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 53

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 53
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 53
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 53

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the raising of fine cattle. Both he and wife are members of the Antioch Baptist church and stand high in the estimation of the com- munity. The following are the names of the children born to Samuel and Susannah West: Willis G., Jonathan E., Martha J., wife of William Shelburn, Rosella, wife of Mansfield Shelburn; Margaret J., wife of John Clingler; James, deceased; Samuel A., Charles J., Su- sannah, wife of Joseph Babber; Albert and Harvey W. West.

Samuel Aaron West was reared on a farm, acquired a knowledge of common branches in the country schools, which he attended at in- tervals during his minority, and remained with his parents until his marriage, which event took place when he was twenty years of age. He chose for a life partner, November 2, 1882, Miss Mary E. Stark, who was born No- vember 23. 1864, the daughter of Albert W. and Elizabeth (Woodard) Stark. After his marriage Mr. West began life for himself as a farmer on his father's place, where he lived for one year, and then received eighty acres of his own, upon which he has since resided. He has a well-tilled farm, with sixty-four acres in cultivation, and his buildings and other im- provements rank among the best in the neigh- borhood where he lives. He is conveniently situated within easy access of four good mar- ket places, and is surrounded by many of the comforts of life; he is an industrious, energetic man, popular with his neighbors, and has a large circle of friends throughout Marion and other townships. His home is gladdened by the presence of two children-Lulu Ethel and Alva-whose births occurred July 30, 1886, and November 7, 1892, respectively.

Albert W. Stark, father of Mrs. West, was born in Decatur county, Ind., May 9. 1822, and the birth of the mother, Elizabeth (Wood- ard) Stark, occurred in Decatur county, Ind., on the seventh day of June, 1823. Their

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children are as follows: Mrs. Rachel W. Abbott, born August 26, 1843; Mrs. Nancy W. Butner, born December 4. 1855; John P., born September 14, 1841; A. B., deceased, born October 19, 1849: George W. F., born December 4, 1854; William H. H., born April 3, 1857; Downey F., wife of William R. Moreland, born June 14, 1860; Elvira N., wife of Robert T. Hines, born August 18, 1862; and Mary E., the date of whose birth is given above.

ENJAMIN F. WHEELER is one of the old educators of Marion township, Boone county, Ind., where he has lived since his youth. He was born in Decatur county, Ind., October 9, 1847, the son of Judson and Nancy (Jones) Wheeler, who were natives of Ohio and Kentucky respect- ively, and of English and Welsh descent. The father, Judson Wheeler, came to Decatur county, Ind., about the year 1830, from Ohio, and engaged in clearing up a farm, which he occupied until the year 1850, at which date he removed to Boone county, locating in Marion township, where he resided until his death, which occurred in March, 1891. Mrs. Wheeler still survives her husband and continues to re- side in Marion township with her children, of whom she is the mother of four, namely: William, Mary E, wife of William B. Jarrett: Melinda, wife of Jonathan E. West, and Ben- jamin F. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were honest and industrious hard-working people, and they lived the life of a pioneer in Decatur county as well as in Boone. Through their long resi- dence in Boone county they surrounded them- selves by scores of friends, of which they are in every way most worthy.

Benjamin F. Wheeler, the eldest of the family and subject of this sketch, came to Boone county with his parents when but three

years of age, and here, in Marion township, was reared upon his father's farm and received his education in the common schools of the neighborhood. He remained under the parent- al roof until arriving at his majority, when he began life upon his own resources. Mr. Wheeler, while in school, was an apt student and made good use of his time, thus preparing himself for a useful life. At an early age he began teaching school, which vocation he fol- lowed for upward of twenty years during the winter seasons. He in early life purchased a small farm, which he improved and cultivated and on which he made his home, thus becom- ing one of the well-to-do and representative farmers of Marion township. It is true that there are but few men in Marion township that are more widely or favorably known. Politi- cally Mr. Wheeler is a democrat, though he has never been an office seeker. Mr. Wheeler's marriage occurred in 1875, at which time he led to the altar Miss Nancy O. Bell, the daugh- ter of Robert and Mary (Moore) Bell, one of the representative families of the locality. To this marriage were born four children, namely:

Lydia A., born February 21, 1876; John J., born February 22, 1877; Mary E., born in No- vember, 1878, and Thyrza B., born July 10, 1888. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and family stand deservedly high in the community in which they reside, and Mr. Wheeler is well known as one of the substantial citizens of Boone county.

I e 'SAAC NEWTON WHETSEL .- The Whetsels are descendants of the Penn- sylvania Dutch family of Wetsels. The line of Whetsels under discussion are lineal descendants of Daniel Whetsel, who, accompanied by a brother, removed from Pennsylvania and settled in Union county, Ind., about the beginning of the present century.

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Other members of the old family emigrated to. the west and southwest, and one of them be- came known in history as the great Indian fighter of West Virginia-Lewis Whetsel. Nine children were born to Daniel Whetsel, viz: Zachariah, William Wallace (born De- cember 5, 1812), Theodore, Rasmus R., Margaret, Mary, Jane, Eliza and Lydia. Five of these children still survive and have reached ages ranging from sixty-five to eighty-four years, viz: Zachariah, Theodore, Rasmus, Margaret and Lydia. Daniel gave to all his children farms in central Indiana. Zachariah, Theodore and William received land in Ham- ilton county and Rasmus received a farm in Boone county. To their respective possessions the brothers removed at an early day. Will- iam W. was a carpenter and millwright, but abandoned his trades temporarily in order to clear up his portion of the wilderness. He was married to Irene, daughter of William and Rachael Hourne of Union county, Ind., and settled on the land alluded to in Fall Creek township, Hamilton county, Ind., in 1845. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted in the Seventy-fifth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, in which he served four years and four months. The regiment took active part in many encounters, in one of which he was wounded. His wife, Irene, died in 1856, hav- ing borne him eight children, as follows: Elmer, Eudoris, Elizabeth. Mary, Isaac N., Daniel, Rachael and Elvira. On account of the lim- ited facilities, these children received but meager educations. But four of them survive, viz: Eudoris J., a prosperous farmer of Hamil- ton county, Isaac N., Elizabeth, wife of Jesse Stevens, of Strawtown, Hamilton county, and Rachael, wife of Thomas J. Souders, of Severy. Kan .; Elmer. Eudoris and Isaac N. served in the war. After the war closed the father re- sumed his trades. In his declining years he was granted a pension, and died at the resi-

dence of his daughter, Elizabeth, February 22, 1894, at the age of eighty-one years.

Isaac Newton Whetsel was born in Union county, Ind., May 25, 1842, and removed with the family to Hamilton county, Ind., in 1845. His mother's death rendered his early life one of hardship, as he was reared as a farm laborer. In 1859, at the age of seven- teen, he was married to Nancy Ellen, daugh- ter of Thomas Olvey. She is of North Caro- lina parentage and was born July, 10, 1842. In 1872 she became a member of the Baptist church. During the war Isaac N. was a soldier in company D. Ninth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, and served until honorably discharged in 1865. He participated in the campaigns in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana, principally on guard duty. He was sick in the hospital at Shield's Mill, Tenn., with measles, and at Bull's Gap, Tenn., with small-pox. At the close of the war Mr. Whet- sel learned the blacksmith trade at Fortville, Hancock county, Ind., and began business for himself at Ohio, Hamilton county. He re- moved from there to Marion county about 1873 and conducted business at Castleton and Allisonville for thirteen years. In the summer of 1886 he removed to Hazelrigg, Boone coun- ty, Ind , where he has since resided and con- ducted a prosperous business He has been an Odd Fellow for twenty years and is a mem- ber of Boone lodge, No. 9. F. & A. M., Leb- anon, Ind. He receives a pension of twenty- two dollars per month, owns a cozy home, and, like all the Whetsels, is a democrat in politics. Mr. and Mrs. Whetsel are the parents of eight children, five of whom passed away in infancy. The survivors are: Henry Monroe, born in Fall Creek township, Hamilton county, Ind., August 25, 1860; learned the blacksmith trade but abandoned it at the age of twenty-one; was made a Mason; took service with Wabash railway as locomotive fireman; married Sept-

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

ember 16, 1885, to Dora A., daughter of H. H. and Susan Bassett of Indianapolis; she died childless, January 21, 1888. Henry then removed La Fayette, Ind. ; June 10. 1891, he was married to Laura Lee Cowell of that city. A son, Dudley Monroe, was born to them August 5, 1892. Henry is now a passenger engineer on the L., N. A. & C. railway. Julian Stuart was born at Ohio. Hamilton county, Ind., July 23, 1867; served in Indian- apolis post office from 1888 to 1891: by pro- fession he is a bookkeeper. Mahlon Everett was born at Ohio, Hamilton county. Ind., August 29, 1869, entered the railroad service as fire- man at the age of seventeen; was married to Nancy E. Murray of Peru, Ind .. August 23, 1891 ; now resides in Peru, employed by the L. E. & N. railway as passenger locomotive fire- man.

