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 37

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 37
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 37
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 37

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He next came back to Lebanon and here at- tended the public school under Prof. John W. Kise, a gentleman for whom he still entertains a high respect, and added considerably to his stock of general information. Mr. McKey then went to work on the Patriot for John A. Abbott, until January 1, 1879, when he be- came foreman of the Lebanon Pioneer, under Dr. T. H. Harrison, took the management of the paper. became a local writer, and soon had thrust upon him the entire responsibility of the establishment. In 1889 he leased the office from Dr. Harrison for a year, and at the end of that time purchased the plant and has since been editor and proprietor, having large- ly increased the circulation of the journal and added to its advertising patronage. Mr. McKey began at the bottom of the ladder; by thorough ability, foresight and good manage- ment he has placed his journal in its present prosperous condition. He is an incisive writer, and the Pioneer is what every local pa- per should be-spicy, newsy and prompt in re- cording the events of the neighborhood. Its dress is neat and attractive, and its press work clean and clear. It is emphatically and pro- nouncedly democratic in its enunciations, and is the only sheet advocating democratic principles in the county. Attached to the Pioneer office is a job department, furnished with new type and modern machinery, with skillful and tasteful compositors ready for any class of work in their line.

The marriage of Mr. McKey took place March 31. 1880, to Miss Jennie Dyson, of Lebanon. This lady lost her eyesight when a young girl. by an accident, and was carefully educated at the Indiana Institution for the Blind, becoming an accomplished scholar and musician. Her moral training has been of the strictest character, and her religious convic- tions reach a high spiritual plane. She is a member of the Methodist church, an active

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Sabbath-school worker, and is one of the most highly respected ladies of Lebanon. Mr. McKey is also a member of the Methodist church, and is a member of its board of stewards. Fraternally he is a member of Lebanon lodge, No. 45, Knights of Pythias, Winnebago tribe, No. 36, Improved Order of Red Men, and Sidney lodge, No. 1784, Knights of Honor.

J OHN FITZER MCKINLEY, an hon- ored citizen of Clinton township, Boone county, Ind., and gallant ex-soldier, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Decem- ber 25, 1840. His father was William Mc- Kinley, a native of Ohio and of Irish descent, and his mother was Cynthia (Holmes) McKin- ley, daughter of Capt. Wilkes Holmes, for a number of years a commander of an Ohio river steamboat. William Mckinley was a ship carpenter by occupation and he became the father of the following children: Zelotes A., William, John F., Anderson and one daughter.

John F. Mckinley was six years old when his mother died, and when ten years of age was called upon to mourn the death of his father, who was killed by a fall while engaged in repairing a ship. After the latter event young John went to live with a man by the name of Jesse O'Neal, who proved anything but a kind task-master, in consequence of which the boy started out for himself, work- ing at different places and at anything honorable which his hands could find to do until the breaking out of the great rebellion. He was one of the first to respond to the country's call for defenders, being moved to enter the army, after listening to a patriotic speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln in Indianapolis in Octo- ber, 1861. He soon afterward enlisted in company C. Fifty-first Indiana infantry, and

accompanied his command to Louisville, thence to Bardstown, Ky., and later to Mill Springs, the brigade to which his regiment was assigned being commanded by Gen. James A. Garfield, afteward president of the United States. To narrate in detail the many army experiences of Mr. McKinley while battling for the national honor would far transcend the limits of a sketch of this character, accordingly but a brief epitome of the campaigns and battles in which he participated is herewith attempted. From Mill Springs the regiment proceeded to Bowling Green, and from that point marched over the greater part of the state of Kentucky and various parts of Ten- nessee, and was engaged in the last day's fight at Pittsburg Landing. The next movement wasto Corinth, Miss., where Mr. Mckinley bore a gallant part in the subjugation of that place and then joined in the pursuit of the rebel Gen. Bragg through Kentucky, being thus actively engaged for a period of thirty-three days, or until getting ahead of the enemy's forces at Louisville, Ky. While at the latter place Mr. Mckinley met with an accident which for some time incapacitated him for active service in the ranks, but he followed his regiment by railway overtaking the command at Bowling Green, and later participated in the bloody battle at Perryville. At Nashville the brigade was sent to Decatur, Ala., to guard bridges and gather in the loyal residents hidden in the mountains to keep them from being conscripted into the service of the Confederaey. From Bridgport the command proceeded to Nash- ville, thence to Stone River, in the battle of which place it took part, and was also engaged in the bloody battle of Murfreesboro. At Day's Gap the brigade had a hard fight, in which James W. Sheets, the first captain of Mr. Mckinley's company, was killed, while act- ing in the capacity of lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. Hotly pressed by Gen. Forrest's

