USA > Indiana > Daviess County > Living leaders, an encyclopedia of biography : special edition for Daviess and Martin counties, Indiana > Part 25
USA > Indiana > Martin County > Living leaders, an encyclopedia of biography : special edition for Daviess and Martin counties, Indiana > Part 25
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December 17, 1874, Mr. Steward mar- ried Lillie, daughter of D. P. Slater an old resident of Meigs County, O. The children of this union are: Allie, Dora, Freddie and Christopher.
Mr. Steward entered upon his duties as commissioner in December, 1895, succeed- ing Col. Lewis Brooks. The Board of which he is a member has paid $4,000 of public debt and has made public improve- ments to the amount of $7,000. Mr. Steward favors the practice of economy in the administration of the affairs of the county, and at the same time is a friend to and looks with favor upon the expenditures of the public funds in behalf of good roads or other improvements of a like character.
Mr. Steward has represented his party in State conventions, and has performed other service for the advancement of its cause. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and a man of progress, enjoying the confidence of many friends.
MICHAEL SHIREY, of Shoals, Martin county, has spent forty-four of the best years of his life in this county, and twenty- eight of them in Shoals. He is a living witness to the possibilities of a young man who cast his fortunes with a new country with no capital but his labor and with no opportunities except as he may make them. In September, 1852, he set out from Har- rison county, ()., with his young wife to join some friends in Indiana and intended to settle somewhere in the west and make that their home. They followed the national road westward to Indianapolis and then left their traveling companions and came to Dover Hill, the old county seat of Martin County. His capital consisted of his team, a small amount of money and a " kit of tools." He had learned the cabinet maker's trade at Cadiz, O., with John Gil-
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laspie, and had done journey work through the counties near where he was reared, so that he was better fitted to begin life than he who has made no preparation in youth for the duties of life. He opened a shop and began the manufacture of furniture by hand, as was the custom in those days, and kept at it till September. 1853, when he was lured farther west by the beautiful stories that were being told of that coun- try, his objective point being Centerville, Ia. He never fell in love with the country for an hour. Broad and unbroken stretches of prairie was something that he had not been used to and it was too bleak and barren for him. He disposed of his effects and took the boat at Keokuk, Ia., and landed early the next spring at New Al- bany, and was soon back in Dover Hill, richer in experience but very much poorer in purse. He set in where he left off, as it were, and by the time the war eame up he had regained his losses and was ready to undertake a new experience.
In 1862 he enlisted in Company F, 65th Ind. Vol. Inf. as a private ; was mustered in at Evansville and his regiment sent into Kentucky to keep the gnerrillas in cheek. They were eneamped at many places in that State, including Henderson, Madison- ville, Spottsville, Smithland and Glasco. They were then formed into a corps and sent to Knoxville, Tenn., where they, with the rest of Burnside's army, were shut up by Longstreet and underwent the historic siege of Knoxville. On being released by " Old Tecumseh " they fought Bragg all that winter, and in the spring of 1864 went to Dalton, Ga., and made ready to enter the Atlanta campaign. After the fall of At- lanta his regiment was made a part of Scho- field army, to attend to Hood and they re- pulsed the " Old Dasher " at Franklin and ended the campaign by annihilating him at Nashville.
The Regiment was then transferred to the east where it participated in the finish- ing strokes that restored the authority of the United States over Dixie. Mr. Shirey's Corps was detailed to take charge of the effects of Gen. Johnston's army after its capture and when this business was finally disposed of, his regiment was ordered back to Indianapolis for discharge, in June, 1865 and on July 8, Mr. Shirey reached home.
Mr. Shirey returned to the beneh upon taking up eivil pursuits and condueted his old business at Dover Hill till 1868, when he moved his interests to Shoals, following up the County Seat, which was removed to Shoals and started the business he still con- duets.
Mr. Shirey has always given his business his personal supervision. His labors all these years have been substantially re- warded and the competeney he has acquired is sufficient to provide liberally for his wants in his decline and at the end leave a modest fortune for each of his children. He owns valuable farm lands in Martin and Daviess Counties and good improved prop- erty in Shoals. He is a large stoekholder in the Martin County Bank, of which he is President, and in the Indiana Clay and Specialty Co , of which he is also President. He uses his means liberally in support of enterprises caleulated to benefit the eommu- nity and is seldom mistaken in his judgment as to deserving and meritorious schemes.
