USA > Missouri > Ray County > History of Ray county, Mo. > Part 59
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
Mills, Jenkins' Ferry, Helena, and other minor engagements. He was with Price on his last raid through Missouri. He took part in more than forty battles, but never received a wound, nor was he ever taken prisoner. In 1863 he was promoted to be captain of his company, which position he held till the close of the war. After the surrender of General Lee, in April, 1865, he took his company to Clarksville, Texas, where he remained until the 20th of the following June, when he started for Mem- phis, Tennessee, reaching that place about the middle of July, 1865. He there surrendered the last remaining regularly organized company of the Confederate army. He was a true soldier, and fought cheerfully and bravely for the cause he believed to be right, so long as a ray of hope remained to inspire himself and his gallant comrades to arms. He was and is an upright, genial gentleman, and his true soldierly bearing won the respect and affection, not only of his own company, but of every fel- low-soldier who knew him. After the war Captain Crispin engaged in freighting across the plains, and continued in this occupation till the sum- mer of 1866, when he returned to Ray county, Missouri, and entered into the mercantile business, which he has followed ever since. He has an extensive, valuable stock of goods, and receives, as he deserves, a most liberal patronage. Captain Silas R. Crispin was married January 29, 1867, to Miss Lizze Mason, of Ray county. Of this marriage one child, George H., born September 9, 1868, is now living. His wife, an estima- ble, accomplished lady, died March 22, 1877. April 9, 1879, Captain Crispin was again married, to Miss Malinda Shaw, of Ray county, a lady of intelligence, whose character is adorned by all the graces of womanhood.
AARON H. CONROW.
Aaron H. Conrow was born June 19, 1824, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He spent part of his boyhood days at, or near Pekin, Illinois, and from that place, with his parents, moved to Missouri, and settled in Ray county. Here, by dint of his own energy, he obtained a pretty thorough educa- tion, teaching school part of the time in order to get means to complete the same. In this he was very successful. He then chose the law as a profession, and by rigid economy and sedulous application, succeeded in making an eminent lawyer. On the 17th of May, 1828, he was married to Miss Mary Ann Quesenberry, daughter of David H. and Lucinda Quesenberry, of Richmond, Missouri. From this union resulted the following children: David, Benjamin, William S., and Mamie. He was appointed by the governor, judge of the first probate court established in Ray county. From January, 1857, to January, 1861, he was circuit attor- ney of the fifth judicial circuit of Missouri; an office that had previously been filled by such eminent lawyers as Hamilton R. Gamble, Abiel Leon-
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
ard, Charles French, Robert W. Wells, Amos Rees, Thomas C. Burch, Peter H. Burnett, George W. Dunn, and others, but by none of them more zealously and efficiently than by the subject of this sketch. He was a brilliant and successful advocate, a fine judge of law, and never descended to even the slightest artifice to gain the advantage of an oppos- ing brother lawyer. He was above all littleness, open, candid, ingenuous. He was the preceptor of three young men who afterward became able and prominent lawyers; one of them is now a circuit judge, and the biog- raphy of another, who lives in Richmond, appears in this volume. Aaron H. Conrow was ever the fast friend of education, and no man contributed more liberally than he, in proportion to his means, to the support of insti- tutions of learning. He was ever a safe counselor in matters of moment relative to the town and community in which he lived. In 1860 he was elected to the state general assembly-a democrat worthy to be trusted. He was in the general assembly at the beginning of the war, and sided with the south. He was instrumental in recruiting and equipping the first company organized in Ray for the defense of what he believed to be right. He ranked as colonel in the Missouri state guards, a military organization he had helped to create by his vote in the general assembly. He was by a majority of his comrades elected to represent his district in the confederate congress, and in that capacity, as in all others, served with singular zeal and promptness. He was present at the first meeting and at the final adjournment of that body. At the close of the war the amnesty agreed upon did not extend to members of the confederate congress, and fearing that if he fell into the hands of the successful party his life would be taken, he went to Mexico, and soon after arriving in that country, he was brutally murdered by a band of Mexican soldiers, on or about the 25th of August, A. D. 1865.
JOHN R. HAMILTON.
