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 97

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 97
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 97
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 97

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B. (died at about sixty years), Daniel (died at about thirty-seven years), Mary A., Sarah J., Mildred (died at about fifty-eight years), Ann, Nancy E., George, James and David. Mr. Higgins was a substantial farmer, honorable citizen and member of the Christian church, in which he was an elder. He died at about fifty-five years of age. After marriage, Mr. James Bowen, who was a merchant, and wife lived in Maysville for five years, and then, in 1861, came to New Winchester, where he bought 320 acres of land and had a fine farm, on which his widow now lives, and where he resided until his death, which occurred De- cember 27, 1877, at the age of forty-three years, a member of the Christian church, and an elder many years. Mrs. Bowen has also been a member of this church since she was fifteen years of age.

In politics Mr. Bowen was a democrat and was a member of I. O. O. F. lodge of New Winchester. He was an excellent busi- ness manager and left a good property. He was a man of great steadiness of character, honorable and upright, and well known in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowen were born eight children; one died an infant and the others were named Laura, Amanda, George (died at nineteen years of age), Anthony, Edgar, Chauncy and James. The eldest three were born in Maysville, Putnam county, and the remainder at New Winchester. Laura was married when Mr. Bowen died, and that left six children at home, five of whom were boys, the eldest being thirteen years of age, and Mrs. Bowen had instilled into their hearts and minds the lessons of good citizenship, and gave them all good educations, all of them at- tending Normal school at Danville; Anthony and Edgar attended the university at Green- castle, and Anthony attended Ann Arbor also. He became a lawyer, and is now clerk of Pacific county, Wash., and Edgar is his

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deputy. Mrs. Bowen brought up this large family, while managing her farm, and she has been a good and true mother to them. Mr. Bowen was a man who attended carefully to every duty in life and was a sincere Christian. kind father and affectionate husband. Of the children the daughter, Laura, married Charles Bosman, a farmer of Putnam county, and is the mother of four children, viz .: Amanda, Maud, Mark, Rose. Edgar married Margaret Wade, and is the father of two children. Anthony married Cora M. Kelley. Two sons are at home with Mrs. Bowen, Chauncy at- tending Normal at Danville, and James is at home. Mrs. Bowen is in good circumstances, owning 196 acres of land. She is a well pre- served lady of sixty-six years, and looks young for her age. She has done a vast amount of hard work in raising her family, and has always maintained high character and holds the re- spect of her neighbors.

USBUN RUDD, of Clay township, Hendricks county. Ind , is one of the leading business men of Amo. He is the proprietor of the largest saw- mill, and is the most extensive dealer in lumber in Hendricks county. He was born in Frank- lin township, on his father's farm, December 14, 1851, son of James Rudd, the son of Aus- bun Rudd, who was from Kentucky, and who settled in Hendricks county, Liberty township, in 1835. He believes that his great-grand- father came from Spain as a boy, and settled in America. Ausbun Rudd, our subject, re- ceived the usual education, was reared a farmer, and married, at the age of twenty-one years, Olive J., daughter of Rev. William D. Trester, an Evangelical Lutheran minister of Hendricks county. For two years after his marriage Mr. Rudd farmed in Hendricks county, and then, in 1876, began to buy oak timber and rive it

into headings, and followed this for one year, and then engaged in the saw-mill business in company with his father in the south part of Hendricks county; after one year they moved to the edge of Putnam county and remained two years. Mr. Rudd was then west one season and returned and settled near Coats- ville, and there engaged by buying timber and manufacturing various kinds of lumber. In 1882 be began buying timber for H. C. Long, of Indianapolis, and remained with him eight- een months, and then traveled one season in Tennessee and Arkansas, prospecting and buy- ing timber for Russee, Latham & Burgess, of Indianapolis. He then engaged in the timber business at Amo, and in 1889 bought a saw- mill ten miles north of Indianapolis and ran this three years, and then hired his present mill in August, 1892; ran this one year, and then bought it and has since been extensively engaged. He keeps in employment twenty- five men, and turns out 140,000 feet of timber monthly, running a planer and two dimension saws, and turning lathes, gig saws and molding machinery. He builds houses complete, and does all the ornamental work. He also car- ries a full line of sashes, doors and builder's materials, including hardware, and runs his own blacksmith shop. Mr. Rudd ships lumber, extensively, to all parts of the country, and his business is on the increase. He is a very capable business man of force and energy, and has a large amount of capital invested in his business. He is a republican in politics and a member of the I. O. O. F., Amo lodge, No. 701, and is its secretary; also a Mason, and has filled all the offices in his lodge, up to and including senior warden. He is a member of the Knights of Honor and was secretary of his lodge. Mrs. Rudd is a member of the Lutheran church. They have four children, Virley R., Virgie R., Virnie R. and Irvie R. Mr. Rudd has recently erected a tasteful residence at

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

Amo, is a man of integrity of character, and stands high for his business ability and energy.

