Tehama County CA Archives Biographies.....Ward, E. H. 1842 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2007, 10:52 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891) MAJOR E. H. WARD was born in Wythe County, Virginia, in 1842. He is a son of Robert Newton and Margaret F. (Thompson) Ward, and is the youngest of a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters. Both the Wards and Thompsons trace their ancestry to the English. Mrs. Ward was born in Virginia, a descendant of one of the old families of that State. Mr. Ward was also a native of the Old Dominion, born in Wythe County. He was extensively engaged in the stock business; and was a leading Whig, bitterly opposed to secession. When Virginia seceded, however, he went with his State and became an ardent supporter of the Southern cause. He lost all his property in the war. The family came to California in 1870, and Mr. Ward's death occurred at Stockton in 1881. The subject of this sketch received his education in Emery and Henry College, Virginia. He left college in April, 1861, to enter the Confederate army, and enlisted as a private in Company A, Eighth Regiment, Virginia Cavalry. The regiment was reorganized in 1862 and he was made Orderly Sergeant of the company. He was actively engaged in the war in Virginia from its outbreak to its close, and was present at the surrender at Appomattox. At the close of the war Major Ward went with his father to a place near Memphis to engage in cotton-raising. They employed their own negroes and others and conducted the business for two years. The rapid decline in the price of cotton caused them to give up the enterprise and return to Virginia. There they engaged in stock-raising until 1870, when they came to California. In 1871 Major Ward began a sheep business, in a small way, on shares. Soon after this he bought sheep in Tehama County and drove them to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. This proved a remunerative enterprise as well as an arduous and severe one, for these trips occupied six or seven months, during which time he was exposed to all kinds of weather, sleeping at night with no covering save the broad canopy of heaven, and faring on the plainest of food. Some time after this he began buying lands in the southern part of Tehama County and accumulated several thousand acres of land, on which he established a sheep ranch. In 1884 he entered into a copartnership in the business with Major J. S. Cone, and since then they have carried on the business very extensively, Major Ward being the acting manager. They have 30,000 acres of land devoted to the business and have about 15,000 sheep. The annual sale of sheep and wool averages $30,000. Major Ward has purchased lots in Red Bluff and has built a very attractive and pleasant home. In 1883 he was united in marriage with Miss Mellie Howell, a native of Missouri. Their union has been blessed with three sons, born in Tehama County, namely: Gorham C., Robert E. and Clay R. The Major is a Royal Arch Mason. He has been a life-long Democrat, but he is in favor of a high tariff, and felt compelled to vote for Mr. Harrison at the last election; and he is now independent in politics. Major Ward is a representative citizen of Tehama County, one who has by his own well directed efforts secured for himself and family a competency. During the twenty years of his life in California he has risen from very moderate circumstances to a position of prominence, wealth and influence. Additional Comments: Extracted from Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California. Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of Prominent Citizens of To-day. "A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendents." – Macauley. CHICAGO THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1891. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/tehama/bios/ward699gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb