The Powell Family of Coshocton County, Ohio

POWELL THOMAS H., Adams township; farmer; born in 1809, in Herefordshire, England; son of Thomas J. Powell and Henrietta (Howell) Powell, who were natives of England, and emigrated to the United States in 1817. The father of Thomas J. Powell was steward to Lord Oxford, and 'his father-in-law was engaged extensively in the manufacture of woolen goods, and was induced to come to the United States by Genera! Washington, and establish a factory in New England. Thomas J. followed the mercantile business for a few years and brought a part of his stock of goods with him when he came to this country.

He landed with his family at Richmond, Virginia, where he sold his goods and rented a farm of Mrs. Haganbottom, on the James river, seven miles below Richmond. Work on the farm was performed by slave labor, he having rented a number of slaves with the farm. One of the Randolphs, who belonged to the Randolph family of revolutionary fame, was Mrs. Haganbottom's sonic-law, and mason terms of social intimacy with the Powell family. In 1818, after living there thirteen months, he moved to Steubenville, Ohio. His treatment of the slaves was the same he had given his white servants in England, and when he left for Ohio, the slaves bid their old master and mistress a very affectionate farewell, and said, “God bless you master and mistress, we shall never forget you.” He brought with him from the old country about 130,000, but lived extravagantly while in Virginia, and had but little when he came to Steubenville.

He rented a farm on the Mingo bottoms, in Jefferson county, and hired a man to teach him to farm. While there a disastrous fire consumed nearly everything they had. After this misfortune he thought of going to Canada, but Campbell induced him to take a seven-years lease on his farm in Adams township. He visited his prospective home in Adams township during the winter, and on his return to his family, reported that the people in Coshocton would not make very desirable neighbors; that they were rough, and some were half naked and ran wild in the woods.

In the spring of 1820 he brought his family out, and stopped for a while with Judge Evans, of Oxford township, nho treated them very kindly, and the judge and his boys helped them get their cattle and things across the river, which was swollen. They reached the Campbell farm in safety and in time for the spring work. The cabin on the Campbell farm, put up by Colwell, was the first cabin built in Adams township. The door was so low that they had to stoop to enter it. Pie being unused to manual labor, without money, on a farm nearly all in woods, with neighbors few and far between, his newmade friends in Coshocton county expressed years that the English folks would starve. His fine library that he had brought with him to Steubenville, he traded for a flock of sheep.

Mrs. Powell exchanged her chinaware for necessaries, and gave a neighbor woman a fine silk shall to learn her how to milk. At the expiration of his lease of the Campbell farm, Mr. Powell was in still more straightened circumstances than when he came to the county. He next took a contract on the Ohio canal, and engaged a farm ill Jefferson county, and desired to go there where his family could enjoy better educational facilities, but his family prevailed on him to stay here. He went to England that summer and sold a life estate his oldest son, Thomas H., had in some land there, returned and purchased 1,080 acres in Adams, where his sons, Thomas H. and Washington now reside. He met with better success on his own land, become wealthy and retired to Bakersville, where he died.

Thomas H.Powell married Mary Ann Starker, a daughter of one of the earliest settlers, whose parents were natives of New Jersey. He was in partnership with Watkins in the mercantile business at Evansburgh for three years, then moved on to a farm, where he how resides. In 1849 he joined the M. E. church and imbibed Abolition principles. His home was a, depot on the " underground railroad," and he and his family assisted hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of slaves tofreedom. He continued in the good work for twenty-five years or more, notwithstanding the censure and threats of the opposing political party. Some of his enemies charged that he built his store-house with the profits derived from his connection with the underground railroad, but instead of being profitable it was a great expense. Jlinisters thought he was doing very ' wrong, and endeavored to persuade him to abandon it, but he met them with the abolition arguments, and told them that he was willing to eridure abuse and hatred, for he felt confident that he was doing right, and that future events would justify him in the minds of all men.