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

cavalry, the brigade reached the Green Mount- ain iron works, where the enemy were casting cannon. which was captured and destroyed, as were also several important bridges in the vi- cinity. the loss being a severe blow to the Con- federacy. During the raid in which the above events took place, Mr. Mckinley acted as brigade orderly, in which capacity he did val- iant service. The further particulars of this celebrated raid, which forms an interesting page in the history of the war, were as follows: The ammunition was carried on mules, as well as two twelve-pound cannon, and at the "Gap" a full battery with horses was captured, which was used until the ammunition was ex- hausted, when the guns were spiked, and for a number of miles the road was completely de- stroved. After various engagements, hard marching, and other vicissitudes, the Federals, under Gen. A. D. Streight, were compelled to surrender, but not until after certain conditions had been agreed to, among which were that each soldier was to keep his own private prop- erty and that the force was to march out with colors flying. The regimental flag of the Fifty-first was taken in charge, but the boys soon succeeded in stealing the precious emblem, which they at once proceeded to cut in pieces, giving to each soldier a small fragment, which was presented as a memento. Mr. McKinley succeeded in secreting in the waistband of his trousers about $40 in greenbacks, which after- wards proved the means of procuring him many comforts while a prisoner. After great suffering of forty days' duration, all, with the exception of the officers, were paroled, and Mr. Mckinley, with others, went to Washing- ton city, thence to Columbus, Ohio, where he received new clothing. From the latter place Mr. McKinley returned to Indianapolis, and after his exchange, which was effected March 3. 1863, he again went to the front and took | Mckinley is an uncompromising republican, part in the siege of Chattanooga, battles of

Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and Chicka- mauga. He veteranized in January, 1864, and after a furlough of thirty days was again sent to Chattanooga, where for some time he did guard duty. Subsequently his regiment par- ticipated in the various battles of the Atlanta campaign, Franklin and Nashville, and later Mr. Mckinley accompanied his command to Texas, where he did guard duty until mustered out of the service, at San Antonio, in Decem- ber, 1865. He was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, January 13, 1866, and on the thirteenth of the following month was united in marriage to Mrs. Lucy A. (Kelly) Harlan, whom he had previously met in a hospital, where she was attending her former husband, who received his death wound in one of the battles near Atlanta. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Mckinley have been born the follow- ing children: Marion E., Mary M., Levi L., Attagara, wife of James Evans; Zelura N., Reona A. and Cynthia E. Mrs. Mckinley was born in Marion county, Ind., August 22, 1840, the daughter of Joseph A. and Mary (Randall) Kelly, both parents natives of Ken- tucky. She was married October 28, 1857, to Martin M. Harlan, who died at Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., July 4, 1864, and by him had two children: Pametta M. and John C. Har- lan. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Kinley went to house-keeping not far south- east of Indianapolis, at the home of the latter, where they lived until 1872, when they moved to their present in Clinton township, Boone county. In addition to farming, Mr. McKin- ley has for some years been engaged in con- tracting ditch work, and it is probable that no man in Boone county has laid more drain tile than he. Years ago he learned the trade of brick laying, to which he now devotes the greater part of his attention. In politics Mr.

and at this time holds the office of justice of

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the peace in the township of Clinton. He is an ardent member of the G. A. R. and with his wife belongs to the Baptist church.

HOMAS J. McMURRAY .-- It is seldom that the biographical historian of these modern days records the services of a veteran of the Mexican war, which occupied the attention of the American people in 1847-8. Thomas J. McMurray, the subject of this sketch, is one of the few veterans of that war yet living in Boone county. He is a practical farmer, a respected citizen and a native Indianian. A few words in regard to his ancestry, placed in this record, would be valued by his descendants. He is the second generation from the founder of his family, in America, his grandfather having first emigrated from Scotland to Ireland, where he settled in Donegal county, and where he died. John McMurray, the father of our subject, was born in Donegal county, Ireland, and learned the weaver's trade. He came to America in 1819, and married in Nelson county, Ky., Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Scraggs) Carr. Mr. Carr was a pioneer in Nelson county, Ky., came from Ireland at the age of sixteen years, his parents having died on the passage. Mr. Carr and wife were the parents of Ruth, William, Lydia, Jane, Elizabeth, Joseph, John, Robert, James and Henry. Mr. Carr became a wealthy planter and slave owner. He lived to be seventy years of age and died in Nelson county, Ky. He was a devout member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was a leader. John McMurray settled in Owen county, Ind., in 1822,, and entered 160 acres of land in the woods. He had just cut a set of house logs when he sick- ened and died. He left one son, Thomas J., our subject. After the death of her husband, Mrs. McMurray took her infant son in her lap,

