USA > Indiana > Union County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 52
USA > Indiana > Fayette County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 52
USA > Indiana > Franklin County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 52
USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 52
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MILTON CURRY.
During the memorable war between the north and south, when the very foundations of this grand government trembled in the balance, Franklin county sent many of her brave, sturdy sons into the ranks of the Union army, helping materially in turning the tide of rebellion, and of these none is more honored and esteemed than the subject of this notice.
A worthy representative of a pioneer family of this county, Milton Curry was born, July 24, 1839, on the old homestead, a portion of which is his present place of residence. His father, John S. Curry, and his grandfather, Thomas Curry, emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky in 1810, thence to Miami county, Ohio, in 1811, and to Franklin county, this state, the follow- ing year. Here the family located in what now is known as Metamora township, but a short distance from the present home of Milton Curry. As
Milton Curry
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the second war with England was in progress, and the Indians were known to be allies of the British, at least in many sections of the land, the frontiers- men of this locality saw fit to erect block-houses for the protection of their families in case of an outbreak among the redskins, and one of these rude fortresses was built near the present home of Ralph Curry, brother of our subject. However, it was not needed, for the Indians of this part of the state were quite peaceable and friendly toward the white men. The three sons of Thomas Curry and wife were: John S .; James, who lived in Cincin- nati for many years, and became quite wealthy; and Thomas, who lived and died in Fayette county, Indiana. There were also several daughters in the family.
John S. Curry married Lucy, daughter of Ralph Williams, one of the early settlers of this county, and soon afterward they became permanent residents of section 24, Laurel township, only a short distance from the home of his par- ents. In time he became the owner of about three hundred and seventy five acres of land and was prospered in all his undertakings. He and his esti- mable wife lived to attain advanced years, he dying when six months over ninety-six, and she at eighty-four years. They were members of the Method- ist Episcopal church for a long period and were safely relied upon to do whatever they believed to be the right.
Of the nine children born to this worthy couple, four are living, namely: Ralph, Mrs. Martha Jane Ferris, Mrs. Elsie L. Masters, and Milton. Thomas, William, John S., and Mary Elizabeth (wife of Charles Stant) are deceased.
With the exception of about three years, which he spent in Clinton county, and about the same length of time passed in the service of his coun- try, Milton Curry has always lived in the county of his birth, his home from his early days being on section 24, Laurel township. On the 2d of August, 1862, Mr. Curry enlisted in Company C, Sixty-eighth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, his captain being William Smith, and later, Richard L. Leesons, now a wealthy citizen of Elwood, Indiana. With his regiment Mr. Curry served in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, and at Mun- fordville, Kentucky, he was captured, but was soon paroled, and returned to Indianapolis. After he had been exchanged he resumed his post of duty and was actively engaged in some of the most thrilling campaigns of the war, including Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, and all of the battles of that locality. His record as a soldier is one of which he may justly be proud. He never shirked his duty, and was never in the hospital except for a period of three days, having been obliged to go there by order of his superior officers, but at the close of the time stated he escaped and made his way back to the ranks. For about a year he was the color-bearer of his regiment, and won a name 62
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for distinguished bravery and faithfulness. His honorable discharge from the service was granted June 14. 1865.
Mr. Curry and Ellen Brooks, daughter of Daniel Brooks, were married December 3, 1858. They have ten children, namely: Nelson T., Milton O., Ulysses Grant, Gracie Belle, Mary E., Daniel, Lucy, Lawrence, John and Thomas.
Formerly affiliating with the Democratic party, Mr. Curry cast his first presidential vote for Douglas, in 1860, but. since 1863 he has been a loyal Republican. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Grand Army of the Republic. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, liberal in the maintenance of religious enterprises.
ADONIJAH WILEY.
