, 
and  exemplified  the  truths  of  that  religion  he  professed  to 
believe.  In  January,  1825,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  A. 
Barnes,  sister  of  Robert  Barnes.  This  worthy  lady  died  in 
September,  1826,  leaving  an  only  child,  now  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A. 
Stockwell. 

Digitized  by  V3OOQ IC 


412  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

In  1846,  our  subject  removed  to  Lafayette,  which  is  at  pres- 
ent his  place  of  residence.  For  many  years  he  was  in  the  whole- 
sale grocery  line,  but  of  late  he  has  engaged  in  banking  and 
the  building  of  railroads.  Mr.  Stockwell,  though  nearly  eighty- 
eight  years  of  age,  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health,  and  is 
free  from  the  diseases  which  generally  attend  the  aged.  His 
handwriting  is  as  firm  as  a  youth's,  his  conversation  is  interesting 
to  all,  and  we  can  truly  say  that  the  pioneer  has  kept  up  with 
the  times,  and  is  as  alive  to-day  on  the  great  questions  of  inter- 
nal improvements  as  he  was  forty  years  ago. 


Hugh  Henry  Patten. 


^ON  of  James  Patten,  Sen.,  was  born  near  Clarksville, 
Montgomery  County,  Tennessee,  on  the  30th  of  April, 
1796.  His  father's  family  came  from  England  to  Pennsylvania 
while  it  was  a  colony. 

After  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he  took  a  great 
interest,  and  in  which  he  spent  his  whole  fortune,  he  went  to 
Tennessee ;  from  thence  he  removed  to  Indiana,  about  1804. 
He  settled  on  Green  River  Island,  above  Evansville,  but  an 
unusual  flood  in  the  Ohio  River  drove  the  Islanders  from  their 
homes  ;  drowning  their  stock,  sweeping  away  their  houses  and 
crops,  leaving  them  perfectly  destitute.  His  father  was  totally 
ruined,  having  lost  stock,  crops  and  house,  and  everything  in  it. 
He  sought  and  found  high  land  where  Evansville  now  stands ; 
he  landed,  and  camped  near  the  spot  where  Barnes'  store  stands. 
The  weather  was  very  severe,  and  the  several  families  suffered 
much  from  its  inclemency.  A  German  by  the  name  of  Links- 
wiler,  with  a  large  family  of  his  own,  who  lived  on  high  ground 
below  where  they  were  encamped,  came  in  a  canoe  and  took  off 
about  fifteen  children,  and  sheltered  them  in  his  cabin,  where 
he  and  his  good  wife  treated  them  as  kindly  as  if  they  had  been 
their  own.     Fortunately,   there   was  plenty   of  game   in   the 

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Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  413 

forest,  and  they  lived  principally  on  wild  meat.  As  for  bread, 
they  had  none,  except  what  was  made  by  beating  corn  in  a 
mortar,  scooped  out  of  the  stnmp  of  a  tree.  Their  main  sub- 
stitute for  bread  was  lye  hominy,  made  by  boiling  corn  in 
strong  lye  till  the  skin  peeled  from  the  grains ;  then  washing 
the  lye  out  and  boiling  till  tender. 

At  that  time,  there  was  not  more  than  one  or  two  houses 
between  the  Ohio  River  and  Vincennes.  Almost  every  man, 
when  he  left  his  cabin,  was  armed  with  his  gun,  butcher  knife 
and  tomahawk,  accompanied  by  his  dog ;  and  occasionally, 
women  were  seen,  traveling  with  the  same  precautions  against 
danger,  and  many  of  them  were  as  expert  in  the  use  of  those 
things  as  the  men.  They  were  not  then  harrassed  by  the 
Indians,  though  their  were  more  of  them  than  of  the  whites. 
A  great  part  of  the  men's  clothing  was  of  the  skins  of  wild 
animals,  particularly  of  the  deer.  This  enabled  them  to  pass 
through  the  brush  and  briers  of  the  forest,  with  more  ease  and 
comfort,  than  any  other  material.  At  a  later  period,  the 
Indians  gave  them  much  trouble  and  constant  watching,  and 
some  fighting.  Two  Chiefs,  Trackwell  and  Setadown,  had  a 
town  between  Evansville  and  Boonville.  Their  people  mur- 
dered part  of  the  Meek  family,  near  where  Newburgh  now 
stands.  In  those  days  they  suffered  many  privations,  which 
would  now  be  considered  very  grievous ;  but  we  verily  believe 
they  enjoyed  life  then  quite  as  much  as  they  do  now. 

