USA > Missouri > St Charles County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 91
USA > Missouri > Montgomery County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 91
USA > Missouri > Warren County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 91
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During the winter of 1873, while in the Senate, Mr. Gatewood took an active and prominent part in the election of a United States Senator to succeed Gen. Frank Blair ; and during his first two years' service was chairman of the Committee on Elections. In the session of 1874
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he introduced a bill calling a convention for the purpose of framing a new State Constitution, to take the place of the old Drake Constitu- tion, and was mainly instrumental in securing the passage of that bill in the Senate. During the winter of 1874 he led the opposition in the Senate to the passage of what was known as the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad Renewal Bonds bill, the object of which was to further extend the credit of the State to the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad Company for a period of 20 years. In that fight he had the opposi- tion of Gov. Hardin and Lt .- Gov. Brockmeyer, or, rather, they were the leading advocates of the bill.
During the second two years of his term he was chairman of the Senate Committee on the Penitentiary, and also chairman of the Joint Committee of the two Houses to investigate the condition of the State Prison. At that time he introduced a bill authorizing the construc- tion of a branch State prison, which failed of passage by only a few votes. His last act of any importance in the Senate was in connection with Senators Strother and Halligan to defeat an adjourned session of the Twenty-eighth General Assembly, as a matter of economy to the people. In that they were successful, and saved to the tax-payers about $100,000. That was the first time the Legislature failed to provide for an adjourned session in the history of the State.
In 1880, having in the meantime identified himself with the Green- back party, Mr. Gatewood was selected by the State convention of that party, without his knowledge or consent, as a candidate for Presi- dential elector in the Thirteenth Congressional district. In 1884 he was an Independent candidate for Congress from this district, but withdrew from the canvass several weeks before the election. His candidacy was not undertaken with any view of an election, but in order to discuss the leading political questions of the day before the people, with the candidates of the two parties, Democratic and Republi- can, and particularly to show how unfair and ridiculous is our present system of selecting candidates for public office. The other candi- dates, however, failed to meet him in public discussion after invitation to do so, as they studiously avoided each other, so that not succeed- ing in the only object for which he became a candidate, he with- drew.
In politics, as all know who know him at all, Mr. Gatewood is a man of strong, honest convictions. When a principle is at stake he has no patience with those who would sacrifice it for expediency's sake. He believes that in politics, as in everything else, " honesty is the best policy ;" and a man who would trade on his political con- victions he would not trust out of his sight with his boot-jack. He has no use for this modern school of politicians who play fast and loose with party questions. Should the Democratic party, however, ever return in his day to its old time-honored principles he would, doubtless, be found in its front rank, fighting valiantly the battles of his party. But, as affairs now stand, he may be considered Inde- pendent in politics, and opposed to conventions.
Aside from his profession and his identification with politics, Mr.
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Gatewood has been quite active and successful in business life. He is a man of good business qualifications, a hard worker, and closely attentive to whatever he has in hand. He has had much to do with real estate, and has owned considerable land in North-east Missouri, and when he left Pike county he was a large property holder there, but sold most of his real estate in that county at comparatively nominal prices. These sacrifices were made on account of the war.
For many years Mr. Gatewood was also interested in mail contracts under the government. His father before him had had experience in that branch of business, as also had his eldest brother, James M. Gatewood. He has also been interested in banking. In 1870 he was one of the principal organizers of the International Savings Bank at Montgomery City, in which he was one among the principal stock- holders. This was the first bank ever established in Montgomery county.
As a citizen Mr. Gatewood has always been prominent for his public spirit and enterprise. Not to go further back than the period of his residence at Montgomery City, ample evidence of this may be found. When he came to this place in 1865, it was a small prairie way- station on the railroad of only a few hundred population, with a post-office, several small stores and a temporary depot. Few or no public roads to the place had been opened, and of course it had not become recognized as an important local trade-center.
One of his first efforts was to assist in securing the location of the railroad hotel at Montgomery City. Mr. Gatewood, Mr. R. P. Gentry and others circulated a subscription paper, which they headed themselves with a liberal sum, and secured, in all, some $2,000 as a bonus to the railroad company for locating the hotel here. By this a new impetus was now given to the place, and its growth was rapid.
