History of Jefferson County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co., Historical Publishers
Number of Pages: 570

USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois > Part 60

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HENRY J. HOLTSCLAW, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, was born in Barren County, Ky., June 27, 1815, and is a son of James and Rhoda (Brooksher) Holtsclaw, the latter a native of South Carolina and the former of North Carolina, and his father, Henry Holts- claw, was a genuine Pennsylvania Dutch- man, who emigrated to North Carolina and thence to Kentucky. In 1827, both he and his son (father of our subject) came to Illi- nois and settled in this township, where both died, the latter in 1831 or 1832, and his wife about the year 1860. They were the parents of ten children, only three of whom are liv- ing-Mrs. Margaret Booth, near Centralia, Ill .; Richard J., residing in Xenia, Clay County; 'and our subject. Mr. Holtsclaw was left to battle for himself at an early age, his father dying soon after his removal to Illinois, and leaving his wife with a large family of children. He had but few chances for receiving an education, as he says it was " root little pig or die." But by the most persevering industry he won his way in the world, and after helping his mother to rear the younger children, he commenced to work for himself. He owns the old homestead, upon which the third generation of the fam - ily now lives. It embraces 360 acres of land, well improved and in a fine stato of cultivation. Indeed, it is one of the finest farms in the county, and probably the finest barn in the county is on it. Mr. Holtsclaw's Pennsylvania Dutch blood shows in this, as it is a maxim with them, that " a good barn will soon pay for a residence, but a fine res- idence will not pay for a barn." He was married, in 1859, to Miss Elizabeth John- son, a daughter of Rev. Lewis Johnson, an early pioneer of Jefferson County. They have four children-Martha Ann, Thomas Jefferson, John Henry and Ida A., all of whom are living. He and his wife are mem- E

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bers of the Baptist Church. Mr. Holtsclaw has never sought office, but takes an active interest in politics, as all patriotic citizens should, and is a Democrat of the Jackson school. He has a great veneration for that old hero of New Orleans, under whom his father served as a soldier. Mr. Holtsclaw came here a small boy,'when the country was new and wild, and game of all kinds was plenty. He is an old man now, and has seen the country improved and civilized and the wilderness made to rejoice and blossom as the rose. For more than fifty years he has lived upon one place, and by his own hard work has gathered plenty around him, and now in his old age he is prepared to live at his ease.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, was born in Jefferson Coun- ty, Ill., June 14, 1827, and is the son of James Johnson, Sr. (deceased), who came with the Maxeys and Caseys from Tennessee in 1818, and was a native of Virginia. His wife was Clarissa Maxey. They were the parents of fifteen children, six of whom are now living. Our subject was educated in the early schools of this county, and assisted in developing the resources of the country. January 14, 1847, he was married to Miss Sarah J. Frost, daughter of Dr. Joseph Frost. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have eight children, seven of whom still survive, viz., Mary E., Eliza C., Lanra A., John S., Alice A., Lucy J., Sarah E. and Joseph M. (de- ceased). Mr. Johnson's farm contains nine- ty acres of well improved land, good farm buildings, etc. He and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church; in poli- tics, he is a Democrat

JEHU G. D. MAXEY, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, the youngest son of William Maxey (deceased), was born in Sumner County, Tenn., March 16, 1814, and came

to this county with his parents in May, 1818, where he has since resided. Fifty-two years of this time he has spent on the farm lie now occupies, which is on the southeast quarter of Section 12. He attended a subscription school, the first in Jefferson County, in a log cabin, dirt floor, clapboard roof, with a log left out and with nothing in the opening for a window. He was married. January 12, 1832, to Mary A. Bruce, a daughter of Azariah B. and Martha Bruce. They had but one child-James Henry-(deceased). Mr. Max- ey owns 154 acres of land, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He is a worthy Methodist, of which church he has been a member since a boy, and has been a licensed exhorter in the church since 1841. He has been President of the Pioneer Asso- ciation of Jefferson County for the past twelve years. Mr. Maxey spent much of his time for twenty years in hunting. Has shot many a deer standing in his saddle; shot deer running land his horse running also at full speed.