The  early  part  of  our  subject's  education,  wsw  acquired 
with  Revs,  James  McGready  and  Daniel  Comfort  of  Henderson, 
Kentucky.  He  entered  Nassau  Hall,  Princeton  College,  New 
Jersey,  in  1816,  and  graduated  in  1820,  and  received  from  the 
College  a  full  diploma  of  A.B.,  and  from  the  American  Whig 
Society,  a  literary  and  scientific  institution,  a  diploma  confer- 
ring on  him  the  degree  and  title  of  F  A.W.S.  Soon  after  grad- 
uating, he  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the  Warren  County 
Seminary,  in  Warren  County,  Ky.,  which  was  afterwards  char- 
tered as  a  College,  in  which  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics. After  remaining  in  the  College  for  several  terms,  he 
resigned  his  Professorship. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  1822,  he  was  married  to  Jane  Moore, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Barclay,  Sen.,  of  Bowling  Green,  Ky. 

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414  Bvansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

After  resigning  his  professorship,  in  1823,  he  was  ordained 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Muhlenbnrg,  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  1824,  he  removed  to  Tennessee, 
and  remained  in  that  State  till  1881,  when  he  again  removed 
to  Kentucky.  He  served  the  Board  of  Domestic  Missions, 
under  the  care  of  the  General  Assembly,  until  his  health  failed 
from  labor  and  exposure,  about  1832.  In  1834,  he  removed  to 
Indiana. 

He  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  about  1838,  and 
continued  the  practice  till  about  1868,  and  although  he  prac- 
ticed medicine,  he  continued  to  preach  occasionally,  as  long  as 
he  was  able.  His  success  in  all  his  callings,  has  been  as  great 
as  inen  in  like  OQcupations  usually  meet  with.  He  hus  only 
one  child  living.  Dr.  James  0.  Patten,  who  has  six  children 
living ;  their  oldest,  a  daughter,  died  in  1840,  aged  sixteen 
years. 

And  now,  having  lived  nearly  four-score  years,  he  wishes 
to  record  his  constant  and  unwavering  belief  in  the  truth  of 
the  Christian  Scriptures,  and  the  sufficiency  of  the  Christian 
Religion  to  meet  and  supply  all  man's  spiritual  wants,  and  to 
inspire  a  lively  hope  oi  a  glorioua  Resurrection,  and  a  future 
life  of  holiness  and  happiness  in  Heaven. 


Ghar/es  E.  Marsh. 


f  AS  born  in  Waterford,  Washington  Co.,  Ohio,  on  the 
10th  of  April,  1835.  William  Marsh,  the  ancestor 
of  the  American  branch  of  the  family,  and  the  heir  and  owner 
of  the  manor  of  Stone  Hedge,  in  Kent  County,  England,  emi- 
grated from  there  in  the  year  1635,  and  landed  at  Salem,  Mas- 
sachusetts. At  about  the  same  period,  his  mother's  ancestors 
emigrated  from  England  and  settled  at  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
one  head  of  the  family,  Gregory  Stone,  including  in  his  landed 
posessions  what  is  now  Mt.  Auburn  Cemetery,  near  Boston. 

