Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States, Part 96

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, C. O. Owen & Co.
Number of Pages: 820

USA > Missouri > Marion County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 96
USA > Missouri > Pike County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 96
USA > Missouri > Ralls County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 96

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The children of William and Margaret Read- ing were as follows: Margaret, who married William Casey Downing. of this county; Re- becca, who became the wife of Thomas R. Wil- son, a native of Virginia (now deceased), liis widow living with her sons, Charles and John: Nancy, who first married W. D. Biggs, and after his death became the wife of Franklin Downing, died about 1876; Elizabeth, who married Heber W. Adams, a native of this State, and they are residents of Pike County; William, who married Susan Conn, and lives near Curryville; Jay, who married Miss Mary Wilson, and also dwells near Curryville: Lafayette, who married Medora Smith, who died in 1890. after which Mr. Read- ing wedded Mollie McMillen; four children died in infancy.

John Reading was born in Pike County, Feb. ruary 18. 1821, and passed his boyhood on his father's farm. October 28, 1841, our subject married Mahala Nalley, daughter of Hezekiahı and Susannah Nalley. Their family comprised these children: James (a Methodist Episcopal minister), Aaron D., Jessie, William, John.,

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Charles, Cynthia, Sallie, Mahala, Ann and Cloe. The marriage of our subject and wife has been blessed with seven children, all born on the old homestead, which the father sold a few years since to his brother-in-law, Dr. Rule: William D., the eldest son, died in his twenty-sixth year; Erastus married Angelette Johnson, and lives at Eureka Springs, Ark .; James married Lois E. Starks; Susan became the wife of Newton Bry- son; Cynthia (deceased) was the wife of J. J. Penix, who has since married; Salley King; Narcissa T. married Dr. E. B. Rule, who died January 31, 1893.

Mrs. Reading came to Pike County with her parents when she was twenty years of age, and is a member of the Methodist Church. Politically our subject is identified with the Democratic party. His father was a patriot and a soldier in the War of 1812, taking part in many important battles. Mr. Reading has never aspired to pub- lic office, preferring to give his entire time and attention to his business interests.

W ILLIAM H. LANGSTON, check clerk and baggage agent of the Bur- lington System, Louisiana, Mo., was born in Sangamon County, Il1., July 6, 1841, and is a son of James W. and Harriet L. (Constant) Langston. The elder Langston was born in Wayne County, Ky., in 1809, and was a son of Jeconiah Langston, who was a native of North Carolina, but of English ancestry, and who mar- ried Nancy Dodson, of Kentucky. He was a son of Col. Washington Langston, who was in the War of the Revolution. When about twelve years old Jeconiah Langston was taken by the Tories, who tried to induce him to give away some secrets of the army. This he would not do, so they put a halter around his neck and strung him up to compel him to tell what he knew. But even the apparent certainty of death failed to open the lips of the stanch little patriot, so the enemies of their country finally departed leaving

their captive for dead; but he came to eventually and went to his home. On growing to manhood he followed Daniel Boone to Kentucky, where he lived many years, then moved to Preble County, Ohio, where he remained until his son James was twelve years old, and then removed to Sangamon County, Ill., locating six miles north of Springfield, where he purchased land and en- gaged in farming, and where he lived and died, leaving a family of ten children: Joseph, James, Jeconiah, Joshua, Mary, Martha, Margaret, Nancy, Elizabeth and Jane.

James Langston grew to manhood on his fath- er's farm, received tuition in the common schools and subsequently purchased land adjoining the old homestead. In 1849 he sold that farm and purchased another in Buffalo Heart Township, in the same county, where he lived until he died in the spring of 1855. During the Black Hawk War he was a Sergeant in Lincoln's Company. In politics he was a Whig and was intimately acquainted with Abraham Lincoln. He was a member of the Christian Church and was a Dea- con when he died. He was a well-proportioned man, six feet in height, and lively in disposition, always looking on the bright side of life. Har- riet Constant, his wife, was the widow of Isaac Skinner, and was a native of Winchester, Clarke County, Ky. Her grandfather Constant was a native of Virginia and moved to Kentucky at an early day. She is still living at Mechanicsburg, Sangamon County, Ill., in her eighty-fifth year, and is a member of the Christian Church. They were the parents of five children: William H., our subject; Mary G., now the wife of George W. Thompson, living in Warrensburg, Ill .; Eliza J., wife of William Davis, of Pittsfield, Ill .; Mar- tha E., deceased; Laura, deceased.