In the summer of 1866 he presented a petition to Judge Fagg, of the Circuit Court at Troy, asking an order of injunction to prohibit the contractor from erecting the present court-house at Danville. This, however, was refused on the ground that the contract being let, it was too late to be heard against the erection of the building. Sub- sequently he exerted himself with great energy to secure the removal of the county seat to Montgomery City by vote of the people at special elections called for that purpose, but as the court-house had already been built, and as a two-thirds vote was required, his efforts failed by a few votes. During the session of the Legislature of 1868-69 he spent most of the winter at Jefferson City, at his own ex- pense, endeavoring to secure the passage of a bill establishing a court of common pleas at this place. He succeeded in securing the pas- sage of the bill through the House, but it failed in the Senate.
In the matter of securing the location and improvement of public roads radiating from this place, he has always shown great interest and liberality and has been instrumental in opening nearly all the roads centering here. Furthermore, after much labor and expense, he succeeded in the establishment of three important stage lines centering at Montgomery City, leading to Danville, Williamsburgh and Olney,
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respectively. He has also given liberally for the construction of the different churches at this place and to all other public improvements.
But whatever else may be said of the subject of the present sketch, it is in the light of his sympathy and generosity to the unfortunate of his kindred that the truest and best estimate of his character is to be made. Though himself singularly blessed in a long and happy married life, he has never been favored with children of his own. Nevertheless, he has been all of a father to others -to the children of those allied to him by the ties of nature. Indeed, if we were dis- posed to allow a vein of humor to associate itself with thoughts so worthy of earnestness and gravity as these are, we would say that to the children of his kindred he has been a veritable "mother," of Mother Goose fame, " who lived in a shoe and had so many children that she didn't know what to do." His nephews and nieces he has cared for and educated almost beyond number.
While Mr. G. was yet in youth his father died, thus leaving the mother, advanced in years and without means, a widow. His oldest brother was one of the kindest and best of sons and contributed a full part to the care of the family ; but, in the meantime, he had married and had assumed the care of a family of his own, so that a large share of the responsibility of their mother's family fell upon young William.
The first $100 he ever made as a teacher were used as a payment on a small farm he bought as a home for his mother. She afterwards removed to it and resided there for several years, but having a dower interest in the old family homestead near Bowling Green, she finally returned to that place.
Some years afterwards Mr. Gatewood's elder sister was left a widow by the death of her husband, with several children and with little or no means. He of course assumed the duty of helping to care for her and her children. Though subsequently married, she was again left a widow by the death of her second husband, and continued so through- out the remainder of her life. She had a family of four children. One or all of these made their home with their uncle from time to time.
Early in the war his other sister was made a widow by the murder of her husband by the militia. Mr. Gatewood at once took the full care and management of her affairs, and he has ever since seen to it that she was well provided for and her children properly educated. Also, his eldest brother lost his life in the early part of the war, leaving a widow and several children. To her and them he contributed material help from time to time, and assisted in the education of one of her sons and in giving him a proper start in life. With other rela- tives not allied to him by the ties of blood he has been not less kind and generous. None who know him will question that he is a man of large heart and the most generous impulses, perhaps too unselfish to make a career in this world of pre-eminent individualism of the first order of success. But perhaps the record he has made will be of more value to him in the end than if he had risen to greater eminence than
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he has, by avoiding the many obligations which a quick and sensitive heart led him to undertake. His own conscience and God only can know and appreciate this.
Of the character of man, whose life is briefly and imperfectly out- lined in these paragraphs, we can speak no further than the facts themselves go, but certainly these are enough. He who reads what has gone before and remains unmoved by the conviction that the subject of the present sketch is a true and good man, with a few faults, perhaps, but none the less genuine at heart, can not be touched by the kinder and better impulses that bind our common humanity together.
