Howard County IN Archives History - Books .....Military History 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 3, 2006, 4:11 am Book Title: History Of Howard County Indiana MILITARY HISTORY. Sixty-one years had passed after the close of the war of Independence when Howard county was organized, in 1844, and if any soldier of that war ever made his home within this county, he must have been an old man. It is not definitely known that any soldier of the Revolution lived within our county. Tradition says that an aged man named Barngrover, who died many years ago and whose solitary grave is in a pasture field just off the New London gravel road about two miles southwest of Kokomo, was a hero of that war. The soldiers of the War of 1812 had a fair representation among the early settlers of our county. From the "Military History of Howard County," compiled by John W. Barnes, we gather that the following were once residents of our county. Their names and lives, as preserved in that sketch, are: Alexander G. Forgey settled in Howard county in 1842 and made a home just east of Poplar Grove, and died in 1855, aged seventy-five years. Israel Ferree was born in Virginia about the year 1775. He was stationed for a considerable part of his enlistment at Norfolk, Virginia. He came to this county in 1850 and died in 1863. Daniel Heaton was born in Pennsylvania August 27, 1780. While quite young he formed a strong liking for frontier life, and leaving his home, came westward and purchased land in what is now Preble county, Ohio. The town of Eaton, the county seat of this county, was afterward named in his honor. Here he married Mary Furgeson, who bore him eleven children. It is probable that he resided at this place at the time of his enlistment. Whether he was captain of the company to which he belonged at its first organization is not known, but that he held this office afterward, and by successive promotions was finally made colonel, is well known. He was stationed part of the time at Fort Wayne and participated in the battle of Tippecanoe with General Harrison, to whom he was ever afterward greatly attached. After the war his desire for Western life brought him to Indiana, where he engaged in hunting, trapping beaver, and trading with the Indians. In this pursuit he made several trips as far westward as Iowa on horseback. In 1841 he came to Howard county and settled on Little Wild Cat creek, in Harrison township, a short distance east of West Middleton. He was a member of the Masonic Order and at the time of his death he was the oldest member in the county, having belonged to the order nearly fifty years. The sword that he carried during the War of 1812 he presented to the Masonic lodge in New London. He was an ardent and enthusiastic Union man during the war of the Rebellion and a great admirer of Lincoln. He firmly believed that the administration would be finally triumphant but did not live to see it. The Tribune of April 23, 1861, has this to say of him, "Colonel Heaton, the veteran soldier, eighty-one years old, was in town on Sunday. He wants to volunteer. He says a man had better say his prayers, make his will and prepare to go to hell, than to speak against our country in his presence." Colonel Heaton was small of stature, energetic and active, positive in his nature and a great reader, especially of the current literature of the day. He was married three times and had sixteen children, eight boys and eight girls. On the 14th day of January, 1863, when the rebellion had grown to gigantic proportions, when the fierce winds of winter were howling without, and all nature seemed agitated, his life went out with the storm. His funeral rites were said by the Rev. Mr. Keeler, a Baptist minister, and his remains were laid forever at rest in the little burial ground at Alto. Samuel Giles was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1792. He enlisted in his native state and served under Colonel Richard M. Johnson. He was in the battles of Tippecanoe and the Thames. He came to this county in 1861 and died in 1866. Robert Morrison, also a soldier of 1812, died in 1868. WERE AT FORT ERIE. John Miller was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, October 13. 1794. His father died when he was seventeen years old. He, in company with his brother, George Miller, moved to Warren county, Ohio, near Lebanon, about the year 1811, which was then almost a wilderness. In 1814 he helped to organize a company, which was being recruited at the military post at Dayton, Ohio. This company was sent to Fort Meigs, on the Maumee. He was sent from this place to Hamilton, Ohio, as a recruiting officer. His regiment was transferred to the command of General Brown, and took part in the battle of Lundy's Lane. He also helped to defend Fort Erie against the repeated attempts of the British to take it. The siege lasted more than six weeks, when the British were repulsed. After the war Miller resided for a time in Darke county, near Fort Jefferson, famous in history as the place where St. Clair retreated after his defeat by the Indians at Fort