William H. Langston was reared on the farm in Sangamon County, and attended the com- mon schools. On his mother's removal to Me- chanicsburg he entered the Mechanicsburg Academy, from which, after five years' study, he graduated at the age of twenty. He then went to the Catholic College, at Kankakee, Ill., tak- ing a scientific course with Latin. . On June 10, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, Seventieth Il-

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linois Volunteer Infantry, in which he served un- til October 23 of the same year at Camp Butler. Ill. Companies H and F went south with the Fort Donelson and Island No. 10 prisoners, for a general exchange, which was made at Vicks- burg. They were conveyed down by the Con- federate gunboats. After the exchange was made the prisoners were taken up the river to Alton and subsequently were sent to their respective regiments. Mr. Langston was made Sergeant July 4. 1862. and had the duty of counting the prisoners on this trip. He served at Alton until October 23. when he was discharged. Upon re- ceiving his discharge Mr. Langston returned home and took a clerkship at Illiopolis. Ill. where he remained until January 30. 1864. when he enlisted in the United States Navy. at Chi- cago. and was placed on the United States re- ceiving ship "Clara Dolsen." at Cairo. He was transferred to the United States gunboat "Elk." went to New Orleans and was attached to the coast squadron. He returned on the gunboat "W. H. Brown." the troops not being needed in the coast service. He went back on the re- ceiving ship "Clara Dolsen" at Cairo for instruc- tion. On March 22. 1864. he was transferred to the gunboat "Elfin." and the next day he took part in the battle at Paducah. Tenn. From there. aiter the night. they went to Fort Pillow. arriving there during the engagement. but. not being able to get their guns to bear on the enemy without injury to their own men, remained inac- tive. witnessing the battle. They returned to the Tennessee River after the fight. and followed the Tennessee from Paducah to Tuscumbia. Ala .. during that summer. On October 10. 1864. dt Eastport. Miss., they were engaged with Gen. Forrest, who had made an attack on the boat while they were disembarking troops they had brought up. This was a surprise and the troops stampeded back to the boat. On October 25 they were at Clifton. Tenn .. with Hatch's Cav- alry, and then dropped down to Perryville an.1 from there went down the river. meeting the enemy on the land and on the river. and having several encounters. At Johnsonville the "Elfin" captured a Rebel boat with two twenty-four-

pound Parrott guns. On November 4. on look- ing down the river, our subject saw the fleet coming up with the "Undine" ahead in charge of the Rebels. they having previously captured her. The "Elfin." "Tawah." and "Key West" raised their anchors and cleared the deck for action, dropping down the river. The "Key West" in the lead began the action. The "Undine" was run ashore and set on fire. The Rebels were on shore with their batteries and the gunboats be- gan their fire on the lower battery. After two and one-hali hours' fighting they were obliged to go back to Johnsonville for repairs, being very much disabled in men and boats. They repaired at Johnsonville under the fort guns. They re- ceived orders to clear the woods of the sharp- shooters on the opposite shore. which brought into action the Rebel batteries that had been brought around. The "Key West" was disabled on going into action and the other boats took her back to Johnsonville and then the fire was kept up until all the boats were destroyed. Our subject was wounded in the action by the ex- plosion of the boiler and was taken ashore, where lie lay alone in the woods all night. The next day he was found by his comrades and taken to the hospital. first to Nashville, then to Louisville. then to Cairo, and to the receiving ship "Great Eastern." From there he was transferred to the "Cincinnati." Mound City. Ill. Later they went up the Cumberland River to Nashville to head off Gen. Hood. They were unable to cross the shoals and our subject went aboard the Moni- tor "Neosha" with a detail and started on for Nashville. He was assigned to the Starboard Battery in the bombardment of the city and opened fire: they were answered by the Rebels with about forty guns. They both were struck one hundred and six times in one and one-half hours. The action lasted two hours. when the infantry took up the fight.

After the battle at Nashville Mr. Langston re- turned down the river and again took his own boat. the "Cincinnati." and went down to the mouth and then up the Tennessee as far as Tus- cumbia. Ala. arriving there while Hood. with some of his troops, was laying his pontoons