THOMAS L. MOSS, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon. Among the more active, upright and highly respected citizens of Shiloh Pre- cinct who have, by their honesty, industry and indomitable energy, carved out a suc- cessful career, is Mr. Thomas L. Moss, whose name heads this sketch. He was born in Jefferson County, Ill., on the 30th of No- vember, 1823. His early life was spent on the farm, experiencing all of a pioneer's life and receiving such an education as the log schoolhouses of the period afforded. Arriv- ing at his majority, he embarkel on his ca- reer in life as a farmer upon his own ac- count, with a farm of forty acres of unim- proved land. He still resides on the same farm, but by hard work and close economy. he has been able to make the necessary ini- provements and to add to it until now he

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owns 1.000 acres of well improved land, upon which he has a large and commodious residence, which was erected from his own designs. He was married in this county, September 27, 1842, to Miss Sarah Brock. a native of Missouri, born June 7, 1824. Her parents, Tarlton F. and Susan (Antrobus) Brock, were natives of Virginia and early settlers of Missouri. She is the mother of the following children: Thaddeus C., Ma- hala A., Rose, Lafayette B., Walter D., Ella and Elsah, all of whom are married except the youngest child, and are all residents of Jefferson County except Thaddeus C., who resides in Missouri. Since their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Moss have been leading mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church; in politics, his sympathies are in accord with the views of the Republican party, and he has held numerous offices of the county. Ransom Moss, his father, was a native of Virginia, where he was raised and educated, and where, when a young man, he removed to Tennessee, where he was married. He emigrated to Illinois and settled in Jefferson County in 1819, aud here engaged actively in farming to the time of his death, which occurred on the 2d of August, 1835. His first wife was Charlotte Clark, who bore him two children, a son now residing in Ashley, Ill., and a daughter, who married Hon. Washington Ewing, a native of Rensselaer County, Ky. He married for his second wife Anna Johnson (subject's mother), a daughter of Rev. Lewis Johnson, an early settler of the county, who came in 1819. This union was blessed with eight children, of whom four are now living. Mrs. Moss is still living, and is the widow of James Latham, by whom she had one child, S. D. Latham, a resident of Mount Vernon. ·

HON. JOHN R. MOSS, farmer and breed-

er of thoroughbred stock, P. O. Mount Ver- non, was born May 13, 1830, in Jefferson County, son of Ransom Moss (deceased). (See sketch of Thomas L. Moss.) Our sub- ject was educated in this county, and has made farming and stock-raising his occupa- tion. His farm contains 250 acres of land, and his homestead is that which was first settled by ex-Gov. Zadok Casey, and is known as the Redbud Hill Stock Farm. In 1879, Mr. Moss imported the first sheep ever brought to this county, at that time bringing them from Canada-four ewes and one buck of the Cotswold breed. He now is engaged in raising thoroughbred short-horn and Jersey cattle, Berkshire swine and Cots- wold sheep His son, Angus Moss, is also a breeder of thoroughbred cattle, having one of the finest herds of short-horn cattle in Southern Illinois. January 30, 1853, Mr. Moss was united in marriage with Miss Par- melia C. Allen, daughter of Rev. George W. Allen (deceased), and grand-daughter of Rev. Rhodam Allen. This union has been blessed with six children, viz., Angus, Hannah H., Adda M., Anna E., Harry C. and Grace S. October 10, 1861, Mr. Moss enlisted in the service of his country in Company C, Sixtieth Illinois Infantry, and was made Captain of the company. On ac- connt of physical disability, he was dis- charged in 1863, and was appointed Deputy Provost Marshal for the Eleventh District, and in this capacity served till the close of the war. Capt. Moss served in the Thirty - first General Assembly of the Illinois Legis- lature, having been elected by the In- dependents, in 1878, but when neces- sary co operated with the Republicans, to which party he belongs, and has taken an active part in furthering the interests of the Republican party in this district. He is a

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Royal Templar of Temperance and a strong Prohibitionist, and a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

J. H. PAYNE, merchant, Woodlawn, is a native of Jefferson County Ill., born Octo- ber 27, 1837, to Joseph and Harriet (Stan- ford) Payne, both natives of Tennessee, who emigrated from Smith County to Illinois, lo- cating in Jefferson County in 1835, where . they engaged in farming till the time of their death. They were the parents of seven children, of whom three are now living, viz., J. H., Essex and J. T. Our subject spent his early life at home, assisting to till the soil of his father's farm, and during the win- ter months attending the common schools. Arriving at his majority, he embarked upon his career in life as a farmer, and continued the same uninterruptedly until 1874, when he engaged in the mercantile business, at which he is at present engaged, doing a large and thriving trade at the town of Woodlawn, and where he and his partner, Mr. Sharp, buy the most of the grain and general prod- uce of the surrounding country. He was married, on the 2d of November, 1862, to Miss Mary Webb, a native of the county and a daughter of Bennett Webb, a prominent farmer of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Payne are members, he of the Methodist Episcopal Church (South), and she of the Baptist Church. In politics, he is a Democrat. Like his partner, Mr. Payne is a self-made man, who depends upon his own resources for a livelihood.

