A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 39

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 39

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

His Republicanism was of the purest and most zealous kind. He never sulked in his tent. No matter about his misfortunes, he always supported the ticket. He always controlled the negro vote. They were his friends and stood by him. He had an extensive practice in Scioto County, and was something of an orator. ' He believed in ex- ercising his gifts as an advocate, and did so. He was a thin, slender man of very dark complexion, black full beard and long black hair, and was a typical Kentuckian. He never could tolerate anything Dem- ocratic. When the Cincinnati Daily Gazette and the Commercial were printed as separate papers, he regarded the Gazette as Orthodox and the Commercial heterodox. He never could bear to see a Republican read the Commercial. He was fond of talking of his fixed principles. While he never swore a profane oath, his favorite, so called oath was "Dod burn it." His enthusiasm for his party never flagged, and he could not tolerate political luke-warmness in others.

He was honest to the core. He was a victim of consumption. A week before he died he proposed to go to Florida and take his son Orville with him, but when it was apparent that he must die, he called Orville to him and told him that he would take a longer and farther journey and go alone. He was married June 26, 1865 to Miss Lucy C. Parker of Vanceburg, Ky. They had two children : Arthur Wads- worth, born June 4, 1869, died June 28, 1871 and Orville Preston, born

299

THE BAR OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

September 18, 1871, now County Clerk of Lewis County, Kentucky. He died November 2, 1885, with the greatest calmness and composure. He was buried at Hill Crest Cemetery, just west of Vanceburg, Ken- tucky, and his widow and her son took up their residence in Vanceburg, Kentucky, where they have remained since. James S. Pollitt's ambi- tions were not great, but they were very dear to him, and yet he was thwarted in them all, and compelled, when but 46 years of age, to de- part to the land of spirits, but in all his reverses and disappointments he acted the part of a man. His was a noble soul in a frail casket, but his memory is honored by all who knew him well.

Judge Fernando Cortes Searl.

Here is a subject whose father, a great reader of Prescott's Con- quest of Mexico, compelled him to bear the name of a Spanish general all his life and yet he has done well and prospered and in the course of his long life has demonstrated what the Spanish General ought to have been. Then our ideas of Spaniards in the course of years have changed. While we admired the characters portrayed by Prescott, when his books were new, now that the doctrine of humanity has forged to the front, the characters of the Spaniards have been relegated to the background. The name of our subject in its origin, in the far misty past was of Scandinavian origin. The Searls went from Sweden to Nor- mandy several generations before William the Conqueror, and when he went over to England on his free-booting expedition, they packed their traps and went along, ready for fighting or plunder, or both. Our subject's great-grandfather came from England with a brother, Gid- eon. His son, Reuben was born in New England. His son, Nathan- iel, father of our subject, was born in Middleton, Rutland County, Ver- mont, February, 1788. The same year the Searl family moved out of the house where Nathaniel was born and the White family moved in and Rebecca White, afterwards the wife of Nathaniel Searl, was born there in 1797. Her father, Abel White was a Revolutionary soldier from Steuben County, New York. He and his wife, Comfort, died in Scioto County, Ohio.

Nathaniel Searl and his wife Rebecca were married in Steuben County, New York, March 26, 1806, and had eight children. Miran- da was the eldest of the family and was seventeen years older than our subject. The family moved to Scioto County in 1813, from New York. prior to the birth of our subject, who was born July 18, 1825, on the Searl farm, in sight of Chaffin's Mills, Vernon Township. He was a thinker and reasoner from boyhood. He would discuss matters with his father at the early age of eight years. So persistent was he that to get rid of him his father would send him to bed, as evening was always their time for discussing. His father was pro-slavery and young Searl would take the side of anti-slavery. He was an abolitionist at eight years and had reasoned the matter out for himself. He went to school

