History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 74

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 74

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Judge John W. Emerson, a native of New England, came to Missouri as a millwright ; he made his home in Arcadia and after a time be- gan the study of law with Judge Pipkin ; after his admission to the bar he became a very successful lawyer. He was a soldier during the war and at its close was appointed a judge of the 15th judicial circuit, serving for only a short time, however. Judge Emerson was not only a good lawyer but possessed consid- erable literary ability, having written several poems and a number of essays and addresses. His former home in Arcadia is one of the most beautiful places in Missouri and it was under a tree at this place that Grant received his commission as a brigadier general.

The troublesome period of the Civil war and the times immediately following it produced

a number of men whose names became widely known on account of their exploits as leaders of bands, sometimes of soldiers and sometimes of guerrillas. No man in Southeast Missouri achieved a wider reputation of this sort than Samuel S. Hildebrand, who was a member of a pioneer family of Missouri, the Hildebrands being some of the earliest settlers of Jeffer- son county. At the time of the breaking out of the war a brother of Samuel Hildebrand, named Frank, was hanged by a vigilance committee in Ste. Genevieve county. This and other wrongs stirred the sense of injus- tice in Hildebrand and he set out to achieve a desperate revenge. The men who were in- strumental in hanging his brother Frank, were shot and killed one after another. He took part in the war on the southern side and became very famous on account of his oper- ations; he held a major's commission in the Missouri State Guard, issued by General Jeff Thompson. At the close of the war he con- tinued his depredations and finally left Mis- souri and made his way to Arkansas and then to Texas. His later history is in doubt ; some say he became a resident of Illinois where he was killed, other accounts have it that he is still living. Hildebrand was tall, rawboned with high cheek bones, a pallid complexion and blue eyes that were cold and expression- less. He was a man who probably had no fear, possessed great determination and was a most excellent marksman. He became thor- oughly acquainted with the country in which he operated and possessed some of the Indian ability to know the country and to make his way about it from one place to another. There is a cave on Big river near the north line of St. Francois county, known as Hildebrand's cave; its entrance is about 40 feet above the head of the stream and it can be approached by only one man at a time. It is said that

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Hildebrand made this cave his headquarters at various times, especially on one occasion when he was recovering from a gun shot wound.

Samuel Byrns, a native of Jefferson county, was born March 4, 1848. He was reared on the farm, received a good English education, stud- ied law, was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his profession at Hillsboro. He soon became known as a good lawyer, es- tablished a practice, and took an active part in politics. In 1876 he was a presidential elector and cast a vote for Tilden and Hen- dricks. In 1877 he was a member of the house of representatives of the legislature. In 1878 he became a member of the senate and served four years. He was a member of the Democratic state committee from 1886 to 1888, and in the latter year was again a presi- dential elector, voting for Cleveland. He be- came a member of congress in 1890 and served with distinction. At the close of his first term he returned to the practice of law. He was always interested in public affairs and a lead- ing figure in everything looking to the up- building of the community.

Benjamin Benson Cahoon was born in 1846, in Delaware. After receiving a common school education and being admitted to the practice of law in the District of Columbia, he came to Fredericktown in 1868. Shortly after his arrival he was married to Miss Bell LeCompte of Ste. Genevieve, who was a mem- ber of one of the old French families of Mis- souri. Mr. Cahoon built up a large law prac- tice and was soon recognized as one of the leading attorneys in Madison county. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1870, but after the close of his term he declined to be- come a candidate for any other office. He has

always been interested in party movements, being a Republican but is a man of liberal views. It was due in part to his work that the liberal movement in Missouri to enfran- chise former Confederate soldiers was success- ful. One of his interests is in connection with the development of water transportation and the improvement of the Mississippi river.

James D. Fox was born in Madison county January 23, 1847.' He was educated in the common schools at Fredericktown and at St. Louis University, was admitted to the bar in 1866, and began the practice of law at Fred- ericktown. He came to be known as a good lawyer and established a large practice. He was elected judge of the 27th judicial circuit in 1880, and held the position until 1904, when he was elected a member of the supreme court, a position which he still holds. Mr. Fox is a Democrat.