Charles  E.  Maesh  is  entirely  of  English  descent,  and  is 
aware  of  having  no  ancestor  coming  from  England  later  than 

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Bvansvitle  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  416 

two  hundred  years  ago.  He  was  educated  principally  by  his 
mother,  at  an  exceedingly  early  age.  He  spent  one  term,  how- 
ever, at  an  academy  in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  and  two  years  at 
Antioch  College,  in  Ohio.  At  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  before  going 
away  from  home  to  school,  he  commenced  by  himself  to  read  law 
— a  study  which,  although  followed  in  a  desultory  manner,  he 
never  entirely  abandoned.  He  arrived  at  Evansville  directly 
from  college,  in  the  Spring  of  1859,  and  on  the  15th  of  October 
following,  commenced  at  the  bottom  round  again  to  study  law 
methodically,  with  Governor  Conrad  Baker,  under  whose  tuition 
a  consciousness  (to  use  Mr.  Marsh's  words)  began  to  dawn  on 
his  mind  that  the  former  estimates  which  he  had  made  of  his 
legal  acquirements  were  a  trifle  too  high — in  fact,  that  he  knew 
just  enough,  that  if  he  had  been  in  practice,  to  get  into  all 
sorts  of  trouble,  but  not  enough  to  ever  get  out  again.  In 
September,  1861,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  owing  to  his 
preceptor,  then  Col.  Baker,  having  gone  into  the  army,  found 
himself  with  a  full  practice  on  his  hands.  Much  success 
attended  the  disposal  of  the  large  number  of  cases  which  fell  to 
his  lot  to  manage  at  this  time.  He  was  indebted  to  Judge  Igle- 
hart.  Gen.  James  E.  Blythe,  Hon.  Thos.  E.  Garvin,  Major  A.  L. 
Robinson  and  John  J.  Chandler,  Esq.,  for  many  courtesies. 
These  gentlemen  kindly,  and  often  without  fee,  aided  with  their 
counsel  the  young  lawyer  when  he  sadly  needed  their  assistance. 
He  contrived  to  gain  an  immense  amount  of  law  from  Judge 
Iglehart  during  those  days,  making  a  good  use  of  the  same  on 
many  an  occasion.  Of  late  years  his  practice  has  been  princi- 
pally in  the  U.  S.  Courts,  and  in  this  branch  of  the  practice  has 
gained  considerable  distinction. 

Mr.  Marsh  is  not  only  a  fine  lawyer,  but  he  is  also  a  lover 
of  the  solid  literature  of  the  day.  He  is  familiar  with  all  the 
Reviews — English  and  American — and  can  speak  by  the  hour, 
con  aTnore^  on  the  leading  topics  of  "Blackwood"  or  the  "Atlan- 
tic.*' He  was  married  in  1868,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Denny  of  Vin- 
cennes — a  lady  of  the  highest  culture,  and  a  fit  help-mate  of 
a  scholar  and  professional  gentleman. 

Our  space  forbids  us  to  speak  at  length,  but  yet  we  will 
say  that  our  subject  is  a  jolly  companion,  and  that  "time  flies  on 
wings"  when  spent  in  his  company. 

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William  E.  French. 


(AS  born  near  Patoka,  Gibson  County,  Indiana,  on  the 
26th  of  January,  1825.  Hie  father,  Wm.  French, 
and  his  mother,  Mary  Breading,  were  both  natives  of  Fayette 
County,  Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  March,  1822, 
and  moved  shortly  afterwards  in  a  flat  boat  down  the  Monon- 
gahela  and  Ohio  Rivers  to  Evansville,  (then  a  mere  river  land- 
ing) where  they  disembarked  and  went  directly  to  a  farm  near 
Patoka  where  their  family  was  born.  This  consisted  of  four 
sons  ;  first,  David,  who  was  accidently  killed  by  a  runaway 
team,  March  7th,  1838,  aged  sixteen  years.  Our  subject  was 
the  second.  Nathaniel  B.,  formerly  a  merchant  in  Princeton — 
during  the  war  was  Major  of  the  42nd  Ind.  Reg't,  and  is  now 
living  in  Princeton,  and  Lucius  S.,  now  owning  and  living  on 
the  old  family  farm.  His  father  was  accidently  killed  by  a 
tree,  on  Sunday,  in  October,  1844,  while  riding  along  the  road 
near  his  residence,  and  while  returning  from  church  at  Prince- 
ton, in  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  age.  His  mother  is  still  living  on 
the  farm  with  his  brother,  and  is  now  almost  eighty  years  of  age, 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health. 