John Rudd, great-grandfather of our sub- ject, had three sons and from them springs an extensive family. His son, Ausbun, grandfather of our subject, was born March 24, 1800, in North Carolina, and died at seventy-two years of age in Hendricks county, Ind., a member of the Methodist church. He married Eliza- beth Fisher, and they had twelve children, Sarah, James, John, Nellie, Jane, Bryant, Hutson, Melissa, Jehu, Mary, and two died young. Four of these sons were in the Civil war, Jehu, John, Bryant and Hutson. James Rudd, father of our subject, was born March 15, 1830, in Knox county, Ky., at Borbours- ville. He married, in Morgan county, Ind., Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Moore) Champion, and to Mr. and Mrs. Rudd were born three children, Ausbun, Wesley, and a daughter that died young. Mrs. Rudd died in Morgan county, Ind., and Mr. Rudd married Emily Cosner; to them were born five children, Hester, Dayton, Marietta, Lectie and John. Mr. Rudd was twelve years old when he came with the family to Hendricks county, Ind., and he became a well-to-do farmer of Franklin township. He was a life- long member of the Methodist church, and held the office of trustee. Fraternally he was a Mason and member of Stilesville lodge. He lived to be fifty-six years old. He was a inan of great integrity of character and highly respected by all who knew him, and in politics was a republican.

3 ACOB E. COUCH, of Marion township, Hendricks county, Ind, is one of the soldiers of the Civil war, a land-holder and respected citizen. He springs from Scotch ancestry on his paternal side and from English on his maternal. Jacob Couch,

father of our subject, was a farmer of Fanning county, Ga., and married Tama Mentor, and to them were born nine children: George, Mary, Katie, John, Moses, Angelina, Hum- phrey, Martha and Jacob. Mr. Couch moved to and settled in Tennessee, on a farm, when his son Jacob, our subject, was eleven years of age; this farm he later sold and moved to North Carolina, and engaged in the mining business for two years. He then settled on land in Alabama, where he remained until the breaking out of the war, and, being a Unionist, went back to Tennessee, and when that state seceded he went back to Kentucky. He was a Missionary Baptist preacher, and too old to take part in the war, and so remained in Ken- tucky during hostilities, but had four sons in the Union army. Mr. Couch was not a be- liever in slavery, but at one time owned two slaves, was in good circumstances, but was ruined by the war. His sons, John and Hum- phrey, were in the Twelfth Kentucky infantry, and served three years; George and Jacob E. were both in the Eighth Kentucky cavalry. After the war Jacob Couch returned to Ten- nessee, where he died in 1869, at the advanced age of about ninety years. He had been a preacher in the Missionary Baptist church for many years, was also a physician and practiced for at least thirty-five years.

Jacob E. Couch, our subject, was born June 12, 1841, in Georgia, and received a com- mon education. He enlisted in September, 1862, in Kentucky, in company B, Eighth Kentucky cavalry, and served one year and one month, and was honorably discharged at Lebanon, Ky., in October, 1863. He was in the battles of Giger Lake, Ky., Bowling Green, Ky., Lookout Mountain, on the raid through Indiana and Ohio, and present at the cap- ture of John Morgan. He was one of the escorts of Gen. Shackleford, and heard the conversation between him and Gen. Morgan,

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in which Gen. Shackleford said: "Colonel, I am glad to meet you;" Morgan replied: . I suppose you are, by the way you have pursued me." Our young soldier returned with the colonel, and was taken sick with lung-fever at Lebanon, and while he was sick his time ex- pired. He was always an active soldier, and was present in all the battles, raids, skirmishes and marches in which his regiment partici- pated. He was never wounded nor a prisoner. and his sickness occurred just one month be- ~ Union. fore his time expired. Four hrothers out of one family with such records would be a splen- did example of loyalty for any northern fam- ily, but for a family southern born and reared. it is as remarkable as rare. During the war our subject was married, August 9, 1864. in Pulaski county, Ky., to Nancy E. (born No- vember 1, 1841), daughter of James and Polly (Harden) McFall. James McFall was born in Virginia, of Scotch-Irish stock. He moved to Pulaski county, Ky., as a pioneer, and to him- self and wife were born ten children: Eliza- beth, John, Eliza J., Polly A., Martha L., James D., Adeline, Nancy E .. Andrew J. and Fountain T.