Joseph J. Russell, of Charleston, Missouri, was born August 23, 1854, and is a native of Mississippi county. His grandfather, James A. Russell, came to Mississippi county from Maryland in 1836. Joseph J. Russell was reared on a farm and attended a country school; at the age of nineteen he began to teach and continued his education at the Charleston Academy. In 1876, after having studied law in the office of Moore and Hatcher, he was admitted to the bar and was afterward graduated from the law depart- ment of the University of Missouri. He was successful in the practice of law from the be- ginning and acquired a large and valuable practice. Mr. Russell was school commis- sioner of Mississippi county for two years and prosecuting attorney from 1880 to 1884. In 1884 he was a presidential elector on the Dem- ocratie ticket and in 1886 he was a representa-

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI .

tive from Mississippi county in the general assembly of the state and served as speaker of the house. In 1900 he was elected to con- gress as a representative of the 14th congres- sional district and was again elected to the same position in 1910. He has won for him- self a place in congress by his ability and close attention to the duties of his position. He is held in high esteem by those who know him well and is regarded as one of the ablest men in this part of the state.

One of the pioneer families of Southeast Missouri is the Deal family. The oldest one of this family to live in this part of the state was Colonel H. J. Deal, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1829. He learned the tan- ner's trade and worked at this until he was nineteen years of age when he went west. At first he was employed for a time in Farming- ton, Iowa, then for two years he lived in St. Louis. In 1856, after his marriage, he came to Charleston in Mississippi county. At first he engaged in the business of building levees and digging ditches, but in 1857 he took a contract for building the Cairo & Fulton Railroad. At the breaking out of the war he had finished building twenty-seven miles of this road, but nothing further was done in contract work during the war. The repre- sentative in congress from this district at that time was Robert A. Hatcher, who resigned his position, however, and attached himself to the fortunes of the South. Mr. Deal was elected to succeed him ; he served for one year and then became a member of the state sen- ate. In 1868 he was elected representative from Mississippi county in the legislature, and was later re-elected for another term.

During the war Colonel Deal was ap- pointed by the governor to enlist men in a number of counties in Southeast Missouri ; he

was given the rank of colonel of enrolled militia and served in the capacity of a re- cruiting officer during the war. On the close of the war Colonel Deal once more took up his former work of contracting. In 1866 he began the work of building fifty miles of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad; this work he completed within a year. In 1867 he finished up the work of the Cairo & Ful- ton Railroad to Poplar Bluff. In 1881 he took a contract for building one hundred and ten miles of the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Rail- road, which he completed in 1882; after that time he turned his attention to farming and stock raising. He secured large tracts of land in Mississippi county which became very val- uable and up to the end of his life he was in- terested in farming in all of its branches. Colonel Deal was a public spirited citizen and always interested in whatever work was to be done for the improvement of his community and his county ; his interest was manifested on more than one occasion by building public roads at his own expense.

In 1806 Absalom McElmurry, a native of Kentucky, moved from that state to South- east Missouri. In a short time he removed to Little Rock, Arkansas, but returned to Mis- sissippi county, Missouri, in 1813. He was the first judge of the county, being appointed in 1843. His eldest son, Thomas S. McEl- murry, was born near Charleston, in 1815; he was reared on the farm and attended the public schools in the vicinity. After becom- ing a man, he interested himself in politics and held a number of offices in the county, at one time lie was interested in the mercantile business, but during the latter part of his life he devoted himself to farming. Judge McElmurry lived to a great age and was one of the best known citizens of the county. He

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had an unusual experience in that he lived in a territory under the Federal government, under the Confederate government and in three different counties and yet all the time on the same farm.

The Dawson family has been for many years one of the most prominent in New Mad- rid county. Dr. Robert D. Dawson, a native of Maryland, who came to New Madrid coun- ty in 1800, was the founder of the family in Missouri. He was one of the most prominent citizens in this part of the state. William Dawson is his grandson; he was educated in the Christian Brothers College of St. Louis. After some experience as a teacher he was ad- mitted to the practice of law and engaged in the practice in New Madrid. He was elected sheriff in 1870, and re-elected in 1872, he then served three terms in the legislature, and in 1884 was elected to congress as a representa- tive of the Fourteenth Congressional district. Mr. Dawson is a Democrat and holds the es- teem of those who are acquainted with him.