The Wileys are of Scotch ancestry, possessing the sterling qualities, strong religious tendency and hardihood for which the inhabitants of the highlands of Scotland have been famous for many centuries. The lofty patriotism which they have ever manifested for their country is another notable characteristic, and when Moses Wiley, the great-grandfather of the subject of this article, transferred his home to America, he transferred his allegiance also, and was ready to die for the land of his adoption, if need be. Living here prior to the war of the Revolution, he enlisted in the struggle of the colonies for independence, and fought under the leadership of " Mad " Anthony Wayne at the battle of Stony Point, receiving a bayonet wound, from which he suffered during the remainder of his life. Some years after the close of the war, he removed from Virginia to Camp Washington, the site of the present city of Cincinnati, Ohio, and later he located permanently in the vicinity of Harrison, Ohio.
His son, James Wiley, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Frederick county, Virginia. Marrying when quite young, he took up his abode in Indiana about 1812, and his land included the present site of Clarks- burg. He sold this tract to Joseph Clarkson, who laid out the town named in his honor, and who was the ancestor of the Clarkson brothers, publishers of the Des Moines (Iowa) Register, and noted for the part they have played in national politics. In November, 1829, James Wiley removed from Decatur county to Franklin county, Indiana. Here he secured a large amount of land, and at one time had one thousand acres to his credit. His home was on section 27, Laurel township, for over two-score years, his death occurring there in November, 1871. Generous and warm-hearted, blunt in speech and manner, and an excellent business man, -thus he is remembered. Under- standing the law pretty thoroughly, and being strenuous in the defense of his rights, he did not hesitate to resort to the courts for the settlement of finan-
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cial difficulties or differences, and probably was the more respected for this so-called " Scotch obstinacy." In early days he was a Whig, later becoming a Republican.
James Wiley and wife were the parents of five sons and a daughter, all of whom have passed away. Adonijah, the eldest, married and had nine children, and John, the next, became the father of five sons and two daugh- ters. Jerome, the third, when but four or five years old, started with his brother John through the dense forest on an errand to their father, who was engaged in clearing some land. They lost their way and were found only after continued searching for five days. Little Jerome was dead and John was at the point of perishing from hunger. The child next younger than Jerome had been called James, but the mother desired that he should be called for her lost son, and the result was that both names clung to him throughout his life. Spencer, a gallant soldier of the civil war, is repre- sented in this work. Olive, the only daughter, married Jacob Allen, and left three children at her death.
Jerome, or James, Wiley, the father of our subject, was born near Clarksburg, Decatur county, May 7, 1822, and from the time he was seven years of age until his death (with the exception of the years 1841 and 1842, when he traveled extensively through the west and south, mainly on foot) he resided in this county. His marriage to Maria, daughter of Reuben Haw- kins, took place November 12, 1848. She was born at Cedar Grove, this county, September 20, 1825. They became the parents of two sons and four daughters: George died in 1857, and Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah died, with diphtheria, in 1863. Thus only the eldest and the youngest of the family sur- vive, our subject and Caroline, wife of Edgar O'Hair, a prominent attorney of Brookville.
Like all of his ancestors and relatives, Jerome Wiley was a man of strict integrity and exalted ideas of living. Though he was a clerk on an Ohio river steamboat for several years, from 1843 to 1847, and in that position was peculiarly liable to temptation in the form of intoxicants, it was well known that he never used liquor in any form. As a business man he was very successful, at one time owning over two thousand acres of land. Politically he was a stanch Republican, and fraternally was a Mason. His useful, happy life came to a close but a few years ago, April 22, 1894, his wife having departed this life about a year previously, on January 12, 1893.
ยท Adonijah Wiley was born upon the old homestead owned by his parents, on section 34, Laurel township, January 21, 1850. When he had reached manhood, he followed the example which his father had set, and for two years traveled quite extensively in the west. His educational advantages were not of the best, but by mingling with people and going from place to
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place he gained wide knowledge of human nature and of many things and places not found in books. Inheriting a love for books and knowledge, he has made a careful study of many subjects and is one of the best informed men in this locality. He owns an attractive home and well improved farm on section 16, Laurel township, and is considered one of the leading business men of his community. In his political faith he is a Republican, and in the fraternities he is a member of the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men.
