USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 77
USA > Missouri > Saline County > Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 77
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Col. Elliott's regiment was in the advance on the march to Sedalia and was ordered to drive in the Union piekets; he formed fours, and gave his orders through his bugler. Joseph B. Major, whom Elliott always called his right arm. The charge was sounded and the Colonel with his brave soldiers
went into the fort with flying Federal pickets. Four of his companies got into the fort with him, but six remained ontside, and he captured all the cav- alry. at least two thousand of them. The Federal infantry surrounded the fort and although the Colonel had the arms of the Federal cavalry, the Federal infantry had him. A Federal soldier seized the bridle of his horse and ordered him to surrender. In hot indignation the Colonel struck him down with the barrel of his pistol and got away, and later found the man dead. Escaping by himself, he charged through the Federal lines unscathed and joined his men. one bullet passing through his vahse, spoiling his "good clothes," and another bullet striking his mare. In the battle of Lexington. fighting against Blunt, Lane and other Kansas troops, a victory was won. Col. Elliott saw Col. Merritt Young killed during the battle of Independence. Ile fought the battle of Westport, being in charge of the brigade; drove the enemy across Brush Creek, and then retreated to New- tonia, keeping his men in line of battle nearly the entire distance, although they had a hard time, some of them being obliged to eat horse and mule flesh.
The wife of the Colonel's Quartermaster, Capt. William Boone Majors, accompanied him. and after the enemy had driven them into retreat it attacked his wagon train, which was blocked in a narrow lane by a dead mule. Mrs. Majors sprang out from her ambulance, cut the hame string, freed the dead mule, and the wagon drove on with but three mules, her courageous deed thus saving to the Confeder- ates over $100,000 worth of property. When the Colonel reached Newtonia they formed a line of battle and drove back the enemy. Ile then marched through the Indian Territory to Texas by Boggy Depot, crossed the river at Colvin's Ferry, and went into winter quarters. Col. Elliott's record throughout the war is one of which he may well be proud, his regiment having been a veritable fighting one, which seemed never so much at home as when in the midst of a battle. Skirmishes were of almost daily occurrence and it fought over a large territory. With becoming modesty and char- acteristic big=heartedness, Col. Elliott with his voice and pen testified to the heroism and daring of offi-
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cers and men associated with him, aseribing full credit to their deeds. While declaring all of his men to be heroes and worthy to have their names re- corded on plates of imperishable brass, he has men- tioned by name a number of them, among whom are Henry Day, who in the retreat over Boston Mountain remained fighting after beng twice wounded; Capt. Tuck Thorp, heroic in a charge; the boy soldier, Bob Tucker, a Captain at seventeen, onee daring death in his effort to secure a furlough, and never wounded; Snavle, now a civil engineer in Arkan- sas, but then the best of soldiers and a practical joker; Capt. Joe Holt and his brave Lieutenants, lles and McQue, whose daring exploits would fill a volume; Pleasant Hicklin, ready to do all the camp duty and brave as a lion in battle, and many others. The Colonel is always a good conversa- tionalist, but surpasses himself when on the war theme, and when Joe Shelby's command and Price's army are subjects under consideration.
In mentioning brave deeds on the part of sol- diers, Col. Elliott stated that by far the greatest act of heroism he ever saw was at the battle of Prairie de Ann. On that occasion Capt. Dick Col- lins, with four pieces of artillery, stood a cannon- ading from Gen. Steele's three batteries of six pieces each. The position chosen by Capt. Collins was the only advantage he had. Ilis battery was on an elevation, with the cavalry supports in front of the pieces, and so great was the elevation that they fired over the heads of the cavalry. El- liott's battalion was directly in front of the battery. Steele was with his batteries, superintending the movements in person. The distance was not great and occasionally a command could be distinctly heard by the opposing force. Steele first ordered canister, and they came whirling and sizzling in the face of the Confederates. Finding this did not move the men he tried the grape shot, with as little effect. Then he called, "Try solid shot!" The former exper- ience had been terrible, but when solid shot came it was simply murderons. Owing to want of space, the Confederate line was wedged in, every man boot to boot, and when a solid shot came but few missed its mark. Whenever a man lost his life and the horse remained untouched, one of the dismounted men in the rear readily took his place and occu- pied the dead rider's horse.