On May 3, 1860, Mr. Gatewood was married near Williamsburgh, in Callaway county, to Miss Fannie W. White, a daughter of Hon. Morgan B. White and wife, nee Miss Mary A. Marmaduke. Mr. White was born in Franklin county, Ky., May 31, 1800, and was married to Miss Marmaduke, a daughter of Samson Marmaduke, Esq., of Shelby county, that State, in 1821. Her mother's family-name was Young. Mr. White's wife was distantly related to Hon. M. M. Marmaduke, the former Governor of this State. Mr. White and family came to Missouri in 1824. A sketch of himself and family appears in the present volume, in the biography of his son, Morgan B. White, Jr., of the vicinity of Middletown.
Mrs. Gatewood was principally educated at the Danville Seminary, of this county, where she took a somewhat advanced young ladies' course. She is a lady of superior culture and refinement, and of a de- cided literary turn of mind. She has been a constant reader of the best class of books, and is well informed. A lady of singularly prepos- sessing presence, her manners are extremely winning, and although somewhat reserved, she is nevertheless most cordial and sincere at heart. In conversation she is cultured and refined, but by no means affected, and always interesting and entertaining. She is much beloved as a neighbor and acquaintance. For years she has been an earnest and exemplary member of the Christian Church. Her parents before her were also members of that denomination.
As has been intimated elsewhere, Mr. Gatewood comes of an old Virginia family. The family is of English origin, but what time its original founder came to this country is not definitely known. Certain it is, however, that the first settlement of the family here was made in Virginia. Branches are now found in all, or nearly all, of the Western and Southern States, and all trace their origin back to Virginia. As early as the early part of the last century the family was quite numerous in that State. Mr. Gatewood's father had the record of his family back for a number of generations, per- haps anterior to the immigration of its founder to this country. But in the vicissitudes of time and the mutations of fortune that have intervened these have all been lost. Members of the family, however, still reside in England, among others, Alexander Gatewood, of No. 8 Prince of Wales Crescent, N. W., London.
Mr. Gatewood's grandfather, whose name was Joseph Gatewood,
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
resided in Central Virginia, probably Spottsylvania county, and left a family of five sons, Thomas, Leonard, Ambrose, John S., and Joseph, Jr., and two daughters.
Joseph Gatewood, Jr., the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Spottsylvania county, near Fredericksburg, March 18, 1781; his father died when he was quite young, and when he was 14 years of age his mother was also taken away by death. At about the age of 16 he went to Fredericksburg, in Spottsylvania county, to learn the mercantile business under a merchant there by the name of Ross. He remained under Mr. Ross until he was about 20 years of age. Mr. Gatewood then made a trip through Virginia in search of employment as clerk, and while on this trip made the acquaintance of Miss Elizabeth Carter, a daughter of the well-to-do Johnny Carter, of that State, and of the old Carter family of Virginia. He was mar- ried to Miss Carter in about 1806.
Soon after his marriage Joseph Gatewood, Jr., and wife removed to Kentucky, and settled in Clark county, near Winchester. There he bought land and engaged quite extensively in farming, being the owner of a large number of slaves. His first wife died, however, within two years, leaving him two children : William Carter Gatewood and Joseph Edwin Gatewood. Some four years after his first wife's death Mr. Gatewood was married to Miss Lucy Clark Winn, of Bour- bon county, Ky., a daughter of Jesse D. Winn, Sr., formerly of Vir- ginia, as stated heretofore.
Mrs. Gatewood was one of a family of nine children by her father's first marriage, the others being Benjamin, Stephen, Philip, Braxton, Fannie, Nancy, Catherine and Dolly. The mother of these, before her marriage, was a Miss Johnston, of the old Virginia family by that name, of which Gen. Joseph E. Johnston is a distinguished represent- ative. Mrs. Gatewood's second brother, Stephen Winn, married and reared a family, and one of his daughters married Dr. Michael Reynolds, an eminent physician of Kentucky, and from this union came Dr. Stephen J. Reynolds, of Bowling Green, Mo. Mrs. Gate- wood's youngest brother, Braxton Winn, married, and in his family of children was K. J. B. L. Winn, now a leading merchant and wealthy citizen of Memphis, Tenn. Of Mrs. Gatewood's sisters, Fanny mar- ried a Mr. Coats, of Kentucky, Nancy married a Mr. Sinclair, Cath- erine married a Mr. Gray, and Dolly married a Mr. Arthur ; and of this latter union came Michael Arthur, the well known citizen of Clay county, Mo., but now deceased. She subsequently married a Mr. Beacham. By Jesse Winn's, Sr., second marriage came Jesse B. Winn, who became the father of Ben. S. and George Winn, both formerly of Pike county, Mo., but the former died in Texas, (having, however, two sons in Pike county), and the latter, now deceased, having died at Clarksville, Mo., some years ago, leaving a family.