Mr. McFall was a prosperous farmer and also was a strong Union man. Andrew J. was a soldier in the Civil war, in the Second Kentucky cavalry, enlisting in June, 1862, and died of sickness six months after. James Mc- Fall lived to be about seventy-eight years old. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Couch lived three years in Pulaski county, and then moved to Hendricks county, Ind., in 1868, and settled in Marion township. In 1871, Mr. Couch bought residence property in New Winchester for a homestead. He receives from the govern- ment a pension of eight dollars per month, hav- ing been greatly disabled while in the army by exposure, causing lung fever, from the conse- quences of which he has never recovered. His father, being a doctor, took him home and

saved his life. Mr. Couch joined the Mission- .ary Baptist church when but twelve years of age, and has been a devout member ever since. Mrs. Couch joined the same church at the age of fourteen years, has always adhered to the faith of her youth, and they have both con- tributed liberally to its support. In politics Mr. Couch is a stanch republican. Mr. Couch was a good soldier, is an honorable citizen and respected man. He did his part to save the

0 ANIEL HUNT, of Marion township, Hendricks county, Ind., is one of the oldest settlers and a pioneer, and springs from sterling English stock. Eleazar Hunt, grandfather of our subject, was a farmer of Guilford county, N. C., and a member of the Friends' church. He married and reared a family of eight chil- dren, Asaul, Asher, Hiram, John, Stephen, Zimri, Zedick Ithamer and Beula. Mr. Hunt lived to be an old man and died in North Car- olina, a respected citizen of devout religious character. Zimri Hunt, father of our subject, was born in Guilford county, N. C., received the common education of his day, and married Rebecca, daughter of Williamson and Re- becca Brown, and to Mr. and Mrs. Hunt were born eleven children, Beula, Stephen, Mary, Asenath, Ithamer, Daniel, Annie, Lydia, Jeanette, Rebecca and Zimri. The first six were born in North Carolina and the remain- ing five were born in Marion township, Hen- dricks county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hunt were members of the Friends' church. In 1827 Mr. Hunt came to Hendricks county, Ind., bringing his family, making the journey of about 700 miles in six weeks and arriving in No- vember, sixty-seven years ago. The country was a wilderness, and they came with one four-horse and one two-horse team. He en-

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

tered and settled upon eighty acres near where Henry Hunt now lives: He cleared up forty acres, when it was discovered ten years later that a mistake had been made in the number of his section, and he lost this land, receiving but $50 for his improvements. He then en- tered the next eighty acres east, at that time in the green woods, and began life over. He cleared this and lived on it for about twenty- five years, then bought land at what is known now as Billtown, and afterward moved to the 100 acres where his son Zimri now lives, and here he died at about seventy-five years of age. He had always been a hard-working, pio- neer citizen, strictly honest and straightfor- ward, and was respected by all who knew him.

Daniel Hunt, our subject, was born De- cember 25, 1825, in Guilford county, N. C., and was not quite two years of age when he was brought by his parents to Hendricks county, Ind. He received the usual pioneer education in the old log school-house in the woods three miles from his father's home, finding his way by a blazed trail, going to school through the winter months for probably not over one year in all. He early began to work at burning brush, and as soon as large enough to handle an ax, he assisted to clear the land. The custom was to burn all this valuable tim- ber, as no use could be made of it. The country was full of game, deer and wild tur- key, and the settlers used a great deal of it. Mr. Hunt worked for his father until he was twenty years old, and then began life for him- self, with nothing but a stout heart and frame. He began at farm work at $9 per month, which was increased one dollar per month for five years. He split rails at twenty-five and thirty cents per hundred, and made $1 per day, and at scoring timber made the same price. At the age of twenty-five years, having worked for himself five years, he saved $550. Part of this he earned in saw-mills on extra time,

by working one-half of the night, and thus made nine days per week. At the age of twenty-five years he bought 100 acres of land in the green woods, one mile north of his pres- ent farm, cleared this land with no help, and lived on it three years, having built a nice hewed log house.

