A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana, Part 35

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

USA > Indiana > Boone County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Clinton County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 35

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tling in Ohio, afterward Kentucky, and then Indiana. He and wife were the parents of three children-Walter H., Allie C. and one who died young. Walter H. Hunter was in Col. Oyler's regiment Indiana volunteer infantry. He enlisted at the breaking out of the war, and was among the missing at the bat- tle of Resaca. His body was never found. Mr. Hunter died at Greenwood, Ind., at the home of Henry Hunter, and Mrs. Jones was left an orphan at three years of age, her mother having died one year previously. She was brought up by her step-grandmother, the second wife of her grandfather-Henry Hunter -- who came from Kentucky in 1835 and set- tled at Greenwood, where he died. Mrs. Jones came to Boone county at the age of seven- teen years and lived with her aunt, Jane Dooley, and was married at the age of twenty years, having been born in Indianapolis, December 2.7, 1847. She is a lady of refined, pleasant manners, and many virtues. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have four children living-Zula, Bessie, Gracie and William. Mr. Jones votes with the republican party; he has generally been successful in business, is a practical and pros- perous farmer and entirely self-made. He has one of the most intelligent and respected families in Boone county, and is giving his children good educations. Fraternally he is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow and has filled the office of vice-grand at Tipton, Ind.

J OHN MERRITT JONES, of Marion township, Boone county, Ind., was born in Mason county, Va., October 17, 1842, the son of John and Sarah (Knapp) Jones, natives, respectively, of Vir- ginia and Ohio. The subject's grandfather, John Jones, was born of English parentage and early moved from Virginia to Kentucky, where he accumulated a large landed estate and be-

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came quite wealthy, owning at the time of his death, beside other property, quite a number of slaves. He served in the Indian wars under Gen. St. Clair and received a gun-shot wound in the knee, which necessitated the amputation of his leg. He was twice married, the first time to a Miss Caplinger, by whom he had one child, Elizabeth A., and his second marriage, which was solemized with a Miss Varble, re- sulted in the birth of a son, James Jones, father of the subject of this biography. John Jones died some time in the 'forties and was laid to rest at Westport, Ky., where his wife is also buried.

James Jones was born July 20, 1806, in Oldham county, Ky .; was reared a farmer, and afterward worked at the shoemaker's trade. He was a mechanical genius, and a number of inventions of different kinds was the result of his skill in this direction. Beside manufacturing different kinds of tools, he built flouring-mills, carding machines, and for many years was a valuable member of the community where he resided. In early life he attended the schools of Louisville, Ky., where he re- ceived a fine education, and he always took a lively interest in the intellectual, as well as material, development of his neighborhood. He became a resident of Boone county a num- ber of years ago, settling in Clinton township, where he resided until his death, which oc- curred at the age of fifty-seven years. James Jones was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Chambers of Westport, Ky., who bore two children, John G., born in 1829, and Robert F., whose birth occurred in the year 1832. By his second wife, whose maiden name was Cynthia Knapp, daughter of John and Sarah Knapp, of Ohio, he reared a family of four children, namely: Joann, born 1838; John M., whose birth is mentioned above; Etta, born 1843; Harriet, born in the year 1845, all of whom grew to be men and women and reared families of their own.

The early life of John Merritt Jones was passed upon a farm with the rugged duties of which he became familiar while quite young, and he followed agricultural pursuits, princi- pally in Boone county, until entering the service of the Union in 1861. In August of that year he enlisted in company F, Fortieth Indiana infantry, and was with his command in Kentucky and Ten- nessee, but owing to physical disability, did not participate in very much active military duty. On account of sickness he was dis- charged from the service June 10, 1862, but in March, 1864, he re-enlisted in company G, One Hundred and Sixteenth Indiana volunteers, with which he served for a limited period; sub- sequently he entered the army for the third time, enlisting in company C, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth regiment, with which he served in the capacity of sergeant until honorably dis- charged on the 29th day of September, 1864. After his discharge he returned to Boone county and for three years was engaged in the saw-milling business, at the end of which time he purchased forty acres of land and began farming. He has added to his original pur- chase and now owns a comfortable little home in Marion township, which contains many of. the conveniences necessary to make it attract- ive and desirable. Mr. Jones is a man of re- fined tastes and conservative disposition, and belongs to that large and eminently respectable class of people who do so much in a quiet way for the well-being of a community. Political- ly he is a republican, and as such served four years as assessor of his township, refusing to accept a third election. He was married August 22, 1867, to Ann E., daughter of William and Mahala (Swain) Lane, a union blessed with the birth of four children-Addie L., born November, 1871; Alforetta, born July 26, 1873; Nellie, born in 1881; Wilbert, born 1885.

