Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850

USA > Illinois > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 15

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30, 1881. Her husband's decease took place Dec. 31, 1880.

Mr. Lafferty, of this account, came with his par- ents to Illinois in 1856. He was then 16 years of age, and he remained in Rock Island County until the fall of the same year in which they came to the State, when he came to Henry County. He inter- ested himself in farming, and continued the prose- cution of his interests in that line of business until he decided to enter the military service of the United States. July II, 1862, he enlisted in the 112th Regt. Ill. Vol. Inf., and became a member of Com- pany D. He was in all the actions in which his regiment was involved, with one exception, when he was in the hospital. He had been disabled at the battle of Knoxville, by the shock from a cannon ball which entered the ground at his feet. He received honorable discharge, and was mustered out June 20, I865.

Mr. Lafferty was married Dec. 27, 1866, at Clay- ton, Adams Co., Ill., to Amanda M. Lafferty, a na- tive of Indiana Co., Pa. She is the mother of six children : Vernie L., Leon M., Andrew Bertram, Sue A., Maude, Lora, Gertrude and Charles Loris. The second son died Jan. 11, 1877, at the age of two and a half years; and Loris died Sept. 17, 1885, aged 19 months. Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty are mem- bers of the Congregational Church, and of the Order of Good Templars. They are also connected in membership with the Orders of E. S. A. and the " Golden Rule." Mr. Lafferty belongs to the A. O. U. W., and to the G. A. R. Post, and in political ad- herence is a straight Prohibitionist. He is a man of sanguine temperament and strong convictions, and is an earnest worker in the temperance cause, and is also an active business man.

In the fall of 1868 he removed to Cambridge, and was associated with his brother in the livery busi- ness. They run two daily hack lines from Cambridge to Galva and to Geneseo, carrying mail, passengers and express. After a few years he purchased the interest of his brother, and for some time continued the business alone. In 18- he sold out to embark in the sale of agricultural implements, and to the lat- ter he afterwards added the sale of hardware, and the firm style became Lafferty & Wright. A year later Mr. Lafferty became by purchase the sole own- er of the business and its relations, and continued

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for some time to operate alone, until he enlarged its scope and took in his present partner, J. P. Woolsey (see sketch).

obert M. Garrison, a citizen of Cambridge, was born April 10, 1833, in Park Co., Ind. John Garrison, his grandfather, was a na- tive of Wilson County, in Central Tennessee, and was the husband of Elizabeth, sister of John C. Calhoun. She was born in Tennes- see and lived there most of her life, dying in 1843, when about 70, in Park Co., Ind. She was a lady of brilliant mind and forcible character, and she bore nine children: John, Milton, Samuel, Nancy, Thomas, James, Eliza, Caroline and Lemuel.

Milton Garrison was born June 17, 1802, in Ten- nessee, and in 1820 removed to Park Co., Ind. He was an ordained minister in the Cumberland Presby- terian Church, and he followed his religious calling in Indiana, and was engaged in the discharge of its duties until he was 65 years old. In 1848 he came to Henry Co., Ill., and settled in Munson Township, where he became a successful farmer and died March 18, 1882, at 80 years of age. He was a man of fine character and wielded a strong influence for good in his day and generation. He was married about 1810 to Rebecca, daughter of Robert and Pris- cilla (Harris) McCord. Her parents were born in North Carolina, and they were descendants of pio- neers, who later in life bore the same relation to the State of Kentucky, where they settled near its capital city. The nine children of Milton Garrison and his wife were Elizabeth (deceased), Robert M., John M., James (deceased), William (deceased), an infant who died unnamed, Sarah, Margaret and Garrett G.

Mr. Garrison was next to the oldest child of his parents, and he was the first-born son . consequently upon him fell the burdens of the family, while his father was attending to his religious calling. He was brought up on a farm and had but a little regular schooling.

He came to Henry County in 1848 with his pa- rents, and has since that time been occupied in farm- ing in Munson Township until 1884, when he removed to Cambridge. He still owns his fine farm

in the township named and is living in quiet retire- ment.

He was a Democrat until the nomination of James Buchanan for the chief office of the United States, which effected his conversion to Free-Soil principles ; and on the organization of the Republican party he became one of its firmest adherents.

He was married Oct. 9, 1856, at Cambridge, to Mary E., daughter of William and Lydia (Moriarty) Cochrane. The former was born in Ireland and the latter in Virginia. They settled in Fayette Co., Ill., in 1850, and in 1853 settled in the township of Mun- son, in Henry County, where their lives ended. Mrs. Garrison has borne four children: Mary J. married Frank Cady ; Robert died in infancy ; Frank M. and Effie B. are the youngest children. .

