USA > Kentucky > Biographical cyclopedia of the commonwealth of Kentucky > Part 103
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Mr. Ewell was married (second) May 1, 1866, to Julia A. Johnson, daughter of George W. Johnson of Laurel County, and has five children by this marriage; John H .; George W .; Robert L .; Logan M. and Pocahontas, wife of McCalla Fitzgerald, who is connected with the First Na- tional Bank of London.
H ON. THOMAS F. PORTER, lawyer, was born in Richmond, Madison County, Ken- tucky, July 7, 1821. He received a thorough edu- cation at Richmond and in the schools of Bour- bon County and at the age of nineteen entered the law department of Transylvania University, where he graduated in 1842, soon after locating in Versailles, Woodford County, to practice his chosen profession, and where he still resides. He early established a fine law practice and has been
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engaged in every important case occurring in his district almost from the very outset of his pro- fessional career. In 1853 he was elected by a large majority to represent his county in the Leg- islature. In 1857 he became the candidate of his party for the State Senate and although the De- mocracy had a minority in the district of six hun- dred votes and he was opposed in the race by the learned and popular Dr. Lewis Marshall, after a most exciting contest he was elected by a major- ity of thirty-nine votes. In the session of 1859 he was elected Speaker of the Senate to fill the place made vacant by the illness of Hon. Lynn Boyd, who had just been elected Lieutenant-Governor on the Democratic ticket. After the death of the Hon. Lynn Boyd, December 17, 1859, he at once honorably resigned the Speakership and on De- cember 25 was unanimously elected as permanent Speaker of the Senate, presiding over that body with marked executive ability during the regular and many called sessions incident to the perilous times preceding the outbreak of the war between the states, and remaining ex-officio Lieutenant- Governor of the state until the adjournment of the Legislature sine die in 1861. He was nominated in the following April as a member of the pro- jected famous Border State Convention and can- vassed the eastern portion of the state in the in- terest of the project, but the purpose of the con- vention was not favorably received by the gov- ernment, and the President of the United States having called on the Governor for troops the convention was considered impracticable and the nominees withdrew. He then became a candi- date for re-election to the State Senate as the nominee of the Southern element in his district, but was defeated. About this time on account of his strongly avowed Southern sympathies he was compelled to leave the state and spent a few months in Nashville and New Orleans and al- though he returned and resumed the practice of his profession he was one of the most extreme and absolutely fearless advocates of the doctrine of states rights in the country. When Kentucky decided to remain in the Union, being unwilling to participate in a struggle against his state, he took no active part in the great contest, but un- derwent, as a friend to the South, many hard-
ships and discourtesies incident to the stormy times of fraternal strife.
His career as President of the Senate was a signally honorable and brilliant one and the fair- ness and strict impartiality with which he dis- charged the duties of his office in the times that tried men's souls abundantly proved his catholic- ity of spirit, and his uncompromising adherence to principle as well as his thorough parliamen- tary finesse. At the close of his services as pre- siding officer of the Senate, in token of personal esteem and as indicative of the high value put upon his official record, he received from the Sen- ate, through -the hands of his old political adver- sary, General Rousseau, a beautiful and costly gift. The instances are worthy of note when a man for the general service of the state can suc- cessfully divorce himself from individual per- sonal bias and rise above environment.
Mr. Porter has immense professional pride in the strict maintenance of the highest standard of the legal profession. He takes a warm personal interest in his clients and their cases, devoting to them his time and unstinted energies and con- ducting all his professional transactions on the highest principles of individual honorable respon- sibility. He appears to great advantage in a court room, is a lucid and forcible speaker, indulging in few fanciful flights and dealing directly with the points at issue, no crumb of evidence escaping his keen, logical observance and professional acu- men. He is a singularly self-reliant man, his na- tive pluck enforced by the substantial acquire- ments of a diversity of talent and his social quali- ties, his dignified ease of manner companionable, yet entirely removed from familiarity, make him equally as strong in society as in his profession.
Governor Porter has been twice married, first in 1846 to America McAfee. By this marriage he had one daughter, the wife of W. H. Craig, a merchant of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1848 he was again married to Susan V. Hancock, daugh- ter of William Hancock of Woodford County. By this marriage there is living one child, the accom- plished Jessamine Porter, who was a pupil of Emille Gramonte of New York.