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

B ENJAMIN F. and JOHN C. COGLE. tember, 1863, with rank of sergeant. He was in the battle of Perryville, Ky., but was prin- cipally engaged against Morgan. He was in the famous chase after Morgan through Ken- tucky, Indiana and Ohio, and when Morgan made his famous invasion of the latter state Sergeant Cogle's battalion captured the rebel general and his men on the Ohio river. At the battle of Perryville Seargeant Cogle was se- verely wounded and his horse was shot dead from under him. The corporal's spine was in- jured and he lost the sight of his right eye. After the war he carried on a confectionery es- tablishment at New Castle, Ky., until he came to Boone county, Ind., in 1876, and engaged in farm work. July 31, 1883, Mr. Cogle was united in marriage to Mary A., daughter of Elias and Susan (McIntire) Garner. Mr. Gar- ner was a farmer and a native of Jefferson township, Boone county. He died at the age of about fifty-five years. He was a much re- spected citizen, and to him and wife were born These brothers are honored veter -. an soldiers of the Civil war, both having risked their lives in some of its hardest-fought battles, out of which neither came unscathed, or without sacrifice and suffer- ing. Benjamin F. Cogle was born in Frankfort. Ky., in April, 1840, and gained a common school education. He was at New Castle. Ky .. when the war broke out, and came to Silver Creek, Camp Jo Holt, Ind., and on August 13th, 1861, enlisted in company C, Second regiment Kentucky cavalry, serving until July 17th, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. at Lexington, N. C., as corporal. During this long and gallant service he was in the follow- ing battles: Shiloh, Chattanooga, Perryville, Frankfort, Atlanta, Savannah, Munfordsville, Ky., and in many skirmishes. He was also in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign, and on Sherman's march to the sea. While skir- mishing between Goldsboro and Lexington, Corporal Cogle was thrown from his horse, , six children - Samuel R., William, Albert, badly spraining his right ankle, injuring it so , Charles, Mary A. and Eva. After marriage, greatly that he was sent to the hospital at Mr. Cogle and wife settled down to farm life. He bought his present farm of fifty acres in 1892, and has a comfortable and pleasant home and $16 per month pension. Mr. and Mrs. Cogle are the parents of four children-Stella M., Bessie E., Ula (died at three years of age) and Egbert. McDougal, sixteen miles from New York city. where he remained about two months, return- ing to his regiment at Lexington, N. C., where he was discharged on account of the closing of the war. After the war he returned to New Castle, remaining until he came to Boone county, Ind., about 1870, and engaged in farm work. He also receives $12 per month

Mr. Cogle votes with the republican party. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. of New pension. In politics he is a republican. He Castle, Ky., and was treasurer of his lodge for is a hard-working man and respected citizen. , several years. He is also a member of Thorn-

John C. Cogle was born March 15, 1843. at Frankfort, Ky., received a common education, and learned the candy and bakery business, which he followed in New Castle, Ky. At the early age of nineteen years he enlisted at Emi- nence, Henry county, Ky., in August, 1862, in company H, Ninth Kentucky cavalry, and served until discharged at Eminence, Ky., Sep-

town lodge, F. and A. M., and both of these brothers are members of the G. A. R., of Ad- vance, Ind. They were both in a hostile state when the war broke out and were sur- rounded by rebels, when it was dangerous to express Union sentiments, but they loyally stood by their conscience and the country in the time of her greatest need, when it required

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great courage both moral and physical. The father of these soldier boys was Benjamin F. Cogle, born in Pennsylvania, of ster- ling Dutch stock. He learned the baker and confectionery trade, and when young went to Kentucky, where he married Martha Kincaid of Frankfort, and she became the mother of these two soldiers. Mrs. Cogle died, and Mr. Cogle married Amanda Brewer, who bore three children: Amanda, Mary and William. This wife also died, and Mr. Cogle married Jennie Suddith. Mr. Cogle died at fifty-six years of age. He was an industrious, npright man, and respected member of the Christian church, honorable in all his dealings.

