USA > Indiana > Posey County > History of Posey County, Indiana : from the earliest times to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 40
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society was so cut up and divided by shades and shadows, this unequal union can be accounted for only on the theory that Jolin Barter was the only available young man in all the country around and about, who had sufficient nerve to tackle the fiery and untamed Mary Foote. What the exact character of this lady was as a young wife is not now known, but, as the mother of a grown- up family, she is known to have been extremely dressy, hand- some, proud and exacting, frequently carrying this latter characteristic to the extent of boxing her son Richard's ears long after he was a husband and father, and it is said to have been a touching exhibition of filial obedience to see the great six-footer, who feared no man, stand up and submissively receive the punish- ment inflicted by his mother, while tears coursed down his stern cheeks.
Of this family there were six brothers: John, Richard, Edward, William, George and James, and three sisters: Jane, Mary and Phillippa. Edward was the only one of the brothers who died in Europe; he died in Bristol, England. George died in Pennsylvania, unmarried; he is said to have been endowed with " second sight," and could foretel certain events hid from others by the curtain which separates the present from the future. The three sisters each married and, in all probability, died in England. The father, John Barter, and the mother, Mary Bar- ter, and their other four sons, John, Richard, William and James, died in, or near, Mount Vernon, Ind., and were buried here. Of the wives of these four brothers only one, John's, was English, the others being natives of the United States.
The children of John Barter, who lived to man's and woman's estate, were Catharine, who married Harrison O'Bannon, the union being a barren one; John H., the manufacturer of buggies, wagons, etc., of Mount Vernon, who twice married and now, 1885, has five boys and two girls, and Mary, who married Joseph Shep- ard and died leaving three boys and three girls.
The children of Edward Barter, who lived to man's and woman's estate, were John Beadle, George, Jane (who is the widow of the late John Johns). These live near Cardiff, in (Wales) England. Edward, another son, died in Wales, and Mary, Mrs. William Nott, who has but one child, a married daughter, Mrs. William Dixon, lives in Mount Vernon, Ind.
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The children of William Barter, who lived to man's and woman's estate, were William, who now, 1885, owns and man- ages a fruit and dairy ranch near Pennoyn, Cal .; Mary, who married Ebenezer Cooper and died on her farm, leaving one child, a girl; Rebecca, who married William Dixon and died on her farm without issue; Job, who married and died on his farm leaving issue; Richard Foote, who married, lives on his farm and has two boys, and Jane, who married French Dixon and lives on her farm. Richard was a Union soldier. The children of James Barter (he was married three times), who lived to man's and woman's estate, were: John, Richard, Edward, George (who died in the Union Army during the war of the Rebellion), Henry Clay, Mary, Jeannette and Cornelia. Richard, George and Henry Clay were Union Soldiers.
"Richard Barter," a fly-leaf of the old family Bible informs us, "left Old England on Good a Friday, in the yeare of Our Lorde, 1819." He crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a sailing vessel, and, after a long and tempestuous voyage, landed at Philadelphia. From there he went to Chambersburg, Penn., where he worked at the family trade, blacksmithing, for several months and from thence he made his way to Pittsburgh, and in the spring of the year 1820 embarked on a flat-boat and floated down the Ohio River to the straggling village of Mount Vernon, Ind., then just four years old. Here he was prostrated with ague and for several months was unable to do any manual labor; he had expended all of his money and his wardrobe was bordering on the ragged state. At this time there was a public sale of the personal effects of a man who had died in the neighborhood, and among these effects was a suit of "butternut-jeans " clothing. Richard Barter was the purchaser, with Wilson Jones as security. From this time onward his health improved and soon a log smithy was erected on Lot 11, Williams' part of Mount Vernon; iron was purchased of the keel-boat men from Pittsburgh, stove coal was boated down in pirogues, from "The Yellow Banks," now Owens- boro, Ky., and soon the cheerful tones of the blacksmith's anvil awakened the echoes in the village. Speaking of this period of his life in after years, he said: "Many and many's the time that I worked nineteen out of the twenty-four hours, and I was much happier then, in anticipation, than I have ever since been in the possession of riches."