Our  subject  was  educated  first  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
country,  near  his  father's  residence,  and  then  for  a  year  at  the 
Princeton  Academy.  Afterwards  he  attended  Hanover  College, 
near  Madison,  Indiana.  At  his  father's  death,  the  cares  of  the 
family  devolved  upon  him,  but  after  remaining  at  home  one 
year,  he  went  to  the  State  University  at  Bloomington,  where  he 
graduated  in  the  Scientific  Course  in  1846.  He  returned  home, 
and  for  several  years  he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  tra- 
ding in  produce,  which  he  transported  in  fiat- boats  out  of  Pato- 
ka into  the  Wabash  River,  and  thence  down  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi Rivers  to  New  Orleans.  On  May  10th,  1849,  he  was 
married   to   Miss   Mary  H.  Stockwell,  daughter  of  Dr.  W.  H. 

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Evan9ville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  417 

Stockwell  of  Patoka,  and  sister  of  Geo.  H.  Stockwell  and 
Nathan  H.  Stockwell  of  Evansville,  and  Minerva  Bingham,  wife 
of  G.  B.  Bingham',  of  Patoka,  Ind. 

In  August,  1850,  he  moved  to  Evansville,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  Fielding  Johnson,  then  of  Bowling  Green,  K7 , 
entered  into  the  wholesale  and  retail  dry  goods  business,  under 
the  style  of  Johnson  &  French.  In  1850,  Mr.  Johnson  retired 
from'business  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  Mr.  French  purchased 
his  interest,  and  Mr.  Johnson  moved  to  Topeka,  Kansas. 

Mr.  French  then  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Sylvester 
I.  Jerauld,  of  Patoka,  and  for  three  years  the  style  of  firm  was 
French  &  Jerauld.  He  then  changed  the  business  to  that  of 
wholesale  clothing,  and  till  the  commencement  of  the  Southern 
Rebellion  in  1861,  Mr.  French  sold  goods  in  Kentucky,  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  under  the  style  of  Wm.  E.  French  &  Co.  He  sus- 
tained heavy  losses,  in  the  way  of  bad  debts,  and  retired  from 
business  for  one  year,  in  order  to  settle  the  aflfairs  of  the  house. 
After  the  passage  of  the  new  Internal  Revenue  Bill,  he  was 
appointed  Deputy  Collector  for  this  division  of  the  First  Dis- 
trict of  Indiana,  and  served  three  years  in  that  capacity.  Many 
of  the  maimed  soldiers  of  the  war  returned  home,  and  believing 
that  the  civil  offices  under  the  patronage  of  the  Government 
should  be  held  by  the  returned  veterans,  who  had  risked  their 
lives  for  its  support,  on  the  field  of  battle,  he  resigned  his  office 
in  favor  of  Wm.  "Warren,  Jr.,  an  honorably  discharged  private 
of  the  25th  Ind.  Reg't,  who  had  returned  home  to  Evansville 
with  the  loss  of  his  right  arm.  He  recommended  his  appoint- 
ment, was  on  his  bond,  and  assisted  him  in  gaining  a  knowledge 
of  the  various  duties  of  the  office. 

