STEELE, (Hon.) O. B., Henderson County, KY., then E. Baton Rouge Parish,
Louisiana



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Hon. O. B. Steele, Baton Rouge, La., was born in Henderson, Henderson
county, Ky., December 2, 1844, and was educated at the City academy, taught
by Prof. Warner Craig.  At the age of twelve years he became a member of
the Ionian Debating society, a literary club numbering among its members
some of the brightest intellects of the community.  In 1857 the Sabbath
schools of Henderson held a joint Fourth of July celebration, choosing
orators for the occasion from among the members of the debating society.
The lamented Gov. L. W. Powell was present and honored the boy orators by
introducing each to the vast concourse of people assembled at Alves grove.
In 1858 Mr. Steele won the first prize at the Henderson fair, and he was a
frequent participant in oratorical contests.  The public drills of the
Kentucky State guards aroused in him a love for military tactics that was
not gratified until he had induced the professors of the academy to
establish a military company composed of the older students.  At the
election of officers he was chosen captain and held that office until he
enlisted in the confederate army.  These boy soldiers were known as the
Academy Blues, and their drill became so fine that they eclipsed the home
and state guards.  In 1861, when not yet seventeen years of age, Mr. Steele
entered the confederate service, enlisting in Capt. James Ingram's company
of Fourth Kentucky infantry, but he did not go into active service until
the following October.  From the very beginning his military career was
fraught with great danger and many were the narrow escapes he made before
the declaration of peace.  While Henderson was occupied by a federal
regiment he stole out of the place and fled to Bowling Green where he
attached himself to the Issaquena artillery, afterward known as the famous
Graves battery.  Because of his small stature he was made bugler of the
company, and owing to his knowledge of infantry tactics he was also
employed as drill-master, at the same time he acted as clerk to Maj. T. R.
Hotchkiss, who had charge of the ordnance.  The first important engagement
in which his battery participated was the four days' fight at Fort
Donelson, where many of the Henderson boys were in the ranks--friend fought
friend, brother fought brother--the last day of the battle young Steele saw
his brother Cyrus stretched on the field with a mortal wound in his breast.
 This brother was a member of the Union army.  Then followed several months
in which were included imprisonment, release, long-forced marches, and
finally an attachment to General Breckinridge's command.  In the weeks that
followed Mr. Steele gave such faithful attention to the duties assigned him
that he was promoted to the office of corporal.  He was by far the best
drilled officer in Graves' battery, and for this reason he was often
detailed to drill duty.  Upon the death of Major Graves he was promoted to
the office he had held, and afterward was acting adjutant of artillery of
Breckinridge's division, a position he filled with signal ability until the
battle of Missionary ridge.  The following winter he obtained a furlough of
thirty days, during which he visited his old home in Henderson, Ky.  He
remained with the Fourth Kentucky until near the close of the Atlanta
campaign, when he resigned to recruit a company for artillery service.  On
his return to the South with about eighty men, he was taken prisoner
September 9, 1864, all but two of his men making their escape.  September
13 he and thirteen other men were marched on board the steamer "Mattie
Cabler," at Eddyville, for transportation to Louisville; the evening of the
same day they were changed to the steamer "Colussus" where a lieutenant was
placed in charge.  Then followed one of the most daring exploits of the
war:  Captain Steele was treated very kindly by the captain of the boat,
but he declined to accept any attentions as he had fully determined to
capture this vessel.  At his suggestion the prisoners slept close together,
spoon fashion, so that he would have an opportunity to explain his plan of
escape.  The signal for action was the buttoning up of the leader's coat,
but when this was given several of the men failed to carry out their
assigned part of the action.  The captain began upbraiding them, when
Elliott and Johnson stepped up to him, saying: "Captain, we will die by
you."  He again hastily began buttoning up his coat, and as the last button
slipped through the hole, in the twinkling of an eye he disarmed the guard
nearest him, and Elliott and Johnson disarmed the guards nearest them; then
followed an encounter in which two of the guards were killed, two were
wounded and the rest taken prisoners and disarmed, while Steele and his men
had not suffered a scratch, if the pummeling given the sturdy leader by one
of the guards be omitted from record.  The crew of the boat was captured
with little resistance, and Captain Steele ordered the pilot to head the
vessel for Weston, Ky., the nearest landing place.  When this was reached
Captain Steele and his men bade the vessel's occupants a hearty farewell,
leaving them in full possession of all their belongings.  The lieutenant
assured Captain Steele that he had no complaints to make, that the capture
of the boat was a brave and daring act, well conceived and brilliantly
executed.  In a few days the little band of men were all mounted, and
Captain Steele began to collect the troops that had scattered after his
capture.  In October he captured the vessel, "R. B. Speed," on Green river
and placed a guard upon her, but did not carry out the plan he had made for
using her in the capture of a small gunboat.  After a series of small
disasters he reached the Tennessee river in time to take part with General
Forrest in his attack upon Johnsonville.  The next promotion Captain Steele
received was that of provost-marshal.  December 10, 1864, a special order
was issued by General Lyon to Captain Steele, directing him to recruit and
organize a company for light artillery service.  This he accomplished,
spending many weeks afterward in hot skirmishes in which he exercised his
military genius to the best advantage.  When Richmond was evacuated, and
Sherman had cut the confederacy in two by his march to the sea, and troops
were everywhere surrendering, nothing was left Captain Steele but to
disband his command and seek concealment or to surrender.  He chose the
latter course laying down his arms at his old home, where he had taken them
up so long before with all the hope and ambition of youth.  In January,
1866, Captain Steele removed to Morehouse parish, entering into mercantile
life with Maj. T. R. Hotchkiss as a partner in the business.  In 1869 he
went to New Orleans and took a situation in the wholesale dry goods house
of John Gauche where he had charge of the office.  In December of the same
year, however, he returned to northern Louisiana and took up his residence
in Ouachita city, Union parish.  He was united in marriage in May, 1871, to
Miss Juliet M. Parks, a daughter of William A. Parks.  Two sons and three
daughters have been horn of this union.  The captain has been engaged in
extensive farming operations and mercantile enterprises in Union, Morehouse
and Ouachita parishes.  In 1876 he first entered political life, being
chosen a delegate from Union parish to the democratic state nominating
convention held at Baton Rouge.  He took an active part in the campaign of
that year, and contributed not a little to the success of his party.  At
this election he was chosen to represent his parish in the state
legislature, and in 1878 he was re-elected to the same office.  The next
year, at the election for the ratification of the constitution, he was
chosen to represent the Twenty-second district in the state senate.  From
his entrance to political circles he has ranked the ablest members of the
grand assembly, and thoughtful and conservative men throughout the state
began to turn their eyes upon him as the coming man in the management of
the affairs of state.  Young, vigorous and possessing fine business
qualifications, he is worthy of the highest position in the gift of the
people.  In 1884 he was elected state auditor, and in 1888 he was
re-elected to the office for another term of four years.  He found this
office in a chaotic condition, but he has restored it to order.  His name
is being mentioned in many of the journals of the state as the next
democratic candidate for governor of Louisiana, an office that could not
fall into worthier or more capable hands.  Captain Steele still carries on
his commercial and agricultural interests, and takes an active part in the
municipal affairs of Baton Rouge.  He is vice-president of the Bank of
Baton Rouge and assisted in its organization; he is also president of the
Electric Light company, which he aided to an existence.  He is the
originator of the Istrouma Social club, of Baton Rouge, and was its
president until a recent date.  He is a member of the Masonic order, of the
Knights of Pythias, and of the I. O. O. F.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 405-407.
Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.

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