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The smithy was a financial success, but it was merely the central point from which other enterprises were to be inaugurated; soon a barrel of Monongahela whisky was added. In those early days the use of spirituous liquors was very common throughout the West, and the sale of it was regarded as being as honorable as the sale of any other class of merchandise, but the subject of this sketch lived to see the day when he looked upon it in a far different light.
December 10, 1825, Richard Barter was married, by Rev. Erza Lee, to Martha Ann Aldridge, of Posey County, Ind. The young bride was of Southern nativity and possessed of unusual physical beauty, rare purity of language and, added to these, were a sweet temper, great native force of mind and untiring industry. After this important event the smithy and barrel of whisky began to spread out; Pittsburgh ale, foreign wines and a general stock of groceries from New Orleans were added and, within a year or two, dry goods, hardware, stationery, medicines, jews-harps, fish- hooks, ribbons, nutmegs, laces and all of the other appurtenances belonging to a successful early times country store, followed. Along sometime during the year 1828 or 1829, a large, two-story frame building (still standing, 1885,) was erected on Lot 10, Williams' part of Mount Vernon, just across Main Street from the smithy; the business was removed to this building, the east rooms of which were used for store and counting-houses, and the south and second-story rooms served as a residence-in this house were born most of the children of Richard and Martha A. Barter.
By the year 1830 the blacksmithing department was given up and the capital of the now firmly established business had become sufficiently strong to admit of using a portion of it in speculations and in permanent landed investments, and now the young mer- chant launched forth into new channels. Some lands were entered from the Government and others were purchased at a low price from persons who did not appreciate the ultimate value of that which they owned. He was now able to sell goods in large quantities and on long time, the profits being enormous, and dur- ing the fall and winter seasons, after the farmers had killed their hogs and gathered in their crops of corn, the collections were made for the year's business. This necessitated the erection of
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a pork house, which was built (of brick) on the southeast corner of Lot 10, and here every winter the dressed hogs from the country were received, cut up, packed, the lard rendered and much of the proceeds made into bacon. The corn crop, which was already becoming an important interest all along the borders of the Ohio and Wabash Rivers, was received into flat-boats and, with the pork and bacon added to the load, floated down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and disposed of at remunerative prices, and heavy groceries, wines and liquors, were brought up on the return trip from New Orleans. In addition to corn and pork the pecan crop (the Wabash River bottom lands were alive with pecan trees ) was not an unimportant one, there being during the season, in those days, hundreds upon hundreds of bushels of them dis- posed of in this market, and venison hams, at 373 to 622 cents a pair, were quite a common article of commerce, being on the market in fresh, dried and smoked states; much of this article was also sent South to sell in the Southern cities.
It is a somewhat remarkable fact that, during the many years of this branch of his business, of the hundreds of flat-boats run South by Richard Barter not one of them was ever sunk, and of the scores of houses owned by him, first and last, only one, an unimportant structure, was ever burned, and yet he scouted at there being such a thing as "luck." Well, in all probability, there is no such thing, but those who have lived long and scrutinized closely cannot gainsay the certainty of terrestrial rewards and punishments, for the " Book of Books" says: " Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land," and, while the stern man of business was uncomplainingly receiving unmerited chastisement at the hands of his fiery tem- pered mother, is any one prepared to say that he was not planting the seeds of a long, useful and prosperous career ?
December 17, 1846, Martha Ann Barter, his wife, died in the same hospitable house which she had gladdened for over twenty- one years. At the time of her death she was the mother of six sons, one of them being absent at college, and one daughter, all of whom are still living, 1885. Regarded in the light of wife, mother, friend or neighbor, she was a very superior lady; she attended strictly to her own home affairs and never had an enemy.
During the year 1848 Richard Barter was married to Miss
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Mary H. Walker, of Evansville, Ind. She was the daughter of Capt. William Walker, of Evansville, who was killed at the battle of Buena Vista during the early part of the war with Mexico, and sister to the late William H. Walker, at one time mayor of Evans- ville, and of Drs. George B. and John T. Walker, once professors in the Evansville Medical College. She was a well educated and highly intelligent lady, possessing a remarkable memory and capacity, in a marked degree, of communicating her knowledge to others. Her greatest enjoyment was with books.