One of the most prominent citizens of New Madrid county was Joseph Hunter. He was a native of Scott county, a son of Hon. Abra- ham Hunter, he was born in 1823, coming to New Madrid in 1843. His second wife was Elizabeth Russell of Cape Girardeau county, a member of one of the pioneer families of that county. Mr. Hunter was engaged in farming until the breaking out of the Civil war, when he joined the Second Missouri Cav- alry and served until its close. He then re- turned to New Madrid county, where he re- sided until his death. His descendants are prominent in the county until this time.

John A. Mott was a native of Kentucky and came to New Madrid in 1852. He was

born in 1826 and grew to manhood in Hick- man, Kentucky, spending his youth in school and in his father's store. In 1850 he went to California and spent two years in the min- ing region returning to New Madrid in 1852. For several years he was engaged in the mer- cantile business and as an employee of the American Express Company and also as a farmer. In 1858 he was appointed clerk and recorder of the circuit court, a position which he held for more than thirty-five years. He died in 1908.

In 1848 Robert A. Hatcher came to New Madrid and took a position as clerk on the steamer Selma; within a short period, how- ever, the boat was sold for debt and Mr. Hatcher began the study of law with William S. Moseley, who had been the captain of the Selma. He was a man who made friends rap- idly and had a turn for political life as is shown by the fact that two years after com- ing to New Madrid he was elected representa- tive in the legislature. After serving one term he resigned and engaged in the mercan- til business with D. V. LeSieur ; he found this employment uncongenial, however, and sold out his business and began the practice of his profession. He was very successful and es- tablished a good practice. During the war Mr. Hatcher's sympathies were with the South and he became a member of the Confederate congress. At the close of the war he returned - to the practice of law at New Madrid until his election to congress in 1872, a place he held for four years. In 1877 he removed to Charleston where he lived until the time of his death.

One of the women who during this period of our history exercised a good influence on affairs, was Eliza A. Carleton. She was born

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in Montgomery county, Virginia, in 1826. She received a common school education in Vir- ginia and was afterwards sent to school in South Bend, Indiana. She came to Missouri with her grandfather and in the spring of - 1843 began her work as a teacher. This was in district No. 31, at Hickory Cabin school- house in Perry township, St. Francis county. Miss Carleton received $3.00 in trade or $2.00 in cash for each pupil taught. With the pro- ceeds of her teaching she attended Arcadia College and was graduated with the degree Master of Arts. Miss Carleton was a teacher at heart, and after her graduation contin- ued the work. She was impressed with the · necessity of some further opportunities for education than were offered then to the youth of Southeast Missouri. Being a woman of initiative and development, Miss Carleton de- termined to build such a school herself. Ac- cordingly, in April, 1854, she opened a school eight miles north of Farmington, under the name of Carleton Institute, it being so called in honor of her father. About thirty pupils attended this school which was incorporated by an act of the legislature, March 4, 1859. To the work of this institution she gave her entire time and attention. In 1878 this school was moved to Farmington where was erected a large and commodious brick building in the midst of attractive surroundings. Up till her death Miss Carleton remained in close con- nection with the school and lived to see it be- come a prosperous and influential institution. She was a consistent and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church and through her work undoubtedly influenced for good the lives of many young people in this part of the state.

The Carter family came to Missouri from South Carolina. The head of the family was

Zimri Carter, who made a settlement on Cur- rent river, in what is now Carter county, about 1813. Zimri Carter was one of the most influential and prominent men in Southeast Missouri. He was judge of the county court and the county was named for him. One of the children of the family was Hon. William Carter, born in 1830. He was educated in the common schools and also at Arcadia College. He then attended a Louisville law school and was graduated in law in 1855, beginning his practice at . Potosi and then removing to Farmington in 1862. In 1864 he was elected circuit judge of the 20th circuit, which in- cluded the counties of Washington, Iron, St. Francis, Madison, Perry and Ste. Genevieve. He held this office until in 1874; he was then elected a member of the general assembly of the state where he was made chairman of the judiciary committee. Since that time he has devoted himself to the practice of law, but has held other positions of honor at the same time. For a number of years he was one of the curators of the University of Missouri.