John R. Hamilton was born September 2, 1856, in Ray county, Mis- souri. Received his education at the State University, Columbia, Mis- souri, graduating in the law department of that institution, in the class of 1879. Prior to attending the university he had read law three years with Hon. C. T. Garner, of Richmond. He was admitted to the practice of his profession in March, 1880. He is the son of Thomas Hamilton, a native of Kentucky, who moved to Ray county, in 1841. His mother, whose maiden name was Rebecca Shackelford, was a native of Clay county, Missouri. Mr. Hamilton is an exemplary young man, of excep- tionally good character, and his close application and untiring energy will, it is believed, be duly rewarded.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
JOHN W. SHOTWELL.
The subject of this sketch was born July 4, 1828, in Mason county, Kentucky. His father was Judge Jabez Shotwell, who was born in Ken- tucky, in 1791, and died in Ray county, Missouri, in 1871. He was for many years judge of the Ray county court; a highly honorable and use- ful citizen, who will long be kindly remembered by all who knew him, living. His mother was likewise a native of Kentucky, born in 1797, and died in 1852. In the fall of 1833 Mr. Shotwell moved with his parents to Lexington, Missouri, and in the fall of 1835, to Richmond, Ray county, where he now resides. Early in 1855 he began reading law, with Messrs. Oliver & Conrow, of Richmond, as his preceptors. He was admitted to the bar June 1, 1856. He is a successful lawyer, familiar with the differ- ent departments of his profession, and has been a close student. He enjoys an excellent reputation both as a lawyer and as a gentleman. In 1877 he associated with him in the practice, J. E. Ball, Esq .; the partners have a lucrative practice, as well as the confidence of the public. Mr. Shotwell was elected one of the directors of the Ray County Savings Bank, at its organization, and has been connected with it ever since. In February, 1880, he was elected its vice president, a position he still retains. In the year last mentioned he, in connection with W. P. Hubbell and L. D. Priest, sunk a coal shaft near the railroad depot in the western part of the city, to the depth of one hundred feet. They employ, in oper- ating this mine, about twenty men. The coal is of superior quality, the vein exhaustless, and the business exceedingly profitable. Mr. Shot- well accompanied General Price, as a soldier in the state guards, in Col. Reaves' regiment, to Camp Cowskin Prairie, and took part in the battles of Carthage and Wilson's Creek. February 14, 1861, he was married to Miss Julia E. Devlin, a native of Michigan. They have seven children living, five boys and two girls: Anna, John W., Joseph, Lizzie D., Wil- liam M., Benjamin E. and Horace. Mr. Shotwell is a member of the Baptist Church, while his wife is a member of the M. E. Church South. They are exemplary Christians, and respected by the entire community in which they live. Mr. Shotwell is also a member of the Masonic frater- nity and of the Knights of Honor.
THOMAS L. SHAW.
Thomas L. Shaw is a native of Bedford county, Tennessee. He was born September 13, 1820. In May, 1836, he moved with his parents to Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, where he has ever since resided. Most of his life has been spent as a farmer. In 1850, he crossed the plains with ox teams, to California, returning in the winter of 1852 and '53. In 1868, he sold his farm and opened the stone quarry known as Carroll county
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
sand stone quarry, with which he is still connected as part owner. In 1879, he entered into the grain trade in Richmond, and to this business he has given most of his personal attention since that time. From 1870 to 1879 he was proprietor of the livery stable known as McCuistion's stable at present. He still owns the barn. Mr. Shaw was married March 9, 1842, to Jane H. Ewing, a native of Ray county. They had four chil- dren, two of whom, Alice B. and Florence M., are living. Joseph F. and an infant are deceased. His wife died April 7, 1849. He was again mar- ried in the winter of 1854, to Ann Summerville, a Virginian by birth. She died May 22, 1856; and he was a third time married October 9, 1859, to Martha W. Bowen, of Bedford county, Tennessee. The offspring of this union are two children, Ida J. and Charles C. His third wife died September 2, 1875; and December 23, 1878, Mary H. Morrow, of Rich- mond, became his fourth wife. Mr. Shaw was one of the pioneers of Ray county, having come to Richmond when there were but five or six log cabins in the town, and the country was sparsely settled. He is a reliable, upright and honorable citizen, and takes a lively interest in the growth and prosperity of his town and county. He is a member of the M. E. Church South.
ALEXANDER A. McCUISTION.
