BIO:  DENNY, Col. William N., s/o William & Catharine (Cook) Denny

Submitted by:  phill@redrock.net   (Phyllis Hill)

DENNY   COOK   LEMON   

History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana
Chicago:  The Goodspeed Publishing Company

Knox County, Vincennes Twp., page 331

COL. WILLIAM N. DENNY was born May 12, 1836, at Bruceville, Ind., the fourth
of eleven children of William and Catharine (Cook) Denny.  The father was
born in Kentucky, in 1802, and came to Knox County, Ind., with his parents
when but two years old.  The grandparents, James and Catharine Denny, were
early settlers of the county.  The father was reared in this county, and
when young joined the Presbyterian Church, and for forty years previous to 
his death was an elder in the church.  He was a farmer and merchant, and 
for eight years was clerk of the circuit court; previous to that time he was
justice of the peace and county commissioner.  He was very energetic, and is
said to have organized nine different Sunday-schools, and successfully
carried them on.  He will long be remembered as one of the most prominent
and trustworthy men of the county.  He died February 8, 1862.  The mother
was born in central Tennessee in 1804, and is yet hale and strong, and the
oldest member of the Presbyterian Church in the city of Vincennes.  William
N. was reared in Knox County, and secured a limited early education, but
afterward attended the Vincennes University.  When twenty-four years old he
entered the army in Company G, Fourteenth Indiana Infantry as first 
lieutenant, but was transferred to the Fifty-first Indiana Volunteers, and
made captain of Company E. of which his father had been captain but resigned.
He was then promoted to different ranks, and finally to the colonelcy, which
he held to the close of the war.  While a captain he was captured and taken
to Libby prison, where he was for nearly two years, and then contracted
disease which yet disables him.  He made his escape by cutting a hole through
a car in which he was being transferred.  After his return from the war he
farmed about a year, and was then appointed postmaster of Vincennes under
Grant's administration, and served thirteen years, the longest term of any
who have held the office.  Since that time he has carried on farming, and
owns eighty acres of very fine land.  He was married, May 24, 1866, to Ellen
K. Lemon, daughter of Benjamin F. Lemon, of Salem, Ill., who was one of the
early settlers of the Noarthwest Territory.  She was born April 8, 1843, and 
has borne eight children, five now living, viz:  Katie E., Florence G.,
Gertrude L., Mary E. and Carrie C.  Mr. and Mrs. Denny are members of the
First Baptist Church of Vincennes, and are advocates of the temperance cause,
Mrs. Denny being a very active and efficient worker.  Mr. Denny is a
Republican, and was deputy clerk of the county.
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