About the year 1856 he removed his family to his favorite farm, on the Mount Vernon and New Harmony Road (going north on the east side), not a mile from the city, and here he spent the most of his time until, April 15, 1864, he ended his days on earth and was buried by the Masonic order, of which he was an honored member, in the Barter private graveyard on the hillside to the east of the residence. During the month of November (Thanksgiving day), 1876, Mary H., his second wife and widow, died and was buried beside him to his left, his first wife, Martha Ann, having been buried beside him to his right. Further on to his right, their graves marked by a heavy marble slab, rest the remains of John and Mary Barter, the father whom he honored and the mother whom he so much loved.
Richard Barter was a born business character. It was his boast that at the age of thirteen years he had a plentiful supply of nice clothing, carried a good silver watch and chain and had a sufficiency of money, all earned by the sweat of his own brow. He was liberal toward his relatives, indulgent with his children, moderately charitable toward the poor, never forgot a friend or an enemy, and they never forgot him. He was eminently ener- getic and enterprising, made things happen, paid all his debts and died honored by many and respected by all who knew him.
The children of Richard and Martha Ann Barter, who attained to man's and woman's estate, were John M. Barter, who was from his boyhood up to the last, his father's trusted secretary, confidential business manager and, later on, partner. If there is "a black sheep " in every flock, commonly, there is one in most flocks that is whiter than the other members. John was always regarded, by the community in which he resided and did business, as the "white sheep" of his family. He is now (1885) the head
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of the firm of Barter, Neal & Fuehling, hardware, stoves and furniture merchants, Mount Vernon, Ind. He married Miss Sarah Catherine Lichtenberger, of Mount Vernon, Ind.
Jane Barter, who has been twice married, the first time to John W. Baker, formerly a merchant of Mount Vernon, Ind., and the second time to Capt. John Martin, a merchant of Uniontown, Ky. She had one son who attained to man's estate and was a merchant in the State of Kansas, but he died young and unmarried.
James M. Barter, who was attending college at Greencastle, Ind., when the war with Mexico broke out, and in January, 1847, took French leave of absence and joined the Fifth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, commanded by Col. James H. Lane, with which he served as color-guard on the line from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico and five miles beyond, under Gen. Scott, until the close of the war. During the war of the Rebellion he was a captain in the First Indiana Cavalry, commanded by Col. Conrad Baker (subsequently governor of Indiana) and in 1879 he estab- lished the Weekly Sun, of Mount Vernon, Ind., a Republican newspaper of which he is now (1885) editor and manager. October 9, 1858, at Elizabethtown, Ill., he was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Kate Lee Leflar (died March 15, 1885), by whom he has five sons now living.
George Barter, who, before the war of the Rebellion, was a steam-boat captain and owner, and during that war was a gun- boat pilot. He married a Miss -- , somebody, by whom he had a family.
Richard Fulton Barter when a lad attended the military academy at Drennon Springs, Ky., of which Hou. James G. Blaine was then a professor. He started into the war of the Rebellion as adjutant of the Twenty-fourth Indiana Infantry, commanded by Col. (afterward Major-General) Alvin P. Hovey. He was with his regiment in the battle of Shiloh, was soon after- ward promoted, for bravery, to be major and subsequently was advanced to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment. As lieu- tenant-colonel he was at the siege of Vicksburg, under Gen. Grant, and as such commanded his regiment at the battle of Champion Hills, back of Vicksburg, the colonel, Spicely, having been in command of a brigade. This was one of the bloodiest battles fought during that bloodiest of wars. The Twenty-fourth
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Indiana Infantry went into it 450 strong, and came out of it with over one-half of its officers and men either killed or wounded. During the most destructive part of the fight, when the air was all filled with leaden hail and the men were falling like leaves in wintry weather, Col. Barter was among his command encouraging his officers and soldiers by his near presence and cheering them by his fearless bearing. Near the close of the combat when, if possible, the firing was heavier than it had before been, the color- bearer fell and the regimental colors went down with him. Quick as thought the Colonel sprang down, raised the colors with a cheer of defiance, and quickly afterward an explosive rifle ball from the enemy crashed through and shattered his hand, at the same time cutting in two the flagstaff which he was holding. After this he was promoted, "for bravery in the face of the enemy," to a full colonelcy and commanded a brigade under Gen. Hovey, in Sherman's march to the sea. He was never married and is now (1885) in the war office at Washington City, where he has been for several years.
