BLACKWELL BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== BLACKWELL, James H. - b: 1834 Macon Co, MO source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 630 residence: Tebo James H. Blackwell. The subject of this sketch was born in Macon County, Missouri, February 19, 1834, being the third son and the fifth child of a family of eight children, of William and Elizabeth Blackwell. William Blackwell was born in Madison County, Kentucky, January 13, 1797, and was married September 18, 1823, to Miss Elizabeth Lynch, a native of Virginia, and daughter of Henry Lynch, a Revolutionary veteran. William Blackwell immigrated to Missouri and settled in Boone County November 7, 1827, living there one year, when he went to Howard, where he resided three years. In 1831, he removed to the territory of what is now Macon County, then a portion of Randolph, where he. lived till his death, which occurred in July, 1882, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. His widow still lives on the same farm, being eighty-four years of age. Mr. Blackwell well remembers the time when the country in which he was born was almost a wilderness, when it was too remote from the settlements to have what would now be termed the necessaries of life. When the few inhabitants had to go from thirty to forty miles to mill, when they could not get shoes or boots, and in consequence wore moccasins, and the men wore a great deal of dressed buckskin clothing, when nearly every man laid. in his barrel of wild honey every fail from the woods, when deer, wildcats, catamounts, wolves and panthers were plentiful. He worked with his father on the farm till twenty-one years of age, receiving what education he could obtain in the common schools at odd times when he could be spared from the farm. From early boyhood he had serious religious impressions made upon his mind, to a great extent though the instrumentality of his mother, who was an earnest Methodist, and afterward by his father, who become a faithful Cumberland Presbyterian, and when about thirteen years old, at an old fashioned camp meeting, made a public profession of faith, and soon after joined the M. E. Church South, of which he has lived an humble member ever since. In 1855, he started in the world for himself by teaching his first school, near Lancaster, Schuyler County, in which he succeeded well. In 1856, he taught in Howard County, and in 1857, being ambitious for higher attainments in education, entered Central College at Fayette, remaining during two sessions. In 1858, he taught school in Randolph County, and in 1859 and 1861, in Chariton County. Although Mr. Blackwell had received an early Whig training, and cast his first vote for Millard Fillmore for president, yet he had been taught that ours was a federal union, and steadfastly believed in the doctrine of state sovereignty; hence, when the southern states began to secede he doubted not their constitutional right to do so, but thought it bad policy, that it would result badly, and when the war broke out in 1861 he went with his convictions of right, rather than those of policy, and entered the army as sergeant major of Bevier's regiment, M. S. G., August 8, 1861. In February 1862. being severely afflicted with chronic ophthalmia, he left the army for medical treatment, and came to the northern portion of Henry County, where he remained five months, during which time he resolved to make Henry County his home, if he should ever get through the war, where he had found such a rich, lime stone soil, so genial and healthful a climate, and last, but not least, such a kind hearted people, such as the Walls, the Fewells, the Averys, the Wilsons, the Wylies and the Garretts. In August, 1862, he assisted in raising a company of men, of which he was elected first lieutenant, and was sworn into the Confederate service proper at Sutliff's Mill in Bates County, by Colonel J. V. Cockrell August 14, 1862, and on the 16th commanded his company in the hard fought little battle of Lone Jack. Mr. B. then retreated with the Confederate forces to Arkansas, where he remained till July, 1865, (after the Confederate surrender) when he returned to his people in Macon County, broken down in health and in fortune. In 1866 he again resumed his old profession as teacher in Howard County, and so continued, receiving good wages, till October, 1867, when he returned to Henry. On the 17th of November he was married to Miss Fannie Gilbert, daughter of Samuel D. Gilbert, who had been a prominent minister of the Regular Baptist Church, and a granddaughter of Major William M. Wall. Mr. Blackwell has ever since his marriage, followed farming and teaching at intervals. His marriage relation was of the happiest type, his wife being a favorite of all, till in 1875 she became a victim to consumption, and died December 20, 1876, loved and regretted by all. Mr. Blackwell remained a widower four years, and settled the farm he now occupies in 1878. December 16, 1880, he was again married to Miss Alice Owen. He is very strongly devoted to his church, taking great interest in religion and good morals, and hates trickery and dishonesty. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Patrons of Husbandry, and in politics a Democrat. Though modest and retiring, he sometimes takes the stump in advocacy of any doctrine he may espouse, and in 1880 canvassed his county for the nominee of his party for representative, but was defeated. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by the Henry County MOGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~mohenry/henryco.html Contact the Henry County Coordinator for comments or corrections. ====================================================================