Biographical Sketch William T. Stepp, Dent County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Capt. William T. Stepp, an enterprising farmer and stock raiser of 
Spring Creek Township, was born in Clark County, Ill., in 1841, and is
the son of Samuel and Parthena (Smith) Stepp, who were born near 
Lexington, Ky.  They were married in Clark County, Ill., and here they
both died, the father when William T. was two years of age, and the 
mother when he was seven years old.  The mother was married three 
times, her first husband being Mr. Sheapley, and her last husband a Mr.
Porter.  Mr. Stepp was a farmer by occupation, and the only child born
to his union was William T. Stepp, who after the death of his parents,
lived with his half brother until twelve years of age.  He then began 
as a cabin boy, cook, etc., on the Mississippi and there continued for
two years.  He then learned the plasterer's trade at Terre Haute, Ind., 
which he followed there until the breaking out of the war.  He then
enlisted in Company H, Thirteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Union
Army, serving one year as a private, one year as a corporal, and about
one year as duty sergeant.  In December, 1864, he was made captain of
Company E, of the same regiment, which he commanded until September,
1865.  He was discharged at Goldsborough, N. C., after over four and a
half years of service.  He was in the fight at Rich Mountain, Winches-
ter, Malvern Hill, Petersburg and vicinity, was at Charleston, Morris
Island, etc., his regiment being in twenty-two regular engagements.  He
was also at Cold Harbor, and Forts Darling and Fisher.  He was wounded
in the left arm at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864, and this has left him a
cripple for life, but he was only off duty about sixty days, when he 
was commissioned captain.  He made his home at Terre Haute, Ind., until
1867, when he came to Dent County, and taught school that winter.  The
next year he and Perry Barricklow, an army comrade, founded the Salem
Monitor, which our subject was connected with for about eighteen 
months.  In the meantime, in 1868, he was elected collector and sheriff
of Dent County, and re-elected in 1870, holding the office four years
with credit.  In 1869 he married Miss Mary J. James, daughter of 
Stephen C. and Keziah James, formerly of Tennessee, but early settlers
of Wayne County, Mo.  They came to Dent County about 1846 or 1847, 
where Mrs. Stepp was born, and here the father died in November, 1869,
and the mother in January, 1870.  To Mr. Stepp and wife were born four
children, one son and three daughters.  In 1873 Mr. Stepp was made
business manager of a stock company which founded the Western Success
at Salem, which he controlled until after the campaign of 1876, and in
1877-78 he was deputy collector of internal revenue for the Second 
(now the First) district of Missouri.  In 1879 Mr. Stepp was appointed
gauger for the same district, holding the position until change of
administration in 1885.  Since then, he has devoted his time and atten-
tion to farming.  Mr. Stepp has lived on his present farm, which 
consists of 327 acres, 110 under cultivation, since 1878, and has made
a success of farming.  He is politically a Republican, and his first
presidential vote was for Abraham Lincoln in 1864.  He is a member of
the I.O.O.F., Salem Lodge No. 118, is a member of the G. A. R., and 
also a member of the Agricultural Wheel.

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