Biographical Sketch of R. F. Renick, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** R. F. Renick, a Civil War veteran and one of the pioneers of Johnson County, was born January 15, 1837 in Lafayette County, Missouri. He is the son of Andrew E. and Sabina (Livesay) Renick, who came to Miss- ouri in the early part of the nineteenth century. Andrew E. Renick was a native of Ohio, born in 1809 near Springfield, Clark County. In early manhood he left Ohio and went to Virginia and after a year or two came to Lafayette County, Missouri in 1830, and located near Well- ington. He remained there for about five years when he moved to John- son County. Sabina (Livesay) Renick was a native of Virginia. Her parents came to Missouri about 1825. The marriage of R. F. Renick's father and mother was solemnized in Lexington, Missouri, by Reverand John Worder. Andrew E. and Sabina Renick were the parents of the following children: William, who is living at the age of eighty-three years in Garden City, Kansas; R. F., subject of this review; Mrs. Mary R. Creasy, deceased; Mrs. Isabell Goodwin, deceased; Emma, deceased; James W., Odessa, Missouri; Mrs. Amanda Patterson, deceased; and Mrs. Josie Goodwin, deceased. Andrew E. Renick died July 3, 1852 at St. Charles, Missouri and is buried there. R. F. Renick attended school in Wellington, Missouri. At the age of twenty years he entered the government service in Kansas, herding cattle on the plains. For a number of years he was assistant wagon boss of a train of twenty-six wagons which made the trip from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming in thirty-five days. The return trip was made in twenty days when the wagons were empty. At different times Mr. Renick was associ- ated with Sitting Bull's Indians. He has in his possession a coat made by Sitting Bull's squaw. This coat is an extremely interesting relic, made of buckskin or black tailed deerskin. Prior to the war Mr. Renick made four trips to St. Louis on horseback, driving stock. In 1861, R. F. Renick enlisted at Columbus, Missouri with Captain Newton's company, Hurst's regiment. He and Senator Francis M. Cockrell were in the same company and saw active service in the same battles. The first year Mr. Renick was in Missouri with his company and the second year took part in the southern campaign with General Price in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. R. F. Renick took an active and prominent part in the battles of Springfield, Mo.; Elkhorn Tavern, Ark.; Corinth, Miss. and Iuka, Mississippi. At the seige of Vicksburg, which was captured July 3, 1862, Mr. Renick fired the last gun. He was in the Georgia campaign which was an almost continual fight and a series of steady and hard won successes, taking part in the battles of Altoona Mountain, Georgia; Franklin, Tenn.; and many minor skirmishes. He was taken prisoner at Franklin, Tenn., and when the war closed was in prison at Ft. Delaware. Eight different times Mr. Renick was wounded, four times in the left leg, once in the right, twice in the right shoulder and once in the back of the head. A spyglass was shot out of his hand at one time and another out of his pocket. His saber was shot and broken in two once when he had it unsheathed. While in prison Mr. Renick almost reached the place where he could hear the "last taps" sound, for gangrene had started in his wound. As it was feared the disease would spread he was placed in a tent alone. Mr. Renick entered the service as a private and shortly afterward was elected lieutenant of his company, Company H, Fourth Missouri Infantry. Captain Norville Spangler of this company was killed at Baker's Creek, Mississippi and Lieut. Renick succeeded to the captaincy of the company and served in that capacity three years, or during the remainder of his military career. After the war closed, Mr. Renick returned to his farm in Columbus township. This is a fine place consisting of two hundred forty acres of some of the best land in the county. In 1868 he was married to Mary Wallace, daughter of Allen and Anna Wallace, pioneers of Columbus township. Allen Wallace died in Illinois and his remains were buried there. His wife died in Columbus township and is buried there. To R. F. and Mary Renick were born two daughters: Fannie, the wife of Dr. T. L. Bradley, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; and Annie, the wife of Dr. Baxter Morrow, of Columbus, Missouri. Both sons-in-law of Mr. Renick are Johnson County boys and were reared near Columbus. Mrs. Renick died November, 1912, at the age of seventy-two years. She was laid to rest in the Warrens- burg cemetery. Mr. Renick makes his home with his two daughters in Columbus and Warrensburg. He is still active for one of his years, having passed his eightieth birthday, and were it not for the old wound in the left leg Mr. Renick would be able to put to shame many men a score of years younger than he. He can however do much work as it is. It has been a pleasure to find such a man still with us. The ranks of the brave pioneers and Civil War Veterens are too rapidly thinning. ==================================================================== 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. 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