Col. Elliott had a famous old soldier, aged forty- five or more, and named Sam Wilson, who came from Polk County, Mo. The Colonel offered to give him an easy place where he could be shielded from the hardships of the march, and if he chose could also excuse him from the fight. This offer he always refused disdainfully, but pleasantly, saying that he wished to share with the boys equally. It was the misfortune of this good old man to be struck by one of these terrible missiles of death. llis horse was killed, and one leg was shot off and in some way his other leg was also shot and hung by a shred. Col. Elliott, being on the spot, had him extrieated from among the dead and dying and ordered two strong men to carry him from the field. The wounded man protested against being taken away, and the only argument he would listen to was that he would be in the way if he remained. As he was borne away, with one leg entirely gone and the other dangling around the limbs of the men who supported him, he re- quested his bearers to stop, and appealing to the Colonel, said, "Sir, can I say just one?" "Say any- thing you choose, Uncle Sam." At that he raised his old white wool hat in the air, and looking to- ward the enemy, he cried out, "Hurrah for Col. Ben Elliott and his brave little battalion!" Every man within hearing of his voice was overcome by the spectacle and though formed in line of battle and looking more as though they were made of steel than flesh and blood, they cried like little children. At 12 o'clock the same night the brave man passed away.
After the war was over, Col. Elliott went to Mexico, where he remained eleven years before he returned to his old Missouri home. Ile was mar- ried in Jannary, 1861, to Miss Susan, daughter of Pascal A. Gibbs. She was born September 26, 1840, on the farm upon which she and her husband now reside. This union resulted in the birth of one child, Benjamin, Cashier of the Farmers' Bank of Odessa. Col. Elliott turned his sword into a plowshare and became a farmer, having four hun- dred and twenty-nine acres of land, which he manages with ability and profitably. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott are consistent members of the Baptist Church. Our subject is a member of the Farmers'
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Alliance, and although he had previously affiliated with the Democratic party, voted for Gen. Weaver in the election of 1892. The confidence and es- teem of his fellow-citizens was shown in his nom- ination and election to the office of Sheriff of La Fayette County, a position he filled most credita- bly through a term of four years. Ile resides in a comfortable house on his farm near Odessa, where he passes in serenity the evening of a life whose morning and noon were crowded with turbulent and heroic events.
G EORGE W. HALL, a retired and wealthy farmer, whose place of abode is in Waverly, La Fayette County, was born in George- town, Scott County, Ky., in the year 1816. Ilis paternal grandfather, John Hall, was a native of Virginia and of Welsh descent, while his father, Braxton P. Hall, was born in Kentucky. In that State the latter was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Fulton, who became the mother of our subject.
When twelve years of age, George W. Ilall came with his parents to Missouri, where the father pur- chased a farm in Saline County. The country was very wild, civilization had yet erected few monuments to its progress, and game was very abundant. In his youth our subject was very fond of hunting deer, and relates that he has killed as many as thirteen in one day. Ilis educa- tion was necessarily of a very limited order, as school privileges on the frontier were not of the best. However, he has always been a great reader and has endeavored to keep himself well posted on all of the important and leading questions of the day. Like a dutiful son he assisted his father in clearing and improving his new farm until he reached an age when he found it best for him to branch out for himself. Having been reared on a farm, it is therefore not strange that he concluded to become a farmer on his own account. Coming to La Fayette County he purchased a farm, and
year by year, as his finances permitted, kept add- ing land to his original purchase until he owned six hundred aeres. For a number of years he was engaged in raising stock quite extensively and brought his land under good cultivation, making many improvements upon it. This valuable farm is still in his possession, though he has not been actively engaged in condueting it for a number of years.
In 1844 Mr. Hall was united in marriage with Miss Eliza M., daughter of Charles W. Hall, who was a Colonel in the War of 1812. Eight chil- dren blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hall, three of whom are deceased. Those surviving are as follows: Charles W .; George W., Jr .; Gavin D .; Susan, wife of M. C. Shewalter; and Jennie, wife of William Glenn. Mr. Hall, who has always been devoted to furthering all measures for the ad- vancement of this community, is a stanch Demo- crat, and is truly esteemed by all as a man of honor and upright walk in life. He is one of the worthy pioneers who have done so much to make this county and State what it is to-day, accounted one of the most prosperous and progressive por- tions of the Union.