He has served his town on the Board of Trustees and his counsel and advice has been of invaluable aid in the eonduet of the public business. In polities he is a Re- publiean but never becomes especially en- thused but about onee in four years. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Repub- lic and is a Chapter Mason,
Mr. Shirey comes from German ancestry. His father was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., about 100 years ago. He came to Harrison County, O., in 1834 and died soon afterward. He married Rachel Wible who was left a widow with seven young children to rear. This fact accounts for the very imperfect education of our sub- ject.
Mr. Shirey was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., March 21, 1832. He married Mordacia Davidson's daughter, Araminta, on July 4, 1852. Their children are: Ad- aline, deceased; F. M. Joplin, Mo .; Dora, deceased, wife of Dr. C. H. Yerone; Claud- ie, wife of Evart Shepardson, of Los Ange- les, Cal .; Seigle E., in business at Joplin, Mo .; Merlin D. and Charles V.
JAMES B. FREEMAN, of Shoals, is one of the oldest and best known citizens of Mar- tin county, in which he has resided the greater portion of his life. His birth occurred in this county, six miles south of Shoals, June 10, 1840. His father was
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MICHAEL SHIREY
Wm. Freeman who was a native of Ken- tucky. He came into Martin County in 1835 and resided here till his death, which oeenred in 1842 at the age of 45. Origi- nally the Freemans were from the "Old Bay State" and upon coming west members of the family located in Cincinnati and in Kentneky.
Wm. Freeman married Mrs. Rachel MeNancy, whose father, Nathan Smith, was a native of North Carolina. This was his second marriage and James B. was its only issue.
James B. Freeman was left fatherless in his infancy. His mother being left in humble circumstances was not able to pro- vide her son with other than very meager educational advantages. She died when he was but seventeen years of age and from that date he was thrown entirely upon his own resources. He sought work upon the farm and went to school as he could afford it, till he became able to secure a teacher's license, when he taught one term of school, in Lost River township.
At this time the Civil War came on and prompted by a spirit of loyalty, he tendered his services in defense of the Union. In July 1861, Mr. Freeman enlisted in Company "I" 24th Indiana Volunteer In- fantry as a sergeant with Capt. MeGuffin, Colonel Alvin P. Hovey's regiment. The regiment rendezvoused at Vincennes and was ordered from there to Camp Jesse, St. Louis, thence to Jefferson City, and on to Sedalia, Mo., then to Georgetown. From that point the regiment went to Tipton, Mo., with Gen. Fremont to Springfield in pursnit of the rebel Gen.Price, and at that place Gen. Fremont was relieved and Gen. Hunter given command.
The command returned to Tipton, thence to Sedalia, and there guarded prisoners cap- tured by Gen. Jeff. C. Davis. Their next movement was to St. Louis, through Otter- ville, thence to Ft. Donaldson, and to Ft. Henry. The regiment then passed up the Tennessee River to Crump's Landing and was assigned to Gen. Lew Wallace's Divis- ion, which was ordered on the morning of the 6th of April to the Shiloh battlefield. They reached the battle ground at sundown of that day and participated in the second day's fight. Supported the besieging ad- vance at Corinth, was ordered to Memphis via Purdy and Summersville and then up
White River for the purpose of joining Curtis. It was then ordered back to Hele- na where it remained till March, 1863, when it was moved south to engage in the manoeuvres about Vicksburg. The troops were landed at Milliken's Bend in April and were marched around opposite to and below Vicksburg, to Louisville, striking the river at Perkins' plantation. By boat they then went to Grand Gulfand there had a six hour artillery duel with a Rebel land bat- tery in an effort to silence it, and failing, the flotilla was dropped down the river to Bru- insburg where Gen. Grant ordered a land- ing and Mr. Freeman's company was the second to touch ground. The landing was covered, four days' rations were drawn and the command moved out and at daylight it was fighting the Rebels at Port Gibson, drove them off the field and took possession of the town. The army then went on tow- ard Raymond, took it, filed to the left and on May 16, fought the battle of Champion Hill. This engagement lasted from ten a. m. to four p. m., many prisoners were taken and the batteries on the hill secured. The 24th Indiana lost 201 out of 500 men and remained on the field after the battle, Company I, aiding in burying the dead. Mr. Freeman was put in charge of 100 men to gather up the arms and other similar property belonging to the government.
The command followed up the enemy across Black River and up to their fortifi- cations at Vicksburg , which was charged on the 22nd of the month without success. Siege was then laid to the city and it was captured July 4, 1863.
