Biographical Sketch of R. J. Wickersham, Laclede 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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R. J. Wickersham, postmaster at Lebanon, Mo., was born in Woodford
county, Ky., June 6, 1834, being the son of Isaac and Nancy (Wiggs)
Wickersham, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Kentucky.
Isaac Wickersham moved to Springfield, Ill., at quite an early date, 
and here he engaged in merchandising with R. F. Herndon's father, who
is now one of the most extensive merchants of that city.  From there 
Mr. Wickersham moved to St. Louis, where he embarked in the livery bus-
iness and dealth in stock quite extensively.  He moved to Lebanon, Mo.,
in 1859, and in 1861 he moved to Arkansas.  He died in Carthage, Mo.  
His son, R. J. Wickersham, was reared in Kentucky until eight years of
age, when he accompanied his parents to Springfield, Ill., and here he
was educated.  He then went with his parents to St. Louis, where he
assisted his father in buying and taking care of stock.  He came to 
Lebanon in 1859, and at the breaking out of the war he raised a company
and started out with it as its captain.  He took his company south, and
in Arkansas it was disbanded, and he entered the Confederate service.
Mr. Wickersham again raised a company on the border of Arkansas, and
joined Col. Robert Wood's Battalion, Confederate States Army, in which
he was major.  After Price's raid through Missouri Mr. Wickersham was 
promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and was paroled at Shreve-
port, La.  On their transportation on Red River on the steamer "Ken-
tucky", when about ten miles below Shreveport, the vessel sank, and 
some 1,500 lives were lost.  Mr. Wickersham lost two valuable horses 
and all his possessions.  He participated in the battles of Spring-
field, Mo., Pea Ridge, Jenkins' Ferry and others.  He was paroled at
Shreveport, La., in 1865, and afterward returned to Cotton Plant, Ark.,
where he made his home until 1868, when he came to Lebanon, Mo., in 
1869.  Since that time he has been engaged in buying stock for a St.
Louis firm, and has probably bought more stock than any man in the
Southwest.  In 1885 he was appointed postmaster, which office he has 
held since.  He was mayor of the city one term, but resigned before the
term expired.  He was married August 6, 1855, to Miss Mary Weigle, of 
St. Louis, and by whom he has nine children: Nannie, wife of Josiah
Ivey; Ella, wife of William Watt, resides near Lincoln, Neb.; Lou, wife
of Arthur L. Palmer; Mattie, wife of Eugene Hooker; Bettie L., Sallie,
Mary, Abra and Vic.

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