and rode through the woods, horseback, to Nelson county, Ky., a distance of 140 miles. This sturdy pioneer woman was undeterred by hardships and fatigue, which would daunt the strongest man at the present day.

"The mothers of our forest land, Stout hearted dames were they; With nerve to wield the battle-ax And join the border fray."

She afterward married, in Kentucky, Thomas R. Anderson, and they were the parents of Ruth A., William and Elizabeth, who are yet living, and James, Joseph, George, Sarah and Isaac, who are deceased. Mrs. Anderson was a member of the Presbyterian church, a woman of great force of character and many virtues.

Thomas J. McMurray, our subject, was born in Owen county, Ind., March 2, 1823, six weeks before the death of his father. He was reared by his mother and grandfather Carr, and was but two years and a half of age at the time of his mother's second marriage, and was taken by his mother to Owen county, Ind., where Mr. Anderson settled. As he grew up, much of the support of the family devolved upon him, and he had no opportunity of gaining. any education. He remained with his mother and cared for her until he was twenty-three years old, when he began to work for himself. While in his twenty-fourth year, on June 4, 1847, he enlisted in company B, Fourth regiment Indi- ana volunteer infantry, at Gosport, Owen county, under Capt. J. I. Alexander. The company went to Jeffersonville, Ind., in wag- ons, and thence down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in a steamboat to New Orleans. They left that city on July 9, by steamer, and on the 12th of that month the steamer blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, but was only partially disabled, and ran into Galveston, Tex. The troops were embarked on a steamer, which sailed to the mouth of the Rio Grande river,

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

and landed them in . Mexico. Our subject served under Gen. Taylor, then under Gen. Scott, and afterward under Gen. Lane. He was in the battles of Huamantla, Pueblo, At- lixco and other battles. He served thirteen months and returned home with the troops. He was neither sick nor wounded, but was always in active duty as a faithful soldier. After six months' service with the infantry, he was transferred to the artillery, and was .right gunner and number one rammer." During this service his right ear drum was burst by the discharge of the artillery, and he has ever since been totally deaf in one ear. On his return to Owen county, Ind., he married Chris- tina, daughter of Francis K. and Presha (Hil- ton) Porter. Mr. Porter was a pioneer of Johnson county, Ind., born in New Hamp- shire, of English descent, and finally settled in Owen county, when he became a prosperous farmer. He and wife were the parents of four children: Christina, Lethanna, Verlinda and Presha E. Mr. Porter had been previously married to Margaret Glass. Their children were Julia A., Hiram, Sarah, Rhoda and Mar- garet H. (twins). Mr. Porter lived to be seventy- nine years old, and died in Owen county, Ind He was a member of the Swedenborgian church. He was well educated and a promi- nent citizen. After marriage Mr. McMurray settled in Owen county, Ind., in 1850, and bought 250 acres of land in Illlinois. In 1860 he moved to Johnson county, Ind., and in 1879 he came to Boone county, Ind. He now owns 160 acres of land, being equally divided in Center and Harrison township. He and wife are the parents of nine children: Letha, Charles H., Mary F., John K., James H., Thomas J., Willis, Sarah and Lillis A. Mr. and Mrs. McMurray are members of the Chris- tian church, in which he has been deacon many years. He votes the straight democratic ticket. Mr. McMurray has been a man of iron

constitution, and worked with great industry to accumulate his property. Heis an honest, straightforward man, with the bluff manners of the veteran soldier. Aided by his faithful wife, he has brought up a respectable family of children. Charles H. married Lovina Bur- ton. He is a farmer in Kansas. They have six children. Mary F. married Joseph L. Mitchell, a farmer of Johnson county, Ind. They have six children. Letha married R. W. Burris, a farmer of Boone county. They have five children. Thomas J. married Lou Doty. He is a farmer, and they have six children. John married Savannah Lipps. He is a farmer and they have two children. Willis A. mar- ried Lizzie Mitchell. He is a farmer and they have three children. James H. married Mary F. McFadden. They are farmers and have three children. Lillis A. married James F. Mullen, a farmer.

