Shawnee-Leavenworth County KS Archives Biographies.....Mitchell, Matthew R. 1835 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 27, 2006, 8:10 pm

Author: James L. King (1905)

HON. MATTHEW R. MITCHELL

    HON. MATTHEW R. MITCHELL, M. D., one of the citizens of Topeka, whose
distinguished services during the Civil War of themselves justify a claim to
prominent mention, without considering his political and professional eminence,
was born Nevember 10, 1835, in Logan County, Ohio, and is a son of Matthew and
Margaret S. (Speer) Mitchell.

    The parents of Dr. Mitchell belonged to the substantial agricultural class
of Ohio. Of their 11 children, seven still survive, the three who became
residents of Kansas being our subject and a brother, William S. (a retired
farmer of Olathe, Johnson County), and a sister Elizabeth (widow of Thomas
Hutchinson, of the same place).

    Matthew R. Mitchell was educated at the academy at Northwood, Ohio, and then
entered Jefferson College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in
June, 1862. On the 25th of the following September, he enlisted for a term of
service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Company B, 88th Reg., Ohio Vol.
Inf., under command of Colonel Neff. When it became public policy to enlist
colored troops, Mr. Mitchell was commissioned a 1st lieutenant and two weeks
later was appointed adjutant of the 27th Regiment, United States Colored Troops,
under Colonel Blackman and Lieutenant Colonel Donaldson. He served as adjutant
until August 1, 1864, when he was wounded before Petersburg, being shot through
the face. On account of being so seriously injured he was given a furlough of
two months. When he rejoined his regiment along the Weldon Railroad, he found
that he had been promoted to the rank of captain during his absence, under
General Butler. This resulted in his participation in the memorable siege of
Fort Fisher when the colored troops gave such a good account of themselves. In
June of that year he was commissioned major and with this rank he was mustered
out at Smithfield, North Carolina, in September, 1865. Major Mitchell saw much
hard service and took part in all the dangerous fighting in front of Richmond
and at Petersburg, and endured the four days and four nights siege at Fort Fisher.

    After his return from the army, where he had made a brilliant record, Major
Mitchell began the study of medicine, reading under Dr. Clason, Dr. Sullivan and
Dr. Fulton, and then entered the Cincinnati Medical College, where, he was
graduated in 1868. At this time this institution had a faculty of distinguished
and able men, including Dr. Blackman, Dr. Wright, Dr. Graham, Dr. Parvin, now of
Philadelphia, subsequently of Jefferson Medical College, and a prominent author,
and Dr. Barthelow, the author of "Medical Therapeutics," all of whom gained the
esteem of Dr. Mitchell and gave him great encouragement.

    Dr. Mitchell located at Fairmount, Leavenworth County, Kansas, and during
his seven years of residence there became one of the leading citizens, and was
elected to the House of Representatives from the 24th District. In 1875, after
the expiration of his legislative term, Dr. Mitchell located at Topeka and this
city has been his place of residence ever since. For nine years he has been
health officer here, a position of grave importance, and has filled the duties
with complete efficiency.

    He was married on March 10, 1868, to Mary M. Fulton, of Bellefontaine, Ohio,
who is a daughter of Dr. Abraham and Lucretia (Huntington) Fulton, the former of
whom was one of Dr. Mitchell's early preceptors. They have three children:
Porter M., Clara and Stella.

    Politically, Dr. Mitchell votes the Republican ticket. He is a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic and is ex-commander of Blue Post, No. 250, Topeka. He
is an elder in the United Presbyterian Church.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.

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