Civil War

Biographical Sketch of Irwin Bacon

Irwin Bacon is a native of Portage County, Ohio, and was born January 19, 1843. His father was a native of Connecticut, and his mother, of Ohio. His parents came to Daviess County in 1848, when he was five years of age, and settled on a farm, where he remained until 1861, when he enlisted in Company G, Thirty-third Regiment Enrolled Missouri State Militia, and was on duty at intervals during the war and participated in several noted engagements. At the close of the war he returned to his home and engaged in farming until 1870, and has been a … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Eubanks & Family

Interviewer: Archie Koritz Person Interviewed: John Eubanks Location: Gary, Indiana Place of Birth: Barren County, Kentucky Date of Birth: June 6, 1836 Age: 98 Archie Koritz, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project Lake County-District #1 Gary, Indiana EX-SLAVES JOHN EUBANKS & FAMILY Gary, Indiana Gary’s only surviving Civil War veteran was born a slave in Barren County, Kentucky, June 6, 1836. His father was a mulatto and a free negro. His mother was a slave on the Everrett plantation and his grandparents ware full-blooded African negroes. As a child he began work as soon as possible and was put to work … Read more

Slave Narrative of Barney Stone

Interviewer: Robert C. Irvin Person Interviewed: Barney Stone Location: Noblesville, Indiana Place of Birth: Spencer County, Kentucky Date of Birth: May 17, 1847 Age: 91 (about) Robert C. Irvin District #2 Noblesville, Ind. EX-SLAVE, LIFE STORY OF BARNEY STONE, FORMER SLAVE, HAMILTON CO. This is the life story of Barney Stone, a highly respected colored gentleman of Noblesville, Hamilton County seat. Mr. Stone is near nintey-one years old, is in sound physical condition and still has a remarkable memory. He was a slave in the state of Kentucky for more than sixteen years and a soldier in the Union army … Read more

Slave Narrative of John H. Gibson

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: John Henry Gibson Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Scott County, N. C. Place of Residence: Colton Street Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE JOHN HENRY GIBSON-EX-SLAVE Colton Street John Henry Gibson was born a slave, many years ago, in Scott County, N.C. His old master, John Henry Bidding, was a wealthy farmer; he also owned the hotel, or rooming house. When court was in session the “higher ups” would come to this house, and stay until the court affairs were settled. Mr. Bidding, who was … Read more

Mondamin Iowa Civil War Veterans

Barnes Post 103 Grand Army of the Republic was organized in Mondamin October 24, 1882 by seventeen charter members. The first officers were: C. H. Burrows, Commander; T. J. Powell, S.V.; W. B. Keith, J. V.; E. J. Hagerman, Surgeon; John H. Noyes, Q.M.; S. J. Linn, O.D.; and R. Morgriedge, O. G. The following names were given as members in the 1891 Harrison County History Book J. W. Arbaugh, Pvt., Co. F, 73rd Indiana Inf. Jess L. Arbaugh, Pvt. Co. F, 13 Iowa Inf. E. C. Beaman, Pvt., Co E, 21st Indiana Inf. J. W. Beaman, Pvt. Co. E, … Read more

Civil War Veterans of Little Sioux Iowa

J. W. Alton W. B. Alton Andrew Armstrong S. C. Bartholomew Milton Bassett James Beecham Henry Bishop H. H. Bonney Jasper Bonney W. H. Butler John C. Conyers Matthew M. Conyers S. W. Crane B. F. Croasdale Ander M. Ellis Clarke Ellis John H. Ellis Andrew J. Erb William Fisher S. B. Frost A. Griffith James Harmon Cornelias Hendrickson David Herring Thomas Jester B. L. Jones S. W. Jones William Kellar R. W. Kerr E. P. Kidder Joshua Lane W. LeSeur J. C. Lytle Thomas McAdon Chester McEvers Elisha McEvers L. H. McWilliams Dan Murphy Rudolph Neitzsch Charles W. Oden … Read more