RANCIS WHITELY, farmer and ex- soldier, is a native of Jackson town- ship, Boone county, Ind .. and was born October 14. 1835. His father, William Whitely, was born in Kentucky, but when very small lost his father, and was cared for by an uncle, Joshua Whitely, and the two came to Indiana while William was still small and located in Bartholomew county. At the age of eighteen William, accompanied by his mother and two brothers, came to Boone county, and in January, 1835, was married, the result being the following children: Francis, Isaac (who died young), Martin V., Enoch, John, James, Melvina, William, Sarah C. and Angeline. The father was a farmer all his life, and he and wife were sincere christians. The father died April 24. 1874; the mother still lives in New Ross.

Francis Whitely was educated in one of the old-fashioned log school-houses, and November 7, 1857, married Elizabeth Airhart, daughter

of John and Catharine (Loup) Airhart. Mr. Airhart is a retired farmer, and owns a well improved farm of 130 acres; is a democrat in politics, and his wife is a member of the Chris- tian church. After his marriage, Mr. Whitely settled on a farm in Jackson township, and later bought a forty acre plat, which he im- proved through his own industry with every modern convenience, and by his thrift acquired some very nice property in the town of Ad- vance, where he resides in a very handsome residence, but still continues to operate the farm, of which he has retained forty acres. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitely are named as follows: Mary E., David B., Oliver F., Charles M., Ellen R., Minnie L., Christian R., Hetty R. and Russia A. ; of these the eldest and youngest are deceased, and. strange coincidence, three of the children were born in the same month, and two on the same day, in different years.

The military experience of Mr. Whitely was varied and exciting. He enlisted October 22, 1862, at Indianapolis, in company F, Fif- ty-fourth Indiana volunteer infantry, and was transferred to the vicinity of Vicksburg. His first fight was at Chickasaw Mountain under Capt. Neff; Col. Mansfield occupied the center and charged across an open field, met the enemy, but was compelled to return; there was some severe fighting, and company F lost several men, killed and wounded. His next battle was at Fort Jackson, Vicksburg, where he saw six rebel brothers, lying side by side, dead-a most pitiful sight. He was also at Fort Jackson, Ark., where he was held in re- serve, and assisted in transferring a large num- ber of prisoners to Memphis, Tenn .; thence was ordered back to Vicksburg, but when across the Black river Vicksburg surrendered. (This was on July 4, 1863.) The march had originally been made against Vicksburg, but in the meanwhile there had heen numerous epi-

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sodes-among them the battle of Champion Hill, in May. This was an all-day fight, in which his company suffered severely. At Jack- son, Miss., the fighting lasted several days, and while in a rifle-pit Mr. Whitely saw, within a few yards of him, a cannon struck by a shell and blown into fragments, and ten men killed. After the investment of Vicksburg the Indiana troops lay there until September I, when they were ordered to pursue the reb- els, whom they followed through Louisiana nearly to the Texas line, when they returned to New Orleans, where Mr .. Whitely was hon- orably discharged December 8, 1863, returning home via the Mississippi river as far as Cairo. Mr. Whitely is a member of Advance post, No. 524, G. A. R., in which he has served as officer of the day. He receives a pension of eight dollars per month as a reward for his bravery, and enjoys the respect of his neigh- bors, not only as having been one of the sa- viors of his country but as a useful and pro- gressive citizen.

NOCH WHITELY, a leading farmer of Jackson township, Boone county, Ind., and a veteran of the late war, was born in this township March 10, 1843. His great-grandfather, William Whitely, came to America from Scotland and died in Virginia; his grandfather, also named William, was born in one of the eastern states, but set- tled in Kentucky when a young man, was there married, and became the father of the follow- ing-named children: James, William, Joseph, and Alexander. He later came to Indiana, settled in Bartholomew county and followed ' farming until his death. His son, William, was born in Kentucky, reared to farming, and in 1831 came to Indiana and settled in Boone county-the year the county was organized- in Jackson township. He married Mary J.

Coddington, who bore to him the following children: Francis, Isaac (died in infancy), Martin, Enoch, John, James A., Amanda M., Martha E., William N. and Angeline. The parents were ardent members of the Christian church, in which the father was a deacon. The father was also an active member of the demo- cratic party. He died in Montgomery county, Ind., where his remains lie interred, and where his widow still has her residence.

