HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      263

listed in the Sixth Indiana Cavalry, serving his country until the close of
the war, returning home in May, 1865, when he engaged in farming and
carpentry, at intervals, and teaching in the winter. In 1870 he embarked
in the hotel business at Bowling Green and the running of the daily mail
and transportation line between Bowling Green and Brazil.
    The Republican party having elected the county ticket in 1872, Mr.
Ecret took the position of deputy under Recorder Edward A. Rosser for
the full term of four years, succeeding which he engaged in abstracting
until 1880, when he was made office deputy under Sheriff James F. Lank-
ford, his son-in-law, continuing with him during his term of two years.
Later he established a furniture store at Brazil, from which he retired
in 1884 and located at Middlebury, where he died March 8, 1899, aged
77 years, 5 months and 23 days, survived by his wife, who died September
9, 1901.

    John Osborn, native of Kentucky, born in Mason county, in the
month of September, 1809. In 1830, at the age of 21 years, he emigrated
to Putnam county, Indiana, and in 1836 located at Bowling Green, Clay
county. In 1838 he was elected and commissioned Colonel of the Sixth
Regiment Indiana Militia. In 1839 he was elected a member of the
State Legislature and served during the session of 1839-’40. In the fall
of 1840 he was elected justice of the peace, serving in this capacity until
March, 1850, a period of practically ten years, by virtue of which he was
also a member of the hoard for the transaction of county business. In
March, 1843, he was admitted to the bar and continued in the profession
of the law for more than a quarter of a century.
    When the Mexican war broke out Mr. Osborn volunteered his serv-
ices and was elected Captain of Clay County Volunteers and commanded
his company in the battle of Buena Vista. After his return from Mexico
he was elected county auditor in the year 1849, and was re-elected in
1854, serving nine years—five years under the provisions of the old
constitution and four years under the new.
    In the month of April, 1861, he left Bowling Green, after having
resided there twenty-five years, and located at Greencastle. When the
Civil war began he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-
first Regiment Indiana Volunteers, his commission bearing date Septem-
ber, 1861, and commanded his regiment at the battle of Fort Donelson
under the lead of Colonel Cruft, then in command of the brigade. At the
battle of Shilob Colonel Cruft was wounded in the commencement of the
action, when the command of the regiment devolved wholly upon Lieu-
tenant Colonel Osborn, who commanded throughout the two days’ bloody
engagement. Colonel Cruft was then appointed brigadier general, and
Osborn promoted to colonel of the regiment, which he commanded at
the siege of Corinth, at Perryville and at Stone River.
    Having returned home at the close of the war of the rebellion, he
was appointed postmaster at Greencastle, under President Johnson’s ad-
ministration, in 1866, and re-appointed under President Grant’s adminis-
tration, in 1870, serving eight years in this position.
    On his retirement from the postoffice to private life Mr. Osborn was
65 years of age, thirty-five years of which had been spent in the public
service—twenty-nine in the civil capacity and six in the military—in
positions of trust, honor, responsibility and imminent peril.