Modale Iowa Civil War Veterans

Civil War Veterans who resided in Modale Iowa. The list was created in 1884, but we are unsure if all the men listed here were still alive at that time. James Alexander Jacob Antabus Jesse Arbaugh John Arbaugh H. O. Beebe James Bird Jesse Bowman W. H. Bourne R. G. Boyd S. J. Bracken F. M. Caywood David Clever Levi Crouch Charles Cutler Aaron Davis Richard Davis Nebraska Indian Scout J. M. Epperson Henry George, Died in war J. S. Lightell B. F. Martin James McManimie Julius Miller Jennings Morrow W. W. Morton J. W. Myers Sidney Palen John Pritchard … Read more

Company C 29th Regiment Iowa Volunteers Infantry

Name: Wm. W. Fuller Enlisted: 13 Aug. 1862 Rank: Captain Remarks: Died 14 March 1863 of appoplexy, Greenwood, Miss. Name: Geo. S. Bacon Enlisted: 13 Aug. 1862 Rank: 1st. Lieut. Remarks: Promoted to Capt.14 Mar, 1863 Wounded, prisoner 30 Apr 1864, Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas Name: Jos. H. Smith Enlisted: 13 Aug. 1862 Rank: 2nd Lieut. Remarks: Mustered out 5 June 1863 for disability Name: John G. Downs Enlisted: 15 Aug. 1862 Rank: 2nd Sergeant Remarks: Promoted to 1st sergeant 1 July 1863 Name: Benj. H. Dennis Enlisted: 18 Aug. 1862 Rank: 3rd Sergeant Remarks: Discharged 14 May 1864 at Keokuk, … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Eubanks

Interviewer: Archie Koritz Person Interviewed: John Eubanks Location: Gary, Indiana Age: 98 Place of Residence: 2713 Harrison Boulevard, Gary, Indiana Archie Koritz, Field Worker 816 Mound Street, Valparaiso, Indiana Federal Writers’ Project Lake County, District #1 Gary, Indiana EX-SLAVES INTERVIEW WITH JOHN EUBANKS, EX-SLAVE John Eubanks, Gary’s only negro Civil War survivor has lived to see the ninety-eighth anniversary of his birth and despite his advanced age, recalls with surprising clarity many interesting and sad events of his boyhood days when a slave on the Everett plantation. He was born in Glasgow, Barron County, Kentucky, June 6, 1839, one of … Read more

Biography of Preston B. Plumb

In the words of his biographer, Preston B. Plumb was a pioneer in Kansas. He was one of the founders of Emporia. He was in the Union army, and both major and lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh Kansas. He was long United States senator from Kansas. In the Senate he was one of the men who accomplished things. He was the father of the ides of the conservation of the natural resources of America. It was his law that created the National Forest Reserve and extended aid to irrigation and the reclamation of arid lands. Many of the laws on the … Read more

Biography of Col. Lewis R. Jewell

Various members of the Jewell family have been well known at Fort Scott and vicinity for many years. Both Col. Lewis R. and his son, by the same name, were active, and the father quite prominent, in the days of the Civil war. He came of old Massachusetts lineage, moved to Ohio early in life, and while a resident of Washington County married Susan Hutchinson. Mr. Jewell became interested in river transportation, and when he moved to St. Louis, several years before the war, was the owner of several boats plying the Mississippi and Ohio, and had reached the rank … Read more

Biography of Jerry Hussey

One of the most interesting old timers of Kansas is Jerry Hussey, now living retired at Williamsburg. He served faithfully and loyally as a soldier during the Civil war, and soon after the close of that great struggle identified himself with the State of Kansas, where he helped to reclaim a part of the wilderness and make it a fertile and valuable farm. Of New England ancestry he was born in the State of Vermont in August, 1845, and when very young was left an orphan, so that he had to flght his own battles at a time when most … Read more

