Biographical Sketch of William Wallace Blackman, Greene County, Missouri, 
Center Township

>From "History of Greene County, Missouri," St. Louis: Western
Historical Company, 1883.

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Mr. Blackman is the son of Stephen and Matilda J. (Campbell) Blackman,
and was born in Maury County, Tenn., December 28th, 1831, and came with
his parents to Greene County, Mo., in 1835.  His parents were natives 
of Tennessee, and his grandfather, upon his mother's side was a soldier
in the War of 1812, and died in the army at New Orleans.  His father 
entered the land now used as a race track near Springfield.  He died
March 18th, 1870 and his wife died December 18th, 1870.  William grew
to manhood in this county, and in 1852 he went to California with a 
drove of cattle.  He remained there two years, working and trading.  He
returned home in 1854, via Lake Nicaragus, landing at New Orleans, hav-
ing saved twenty-five hundred dollars.  In 1857 he took a drove of 
cattle across to California upon his own account, and returned the same
year, coming via Isthmus of Panama and landing at New York with seven
thousand dollars.  He then began farming and stock dealing in this
county, and at the beginning of the civil war was worth twenty-five
thousand dollars.  June 17th, 1861 he enlisted in Captain Campbell's
Company of cavalry, Confederate service, and served until the war clos-
ed.  At Wilson's Creek he was a guide for General Rains on that memor-
able battlefield.  After the battle at Pea Ridge he was transferred 
east to the Mississippi to Corinth, and in 1862 Major Campbell was sent
with seventy-five men into this section to recruit a regiment.  They
succeeded and Mr. Blackman was with that regiment at the battles of
Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Poison Spring, Jenkin's Ferry and Pilot Knob.
He was desperately wounded in September, 1864, being shot in the head
at the ear, and the bullet is still in his head in the back part near
the base of the brain.  He also carries a ball in his leg which broke
the bone, and has never been extracted.  It was eleven days before he 
could get his wounds dressed, as the surgeons thought it would hasten
his death.  But they finally dressed them and he began to mend at once.
When the Confederates left, he was taken prisoner by the Federals and 
sent to Alton penitentiary, and afterward was exchanged at Richmond,
Virginia, and sent to Mobile, and then to Jackson, Mississippi.  When 
the war closed he went to Texas, where he remained until 1869 and then
returned to Greene County.  He found his affairs in a bad plight and
himself about twenty-five hundred dollars in debt.  He set about to re-
trieve his fallen fortunes in which he has succeeded well.  He has a
large farm well stocked and an elegant residence.  He was married on
October 29th, 1866, to Miss Julia, daughter of Madison and Margaret S.
(Davidson) Fanning of Titus County, Texas.  They are blest with three
children.  Mr. Blackman is a member of the Christian Church.

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