Esrael G. Heaps, Supervisor of Annawan Township, resident on section 23, has lived in Henry County since 1848, when his father, the now venerable William G. Heaps, cast his lot with that of the pioneers of this part of the noble prairie State. Mr. Heaps was born Nov. 13, 1840, in Lancaster Co., Pa. His parents removed in his infancy to Adams Co., Ill. They went thence to Wisconsin in order to improve their circumstances, but not finding so congenial a climate as they had anticipated, another removal to Illinois was effected in the autumn of 1848. They settled on the farm which was for many years the homestead, and on which the father is at present a resident in the family of his youngest son. The senior Mr. Heaps was in straitened circumstances and had a large family of small children to support without aid, and when they became residents of Henry County were almost entirely without money. During the winter of 1848-9 a letter arrived at the nearest postoffice for a member of the family, for which it was necessary to wait some time before money enough to " lift " it could be obtained. The postage was 121/2 cents. The tract of land on which a location was made was in its natural condition, not a furrow had been turned, and a place of shelter had to be erected. The struggle for a livelihood was

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severe for a few years, but both parents worked hard, practicing the strictest economy, and succeeded in placing the family in comfort.

Mr. Heaps had small opportunity for obtaining anything like what would at this day be considered fair education from books. The schools were either non est altogether, or were of the same primitive character as other surroundings; and if there had been the best opportunities, he could not have availed himself of them, as in the summer seasons he drove a breaking team, and in the winters he hauled rails and timber for fencing. He drove a team of five yoke of oxen, although he was not a dozen years old, and for his labor for the neighbors received but 25 cents a day. He attended school in the winters after reaching his 15th, 16th and 17th birthdays, and by extra exertion succeeded in securing a knowledge of the English branches taught in the district schools that had been established in the neighborhood. Hav- ing learned the way to study, he made meanwhile considerable progress in the higher branches. In 1857 he entered the preparatory course at Lombard University, and for several years he taught and attended that institution alternately; and notwith- standing the interruptions he was enabled to main- tain his standing in his classes. In 1860, when Professor Standish was ill, Mr. Heaps was made tutor to his classes. In the same year he entered upon the studies of the junior year, and looked for- ward confidently to the time when he should com- plete his course and enter personally into the work of the world ; but the war broke out and he enlisted to defend his country.

April 22, 1861, a war meeting was called in the Baptist Church at Annawan. Elder Hiram Petteys, Major J. M. Allen, of Geneseo, and Elder McDer- mond were present and participated in the discus- sion of the emergency. At the termination of the meeting, Mr. Heaps was the first man to place his name on the list of enrollment and to call for volun- teers. He was thus the first enlisted man in Henry County, and his name was followed by 53 others. When the election of the company took place Mr. Heaps was unanimously made Captain. Hiram Car- rol and Richard Linehan were made First and Second Lieutenants. It is a well-known fact that the action of Governor Yates in raising regiments preceded the orders from the War Department at

Washington, and when the first company from Henry was offered it was rejected because every place was already filled. After repeated efforts to obtain an assignment the company partially disbanded. On the second call for 300,000 troops, most of the mem- bers went to Camp Butler and joined the 27th Regi- ment of Volunteers. The command was soon sent to Cairo, and thence to the field, where it was a par- ticipant in the fight at Belmont, Mo., Nov. 7, 1861, the first battle in which General Grant took part. Mr. Heaps was under fire at Belmont, Island No. 10, Farmington, Corinth, Columbia, siege of Nashville (1862), Lavergne, Stone River, Tullahoma, Chicka- mauga, Mission Ridge, etc. At Stone River he was severely wounded in the right arm and shoulder, and at Chickamauga he was shot in the breast and left on the field for dead. He recovered in time to par- ticipate in the action at Mission Ridge, and after- wards went with his command to East Tennessee to the relief of Knoxville and the command of General Burnside.