In  1863,  Mr.  French  again  entered  into  the  wholesale  dry 
goods  business,  with  J.  S.  Jaquess,  under  the  style  of  Jaquess, 
French  &  Co.  They  had  a  large  and  profitable  business  for  five 
years,  during  which  time,  the  firm  opened  the  carpet  business, 
in  the  second  story  of  their  store.  By  mutual  agreement,  the 
business  was  then  divided.  The  dry  goods  portion  was  sold  to 
Hudspeth,  Smith  &  Co.,  and  Mr.  French,  in  connection  with 
Charles  Klinglehceffer,  went  into  the  general  carpet  and  house- 
furnishins  business  exclusively,  and  from  that  time  to  the  pres- 
ent,  have  been  doing  a  large  business  in  that  line.  ^  Their 
53 


418  Evansville  and  its  Men  of  Mark, 

spacious  and  elegant  store,  No.  205  Main  Street,  contains  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  stocks  of  carpets,  etc.,  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  whole  West,  and  would  attract  attention 
in  any  city  in  the  United  States.  Buying  direct  from  the  man- 
ufacturers, the  firm  is  enabled  to  meet  the  views  of  the  closest 
buyers,  and  sell  against  all  competitors,  East  or  West.  On  this 
account,  Evansville  has  become  proverbial  as  the  Cheapest  Car- 
pet Market  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  this  house 
has  been  the  head-quarters  for  supplies  for  dwellings,  steam- 
boats and  hotels.  The  St.  George  Hotel  is  now  being  furnished 
entirely  by  this  house,  and  will  be  a  model  hotel  for  comfort, 
elegance  and  good  taste. 

Mr.  French  has  five  children,  two  of  whom,  Wm.  S.  and 
Harry  B.,  are  associated  with  the  management  of  the  establish- 
ment. 

The  partner  of  Mr.  French,  Mr.  CHiiRLES  Klinqlehoef- 
FER,  was  born  at  Hesse  Oassel,  Grermany,  June  29th,  1830,  and 
emigrated  to  Evansville  in  1850.  He  understands  his  business 
thoroughly,  and  is  deservedly  one  of  the  most  popular  salesmen 
in  the  city. 

The  upholstery  department  of  the  house  of  Wm.  E.  French 
&  Co.,  is  under  the  control  of  Louis  Stolz,  whose  taste  and  work- 
manship have  never  been  equalled  in  Evansville.  The  paper 
and  decoration  work  is  done  by  W.  V.  Ramage,  of  Dayton,  Ohio, 
and  0.  J.  HoUis,  recently  of  Memphis,  but  formerly  of  Phila- 
delphia. Their  work  is  equal  to  any,  and  excelled  by  none,  for 
beauty  of  design  or  style  of  execution. 


Christian  Kratz. 


IKOMINENT   among   the   most   respected    citizens  of 
Evansville,  stands  Christian  Eratz.     The  facts  of 
his  life  furnish  a  sufficient  encomium  of  his  character. 

Mr.  Krata  was  born  in  Hesse  Cassel,  Germany,  on  the  5th 
day  of  September,  1823.     His  parents  were  J^frfi'liird  Elizabeth 


C.  KRATZ. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark.  419 

Kratz.  In  1834,  his  father,  with  his  family,  being  greatly  in- 
volved, sold  his  farm  in  the  Old  World,  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
the  New,  landing  in  this  country  in  September  of  .the  same 
jear,  in  Baltimore,  with  a  five-franc  piece.  Soon  preparations 
were  made,  and  the  father,  together  with  his  family,  took  the 
^National  Turnpike  for  Pittsburg.  At  this  place  the  father, 
with  his  eldest  son  and  Christian,  went  into  a  foundry,  where 
they  labored  until  the  Spring  ot  1837.  In  the  month  of  April 
of  the  same  year,  they  removed  to  Evansville.  His  father,  then 
satisfied  with  having  gone  West  far  enough,  entered  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  Government  land  in  German  Township, 
-at  one  dollar  and  twenty- five  cents  per  acre,  all  of  which  was 
heavily  timbered.  In  two  years*  time,  this  land  was  in  good 
Arable  condition. 