Captain Alexander A. McCuistion was born February 24, 1827, in Bed- ford county, Tennessee. When he was but three years of age his parents moved with him to Missouri, and settled in Ray county. His father, Thomas McCuistion, was born December 12, 1792; was a native of North Carolina, and died in Ray county, Missouri, March 7, 1880. His mother's maiden name was Nancy Jordan. She is a native of Tennessee, born December 12, 1802, and is living with her son, the subject of this sketch, in Richmond. In his early manhood, Captain McCuistion was in both farming and mercantile pursuits. In 1861, he enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate army, Captain J. K. McDowell's company, of Colonel B. A. Reaves' regiment. He participated in the battles of Pea Ridge and Corinth, after which he was transferred to the commissary department, as clerk therein, and remained in that service till the close of the war. When peace was restored he retured home to Ray county, and resumed farm- ing, which he continued till 1874, when he was, on the democractic ticket, elected by the people clerk of the Ray county court. He took charge of the office January 1, 1875, and served four years. At the expiration of his term as county clerk, Captain McCuistion abandoned politics, and engaged in business in Richmond, as proprietor of a livery and feed stable, his present occupation. He is a member of the Christian Church, and also the Masonic fraternity. He was married September 16, 1852, to Miss Susanna S. Berry, of Kentucky. They have three children, all sons,
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
as follows: Augustus L., salesman in the store of J. C. Brown & Co., Richmond; Edward P., with his father in the livery business, and George H., deputy sheriff of Ray county. His wife, who was an estimable lady, died September 28, 1870. He was a second time married, August 28, 1875, to Mary E. Smith, a native of Ray county. She is a member of the M. E. Church South, and an exemplary christian. They had one child, but it died in infancy. Captain McCuistion was an honest and capable officer, and retired from his office universally esteemed. He is, likewise, an honorable and useful citizen.
NATHANIEL DAVIS, M. D.
Nathaniel Davis was born July 31, 1807, in Washington county, East Tennessee. When he was about five years old, his parents moved with him to Knox county, Tennessee, where he spent his youth and passed the threshold of manhood. At the age of twenty-two, he was entered a student in the University of East Tennessee, and graduated with honor, from that institution in 1832. After which he attended the famous Jeffer- son Medical College, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in the spring of 1834, received his diploma of graduation therefrom. He then selected Ray county, Missouri, as the field of his future labors, and started for the " far west " to carve out his destiny. How well he has succeeded, let the affection of his neighbors, and the respect and the esteem in which he is held by the people of the entire county, together with his comfortable home and surroundings, bear testimony. His character is untainted, and his very name is the synonym of integrity, hospitality and charity. He has grown old; the frosts of many winters have settled on his head, and "full of years and of honor, " he has retired from the practice of his pro- fession to pass the remainder of his declining years in the quietude of his: home, near the eastern limits of Richmond. He was an eminently suc- cessful practitioner, because he was skillful, prompt, and always reliable. In 1837, he was thrown from a horse, and by this accident his ankle was dislocated and broken, thereby permanently laming him. Dr. Davis was here through the exciting period of the "Mormon war," and was com- pelled to seek safety by leaving his home for a time. During the great civil war, however, he remained at home, and was not seriously molested. In the fall of the year 1837, Dr. Nathaniel Davis was united in marriage with Miss Mariah A. Allen, of Ray county. She was, however, a native of Virginia. They have had six children, two of whom are deceased. The living are as follows: James A., collector of Ray county; Margaret Ann, wife of Murray F. McDonald, a merchant of Richmond; Alice, widow of George Mason, deceased, late of Richmond, and Samuel B., deputy county collector. His wife died August 23, 1878. She was a-
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY. .
lady of cheerful disposition, and added to an exemplary Christian charac- ter, gentle manners and the graces of womanhood.
JAMES A. DAVIS.
James A. Davis, son of Nathaniel Davis, M. D., is a native of Ray county, Missouri, and was born November 27, 1837. He was educated at the Richmond College, Richmond, Missouri. In 1862 he engaged in the mercantile business in Richmond, in company with James F. Hudgins and Thomas H. Bayliss, and continued in that pursuit till November, 1864; at which time he withdrew from the firm, and went to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he remained one year, and then returned to Richmond, and resumed business, continuing about five years. He then engaged in farm- ing, and after about three years became deputy county collector for Thos. B. Fowler, Esq., and subsequently for Mr. Fowler's successor, A. M. Fowler, Esq., acting as deputy altogether, five years. At the general election in November, 1878, he was elected, as a democrat, to the office of collector of Ray county, which office he now holds, having been re-elected in November, 1880. He is an excellent officer, serving the peo- ple with efficiency and fidelity; he enjoys their entire confidence, of which he has proven himself eminently worthy. He was married May 15, 1861, to Miss Mary Triplett, of Rappahannock county, Virginia. She was an intelligent, amiable lady, but died November 26, 1864. To this union one child, Carrie, now the wife of Frank Clark, Esq., of Ray county, was born. May 15, 1866, Mr. Davis was again married to Miss Alice M. Hughes, of Howard county, Missouri. She is an accomplished lady, of refined and captivating manners, and ingenuous disposition. They have five children, to-wit: Harry, Frank, Katy, Lucy, and Alice. Mr. Davis is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in good standing.