R EV. WILLIAM H. JONES, of Le- banon, Boone county, Ind., is the popular minister of the United Breth- ren church and an old soldier. His great-grandfather came from Scotland before the war of the Revolution. Hisson, John, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Mary- land, was a farmer, and settled in Dearborn county, Ind., among the pioneers, where he married and reared a family of seven chil- dren. Their names are Parmelia, Josiah, Will- iam, James, John, Amanda and Thomas. Mrs. Jones died, and, soon after, Mr. Jones moved to Decatur county, Ind., where he married a widow, Mrs. Phoebe Wilson, to whom were born four children, as follows- Nancy, Robert, Milton and Hiram. Mr. Jones passed the remainder of his days in Scott coun- ty, Ind., and was a substantial farmer. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and with Perry in the battle of Lake Erie on the brig Niagara and a messmate of the famous James Byrd, who was wounded and transferred from the brig Niagara to the St. Lawrence without proper authority and tried and sho tas a desert- er, the vessel bearing his reprieve being in

sight. Mr. Jones was a deacon in the Baptist church. All of his sons young enough were soldiers in the Civil war-William, John, James, Thomas, Robert, Milton and Hiram; two of them, John and William, died from sick- ness, and John was killed at the battle of Chickamauga. Mr. Jones also had two grand- sons in the war-William H. and John F. He lived to the great age of ninety-one years and died in Scott county, Ind. William Jones, .son of above and father of our subject, was born in Dearborn county, Ind., near Law- renceburg, July 24, 1824, received a limited education and learned farming. He married Sarah A. Mitchell, of Decatur county, Ind., who still survives him. To them were born five children-William H., George W., Joseph A., Priscilla J., and James. After marriage Mr. Jones settled in Decatur county, Ind., but in 1859 moved to Scott county, Ind., where he passed all the remainder of his days. He enlisted in 1864, November 30, at Indian- apolis, in company C, One Hundred and Forty-fifth regiment Indiana volunteer infant- ry, for one year, and died in Cumberland hos- pital at Nashville, Tenn., June 30, 1865. He was a member of the Christian church, and an industrious man and respected citizen. He was a republican in politics and a member of the I. O. O. F.

Rev. William H. Jones, our subject, was born July 29, 1847, in Westport, Decatur county, Ind. He received a common school education and was but seventeen years of age when he enlisted, November 30, 1864, at In- dianapolis, Ind., in company D, Eighth regi- ment Indiana volunteer cavalry, under Capt. Stanley and Col. F. A. Jones. He served about nine months, when he was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Ind., August 29, 1865, on account of the closing of the war. He was in the battles of Columbia, S. C., Black River, Bentonville, Durham Station

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and many skirmishes. He was in Sherman's campaign through the Carolinas, starting from Savannah, Ga., and he was present with Sher- man when he held his armistice with the Con- federate general, Johnston. Mr. Jones was al- ways an active soldier and was never sick, wounded, nor taken prisoner. He was in all the battles, skirmishes and marches of his regiment. He took part in the battle of Nash- ville, although his company and regiment were not in it. He served his country faithfully and with credit to himself and family. After the war he attended high school at Austin, Ind. He was for several years an engineer, during which time he ran a railroad switch engine nine months. Rev. Jones was converted to the cause of Christ at the early age of fourteen years and joined the Methodist church. In 1872 he became a member of the Evangelical church and was licensed as a local minister the next year. In December, 1876, he be- came united with the church of the United Brethren in Christ and was regularly ordained as a minister, in Newton county, Ind., by Bishop Weaver, and immediately began preaching at Clark's Hill, Tippecanoe county, Ind. Since that time he has had charges at Ash Grove, Ill., Rossville, Ill., Newport, Ind., Ambia, Ind., Stone Bluff, Ind., Wood- land, Ill., St. Joseph, Ill., and was trans- ferred to Longview, Ill., whence he came to Thorntown, in 1892, where he remained one year, and came to Lebanon in 1893. Rev. Jones has been successful in his ministry. He organized the church near Alvin, Ill., and has assisted in building several churches. He was married March 17, 1871, at Green- field, Ind., to Miss Mary C., daughter of Martin Lee; and to Mr. and Mrs. Jones three children have been born: Elmer E., deceased an infant, William O., and Sarah E. Socially Mr. Jones is an Odd Fellow and is chaplain of Ben Adhem lodge, Lebanon. He

is one of those clergymen who work solely for the cause of Christ and the salvation of the people, and his unvarying success can be attrib- uted to his sincerity, unceasing diligence and a natural kindness of heart which attracts many people to him. His son, William O., is a young man of ability, of excellent morals and a vigorous mind, which enables him to readily grasp most branches of study. He is educating himself with a view to one of the learned professions.