J. N. PETTIT, farmer, P. O. Mount Ver- non, was born in Crawford County, Penn., April 22, 1844. a son of Windsor and Ann Eliza (Burger) Pettit. The father was a native of Crawford County, Penn., and the mother of New York. The former is still living, but the mother died in this coun- ty March 27, 1882. Of the family there are

three sons and five daughters now living. In 1846, our subject's parents came to Illi- nois, and in a few years after removed to Iowa, where subject received his education, There he also remained until August 15, 1862, when he enlisted in Company I. Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry. A part of the Second Brigade of the Second Division of the Sixteenth Army Corps, Gen. A. J. Smith commanding. He was in the battles of Nashville, Red River expedition and others of less importance. He was dis- charged at the close of the war, after having been out three years, less six days. At the close of the war, he came to this county, where he has since given his attention to farming. He now owns a farm of forty- nine acres. Mr. Pettit was married, Febru- ary 14, 1869, to Miss Eliza C. Johnson, a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Frost) John- son, both of whom are now residents of this township. This union resulted in three chil- dren-Mary F., Charles A. and Thomas W. Our subject is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Re- publican.

SHERWOOD PIERCY, physician, Mount Vernon, was born in Greene County, Ill., April 1, 1837, and is the son of Anderson and Catherine (Lasator) Piercy. He was a na- tive of Virginia, she of South Carolina, but died in this county at an advanced age. They were the parents of twelve children, six of whom are still living, our subject being the youngest of the six. In about 1844, they came to this township, and here our subject was reared and educated. At about the age of twenty-five years, he began reading medi- cine under Dr. Peavler, of Mount Vernon, and then with Drs. Green & Peavler, con- tinuing with them for about four years. In 1866, he began the practice of his profession in Belle Prairie City, Hamilton County, and

SHILOH TOWNSHIP.

remained till 1879, when, on account of ill health, he had to leave, so purchased the present farm, but gives his attention to the practice of his profession and has built up a good business. He was married in August, 1861, to Miss Mary F. Mangrum. She was born in Tennessee, but came to this county when small. Dr. and Mrs. Piercy have five children living and one dead, viz., Lovona E., Lovina C., John Anderson (deceased), W. Duff, Annie Jane' and Cora Agnes. Dr.

Piercy is a member of the Masonic frater- nity. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Democrat. During the civil war, he saw some active service, enlisting in 1861 in Company D, One Hundred and Tenth Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry.

JOHN A. REED, farmer, P. O. Wood- lawn, was born in Jefferson County, Ill., September 10, 1842. son of Bird and Emily (Piper) Reed. They both were natives of. Tennessee, and came to this county in 1839, and died here-she September 24, 1872, he December 13, 1878. They were the parents of thirteen children, eleven of whom still survive. Our subject obtained his education in the common schools of this county, and his occupation has been various, but mostly that of farming and stock-dealing. His present farm contains eighty acres of land in a high state of cultivation. September 1, 1863, he was first married to Miss Eliza E., youngest daughter of Isaac and Sophia Hicks. Mrs. Reed died September 23, 1882. Seven children were the result of this union, four of whom still survive. viz., Cora, Min- nie, Fannie and Joseph Carl. Mr. Reed was again married. He is a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, being in- itiated into the Marion Lodge June 7, 1875. Now is a member of Woodlawn Lodge, No. 522, and has held all the offices and repre-

sented his lodge in the Grand Lodge. In politics, he is a Democrat, and has held var- ious township offices-Assessor, Collector, etc., and for years has been Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of the town- ship. In 1861, he entered the service. Com- pany I, Sixty-eighth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, Col. Taylor, and served in the East till discharged.

LEWIS S. SEWARD, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, was born in Montgomery County, this State, April 28, 1845, and is a son of George C. Seward, of Montgomery County. Our subject was raised on the farm and edu- cated in the commnon schools; he has always been a farmer. His mother died when he was quite small, and he was brought here and raised by his grandparents. Mr. Seward was married, July 21, 1878, to Margaret Frost, a daughter of Newton L. Frost, of this township. They have one child-Lill- ian-a bright little girl of four years. Mr. and Mrs. Seward are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. Mr. Seward owns eighty acres of valuable land.