Charles Porter (father) was a native of Vir- ginia and emigrated with his parents to Ken-
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tucky early in the history of the state, living in Madison County until the subject of this sketch was thirteen years old, and then removing to a farm in Bourbon County. The history of the Por- ter family is this: Three brothers of this name who had followed the fortunes of the house of Campbell in the Highlands of Scotland came to this country in an early day, one of them settling in Pennsylvania, another in Virginia, and still an- other in Tennessee. From them are descended the Porters of their respective states, many of whom have been prominent in the affairs of the country.
JOHN L. CONN, a leading physician of Car- rollton, son of Thomas Conn and Catherine Bradshaw, was born in Bardstown, Kentucky, October 8, 1859. His father was born in Jef- fcrson County, and removed to Union County when he was a young man, and was a resident and farmer of that county until 1857, when he removed to Bardstown, where he lived the re- mainder of his days and died at the age of seventy years. His life was principally devoted to farm- ing, but he was also engaged for a time in mer- chandising. He was for many years a member of the Christian Church, in which he was an active worker and a devout worshiper.
Jack Conn (grandfather), a native of Virginia, of Scotch-Irish descent, came to Jefferson Coun- ty, Kentucky, when Louisville was a small village, and purchased land-as the records will show- which is now a part of the site of that city. He was a farmer and died there, aged seventy-eight years.
Catherine Bradshaw Conn (mother) was a na- tive of Shelby County and died in 1885, aged sixty-five years. Her father, John Bradshaw, was a native of Bourbon County, of English ancestry; was a resident of Shelby County for many years, and died there.
Dr. Conn was reared in Bardstown, where he attended school, and finished his educational studies at a select school in Carrollton, under the teaching of Prof. J. T. English; read medicine with Dr. Prentice Meade of Carrollton and at- tended the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 1882; practiced med-
icine in Carrollton for about two years; removed to Anchorage, Jefferson County, and practiced in that vicinity until the winter of 1890, when he went to New York and attended the lectures at the Polyclinic College. Returning in the spring of 1892, he located in the city of Louis- ville, corner of Clay and Broadway; was engaged in the general practice of medicine in that city for one year, when, in 1892, he located perma- nently in Carrollton and formed a partnership with his preceptor, Dr. Prentice Meade. This pleasant and profitable relation was dissolved by the death of the senior partner in 1893, since which time Dr. Conn alone has been attending to the duties which formerly devolved upon the firm-having succeeded to the large practice of Dr. Meade, who was one of the most popular and efficient physicians in the city. Dr. Conn has met with most excellent success in his profes- sion, and has established himself in the confidence of the people. He is quite active in politics and was chairman of the district convention which nominated Hon. Al Berry for congress; was clected a member of the school board in 1894, and is deeply interested in the cause of education, and in all matters pertaining to the advancement of his city and county.
E DWARD HENRY HOBSON, Senior Vice- Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, railroad president, Republican poli- tician and a leading citizen of Greensburg, is a son of Captain William and Lucy Kirtley Hobson and was born in Greensburg, Green County, Ken- tucky, July 11, 1825. He was given the advan- tages of a common school education at Greens- burg and was for a short time in a school at Dan- ville.
At the age of eighteen years he engaged in the mercantile business at Greensburg and looked after his father's interests on Green River. While engaged in these peaceful pursuits war was de- clared with Mexico and the young man, fired with inherited patriotic ardor, enlisted in Company A, Second Kentucky Infantry, and was elected Sec- ond Lieutenant of the company. In June, 1846, the regiment left Louisville on board the old
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steamer "Sultana" and was hurried on toward the scene of action. Soon after reaching Mexico Lieutenant Hobson's company was selected as escort for the supply train from Seralvo to Gen- eral Taylor's army, then before the strong works at Monterey. This was a charge of great re- sponsibility, showing the confidence placed in Mr. Hobson by his superior officers.
During the battle of Buena Vista his company was engaged in fighting along the line as heavy infantry and was four times detached as riflemen to repel the enemy's advances. At one time when detached from the main line, with sixty men Lieu- tenant Hobson was attacked by three hundred Mexican infantry. He defeated and pursued them until recalled by Colonel McKee for the final charge on the Mexican forces. In the night after the battle of the twenty-third, Lieutenant Hob- son and his men bore in their arms the mangled remains of Colonels McKee and Clay to the camp on the battlefield. For his undaunted courage in this terrible engagement he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. The regiment was in active service after the battle of Buena Vista un- til it returned to New Orleans, where it was mus- tered out of the service in June, 1847.