300

HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

but little till the age of fourteen, when he attended for three months. At fifteen years of age, he went to school for five months. He was very industrious and had a knack of doing anything. He could be a carpenter, blacksmith or machinist as occasion required. At the age of sixteen, he became a teacher in the public schools and began by teaching in a district in Madison Township, where his uncle John White lived. At the age of eight he read an account of the murder of Lovejoy in Illinois which confirmed his views as an abolitionist. He was not slow to announce his opinions, formed when a child, and there was an effort made to deprive him of his school on account of his anti- slavery opinions. He continued to teach from time to time until he was thirty-five years of age. He taught in South Webster from 1853 to 1859. In 1855, he tackled Kansas. He took a pre-emption claim but came home for his wife and never went back. He was an Asses- sor in Vernon Township for several years. He was Justice of the Peace in Vernon Township from 1849 to 1852, and afterwards in Bloom. In 1855, he began the study of law under Jordan and McCaus- len. He had canvassed the County with Jordan for the Republican ticket. He came to Portsmouth in 1858, to accept the position of Deputy Sheriff under John L. Ward, who was Sheriff from 1859 to 1863. John L. Ward thought to make a politician of him, but he was born one, and the pupil was more apt than his teacher. In 1859, Deputy Sheriff Searl tried his virgin hand on politics. He was a candi- date for Justice of the Peace in Wayne Township and defeated Cor- nelius McCoy by 65 majority. Squire McCoy was an easy subject but Searl's victory made him eager for more. In 1860, the Repub- lican party was a weak and wobbly affair, but young Searl was one of them. The American party had been all powerful and held sway in Scioto County. Searl, Joseph Ashton and Milton Kennedy had stood for the Republican party when none others would. Searl was placed on the ticket for Probate Judge against William S. Huston, a popular Democrat and Searl was elected by a majority of 57 votes. The poll was, Searl 2,186 and Huston 2,129. John L. Ward, his political god- father was on the ticket too and was re-elected for Sheriff. On April 19, 1861, there was a great Union meeting at the Biggs House and Searl was one of the speakers. His devotion to the Union never waivered. In 1862, he was a Commissioner of the Draft. On May 8, 1863, he was admitted to the bar. In 1863, Searl was re-nominated Probate Judge and the vote stood, Searl 2,273, Franklin Patterson I.743. Searl's majority 530. In 1866, he was a candidate for a third term and was elected. The vote stood Searl 2,615, J. T. Douglas 2,158. Searl's majority 457. He was Deputy Sheriff under John L. Ward for two years and in that time was a member of the County Board of School Examiners and its clerk. In February, 1864, he went into the 140th O. V. I., as First Lieutenant of Co. F, and served until September 2nd. He was at home three weeks of the time to attend to

301

THE BAR OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

business of the Probate Office and while with his regiment served as Judge Advocate on Court Martial. During the war he was Chairman of the Military Committee of the County and had powers equal to that of a dictator. He supervised the enlistment of volunteers and as a friend of the negroes, he believed in recruiting them for service and did so. He put them into the service and secured them bounties from $150 for single men to $250 for married men. He was a member of the City Council for four years and its President in 1876. In 1865 and for several years, he acted as a Goverment Claim Agent. He began the practice of law in 1870 to 1872 in the partnership of Harper and Searl. From 1873 to 1880, the firm was Searl and Dever and in 1880. it was Searl and Briggs. In 1884, the partnersip was Searl and Mil- ner and the same year became, Harper, Searl and Milner. Afterwards in 1890, it was dissolved and since then Judge Searl has practised alone. He was married March 12, 1884, at the age of nineteen, to Julia Schoonover, and had one son and three daughters. His eldest daughter Minta, is the wife of Rev. J. C. Vananda of Morganhill, California. Helen is the wife of a Mr. Fleming and resides at Cheny near Wichita, Kansas. His daughter, Mrs. Morton is deceased and his son, Orpheus A., is the postmaster at Sciotoville. His wife died August 1, 1876. In 1878, he married Catherine A. Shoemaker, and has four children : Clin- ton M., a lawyer in Portsmouth; Bertha M. Loyston, aged twenty- one, Beecher aged sixteen and Katie aged fourteen. Judge Searl is not aware of it but he is a man of many idiosyncrasies. He is a first- class poet. He wrote the "Shanghai Rebellion," "Ukawabbewein," "The Story of the Bald Crag in Kentucky," and many others. He can write poetry on any subject. He is a man of extraordinary good com- mon sense and judgment and that is the Yankee part of him. He never belonged to any secret order but the Sons of Temperance which maintained its organization but a short time. In a newspaper con- troversy he is sure to get the best of his opponent. There is one re- markable characteristic of Judge Searl and that is, that he has always acted on his convictions. He was a Whig until the Republican party was formed and then he joined that and has adhered to it all his life. He never went off after strange political gods at any time, and his strict adherence to one party made him a political success. His excellent business sense has enabled him to acquire a fortune which he knows how to take care off. He. John L. Ward and Thomas T. Yeager are the only ones who ever went into politics and at the same time succeed- ed in business ; but they would have succeeded in anything.