After his second marriage Mr. Gatewood, the father of the subject of this sketch, continued to reside on his farm, near Winchester, in Clark county, for some eighteen or twenty years, engaged in farm ng
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and stock-raising. He was a large hemp and tobacco raiser, and also fattened a large number of hogs for sale each year. His career as a farmer indeed was one of abundant success, until he became involved as security for a friend, which resulted in breaking him entirely up. While still residing in Kentucky his eldest son died, in his nineteenth year, in about 1823.
In 1833, largely on account of his losses, Mr. Gatewood removed to Missouri and settled in Pike county, near Bowling Green. Here he was practically without money or other means, and the experience of the family in this then new country was one of extreme hardships and trials. He and his second wife now had a family of six children, namely : James Minor, Richard Thomas, Elizabeth Catherine, Lucy Ann, Frances Bird, William Lemasters and Robert Hay Taliaferro. Of these the eldest son was about 17 years of age, and at this time was the main reliance of the family for labor and support, as the father, though a man of great industry, was now well advanced in years. They located on a small piece of timbered land and began the im- provement of a farm without money. Unaccustomed to hard labor, their lot seemed an unusually hard one. But nevertheless they went ahead with courage and resolution, and soon placed themselves at least beyond the fear of destitution. The next son to James M., Richard T., was about 14 years old, and the two sons and their father cleared away the timber and undergrowth from their land and erected a comfortable log house, and by the following spring were prepared to begin plowing for a small crop on about 10 acres of cleared land. The history of their subsequent experience, for a number of years, is one of almost continued hardships and privations, but can not be given here.
Joseph Gatewood was a man of sterling intelligence, good educa- tion and strong character ; and untiring energy and dauntless resolu- tion were among his leading characteristics. After the loss of his fortune and when his outlook was the least encouraging, he never for a moment lost heart. As long as he was able to strike a lick of work he never once withheld his hand, but applied himself to hard labor as best he could, with seemingly as much inclination and spirit as if it had been the experience of his whole life. Like his son, the subject of this sketch, he was a man of great kindness of heart, and it was this alone that brought about his losses, a disposition to favor a friend even at the risk of his own financial ruin. He died in Pike county, near Bowling Green, on the 6th of February, 1848, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. His good wife followed him to the grave in less than three years.
Politically, Mr. Gatewood was an unswerving Democrat. He was a man of positive convictions, and under no circumstances would yield to the influence of policy, either for personal promotion or pecuniary reward. For nearly twenty years he lived under the very shadow of the influence of Henry Clay, but invariably supported the Democratic party and was one of the leaders of the Andrew Jackson Democracy of Clark county. The county was largely Whig in poli-
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tics, and but for this he could have held any office in the gift of the people of the county. His good wife was one of the committee of ladies appointed to welcome Gen. Jackson when he visited Winches- ter, Ky., in 1828, on the part of the community. Her niece, the mother of Dr. S. J. Reynolds, now of - Bowling Green, was also a member of the same committee.
Mr. Gatewood was a man of superior business qualifications. By his neighbors he was always called upon to prepare their contracts and other papers, which he invariably did free of charge. At an early day, when a resident of Pike county, he prepared the mail contracts for bids sent out from Bowling Green by the different contractors in that vicinity.