J OHN J. KERN, one of the most pros- perous farmers of Center township, Boone county, Ind., and also a re- doubtable hunter of large game, de- scends from an old Pennsylvania-Dutch family, but was born in Lawrence county, Ind., December 25, 1828. His grandfather, Adam Kern, was the progenitor of the American family, having come from Holland in the colonial days and settled in Pennsylvania. He there reared a family and then went to Nicholas county, Ky., of which he was a pioneer, but finally settled in Monroe county, Ind., where he died at an advanced age. His son, William Kern, the father of John J., whose name opens this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania, and was twenty-one years of age when he went with his father to Kentucky. He there married Susan Sears, of that state but of Pennsylvania descent. To their union were born ten children, who lived to be grown and were named as follows: Ezra, Noah, Benjamin, Peter, John J., Adam C., Catherine, Louisa, Susan J. and Mary S .; of these Ezra was born in Kentucky, but early in the century removed to Lawrence county, Ind., with his father, William, who became one of the fore- most farmers of that county, and was owner of one the best farms, 160 acres of which he

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left his children at the time of his death at the age of fifty-six years.

John J. Kern, whose nativity is given above, was born on his father's farm and re -. ceived a common school education. As a young man he took great delight in hunting and fishing, and, as game was abundant, killed many a deer and wild turkey, as well as bear, catamounts, wild cats and numerous coons, 'possoms, pheasants and squirrels, keeping the family well supplied with provisions, as well as ridding the country of vicious beasts of prey. August 15, 1847, he married Margaret E. Feely, daughter of William and Sarah (Alexander) Feely, which union was blessed with five children : Eliza J., Lois A., Marion, Susan R. and Mary E. In December, 1852, Mr. Kern came to Boone county and settled on his present farm of 160 acres, to which he added by industry and thrift until he owned 535 acres, and of this handsome estate he has given his children all but 295 acres. Mr. Kern has always been a thrifty and hard-work- ing man, and is entirely self-made. His course through life has been upright, winning the re- spect of his neighbors wherever he has resided. He and wife have long been members of the Christian church, in which he has been a dea- con for many years, and of which he is a trustee; he is also quite liberal in his contri- butions to its support. In politics he is an earnest republican, and, fraternally, a non- affiliating Odd Fellow. Mr. Kern is among the best known hunters of large game in the state of Indiana, as intimated in the opening of this biography. He has in his possession a magnificent head and antlers of a brown elk, which he shot in the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming in 1889, on the Co- lumbia line, and these have been mounted by Beasley, of Lebanon, and are considered the finest in America. He has also many splendid specimens of skulls and antlers of

deer which he has killed. His farm is well stocked with choice animals, and his is one of the best pasture farms of Center township. Mr. Kern's daughter, Eliza J., is married to James H. Kersey, a thriving farmer of the township, and is the mother of two children-Stella M. and John J .; his daughter, Lois A., is the wife of Solon M. Atkinson, also a prosperous farmer of the township, and has one daughter, Lillian L. None occupy a higher social posi- tion in Boone county than the family of Mr. Kern.

3 AMES KERSEY is one of the original pioneers of Center township and a man who has reached the patriarchal age of eighty-five years. The founder of the family came to America before the war of the Revolution. He is descended from excellent Scotch-Irish ancestry. James Kersey, father of our subject, was born in Carolina. His par- ents died when he was young and James Ker- sey was reared by others. He became a farm- er and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was also a pioneer in Kentucky, and was acquainted with the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, and was in several difficulties with the Indians. He married Susan Bell, a relative of Daniel Boone. The Bells were of English stock, but an old American family. To Mr. and Mrs. Kersey were born six chil- dren: Elisha, Vica, Elizabeth, John, James and Eliza. This is the proper order of birth and all are now deceased, except our subject. Mr. Kersey became a substantial farmer of Nicholas county, Ky., owning a good farm. He lived to the age of seventy-seven years. He was the typical American pioneer farmer, straightforward in his dealings and in his younger days he was a great hunter, the state of Kentucky being a paradise for game of all kinds. In political opinions he voted with the