J. F. SHARP, merchant, Woodlawn, was born in Gibson County, Ind., October 19, 1823, to Micajah and Nancy (Wright) Sharp, both of whom were natives of Maryland and early settlers of Kentucky, and afterward re- moved to Indiana, where they remained to the time of their death. He was a cabinet. maker, but followed the occupation of farm- ing during the principal part of his life. They were the parents of ten children. our subject being the only living child. He was reared and educated in his native county, and, arriving at his majority there, engaged in farming until 1873, when he came to Illi- nois and located at Woodlawn, his present residence, and engaged in the mercantile business. Their stock comprises a general line of merchandise, and they do a 825,000

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business annually. In connection with this business, the firm of Payne & Sharp do a general grain business and also handle rail- road ties. Mr. Sharp was married in Gib- son, Ind., October 25, 1847, to Miss Marga- ret A. Yerkers, a native of Pennsylvania; the result of this union is one child. He and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and a Republican politically. He is a self-made man in every respect, being left an orphan when quite young; he has by his hon- esty, industry and economy, accumulated his property and the worthy name he bears.

WILLIAM SIDES, blacksmith, Wood-

lawn. 6 The subject of this sketch was born in 1842 in Cape Girardeau County. Mo., son of Samuel and Margaret (Miller) Sides. He was a farmer, who was born in North Caro- lina, came to Cape Girardeau County, Mo., and then to Union County, Ill., where he died. She was a native of Cape Girardeau County, Mo., and died in Union County, Ill. They were the parents of eight children, only two of whom are now living, viz., Sa- pora Ann, wife of Jacob Reynolds, and our subject. William Sides was left an orphan at nine years of age, and from that time he was thrown among strangers. He gained such an education as the circumstances would permit, having the opportunities of attend- ing school but about six months. In early life, he worked on a farm, but when he grew older he commenced learning the black- smith's trade. Although still a boy, he wished to defend the stars and stripes when the rebellion broke out, so in June, 1862, he enlisted at Ashley, Ill., in the Sixteenth Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, and partici- pated in numerous engagements, among which was the battle at Jonesville, Lee Co., Va., and there was taken prisoner, January 3, 1864. For nearly fourteen months he suf-

fered untold miseries in Southern prison pens, being at Belle Isle, Andersonville, Ga., Charleston, S. C., Florence, S. C., and final- ly Richmond, Va. At Charleston, they were put under fire while the Federals were shelling the city. February 14, 1865, he was exchanged, but was taken sick and laid in the hospital at Columbus, Ohio. Finally, when able, he returned to Ashley on fnr- longh, and in June, 1865, rejoined his regi- ment. Angust 17, 1865, was mustered out at Nashville, Tenn. After returning to Ash- ley, he completed his trade of blacksmith, and remained there till June, 1867, when he came to Jefferson County, and in 1870 set - tled in Woodlawn, his being the third fam- ily in the village. Mr. Sides has a large shop in Woodlawn, and is partner in the flour- ing mill. here. He deals in grain, agricult. ural implements, etc. Mr. Sides is a self- made man, and through his personal integ- rity has made a name respected and honored by his many acquaintances. His life has been one of activity, but his labor here has had its reward -coming here with only $2.50 in money, and now having amassed a prop- erty of upward of $20,000. He is identified with the Republican party. March 18, 1866, near Ashley, he was married to Miss Nancy E. Eubank. She was born in Washington County, Ill., daughter of Spencer S. and Sallie (White) Eubank. This union has re- sulted in seven children, viz., Adria Oscar, Samuel Wiley (deceased), Albert, Ollie, Adda and Edda, twins, and William, the youngest. Mrs. Sides is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JOHN T. SMITH, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, was born in Sumner County, Tenn., November 2, 1827, and is a son of James Smith (deceased), a native of Clark County, Va., who brought his family to this county in 1829. Here our subject was brought up in

SIHILOHI TOWNSHIP.

a thinly settled country, where there was plenty of game, shooting deer from their door. He attended a subscription school, taught in a log cabin, with slab seats and greased paper over a crack in the wall for a window. He married Polly, daughter of Green Casey, in 1867. They have two chil- dren-Eugene and Walter N. Mrs. Smith was born in this county; both are Method- ists. Mr. Smith was School Trustee for four years. He now owns 223 acres of land.

