BIOGRAPHIES - SHAWHAN, Maj. John (CSA), Bourbon County, Kentucky From: Bob Francis http://www.shawhan.com Date: 07 Feb 2000 The biographies are taken primarily from William Perrin's "The History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky" and E. Polk Johnson's "The History of Kentucky and Kentuckians," Vol. III. Many Bourbon County, Kentucky, researchers have pointed out mistakes and they are notated. Name: John SHAWHAN Major, CSA _________________________________________ Birth: April 2, 1811 Military: 1846/1862, Veteran of the Mexican War; Confederate Officer1 Age: 34 Death: October 2, 1862, Morgan County, Ky.2 Age: 51 Occupation: Military Officer; sheriff, Ky. legislator Father: Joseph SHAWHAN (1781-1871) Mother: Sarah “Sallie” EWALT (1783-1837) Spouses _________________________________________ 1: Tabitha RUSH2 Birth: March 15, 1819 Death: December 9, 1857 Age: 38 Father: George RUSH (1796-1856) Mother: Jane (1796-1838) Marriage: 1839 Children: Sarah Jane (1839-1927); Joseph R. (1844-1859); Maggie (1844-); George H. (1846-); Helena “Wilma” (1848-); John (1850-); Anna R. (1855-1876); Daniel (1852-1937) MAJOR JOHN SHAWHAN,3 deceased. The subject of this sketch was born Oct. 2, 1811, in Harrison County, Ky.; was a son of Joseph Shawhan and Miss Ewalt; Joseph being a son of Daniel Shawhan. The Shawhans came here from Maryland about the year 1795,4 and settled near the Harrison and Bourbon County line. To Daniel Shawhan were born eight children.5 Joseph and John settled in this county and were large landholders; Joseph served in the war of 1812; he died in 1872,6 in his ninety-third year (nintieth year—REF); he was a farmer and breeder of thoroughbred horses; his children are as follows: Betsey, Henry, Daniel, John, Margaret, Rebecca and William. Betsey, now Mrs. Lail, of Harrison County; Margaret, Mrs. Pugh Miller, also of Harrison County. Rebecca married Wesley Hoggins, of Bourbon County, Ky. All his sons settled in this State; Henry, in Cynthiana, Harrison County; Daniel, in Bourbon County; John, in Harrison County; was a farmer, and served as Captain of Company D, in the Mexican war; was sheriff of this county, and represented both houses in the Legislature; run a distillery near Cynthiana; during the late war, in September, 1861, he raised a company of men and was promoted to Major of 1st Ky. Battalion; remained until Oct. 2, 1862; was killed by bushwhackers, in Morgan County, Ky.; his wife, Talitha, daughter of George and Sallie (Anderson) Ruch, Tennessee.7 To John Shawhan and wife were eight children who arrived at maturity: Sarah, Joseph, Maggie, George H., Helena, John, Daniel, Anna R.; and Joseph, deceased. Sarah and George H. reside in this county. George H. married Maggie Redmon, daughter of John T. and Nancy (Speakes) Redmon; is also a resident of Bourbon County. Sources 1. Capt. 1st Ky. Regt. under Col. Humphrey Marshall. He served as Capt. of Company D in Mexican War. 2. Gravestone lists first name as “Tobbitha.” 3. Perrin, p. 492. 4. Incorrect date. The Shawhans arrived in Bourbon County in the summer of 1788. Filson Club Publication No. 27, page 121--petition No. 57: a request of the inhabitants of Bourbon Co. for the establishment of a town at Bourbon C. H. lists the names of Daniel Shawhan, Daniel Shawhan, Jr., and John Shawhan, July 1788. [The Kentuckian-Citizen, Paris, Ky. Tuesday, March 28, 1944, p. 2.] 5. Daniel Shawhan (1738-1791) and Margaret Bell (1742-1830+) had seven children. 6. Incorrect date. See above data. 7. “Talitha” should read “Tabitha;” last name “Rush” instead of “Ruch;” George’s wife’s name was Jane (Bourbon County Court Will Book G, pp. 529-533.) ------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.