Robert Newton Spry

was born at Norwich, New York, March 10, 1840. His father was Richard Spry, who located in Portsmouth, Ohio, July 27, 1844. He attended the Portsmouth schools and graduated in the Portsmouth High School. He then, attended the Ohio Wesleyan University at

302

HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Delaware, O, for two years, but owing to defective eyesight, gave up his course. He enlisted in Captain John R. Hurd's Company in the Second Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, but was rejected for imperfect vision. In 1862, he began reading law with Hon. Thomas McCauslen, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1864. He was Second Ser- geant of Company E, 140th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served from May 2, to September 3, 1864. In the Spring of 1865, he was elected City Solicitor of Portsmouth, as a Republican, over George H. Gaffey, Democrat, by the following vote. Gaffey, 468; Spry, 551, majority, 82. In 1867, he was re-elected to the same office on the Re- publican ticket. The vote stood Spry, Republican 732; Hutchins, Democrat, 651 ; majority 81. In 1869, he became a Democrat. On November 10, 1868, he was appointed Prosecuting Attorney in place of A. J. McFan, resigned, and served till October, 1869. In 1869, he was the Democratic candidate for Solicitor and was defeated. The vote stood : John J. Glidden, Republican, 787, Spry, 736, majority, 51, In October, 1869, he was on the Democratic ticket for Prosecuting At- torney against Colonel H. E. Jones. The vote stood Jones, 2,440, Spry, 2,212, majority 228. We give these votes to show Mr. Spry's popularity where he was known. On June 29, 1870, he married Miss B. Inez Davis, who survived him. They had one daughter, Roberta, now the wife of Edward Whitelaw of 106 Cannon street, Charleston, South Carolina. In 1871. he was the Democratic candidate for Repre- sentative, and was defeated by John C. Malone ; the vote stood : John C. Malone, 2,518, Spry, 2,407, majority, III. In 1873, he defeated William B. Grice, Republican, for Prosecuting Attorney. The vote stood: Spry. 2.534. Grice, 2,271, majority, 263. In 1875, H. W. Farnham defeated him for a second term for Prosecuting Attorney, by the following vote: Spry. 3.044: Farnham, 3.213, majority, 169. Mr. Spry was a well read lawyer. His pleadings were always carefully prepared and were scarcely ever open to motion or demurrer. For a lawyer, he wrote a readable hand. Mr. Spry's whole life was tinged with sadness. From his manhood he felt "the sword of Damocles," in the shape of consumption, hanging over him. He resisted its inroads for years, but at last succumbed June 10, 1877. at the age of thirty- seven. He was much liked by all who knew him intimately and well. He was of a retiring disposition, but there was no more agreeable com- panion than he. To all the lawyers who knew him, his memory is ever fragrant. He was a lover of music and his soul was attuned to its harmonies. He had a fine sense of honor and was uniformly true to his friends. The latter were always ready to do anything for him. If any one ever possessed more of the manly or heroic virties, the editor never knew them.

Nelson Wiley Evans,

the editor of this work, was born June 4. 1842, at Sardinia, Brown County, Ohio. His father was Edward Patton Evans, who was then

NELSON W. EVANS.

303

THE BAR OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

a lawyer practicing in Brown and Highland Counties. His mother was Amanda Jane King. born June 20, 1824. His father resided in Sardinia until April, 1847, when he removed to West Union, Adams County, to practice his profession. Our subject resided in West Union from that time until the fall of 1860. He went through the usual experiences of boyhood, enjoyed all its pleasures and en- dured its sorrows. As a schoolboy he showed a disposition to take life seriously, which has followed him ever since. In the fall of 1860, he attended the North Liberty Academy, and in January 1861, he entered the Freshman class of Miami University, half advanced. He remained in that school until June, 1863, when he enlisted in the 129th O. V. I.

He was made First Lieutenant of Company G in that regiment, and with it marched to Cumberland Gap, which was taken by capit- ulation from the Rebel General Frazier on September 9, 1863. His regiment was attached to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Ninth Army Corps, under General Ambrose E. Burnside. He participated in the campaign in East Tennessee against Longstreet. On March 4. 1864, the regiment was mustered out, and he returned to Miami Uni- versity, where he was graduated in June, 1864. On the eighteenth of September, 1864, he was appointed Adjutant of the 173rd O. V. I. and joined his regiment at Nashville, Tennessee. The regiment per- formed duty about Nashville until the time of the battle, when it was placed in the second line for the attack on Montgomery Hill. Owing to the first line moving the rebels, his command was only exposed to a dropping fire. Prior to the battle of Nashville, Mr. Evans was pro- moted to a Captaincy in his regiment, and during the seige of Nashville by Gen. Hood, and during the battle, was Adjutant of a brigade. Af- ter the battle of Nashville, his regiment was sent to Columbia, Ten- nessee, and from there to Johnsonville. Tennessee, where it performed the duty of gathering stragglers from the Rebel army, and taking them to Nashville as prisoners of war. During the time the regiment was at Johnsonville, Captain Evans was detailed as Acting Assistant- Adjutant-General.