April 20, 1875, Mr. Wiley married Miss Amanda Jenks, who died on the 6th of the ensuing September. On the 28th of February, 1879, he wedded Elizabeth J. Ailes, a daughter of Jehu Ailes. She was born near Buena Vista, Franklin county, July 28, 1851. Four children have been born to this worthy couple, namely: Jerome C., born December 1, 1879; Robert A., August 18, 1881; Mary M., August 25, 1883; and Nora L., March 15, 1887. The parents are members of the Christian church, and enjoy the friendship of a large circle of lifelong acquaintances.
WILLIAM F. LIMPUS.
Captain William F. Limpus, of Columbia township, Fayette county, Indiana, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the county, and is a veteran of the civil war, where he won the proud title of captain.
William F. Limpus was born in the township in which he now lives, May 8, 1833. His father, Isaac Limpus, was a native of Kentucky, born December 31, 1792, son of John Limpus, and when a lad moved with his parents to Ohio. During the war of 1812 he was a soldier under Captain Ross, and fought bravely for his country. He married, in Ohio, Miss Mar garet -, who was born in 1792, of Irish parentage. Isaac Limpus and wife were among the earliest pioneers of Columbia township, Fayette county, Indiana, and here he became well known and highly respected by the frontier settlers. When comparatively a young man he met his death by accident, being run over by a wagon, loaded with brick. He died December 31, 1836. His wife survived him a number of years, and died December 13, 1880, at a ripe old age. Her family was noted for longevity. Her father lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and six years. He was in the unfortunate campaign of St. Clair and was at the defeat of the American army under that general, November 4, 1791. Isaac Limpus and wife were the parents of a numerous family. Their son James was the first whitechild born in Columbia township, Fayette county, the date of his birth being May 7. 1814. He became a prominent citizen of the county. He was engaged on the construction of the Whitewater canal and on the building of the mill at Alpine, and was widely and favorably known throughout the county. For
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sixteen years he was a justice of the peace. His death occurred July 14, 1891, at the age of seventy-seven years. The only surviving member of his family is Mrs. Mary Newhouse, of Cincinnati. The surviving members of the family of Isaac Limpus and wife, in 1899, are Mrs. Mary P. Conner, of Columbia township; Nelson Limpus, of Barnard, Lincoln county, Kansas; Mrs. Elizabeth Powell, of the same county; and William F., the youngest of the family and the subject of this review. John and Emily are deceased, and there were several who died in infancy.
William F. Limpus grew to manhood in his native township, where he married and settled, and here he has ever since lived, with the exception of the time he was absent in the army. When the civil war broke out, in 1861, Mr. Limpus arranged his affairs so that he could leave home, and in August, 1861, volunteered for service in Company H, Thirty-sixth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry. At the organization of the company he was elected second lieutenant. The regiment first saw duty in Kentucky. It took part in the famous battle of Shiloh, being the first of Buell's army to reach that bloody field, where it arrived on the evening of the first day of the battle. On the following day he took a prominent part in the battle which resulted in the defeat of the Confederate forces. After Shiloh the regi- ment took part in the siege of Corinth, after which it entered on a long march through Alabama and Tennessee, and thence into Kentucky, where it took part in the battle of Perryville. Then followed the battle of Stone River, Tennessee, and the Tullahoma campaign, in which it participated, as also the famous battle of Chickamauga, where it formed a part of the Twenty-first Army Corps, under General Crittenden. At this battle the Thirty-sixth was in the thickest of the fight, Company H losing twenty of its forty-four men. Mr. Limpus was wounded in this battle, through the right thigh, which wound resulted in his being confined to hospital for a time. When able to travel he returned home, where he remained three months. January 1, 1864, he rejoined his regiment, at Whiteside, Tennessee. Not, however, having yet sufficiently recovered from his wound for active duty, he was placed on detached service, where he remained about six weeks, after which he returned to the command of his company. In February, 1863, he had been promoted to first lieutenant, and in June following he was made captain, and was mustered out as such, at Indianapolis, September 21, 1864. Later he helped raise a company, which became a part of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was commissioned second lieutenant of this company, but was rejected on account of injury he had received. Captain Limpus has been much broken in health for many years, as the result of his service in defense of the Union.