LEMING MACE is descended from an old colonial Irish-American family and dates his birth from June 16, 1830. His grandfather, Job Mace, a native of Pennsylvania, married Nancy Heath, of the same state, and became the father of four children: Samuel, Job, Nancy and Naomi. Samuel Mace, father of Fleming, was born in the year 1792, married Martha McFarland, who bore him nine children-Eliza A., Wil- liam, Job, Isabell, Fleming, Samuel, Robert H., Jane and Betsey, all deceased except Wil- liam, Isabell, and the subject of this mention. Samuel Mace was drafted at the close of the war of IS12, but of course saw no service. He was also a native of Pennsylvania, and, al- though himself a Methodist, it was in his cabin that the early religious services of various denominations were held. He was a farmer by occupation, a man of deep piety and depart- ed this life November 13, 1852, lamented by

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all who knew him. He was buried in Ripley county, Ind. His wife died in 1866, aged sixty-eight years, and is buried in Pennsylvania. Fleming Mace was reared to manhood in Pennsylvania, but, for many years, was a prominent resident of Ripley county, Ind., throughout which he is widely and favorably known for his many sterling traits of character. He was united in marriage March 13, 1853, in Ripley county, Ind., to Abigail Vergason, daughter of Jesse Vergason, which union was severed by the death of Mrs. Mace on the thirtieth day of March, 1857. August 31, 1759, Mr. Mace and Margaret Barickman were made man and wife, a union blessed with the following children-Martha E., born February 7, 1862, died December 25, 1882; Mary E., born August 2, 1865; William F., born May 10, 1867; Sarah S., born January 2, 1869; Gnimelb, born December 29, 1870; Francisco O., born July 9, 1872, and John W., born February 7, 1876.

At the breaking out of the rebellion Mr. Mace warmly espoused the cause of the Union and enlisted in July, 1862, in company F, Sixty-eighth Indiana volunteer infantry, with which he served until July of the following year, when he was discharged from the service on account of physical disability. While with his command, guarding a junction, he was taken very sick, from the effects of which he has never entirely recovered, suffering at this time from partial paralysis, which entitles him to a pension of thirty-six dollars per month. He entered the army a comparatively vigorous · man, but returned almost a physical wreck, so much broken down, indeed, that he was compelled to go about with the aid of crutches, yet in this condition he traveled through the country in the interests of a publication, hiring his farm work done in the meantime. In 1866 he felt it his duty to engage in the ministry, and at once began preaching, even before he

became identified with any church organiza- tion; subsequently he joined the Methodist church, in the ministry of which he continued for a period of four years, when he severed his connection with that denomination and for the two succeeding years was a minister for the United Brethern church. Later his relation was again terminated, and for the past four- teen years he has been an ordained minister of the christian connection, commonly know as New Lights. During his ministry Mr. Mace has labored zealously, organizing several churches and receiving into their membership a great many people who have since become bright and shining lights in the christian world. He manifested great interest in the Sunday- school work during his first ministry, which work he considers equal in importance to that of the church, and all other moral and religi- ous movements have ever found in him an earnest advocate and liberal patron. Owing to financial reverses, Mr. Mace at one time was compelled to give up his property, includ- ing his home, and for the support of his family began to sell tin and glass-ware, and this, at a time, when his physical condition was such that he was obliged to travel through the country with the aid of crutches. His pension, originally four dollars per month, was after- ward reduced, and this at a time when his financial reverses made such a reduction ex- ceedingly hard to bear. Subsequently his name was replaced on the rolls through the interposition of Senator, afterward President Harrison, when his claims were allowed, re- ceiving the sum of $1, 145. With the assist- ance thus received, he paid every dollar of his indebtedness, and in 1884 moved to Boone county and purchased a small farm in the township of Marion, where he has since resided. He now owns a well cultivated place of seventy acres, which is farmed by his children, and he is now passing his declining years in the enjoy-

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

ment of that quiet which only those who have battled so long with the obstacles of life know how to appreciate. Before the war he affili- ated with the democratic party, but since that time has been a stanch supporter of the princi- ples of the republican party. He is a man of character, well respected by all who know him, and is justly entitled to mention in this con- nection with the representative citizens of Marion township.