In  1838,  our  subject  worked  on  the  canal,  then  in  process 
of  construction,  at  eight  dollars  per  month.  From  the  last  date 
4intil  the  fall  of  the  year  1847,  our  subject  worked  at  various 
employments,  when,  by  the  most  rigid  economy,  he  had  saved 
five  hundred  dollars.  Having  previously  (in  1846)  married 
Miss  Mary  Heilman,  he  now  proposed  to  his  brother-in-law,  the 
present  Hon.  Wm.  Heilman,  that  they  engage  in  the  foundry 
business,  and  the  partnership  was  formed,  and  the  small  begin- 
i)ing  was  commenced  of  that  immense  business  now  carried  on 
by  the  respective  gentlemen. 

Some  of  his  travels,  etc.,  are  mentioned  in  the  following  lines: 
In  the  Winter  of  1838,  he  worked  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Horn- 
brook,  at  eight  dollars  per  month.  In  the  Summer  of  1839,  he 
worked  with  his  father  in  clearing.  In  the  fall,  he  worked  for 
Mr.  Aiken,  gathering  corn,  at  ten  dollars  per  month.  In  the 
same  year,  he  went  on  a  flat-boat  to  New  Orleans.  He  shipped 
on  the  St.  Louis  Packet,  Mary  Tompkins^  from  his  boat  to  Wes- 
ton, to  take  on  one  hundred  barrels  of  flour.  In  returning,  the 
boat  sank.  For  forty- eight  hours  he  was  without  anything  to 
eat,  pumping  to  save  the  boat.  He  then  shipped  on  the 
Amazon,  .  In  four  or  five  days  she  sank.  He  then 
went  by  the  steamer  West  Wind  to  New  Orleans,  where  he 
shipped  on  another  boat,  the  Western  Belle,  a  Cincinnati  and 
New  Orleans  Packet,  for  the  remainder  of  the  season.  What 
money  was  saved  he  took  home  to  his  pare^isl'^inio^l^  where 


420  Bvanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

he  worked  during  the  Summer.  lu  the  fall,  he  went  to  Louie^ 
yiUe  and  shipped  as  deck-hand  and  watchman  on  the  steamer 
Orey  Eagle,  commanded  by  Captain  Shelcross,  at  eighteen  dol- 
lars per  month ;  remained  for  seven  months,  when  he  came 
home  again. 

In  the  fall  of  1841,  he  assisted  his  father  in  building  a^ 
large,  double  two  story  log  house  on  the  farm,  which  now 
remains,  and  is  owned  by  John  Bowers.  He  cut  his  right  ankle 
while  finishing  the  House,  with  a  broad  axe.  In  the  same  fall, 
he  went  to  Louisville  to  get  a  situation  on  a  boat ;  was  advised 
by  friends  not  to  go  on  the  river  on  account  of  his  cut :  went 
into  the  foundry  of  Meadows  &  McQrane,  at  nine  dollars  per 
week ;  staid  six  months,  then  went  to  another  shop  at  piece^ 
word;  and  worked  up  to  twenty-five  dollars  per  week.  He  got 
his  older  brother  to  go  to  Louisville  and  engage  in  the  same 
business,  in  1845.  His  brother  was  engaged  to  be  married 
Christmas,  of  the  same  year.  He  borrowed  some  money  of 
Christian.  The  river  froze  over,  so  they  could  get  no  convey- 
ance, and  they  crossed  the  river  and  took  it  a-foot,  making  the 
trip  to  Evansville  in  four  and  one-half  days.  He  lost  four  toe- 
nails, which  never  grew  on  again. 

In  1846,  he  came  back  from  Louisville,  and  soon  formed 
the  partnership  as  above  stated,  which  terminated  in  the  fall  of 
1864. 

Since  1864,  Mr.  Eratz  has  managed  the  Southern  Machine 
Works  with  great  success.  In  1870,  the  foundry  was  enlarged 
to  its  present  capacity,  which  places  it  among  the  largest  in 
this  section,  Personally,  Mr.  Eratz  is  plain  and  unassuming^ 
He  is  not  ashamed  of  his  humble  origin,  and  wears  the  same 
style  of  clothes  to-day  that  he  wore  on  his  entry  into  business. 
He  is  kind  to  the  poor — and  keeps  open  house  for  many  a  score 
of  friends — who  regard  our  subject  as  "A  hail  fellow  well  met."' 


