Fountain County IN Archives Biographies.....Helms, Alfred 1831 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 23, 2007, 8:57 pm

Author: H. W. Beckwith (1881)

   Alfred Helms, farmer, Fountain (Portland). His grandfather Helms emigrated
with his family from North Carolina and settled in Van Buren township about the
time that John Colvert and Jonathan Burch came. These last arrived early in
1823. It is said that Mr. Helms cleared the first farm in Fountain county. The
grandfather of our subject on his mother's side was Matthew Hawkins. He removed
from Tennessee, also very early, and stopping on Honey Creek prairie, died
there. His family settled at Chambersburg, where his grandmother died in a few
years. Mr. Helms was born in Van Buren township, December 22, 1831. The
christian names of his parents were Thompson and Rhoda. He was married to Mary
Houts, March 7, 1858. They are the parents of seven children: Melissa Ann, wife
of John Marquess; George William, Sarah, Katie, Mandana, Jacob, and Frances
Isabelle. Mr. Helms was enrolled August 9, 1862, in Co. E, 63d Ind. Vols.
Immediately this regiment went into the service companies F, I, E and G were
detached and retained at Indianapolis on provost duty, remaining in that city
seventeen months. In February, 1864, the companies of this regiment were united
at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and marched across the Cumberland mountains to
Knoxville, Tennessee, and joined Sherman at Dalton, Georgia. The command was
attached to the 23d Corps. Mr. Helms was detailed into the Pioneer Corps at Camp
Nelson, but by permission of his officers took part in some of the earlier
fighting on the Atlanta campaign. He was in action at Buzzard Roost, and Resaca,
and in the last battle was wounded in the left shoulder. He was in the hospital
two months, when, this place having become irksome, he and six other restless
spirits clandestinely boarded a train going to the front, where they rejoined
their commands. He found his at Decatur, just east of Atlanta where he arrived
but a day or two before the battle of July 22, in which the lamented McPherson
was killed. He did no further duty, but kept along with the army. He was at
Nashville during the siege and battle, but his regiment was not engaged, only
acting as support to the cavalry on the flank. He went with his corps to North
Carolina, and on arrival at Kingston was sent to the hospital. From there he was
transported to Albany, New York, where he was discharged June 2, 1865. Mr. Helms
owns eighty acres of land within two miles of Portland. He is a greenbacker.

Additional Comments:
Shawnee Township

HISTORY OF FOUNTAIN COUNTY,

TOGETHER WITH
HISTORIC NOTES ON THE WABASH VALLEY,

GLEANED FROM EARLY AUTHORS, OLD MAPS AND MANUSCRIPTS
PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND OTHER AUTHENTIC, THOUGH, FOR THE MOST
PART, OUT-OF-THE-WAY SOURCES.

BY H. W. BECKWITH,
OF THE DANVILLE BAR; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF
WISCONSIN AND CHICAGO.

WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

CHICAGO: H. H. HILL AND N. IDDINGS, PUBLISHERS.
1881.


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