C. COOPER. The name at the head of this sketch is that of a practical farmer re- siding on section 26, township 51, range 24, in La Fayette County, Mo., he having commenced farming in this county in 1877. Our subject was born in La Fayette County, Mo., in 1851, a son of Benjamin Cooper, a native of Alabama, who was among the early settlers of Missouri, and of Susan (Thomas) Cooper, a daughter of Notley Thomas, Sr .. a native of Kentucky.
At the age of eight years. C. C. Cooper removed to his guardian in Saline County, where he at- tended the subscription schools, and so well did he employ his time that by the time he had reached the age of sixteen years, he was prepared
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to enter college in St. Louis, where he remained for eighteen months, spending nine months more at Kemper's School. At the age of twenty-one years lie engaged in farming in Saline County, re- maining there for a period of two years, but in 1877 he removed to La Fayette County, where he has conducted a business of farming and stock- raising until the present time.
In connection with his business of agriculture C. C. Cooper has engaged in the breeding of fine trotting horses. At this place he has a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of good land, two hundred and forty of which are under a fine state of cultivation. This is saying a great deal, for the farmers of Missouri require considerable excellence before they acknowledge that their land has reached a complete state. In his polities. Mr. Cooper is an adherent of the Democratic party, believing that the principles of this party are those most suited to a Government where freedom and per- sonal liberty are supposed to be sovereign.
Upon the 5th of May, 1875, C. C. Cooper mar- ried Miss Luetta, daughter of Charles Van Anglen, a native of Kentucky. This marriage has been blessed with four children, as follows: Charlotta, Ella, llomer and Effie P. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are highly esteemed in the neighborhood, where they have many friends.
R EV. WILLIAM M. BELL, a resident of Saline County, located on seetion 5, town- ship 52, range 21, and one of the oldest ministers in the county, is a man of sehol- arly mind and great versatility of gemius. Ile was born in Richmond County, Va., on the 23d of June, 1823, and is the son of Thomas V. and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Bell, the former a na- tive of Richmond County, Va., born on the 26th of April, 1794, and the latter born in Northum- berland County, Va., September 23, 1801. The grandfather, Charles Bell, also a native of Rich- mond County, Va., married Miss Winnefred Rust,
who was born in Westmoreland County, Va. At the age of two years our subject was left an or- phan, and the biographer has failed to learn much more of the family genealogy. Facts and dates are really of little value in a sketch of this kind, because the authenticated life of the subject tells its own story. Our subject needs no long line of ancestors to speak for him; his own busy and use- ful existence has proved the stability of his charae- ter and the measure of his capacity.
That two of the great uncles of our subject were veterans of the Revolutionary War, and that Grandfather Bell was for many years a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, are honorable facts to record, but they do not east any addional lustre upon the name of a man who has borne so well his part before his fellow-citi- zens. At the age of two years, our subject was taken by his grandmother to Richmond County and remained with her for four years. From that time the life of the lad was not as pleasant as that of one whose parents are ready to surround him with protecting care. He found a home with different relatives and spent his first school days at Nortli- umberland Academy, in Virginia, completing the course there in 1836. One year was spent with other relatives, and then he came with his guar- dian to Cooper County, Mo ..
The name of this guardian was Robert E. Down- ing, and by him our subject was placed in school at Boonville. Mo., where he remained for two years. This brought him to the age of seventeen, and then he began life for himself. At Clinton, Mo., he engaged as a clerk in a dry-goods store for B. F. and T. B. Wallace, and from there he went into the store of his unele, where he remained for another twelvemonth. At this time he was en- gaged by Reuben McDaniel in his store, and in 1843 was sent by his employer to Saline County from Boonville to start a country store. In the spring of the following year he opened a store for his employer at Marshall.