Mrs. Limpus, also a native of Columbia township, Fayette county, was
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born May 10, 1836. Captain and Mrs. Limpus have two sons and two ' daughters: Lovon, William E., Sherman and Laura. Three children are deceased: Charles, Allie and Pearl.
Captain Limpus and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is also identified with the Grand Army of the Republic and the Masonic fraternity.
REV. JOHN A. THOMAS.
The greater part of the life of the Rev. John A. Thomas, of Bentonville, Fayette county, has been devoted to the ministry, and his labors have been blessed with gratifying results. He has followed in the footsteps of a long line of honorable, God-fearing ancestors, noted for the number of pioneer preachers of the gospel which have been included in their number. These worthy men, while clearing and improving a little homestead in the depths of the forest, working as industriously and hard as any of their neighbors, would take the time to study the Bible and to preach the word each Sunday, often riding long distances and over almost impassable roads or paths through the wilderness. This zeal in the Lord's cause led to their being looked up to and consulted, and thus they became powers for good among the simple. honest people among whom they labored.
The subject of this article is a son of the Rev. Erasmus D. Thomas and grandson of David Thomas, who was a son of the Rev. John Thomas, of New York state, who was a descendant of a native of Wales, who settled in America in colonial days. All of these sterling men were very active workers in the Baptist church, David Thomas being an official member of the congre- gation with which he was identified, though he did not occupy the pulpit. He was a native of Seneca county, New York, and from his early days was devoted to farming. Coming to Indiana when it had been but little developed, he improved a farm in Harrison township, Fayette county, and there reared his children to become useful citizens. In his old age he retired and thence- forth made his home with his son Erasmus. His elder son, Minor, was one of the heroes of the civil war, in which his life was sacrificed to his country, as he contracted disease in the army and died soon after his return home. The only daughter, Harriet, married Anson King. The maiden name of the wife and mother was Phoebe Cole.
The birth of the Rev. Erasinus D. Thomas took place in this county November 13, 1821. He owned a farm during his mature years, and taught his boys the lessons of diligence in business, the dignity of labor, and all that goes toward the making of good and patriotic citizens. He was ordained as a minister of the Baptist church when he was about twenty-seven years of age, and continued to devote himself to his noble work as long as he was
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able to do so, -almost half a century. Particularly in the first years of his ministry he used to ride long distances to occupy some pulpit, and far and near he was known and loved. He baptized more persons into the church, perhaps, than any of the pioneer preachers in this section of Indiana. For over forty years he was the pastor of a church in Marion county and one in Hendricks county. His long and happy life was brought to a close in June, 1897, his death taking place at his old home in Hendricks county.
The partner of his joys and sorrows bore the maiden name of Mary G. Thompson. Born in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1824, she was a daughter of Wilson and Mary (Grigg) Thompson, the former of Virginia, but reared in Ken- tucky, and the latter of the last named state, where they were married. Emigrating to Indiana, Mr. Thompson did pioneer service as a preacher in the Primitive Baptist denomination, and at the same time improved a farm. Then going to Lebanon, Ohio, where he was called to become the pastor of a church, he was absent for a few years, but eventually returned to his Indi- ana farm, and .continued to dwell there until his children had gone to homes of their own. Then selling the place, he lived with his children until his death, which event took place in Howard county, at the home of his son John. Ever active and zealous in the faith, he continued to preach the gos- pel until within a short time of his demise. Grigg, his eldest son, has won distinction as a minister in the Baptist church, and John A., the youngest of the family, gave much of his life to the same work. During the war of the Rebellion he served in the ranks of the Union army. His death occurred a few years ago, at Lebanon, Ohio, of which town he was a valued citizen. James L., another son, devoted himself to farming, was the commissioner of his county for a number of years and represented Marion county in the legis- lature of Indiana for a period. Minerva Oliver, a widow, and now living in Indianapolis, furnished two sons to her country, and one of them was killed in the civil war. Rebecca became the wife of Dr. Montgomery.