The months of Janvary and February were passed among the mountains of the State named, fighting General Longstreet. When the call for veteran vol- unteers was made, Mr. Heaps re-enlisted, and nearly all the survivors of his company went with him. Theirs was the sole company in the regiment that re-enlisted, and it enrolled for three years or during the war. On returning to the regiment with others it was put in motion for Atlanta. The company was a part of the force that stormned and captured Rocky Faced Ridge, the key to Dalton. The struggle there was terrific, and was acknowledged to be one of the severest of the war. At Resaca, May 14, 1864, the regiment formed a part of the assault- ing column that attacked and carried a part of the rebel line. John B. Heaps, a brother, who was a soldier in the 112th Illinois Infantry, was killed in the action of that day, and after the shadows of night had drawn a curtain over the bloody work, Mr. Heaps sought and found the beloved body. He went alone to the field where the forms and faces of those who died that their homes might live were lying in bewildering confusion, and by the feeble glimmer of a single candle peered into the faces, cold and sol- emn in the awful silence of death, until the one he sought was found. In the darkness of the hour of midnight the living brother dug the grave for the

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dead, wrapped his own blanket about the still figure and carried it in his arms to its final resting place in the woods near by.

The regiment took part in all the actions in which the command of General Sherman was engaged ; and Mr. Heaps was in the actions at Kenesaw Mountain, Mud Creek, Pumpkin Vine, Marietta, Chattahoochie River and Peach-Tree Creek. July 20, 1864, his company was detached and sent to the extreme left to guard creek crossings. The handful of men repulsed three attacks by greatly superior numbers, and held the line throughout the entire day. For their action the command received the thanks of the Division Commander in a special order. Two days later the company was heavily en- gaged, and July 28th following, swung around the forts in the vicinity of Atlanta, and took part in the battles of Jonesboro, Rough and Ready, and were involved in the capture of Atlanta. When General Sherman decided on his march to the sea, the Fourth Army Corps, to which the company of Captain Heaps was attached, was sent back under " Pap Thomas" to attend to the settlement of the rebel General Hood. The work was soon after accom- plished, in one of the hardest-fought battles of the entire war. Nov. 30, 1864, while on the advance skirmish line, the company was captured by the reb- els, who cut off the retreat. The men were sent successively to Corinth, Jackson, Selma, Catawba and finally to Andersonville. In March, 1865, they were passed through the line at Vicksburg on parole and from there to St. Louis. At that place Mr. Heaps was placed in command of a battalion and remained there until the termination of the war. He received his discharge May 15, 1865, by reason of the closing of the war.

Returning to Annawan, he was married to Miss Rhoda A. Petteys, to whom he had long been en- gaged. They settled on the homestead of her father and have since resided thereon. For some years Mr. Heaps was occupied as a teacher, but finally abandoned that calling for the business of farming and stock-raising. For a number of years he has been the traveling correspondent of the Drover's Journal, the organ of the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. In that capacity he has visited every State and Territory west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of Washington Territory and Or-

egon. He traveled through the great Northwest before the railroad lines were built, and at a time when the Sioux Indians were the terror of every- body, when " war, to the knife and knife to the hilt " was the watchword and reply. He has traversed nearly every valley and mountain in the West, from the summit of Pike's Peak to the bottom of the " Grand Canon" of the Colorado. He has been among the Indians of the Southwest and made a study of their manners, habits and customs, and collected a comprehensive knowledge of their legendary lore. He has journeyed through a consid- erable portion of Old Mexico, and has written much about that country. His description of the " Bad Lands " of Dakota attracted much attention and comment.

He is a Republican in political opinions, and is a stanch adherent of the " grand old party." He has several times been elected to the official position in this township which he is now filling.

Mr. Heaps is the son of William G. and Hester (Green) Heaps. The former is a native of Mary- land. The latter was born in Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Heaps was born Dec. 20, 1844, in Oneida Co., N. Y. Hiram Petteys, her father, was born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., and was a minister in the Christian Church. He died in 1864, at the age of 59. He was married Oct. 10, 1828, to Susan Brand. She was born Aug. 17, 1804, in Charlotte, Montgom- ery County. George, Sarah, John H. and Rhoda A. were the names of their children. Peleg Petteys, the grandfather of Mrs. Heaps, was born Dec. 11, 1772, and married Martha Brown. She was born in Montgomery County March 10, 1772. The ances- tors of herself and husband were of German and English origin. John Brand, the maternal grand- father of Mrs. Heaps, was born May 25, 1765, in the State of New York. He married Sarah Ross, who was born Dec. 10, 1767, in the same State. Their marriage took place Jan. 7, 1790. They had twelve children : John B., Henry, Thomas, Sarah, Rhoda, Lovina, Ross, Rogers, Susan, Hiram, Elizabeth and Mary. The children of Peleg Petteys were Anna, Richard, Hiram, Robert, James, Valentine and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Heaps have six children, as follows : Ervin P., Lillian V., Clarence E .. Merrill B., Ross D. and Warren T.

