Ray County, Missouri Biographies - Addison Harper (b. 1809)

Source: History of Ray County, Missouri 1881; p.738

ADDISON HARPER

Addison Harper is a native of Augusta county, Virginia. He was born on the 15th day of
September, 1809. While yet a child his parents removed with him to Rockingham county,
Virginia, where he lived for some years. Between the age of twelve and fifteen years he
lived at Philadelphia, and then returning to Virginia, shipped as a sailor on the United
States ship Vandalia, Captain Gallagher. The afterwards celebrated Admiral Farragut was
second lieutenant of the ship, and our subject became quite well acquainted with him.
Mr. Harper remained on ship board more than three years, and during that time sailed all
along the coast of South America, and visited many of the important seaports of that
country. At the expiration of his service as a sailor, he returned to Virginia, and,
subsequently, in the years 1849-50, represented Rockingham county in the state
legislature. During his residence in Virginia, he met the distinguished French marquis
and general, De La Fayette, on the occasion of one of his visits to America. In the year
1839 Mr. Harper engaged in merchandising, at Brock’s Gap, Virginia, and followed that
business in connection with farming until the commencement of the civil war. Enlisting
in the Confederate army, in the month of May, 1861, Mr. Harper recruited a company of
volunteers, afterwards known as company A, 7th Virginia cavalry. He was a captain in the
same regiment with Captain (afterwards general) Ashby. Colonel Mosby, then a private,
was also a member of the same regiment. Mr. Harper was engaged in the battles of Manasas,
Bull Run, Cross Keys, Port Republic and many others. He was promoted to a colonelcy, but
afterwards resigned, and returning home, engaged in the peaceful occupation of farming,
until the month of October, 1869, when he removed to Ray county, Missouri, and located
where he now resides, section 27, township 53, range 26. He owns 220 acres of good land,
200 acres of which is in cultivation and well improved. Mr. Harper was married
November 9, 1837, to Miss Susan A. Cottrell, a native of Rockingham county, Virginia.
They became the parents of thirteen children, six of whom are living at present, named
as follows: Nancy B., Martha S., William A., Samuel M., Emma and Benjamin F. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Harper are members of the German Baptist Church, and he is also an elder of
that denomination.


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