In 1854 Mr. Hunt married Ellen, daughter of Charles and Susan (Hedden) Hunter. Mr. Hunter was from Kentucky, and settled in Put- nam county as one of the pioneers in Floyd township. He was the father of nine children, Eliza, Mary, Harriet, John, Catherine, Lu- cinda, Ellen, Isaac and Elizabeth. Mr. Hun- ter lived to be seventy-three years of age and died on his farm. He was a Regular Baptist minister and well known by all the old settlers in Putnam and Hendricks counties as the pio- neer preacher for many years. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Hunt settled in their log house and lived there for eighteen years, and here all their children were born-Bedial J., Charles Z., and Lydia E. Mr. Hunt cleared up his farm and by thrift and patient industry, as- sisted by his faithful wife, added to his land until he owned 605 acres, a handsome prop- erty. Much of this property he has given to his children, and he has retained 365 acres for the homestead. Mr. Hunt came to his pres- ent farm in 1872 and built his present residence in 1876. He has always been strong and able, does as much as any man, and now, at the age of sixty-nine years, can do a good hard day's labor. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are members of the Regular Baptist church and he has been deacon five years, has always assisted his church liberally and has assisted every church within four miles of him when called upon. He gave all his children a good education, has been public-spirited, and assisted in having good roads and good schools. Politically he is a republican. Mr. Hunt has made all he has with his own hands and by good manage-

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

ment, assisted by his faithful wife, who has also done a vast amount of hard work and been a true helpmate and faithful mother.

Charles Z. Hunt, son of Daniel, married Anna Whicker, and has had five children born to his marriage. He is a farmer. Bedial J. married F. P. Wright, a farmer of Floyd town- ship, and has three children; Lydia E., the daughter, married Wm. Kelly, a farmer of Clay township, and has two children. The children are well settled in life, all received a share of the home property, and remained among the respected families in Hendricks county.

3 OHN S. MARTIN, of Marion town- ship, Hendricks county, Ind., was born June 21, 1836, a son of Pleasant B. and Jemima (Raglan) Martin, of Clark county, Ky., where Pleasant Martin was a sub- stantial farmer and the father of four sons, John S., Alfred B., George W. and Thomas B. He died in Kentucky at the early age of thirty-nine years. He was an honorable citi- zen, and of his children, John S. and George W. served in the Civil war on the Union side, -and one son, Alfred, fought for the Confed- erate cause.

John S. Martin was reared a farmer, and came to Hendricks county, Ind., April 18, 1860. He married January 10, 1861, Nancy J., daughter of George and Julia A. (Raglan) McCoy. George McCoy came to Hendricks county as a pioneer and was the father of thirteen children. He lived to be an aged man, cleared up a good farm in Marion town- ship of 160 acres, and died at seventy-three years. He was a good citizen and substantial man and had one son, Alfred, who served through the late war in company H. Seventh Indiana infantry. After marriage Mr. Martin settled in Marion township, and to himself and

wife were born nine children: Jemima (died aged twenty-four years), William S., Grant, Lenora (died aged fourteen years), Oliver P., Anthony, Marion F., Verna and Inez (died an infant). Before the birth of his first child Mr. Martin enlisted on September 7, 1861, at Dan- ville, Ind., in company H, Seventh Indiana infantry, for three years or during the war, and was honorably discharged July 17, 1865, at Indianapolis, having served his country faithfully for the long period of four years.

He was in the battles of Greenbrier, Win- chester, Mannassas Gap, second battle of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Antie- tam, Chantilly, Gettysburg and the Wilderness. He was here shot twice in the left leg and was captured and taken direct to Andersonville, Ga., and confined with 18,000 fresh prisoners; all told there were 35,000 prisoners at one time confined in a stockade, consisting of about twelve acres, twenty feet high, with a slough running through the center. Mr. Martin was captured May 5, 1864, and confined in this prison from May 8 until some time in March, 1865. The rations consisted of less than a pint of crushed corn and cobs per day, some- times a little rice instead, and at one time a little beef was served. The rations were al- ways served raw and the soldiers cooked them as best they could. At one time, for seven days no rations were served at all. Mr. Mar- tin had for protection only his army blanket, which was old and worn thin. The water was very filthy and the prisoners were frequently shot at while trying to get a drink by reach- Ing over the dead line. The sufferings were terrible, and the average deaths were 120 per day. Mr. Martin became greatly emaciated from his long imprisonment. When he came out his hip bones protruded through the flesh and a part of his ribs was bare. When he reached Amo, he weighed seventy-five pounds, although, when he went into prison, he was a

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

stout young soldier weighing 186 pounds. After his return home and partial recovery, he resumed farming and prospered, but lost by loaning money. His wife died in 1887, and he married December 6, 1888, Mrs. Nancy J. Leslie, daughter of Joel and Eunice (Lamb) Lamb. Mr. Martin, in politics, is a republi- can and has been school director several years. He is a member also of Reuben Masten post, No. 431, G. A. R., of Amo, Ind. He is now living on his homestead, is in comfortable cir- cumstances, and well known for his integrity.