Recovery. In 1826 he married Sarah Broderick. In 1850 he moved to Howard county, three-quarters of a mile north of Jerome, where he resided until his death, which occurred February 22, 1873. His wife survived him five years. The ashes of both repose in the Jerome cemetery, on the banks of Wild Cat, where rest many of the pioneers of Howard county. John Miller was an industrious citizen, identified with all of the early improvements of the county and a firm friend of education and free schools. William Apperson was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, April 12, 1786. When the war was declared he was living in Washington county, Virginia. He enlisted in Captain Byer's company and served his full term. He came to Clinton county, Indiana, in 1843, moved to Howard county in September, 1844, and settled on and pre-empted the farm owned by the late Elbert S. Apperson, but now owned by the Apperson brothers of automobile fame. He died December 20. 1874. Henry Jackson, born in Fleming county, Kentucky, in 1795, enlisted in his native state in 1813, serving nine months and participating in the battle of the Thames. In 1843 he emigrated to this county and settled in Clay township. He died in 1853 and was buried in the Barnett graveyard, about eight miles west of Kokomo. Peter Gray was born in Kentucky in 1780 or 1781. He enlisted in his native state and served five years in the regular army. He was under General Jacob Brown and helped to gain the brilliant victory at Lundy's Lane. In this fierce contest he received three-wounds, one in the forehead and one in the breast by saber strokes, and one a musket ball, in the leg, which he bore with him to the grave. He died and was buried at Russiaville in 1879. John Rivers was born in North Carolina September 5, 1795* He enlisted when only seventeen years of age as a soldier from that state. He came to this county about the year 1841 and settled two miles southwest of Russiaville. Captain John Harrison, a veteran of the War of 1812, should not be omitted from this list. He came to Howard county in 1839 and settled in the southeastern part of Ervin township, building a two-room log house, using one room as a store and various public uses, as a polling place, the commissioners' meeting place, etc. At the election in 1844, held at his house, he was elected as the first sheriff of Richardville county. THE WAR WITH MEXICO. In 1846, when war was declared with Mexico, this county was very sparsely settled and there was no attempt at raising a company here. The sentiment of patriotism was very strong among the settlers, though they were scattered and few and were waging a mighty contest in making homes in the forests and swamps of this new country. While no opportunity presented itself for them to volunteer for this war at home, they sought and found it in another county. Captain Milroy was organizing Company A of the First Indiana Regiment at Delphi, in Carroll county, and the following persons from our county went there to join it: Barnabas Busby, Boston Orb, Andrew J. Forgey, Thomas Kennedy, William Gearhart, George Ervin, John Gearhart, Edward Irvin, Andrew Gerhart, James A. Forgey, Samuel Gerhart, Isaac Landrum, Daniel Isley, Thomas Landrum, William Harrison, Samuel Yager, John Barngrover, Samuel Gay, James Barngrover, William Judkins and Anthony Emley. Andrew Park also went from this county, but probably not in the same company. Of the Mexican war veterans who have since made their homes in this county may be mentioned B. F. Voiles, Pollard J. Brown, John Myers, James A. Haggard, John Twinum, Charles M. Fifer, Irvin Tennell, Job Tennell, Michael Craner, Williams S. Reeves, Norvell Fleming, Paul Miller, Daniel Barnhart, Calvin Carter, James L. Bailey, William Vandenbark, David Randall and Philip McDade. Of those who went to the war from this county only six served their entire term of enlistment and these were Barnabas Busby, Andrew J. Forgey, John and James Barngrover, William Judkins and Anthony Emley. The others either died or were discharged. John Gearhart was the first man from this county to die, •as he also was the first of his regiment. It may well be noticed that these soldiers and veterans of the War of 1812 and of the war with Mexico were not men actuated solely by a spirit of adventure, or men who were out of settled employment, or men who had not found their place in the work of life and who went into the army because they had nothing else to do. They were the useful citizens of their several communities, and when their work was accomplished in overcoming the nation's foes and peace was restored these men returned to their homes and took up again their civic duties and began again their useful lives of peace. The citizen soldiery of our county is its great safeguard. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA BY JACKSON MORROW, B. A. ILLUSTRATED VOL. I B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (circa 1909) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/howard/history/1909/historyo/military15nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 10.5 Kb