Clay County MO Archives News.....The Old Men of Clay County August 26, 1870 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ronald J. Reid rreid21@cox.net July 26, 2007, 6:37 pm Liberty Weekly Tribune August 26, 1870 Liberty Weekly Tribune; Date: 1870 Aug 26, THE OLD MEN OF CLAY COUNTY. We request every citizen in Clay county, over sixty years of age, to send us his name, age, place and date of birth, disfranchised or not, and any prominent circumstances connected with his life. A number of persons have complied so far. We trust the parties to whom our request was made will comply as soon as practicable. The notices will be useful in the future as matters of reference, &c. We will continue the publication of notices until completed. ANDREW ROBERTSON. I was born in Orange county, North Carolina, on the 22nd day of June, 1796. My father, Hugh Robertson, was a soldier in the Continental army during the greater part of the Revolutionary War. He was under Gen. Greene in the battle of Guilford. My uncle, Andrew Wilson, was in the same battle. My father was also at Yorktown and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis. My father emigrated to Wilson county, Tennessee, in 1798. I was raised in Wilson county, within two miles of the “Hermitage”. I was at the “Hermitage” during Jackson’s life many a time, and saw him at church and cam-meetings over and over again. I was in the war of 1812, and was a corporal in Capt. Jno. Wade’s company, Ralston’s regiment, Caroll’s Brigade, of Tennessee Militia. I was in the battle of New Orleans and was on the left wing of the American Army and saw the entire advance of the British army. The British advanced in most imposing order and without a break in their ranks until after our fire was delivered. The recollection of their scarlet uniforms and martial bearing is as fresh to me as yesterday. I emigrated to Clay county, Missouri, in the fall of 1820, and have lived here ever since. There were but few settlers in Clay county then, and among the principal ones were the following, viz.: Col. John Thornton, Col. Shubael Allen, Maj. Jno. Bartleson, Andrew Bartleson, John Dean, Thomas Campbell, Henry Estes, Peter Estes, Thomas Estes, James Hyatt, Samuel Hyatt, Richard Hill, James Gilmore, Robert Gilmore, Ennis Vaughan, Eppe Tillery, Col. Martin Palmer, John Wilson, Squire Hutchison, Samuel Tilford, Edmund Munday, William Lainhart, Eldridge Potter, Thomas Hixon, Edward Piburne, Hugh Brown, Hugh Brown, jr., Joseph Brown, and David M. Bevins. In 1822, I helped to lay-off the town of Liberty, and cleared the public square of timber. I laid-off the first public road in Clay county. That road commenced on the south side of the public square in Liberty and extended south-west to the ford on Big Shoal Creek where the upper Kansas City road no crosses the same. I assisted in building the first female Seminary in Clay county. The house built is the one in Liberty where Wm. H. Lane now lives. I contributed $100 to that purpose and my friends, Cols. Jno. Thornton and Shubael Allen each contributed the like sum. This was about the yare 1838. I represented Clay county in the Legislature two years. – This was about 1830, or a little later. I do not remember the date. I think I was in some way connected with most of the public enterprises in Clay county from 1820 to 1861. I have been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church since 1819. I have not bee intoxicated since I was a man and have not sworn a profane oath in 51 years. I have raised seven children. I owned many Negroes and never separated a man from his wife or a woman from her husband. I was a Democrat until Jackson vetoed the National Bank measure, and after that I was always a Whig. In 1861, I opposed secession conscientiously, and have never been desirous of seeing the Union disintegrated. When the civil war actually commences, under all the circumstances, I could not sympathise with those who wished the absolute coercion and conquest of the south, and the enfranchisement of the slaves. I am disfranchised but not as I think justly. ANDREW ROBERTSON. EDWARD J. TURNER. I was born in Spottsylvania county, Virginia, April 8th 1810; my father moved with me into Fayette county, Kentucky, at the age of about 18 months, where I lived about 10 years; I then moved to Bartholomew county, Indiana, where I lived 15 years, and then to Caldwell county, Mo., in the fall of the year that the Mormons went from this county, to that. The next October I came to this county, where I have lived ever since. I always voted the Whig ticket as long as the whites were permitted to vote. I have never applied for registration, nor voted since the war, and never will, until the Radicals consider me as good as a Negro. E.J. TURNER. DAVID M. BIVENS. I was born in Madison county, Ky., in 1805. My parents came to Kentucky from Virginia, in 1803. My grandfather, David Moore, served in the