That campaign was the hardest through which Mr. Freeman passed. He was under marching orders for eighty-five days, and fifty-five of them he was under fire.
After the close of the Vicksburg campaign the 24th aided in the capture of Jackson, returned to Vicksburg and rested a few days, and was then ordered to Port Hudson, to New Orleans,, thence to Algiers, and to Brazier City and back through Louisiana to Opelousas, New Iberia and back to Ber- wick City and to New Orleans. Mr. Free- man was then transferred to Company K, of the 11th Indiana and sent across Lake Ponchartrain to Madisonville and was there transferred to Company C, of the 81st Ohio. He returned to New Orleans and Algiers at which latter place he was
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transferred to Varner's Battalion but was in that command but two months when he was returned to his own Company. Soon after this he left Baton Rouge for Indian- apolis where he was discharged Aug. 17, 1864 and he reached Shoals the next day.
Mr. Freeman had saved up about $300 and with that he joined a comrade and to- gether they opened a small store at Wag- goner's Hill, this county, but ran it only two years when they moved to Hillham in Du- bois County and there did a large and pay- ing business for nine years, laying the foundation of a modest fortune. Mr. Free- man then came to Shoals with which town he has been identified most prominently. He has erected a number of buildings here, store-rooms, residences and a mill and has maintained a business place here all these years.
Mr. Freeman was first married on March 22, 1866, to Mary E. McCarrell. The children of this marriage were: Isota, wife of O. M. Wallace, of Cairo, Ill .; Rach- el, wife of J. M. Huff, reading clerk of the Indiana State Senate; Elsworth, deceased, and Stella.
Mr. Freeman's present wife was Ida Cunningham, a daughter of John Price, of an old family, and an old stage man. He married a relative of a southern lady.
In politics Mr. Freeman is one of the most ardent Republicans to be found. He never fails in prominently identifying him- self with every campaign of importance and in 1884 was chairman of the Martin County C'entral Committee ; was Vice Chairman through the campaign of 1896, and to his labors was largely due the success attend- ing the " big meetings " at Shoals.
Mr. Freeman has passed all the chairs in the Masonic Blue Lodge, and has been King, Scribe and Treasurer of the Chapter. He is also a charter member of the G. A. R. here, and was it first Quarter Master, and has been four times elected by acclama- tion its Senior Vice Commander, and is chairman of Lincoln League.
O. L. STILES, Trustee of Halbert Town- ship, Martin County, was born in Guernsey County, O., November 22, 1852. He is de- scended from the Stiles of the Old Bay State, his grandfather, Jonathan Stiles, be- ing born in that State. He emigrated to Ohio before the Indians were driven from that State and even participated in the wars
that followed white invasion of the country west of the Alleghanies, besides being in the Federal armies in our second war with England. His son Lewis, born 71 years ago, in that locality, is the father of our subject. He came to Indiana and to Mar- tin County in 1864 and died here in April of 1892. He was a farmer in moderate circumstances, was a Democrat but no poli- tician. He married Susana Barnes, who bore him : Susana, O. L., Harlan, Byron, Lewis, George, Lucinda and Viola.
(). L. Stiles was confronted in his youth with the same conditions experienced by a majority of the youth of the country, long hours for work and short hours for school. He remained loyal to his father and left his fireside only when he married and became the head of a family of his own. October 19, 1876, he took for his wife Annie Mertz, daughter of Frank Mertz, a Frenchman. They located upon a farm near the town of Shoals and resided in the country till 1888, when he disposed of his surplus stock and became a citizen of this place. He plants and tends a crop each year yet, but much of his time is consumed in the proper conduct of the office of Trustee.
Mr. and Mrs. Stiles' children are : Adelia, Ida, Myrtle, Orville, Bernard and Walter. Mr. Stiles was elected Trustee by the Democrats in November of 1894, and took his office the following Angust. He is making a faithful and careful officer.
COL. LEWIS BROOKS, of Martin Oounty, a large farmer, an ex-county officer, a prominent Republican and an honored rep- resentative of one of the oldest families of Martin County, was born in 1835. His father settled in that county in 1817 and took up land at the old rival of Louisville, and historie town of Hindostan. It was in that vicinity that Col. Brooks was born, and some nine years after Hindostan was wiped out by an epidemic of fever. There was nothing unusual in his life till he was past twenty-five when he was commissioned Colonel of the Eightieth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. He served through the war and was a brave and gallant sol- dier.