While conducting this store for his employer, Mr. Bell beeame of age, at which time he returned to Virginia and spent the summer in his native State. In the fall of 1844 he returned to Saline County and was united in marriage with Miss
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Polly N. McDaniel, the daughter of his former employer. Their union was blessed with thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters. as follows: Thomas E., William M., Robert E., Samuel D., Alfred N., Charles L., Delilah E., Delia M., Mary F., Flora A., Lily, Rose and Priddy M., all of whom are living except one.
Two of these intelligent children were educated in part at Huntsville College, State of Missouri. William was sent to the University of Virginia, and is a graduate of medicine from the St. Louis Medical College. Two were students at William .Jewell College in Liberty, and three others at the Female College at Lexington, Mo. Our subject united with the Baptist Church called Bethel in 1846, and was licensed to preach in November, 1818. He was ordained by Elders W. C. Ligon and Robert Y. Thompson, and in 1850 he became the pastor of the first church of Miami. In De- cember, 1850, he succeeded Elder W. C. Ligon as pastor of the Bethel Church.
In 1852 our subject saw an encouraging open- ing at Arrow Rock, Saline County, and there he organized a church and was made its pastor. For some five years he officiated in this connection, and then, on account of some small differences of opinion, of no moment to the general reader, this church was dissolved, and he became pastor of the Good Ilope Church, in Saline County. in April, 1852. With this body he has continued in pleas- ant and profitable relations (with the exception of six years) for a period of thirty-four years. An- other church organized by this good and energetic man was the Union Church, in August, 1860, and for twenty-eight years he served as its pastor, carrying the griefs and rejoicing in the pleasures of his congregation in the near. relationship of a beloved pastor.
For four years Mr. Bell preached for the Fish Creek Church, and for several years served as pas- tor of the First Baptist Church at Marshall. In 1858 he resigned his pastoral duties in the Bethel and Miami Churches, to become the agent of the Ministerial Board of Education in connection with William Jewell College, in which capacity he raised in notes and cash, by subscriptions, more than $10,000. Ile also became financial
traveling agent for that college in 1860 and conducted the work with success until the unset- tled condition of the country rendered it impos- sible, on account of the war, to proceed further with the work. After finding his efforts unprofit- able, he resigned. Ile has been Trustee of Wil- liam Jewell College for the last twenty years. Mr. Bell has filled many other offices of honor and trust in his church and has been Moderator of . the Saline Association for twenty-three years.
While he has passed his sixty-ninth year, he is hale and sound physically, as well as mentally. Ilis great heart is in the work of the Gospel, and his services have been accepted, as has been testi- fied by the many conversions under his preaching and prayer. Such are the men who give to Saline County its good name before the Commonwealth.
G EORGE W. STEALY, a successful coal mine owner, located in Higginsville, Mo., is the manager of the Stealy & Fowler Coal Company, which operates three mines. Mr. Stealy was born four miles west of Ashland, Ohio. Janu- ary 16, 1847. Ilis father, John Stealy, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., and his grandfather, Israel Stealy, was born in West Virginia, and was descended from English parentage. Ile was a blacksmith in Lancaster County, Pa., and later re- moved his family to Ohio, where he engaged in blacksmithing and later in farming. The grand- father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and lived to the ripe old age of ninety-one, not dying until 1889. In religion, he was a Lutheran and was a firm supporter of the tenets of his church. He was an old-line Whig until the dissolution of that politi- cal organization. when he embraced the principles of the Republican party, to which he adhered until his death.
The father of our subject was a farmer near Ashland, Ohio, where he remained until 1853, when he removed to Elkhart County, Ind., and there bought a farm. Here he died in 1866, aged
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forty-five years. His wife, the mother of our sub- ject, was before her marriage Miss Elizabeth Root. She was born in Lancaster County, Pa. Iler fa- ther was a blacksmith and farmer in Wayne County, Ohio, where he became very wealthy and also engaged in stoek-raising. Mrs. Stealy was reared in Ohio and after the death of her first hus- band she married a Mr. Zehner, who is now also dead. She bore her first husband the following children, all of whom are living, namely: Amos, who served his country during the late war in the Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, and continued in ac- tive service for four years, now resides in Pea- body, Kan .; Emeline, now Mrs. Landis, is a resi- dent of Gratiot County, Mich .; Albert is a resident of Ohio, where he is a railway engineer; Alice, now Mrs. Gangway, is a resident of Ashland, Ohio; and onr subject.