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William  Jerauld. 


^MONO  the  early  settlers  in  southern  Indiana,  Wm.  Jerauld* 
Esq  ,  formerly  of  Princeton,  but  now  of  Patoka,  Indiana* 
deserves  a  passing  notice. 

He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Warwick,  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
July  3d,  1793.  He  was  the  fifth  son  of  Dr.  Gorton  Jerauld.  He 
received  a  fair  common  school  education,  for  those  days,  and 
possessing;  a  most  wonderful  memory  be  made  good  use  of  it. 
From  his  boyhood  he  was  well  versed  in  the  politics  and  the 
history  of  the  Country,  and  when  the  War  of  1812  was  declared, 
he  was  among  the  foremost  to  volunteer,  enlisting  and  serving 
to  the  close  of  the  war  in  Oapt.  Smith  Bosworth's  Company. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Adah  Bucklin,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  on 
the  14th  of  December,  A.  D.  1814. 

Having  become  inured  to  toil,  and  full  of  that  adventurous 
spirit  which  was  so  characteristic  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
portion  of  the  country,  he  started  on  a  tour  of  observation  to 
the /ar  west,  as  it  was  then  called,  arriving  at  Evansville,  Ind., 
then  a  little  Trading  Post,  with  perhaps  one  log  cabin,  in  Dec- 
ember 1816.  He  stopped  at  Vincennes,  Ind.,  the  only  place  of 
any  prominence  west  of  Louisville,  and  spending  the  winter 
there,  he  started  home  in  the  Spring  of  1817,  going  by  water, 
via  New  Orleans,  the  Isle  of  Cuba  and  Boston — arriving  home 
in  the  autumn  of  1817,  after  being  out  seven  months  on  the 
voyage. 

Mr.  Jerauld  then  took  his  young  wife,  his  father's  family 
bearing  him  company,  and  came  back  to  make  their  home  in  the 
wilds  of  Indiana,  landing  at  Evansville  in  the  month  of  Janu- 
ary, A.  D.  1818. 

The  family  then  consisted  of  the  following  persons :  Dr. 
Gorton  Jerauld  and  wife,  who  were  the  father  and  mother  of 
Wm.    Edward,   Dutee  and    Sylvester   T.   Jerauld,   with  two 

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422  Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark. 

daughters,  Oandace,  who  subsequently  was  married  to  Gordon 
Bingham,  formerly  of  Baltimore,  and  was  the  father  of  Q,  B.  S. 
J.  and  John  Bingham  ;  and  Phebe  Ann  Jerauld,  who  married 
Charles  Harrington,  who  was  well  known  in  Evanaville,  Ind., 
as  were  the  Bingham  Bros,  two  of  whom,  6.  B.  and  John  survive, 
and  are  now  among  the  most  prominent  business  men  of  Evans- 
ville.  His  brother  Edward,  was  the  father  of  Q.  N.  Jerauld  ot 
Princeton,  Ind.,  who  is  one  of  the  most  wealthy  and  enterprising 
merchants  of  the  place. 

Wm.  Jerauld  settled  in  Princeton,  Ind.,  on  a  lot  where 
John  Lagon  now  resides,  paying  $250  for  it,  which  was  all  the 
money  he  had.  But  Mr.  Jerauld  was  not  long  in  making  a 
good  living  for  his  family.  His  genial  disposition  and  fine  ad- 
dress, together  with  his  business  qualifications,  made  him  "a  man 
of  lyiark"  among  the  people,  and  he  was  nearly  constantly 
employed  in  offices  of  honor  or  profit,  or  assisting  those  who  were 
so  enployed,  insomuch  that  he  became  a  general  favorite. 

