The Williams Families of Randolph County, Indiana

LUTHER L. WILLIAMS.

The day of the pioneer in this country is gone, and we are in the midst of a settled stability and permanency. Nevertheless, as we look about us we find a few representatives of the early days, who become at once the center of interest because they carry in their minds recollections of our hardy forefathers. In this connection we make reference to one of the sturdy farmers of Randolph county, Luther L. Williams, who having nearly reached his three score and ten milestone, has come down to us from the pioneer period of which he can relate many interesting things, and he has lived to take part in the momentous transformation of the country. Mr. Williams is one of the veterans left to us who, in the stormy and turbulent days of the great rebellion, gallantly went forth to preserve the Union, thus being entitled to our undying gratitude.

Mr. Williams was born in Fountain City, Wayne county, Indiana, July 30, 1846. He is a son of Nathan and Mary Ann (Brown) Williams, whose family consisted of five children. The father was three times married, and three children were borne by his third wife, two of whom are deceased; his children are Elizabeth, widow of Nathan Addington, a farmer, lives in Richmond, Indiana, and has three children; Luther L., of this review; Mahala married Aaron Adams, a farmer who is now deceased, and to them twelve children were born, ten of whom are still living; Joel H., of Winchester married Mary E. Wright, now deceased, and to them three children were born, one of whom is deceased; John Wesley, who is living retired in Parker, married Rebecca Herron, and they have four children.

Nathan Williams, father of the above named children, was born in Pennsylvania where he spent his childhood, being fourteen years of age when he came to Wayne county, Indiana with his parents.

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

JOEL H. WILLIAMS. Joel II. Williams was born July 7, 18.50, in the town of Newport (now Fountain City), Wayne (county, Ind.; he is the son of Nathan H. and Mary A. Williams, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Ohio. When about two years of age, he came to Randolph County with his parents, who located upon a farm near Olive Branch; his mother died when her son was quite young, and his father has since been twice married; his first schooling was obtained in the old log cabin, with slab benches without backs for seats, and the slanting board from the wall for a writing desk, while his teachers made pens of quills for him and the other scholars. " Lib " SUvrk, his first teacher, had her bed in the schoolhouse, and cooked her meals on the school stove. At the age of nineteen years, Joel left home to begin the battle of life for himself, and entered the employ of John Clayton, working for him by the month. He had qualified himself by hard study, and in the fall of the same year in which he left home, procured a license to teach school. Since that time, he has been engaged alternately in teaching school during the winter and attending school and working at the carpenter's trade during the summer, excepting about three years of this time, during which he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He has been a student at the Farmland Graded Schools, the Ridgeville College a'nd the

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As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

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John W., the subject of this sketch Penn., and received his early education course of study at the Erie Academy.

entered the office of John B. Johnson as a student of law. Finishing his course of study in two and a half years, he left home to locate in the West; but at this juncture came the outbreak of the great rebellion, changing somewhat the plans he had formed. During the first year of the war (1861), he was connected with Capt. R..M. Brown, of the Fifteenth United Slates Infantry, at the recruiting and mustering rendezvous at Erie, Penn., his early home. In March, 1863, at the solicitation of Col. William Truesdail, Chief of Army Police, under Gen. Rosecrans, he connected himself with the Army Police, Department of the ('umherlnnd. Gen. W. S. Rosecrans commanding, holding the position of Provost Judge of the Provost Marshal General's Department. This branch of the service (the Army Police) had control and supervision of all things connected with the Secret Service — sending out spies and scouts, and detecting crime and other misdemeanors within the army proper. He continued in that branch of the service until December, 18fi3, when he was Uken ill with fever at Chattanooga, Tenn., and removed to the hospital at Nashville At the latter place he lay ill for several weeks, and voluntarily retired from the service for the purpose of recuperating his health. Upon partially regaining his strength, he repaired to St. Louis, Mo., to unite himself again with the same branch of the service, under Gen. Rosecrans, who was then commanding the Department of the Missouri; and from St. Louis went to Fort Leavenworth. Kan.where he was appointed Ctiief Clerk of the Provost.Marshal General's Office, Department of Kansas, Gen. S. It. Curtis, commanding. He continued to act in this capacity until about the ist of September, 1865, by which time the war was ended, and all volunteer troops mustered out. This branch of the service had supervision and control of the entire scout system across the plains throughout Kansas and the Territories, and as Chief Clerk, Mr. Williams had charge of the assignment of scouts to their respective. posts of duty. During the fall and winter of 1865 and the spring of 18BG he traveled extensively through the South and West, and inApril, 1866, connectedhimself with the Omaha(Neb.) Republican&s editor, occupying this position until July, 18G6. He retUTjied to Kansas at that time to en. gage in the practice of the law at Junction City, in Davies County, where he resided until 1872, practicing his profession and holding the office of United SUtes Commissioner for the Western District of Kansas. In 1872. he located at Marion Center, in Marion County, Kan., where he practiced his profession until the summer of 1881, removing at that time to Union City, Ind., where he still resides. While a resident of Marion Center, Kan., on the 3d of May, 1876, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Margaret Casper, daughter of Chris and Mary Kinsler, of Ohio, and widow of William i;'jasper, deceased.

Mr. Williams was what might be called one of the pioneer citizens of Western Kansas, and at the date of his removal to Junction City, that point was the farthest point west on the Kansas Pacific Railway (the first railway in the State), which had then barely reached this place. To a large extent. Junction City was the principal shipping point for supplies to New Mexico, Colorado and the Western borders. During his residence here he held various positions of elective trust, and was recognized among the leading citizens. During his identity with the State of Kansas in its early history, the position in which he was placed gave him an acquaintance with many of the prominent and leading frontiersmen who have become famous and are now widely known, among them being Kit Carson, James Bridger, James B. Hickock, John Harvey, Blunt, and others of equal note; and a useful store of knowledge was acquired by not infrequent mingling with the various tribes of Indians who inhabited the western border of Kansas, and now occupy the Indian Territory. Mr. Williams may fairly be called a Western man. He has traveled largely through the Indian Territory, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and all the Territories lying east of the Rocky.Mountain range, and is familiar, from actual observation, with that country in its general outline. He imbibed largely of that spirit of daring and love of adventure which characterizes the citizens of the West, and has often run dangerous risks to gratify this propensity. Once, with a few companions, he traveled a number of miles in the saddle to witness a pitched battle between the Cheyenne and Kaw tribes of Indians, and was one of two while persons who witnessed the pitched fight between the Otoes and the Kiowas at a later date. Since his removal to Union City, he has practiced his profession very successfully, while he has established himself firmly in the estimation of all who know him, and is counted among the best citizens.

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

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.