JAMES L. FARRIS.
James L. Farris was born in Williamsburg, Kentucky, May 7, 1833. At the age of three years his parents moved with him to near Dandridge, Jefferson county, Tennessee. He was entered a student at Burnsville (Anson county, North Carolina,) High School, at which institution he received his literary training. In 1855 he began the study of law with Colonel David Coleman as his preceptor. In 1856 he removed to Ray county, and engaged in teaching school, at the same time pursuing his law studies. He continued teaching till 1860, in which year he was admitted to the bar. In the spring of 1861 he joined the Confederate army, entering the service in the Missouri state guard, under General Sterling Price. He subsequently enlisted in the regular Confederate army, and for his devotion, gallantry and soldierly bearing was promoted to a captaincy of artillery, and commanded the second battery organized
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
in Missouri for the Confederate service. He participated in the battles of Lexington, Missouri; Pea Ridge, Iuka, Corinth, the siege of Jackson, Mississippi, and fought through the Georgia campaign under General Joseph E. Johnston, taking part in all its engagements. He was with Hood in his march upon and retreat from Nashville, Tennessee, as well as in the battle of Selma, Alabama, under the famous cavalry officer, General Forrest. He surrendered and was paroled at Gainesville, Ala- bama, in May, 1865. He was a true soldier, brave, vigilant, and always in his place in time of battle. After the surrender he went to Carlinville, Illinois, and in 1867 began the practice of law in that city. In 1869 he returned to Richmond, Ray county, where he has since resided, prac- ticing his profession. He has served two terms as prosecuting attorney of Ray county. In 1875 he was elected by the people a member of the constitutional convention that framed the present state constitution, and in the deliberations of that body took an active and prominent part. He . was elected in 1876 to represent Ray county in the twenty-ninth general assembly, and in that position, as in all others, acquitted himself creditably and to the satisfaction of his constituents. Captain Farris is a brilliant public speaker; his speeches sparkle with wit and humor, and when occa- sion requires it, his denunciatory language is very powerful, his sarcasm withering; yet he never descends to vulgarity or to indecency of speech. He charms his auditors by his fascinating address, easy manner and graceful, significant gestures. He was married on the last day of July, 1859, to Miss Amanda Tisdale, an intelligent, accomplished lady, of Ray county. Two sons, Don W. and James L., Jr., are the offspring of this marriage. His wife died March 6, 1862, and January 15, 1873, he was again married, to Miss Olivia N. Gaultney, of Yazoo county. She is an intelligent and accomplished lady. They have had one child, a daughter, Jennie I.
JAMES W. GARNER.
James W. Garner was born in Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, on the 4th day of March, 1851. His father is the Honorable Christopher T. Garner, Sr., of Richmond. His mother, E. B. Garner, is the daughter of James Mosby, Sr., and sister of W. W. Mosby, M. D., also of Rich- mond. The subject of this sketch graduated from the Richmond College in the class of 1870 and '71. Immediately after graduating, he entered upon the study of law, in the office of his father, Honorable C. T. Gar- ner, and General A. W. Doniphan, who were then co-partners in the practice of law at Richmond, Ray county. He was a close, careful and persevering student, and being naturally of superior intellect, his compre- hensive mind thoroughly mastered the theory of law in all its intricate fundamental branches; and on the 6th day of March, 1873, was admitted
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to the bar. Though the Richmond bar was exceptionally able, and many of its members distinguished for their learning and ability, our subject, by dint of his pluck, energy and manly deportment, entered at once upon a paying practice, which has ever since continued to increase, till he now enjoys a reputation as a lawyer second to few men in the fifth judicial cir- cuit of Missouri. Mr. Garner is a young man, scarcely yet in the prime of life, and an honorable and successful career, both professionally, and as a private citizen, is undoubtedly before him. November 4, 1873, James W. Garner was married to Miss Leonora Snoddy, of Howard county, Missouri, daughter of Samuel W. and Susan F. Snoddy. After his mar- riage with Miss Snoddy, he formed a co-partnership with his father for the practice of his profession, under the firm name of C. T. Garner & Son. This partnership existed till James W. Garner was elected pros- ecuting attorney for Ray county, (see list of county officers) which posi- ·tion he now holds. Mr. Garner is a democrat, and on the democratic ticket has been twice elected by the people of his county as their pros- ecuting attorney. During his first term of office, a great many impor- tant cases were tried, among others the noted case of the State of Mis- souri vs. J. T. Keyes. The trial of this case occupied fourteen days, and was conducted by our subject with singular ability and energy. There was also much litigation arising from the issuance of certain municipal bonds, in aid of the St. Louis & St. Joseph railroad, involving several hundred thousand dollars; all of which he attended faithfully, without assistance, and without causing the county additional expense. Mr. Gar- ner has held several important and very responsible positions, and in the discharge of all his duties, official and private, has been honest, faithful and capable. He was one of the local attorneys for the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern railway company, and in 1878 was a member of the city council of the city of Richmond. As an officer, James W. Garner is entirely equal to the trust the people have conferred upon him; their con- fidence is in nowise misplaced. As a gentleman he is genial and obliging, and in every department of life, honest, honorable and reliable.