He purchased a large tract of timber land near Hindostan after the war, and up to 1872 was engaged chiefly in removing the timber therefrom and in bringing the land into cultivation. He owns much of
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the tract to-day and has never permitted anything to absorb his attention to the ex- clusion of his farm.
About the year above mentioned he per- mitted himself to be drawn into polities and accepted the nomination for the office of Commissioner, and was elected. He afterward was elected County Auditor and served several years. His service was so clean and impartial in this office that the Republicans made him their candidate for County Treasurer and elected him. He served in this office four years and returned to the country to devote his remaining years to the improvement of his farm. But he was not permitted to remain out of polities and in private life, for his party named him again for commissioner, elected him and the board of which he was a mem- ber gave the county a progressive, business administration.
HORATIO HARRYMAN, of Shoals, is the present County Auditor of Martin County, and is a favorite with his people regardless of polities or creed. He was born in the northeast corner of Martin County Deeen- ber 15, 1862, grew up in his father's cabin and secured a fair education in the little school house of the frontier pattern. He was licensed to teach at 17, and for the next 10 years was either teacher or student, and at once both. He spent some time in the Southern Indiana Normal at Mitchell, and a year in the Central Normal College at Danville. After the close of his eighth term of school he accepted the Deputyship under County Auditor MeGoyren and re- mained through his term and through the term of his Republican successor. This last appointment was made absolutely upon its merits, to say nothing of the first, as Mr. Harryman is one of the stannchest Democrats of Martin County. He demon- strated such efficiency in his position that he was nominated by his party by acclama- tion as their candidate for Auditor and was elected in November, 1896, by a majority of 246 votes. Mr. Harryman's first politi- cal service was in Baker Township, where in 1886 he was elected Township Assessor. In this office he gave evidence of ex- ceptional ability in transacting publie busi- ness, and this faculty coupled with his well- known superior social qualities gave him a prominence which probably led to his first appointment at the county seat.
Mr. Harryman is a son of Cavanaw Harryman, who was born in Martin County, Ind., fifty-six years ago. His life has been that of a farmer, and he has moved along in his community without political or other interruption, and has given his children such advantages as his resources would permit. He is descended from Wm. H. Harryman, the grandfather of our subject, who came into this new and wooded country as a mill- wright very early and married and settled here. He was born in Pennsylvania. Cavanaw Harryman married Nancy Rhu- bottom, who died in 1884, leaving : Hora- tio, Minnie, Emma and Ida as her children.
Horatio Harryman was married August 6, 1890, to Lizzie, daughter of Elder John Mavity, a pioneer Christian preacher of Southern Indiana. Their only child, Vie- tor Hngo, died January, 1897.
Mr. Harryman was chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee in 1892, and in his present position will not only do his party credit, but will earn the plaudits of an appreciative public.
ALBERT C. HACKER, postmaster of Shoals, Ind., was born in Cincinnati, O., Angust 31, 1857. He came with his widowed mother to Martin County in 1868, obtained a fair education in the schools of Loogootee, and accepted a position with the Martin County Herald as typographer. This paper was afterward consolidated with the Shoals Times, and afterward known as the Times-Herald. Later Mr. Hacker quit newspaper work and became a messen- ger for the Adams Express Company. After holding this position several years he was promoted and placed in charge of the company's night office in the union depot at Columbus, O. However, one year later Mr. Hacker severed his connection with the express company and returned to Shoals, where he established, in 1887, the Martin County News, a weekly Democratic paper which has had much to do with mobilizing of Democratic forces in Martin County. Its editorials have been most potent influence in keeping the county Democracy in line for party candidates. In 1893 Mr. Hacker's party services were recognized and rewarded by his appoint- ment to the postmastership of Shoals. He became postmaster April 21, 1893, and has filled the position with much satisfaction to the public.
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Mr. Hacker is a son of John and Theresa (Urich) Hacker. Both the Hacker and Urich families were orginally from Mary- land, whence they emigrated to Ohio. The town of Urichsville, O., where they settled takes its name from the Urich family.
The subject of this personal sketch was married in Martin County, June 5, 1889, to Amanda, daughter of Colonel Lewis Brooks, of whom mention is made else- where in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Hacker's children are Helen and Lewis. Mr. Hacker is Senior Warden of the Shoals Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; also Past Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of Shoals; and treasurer of the Shoals Opera Company.