J. C. TYLER, farmer, P. O. Mount Ver- non, is a native of Jefferson County, Ill., born on the 28th of March, 1829. His father, James H. Tyler, was a native of Sumner County, Tenn., and was one of the early settlers of this county. He died here in the spring of 1877, having been a resident of the county for about sixty years. His wife, Catherine (Casey) Tyler, is one of the oldest living settlers of the county. She was born December 15, 1809, and is the mother of five children, of whom two sons and one daughter are now living. Our subject was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools. He is one of the successful farm- ers of Jefferson County, and is the owner of 165 acres of good land. He was married, October 30, 1850, to Miss Martha H. Max- 1

ey, who has borne him six children, all of whom are dead except Ida M. Mr. Tyler is now serving his third term as Township Supervisor. He is a Republican in politics, an active member of the A., F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F., and, with his wife, unites with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JOSEPH V. WARD, farmer, P. O. Mount Vernon, is a native of Lawrence County, Ohio, and was born April 7, 1832. His father, William Ward (deceased), was a na- tive of Maryland and came to this county with his family in 1844. Our subject at- tended the old- fashioned subscription school.

taught in a log cabin with split-pole seats, puncheon floor, a log out for window and a stick and clay chimney. He was married. November 4, 1852, to Nancy Hales, a daughter of Thomas Hales. They had seven children born to them, of whom five are liv- ing, viz., William T., James W., John H., Joseph M. and Hiram Ulysses. Mr. Ward was a soldier of Uncle Sam in the late war, in Company C, Sixtieth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Gen. Morgan and Col. Anderson. He served in this capacity for two years, and was Sergeant eighteen months in Company H, First United States Engineers. He was hurt at Chattanooga by a falling timber when assisting to erect a magazine He now draws a pension in con- sequence of said injury. Mr. Ward owns 162 acres of valuable land, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He is a Meth- odist and a Mason. For the past six years he has filled the office of Highway Commis- sioner.

DR. J. H. WATSON, Woodlawn Among the able practitioners of Materia Medica in Shiloh Township is Dr. J. H. Watson, whose name heads this brief biography. He is a native of the county, born July 31, 1846, and is a son of John H. and Elizabeth M. (Rankin) Watson. The father was a carpen- ter by occupation, and in his latter years gave his attention to the office of Justice of the Peace at Mount Vernon. He was a na- tive of Virginia, and son of Dr. Watson, a native of England, who first settled in Vir- ginia and afterward in Jefferson County, Ill. She is a native of Tennessee and the mother of nine children, of whom seven are now living, our subject being the youngest child. He was reared and educated in the city of Mount Vernon, and where he studied medicine with Dr. Green. He afterward at- tended medical lectures in Cincinnati and St.

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Louis, and graduated from the medical col- lege of the latter place in 1880. He first began the practice of medicine in 1867 in Dunklin County, Mo. In 1868, he returned to his native county and located in Wood- lawn, where he has since remained, with the exception of two years spent in Colorado. He was married in Woodlawn in 1870, to Miss Melissa, daughter of William Wood, for whom the town of Woodlawn was named. This nnion has been blessed with the follow- ing children: Elizabeth Neva and Thomas Bertrand. The Doctor is an enterprising, public-spirited citizen, and is an honor to the profession to which he is devoted. He is a member of the A., F. & A. M., and a Democrat in politics.

W. C. WEBB, farmer, P. O. Woodlawn, was born in Wilson County, Tenn., October 27, 1830, son of Bennett and Martha (Hall) Webb. They were natives of North Caro- lina, but came to Tennessee when young, and in 1844 came to Jefferson County, Ill., where they died. Of their family of ten children, seven still survive. Our subject's opportunities for an education were very limited. His occupation has always been that of farming. In January, 1872, he was married to Miss Mary Frost, daughter of Newton Frost and grand-daughter of Dr. Frost, an early settler of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Webb have two children, viz., Wil- ford Bennett and Newton Eldridge. Mr. Webb's farm contains 320 acres, about 200 in cultivation. For twenty years he has been an active member of the Baptist Church. He holds to the principles of the Democratic party, and has held different offices of the township. Mr. Webb is one of the successful farmers of Shiloh Township, and has made his success through his own efforts.

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History of Jefferson County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co., Historical Publishers Number of Pages: 570

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co., Historical Publishers
Number of Pages: 570