Robert Knapton Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1102-1103

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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ROBERT KNAPTON, a well-known, enterprising and energetic farmer 
residing on section 25, Hope township, Faulk county, South Dakota, and 
an honored veteran of the Civil war, is a native of England, born near 
Leeds, October 6, 1843. Having lost his father during his infancy, our 
subject was reared by his grandparents, and with the family came to the 
United States in 1847. On landing at New York they proceeded 
immediately to Bird's Ruins, now Marshall, Dane county, Wisconsin, 
where they still reside. 

As a boy our subject worked as a farm hand, and during the winter 
months, while pursuing his studies in an old log school house, he 
worked for his board out of school hours. He was thus employed until 
after the opening of the Rebellion, when, on the 27th of December, 
1863, he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Volunteer 
Infantry, which was first ordered to New Orleans. Later the regiment 
was with Banks on his Red river expedition and in the engagements at 
Sabine Cross Roads and Pleasant Ridge. They helped to construct the 
dams at Alexander, which saved the fleet, and were then sent to 
Morganza Bend, where they were given a six-weeks' rest. They next went 
to Memphis, and on the 24th of August, 1864, to Port Gibson, where they 
did patrol duty in the surrounding country. They then returned to New 
Orleans, and in March, 1865, were sent to Ciperdor Island, in Mobile 
Bay, where they remained a few weeks. Crossing the bay, they went to 
Spanish Fort, and later to Fort Blakely, where they were stationed when 
the war ended. Later Mr. Knapton was engaged in garrison duty at 
Mobile, and from there went by boat to Shreveport, Louisiana, where a 
large force of Confederates surrendered. He then returned by boat to 
Montgomery, Alabama, and was finally mustered out at Mobile, being 
honorably discharged at Madison, Wisconsin, October 9, 1865. 

Returning to his home in that state, Mr. Knapton remained there until 
the following spring, when he purchased a team of horses and began 
farming on his own account upon rented land. Two years were thus 
passed, and, in 1867, after his marriage, he moved to Buchanan county, 
Iowa, where he made his home for four years. He then went to Harrison 
county, Missouri, but at the end of one year, on account of ague, he 
returned to his old home in Wisconsin, remaining there until coming to 
this state in the fall of 1882. Here he filed a claim on the northwest 
quarter of section 25 of the school township, No. 10, Faulk county, and 
then returned to Wisconsin. In the spring of 1883 he broke fifty acres 
of his land, and on the second of November of that year he brought his 
family to the home he had prepared for them, having previously erected 
a house and barn and brought out a carload of goods from the east. He 
now owns three-quarter sections of good land, of which 'three hundred 
acres have been placed under the plow, while two hundred acres are 
planted in wheat and eighty acres in corn. He generally keeps through 
the winter sixty five head of cattle, has ten horses for his farm work, 
and has thirty or forty hogs, which he considers a good investment. In 
his farming operations he has been eminently successful during his 
residence in this state, and is now one of the well-to-do citizens of 
his community. 

Mr. Knapton was married March 19, 1867, to Miss Frances White, of 
Marshall, Wisconsin, and to them were born the following children: Mrs. 
Mary Prindle and Mrs. Minnie Dutch, who are both living near the 
homestead; J. E., who is married and lives on the home farm; Nora, at 
home; Mrs. Frances Cutler, who is living in Marshall, Wisconsin; 
Edward, at home; and Clifford, who died at the age of six weeks. 

Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, Mr. 
Knapton has been unwavering in his support of the Republican party. He 
affiliate's with the Grand Army of the Republic, favors prohibition, 
and gives his support to all measures which he believes calculated to 
prove of public benefit.