HENRY C. GARNER, M. D.
Henry C. Garner was born March 21, 1827, in Fayette, Howard county, Missouri, and lived there with his parents till 1841, when he came to Ray county, where he has lived ever since. In 1844 he went to Ken- tucky to complete his literary and medical education, and entered, as a student, Transylvania Medical College, at Lexington, Kentucky, from which he graduated in the spring of 1850. He then returned to Rich- mond, Missouri, and formed a co-partnership, for the practice of his pro- fession, with Dr. Joseph Chew, now of Kansas City. After Dr. Chew's removal to Kansas City, Dr. Garner practiced alone for some time, and
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entered into partnership with Dr. Geo. W. Buchanan; they continued to practice together till 1860, when he formed a partnership with J. M. Allen, M. D., now the president of the state medical association of Mis- souri. This partnership lasted until 1861, when Dr. Allen joined the Con- federate army. Dr. Garner subsequently became associated with Dr. W. W. Mosby in the practice of medicine, and so continued till 1874, when he was elected cashier of the Ray County Savings Bank, which position he now holds and has held ever since. On becoming cashier of this bank he retired from the active practice of his profession, and, at present, his services are available only in cases of consultation. Dr. Garner had a large and lucrative practice; in his early days it extended into the coun- ties of Clay, Carroll and Lafayette. He was a close student and kept fully abreast of the progress in medical science. Henry C. Garner is eminently a self-made man, having begun life as a poor boy; by energy, perseverance and rigid economy, he acquired means to educate himself- solely by his own efforts, excepting some pecuniary assistance received from his brother, Jno. C. Garner, whom he afterward fully repaid. He has always enjoyed the confidence and esteem alike of his professional brethren and of the people. While Dr. Garner was a remarkably suc- cessful practitioner, well read and learned in his profession, it is not as a physician that he is to be most admired; his high moral character, devo- tion to duty, gentlemanly bearing, and sterling worth as a member of society, challenge the respect of all. He was treasurer of Ray county from 1863 to 1867; has also been mayor of the city of Richmond, and has held other positions of public trust. December the 9th, 1852, Henry C. Garner was married to Eugenia A. Hudwall, of Chariton county, Missouri. They have eight children living, four boys and four girls: Thomas H., Edward S., Mattie M., Eugenia A., Henry C., Trigg, Docia Elizabeth, and Mabel Everett. Dr. Garner and his wife, who is an amiable lady of intelligence and refinement, are members of the M. E. Church South. He is also a Mason.
WILLIAM A. HOLMAN, M. D.
William A. Holman is a native of Ray county, Missouri. He was born October 3, 1837, and, being the son of a farmer, was reared on a farm. In May, 1861, he enlisted as a private soldier in company C, 3d Mis- souri infantry volunteers, of the Confederate army. He was a partici- pant in the battles of Pea Ridge, Baker's Creek, Iuka, Corinth, and Vicksburg, at which place he was captured; he was however, exchanged in a few months and returned to his command. Under General J. E. Johnston, he fought through the Georgia campaign, and was afterward with Hood, who superseded Johnston in his raid through Tennessee. After the battle of Corrinth, he was promoted, for gallant conduct in that
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