Mrs. Gatewood was a lady of a most amiable disposition and pos- sessed of great fortitude and resignation. She had been reared in luxury and affluence, but she bore her reverse of fortune in this new country, without a murmur, and ever comforted her loved ones with words of consolation and encouragement. She was one of the queenly, good women who are thought of by those who knew them as angels are. Another, in speaking of her, has said, " She was as kind hearted as her husband and a true Christian lady. But she had more caution and prudence than he. In the every-day affairs of life she would always look first to the welfare of her own family. Never- theless her convictions of right were fully as strong as his. She bad in early life joined what was known as the Campbellite Church (now the Christian Church), and up to the time of her death, while she resided near Bowling Green, there being no church of the Christian denomination nearer than twelve miles, she attended a Missionary Bap- tist Church within four miles of where she resided ; but often only to hear abuse of her own denomination, which she nevertheless bore with Christian forbearance. So strong, however, were her convic- tions of the truth of her own faith, that she never left the demonina- tion with which she had connected herself early in life."
The younger of the two sons of Joseph Gatewood, Jr., by his first wife, Joseph Edwin Gatewood, came to Missouri with his father and shortly afterwards located at New London, in Ralls county. While a resident of that county he was elected to, and served in the office as county assessor. Subsequently he removed to Louisiana, Mo., but died there in about 1848. He was never married.
. The eldest son by Mr. Gatewood's second marriage, James M. Gatewood, was born in Clark county, Ky., December 7, 1816. In many respects he proved to be a remarkable man. After the re- moval of the family to Missouri he was principally relied on for their care and support, although still quite young. While improving the farm, clearing away heavy oak timber and grubbing up the under- brush, he acquired his education by night. Every night he studied by a hickory-bark fire until about 10 o'clock. By this means he secured more than an average education, considering the country and the times in which he lived. He continued with his father in charge of the farm until his marriage, which occurred when he was about 24
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years of age. After his marriage he was a resident of Pike county until 1856, by which time he had accumulated considerable means. He then entered a large amount of land in Vernon county, and began the improvement of a farm in that county.
In 1858 he removed to his place in Vernon county, and two years later was elected a member of the Legislature. He took a prominent part in the secession Legislature of 1861, and was commissioned by Gov. Jackson to organize troops for the defense of the State against invasion. Chiefly through his influence Vernon county furnished more men under Gov. Jackson's call than there were voters in the county, a fact true of no other county in the State. His company, under Col. Hunter, was in the thickest of the fight at Wilson Creek, and two-thirds of his men were either killed outright or wounded. He, himself, finally died in February, 1862, from the effects of an accidental wound received from his own pistol. His course in the war was purely a matter of conviction. He did not believe the Fed- eral government had the right to coërce a sovereign State, and re- sponded to Gov. Jackson's call on that issue alone. He believed it to be the duty of every patriotic citizen to defend his State against hostile aggression, either from other States or from the general gov- ernment. For conviction's sake he made every sacrifice man can make in this world -the sacrifice of his life and home, and of the interests of his family. All his property except his land was swept away by the war and most of that was afterwards filched from his children by land sharks under cover of tax titles. Thus not unfre- quently is a man rewarded in this world who stands faithfully and loyally by a principle !
Richard Thomas Gatewood, the second son by his father's second marriage, born March 29, 1819, was never married. He died at Bowling Green in 1858.
Elizabeth C., the third in the family; was twice married - first to Thomas Hunter, who died leaving her two children. He studied medicine after his marriage and engaged in the practice at Hamburg, Ill., where he was residing at the time of his death, which occurred in about 1850. Four years later his widow was married to Orson Reed, of Pike county, Mo., who subsequently died, also leaving her two children. She died on her homestead near Louisiana, Mo., in 1874. She was a most excellent, gentle-hearted Christian lady, and was profoundly mourned by all who knew her.
Lucy A. Gatewood, the second daughter of Joseph Gatewood by his second marriage, was born in Clark county, Ky., May 29th, 1824; and subsequently married in Pike county, Mo., John Gilmore, a farmer by occupation. He was murdered by the militia during the war against the protest of many good citizens. The company that committed this cowardly and dastardly act was commanded by a Capt. Carr, who afterwards died a miserable death, the mental agony of his last hours being attributed by many to the lashings of conscience for the murder of an old, white-haired, unarmed man. One other citi- zen he also caused to be shot at the same time, marching both into
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