Placide DeLassus was born in New Orleans June 28, 1839, and was the grandson of Charles de Hault DeLassus, who was lieu- tenant governor of Upper Louisiana at the time of the transfer to the United States. Governor DeLassus received many grants of land from the Spanish government; one of these was a tract in St. Francois county, Mis- souri, on which the village of DeLassus was located. The family was a very prominent one in Missouri, some of them living in St. Francois county and others in Perry county. Placide DeLassus was educated in New Or- leans and in France. He served throughout the war in the Confederate army. He lived for a time after the war in St. Louis where he married Miss Mary Clark, the daughter of

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Henry L. Clark. In 1868 he moved to De- Lassus in St. Francois county, where he con- tinned to live until his death. He owned dur- ing all his life the greater part of the grants made by the Spanish government to his grand- father.

One of the prominent persons of Southeast Missouri during this period was General James R. McCormack, of Farmington, Mis- sonri. He was born August 1, 1824, in Washington county. He was educated in the common schools and in Transylvania Institute in Kentucky. He was graduated from the Memphis Medical College and practiced medi- cine for a time in Wayne county and in Perry county. On the breaking out of the war he was appointed surgeon of the Sixth Infantry of Missouri. These men were enlisted for a term of six months and at the expiration of their term, Dr. McCormack was made briga- dier general for Southeast Missouri. The brigade consisted of seven regiments and General McCormack remained in command until the close of the war. He was regarded as a good officer and was held in esteem by his superiors. At the close of the war he practiced his profession for a time at Arcadia and later became a citizen of Farmington, Missouri. General McCormack had some ex- perience in politics, having been a member of the constitutional convention in 1861 and later serving in the state senate and in 1867 being elected to fill a vacancy in the United States congress. He was interested in pub- lic affairs in his community and was regarded as one of its most prominent and influential citizens.

Milton P. Cayce was a Virginian, having been born in that state in 1804. He was reared on a farm and then served as a sales-

man in a store. He came to Farmington in 1832 and began the conduct of a general store. He continued as a merchant for more than fifty years and during that time accu- mulated considerable property. Besides his mercantile business he was also a contractor and the owner of a flouring mill. He had other interests, among them a tan yard and several farms. The first ice house in St. Francois county was built by Mr. Cayce, and he is said to have owned the first piano. Mr. Cayce was a Democrat and served for more than twenty years as county treasurer. He was also a sheriff at one time in the county and was a member of the constitutional conven- tion in 1861. Few men in the history of Farmington occupy a higher place in the es- teem and respect of the citizens than did Mr. Cayce.

One of the interesting men of this period was Captain Gustavus St. Gem. He was a member of the old St. Gem family, one of the earliest families to emigrate from France to America. They seem to have located in Ste. Genevieve about 1780, and that during all the rest of the history of the town were among its prominent citizens. Gustavus St. Gem was educated at St. Vincent's College at Cape Girardeau. On returning from college he engaged in business in Ste. Genevieve for a time and then removed to Washington coun- ty, where he became interested in mining. During the war he was an officer in the Fed- eral army and served with credit during the

entire time. He was captain of Company K of the Forty-seventh Missouri Infantry. In 1878, President Hayes appointed him collector of customs in St. Louis. Captain St. Gem lived to be very old and died having the uni- versal respect of his friends and neighbors in Ste. Genevieve.

