Jesse Tarbutton

As printed in 1908

JESSE TARBUTTON, one of Pleasant Township's leading citizens and successful farmers, resides on his valuable farm of 132 acres, which is all in one body and which is devoted to general agriculture. Mr. Tarbutton was born in Clark County, Ohio, October 22, 1844, and is a son of Jesse and Abigail (Mowery) Tarbutton.

The grandparents of Mr. Tarbutton went from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, where Jesse Tarbutton, the elder, was born in 1819. He died in 1860. His wife, Abigail Mowery, was born in 1817 and died in 1900. They were married in 1837 and they had six children, namely: Sarah A., John E., James H., Jesse, Eli and Mary E. Sarah died in infancy. John E. served through the Civil War and died in 1865. James H., who died in 1893, married Sarah Given in 1866, and they had eleven children: Frank, John, Laura, Charles, Lewis, Mary, Norah, Harry, i\Iabel, Willard and one who died in infancy. Eli, who died in 1899, married Ellen Saums and they have three children, Harry, Pearl and Ollie, all of whom are married. Mary Ellen, the youngest sister of Mr. Tarbutton, was married (first) in 1875 to John Sperling and (second) March 11, 1903, to Eli SUvers, and died December 6, 1907.

Jesse Tarbutton, of the above family, was reared in Clark County and attended the country schools during his boyhood. His business has been farming. Since 1893 he has resided on his present place, coming here from another farm after his house had been destroyed by fire. He saw three years of hard service in the Civil AVar, enlisting in 1862, at Catawba, Ohio, in the Ninety-fourth Regiment,

Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private, but was soon detailed as a-musician. He was only a boy of seventeen years at the time and fought through two hard battles, those of Kentucky River and Perrysville, before he had reached his eighteenth birthday. He was also in the battle of Stone River, was at Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain and was one of the brave men who helped to gain victory so often for General George H. Thomas. During a large part of the time he was a drummer and on many occasions his inspiring music put courage into the disheartened soldiers. On one occasion his drum was used for a purpose perhaps never before thought of, being converted into a ballot bos, proving a safe receptacle. This was when the Ohio troops were returning from Atlanta, where they had marched under General Sherman's command, and the election was for the office of Governor of Ohio.

Mr. Tarbuttonwent through the hazards and hardships of three years of war without being either wounded or taken prisoner, but he contracted measles and the disease settled in his eyes and finally resulted in destroying the sight of the left optic. He was under treatment in a hospital at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it was during that time that he lost command also of his vocal chords to such an extent that he could only whisper. He finally escaped the discipline of the hospital and joined his regiment at Anderson Station, Tennessee. He is justly proud of the fact that he was one of the picked veterans chosen to march with General Sherman, being a drummer at that time. In that memorable march there were 62,000 men, a wagon train of

2,500 six-mule team wagons and 600 ambulances. Mr. Tarbutton enjoyed the honors paid to the victorious soldier'S at the grand review at Washington City. He received his honorable discharge papers at Columbus June 5, 1865, after which he returned home and has been a quiet, peaceful, useful member of his community ever since, proving as capable a farmer as he had bert courageous as a soldier. He has taken an active part in public affairs in this section, served one term as a township trustee, has been school director for eighteen years and has served a number of terms as road supervisor.

On March 8, 1870, Mr. Tarbutton was married in Clark County to Mahala Florence Runyan, who is a daughter of Henry and Rachel (Jones) Runyan. She was born in Clark County, Ohio, May 16, 1848. Her full brothers and sisters are: Wesley, Luther M., James M., Esther Ann, Francis M. and Emeline, and her half brother and sisters are: Charles H., Lucretia L. and Cora E.

Mr. and Mrs. Tarbutton have had seven children, namely: Jessie, Buddie, Eustice, Osco Earl, Myrtle, Claud H. and Carl. Both Buddie and Eustice died in infancy. Jessie was born October 21, 1871, married Laurence E. Davisson and they have four children: Edwin, born in 1895; Florence, born in 1897; Eustice, born in 1899, and Emily, born 1904. Osco Earl, born November 10, 1875, married Emeline Rupert, a daughter of Adam and Malinda Rupert, of Champaign County, and they have two children: Lillian Opal, born December 11, 1898, and Rupert Earl, born July 18, 1903. Myrtle was born February 3, 1878, was married to Howard Wolf in 1904 and they reside at Springfield. They have one child, [name withheld], who was born December 8, 1906. Claud H., born July 16, 1882, in 1902 married Ella Lellis. They have had two children, and their surviving son, Mitchel, was born May 16, 1906. Carl, lion in January, 1888, was married in 3906 to Sarah Brown.

Mr. Tarbutton did not recover his speech until some time after his return from the array. His family and neighbors had become accustomed to his conversing in a whisper and when he suddenly discovered his ability to talk as loudly as any one, he was overwhelmed with congratulations, and since that memorable day he has had no return of the paralysis of the vocal chords. He is a member of the N. M. McConkey Post No. 391, Grand Army of the Republic. He attends the Methodist Episcopal Church at Catawba.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.