Enoch Whitely lived on the old homestead until his enlistment, August 12, 1862, in com- pany D, Sixty-eighth Indiana volunteer in- fantry. He was sent from Indianapolis to Louisville, Ky., and his first battle was at Munfordsville, Ky., which battle lasted two days, and in which he was captured and held till the November following, when he was pa- roled. The winter following he was quartered in Nashville, Tenn .; later was engaged in nu- merous raids; joined Rosecrans, and was in the two days' fight at Hoover's Gap. His next experience was in the sanguinary conflict of Chickamauga, where the company lost twenty- four men out of the remnant of thirty-eight. Retreating to Chattanooga, his regiment was in several severe skirmishes, and after taking part in that historic battle, the Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain conflicts soon followed, but through the showers of grape and cannister he again escaped unscathed. He was also at the relief of Burnside at Knoxville; was also at Decatur, Ala., and then in the furious fight at Nashville .. His valiant service lasted until the close of the war, and the only time he lost was occasioned by an attack of typhoid fever, which seized him at Chattanooga and which was the cause of his being confined to the hospital for three weeks. June 20, 1865, he received an honorable discharge, and is now enjoying the distinction of having been one of his country's most faithful and bravest military subjects. Mr. Whitely is an honored member

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

of Antietam post, No. 162, G. A. R., and has filled the office of senior vice commander of that organization. His pension for twenty years was but two dollars a month; it was then increased to four dollars, then to eight, and it is now fourteen dollars per month. The marriage of Mr. Whitely took place August 26, 1866, to Martha M. Emmert, daughter of Simon and Mary (Canada) Emmert, wealthy residents of Jackson township. The children that have blessed this happy matrimonial alli- ance are named Ellworth, Lottie C., Myrtle M., and Otto. Mr. and Mrs. Whitely are de- vout members of the Methodist Protestant church, in which Mr. Whitely officiates as trustee and also as Sabbath-school superintend- ent. His farm of forty-seven acres is one of the neatest in the township, and the family is one of the most respectable in the county.

B UCKNER C. WHITLOW .- Nations rush into war with little thought of what a great calamity it is to the people. Although thirty years have passed since the close of the great rebellion --- thousands of men who went out to do battle for their country in the full flush of their health and vigor of youth are still suffering from the wounds received in battle, while other thousands have gone to untimely graves. For these many years, these battle-scared veterans have suffered with rare patience, and generally with little sympathy or consolation. What will pay a man for his shattered health, the loss of a limb, arm or an eyes. Surely the small pensions these men receive are no adequate compensation. Their last declining years should be made as easy as possible, their names and records cherished by the people, and their descendants should never become forgotten. Buckner C. Whitlow is one of these wounded soldiers; on the battle field of

Mill Creek, a bullet pierced his left eye, and he has been a constant sufferer since. The great-grandfather of Buckner C. Whitlow at 'an enrly day came from England, settled in North Carolina and afterwards emigrated to Kentucky. He reached an age seldom attain- ed by man, and at the time of his death was a patriarch of over one hundred years. John Whitlow, the grandfather of our subject, was born in North Carolina and went to Kentucky with his father, married there and reared a family of children-William, Hiram, Pleasant and Polly. He was a prominent farmer, came to Indiana about 1825 and settled in Decatur county, then almost a wilderness. He cleared up a good farm of 200 acres, and in his old age sold this farm and moved to Greensburg, where he died aged eighty-four years. He was a member of the Baptist church, an old- time whig in politics, afterward a stanch re- publican, and was a man of sterling worth.

Pleasant Whitlow, father of our subject. was born July 24, 1807, and was about eigh- teen years of age when he came to Indiana with his father, and here reared a farmer and received a common education. He married. in Decatur county, Martha Lankford, and to Mr. and Mrs. Whitlow were born seven chil- dren, who lived to grow up: Hiram, William, Elizabeth, Buckner C., Jones, John and Mar- garet. He lived to the age of eighty-four years and died July 22, 1891. Like his fore- parents, Mr. Whitlow attained great age. He had inherited longevity from a sturdy race, and unless their lives were cut short by acci- dent or the infusion of the blood of short- lived people, the Whitlows, leading proper lives, should attain an age approaching the centenarian. Mr. Whitlow was a christian man of high character. He moved to Boone county in 1870, and bought a farm in Center township. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlow were mem- bers of the Baptist church. Politically a

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

strong republican, he was very loyal to the Union during the great Civil war, in which he had three sons. Jones was in an Indiana bat- tery and died in the service; William was in company E, Thirty-seventh regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, served through the war and was in the battle of Stone River.