At the close of the war, he resumed his studies of the law and in October, 1865, he entered the Cincinnati Law School. He remained there until April, 1866, when he was admitted to the bar by the Dis- trict Court of Hamilton County. He located in Portsmouth, Ohio, on August 1, 1866, and has remained there ever since. On September 9. 1868, he was married to Miss Lizzie Henderson, of Middletown, Ohio. He was a School Examiner of the county for two and a half years from 1867. He was a City Solicitor of Portsmouth, Ohio, front 1871 to 1875. Register in Bankruptcy of the Eleventh District of Ohio from 1870 to 1878. and a member of the Board of Education of the city of Portsmouth for ten years. He is one of the Trustees of the Miami University, and a vestryman of All Saints Episcopal Church.

304

HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

For nine years he has been a Trustee of the Children's Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal Church, at Cincinnati. He has two daughters, Gladys and Muriel. In politics, he is and always has been a Repub- lican. A friend who has known Mr. Evans since 1871, speaks of him as follows: "Captain Evans is one of the foremost attorneys at the Portsmouth bar, and has a large and lucrative practice. He is an indefatigable worker and in the preparation of his cases for trial, makes himself thoroughly familiar with every detail and fights to the last in the interest of those he represents. He is a good counsellor, a safe and a careful business and commercial lawyer. In his inter- course with his fellow men he is frank, open, courteous, accommoda- ting and always true to his friends. His intimate associates like him best. Socially he stands high and his honesty and integrity make him respected by all."

Col. Henry Ewing Jones

was born at Nashville, Tenn., September 28, 1836. His father, David D. Jones moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, when he was seven months old. He was educated in the Portsmouth schools and then attended Denni- son University at Granville, Ohio, where he graduated in 1860. He then took up the study of law with Hon. Wells A. Hutchins. In 1860, he was First Sergeant in a Militia Company at Portsmouth, belonging to the 15th Regiment, O. V. M. In 1861, he volunteered in Company G. First Ohio Regiment of Volunteer Infantry and was made Second Sergeant. He entered that regiment April 16, 1861, at the age of 24 vears and was mustered out January 1, 1861. September 18, 1861. he entered the 56th O. V. I. as Adjutant. He was made Captain of Co. A, February 6, 1863. He was transferred to Co. D, August 8, 1863. He was detached on Brigade and Division Staff until May 8, 1864, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel January 18, 1865. He was not mustered out till April 25. 1866. He was appointed Colonel May 25, 1866, but not mustered. He was wounded in the first three months service, at Vienna He was admitted to the bar in 1866 and January 23, 1867. formed a partnership with Hon. J. J. Harper as Harper & Jones. In 1867, he was a candidate for Prosecuting Attorney on the Republican ticket, but in that year of Republican disaster, he was defeated by A. J. McFan. The vote stood McFan, 2.560; Jones, 2.440. In 1869. he was again elected. The vote stood Jones, 2,440; Spry, 2,212; majority 228. In 1871, he was re-elected. The vote

stood Jones, 2,542 : Huston, 2,365 ; majority 177. On July 9, 1873, he formed a partnership with Hon. A. C. Thompson as Jones and Thompson. He was a well read lawyer, a pleasing speaker and an excellent advocate He married Miss Harriet Timbrooks and they had four children, Edith, Gertrude. Henry and Wells, who was in the Spanish war. Col. Jones, died September 13, 1876, of apoplexy. His widow and one son, Henry have since died.

COL. HENRY E. JONES.

305

THE BAR OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

No man in Scioto County gave more to his Country than he, and he was as true a patriot as ever breathed. In every position he held whether military or civil, he discharged his duties with great ability and to the satisfaction of the public and those concerned. He had a constitution which would ordinarily have lasted him till the age of ninety. He was a large man, physically, and of great strength. Had he lived he, no doubt, would have attained as much distinction in civil life as he did in his military career, which was most brilliant as the history of his regiment discloses.