But  after  taking  a  fair  start  towards  becoming  wealthy,  he 
and  his  brother  Dutee,  on  or  about  the  year  1831,  built  a  Cotton 
Factory  in  Princeton,  which  burned  down  soon  after  it  was 
started,  and  there  being  no  insurance,  the  loss  was  for  a  time 
ruinous.  His  freiuds  and  creditors  persuaded  him  to  compro 
mise  his  debts  by  paying  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar.  But  he  and 
his  brother  both  refused  to  do  this,  asking  only  one  year's  time, 
during  which  they  sold  their  homes  in  Princeton,  and  paid  all 
indebtedness.  After  this  Mr.  Jerauld  put  up  two  Flouring 
Mills,  in  company  with  others.  But  not  succeeding  very  well 
in  these  enterprises,  he  went  to  Patoka,  four  miles  North  of 
Princeton,  and  purchased  a  house  and  lot.  This  was  about  the 
year  ot  1842.  He  with  his  excellent  wife  spent  many  years 
here,  keeping  Hotel,  mainly  for  transient  custom,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  there  was  no  better  fare  in  Southern  Indiana  than  wa« 
found  here.  Their  table  was  not  only  loaded  with  all  the 
choice  luxuries  the  country  could  afford,  but  Mr.  Jerauld's 
pleasant  manners,  and  his  natural  friendly  disposition  won  for 

him  golden  opinions  from  his  guests.  ^ ^ 

Since  the  death  of  his   wife,  which  took   place  many  years 
0,  he  divides  his  time  among  his  children — staying  a  part  of 


Evanaville  and  its  Men  of  Mark,  423 

wife  of  Jesse  T.  Lamb,  Esq.,  who  lives  on  his  former  old  home- 
stead in  Patoka. 

Mr.  Jerauld  is  a  man  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  in- 
tellect and  culture,  and  in  his  younger  days  he  not  only  had  an 
extraordinary  memory,  but  his  conversational  powers,  his  wit, 
his  inexhaustible  fund  of  anecdote  made  him  a  universal 
favorite. 

He  was  an  old  line  Whig  in  politics,  and  a  very  warm  poli- 
tical partisan.  It  was  often  the  custom  in  the  olden  times,  at 
the  hustings  or  elections,  to  have  one  man  on  each  side  to  have 
a  sort  of  a  street  debate.  On  all  such  occasions  Wm.  Jerauld 
was  not  only  ready  to  give  his  reason  concerning  the  political 
hope  that  was  within  him,  but  he  was  the  peer  in  argument  of 
any  man  who  might  be  pitted  against  him,  of  the  opposite  party. 
But  he  was  not  quarrelsome — he  never  got  angry,  and  he  wflts 
too  good  a  story-teller  to  let  his  antagonist  get  out  of  humor. 
If  he  saw  some  rising  cloud  of  anger  in  the  countenance  or  tone 
of  his  opponent,  he  would  suddenly  tell  some  pleasing  story 
which  would  convulse  the  whole  crowd  with  laughter,  and  in  this 
way  good  feeling  was  always  restored.  And  although,  now  he 
labors  under  the  weight  of  eighty  years,  he  walks  erect,  con- 
verses intelligently,  and  his  eyes  beam  with  much  of  the  old 
time  luster  they  were  wont  to  exhibit  in  his  younger  days.  He 
can  still  amuse  his  friends  with  stories  of  olden  times — tell  them 
of  the  wilderness  which  has  budded  and  blossomed  as  a  rose, 
how  the  country  was  once  beset  with  howling  beasts  and  sava- 
ges, and  how  churches  and  school  houses  have  sprang  into  being, 
and  cultivation  and  progress  have  taken  their  places,  and  are 
now  the  order  of  the  day. 

And  it  is  the  hope  of  his  many  friends,  that  he  may  live 
long  to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  that  freedom  and  general  prosper- 
ity, which  he  has  by  his  labor  and  example  done  so  much  to 
bring  about. 


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