Biographical Sketch of Col. John F. McMahan, Webster 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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Col. John F. McMahan.  Prominent among the many enterprising and succ-
essful citizens of Southwest Missouri stands the name of Col. McMahan,
who was born in Bedford county, Tenn., November 24, 1826 the son of
James and Temperance (Mason) McMahan, and grandson of John McMahan, who
came to the United States from Ireland after the Revolutionary War, and
located in East Tennessee.  James McMahan was born in Sevier county,
Tenn., January 4, 1800 and left his home at the age of twelve years, 
and was in the War of 1812.  He was of Scotch-Irish descent.  His wife
was born in North Carolina, January 7, 1804 and both are now deceased,
the father dying May 13, 1853 and the mother in Webster county, Mo., in
1872.  They lived in Bedford county, Tenn., until 1838, then after a
short residence in Coffee county, of the same state, they moved to
Missouri, and located near where Seymour now is.  Here they passed 
their last days.  The father was overseer until coming to Missouri, and
after that he was engaged in farming until his death.  They had born to
their union nine sons and three daughters, five sons and one daughter
now living: Col. John F., Joseph, William T., Dubson, Robert and Huldah
(wife of Jefferson P. Chaffin).  Those deceased were named as follows:
James; Samuel, who died at Springfield; Abram, who was killed near
Seymour during the war; Elijah, died in Texas in 1885; Elizabeth, died
in 1838 in Tennessee; and Temperance, died in 1847 in Missouri.  In
1846 Col. John F. McMahan volunteered in the Mexican War, and in 1847
was placed in Company G, Third Regiment Missouri Mounted Infantry,
commanded by Col. Ralls.  He served until the fall of 1848, and was in
many battles with the Indians.  He then attended school for some time,
and later crossed the plains to California.  In 1851 he returned home,
engaged in farming and dealing in stock, and January 3, 1856 he married
Miss Margaret E. Young, a native of Henry county, Tenn., born December
26, 1833, and the daughter of James Young.  This union has been blessed
by six sons and one daughter: James T., the eldest, died when in his 
twenty-first year; Mason Y., is at home; John F., now at home; Samuel
R., engaged in merchandising; Robert C., at home; Charles W., at home;
and Mattie E., at home.  In 1857 Col. McMahan commenced farming where 
he now lives, where he first purchased 160 acres of land, and to this 
has added 850 acres in Webster county and 480 acres in Laclede county.
He has over 600 acres under cultivation.  In the early part of 1862 he
organized a company, and was commissioned captain of Company D, Seventy
fourth Enrolled Missouri Militia, August 6, 1862.  December 20, the 
same year, he was commissioned major of the Seventy-fourth Regiment,
and October 1, 1863 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel
of the Seventy-second Missouri Enrolled Militia Infantry.  June 17,
1864 he was commissioned colonel in the Sixteenth Missouri Cavalry,
Federal army, and was discharged from service July 6, 1865.  During the
time of service he was at the battles of Boonville, Mo., Independence,
Mo., and Big Blue.  His regiment was in Newtonia, but the Colonel was
absent on account of sickness.  During every engagement the Colonel 
could be found in the thickest of the fight, but was fortunate in not
being wounded.  Previous to his war record, in 1854, the Colonel was
elected to represent Wright county when barely old enough to take a 
seat in the House of Representatives, and was instrumental in organiz-
ing Webster county.  Just twenty years later he was elected to repre-
sent Webster county in the Legislature, and in 1880 he was elected to
represent the Twenty-third Missouri District in the State Senate.  In
1872 he was elected associate judge, and in 1878 was elected president
of the county court.  He voted the Whig ticket until the war, and since
that time has affiliated with the Democratic party, has always been 
active in political affairs, and has been in several conventions.  He 
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, is a member of the Farmers' and
Mechanics' Mutual Aid Society, and Mrs. McMahan is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  

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