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

across the river. After driving him back the "Cincinnati" went to Clifton, where they met Smith's and Schofield's Corps and the transports that had come up. They escorted them up to Eastport. About this time smallpox broke out and our subject was about the first to take it. With others he was sent to Mound City, Ill., to the hospital at that place, where they lay until the latter part of February, when they were taken out of quarantine. His time had expired, but he continued in service, as the Government wanted experienced men. They were sent to New Or- leans on the "Cincinnati," with a select crew from the other boats. From there they were ordered to Mobile, going out by Southwest Pass. On the first day out they ran aground. Our subject with a picked crew started in a small boat for Chand- ler Light-house, a distance of twenty-five miles. The light-house men were sent out to bring the boat off, which was piloted to the light-house; the next morning they piloted it to Ship Island. The boat was then conveyed to Grant Pass by the man-of-war "Jackson." They could not cross the bar and were obliged to go around by the sea and into Mobile Bay. The third day they went down to Grant Pass to Dauphin Island and took off the troops which had been there for months. They conveyed the transports up Fish River three miles, silencing the batteries on the shores, while Gen. A. J. Smith was investing Spanish Fort. He was in the action of Spanishi Fort until it was taken. After the capture of Mobile and the fall of Fort Blakely he was trans- ferred on the battleship "Bienville" and went from Mobile to Pensacola, and from there to Dry Tortugas, thence to Key West, and front there to Havana, then to St. Thomas Island, and to the Bermudas, in search of the "Shenandoah." They then went north to Philadelphia, arriving there on April 13, 1865, and in that city our sub- ject remained until he was discharged on May 4, when he returned home.

After resting a few weeks Mr. Langston went to Chicago and entered Bryant & Stratton Com- mercial College, from which he graduated; he then took a clerkship in the city, where he re- mained until May, 1866, and then went west

to Colorado and New Mexico, returning to Atchison, Kan., where he took a position as clerk and remained one year. At the end of that time he returned to his Illinois home and for the next two years lived on his mother's farm. He was then married and went on a farm again and re- mained three years, when he removed to Lou- isiana, Mo. In April, 1874, he took a position with the C. & A. R. R. as Foreman of the fence department and held this position until Novem- ber I, when he secured a position with the bridge department, in which he continued until August, 1875. At that time he was promoted to be Con- struction Foreman, and served as such until Feb- ruary, 1876, when he resigned and bought a fruit farm near Louisiana, on which he moved. After three years' experience in fruit culture he re- turned to Louisiana in 1879 and took charge of the construction train on the C. & A. R. R., where he remained until the following June, in which month he took a position on the Burlington, lay- ing track on the extension line to Clarksville. He was then made a section foreman and served in that capacity until the spring of 1880, when he resigned and accepted a position in Boulder, Col., in driving a tunnel. He was there three months, when he was taken sick with rheumatic fever and returned to Louisiana the following August, and was given a position as foreman tracklayer with the northern extension of the Burlington, run- ning to Keokuk, which he completed February I, 1881. He then took charge of the construc- tion train and worked until August 1, 1882, and then resigned and accepted a position on the C. & A. R. R., Bloomington, Ill. He was there un- til October, 1882, when his gang was laid off and he was appointed to his present position as baggageman and check clerk.

Mr. Langston was married November 3, 1870, at Jacksonville, Ill., to Belle Rowe, daughter of David and Eliza (Florien) Rowe, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Cape Breton Island. Eight children were born unto theni: Irene, David A., James H., Nellie, Claude M., Clarence G., Benjamin Arthur and Bessie B., all living except Claude and Nellie. Mr. Lang- ston is a member of the Christian Church and

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

in politics he is a Republican. He is a member of Evening Star Lodge No. 28, I. O. O. F., of which he is Past Grand. He is also a member of the James Wilson Post No. 20, G. A. R., of which he is Past Commander. He was inspector of the division of Northern Missouri and mus- tering officer. In 1884 he was a candidate for County Coroner on the Republican ticket, and in 1886 was a candidate for Representative, but was defeated. In 1887 he was elected a member of the City Council from the Third Ward and was re-elected in 1889, but resigned in 1891, before the expiration of his term. He is a member of the Railroad Insurance Company.

Mr. Langston has had an adventurous life and a varied history. In war, exposed to the enemy's fire and the diseases of camp for nearly three years, then engaging in various positions of re- sponsibility, he has passed through all kinds of danger and exposure, despite which he is yet in fair health and good physical form and one of the most trusted of the railway company's ein- ployes. In like respect and esteem he is held by the citizens of his adopted city.

H ON. JOHN S. CLEAVER. Few men are better known, and none more highly honored throughout Ralls County, than the gentleman of whom we write, and who, at present, is serving efficiently as Judge of the County Courts. For more than a quarter of a century his home has been in Township 53, Range 7, where he is the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of well-improved and valuable land. His maternal grandparents were among the earliest settlers of Pike County, Mo., and his paternal grandfather located here before the county had been formed, so that, on both sides of the house, he is descended from the earliest pioneers of this section of the State-an honor rare among the county's present inhabitants.