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

old-line whigs. James Kersey, our subject, was born in Nicholas county, Ky., November 9, 1809, on his father's farm. He received but little education, but learned to read and write. He was taught to work as soon as his young arms could bear the burden, and at nine years of age he began to plow, and since that time has assisted to make a crop every year. He married at the age of twenty-one, in Bath county, Ky., in October, 1830, Nancy, dangh- ter of John and Priscilla Neal, sister of Judge Stephen Neal of Lebanon. Mf. Kersey bought land and engaged in farming. In the fall of 1836, he came to Boone county, making the journey with a four-horse wagon, and settled on land which he had bought the August be- fore, which consisted of eighty acres. By hard labor and great industry, he cleared this land from the primeval forest and by thrift he grad- ually added to it until he owned 240 acres, which was an excellent farming property. Be- ing liberal to his children he gave them part of it and sold some of it, and now retains 120 acres for a homestead, which is well improved and drained. When he first settled on his land, it was covered with large trees, except about five acres, which were partly cleared, and on which a log cabin stood, which had neither floor, chimney nor door. Part of this cabin is still standing, now used as an out- house. This hardy pioneer, assisted by his sturdy wife, made light of trifles and patiently endured the hardships of frontier life and soon made a good home. They became the parents of six children, John M., James W., Stephen J., Caroline, William A. and Armstead J .- their names being in the order of their birth. Mr. Kersey gave his children all good common educations and reared a respected family. He has always been one of the industrious and thrifty men of Boone county, and honored for his integrity. He was a strong Union man during the Civil war, in which he had one son,

Stephen J., who served nine months. In po- litical opinions, Mr. Kersey was one of the or- ignal republicans of Boone county, and he at one time held the office of county supervisor. Armstead Jerome Kersey, son of above, was born October 28, 1850, on the old homestead, received a common education and was brought up a farmer. He is one of the practical farm- ers and stock raisers of Center township, and is straightforward in his business transactions, and is now managing the home farm. He voted with the republican party until recently, when he became a populist. His father, James Kersey, is the oldest man now living in Boone county, who came to this county with a wife, who is now living. He has been married the long period of sixty-four years.

J AMES H. KIBBEY, leading farmer and one of the old settlers of Jackson township, Boone county, Ind., was born in Carter county, Ky., Sep- tember 8, 1825. His grandfather, Ephraim, and his father, Moses, were born in New Jer- sey, came to Ohio where Cincinnati now stands, and Moses was reared in Ohio. Moses Kibbey, when a young man, emigrated from Cincinnati to Carter county, Ky., where he engaged in the manufacture of salt, and where he married Sallie Everman, daughter of Michael Everman, a well-to-do farmer. To this marriage were born Jacob, Clarinda, David, Delilah, Jacinthia, Moses, William, Perry, Ephraim and James H .- the last named the only one now living. Moses Kib- bey accumulated considerable property and was the owner of a large number of slaves. He and wife were members of the Christian church, in which he was an elder, and their house was often the place of worship in those early days. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was a very prominent citizen of his county.

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James H. Kibbey was instructed in the ru- diments of an English education in an old- fashioned log school-house in Carter county. December 4, 1849, he married Martha Ann Gill, daughter of Samuel C. and Sallie ( Ma- lone ) Gill, of Bath county, Ky., and to an interesting sketch of the Gill family, further on, the attention of the reader is invited. After his marriage, Mr. Kibbey purchased a 300-acre farm and engaged in farming and saw-milling, but this he sold and bought an- other tract, containing 500 acres, on which, also, was a saw-mill, grist-mill and carding fac- tory. This land he sold in due course of time, and came to Boone county, Ind., arriving November 20, 1853, and here settled on an unimproved tract of 225 acres, which his wife's father had entered some years pre- viously. This was an utter wildwood when Mr. Kibbey took possession, but is now one of the best improved farms in the county. Here were reared the children born to James H. and Martha Ann Kibbey; they are named as follows: Sarah T., Mary G., Ephraim, Ann Eliza, Moses, Emila E. (the last named three deceased), William P., Clara H. and George. Mr. and Mrs. Kibbey have for many years been devout christians, and Mr. Kibbey is the oldest living member of the old Union church. In politics Mr. Kibbey is a democrat, and was formerly very active in his support of the party. He has served as township trustee three terms, and has filled the position of jus- tice of the peace. Fraternally, he is a member of Luther lodge, No. 227, I. O. O. F., at James- town, and is the oldest in membership, having been a charter member in 1862; he passed all the chairs, united with the grand lodge, and then became a member of the encampment at Jamestown. The standing of the Kibbey family in the township and county in which they have so long lived is a most enviable one, both so- cially and financially, and their walk through

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Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080