After his return from Mexico Mr. Hobson re- sumed his mercantile business. His bright mili- tary record, his fine business qualifications and personal integrity have obtained for him many positions of honor and trust. Like his father, he was and is an enthusiastic Mason, and held the position of Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic order for the state of Kentucky. He is a strong advocate of the common school system and for a long time was president of the Board of Trus- tees in Greensburg, and has always been deeply interested in the many industries and enterprises for the building up and development of the coun- try.
When war for the suppression of the rebellion was declared he was president of the Branch Bank of Kentucky at Greensburg, having suc- ceeded Mr. John Barret in that position. When the state was invaded by the Confederate forces under General Buckner in the fall of 1861, on the approach of the advance column, Mr. Hobson collected the bank funds-gold, silver and cur-
rency to the amount of $140,000, and, on horse- back at night with five companions, carried the money to Lebanon, boarded a train and delivered the whole amount to Virgil McKnight, cashier of the Bank of Kentucky at Louisville. Mr. Mc- Knight assured him that he was the only officer in all of the branch banks south of Louisville who had brought or sent him a dollar belonging to the bank.
When the war between the states seemed inev- itable, Mr. Hobson was appointed by Simon Cameron, who was Secretary of War, Colonel of the Second Regiment Kentucky Infantry, and later on he recruited and was in command of the Thirteenth Kentucky Infantry, and assisted in or- ganizing the Twenty-first and Twenty-seventh In- fantry Regiments. His command was one of the first to move against the enemy at Shiloh; and for gallantry on that sanguinary field, April 7, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-Gen- eral. As for other engagements, he was at the siege of Corinth and contributed largely to the success of the Union arms in that contest. At Perryville he commanded a special brigade and afterwards defeated the attempt to burn the rail- road bridge at Munfordville during Morgan's first raid in Kentucky.
General Hobson was assigned to the command of the Southern Central Kentucky Division with headquarters at Munfordville, and while in com- mand of this department had several engage- ments with Morgan and repulsed that famous cavalry leader at Marrowbone. From this place Gen. Hobson pursued Morgan a distance of nine hundred miles, being in the saddle twenty-one days with not over forty hours' rest, and overtook the raiders at Buffington Island, and broke them up, capturing, wounding and killing many of Morgan's command.
General Hobson also conducted a successful campaign against General Adam Johnson, com- pletely annihilating his forces on the Cumber- land River and breaking the Confederate con- trol in Southwestern Kentucky. He was in the expedition to the Salt Works in Virginia and during this time his men lived on pawpaws, the General sharing their privations, a fact that en- deared him greatly to his soldiers. The moun-
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tain campaign was a series of brilliant military tactics and strategic movements, and by the skill- ful handling of the troops he virtually saved the army. In this campaign the ability of General Hobson as a military commander was fully at- tested to the entire satisfaction of the govern- ment authorities, his troops and his superior officers.
General Hobson was twice wounded; in March, 1862, at Spring Hill, Tennessee, when drilling his regiment in the presence of General Buell and other Generals of the corps, his horse became un- manageable and fell backwards on him, fractur- ing one of the bones of his right leg; and still, with his injured leg swollen to twice its natural size, on the morning of April 6, when twenty miles from Shiloh, his men placed him on his horse and amid the wildest cheers he led them to their place in the line of battle, where they were engaged in the thickest of the second day's fighting at Shiloh. During this engagement General Hobson's horse was thrown under him and injured by the con- cussion of a bomb, but was not killed and the General remounted and rode him until the close of the battle. He closed his fighting in this bat- tle by charging and capturing a six-gun battery and narrowly escaped from the successful exploit with his life, his clothing being cut and pierced by the enemy's bullets. His second wound was received during an encounter with Morgan at Kellass' Bridge, Kentucky, where he was shot in the elbow in consequence of which his left arm was paralyzed for several weeks. But he con- tinued to perform cavalry service with his wound- ed arm resting in a sling. He has never recov- ered from the effects of this wound.