Gen. Stephen Cleaver, our subject's grand- father, was a Brigadier-General in the War of

1812, and in company with one of his sons, Wil- liam, fought in the battle of New Orleans. He was a native of Kentucky and figured conspicu- ously in the Indian wars of that State. On one occasion he was wounded, taken prisoner, and held for two years. Afterward he entered land on the Frankford road, five miles from New Lon- don, which town he assisted in platting, as well as Palmyra, the county seat of Marion County. His services as a surveyor were in great demand in those early days, and he was a man of promi- nence, both in business and political affairs. He was sent as a delegate to the first State conven- tion, which was held in 1820. His death took place on his old homestead in 1845.

Our subject's father, Thomas Cleaver, was born in Kentucky in 1807. He was the young- est of five children born to his father's first mar- riage, the others being Jacob, William, Henry, and Charlotte. At the age of ten years he came with his parents to Missouri, and upon the death of his father he took charge of the old homestead near New London, Mo. He married Margaret J. McCune, a native of Kentucky, who became the mother of nine children. Of these six are living, namely: John Stephen, who was born December 1, 1836; Louisa, wife of Dr. McKee, of Clark County, Mo .; Susan, wife of G. W. Stuart, of Marshall, Mo .; Nannie, Mrs. I. P. Hickman, of ·Galveston, Tex .; Harry, of Mon- roe County, whose wife was formerly Miss Mc- Nutt, of Paris, Mo .; and Ruth, wife of L. Combs, living in Wichita, Kan ..

In 1858 Thomas Cleaver moved to Monroe County, Mo., and bought a farm six miles north- west of Perry. There he dwelt in peace and se- curity, leading a busy and useful life, until he reached the ripe old age of eighty-seven years, when he was claimed by death, June 13, 1894. His wife's death occurred in 1888. Judge Cleaver did not receive as good educational ad- vantages as did other members of his father's family, some of whom were graduates. Froni his nineteenth year he made his own livelihood, and when he was nearly twenty he commenced raising, buying, and selling live stock, meeting with success in his various enterprises. In 1859

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

he began improving the farm, which is a portion of the tract he now owns.

In 1861 Judge Cleaver enlisted in the State Guard, under Maj. Chalmers, and about a year later he joined the regular army, being assigned to Company H, Fourth Missouri Infantry, un- der Col. McFarland. This commander was wounded and disabled in the engagement at Corinth, and afterward the regiment was con- solidated with the First Missouri Infantry, un- der Col. Riley, who was killed between Dalton and Atlanta. Colonel Garland then assumed the vacant position and met a similar fate to that of his predecessor, whereupon the senior cap- tain of the regiment was placed in command.

Our subject was actively engaged in the battle at Springfield, Mo., and at Lexington helped to capture the enemy, Gen. Mulligan, and his forces. He was also present at the battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., then crossed the Mississippi and went to Memphis, Tenn., where the company was re-or- ganized and re-enforced Beauregard at Corinth, and in the spring of 1863 encountered Gen. Grant and his army. Then going to Vicksburg, they surrendered to the superior forces. The com mand he was in was exchanged some three months afterward and did service under Gen. Joe Johnston and Gen. Hood. In May, 1865, they surrendered to Gen. Canby at Jackson, Miss.

December 15, 1869, occurred the marriage of the Judge and Katie Richards, of this county. Her parents, James L. and Sarah (Moore) Rich- ards, were natives of Kentucky. Her father came to this locality at an early day, and is now deceased; his widow is living with a son in Ari- zona. Mrs. Kate Cleaver was a member of the Christian Church. Her six children were as fol- lows: Maggie Lee, born November 16, 1870, a graduate of Hardin College, at Mexico, Mo., and now living at home; Thomas, born Febru- ary 3, 1873, died October 13, 1876; Sadie, born January 24, 1877, died October 13, 1880; Rich- ard, born December 13, 1879, died July 27, 1883 ; Bennie Hill, born August 18, 1881; and Harry McCune, born January 23, 1886. The mother died January 12, 1887.

In 1888 Judge Cleaver married Mrs. Roberta

(Dickey) Clapper, who was born April 24, 1854. Her parents, John S. and Sally Y. Dickey, were natives of North Carolina, and came to Missouri in an early day, settling in Monroe County. Mr. Dickey, who was born in 1800, died in 1864, and his wife, whose birth occurred in 1812, passed away in 1891. Judge and Mrs. Cleaver have two children: Katie May, born July 10, 1890; and Bessie Marie, May 9, 1892. Socially the Judge is a member of Perry Lodge No. 302, A. F. and A. M. In politics he has been a firm sup- porter of the Democracy. He belongs to the Christian Church, while Mrs. Cleaver is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian denomination.

