Howard County IN Archives Biographies.....Higgins, William H. 1841 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 15, 2006, 12:51 am

Author: Jackson Morrow

WILLIAM H. HIGGINS.

   William H. Higgins is a native of the great Empire state. New York, having
been born at Kendall, Orleans county, October 5, 1841, the son of Henry and
Hannah (Eddy) Higgins. The former was born at Williamstown, Massachusetts, and
the subject's grandfather and great-grandfather were born on Cape Cod, and the
name was formerly spelled Higginson, but later the "on" was dropped from the
name. The Higginses have Puritan blood coursing through their veins, for the
first members of this family were among the famous band that came to the new
world in the Mayflower, some four centuries ago. The mother of our subject was
born at Saratoga, New York.

   William H. Higgins was reared on a farm and attended the country schools,
securing a fairly good common school education.

   When the dark clouds of the Rebellion hung over this country, his father,
being a man of much military ability, urged his son, our subject, to enlist his
services in defense of the flag. William, being small in stature, could hardly
pass the required examination, but after a time he was accepted and on August
25, 1862, he enlisted in the Twelfth Independent Batten of New York Volunteers
and was in the Army of the East. His father, who was then seventy years old, was
a Brigadier General of the State Militia, and he raised a company in New York,
but on account of his advanced age he was not permitted to go to the front. Just
two years after the subject enlisted, on the same day of the month, he was
captured and during the next seven months was held as prisoner by the
Confederates, having been confined in three different prisons during the time,
Libby, Belle's Island and Salisbury, North Carolina. During his incarceration
his health was seriously depleted and he came near dying. He with many others
was liberated when Sherman's army passed through that country on its famous
march to the sea. He was set free February 22, 1864, and taken back to New York
where he lay between life and death for some time, but he was a man of much
fortitude and stoical courage and finally regained his health, his great desire
being to rejoin his regiment, which he was permitted to do and had the
opportunity of participating in the grand review at Washington City where all
were discharged at the close of the war. Mr. Higgins then returned to his wife
and baby in New York, he having been married previous to his enlistment to Mary
L. Brown, a native of the Empire state.

   Four children were born to this union, three of whom are now living and have
all been married.

   Our subject has been in the gas business for many years, first in the East,
later in Kokomo where he at present (1908) holds the position of manager of the
Kokomo Gas Company, which he has acceptably held for the past twenty-four years.

   Mr. Higgins is a Republican and he cast his first vote for Lincoln and during
several campaigns he was one of the enthusiastic and active members of the
Lincoln Club. He has never aspired to office, but at the close of the war he was
elected town clerk, but not liking public office resigned the place before he
had served out his full term.

   Fraternally Mr. Higgins is a member of the Masonic lodge, having attained the
degree of Knight Templar. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge,
having passed all the chairs in the same. He is treasurer of the Eagle lodge. He
is also a member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Kokomo.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)


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