After the close of the war General Hobson re- turned to Greensburg and again engaged in mer- cantile pursuits. In 1869 President Grant ap- pointed him Collector for the Fourth Kentucky Revenue District and he held this position for five years. He was a promoter of the Southern Divi- sion of the Cumberland & Ohio Railroad and suc- ceeded in building the branch road from Greens- burg to Lebanon, and is now president of that railroad company.
General Hobson was one of the organizers of the Republican party, and has been an acknowl-
edged leader in state politics since the days when it was hardly safe for a Republican to express his sentiments in Kentucky.
He takes much interest in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the year (1892-3) he was Commander of the Department of Kentucky-which position was given him un- solicited-was the most successful year for the Grand Army in Kentucky. At the Twenty-ninth Annual National Encampment of the Grand Army held in Louisville, September 8 to 13, 1895, General Hobson was elected Senior Vice-Com- mander-in-Chief. He belongs to the Union Vet- eran Legion and the Union Veterans' Union, also the Loyal Legion Commandery of Ohio; and wherever and whenever there is an organization or movement or demonstration in memory of the soldiers or the perpetuation of loyal sentiments he is with it heart and soul.
General Hobson was married October 12, 1847, to Kate Adair, daughter of Alexander and Eliza- beth (Monroe) Adair. Her father was of Scotch- Irish descent and served as the first marshal of the territory of Florida. She was a niece of Gov- ernor Adair of Kentucky, and her mother was a sister of Judges T. B. and Benjamin Monroe. She was a native of Florida and was educated at Dan- ville and Frankfort, Kentucky. She was a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, and died June 18, 1872. Their children were: William A. Hob- son (deceased); Annie May Hobson, wife of B. W. Penick, of Greensburg; Atwood Monroe (late- ly deceased); John A., merchant at Greensburg; Edwena, at home, and Bettie K., wife of L. C. Alcorn of Greensburg.
Captain William Hobson (father) was born in Virginia, January, 1788. His mother died when he was very young, and his father being in indi- gent circumstances, he was taken charge of by his uncle, Jonathan Patterson, who removed to Green County, Kentucky, in 1796, bringing William with him, who was about seven years of age. He was apprenticed to Thomas R. Slaughter at Greensburg to learn the trade of harness and saddle making; and, having completed his term of apprenticeship, went to Danville and devoted himself for a few months exclusively to the com- mon branches of an English education. Being
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then deprived of means to complete his school- ing on account of the death of his uncle, he was compelled to leave school for the work-bench and went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked as journeyman saddler until he had accumulated some means and then returned to Greensburg and commenced business for himself, making his home there until his death.
He was an officer in the War of 1812, and served with distinction in General William Henry Harrison's campaign against the Indians on the Northwestern frontier. In times of peace, dur- ing many years he filled various town and county offices, and upon the establishment of an inde- pendent bank in Greensburg in 1818 he was elected one of the directors. For sixteen years, with only short intervals, he was director of the Branch Bank of Kentucky at Greensburg. For forty years he was a trustee of the town of Greens- burg, and was generally president of the board, elected to the office without a dissenting vote. At the first election under the new Constitution (1850) Captain Hobson was almost unanimously elected Justice of the Peace, although there were four or five other candidates of high standing, and he held that office during life. He was a zeal- ous Mason and treasurer of both chapter and council from their first organization in Greens- burg; was also one of the trustees of New Ath- ens Seminary for a number of years, and was, in short, almost indispensable to every enterprise in Greensburg that had for its object the promotion of the public weal. His record whether as a pri- vate citizen or public official was characterized by pure morality, strict integrity, disinterested be- nevolence, industrious habits and correct judg- ment. He died April 6, 1853, and in respect to his memory the Masonic fraternity at Greensburg erected a monument over his grave.
Lucy Kirtley Hobson (mother) was born No- vember 8, 1793, and when she died was the old- est member of the Methodist Church in her sec- tion of the country. When a girl she came over the old Wilderness Road on horseback from Vir- ginia to Kentucky. She was one of those pioneer women to whom the present generation owe so much of grateful remembrance.