Biography of Col. Thomas W. Scudder

Few of the Kansas territorial pioneers are still living. One of them is Col. Thomas W. Scudder, of Topeka. Colonel Scudder made a splendid record as a soldier with the fighting columns of the First Kansas Cavalry during the Civil war. He also had many interesting experiences in the border warfare in 1857. Much of his Kansas experience was on a pre-emption claim of 103 acres, the place where he now lives, before the war in Shawnes County, and he has long been a resident of Topeka, where he has enjoyed the association and friendship of many prominent men. He … Read more

Biography of Samuel J. Crawford

Samuel J. Crawford was one of the first members of the Kansas State Legislature, by service on the field of battle attained the rank of brigadier-general during the Civil war, and was the third governor of the state. He was one of the history makers of early Kansas, and what he did to influence the early political development of Kansas must be told on other pages. Following is a brief sketch of his personal career. He was born in Lawrence County, Indiana, April 10, 1835, grew up on a farm, attended the graded schools of Bedford, Indiana, and the law … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Napoleon Bonaparte Blanton

Napoleon Bonaparte Blanton was born in Missouri about 1830, and in a letter written to Charles H. Dickson, several years before his death, thus explains the origin of his impressive name: “I was first named James by my grandfather on my mother’s side. My father was of French descent and was a friend of Napoleon, but my grandfather hated him. After my father and my grandfather had quarreled about Napoleon, my father changed my name to that of the great general.” In September, 1854, Mr. Blanton moved from Jackson County, Missouri, and settled on the Wakarusa. He left that locality … Read more

Biography of John Warner

Nearly sixty years have passed since John Warner, then a young man in the full prime of enthusiasm and ambition, came to Kansas to seek his fortune in the young state. At that time his available eash assets consisted of $13, not a great sum with which to start in an unknown country. This was sufficient, however, and not many years had passed before he was on the high road to success. Now, in his eighty-fourth year, this Kansas pioneer and Civil war veteran is living in retirement at Manhattan, at which city he took his residence in 1908, after … Read more

Biography of Marshall M. Murdock

Marshall M. Murdock, a pioneer journalist of Kansas, the founder of the Wichita Eagle and one of the marked men of the commonwealth, was born in the Pierpont settlement of what is now West Virginia, in 1837. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and his father married into the Governor Pierpont family. Soon after his marriage the family moved to Ironton, Southern Ohio, and there Marshall Murdock attended the public schools and commenced to learn the printer’s trade. Thomas Murdock, the father, was unsuccessful in his business venture, and, as he had an abhorrence of slavery and Kansas was then the … Read more

Biography of Rev. William Knipe

Rev. William Knipe is one of the few surviving participants in the war with Mexico, which was fought nearly seventy years ago. Many other interesting distinctions attach to this venerable and useful resident of Kansas. He was one of the pioneer Methodist missionaries in Jackson County, Kansas, and is one of the very oldest members of the Methodist Conference. He was also a soldier of the Civil war and few men who live so long succeed in compressing so much useful service to humanity within a lifstime. His birth occurred in a log house in Wayne County, Indiana, September 28, … Read more

Biography of Foster Dwight Coburn

It is no disparagement of the rank and file of that host of Kansas militant farmers who bore the heat and burden of the day and by their aggregate efforts raised Kansas to front rank among American agricultural states, to say that Foster Dwight Coburn is the distinguished leader of them all. He has long held secure a place as “one of the really great men of Kansas.” And like other Kansas great men, his achievements and influence have translated him to a place among the nation’s great men. His position in life is the more interesting because it is … Read more

Biography of William Patrick Hackney

William Patrick Hackney was born in Iowa, in 1842; migrated with his father to Illinois in 1850. Entered the United States Army in 1861 as a private and mustered out as captain of his company four years after. Was in many battles; and wounded twice. Came to Kansas in 1870; was a member of the lower house of Legislature in 1872 and 1874, from Sumner County; and from Cowley County in 1876 and 1905; was in the upper house from 1881 to 1885. Owes no man a cent, nor a grudge. Wishes all men well, and enjoys every one of … Read more