army under Washington in the struggle for independence. I came to Clay county, in 1821, and settled the place John H. Williams now lives on. When I first came, Liberty was a briar and paw-paw patch. I have aided in all public improvements. I built the U.S. Arsenal at Baxter’s Landing. Before the war and under Democratic rule I owned about 5000 acres of land and had a vote, and paid $300 taxes. Since the war I have given my children 2250 acres of land, and have $25,000 less of other property and now under Radical rule, pay $1,200 tx, and am disfranchised. I have always been a conservative Union man. My sons are also disfranchised, because they say Bivens can’t raise a loyal boy. DAVID M. BIVENS. JOHN S. HUSTON I was born in New Market, Shenandoah county, Virginia, Oct. 14th, 1805. Am a Democrat for which I take to myself no credit whatever, except to having followed in the footsteps of my forefathers, as the counties of Shenandoah, Rockingham and Page, up to the time I left for Missouri, which was in 1829, had failed to produce any thing else politically. Have never violated any law of my State, or of the United States and all my acts were fully indorsed in our declaration of rights. In 1863 it became necessary that I should prove my loyalty before the authorities at Washington. I did so by as good and loyal men as there are in this State, yet that ever to be remembered and infamous Bill Penick, of St. Joseph, who was at that time as far above his superiors, in his own estimation, as are the Negroes above their masters at the present time, took the matter in his own hands. I was put under bond and thrown into prison. Am disfranchised. And so expect to remain until the radical party, like the “Kilkenny cats, shall have been used up, all but their tails, which will be looked upon by all true southern men with satisfaction until time is no more. I have resided in Clay county 16 years. JOHN S. HUSTON JOSEPH COURTNEY I was born in Garrard co., Ky., on the 5th day of March 1803. In the year 1824, I emigrated to Clay county, Mo., where I remained until 1828 when I returned to Kentucky. In 1839, I again came to Clay county, and have resided here ever since. These trips from and to Kentucky were made by land. I was born a Whig. My father, John Courtney, was a native of Pennsylvania, and emigrated thence and settled in Kentucky at a very early day. He was a soldier in the Continental army during the Revolutionary struggle, and served also in the early Indian wars. MY first recollection of him is that he was a whig, and he died one. My father-in-law, Robert Burnsides, was also a soldier in the Continental army and an Indian fighter. I can neither read nor write. Though the Lord has favored me, yet when I was married I was so poor that I had to cut off the tail of my shirt in order to patch the back of it. I am now a fair liver. I am disfranchised without cause. JOSEPH COURTNEY. REV. DAVID COULTER. I was born in Sussex county, Delaware, on the 10th day of November, 1808. I am, on both the paternal and maternal line, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. My grand-parents came to America just prior to the Revolution. I received my collegiate education at Lafayette College, Penn., and my theological training at Princeton, New Jersey. I came to Missouri in 1841, and settled in Callaway county. I moved to Clay county in 1866. I became a member of the Presbyterian Church in 1825, and was ordained a minister of that church in 1843. I have been engaged in preaching the Gospel ever since I was licensed to preach in 1841. The first vote I ever cast was for Gen. Jackson for president. I voted for Mr. Clay in 1844. I have now nothing to do with politics. DAVID COULTER. NICHOLAS MICHALUCINE. I was born in Castiglione in Tuscany, Italy, on the 14th day of December 1797. My family had lived at Castiglione from time immemorial. I came to America in 1832, and settled in Clay county, MO., in 1839, and have lived here ever since. I obtained my final papers (in naturalization) about twenty years ago. I have always been a Democrat. During the civil war, I was strictly loyal to the United States. I am disfranchised, but for what cause I know not. NICHOLAS MICHALUCINE. EDWARD PICKETT. I was born in Orange county, North Carolina, on the 18th day of February, 1804. I am of Revolutionary stock. My grand-father, Edward Pickett, served in the Continental army the greater part of the war, and was at the battle of Guilford under Gen. Greene. My maternal grand-father was also in the Continental army. I came to Clay county, Mo., in the fall of 1829, and have lived here ever since. I have always been a Democrat. I am disfranchised. I have been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church about 25 years. EDWARD PICKETT. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/clay/newspapers/theoldme54gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/ File size: 10.5 Kb