Her parents, Thomas Kirtley and Judiath
Lewis Kirtley, settled in Green County, Ken- tucky, where her father was a farmer and died in 1818. His wife died November 9, 1820, and both of them are interred in the old burial ground eight miles from Greensburg. Lucy Kirtley married Captain William Hobson, March 14, 1814, and had seven children, three of whom are living: A. G. Hobson, banker at Bowling Green; General E. H. Hobson and Luvenia M., who married Charles D. Allen. The other sons and daughters, now deceased, were Eliza, who married James D. Montley; James Thomas; Alonzo Thomas; Lucy Ann and W. J. Hobson.
Many facts of interest in the life of General ing sketch, particularly those concerning his mili- Hobson are necessarily omitted from the forego- tary record, a complete outline of which would make a volume. But this will serve the main pur- pose of a work of this character, which is to place on record the names and character of men who have distinguished themselves in the service of their state and country, or have faithfully per- formed their duty in whatever station their lot may have been cast.
H TENRY CLAY BOHON, cashier of the First National Bank of Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky, is the son of W. F. Bohon and Virginia Hutcherson Bohon; was born March 20, 1845, in Monticello, and was educated at the Ken- tucky University, when it was located at Har- rodsburg. After leaving school in 1864 he en- tered business with his father and in March, 1873, took full control with Smith Hansford. The firm name was Bohon & Hansford, in Harrodsburg, until May, 1884. In that year he was elected cashier of the First National Bank, which posi- tion he now holds. This bank was organized twenty-three years ago, and is now running un- der an extended charter. Mr. Bohon was Presi- dent of the Kentucky Sunday School Union for ten years; is now County President of the Kentucky Sunday School Union, and has been Superin- tendent of the Christian Church Sabbath School for fifteen years. He is an honorary member of the State Confederate Association, and is a man of pleasing address, and readily makes friends of all thrown in contact with him. While his indus-
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try and unswerving integrity merit the success he has achieved his many fine qualities of head and heart command the respect and esteem of the en- tire community.
Mr. Bohon married Miss Sallie Knight, daugh- ter of Grant L. Knight of Jessamine County, Ken- tucky, December 15, 1869. She was born July I, 1847; educated at St. Catherine, Marion Coun- ty, Kentucky, at Daughter's College, Harrods- burg, and at Danville, Kentucky. They have five children: Mary, married Stephenson Haydon of Harrodsburg, now living at Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Annie Belle, Nora and Nannie, who were educated at Daughter's College, and Hen- ry Clay, Jr., now at Harrodsburg Academy.
W. F. Bohon (father) was born in Mercer County, Kentucky, October, 1812, and was edu- cated in the schools of the county. He farmed for a while and was then in mercantile life for fif- teen years. In 1857 came to Harrodsburg, and lived there until three years before his death, April 5, 1873; was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a Democrat in politics. He married a descendant of the Owsley family of Kentucky, and was the father of seven children: Henry Clay; Dr. J. T. Bohon of Lincoln County; W. J. Bohon of Danville; George Bohon of Harrods- burg; R. S. Bohon of Decatur, Illinois; Elizabeth, wife of Linn W. Hudson; Mattie, wife of H. H. Peacock, Dallas, Texas. John Bohon (grand- father) lived in Mercer County, Kentucky.
G I RANT GREEN, cashier of the Farmers' Bank of Kentucky, Frankfort, son of John Green and Martha Dixon, was born in Hender- son County, Kentucky, February 3, 1826. His ancestors were from Fauquier County, Virginia, where the progenitor of the family in this coun- try, coming from England, settled in 1717. His grandfather raised a large family of children, many of whom performed distinguished service for their country. All of the male members who were old enough to bear arms at the time joined the army and fought for American Independence.
Mr. Green's grandfather, Gabriel Green, came to Kentucky in 1815 and located in Henderson County, and was a Lieutenant in the Revolution- ary army. His son, John Green (father), married
Martha Dixon, daughter of Captain Henry Dixon, whose father was a Colonel in the Revo- lutionary war. She was eleven years old when her father came from Caswell County, North Carolina, to Henderson County, Kentucky. Their marriage was celebrated in 1820 and Mr. Green died in 1829, leaving four children to the care of his widow. He left no estate and it was a hard trial for the mother to provide properly for her children, but with almost superhuman effort, great endurance and self-denial, sacrificing every pleasure but that of caring for her children, she performed her task and brought her family to a position in the social and business world, of which she was justly proud. She educated them in the best schools of the day and brought them up to understand and appreciate the importance of industry and determined effort.
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