Henry Clay Barter, long before he had arrived at man's estate, about the year 1856, entered into copartnership with his brother James M., in the hardware, stoves and tinware line in Mount Vernon, Ind., and in this line he has continued, with occasional intermissions, ever since. During the war of the Rebellion he was first lieutenant of a home guard company and drew his pay and spent it like a veteran. He is now (1885) the head of the firm of Barter, Burtis & Templeton, hardware, tin- ware, stoves and furniture dealers, Mount Vernon, Ind.
Theodore Frelinghuysen Barter is the youngest member of this family. He never entered into any regular pursuit. He married Miss Laura Larkin, of Mount Vernon, Ind., and after they, together, had frittered away his fortune she deserted him, procured a divorce and married a fellow named Bill Nelson. She left him with two small boys, all the living offspring they had, to rear and educate.
Of the family of Richard and Mary H. Barter, who grew to man and womanhood, were: Victoria Barter, who married Ed- ward T. Green, a farmer and fine cattle breeder, near Mount Ver- non, Ind. They have six children. Elizabeth Barter, who mar- ried Charles H. Foshee, the brick manufacturer and building con-
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tractor, of Mount Vernon, Ind. They have two girls. Benjamin Barter, who married Miss Vina Kettles, of Farmersville, Posey Co., Ind. Benjamin died within a year after his marriage and left one boy.
JOHN H. BARTER was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., Septem- ber 30, 1825, and is the youngest of two children of John F. and Ann (Arthur) Barter, natives of England. They were married about the close of the war of 1812, and came to the United States shortly after, locating first in Pennsylvania and later in New York State. About 1830 they came to Indiana and settled in New Harmony, where the father followed the blacksmith's trade a few years and then moved to Mount Vernon, where he after- ward resided. He died about the close of the war of the Rebel- lion, and the mother about seven years before. Our subject was raised in Mount Vernon and at the age of ten years began learn- ing the blacksmith's trade in his father's shop. In 1847 he began doing business for himself in a shop eighteen feet square. Later he added a wood-work shop, next a carriage trimming and paint shop, and in 1875 introduced steam-power in his building and is now engaged in the manufacture of wagons, buggies and plows, which gives employment to ten or twelve men. In 1846 he was married to Mary Ashworth, a native of Posey County, who died in 1867, leaving three children: Charles H., William and Emma F. In 1868 he married his present wife, Elizabeth J. Depriest. They have five children: Arthur, Ella S., John A., Freddie and Festus. Mr. Barter is a Republican and has been a member of the city council and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
JULIUS BARTER is one of Posey County's wide-awake young citizens and farmers. He was born December 3, 1856, in Black Township, and is one of four children born to the marriage of John and Jane C. (Templeton) Barter. The father was a native of Posey County, Ind., and was born in 1830, and followed merchandising as an occupation. The mother is also a native of this county, born in 1835. The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm and received the education of the average farmer's boy. He is unmarried and is living with his mother on the old home- stead. In 1879 he purchased forty acres of land and farms enough of the old home place to make about 130 acres of land. He
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is a Democrat in politics and cast his first vote for Samuel J. Tilden.
ROMELIA BENNER was born in Posey County, Ind., November 4, 1839. His parents, John L. and Mary (Mills) Benner were the parents of fourteen children, our subject being the fifth of the family. The father came from his native land (Germany) to America when but ten years old. He followed the occupation of farming and died in 1861. The mother is a native of the county and still lives in Marrs Township. Our subject was raised on a farm and obtained a somewhat limited education. He remained with his parents until he attained his majority, when he enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Indiana Volunteers and served over three years. He participated in the battles of Don- elson, Shiloh and Atlanta. Coming from the war he began farming where he now lives. He has been fairly successful and owns eighty acres of very fertile land. December 21, 1865, he was married to Jane Oliver, daughter of Josiah and Ruth (Downen) Oliver. To their union twelve children were born, seven of whom are living: John L., Ruth E., Nancy J., James O., Mary, Victoria and Thompson P. Mr. Benner is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has always been a Democrat politically. He and wife are members of the General Baptist Church.