Buckner C. Whitlow was born in Decatur county, Ind., on a farm, June 16, 1842, and naturally grew up to follow agricultural pur- suits, receiving the limited common school ucation of his day. Most of the sons of Indi- ana were patriots, and our subject was no ex- ception, and at the early age of eighteen years he enlisted in company E, Thirty-seventh reg- iment Indiana volunteer infantry, at Adams, Decatur county, Ind., was mustered in at Lawrenceburg, September 18, 1861, and served until honorably discharged on account of wounds July 24, 1862, at Stevenson, Ala. He was in the battle of Mill Creek, Ala,, where he was shot twice in the left leg, once in the hip, once in the lower leg, breaking the bone, and he carries both of these bullets to the present day. He was obliged to lie down on the battle field, but raised himself to see how the battle was going, when a rebel cavalry-man, a short dis- tance away, took deliberate aim and shot him in the left eye. The bullet passed through the head and came out the left ear. He remained conscious until after the battle, and was taken prisoner by the rebels, who carried him a short distance and left him to die. He was recov- ered by the Federals under a flag of truce, and was in hospital for three months, when he was discharged and sent home, the sight of his left eye being forever destroyed. After this service and sacrifice for his country he settled in Decatur county, Ind., where he married Mary, daughter of Lewis and Sarah (Conquest) Burns.

Mr. Burns was a native of Decatur county, his grandfather having come from Ireland and

settled as a pioneer. Lewis Burns was a stone-mason by trade, and a very skillful work- man. He lived in Greensburg many years and · was the father of four children-Sarah, Nannie, William and Mary. Mrs. Burns was a mem- ber of the Methodist church. Socially Mr. Burns was both a Mason and a member of the I. O. O. F. He was a man of integrity and a substantial citizen, and died in Decatur county aged fifty-four years. Mr. Whitlow farmed in Decatur county four years after marriage, and in 1869 came to Boone county, and settled in Center township, where he bought twenty acres of land. By thrift, industry and hard work he accumulated means and purchased eighty acres more, and in 1891 he added thirty acres more and received from his father fifty acres. He has now a fine farm of 150 acres, on which he has erected substantial buildings and made excellent improvements.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Whitlow are members of the Baptist church, of which he is treasurer. He votes the straight republican ticket, and is a member of the G. A. R., Rich Mountain post, Lebanon, Ind. He and wife are parents of four children-Eddie C., Della M. and Dora L. (twins ;. and Charles P., died aged five years and three months. Mr. Whitlow is a self-made man and assisted by his faithful wife, has accumulated a handsome property-not- withstanding he has been greatly weakened by his wounds, which still, at times, cause him great pain. As a soldier he did his duty faith- fully, as a citizen he has been honest, straight- forward and industrious, and any resident of Boone county will take Buckner C. Whitlow's word.

ILLIAM HENRY WILEY .- The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch belongs, on the father's side, to an old Irish family, several members of which came to the United States

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

in an early day and settled in Kentucky. Hugh Wiley, his grandfather, was born and grew to manhood in Kentucky, and in 1835, on account of uncompromising hostility to slavery, left that state and came to Indiana, locating in Clinton township, Boone county, where he purchased a large tract of govern; ment land. He is remembered as a man of' decided convictions and great firmness, and during the slavery agitation preceding the Civil war, was untiring in his hostility to the peculiar institution. He accumulated a hand- property and was able to leave each of his children a comfortable home, The names of his children are as follows: Mary, William S., Isabella, Rebecca, John N., Eliza, Rachel, Margaret, Spicy, Hugh R, Priscilla and Cynthia. He died in 1853.

William S. Wiley, father of William H . was born March 13, 1813, in Kentucky, mar- ried February 23, 1837, Frances L. Hopkins, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Brown) Hopkins, and reared a family of four children, namely: Elizabeth J., wife of Samuel J. Maze; William H., Julia A., wife of John T. Pressler, and Margaret E, who died in in- fancy. William S. Wiley came from Kentucky to Indiana with his father in 1835, settling in Boone county, on a tract of land given him by his father, where he made his home until his death, which occurred in 1851. He was an upright, industrious man, a consistent mem- ber of the Utited Presbyterian church, and like his father, whose political opinions he in- herited, he was bitterly opposed to the institu- tion of slavery. He was a politician of local note, supported the whig party, and for some years was a commissioned officer in the Indi- ana militia.

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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