HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      269

was in charge of the Knightsville schools two years, then the Mooresville,
Morgan county, schools, one year. In the fall of 1881 he was appointed
to a clerkship in the pension department, and took his family to Wash-
ington with him. He continued in this position until about a year after
the inauguration of the Cleveland administration, when he was relieved.
Returning to Brazil at some time in 1886, he accepted a deputyship the
following year under County Auditor Hyland. He took a very active
part in the campaign of 1888 in favor of the election of Harrison, and
was subsequently re-instated in the service of the pension department,
traveling much of the time, and continued in the field up to the time of
his fatal sickness. So ambitious and persistent was he in his work that
he continued to make reports to the department from his bed, when, at
times, his wife or daughter had to hold and steady his hand in attaching
his signature, notwithstanding he still longed and hoped for recovery
and restoration to active service. He died August 30, 1891, aged 49
years, 6 months and 29 days, survived by his wife, son and three daugh-
ters, of whom only the youngest is home with the mother. The two
married daughters are Mrs. Ella Shumaker, Terre Haute, and Mrs. Leone
Lockhart, of Chicago. The son, William Eppert, is married and resides
at Pierceton, Indiana.

    Thomas B. Robertson, native of the state of Ohio, born in Franklin
county, August 27, 1853, coming with his parents to Indiana at the age
of seven years, who 1ocated in Jackson township, Clay county, where the
subject of this brief biographical sketch grew up on the farm, attending
the public schools. In 1870 he entered the Staunton graded school,
earning his tuition by serving as janitor, and riding back and forth eight
miles every day, unable to pay boarding. In 1872 he began teaching in
the public schools of the county. Out of his earnings in this capacity he
attended the State Normal at Terre Haute, where he continued until
1875. In 1876 his father died, leaving him the sole dependence of his
mother. From that time he farmed during the summer and taught during
the winter. In 1880 he was nominated for county surveyor on the Demo-
cratic ticket, but was defeated. In 1882 he was renominated and elected
by a handsome majority. In 1884 he was again nominated and re-elected.
Mr. Robertson is an example of the self-made man, who succeeded
against obstacles and discouragements. Having quit the farm, where he
resided a number of years, in Perry township, he located at Terre Haute,
where he has been employed on public works.

    John E. Slack, native of Clay county, son of William and Margery
(Lowdermilk) Slack, born October 10, 1842, was brought up on the farm,
with but little opportunity to acquire an education. His parents were
North Carolinians and his maternal ancestry of Revolutionary stock.
William Slack, the father, came to Clay county in 1831 and married two
years later, one of the earliest marriages within the territory of Jackson
township. He taught one of the first schools in the central eastern part
of the county. The subject of this sketch served an apprenticeship at car-
pentry. In September, 1864, he was drafted and served in Company G,
Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, assigned to the Army of the
Cumberland, participated in the battles of Franklin and Nashville and in
numerous skirmishes, and was discharged in June, 1865. On the 25th day
of November, 1866, he married Miss Lovina McCullough, to whom were