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Mrs. Heaps is the owner of 160 acres of land in the township of Annawan, which is all in advanced cultivation. She was educated at Knox Seminary, Galesburg, Ill.

eorge W. Dunlap, M. D., medical prac- titioner at Cambridge, was born Nov. 14, 1841, in Leesburg, Highland Co., Ohio. His grandfather, Major James Dunlap, was of Scotch-Irish extraction and was a native of Pennsylvania. He was a man of influence and lived at Dunlap's Creek, Washington Co., Pa., where he kept the Dunlap House for many years. He was prominent in the State militia and was for a long period Brigade Inspector of Western Pennsyl- vania. He died at the place named. He was mar- ried there and reared a large family of children. His son George, the father of Dr. Dunlap, was born in Washington Co., Pa., and was there brought up, be- came a physician and built up a large, successful and popular practice in the county of which he was a native. He came West in 1847, and in the winter of that year settled in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Ten years later he removed to the city of Burlington, where he remained in the practice of his profession until the time of his death. He came to Knoxville, Ill., on a visit to a brother, Dr. A. J. Dunlap, and died while there. Susan P. (Beatty) Dunlap, his wife, was born Dec. 25, 1813, in Cambridge, Guern- sey Co., Ohio. She was reared in Wheeling, West Virginia, and was the daughter of Zaccheus and Margery (Metcalf) Beatty. Her father was a native of Maryland and her mother of Virginia. Of their ten children five are still living. Of the latter, Mrs. Mar- gery Overman is the oldest; Virginia R. is the wife of Dr. Wm. Orris, and with her brothers, A. J. Dun- lap and Dr. James Dunlap, is a resident of Victor, Iowa. Mr. Dunlap of this account is the third in order of birth of the survivors.

Mr. Dunlap received his elementary education at Mount Pleasant, Jowa, and attended Jefferson Col- lege in the city of Philadelphia. Soon after finishing his course at that institution he was appointed As- sistant Surgeon in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry and was attached to the Post at Camp Roberts, Davenport, for nearly a year. He then joined the regiment.

He was in the service nearly three years and was mustered out a little before the close of the war.

He located at Brooklyn, Iowa, where he entered upon the regular practice of his profession, and con- tinued to operate there five years. He then came and settled in Hermon, Knox Co., Ill., and after establishing his business there remained about seven years. He removed thence to Macomb, McDon- ough County, where he remained two and a half years. He came from there to Cambridge in Novem- ber, 1873. He has succeeded in founding a sub- stantial and prosperous business, and is considered one of the most skillful and reliable in the capacities of surgeon and physician in the vicinity. He has an extensive country patronage.

Feb. 2, 1865, he was married, in Knox County, to Miss Martha F. Poff. She is a native of Highland Co., Ohio, and was born Dec. 9, 1843. She is the daughter of M. F. Poff. Of five children of which she has been the mother there is only one survivor, -- George W., born Oct. 17, 1873. Dr. Dunlap and his wife are members of the Christian Church.

He is Chairman of the Board of Health, and is prominent in his connection with the Order of Odd Fellows, the A. F. & A. M., the A. O. U. W. and the G. A. R. He has filled the various chairs in these organizations and has represented the I. O. O. F. at the Grand Lodge. He is an adherent of the Democratic party, but supported Abraham Lincoln for the office of President.

ndrew L. Anderson, although by birth a native of a foreign nationality, is a worthy citizen of Henry County, whither he came in 1860. He has been connected with the farming interests of the county since he came hither, with the exception of the time passed in the military service of his adopted country.

He was born in Westergotland in Sweden, Oct. 26, 1842. He was an inhabitant of the place where he was born until he was 18. He was educated at home and obtained a good education in the Swedish language. In 1860 he started for America, to seek the privileges of a free government. After a voyage of nine weeks on a sail vessel he landed at the port of New York. He proceeded to Geneseo with-

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out delay, and from there went to Andover Town- ship, where he worked on a farm through the sum- mer, and attended school the following winter.