REDERICK WALLER. F Probably no name is better known in Hannibal, or in this section, than the one which heads this article, and certainly no one is more respected. Mr. Waller served for several terms as an Alder- man, having been elected by his friends in the Democratic party, with which he has always been allied. He is a native of Hanover, Germany, his birth having occurred June 2, 181I.

Our subject's paternal grandfather, William Waller, was born in Hursfelt, Hanover, in 170I and died in 1776. He was a farmer and was also successfully engaged in business as a merchant. His son, William D., a native of the same place, was born in 1760, and was a dry goods and gro- cery merchant. He was also a collector of tariffs and tolls for King George of England during his lifetime. He died in Hanover in 1822, and of his eight children our subject is the only survivor. He learned the shoemaker's trade in his youth and followed it for a number of years. He re- members an incident of Napoleon's last war: the passing of Blucher and his army on the return from the battle of Waterloo.

In his native province Frederick Waller was married February 7, 1833, to Elizabeth Ropers, and June 8, 1842, the couple embarked for Amer- ica on the sailing vessel "Apollo." They reached

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Baltimore, Md., on the 13th of August, after a perilous voyage, during which they were driven out of their course and almost gave up hope. Mr. Waller proceeded from Baltimore to Marietta, Ohio, where he lived for two years and a half, and March 14, 1845, landed in Hannibal. Late that fall he went to Bethel, Mo., but the following spring returned to this city, where he has since resided. For a few years he worked at his trade, then engaged in gardening and subsequently con- ducted a grocery. For the past ten years he has been practically retired from business, but is President of the Waller Lime Company and has money invested in other enterprises. During the great fire in Hamburg in 1842 he was visiting in that city and was a witness of the memorable sight. He is a Lutheran, as was also his estima- ble wife, who died November 6, 1886, aged sev- enty-eight years. They had celebrated their golden wedding three years before, on the 7th of February. Their family comprised five children, namely: Margaret E., widow of H. W. Morris; Sophia, wife of John Madden, of this city; Cath- erine; Frederick W., who died in 1894, and Will- iam D.

The youngest son of Frederick Waller, Will- iam D., was born in Marietta, Ohio, November 4, 1844, and was reared in this city. On complet- ing his public school education he took a com- mercial course in Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. On his return west he ob- tained a place as a book-keeper for the firm of Moser & Wild, of Quincy, Ill., and a year after- ward went to St. Louis. In 1868 he bought out the store of George A. Sinclair, of Hannibal, in partnership with H. W. Morris, and opened a grocery, doing business under the name of W. D. Waller & Co. for twelve years. He sold out in December, 1880, and the following April organ- ized the company for the manufacture of lime, which is known as the Waller Lime Company, and was made Manager of the same. The con- cern was afterward incorporated as the Waller Lime Company, with a capital stock of $20,000, the officers being Frederick Waller, President; W. F. Clark, Vice-President, and William D. Waller, Secretary and Manager, and as such it is

still being run. The markets of the plant are chiefly in the West and South, including Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico and Mis- souri.

June 29, 1875, Mr. Waller was married in Han- nibal to Mary J., daughter of Green M. and Mary A. (Murray) Rogers, the former a native of Cabell County, Va., and the latter of Ireland. Mrs. Wal- ler was born in Flemingsburg, Ky .; her only child is Paul, who is now in his fifteenth year. She is a member of the Park Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Waller has always given his alle- giance to the Democratic party.

G EORGE W. HUMPHREY, the subject of this sketch, was born August 21, 1866, near Mount Sterling, Ill. When he was but seven.months old his parents moved to Missouri, where he was reared upon a farm. Until nineteen years of age he attended the dis- trict school, from which he went to the Lewis- town High School, where he studied two years. He then left school, spent two years in Nebraska and Montana, and, at the age of twenty-three, returned home and entered La Grange College, staying there two years. He taught school in the northeastern part of Shelby County for thir- teen months and for one year was principal of the Shelbyville public schools. Notwithstand- ing the laborious work with which the life of our subject was filled at this period, he nevertheless in this he was assisted by the Hon. R. P. Giles. found spare moments in which to study law and In 1893 he was admitted to the bar in Shelby County, and at Shelbyville was associated with I. T. Lloyd until January, 1894.

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Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States, Part 96

Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, C. O. Owen & Co. Number of Pages: 820

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, C. O. Owen & Co.
Number of Pages: 820