James T. Sargent Biography


	This biography appears on pages 763-764 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JAMES T. SARGENT. 

	Among South Dakota's honored dead is numbered James T. Sargent, 
formerly editor of the Dakota Herald, published at Yankton, and a 
prominent figure in journalistic circles of the northwest. He died on 
the 12th of September, 1899, at the age of sixty-three years, his birth 
having occurred in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1836. There he 
learned and followed the printer's trade and in 1854, when a youth of 
eighteen years, he removed to Moline, Illinois, thus becoming actively 
identified with the middle west Subsequently he went to Maquoketa, 
Iowa, and afterward purchased an interest in the Marengo (Ia.) 
Democrat. He was engaged in the publication of that paper at the time 
of the outbreak of the Civil war and in order to enter the army he 
closed his newspaper office, feeling that his duty to his country was 
paramount to all else. Be raised a company for the Twenty-eighth lowa 
Infantry and became its first lieutenant, the troops being mustered in 
in August, 1862 The regiment was assigned to duty with the Army of the 
Tennessee, with which he served until July 30, 1863, when he was 
mustered out at Vicksburg on account of impaired health after having 
participated in the memorable battles and sieges of the Vicksburg 
campaign. 

	After partially regaining his health Mr. Sargent became an 
express messenger, running as far south as Memphis, a perilous 
undertaking in those days when the land was under military rule. After 
the war closed he returned to his native state and engaged in the oil 
business in Pennlsylvania for a time. He then again came west and 
settled in Maquoketa, Iowa, becoming half owner in the Jackson County 
Sentinel. After 1881 however, he was identified with the interests of 
Yankton. In that year he purchased a half interest in the Dakota 
Herald, his partner being Maris Taylor. This connection was continued 
until 1885 and was then dissolved by Mr. Sargent purchasing Mr. 
Taylor's interest and conducting the Herald alone up to the time of his 
demise, making it one of the leading newspapers of the northwest. 

	In June, 1870, Mr. Sargent was united in marriage to Miss Mary De 
Lano, a native of the state of New York and still a resident of 
Yankton. They were the parents of three children, of whom a son died in 
infancy, the others being: Mrs. Nettie Petrie, a resident of Oakland, 
California; and William F., an employee of the Press and Dakotan, 
published at Yankton. 

	Mr. Sargent was a member of the Masonic fraternity and wore the 
little bronze button that indicated his affiliation with the Grand Army 
of the Republic, his local connection being with Phil Kearney Post. He 
was a democrat in the purest and broadest sense of the term, a fighter 
for what he believed to be right, never an office seeker, never 
dismayed nor discouraged, but resolute and determined at all times, 
seeking ever the welfare and upbuilding of city, state and nation and 
doing everything in his power to advance standards of life for the 
individual.