GRUNDY COUNTY, TN - BIOGRAPHIES - Henry Overturf
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                           Compendium of Biography
                                Henry Overturf

Henry Overturf - As an all-around prominent man of Grundy County, there is
probably no one of its citizens who more justly deserves the title than Mr.
Overturf.  He is farmer by occupation and is making his home and base of
operations near the town of Tatesville.  Together with his agricultural
interests, he has ever been mindful of the interests of the community and has
always been found ready to lend a helping hand in all projects that tend to
the upbuilding or strengthening of good local government or the improvement of
the status of his adopted county.  Several important offices have been
entrusted to his care and he has never failed to justify the confidence placed
in him by the people.
	Mr. Overturf was born in Warren County, Tennessee, January 2, 1835.
His father was born in Virginia, and moved with his father to Warren County in
an early day and became one of the early settlers of that section.  Our
subject's mother was born either in White or Warren County, Tenn., and spent
the last years of her life with the subject of our sketch.  Henry Overturf was
educated at Altamont Academy, and during the early part of his life he lived
at a number of places in and around Altamont, and was engaged in farming and
trading.  In November 1861, he joined Company A, of the Fifth Confederate
Tennessee Regiment, and was appointed lieutenant of that company.  After its
organization, this regiment was known as the thirty-fifth Tennessee, and Mr.
Overturf became a member of Company F.  At Shiloh this company sustained a
very heavy loss, nineteen of its men being killed in the space of three
minutes.  Our subject participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Plum
Orchard.  At Shiloh he received a slight wound in the neck, has his ear cut by
a passing ball, and three times bullets passed through his hair.  He returned
home and was soon captured by the Federal troops in Dunlap, Tennessee and was
sent as a prisoner of war to Camp Chase, Ohio, and from there was transferred
to Rock Island, Ill.  After spending some eighteen months in the prison at
that place, he enlisted in Company A, Second United States Volunteer Infantry,
to fight the Indians and was sent to the frontier.  He was afterward detailed
to serve in the quartermaster's department at Fort Leavenworth.   Upon
receiving his discharge, in April 1865, he returned to Tennessee and located
on a farm on the present town sight of Gruetli, and in April 1880, he moved to
his present home in the Fifth district, Grundy County, where he now owns a
fine farm.  He is a very heavy land owner, and has an interest in about seven
thousand acres of land.  Our subject has also taken a wholesome interest in
local political matters and has served the citizens of his adopted district
and county in many different capacities.  He was constable for several years
and was sheriff of the county for a term of two years.  He was county surveyor
seventeen years, justice of the peace ten years, has been postmaster at
Tatesville continuously since 1880, has been county coroner and held other
minor offices.
	January 1, 1857, Mr. Overturf was united in marriage to Miss Nancy 
Scruggs, who was born in Marion County, Tennessee in November 1840, and a
daughter of Carter Scruggs.  To this union has been born fourteen children,
eight of who are now living, and of whom we have the following record: J.H.,
living at Altamont; F.D., an engineer at Richland, Texas; E.F. is a farmer of
Grundy County; W.R. is a farmer living near Moroa, Ill.; H.B. also a farmer;
Mary Lou and Nancy Edna, both still live with their parents; and Sarah Della. 
The deceased are:  James, who died in childhood; Lintchia, wife of William
Stump, died at Altamont; Lucy Belle died in childhood; Thomas Gordon and
Richard M. both died in childhood; and an infant, deceased.  Socially Mr.
Overturf affiliates with the Masonic fraternity, and in 1896 he represented
the lodge in which he holds his membership at the grand lodge.  In politics he
is a democrat.