TILLMAN BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== TILLMAN, Nelson H. source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 771 residence: Shawnee Twp Nelson H. Tillman, a Union veteran of the Civil War and a Henry County pioneer, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Darke County, April 14, 1842, a son of Jacob and Eliza (Nighswonger) Tillman. They were the parents of the following children: A. M., resides in Clinton, Missouri; Nelson H., the subject of this sketch, and William H., of Clinton, Missouri. The mother died in Darke County, Ohio, about 1852 and the father was married again. To this second marriage were born two children: George and John, both of whom are now deceased. Nelson H. Tillman was reared in Darke County, Ohio, and attended the public schools. The Civil War broke out when he was about nineteen years of age and in August, 1861, he enlisted at Arcanum, Ohio, in Company K, 34th Ohio Infantry, and served throughout the war. He participated in the battles of Cedar Creek, Harper's Ferry, Ball Towns and numerous other hard fought battles and important engagements. At one time he was struck by a minnie ball which knocked him down, although he was but slightly injured. Mr. Tillman was captured during his term of service in the army. He with eight hundred other Union soldiers were captured by General Rosser's forces while engaged in guarding the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in Virginia. Mr. Tillman was confined in the Confederate military prison during the winter of 1864 at Richmond in Libby prison until April of 1865. During the period of his confinement he never lost courage and with his good humor and optimistic view of the situation he gave much comfort and encouragement to many of his more despondent comrades. At the close of the war Mr. Tillman received his honorable discharge by general order of the war department and returned to his Ohio home. Here he remained until 1868, when he came to Missouri, settling in Pettis County, near Dresden. A short time later he went to Cherryville, Kansas, where he remained two years. He then came to Henry County and operated a saw mill south of Calhoun for about three years. In 1873 he bought a farm in Shawnee township in partnership with his brother William, and since that time he has been successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising. He owns one hundred ninety-eight acres of good farm land under a high state of cultivation. His farm is well improved. All the improvements have been placed there by Mr. Tillman. Nelson A. Tillman was united in marriage January 26, 1873, with Miss Harriet A. Leaton, a daughter of Edward and Pinkston Leaton, pioneer settlers of Tebo township, Henry County. Edward Leaton was born in Kentucky and came to Henry County, Missouri, an orphan boy. Harriet Pinkston was a widow when he married her, her first husband having been a Mr. Stephenson. Both parents of Mrs. Tillman are now deceased. Mrs. Tillman was one of the following children born to her parents: Flavius, Harriet A., wife of Nelson H. Tillman; Franklin, Verilous, Oscar and Mrs. Laura Crabtree, who lives in Oklahoma, all of whom are deceased except Mrs. Tillman and Mrs. Crabtree. To Nelson H. and Harriet A. (Leaton) Tillman have been born three children, as follow: Clara, resides at home with her parents; Ruby, married M. E. Merritt, Calhoun, Missouri, and Carl, who is living on the old home place in Shawnee township, Henry County. Mr. and Mrs. Tillman have five grandchildren: Tillman, Evangeline Merritt and Harless C., Ruth O. and Carl C. Tillman. Mr. and Mrs. Tillman are one of the honored pioneer couples of Henry County and well deserving of mention in a work of this character, the chief aim of which is to preserve the story of the pioneers of other days. ==================================================================== 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. ====================================================================