In January, 1862, he enlisted in Battery H, First Illinois Light Artillery. After a service of 18 months he received honorable discharge for disability, and returned to Henry County. He passed some months in recruiting his health, and as soon as he was able to labor he came to Munson Township and went to work in the employ of P. P. Allen. The time he passed in the recovery of his health was spent chief- ly at school, perfecting his understanding of the lan- guage of the people among whom he had cast his fate. He remained in the employ of Mr. Allen seven years. He was occupied the first two or three years as a common farm-hand, and after that bought stock for his employer, including horses, cattle and sheep. He passed one year in Missouri in the interests of Mr. Allen. After leaving the employ of that gentle- man he rented land in Munson Township until 1880, when he bought the farm which has since been his field of operation. It is situated on section 3, and is all under cultivation. It is well fenced and is pro- vided with all necessary fixtures for a good stock farm.

Mr. Anderson was married in 187 1 to Amanda Wallin. She is a native of the same town in Swe- den in which her husband was born. Hilda H., Alvin E., deceased, John Albert, Eugenia L., James Elmer and Andrew Wendell are the names of the children that have been added to the family. The last named child died at the age of ten months.

Mr. Anderson is deeply interested in the affairs of education in the township where he is a resident, and has officiated several years as Director. He has discharged the duties of Assessor twice.

ohn Redus is a citizen of the township of · Munson, and although he is a native of a foreign nationality, has discharged the du- ties of his citizenship in a manner that reflects the utmost credit on his character as a man, and it also proves the genuineness of his regard for the country which protects him in the privileges

to which he must ever have remained a stranger in the land of his birth. He left the home of his par- ents to escape servitude in the army of his own country, but volunteered to aid in the preservation of the freedom he sought. He has been for nearly 20 years a farmer in Henry County. He is now the proprietor of 200 acres of land, on which he is enjoy- ing the prerogatives of an American citizen.

He was born in Holstein, Germany, Nov. 17, 1837, and is the son of John and Johanna (Loehr) Redus. He was kept in school from the age of 6 to 16 as the law of his country provided, and in the intervals of attendance there he acted as the assistant of his father, who was a blacksmith. The latter was also a farmer.

He was 17 when he left his native land to come to America, and was six weeks making the passage on a sail vessel, and landed at the port of New York. He came from there with little delay to the city of Davenport, and remained there until 1855. In the spring of that year he came to Geneseo and was there variously employed until 1861. September Ist of the first year of the war he enlisted in the 43d Ill. Vol. Cav. He was in the service a little more than three years. He was in the actions at Shiloh, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Corinth, Jackson, siege and capture of Vicksburg, and after the latter he went to Arkan- sas. He was transferred from the 43d to the 14th Regiment of Veterans, Co. H, on account of injuries which he had sustained, and served the remainder of his time in that command. After his transfer he was on duty in the city of Washington. On receiv- ing his discharge he returned to Geneseo.

In the spring of i867 he rented a farm in that township, which he managed one year. In 1868 he bought 80 acres in the township of Munson, which he has since owned. It is situated on section 2, and at the time he became its owner it had been plowed, but no buildings had been erected. The farm struc- tures he now uses in his operations he has built him- self; also his house. The whole property now includes 200 acres, which is all in excellent and prof- itable condition. He is the owner also of a valuable timber lot.

Mr. Redus was united in marriage to Miranda Galenor Jan. 22, 1868. Their children are named Hattie, Annie, Melvina, Henry, Ernest and Elva. The mother was born in Boone Co., Ind. A daugh- ter named Cora died at the age of two years.

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T. Hammond, residing on section 18, Ox- ford Township, is one of the energetic and progressive farmers of that township, as well as respected citizens and self-made men of this county. He was born in Maine, Nov. 10, 1821, his parents being George and Elenor (Taylor) Hammond, natives of that State.

W. T. Hammond, whose biographical sketch we write, remained with his parents until the death of his father, which occurred when he was eight years of age. He then went to live with his grandfather Taylor, and remained with him until he was 14 years old. On reaching this age in life, he engaged to learn the trade of a bricklayer and plasterer, at which business he continued to labor until he reached his 18th year, at which time he had thor- oughly mastered the trade, and from thence on con- tinued to work at it until 1849. In 1839 he went to Natchez, Miss., and remained there until 1840, when he went to Burlington, Iowa, and worked at his trade until the fall of that year. He then came to this State, locating at Galesburg, where he followed his trade, taking contracts and employing men to assist him, having from 10 to 20 men in his employ at a time. He remained in Galesburg until 1848, when he purchased a farm in Mercer County, con- sisting of 120 acres. He moved on this place, en- gaged in its cultivation, and there resided until the spring of 1850.

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Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 15

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 850

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850