His children are Edwin, David, Wellington, Charles, Theodore, Louisa and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is dead, and all are married but Edwin and Charles. Enwin was a. soldier in the late war; enlisted in 1861, in his eighteenth year, in Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-second 0. V. I, and served till the close of the war. He was taken prisoner at Winchester, got sick, and his mother visited him, and took care of him for a while; but, while there, the enemy took Winchester, carried off Mrs. IPowell and her companion, Leah Brown, and imprisoned them in Castle Thunder. Mrs. Powell was not heard from for nine weeks, and her husband and friends in the North feared that she had declared her union and abolition principles, and that she had been summarily dealt with by the enemy.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

POWELL F. W., Adams township; farmer;

postoffice, Evansburgh; born in Adams township, Coshocton county, Ohio, June 30, 1828; son of Thomas and Henrietta (Howells) Powell, and grandson of William Powell and Henry Howells, who came to this country on a visit soon after the revolution, and, on his return to England, tried to induce his wife to move to America, but she would not come. Mr. Powell is cousin to William C. Howells, of Ashtabula county, and has always been a farmer. He was one time engaged in mercantile business in Orange. He has been elected to the office of justice of the peace three times, and has also filled the offices of clerk and treasurer of the township. He lives on a farm of 640 acres, in the southwest corner of Adams township. Mr. Powell was married, October 13, 1852, to Miss Margaret Leach, daughter of Archibald and Sarah Ferguson. She was born June 29, 1826. They are the parents of four children, viz.: Caroline L., John T. F., Francis J. and Sarah H. He was first a free soil or anti-slavery man, and voted that ticket when there were but four or five in the township, but is now a Republican. Had at one time, during the rebellion, fifteen nephews in the United States army, five of whom lost their lives.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

POWELL EDWIN, White Eyes township; farmer; born September 3, 3843; sen of Thomas H. and Margaret (Howell) PoT\'ell, who were natives of England. Edwin Powell's home was a depot on the “underground railroad,” and he was his father's principal help in assisting the colored emigrants from a land of bondage to freedom. His father was a strong union man and abolitionist, his son inherited Ihe same principles, and when the war broke out he manifested his patriotism by going to the front in the defense of his country. He enlisted August 13, 1861, when hut eighteen years of age, in Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-second 0. V. I, Second Brigade, Third Division and Sixth Corps. He was taken prisoner at Winchester, June 15, 1863, confined at Belle Island and Libby, and was paroled October 1, 1863. After he was captured at Winchester he, with some other prisoners, were marched ninety miles to Staunton, guarded by a detachment of rebel cavalry who had seen service in the front. They treated the prisoners very kindly, and when they reached Staunton, where the prisoners took the railroad for Richmond, the rebels warned them that they would receive rough usage from the “Home Guard” at Richmond, whom they characterized as cowardly wretches.

He was ni ordinary health, when captured, but was treated so badly, -while in prison, that he was nothing but a wreck when released; he weighed but ninety pounds, an average weight, when in good health, being about 145 pounds. Eations were issued twice a day, and were of an inferior quality, consisting of bean soup and mule meat. They were so nearly starved, at one time, that he and some others killed the lieutenant's dog, and eat it. This was thought to deserve severe punishment, and the authorities refused to issue rations until the name of him who had killed the dog was revealed. At the end of two days, their craving for food was so great that they gave up the guilty Yank, and he was bucked and begged, and left in that condition for twenty-four hours. The rebels rifled Mr. Powell's pockets, when he entered Belle Island, and again in Libby, and took everything of value he had about him, except 26 he had concealed in his cap; one ten-dollar bill he had chewed up, and put in a blouse-button, and a twenty-dollar bill, concealed in the same way, in another button.

The prison discipline was arbitrary and strict, and new prisoners who were but little acquainted with lhe regulations would sometimes step across the dead line, and all such were shot without ceremony. Some one was shot nearly every day, and the boys.believed that the guard was promised a furlough for every Yankee he shot. The apartments and clothes of Mr. Powell and his feUow-prisoners were allowed to become so filthy that they were compelled to fight the graybacks whole days at a time until they were covered with blood. He entered the service as a private, was made third corporal and was promoted to fifth duty sargent. He served till the close of the war, was mustered out at Baily's Cross Eoads, near Washington, June, 1665, and was discharged at Columbus. His regiment was in over eighty engagements. While at Winchester he was visited by his mother, who was taken prisoner with him, and she was put in Castle Thunder. (See Thomas H. Powell's sketch). After the war he lived at home with his parents until 1869, when he went to Independence, Montgomery county, Kansas, and entered 160 acres of land. He lived on it two years, returned to White Eyes, and traded his Kansas land for a large farm in White Eyes, on which he now resides. His first-vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, while in the Shenandoah valley.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.