Erasmus Jones Kitchen

As printed in 1902

ERASMUS JONES KITCHEN.

Erasmus Jones Kitchen, who follows farming and stock-raising in Green township, where he has about six hundred and fifteen acres of land, all in one body, was born August 11, 1836, on the farm which is yet his home, his parents being Abraham and Matilda (Jones) Kitchen. His paternal grandfather was Stephen Kitchen, who was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvamia, about 1785, and on coming to Ohio about 1818 settled in Clark county. He was the seventh in order of birth in a family of nine children, whose father was Richard Kitchen, a native of England, who came to the United States about 1750 and located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Richard Kitchen married Margaret Voorhees, who was the grandmother of Senator Voorhees.

On the old homestead our subject's boyhood days were passed in a manner not unlike most lads of the period. The temple of learning in which he acquired his education was one of the district schools of the county and he received ample training in farm labor by assisting his father in the work of the fields. When about twenty-one years of age he began earning his own livelihood, although he still remained at home. He did not. leave the county until 1861, when prompted by a patriotic spirit he offered his services to the government, enlisting as a member of Company F, Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, while subsequently he became a member of Company M, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. With his command he was sent to aid in the capture of Floyd, at Cotton Mountain, in West Virginia. He was also at Lewisburg and with his regiment was driven back to the Ohio river, fighting all along the way. He participated in the engagements of Dutton Hill, Cumberland Gap, the siege of Knoxville and the battle of Bristol, near the line of Virginia and Tennessee. In January, 1864, he returned home on furlough, having previously veteranized. After spending thirty days in this locality he again went to the south, becoming a member of the Eighth- Ohio Cavalry, with which he took part in the battles of Lynchburg and Liberty. At the time the regiment was captured he managed to make his escape by staying in his bunk until daylight. He then went out to give himself up, but as there seemed to be no one looking for him he walked off and eventually made his way to the Union lines, although for a day and a night he lay out in the snow on the mountains and suffered greatly from cold and hunger, three days having passed ere he reached the Union troops. In 1865 he received an honorable discharge, and with a creditable military record he returned to his home.

On the 12th of October, 1865, Mr. Kitchen was. married to Miss Lavina M. Hatfield, a daughter of James and Margaret (Kitchen) Hatfield. After his return from the war he had purchased eighty acres of the land upon which he is now living and on. which he and his sons made excellent improvements in keeping with the progressive spirit of the times. To his farm he has added as opportunity has offered and to-day he is the owner of a valuable tract. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen was blessed with six children: Joseph L., who is living with his father; Abraham, who died at the age of twenty-two years; James, at home; Stephen, who married Josie Alice Stewart; Erasmus ‘lacy ariel Wayne, who died at the age of ten years. Mr. Kitchen lost his first wife and afterward wedded Miss Sarah M. Bate, of Frankfort, Indiana, with whom he became acquainted while she was visiting in Ohio. She is the daughter of Josiah and Hannah Bate.

Mr. Kitchen belongs to the Free Will Baptist church and was reared in the faith of that denomination. He is a charter member of Mitchell Post, G. A. R., and has attended several national reunions. He also visited the World's Fair in 1893, viewing with interest the indications of the world’s progress, as shown in the many exhibits there. In politics he has long been a Republican, and save that he has served as a member of the school board for several years, he has always refused to accept public office. He was a loyal soldier of his country in the hour of her peril and is to-day as true to his duties of citizenship as he was when he wore the nation’s blue uniform.

As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.