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Dr. Charles S. Hertich was the son of Jo- seph Hertich, a native of Switzerland. He was born in Ste. Genevieve in 1821. His fa- ther was the master of the famous school in Ste. Genevieve known as The Asylum. It has been pointed out in another place that this school was the first in Missouri to put into practice the principles of education set out by Pestalozzi. Dr. Hertich was educated in this school himself and afterwards became a teacher in it, assisting his father. He then studied medicine at Burlington, Iowa, and later at the St. Louis Medical College. He was for a time a United States surgeon to the Indians at Long Prairie, Minnesota. Dur- ing the war he served as post surgeon of Ste. Genevieve. From the close of the war until 1878, he continued the practice of medicine in Ste. Genevieve, at that time he was afflicted by a stroke of paralysis which kept him par- tially helpless until his deaath. His wife was a daughter of Ferdinand Rozier.

Martin L. Clardy was born in Ste. Gene- vieve county April 26, 1844, and was edu- cated in the common schools, in St. Louis Uni- versity and in the University of Virginia. After his graduation he began the study of law and devoted himself to its practice, mak- ing his home for a number of years in Dc- Lassus in St. Francois county. IIe acquired considerable political experience and in 1882 was chosen a member of congress as a Demo- crat and was twice reelected; after the con- clusion of his third term in 1888, he removed to St. Louis, where he became one of the prin- cipal attorneys for the Missouri Pacific Rail- road Company. Mr. Clardy is recognized as one of the leading lawyers and politicians of the state.

Marshall Arnold, one of the best known lawyers in Southeast Missouri was born in St. Francois county on October 21, 1845. He lived the usual life of a farmer boy, received an education in the common schools and in Arcadia College. In 1870 he was a teacher in Arcadia College. He served for a time as deputy clerk of the county, circuit, and pro- bate courts of St. Francois county and dur- ing this time began the study of law. He later removed to Scott county where he opened a law office and soon established a reputation as an able lawyer. He was elected prosecut- ing attorney and later served two terms in the legislature of the state. In 1884 he was presidential elector on the Hancock ticket and in 1890 was elected to congress from the 14th congressional district as a Democrat. He was reelected in 1892 by a very large majority, but was defeated in 1894 by N. A. Moseley, a Republican. Since that time Mr. Arnold has devoted most of his energy to the prac- tice of his profession. He is recognized as one of the ablest criminal lawyers in this section of the state and is a forceful and eloquent speaker.

James P. Walker was born in Lauderdale county, Tennessee, March 4, 1851. He came to Missouri early in his life and made his home in Stoddard county. Mr. Walker soon won the confidence of the people and came to be known as a man of marked ability. In 1886 he was nominated by the Democrats for congress from the 14th district and was elected by a large majority. In congress he made a splendid record for himself and seemed to be entering upon a career of great usefulness and influence. Before the close of the term, however, he died, putting an end to a very promising life.

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Nelson B. Henry, a minister of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church South, was born July 23, 1848, near Burfordville, Missouri. He is a grandson of John D. Cook, one of the pio- neers of Missouri and for a number of years a circuit judge of this state. The father of Nelson B. Henry was also a Methodist preacher and for many years one of the most prominent in Southeast Missouri. Mr. Henry, who is now pastor of the Methodist church at Bonne Terre, was reared on the farm, received a good education, being grad- uated from the State Normal School at Kirksville in 1876. After his graduation he became principal of the high school at Oak Ridge, serving two years. In 1878 he be- came a member of the faculty of the State Normal School at Cape Girardeau, teaching English and literature and holding the po- sition until 1886, when he was elected to the chair of pedagogy in the University of North Carolina. From this position he resigned to become president of the Pueblo Collegiate In- stitute at Pueblo, Colorado, in 1888. Here he remained until 1892 when he was elected president of the Bellevue Collegiate Institute at Caledonia. He filled this position two years and then resigned to become the pre- siding elder of the Farmington district. He held this position one year and then became president of the Marvin Collegiate Institute at Fredericktown. Mr. Henry assisted in the organization of this school and did much to develop it. He resigned, however, after a few years and entered upon the work of the min- istry, which he still continues. While he was teacher of the high school at Oak Ridge in 1876 he began an agitation which resulted in the organization of the Southeast Missouri Teachers Association of which he became the first president.

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History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 74

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844