SAMUEL BENTHALL is one of nine children born to Cornelius and Rachael (Rowe) Benthall, who were natives re- spectively of North Carolina and Kentucky. The father came to Posey County, Ind., when a young man. Here he married and followed the life of a farmer. Our subject was born December 9, 1841, on the farm where he now lives. He was left an orphan when only eleven or twelve years of age, when he worked as a farm hand until becoming grown. July 9, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-fifth Indiana Volunteers and served his country faithfully and well for three years. By exposure and army hardships he received injuries for which he now receives a pension. He was at Fort Henry, Shiloh and participated in num- erous other engagements. Whilst at home on furlough he was married to Elizabeth Downen, July 12, 1863. They became the parents of six children: John D., William D., Rachel J., Cor- nelius C., Otis and Samuel. After his return from the war Mr. Benthall located on his present farm where he has met with
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good success. He owns 205 acres of good land, all under cul- tivation but about thirty-five acres. He is a Democrat and he and wife are members of the Regular Baptist Church.
MILTON BLACK, probably the oldest living native pioneer of Posey County, Ind., was born near the present city of Mount Vernon January 2, 1809. He was the third in a family of seven sons and one daughter, born to James and Margaret (Todd) Black, who were natives of North Carolina, where they were raised and married, immigrating soon after to Kentucky. In 1806 they came to Indiana, where the father entered a tract of land. Later he removed to what is now Lynn Township, where he built a mill on Big Creek. There he lived and engaged in farming and grist and saw-milling until his death in 1838. The mother died about ten years previously. Our subject, in boy- hood, worked on the farm and in the mill, and on one occasion went to the Southern States by flat-boat on the river. He received such education as could be obtained by attending school three months during the year, and also by applying himself to his books at home. When twenty-five years old he worked for a Yankee clock firm and traveled over southern Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, remaining with them about two years. In 1836 he began working in the first large steam-mill erected in Mount Vernon, and assumed considerable control of the business until the mill caught fire and was consumed in 1837. He then worked on the river, and in 1839 was engaged in a geological survey of Iowa and Wisconsin under David Dale Owen. He returned in 1840 and purchased an interest in a saw-mill at Mount Vernon, which he operated two years. In 1842 he married Mary Jane Jones and located on a farm which he owned west of Mount Vernon, where he remained until the spring of 1849. He then went to California in search of gold, with a party of six from this county. They made the journey with ox teams and re- mained in the gold region over a year, meeting with good success, financially. In the latter part of 1850 he returned home and resided on the farm, until his wife's death in 1858. He then came with his four children (three of whom are living) to his mother-in-law's near Mount Vernon where he has resided ever since. His daughters, whose names are Margaret E., Anna M., and Virginia B., fell heir to the place at their grandmother's
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death and still reside with their father on the farm. Mr. Black has been engaged in buying and trading real estate for a num- ber of years and has met with good success. He owns 500 acres of good farming land. In 1862 he helped start the First Na- tional Bank of Mount Vernon, and has been one of the stock- holders ever since. He is now vice-president of the institution. He has always been a Whig and Republican, and he is a Mason and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of Posey County's leading and respected citizens. Mr. Black had three uncles on his father's side and two on his mother's side who participated in the battle of Tippecanoe. John Black was killed in the battle. His mother preserved his hat which bears the mark of the fatal bullet.
I. NEWTON BLACK, a well to do farmer, is a native of Posey County, Ind., where he was born March 14, 1857. He is one of a large family of children born to the marriage of Ezekiel Black and Mary Ann McClary. The father, a native of Virginia, was born in 1808 and followed the life of a farmer. His death occurred July 31, 1875. The mother was born in New Jersey in 1833. Our subject was reared on a farm and remained with his parents until twenty-one years old. October 22, 1882, he was married to Matilda Broadhead, daughter of James and Sarah Broadhead. She was born in Posey County, October 22, 1858. They have one child, Sarah K. Mr. Black's political views are Democratic. He cast his first vote for Winfield S. Hancock. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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