Born in Tipton county, Indiana, December 16, 1844, the Rev. John A. Thomas was taken to Fayette county in infancy, and resided upon a farm there until he was ten years of age. The advantages of a liberal education fell to his share, and after leaving the common schools he was a student in the Acton high school and in Bryant & Stratton's Business College, at Indian- apolis, until his graduation. His home continued to be upon a farm most of this time, and he early became well versed in the proper management of a homestead. At nineteen he began teaching, and during the following thir- teen years the main share of his time was thus engaged, his schools being in Hendricks and Fayette counties. After his marriage he rented and carried on a farin for a year, after which he resumed teaching in Hendricks county. Having given much time to the study of theology, he at length began preach-
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ing, and had charge of a church at Circleville, Ohio, and another at Rey- noldsburg, in the same state. After three years of ministry in the interest of the Baptist denomination, he became convinced that division lines and creeds in the churches were erroneous and contrary to the teachings of the Bible, and that Christians should have no denominational name, and ought to labor for everything tending to unite, rather than to separate, the follow- ers of the Nazarene. In 1879, at the time that he identified himself with the Christian church, his congregation at Reynoldsville followed his example. During the next twenty years he held charges at Hartford, Ohio, Conners- ville and Newville, Indiana (at the last named place having three churches in which to conduct services, for a period of two years), Parsons, Kansas, and Bedford, Iowa (a year in each town), and in 1891, on account of his health and other considerations, he retired from the exceedingly arduous work in which he has done such effective service. Since then he has con- ducted a farm near Bentonville, and has enjoyed his first permanent home. However, he has preached in this locality at intervals, and is as earnest as ever to see his beloved work prosper. In 1897 he went to Indianapolis, where he was admitted to the bar and practiced for about a year, then return- ing to the farm. Being of an inventive turn of mind, he has given some time to the perfecting of a grain drill which he believes will supersede all drills now in use, and the manufactured article will soon be placed on the market.
At Mount Vernon, Indiana, in 1867, the marriage of the Rev. J. A. Thomas and Miss Alice Allen was solemnized. She was born at Grayville, Illinois, and from childhood lived at Mount Vernon. Being orphaned when young, little is known of her parents, who were of English descent. Of the three children born to the union of our subject and wife Oscar, the eldest, resides in Nebraska; Arthur H., first sergeant of Company C, Eleventh United States Infantry, is stationed, at the time of this writing, in San Juan, Porto Rico. Mary, the only daughter, died in infancy, and the wife and mother was summoned to her reward in September, 1872. She was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church and was a sincere Christian. On the 12th of August, 1876, Miss Laura A. Fraser became the wife of our subject. She was born in this county and is one of the six children of William S. and Elizabeth (Masser) Fraser, of Ohio and New Jersey, respectively. The father came to Indiana with his parents at an early day and settled upon a frontier farm. His brothers and sisters were as follows: James and Day, farmers; Mrs. Hannah J. Murphy; Mrs. Melinda Conklin; and John, a farmer, deceased. The eldest brother of Mrs. Thomas is George Fraser, proprietor of the hotel at Dublin, Wayne county, Indiana, and another brother, Marshall, is engaged in the harness business in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
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Omar and Clara died when young, and Alice is the wife of Professor F. B. Moore, who is a member of the faculty of a college in Indianapolis. The Fraser family has been identified with the Baptist church for generations. Three sons blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, namely: Herman, Marvin and Walter S. The eldest son is a member of the Christian church, and all of the young men are bright and ambitious, and undoubtedly will become useful and representative citizens.
As he believes it to be the duty of every man to keep thoroughly posted in all things which affect the welfare of the state and nation, Mr. Thomas has made a study of politics and long has been a recognized leader of the local Democratic party. He has taken part in campaigns and has made numerous speeches for the principles and nominees in which he placed faith, doing excellent work for the party. In 1898 he was a candidate for the leg- islature, and with the rest of his ticket was defeated. He is very popular with those who are well acquainted with him, and few can boast of more sincere friends.
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