Samuel Gardner McCulloch

was born March 6, 1839, at Bellefontaine, Ohio. His father was Noah Zane McCulloch and was the first white child born in Zanesville, Ohio. His mother's maiden name was Psyche Shuffleton. He attended the common schools in Bellefontaine and graduated in the High School in 1857. He went to Circleville in the same year. He worked there for five years as bookkeeper for W. W. Bierce. Before leaving Bellefon- taine, he commenced reading law with Judge Lawrence and kept it up. He left Circleville in 1862, to accept an appointment in the Quarter- master Department. He served for a short time with the army of the Potomac. He was sent to Clarksburg. Virginia and served there from December, 1862 until February 1864, then he served at Harper's Ferry from February, 1864 to October, 1864 and went from there to Ha- gerstown, Maryland and from there to Martinsburg thence to Cumber- land, Maryland, and then to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he was discharged. In August, 1866, he was admitted to the bar at Belle- fontaine. In October, 1866, he located at Clarksburg, West Virginia and practiced law there one year and removed to Spencer, Roane Coun- ty. West Virginia, and practiced in that and surrounding Counties un- til September. 1876, when he removed to Portsmouth, Ohio. While a resident in Roane County, he was Prosecuting Attorney and he was Deputy United States Assessor and Collector at that place for four years from 1871 to 1875. He was one of the five Commissioners of the state of West Virginia to the Centennial Celebration at Phil- adelphia, in 1876. In the city of Portsmouth, he began the practice of law. He was City Clerk in Portsmouth from May 1, 1881, to Tune 1, 1893. He was elected Secretary of the Board of Public Works February 12. 1901 and removed to Columbus, Ohio, where he now re- sides at 561 Oak street. He was married May 15, 1866, in Balti- more, Maryland, to Mary Ellen Middleton, daughter of Henry C. Middleton of Buckhannon, West Virginia. His wife is a lineal de- scendant of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryland. one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her grandfather was Henry O. Middleton of Fredricksburg, Maryland. He moved from there to Clarksburg, Virginia. He has two children : Samuel L. who resides in Portsmouth and Grace Carroll in Columbus with her fath-

306

HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

er. Mr. McCulloch is a Republican and a member of the Episcopal Church. He is a Blue Lodge Mason.

Robert Allen Calvert

was the second son of George Washington Calvert and was born in Scioto County, June 17, 1837. He passed his minority on his father's farm. He received his education in the common schools and Witten- berg Academy at Springfield, Ohio, from which institution he grad- uated. Directly after his graduation he embarked in the grocery business with his brother, Frank W. Calvert and continued it four years. He bought out his brother at that time and continued the business for three years longer. He concluded to take up law as a profession and conducted his reading in the office of the late John W. Collings, of Portsmouth, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar in West Union, Adams County, Ohio, on October 8, 1868. He at once began the practice of law at Portsmouth where he has since resided.

On June 17, 1862, he was married to Martha Jane, daughter of John D. Clark, of Clark County, Ohio. They had five children : Cosette, the wife of W. S. Todd of Cincinnati, Ohio; Robert Emer- son, Ralph Waldo, Bertha and Forest W., who died at the age of eight and one-half years.

In the fall of 1872, he was elected Probate Judge of Scioto Coun- ty and re-elected in 1875 and served six years.

In politics, Judge Calvert is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Homer Wilson Farnham

was born September 18, 1844, in Kingsville, Ashtabula County, Ohio. His father was Homer Wilson Farnham and his mother's maiden name was Clarice Griswold. They were married August 22, 1843. He attended school at Kingsville, Ashtabula County, Ohio, and at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He enlisted in Company "F." 98th Regiment of Pennsylvania Infantry, April 8, 1865, for one year. He was hon- orably discharged June 29, 1865, with his company near Washington, D. C. Directly after his return in the fall of 1865, he came to Hav- erhill, and began teaching in the Public Schools, and taught there un- til 1868. He came to Portsmouth in February, 1868, and entered N. W. Evans' law office as a student of law. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1869. He became a partner with his preceptor, N. W. Evans, immediately after his admission to the bar, and remained with him as such until November, 1870, when he formed a partnership with Judge Towne, under the name of Towne & Farnham. He was ap- pointed School Examiner in place of John Bolton, December 11, 1872, and served for a period of eight years. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Scioto County, Ohio, October 12, 1875. The vote stood Farnham, Republican, 3,213 : Robert N. Spry, Democrat, 3,044; Farn- ham's majority, 169. He was re-elected Prosecuting Attorney of

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 39

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913 Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612