JOHN T. MORRIS, County Superintend- ent of schools for Martin County, and a recognized leader among educators, is de- scended from a long line of successful teach- ers. Mr. Morris began teaching at the age of nineteen, in the country schools. Among the several district schools taught by him was District number One in Rutherford township, Martin County. The director of this district at that time was Augustus Ar- vin, who had also served in the same ca- pacity, when Mr. Morris' paternal grand- father taught the school, and for many years thereafter, on down through the in- tervening years when the school was tanght by the father of Mr. Morris, by three of his paternal aunts, and by three of Mr. Morris' brothers beside himself.
Mr. Morris is a native of Martin County, born October 27, 1862. His Father, Rob- ert Morris was born in Jefferson County, O., in 1832, of Scotch ancestry. The Mor- ris family were originally of Virginia. Robert Morris married Berthena Cannon, who bore him nine children, of whom John T. Morris is the second. He was reared on the farm. As mentioned above he be- gan school teaching at nineteen, and after teaching two years he entered the South- ern Indiana Normal at Mitchell, where he graduated in 1885, with the degree of B. S. After teaching country schools for three more years he became Assistant Prin- cipal of the Loogvotee high school, a posi- tion he held for one year. Meanwhile he studied law under the directions of Clark & Dobbins, of Shoals, and in 1888 was ad- mitted to the bar. In June of 1889 Mr. Morris was elected to the office of County
Superintendent of Schools, to which office was re-elected in 1891 and in 1893. He will have served eight full years when his present term expires in June of 1897. He is the only person who has ever succeeded himself in this office in Martin County. He has raised the standard of the schools materially, and done many things to in- crease the efficiency of teachers. He in- augurated Young People's Reading Circle, a valuable educative movement. He has been a regular attendant at the educational meetings of the State, including State Su- perintendents' Association, of which he has been vice-president, and he was a member of the committee, of this Association, that prepared an outline of work for Teachers' Institute work, and of a committee that pre- pared bi-monthly examination questions. He is also a member of the State Teachers' Association and of the Southern Indiana Teachers' Association.
Mr. Morris was married, Sept. 13, 1894, to Louisa Wilking, a teacher also. Both he and she are influential members of soci- ety circles. He is an elder in the Christian Church; Past Chancellor of the K. of P. order; a Master Mason; a Democrat in pol- itics and a member of the hardware firm of Motsinger & Morris, of Shoals
HIRAM MCCORMICK, the leading crim- inal lawyer at the bar of Martin County, a a man of affairs and an esteemed citizen was born in Baker Township, Martin County, Ind., February 28, 1847. His father, William McCormick, was born in East Tennessee, March 10, 1789, and died in this county in 1876. He enlisted at Nashville, Tenn., for service in the war of " Eighteen and Twelve " and served faith- fully to the end of that, our last struggle with the British, ending with the battle of New Orleans. Upon discharge from the army he returned to his Tennessee home and two years later, 1817, turned his face northward in search of a home in the wilds of Indiana. He made his first settlement in Lawrence County, near the northeast corner of Martin County, and resided there till 1820, when he came into Baker Town- ship, as before stated, and there passed the remainder of his life. He was a plain farmer in moderate circumstances for his day, and an ardent Democrat of the old school. He was descended from sturdy Scotch ancestry. His father, Capt. William
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HIRAM MCCORMICK.
McCormick, was a Scotchman by birth, came to America during Colonial days and set- tled in the "Old Dominion."' He was a student of events, was keenly alive to the necessity of American independence, and was inspired by motives of the purest pa- triotism to esponse the cause of enslaved America against the British Crown. He offered his service to the new government in its conflict with the "Mistress" of the seas and was commissioned a Captain of Volunteers. He moved into Tennessee after his military duties were ended and peace declared, and in the county of his adoption held many offices of honor and trust and, it is believed, was once a mem- ber of the State Legislature.
William McCormick married Susan, a daughter of Paul Farris, of Kentucky. She was his second wife and was the mother of fourteen children. Those surviving are George ; Mrs. Thomas Roberts, of Baker Township ; Mrs. Elisha Baker, of the same township ; Mrs. Nancy Hurt, of Spring- ville, Ind., and Hiram. William McCor- mick's first wife was Nancy Rainey who bore eight children, only one of whom is living, viz : Reuben MeCormick of Mitcheltree Township, Martin County.
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