B ELFORD P. MAHONEY, a suc- cessful farmer of Jackson township, Boone county, Ind., is of good old Irish stock, as his name implies, his grandfather on the paternal side having been the first of the family to take up his residence in America. Henry Mahoney, father of Belford P., was born in Ken- tucky, where he married Polly A. Steele, and where he died before Belford P., a posthumous child, saw the light of day, and where the mother died when Belford P. was three years of age. The latter was reared by his grandmother until eight years of age, and was by her educated. At this age he was placed with a stranger, for whom he worked until seventeen years old, when he came to Indiana and enlisted in defense of the Union, October 2, 1862, at Ladoga, in company G, Eleventh Indiana volunteer infantry, was sent to Helena, Ark., and from October, 1862, un- til January, 1863, was on guard and picket duty ; was then in the first battle of Port Gib- son, Miss., was next at Champion Hill; then at the siege of Vicksburg from June I until July 4, when the city surrendered, all the de- tails of which gallant siege are given in full in war dispatches and works of history. After the capture of Vicksburg Mr. Mahoney was taken sick, and was confined in hospital at St.

Louis for three months ; after his recovery he rejoined his regiment at Tallapoosa Bay, and was in the fight near this point, was in several severe skirmishes, and here his regiment vet- eranized. After doing guard duty at New Or- leans, the regiment was sent up Red river as far as Shreveport, and then returned east as far as Washington, D. C., via the ocean; hav- ing been on active duty the entire interval. Mr. Mahoney was then sent up the Shenan- doah valley and was in the historical Win- chester fight in 1864; was at Fisher's Hill and up the valley to near Staunton, and back to Cedar Creek. It was at this fight that Phil Sheridan came to the rescue, it will be re- membered, after his famous ride of twenty miles from Winchester, and Mr. Mahoney was on the ground at the time. He also helped to capture the last cannon, and finally went to Baltimore, Md., where he was on guard duty until his honorable discharge, July 26, 1865, when he came back to Indiana. It is here im- possible to here relate all the many acts of daring performed in detail by Mr. Mahoney during his very effective war service. Suffice it to say that he was a brave and gallant sol- dier, and that his services have been recog- nized by the grant of a pension, first in 1888, of $12 per month, and since increased to $18 per month. Mr. Mahoney is married to Mar- garet C., daughter of Isaiah and Nancy ( Mc- Gill ) Slaven, and their only child, Lou Ann, died at the age of seventeen months. In 1876 he settled in Boone county, and bought a farm of forty acres, to which his industry has added until he now owns ninety-seven acres of most fertile land, well ditched and improved with substantial farm buildings and nice barn and comfortable dwelling. He and wife are mem- bers of she Christian church, and are among the most highly respected residents of the community. He is a member of Advance post, No. 524, G. A. R., and has served as

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its senior vice-commander, and is recognized as a most useful factor in all departments of useful citizenship.

APT. THOMAS H. MARTIN is one of the leading dentists of Lebanon, and a veteran of the late war. Pa- ternally he is descended from an old English family, representatives of which were living in Pennsylvania and other eastern states in colonial times, and on his mother's side, also, he is of English lineage. His grand- father and his only brother Jacob, natives of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio with Wayne's army. They purchased land near the Big Miami river and attempted to settle there, but were driven out by the Indians. They re- turned to Fort Washington, and while there, Joseph Martin purchased land in the Little Miami bottom. After the Indians were driven from that part of the state he married Miss Rebecca Gyrard and settled on the land near Newtown, in Hamilton county. He became a wealthy farmer and owned a fine place in the famed Miami bottoms, where he passed the re- mainder of his life, dying an aged man. The following are the names of twelve of his six- teen children: William, John, Levi, Jacob, Gano, Joseph, Patsy, Chloe, Jane, Susan, Rachael and Mehitable. Jacob Martin, son of Joseph, and father of Thomas H., was born near the town of Newtown, Hamilton county, Ohio, received a good English education for his day, taught school for some years, and for over a half century was an acceptable minister of the Baptist church. He left home while young to attend an academy at Alexandria, Ky., and while there married Miss Mariam Spilman. Mrs. Martin's father was a Revolu- tionary soldier, became a man of prominence in Kentucky and held the office of high sheriff of his county; also, he was for many years jus-

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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