George W. Stealy was reared in Ohio until he was six years of age and then removed to Indiana with his parents, making the trip by team and wagon. Ile was brought up on the farm and re- ceived his education in the district school of that section. When he reached the age of eighteen he removed to Goshen, Ind., where he remained for two years, attending school, after which, so fine had been his record as a pupil, he was engaged to teach the schools of Elkhart and Goshen, and was finally made Principal of the different schools. Here he remained for six years, giving satisfaction to everyone, but in 1877, to the great sorrow of his pupils, he resolved to remove to Peabody, Kan. Ilere he built and operated a fine hotel, called the Stealy Ilouse, for four years, when he sold out, in 1881, and located in Iligginsville, Mo., where he bought a building. to which he added and called it the Arcade. This building he ran for two years, when he was so unfortunate as to be visited by fire and to have his fine structure burned to the ground.
This misfortune did not discourage our subject, however, for he immediately built a large brick hotel and operated it for one year, when, receiving a good offer for it, he parted with it and leased the building now known as the Arcade Hotel, which he operated until 1888, when he disposed of it also, so as to be able to engage in the coal busi-
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ness. The firm of Stealy & Fowler was then formed. They sunk two shafts, one of which is located one mile from the city on the Belt Line or Rocky Branch Railroad. It is fourteen feet to tie coal vein, which is eighteen inches in thickness and is easily mined, and is among the best coal in the State. The mine is run by horse power. The firm have a lease of two hundred and sixty aeres for twenty years, and employ in their three mines the large force of one hundred men, and mine six car-loads of coal per day. Steam power is used to pump out the water from the mine. The second shaft is located one and one-fourth miles from Higginsville, and it is twenty feet to the eighteen- inch vein. Here they have eighty acres leased, and all the mines are doing a large and flourishing business. The mine is run nearly the whole year, and the product is sold at wholesale.
Mr. Stealy was married at Goshen, Ind., Janu- ary 14, 1866, to Miss Rose Ehret, who was born in Stark County, Ohio, but reared in Indiana, She is a daughter of Elias and Sophia (Henning) Ehret. Mr. Stealy and his wife are members of the Baptist Church. Ile has been a prominent Republican, and has served as a member of the Republican County Committee and as a Delegate to the county and State conventions several times. Mr. Stealy and his wife reside in a pleasant home on Fair Ground Avenue, where they dispense a generous hospitality to many friends. Mr. Stealy is re- garded as one of the pleasantest men in the city, while his many admirable qualities have won for him not only success in business, but the esteem and friendship of all with whom he comes in eon- tact.
h IRAM F. CAMPBELL. Cashier of the Amer- ican Bank, City Treasurer of Iliggins- ville and Secretary of the Higginsville Building and Loan Association, is one of the most prominent young business men in this section of Missouri. A brief review of his life and some account of his ancestry will therefore be of
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general interest. His father, Granville Kelley Campbell, was born in Huntsville, Ala., June 22, 1823, and was the son of James Campbell, who came of Scotch parentage, although he was born in the State of Kentucky. The latter carried on cabinet-making and later removed to Huntsville, Ala., where he engaged in farming. Ilis record in the War of 1812 was a good one, and he also took part in the Indian troubles. At an early day he moved to Missouri and settled in La Fayette County. where in 1820 he was married near Dover. After the ceremony, he and his bride traveled on horseback to Iluntsville, a distance of eight hun- dred miles, and in that city he engaged in cab- inet-making and farming until 1836.
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June 1, 1836, James Campbell brought his family by team and wagon over the old route to Dover, arriving there after a month's journey. Here he bought some six hundred acres of land, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising, and was also a large slave-holder. Ile resided in Dover, where he died in August, 1872, at the age of eighty-one years. For many years he was a consistent mem- ber of the Christian Church. The noble woman who became the grandmother of our subject was Anna Jennings, and was a native of Kentucky, a daughter of David Jennings, who was one of the first settlers near Dover, and engaged there in farm- ing as early as 1818. Mrs. Campbell died in Sep- tember, 1892, in Dover at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Taylor, at the advanced age of ninety-five years.
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