a APT. AARON T. DOOLEY, one of the officers of the Civil war and an honored citizen, springs from Scotch- Irish ancestry, who were pioneers from Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, and were sol- diers in the war of 1812, and three of them were killed in the battle of River Raisin. Aaron Dooley, grandfather of our subject, was a pioneer of Franklin county, Ky., from Bed- ford county, Va., in 1800, with his family. He died in that county. Thomas S. Dooley, father of our subject, was born in Virginia, and was four years of age when brought to Kentucky. He was a pioneer farmer and mar- ried Nancy Crutcher, and to them were born five children: Frances, Martha J., Aaron T., Logan (died a young man) and James M. Mr. Dooley was a substantial farmer of Ken- tucky and member of the Presbyterian church. Politically he was an old-line whig and a strong Union man, and both his sons were in the Civil war-James M., in a Kentucky regi- ment and in several battles; and Capt. Aaron Dooley, our subject, was born January 28, 1832, received a common-school education, and came to Indiana at the age of twenty years, in 1851, and married, in 1853, Eliza- beth A. Dooley, and to them were born two children, both now deceased. This wife died

in 1860, and he married Malinda E., daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth (Worley) West, and to Captain and Mrs. Dooley nine children have been born: Levi W., James Clarence, Lillie R., Iva L., William T., Daisy A., Bet- tie, Virgie and Ethel. When the war broke out Capt. Dooley enlisted at New Winchester, October 7, 1861, for three years, or during the war, in company C, Fifty-first regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, and on the organ- ization of the regiment, was elected and com- missioned second lieutenant of his company- Capt. Sheets (killed in battle), First Lieuten- ant Samuel Livingston, and Col. Able D. Straight.

Capt. Dooley was in the battles of Pitts- burg Landing, siege of Corinth, Perryville, Ky., Stone River and on Col. Straight's raid, which was for the purpose of destroying bridges, etc., to prevent Gen. Bragg from receiving rein- forcements from the east. The infantry were mounted, the horses being taken from the peo- ple, and much time was lost, the horses and mules being very poor. During this raid the troops were under fire day and night and were hotly pursued by Gens. Rody and Forrest with large forces, and the skirmishing was continued, the Federals having no time to sleep. Near Rome, Ga., Col. Straight was obliged to sur- render the command, and Capt. Dooley found himself a prisoner and was taken to Libby prison and confined in that famous bastile twelve months. The rations consisted of a small piece of corn-bread, and one-fourth pound of bacon, a little rice and "Nigger peas," the ra- tions being so small and poor that the men became very emaciated. For two months the rebel authorities allowed the Union prisoners to receive food from the Union lines; but that was soon stopped. Capt. Dooley was taken to Macon, Ga., from Libby, and confined from May to August, 1864; then taken to Charles- ton, S. C., and imprisoned two months in the

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

jail yard, the food being more scarce than ever. Here they were visited by bankers and other moneyed people of Charleston, who offered them Confederate money for their pay account and drafts on Northern firms, and in this way the Union officer received about $7,000 in Confed- erate money (the drafts were made on ficti- tious parties), and thus they were enabled to buy extra food. For $50.00 in Confederate money they could get a fine meal; a pound of butter for $30.00, a pound of beef for $30.00, and a bushel of sweet potatoes, and so on. Six hundred of the Federal officers were im- prisoned there to prevent the Federals from shelling the city, but the artillerymen under- stood where the prisoners were and continued to shell. From there the prisoners were taken to Columbia, and here several prisoners es- caped; among them Judge Hadley, of Danville. After being confined during the winter of 1864-65, they were taken to Charlotte and confined for a short time; and Capt. Dooley and 100 others escaped, and one week later were captured trying to cross the Catauba river and taken back to prison Capt. Dooley was then paroled and sent north to Annapolis, Md., to be exchanged, and here was mustered out of the service on account of expiration of enlistment. He arrived home March 17, 1865, having been a prisoner twenty-two months in rebel prisons, endured a vast amount of suffer- ing, and witnessed the fearful sights of those prison pens. When imprisoned Capt. Dooley weighed 200 pounds, and was one of the strongest men of his regiment, and when he came out he weighed 150 pounds, and his con- stitution was completely shattered, so that he has not been a well man since. He was pro- moted to first lieutenant at the battle of Stone River, and commanded his company on Straight's raid, being the only officer with his company, the original officers having been killed. He is the only survivor of his five

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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