John S. Graves

TOHN S. GRAVES, a wealthy and influential I farmer of Johnson County, owns a valuable C2/ homestead on section 4, township 44, range 28. He is one of the early settlers of this county, and experienced many vicissitudes of fortune, especially during the war. While he was absent at the front, his house, barns and fences were burned to the ground, and even the bricks which composed the chimney were hauled away. When he reached home he found a scene of desolation indeed, for nothing remained of his j'ears of toil save the bare ground.

Mr. Graves was born in Mercer County, Ky., September 30, 1830, and went to Hendricks County, Ind., when he was about twelve years of age. He grew to manhood on a farm and received a district-school education. When he was eighteen years of age he commenced learning the carpenter's trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years and receiving $7 per month for part of his time. April 30, 1854, he married Jane A. Bailey, of Hendricks County, who was born in Nicholas County, Ky., August 22, 1834, and moved with her parents to the Hoosier State in 1853. The latter, Elisha and Nancy (Pollock) Bailey, were natives of Nicholas County, Ky. In 1855 Mr. Graves placed his wife and one child in a wagon with a few household

39° effects and drove across the country to this county. He possessed about $250 in money, and this he soon invested in two hundred and forty acres of land at seventy-five cents an acre. He improved the place, traded off a tract of eighty acres for another farm, and has since purchased more, for the last paying $40 per acre. His homestead comprises four hundred and four acres of desirable property, all lying in one body.

One child alone survives of the eight sons and daughters who came to bless the union of John S. Graves and his wife. Etta May, born in this county May 6, 1869, received a good education and for three years attended Holden College. She was married, October 5, 1892, to F. D. Ball, who was born in Bloomingburg, Fayette County, Ohio, October 14, 1866. He moved from his native state to Nebraska, and from there to Kansas City, attending commercial college at Omaha, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Ball have a little son, named in honor of his grandfather, John Graves, and the date of his birth was December 30, 1893.

While her husband was absent fighting for the Southern side, Mrs. Graves remained on the farm until her house was burned down over her head, this being on Christmas Day, 1862, after which she went to Henry County, Mo., where an uncle of Mr. Graves lived. The uncle, however, was away from home during the war, and his daughters, with Mrs. Graves' help, carried on the farm, doing all kinds of heavy work, such as plowing, cutting and hauling the wood, etc. Owing to the industrious efforts of Mrs. Graves, she had a few cattle and a horse with which to stock the farm when the husband returned to his ruined home. The parents have been members of the Christian Church for many years, and their daughter is also identified with the same. Mr. Graves has served as a Deacon and has taken an active part in all departments of church activity. His father, Living Graves, a native of Virginia, died in 1884, at the home of his son in Johnson County. His wife was a Miss Mary Munday, and their family comprised four children, three of whom were daughters.

In 1852 J. S. Graves cast his first Presidential ballot for Franklin Pierce. He has since supported the Democracy and has often served as a delegate to party conventions. August 16, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Sixteenth Missouri Infantry, under Colonel Caldwell and Captain Raker. His first brigade commander was General Hindman, and later he served under Price. He was in the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., where they had a hot fight, afterward was in one on the Red River, at Pleasant Hill, La., and was next at Helena, Ark., where he was shot through both thighs. He was carried off the field to a hospital about five miles away and after only six weeks rejoined his regiment, participating in the battle of Little Saline, and was at Shreveport when his branch of the service surrendered, in 1865. He was sent to St. Louis and returned home by way of Warrensburg.

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The paternal grandfather of the Doctor, Jonathan Bronson, was a pioneer in New Hampshire, where he cleared a farm in the woods, and for eight successive years served as a Whig representative in the State Legislature. All of his four sons and four daughters lived beyond the allotted threescore and ten years of man. Our subject's parents, Jonathan and Lucinda (Countryman) Bronson, were of Scotch-English and Dutch descent, respectively. The latter 's grandparents on both sides were natives of Holland. Jonathan Bronson, Jr., was a country physician, his home being on a farm, and there he reared his children to lives of usefulness and high principle.

Ira T. Bronson was born in Watertown, Jefferson County, N. Y., July 21, 1840. HereporTraiI" and biographical record.

mained with his parents until he was fourteen years of age, the first seven years of his life being spent in his native state, after which, with the family, he became a resident of Coos County, N. H. When in his fifteenth year he began earning wages, and while working on a farm attended school winters until the first year of the war. September 23, 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Fifth New Hampshire Infantry, but on account of his small stature was not admitted to the ranks, but was offered the position of butler, which he accepted, and in the spring of 1862 went with his regiment on the Peninsular campaign. This regiment was the one that built the famous Grapevine Bridge near Yorktown, Va., which saved the army from destruction. Young Bronson, who was in the water all day long helping to float the logs and thing them together with the vines, received slight wounds, one under the right ear. At the second battle of Bull Run his regiment assisted in covering Pope's retreat, and he was also in the engagements at Fair Oak and Peach Orchard. At Antietam he sustained a severe fracture of the ribs on the left side, his life being saved by his roll of blankets. He was in the battle of South Mountain, was in the race to save Washington from Lee, the siege of Petersburg, and finally took part in the Grand Review at Washington. He had positively refused to continue longer as butler, and was made successively Corporal, Sergeant, First Lieutenant and acting Regimental Quartermaster. He received an honorable discharge June 28, 1865, and was mustered out in Concord, N. H. The following letter from his first Captain, C. E. Hapgood, is of interest:

"No. 79 Milk St., Boston,

"April 19, 1886. "Mr. Bronson,

"Mv Dear Sir: I have been trying for some years to get your address, supposing you were still in Vermont, but being at Littleton, N. H., last week, Capt. Theron A. Farr, of our regiment, told me you had gone and promised to get your address, which came to me this morning. To say that I am glad to be in communication again with my boy-butler does not express the very kindly feeling I have for you, my dear fellow. I love to think of you as the butler of Company I, for whatever you may have done in after years as an officer, I shall never forget your gallant conduct at Fair Oaks, where you stood in the front line, loading and firing as coolly as any veteran, and when I directed you to sound the retreat, by Colonel Langley's order, you held the bugle in one hand and the rifle in the other. God bless you. If you are as good a doctor as you were a soldier, of which I haven't the slightest doubt, it would be a pleasure to be your patient. With best wishes,

' 'Yours ever,

"C. E. Hapgood."

In the spring of 1866 Dr. Bronson entered Newbury Academy in Vermont, and for two years was engaged in preparatory work for college. He was elected Superintendent of the township schools, and also taught some for two winters, while carrying on his academical studies. For one term he attended the medical department of the University of Vermont, and in 1869 graduated from Dartmouth Medical College at Hanover, N. H. On New Year's Day, 1870, he opened an office at Newbury, Vt., and built up a good practice during the three years of his stay there, and for two years again served as Superintendent of Schools. For the past twenty-two years he has been one of the able practitioners of Sedalia.

In November, 1869, Dr. Bronson married Orpha, daughter of Samuel and Emily (Heath) Gleason. She was born on what was known as Island Side Farm, near Barnet, Vt. The Doctor's eldest child, Harl H., who was born at Newbury, Vt., in August, 187 1, graduated from the high school of this place; he has two diplomas from the Missouri State University, and is now in the third year of his course at Marion Sims Medical College of St. Louis, and for one year taught as Principal of Schools at Otterville, Mo. Blanch E., also born in Newbury, is a graduate of the local high school and of the Sedalia College of Music, and is now a teacher of music. E. Maud was born in Sedalia, in November, 1879; and Ira T., Jr., the youngest, was born in this city in February, 1884.

The first Presidential ballot of Dr. Bronson was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and he has always been a stanch Republican. With his wife and four children he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is an active worker in the Sunday-school. In 1863 he became a member of the Masonic fraternity, being initiated in a building put up by the regiment for religious and Masonic services at Point Lookout, on Chesapeake Bay. He has filled nearly all the chairs, and has been Worthy Master for two years of Sedalia Lodge No. 263, A. F. & A. M. He is also connected with Post No. 53, G. A. R., in which he has filled many positions. At the annual National Encampment of the Grand Army he has made it a point to be present each year when possible, and is Medical Director in the Department of Missouri. With the Knights of Pythias he has occupied various posts of honor, also with the Maccabees, the Royal Arcanum and Royal Tribe of Joseph, of the latter being now Supreme Medical Director.

(Tames M. fitch, one of the best known I farmers and stock-raisers of Johnson Coun- Q) ty, now resides in township 47, range 27. He is a native of the Bh:e Grass State, born in Lewis County, April 29, 1841, and is the eldest in a family of eleven children born to Crawford and Cavey B. (Cordingly) Fitch, ten of whom still survive. The father's birth occurred in the same county, about 1815, and his life was that of an agriculturist. He was very prosperous in his undertakings, and became an extensive muledealer, while shortly after the close of the war he was offered $20,000 in gold for his farm in Kentucky. He came to Missouri in 1875, locating upon the old Dr. Rankin Farm, in Johnson County, where he remained until his death, which occurred in May, 1880. The mother is still living.

and makes her home in Warrensburg, Mo. She was born in Lewis County, Ky., in 1820, and, though now well advanced in years, is.still enjoying excellent health.

With his parents James M. Fitch remained, attending the common school, until the breaking out of the Rebellion. On the 6th of July, 1863, he enlisted in Company A, Forty-fifth Kentucky Mounted Infantry, under Col. John M. Brown, while Capt. James W. Cottingham commanded the company. He served for eighteen months, when he was mustered out at Catlettsburg, Ky., December 24, 1864. He then returned home, and the following spring planted a crop, which he cultivated until the following August, when he sold out and started for Missouri.

On the 25th of August, 1865 Mr. Fitch arrived in Warrensburg, where he stopped over night, and the following day came to the portion of the county where he still makes his home. Until December he worked for any one with whom he could find employment, but at that time was hired by a Mrs. Davis, whose sons were in the Southern army. She offered him work for the winter, which he accepted, and that event no doubt changed the entire course of his life. After returning home from the army, the younger son, who made his home with his mother, was quite ill, and felt that he was unable to carry on the farm, and proposed that our subject remain with them and attend to its management. This he did very successfully, and on the 15th of November, 1866, was united in marriage with Miss Martha E. Davis, a daughter of his employer. He still continued the operation of the farm, and in 1870 purchased a portion of it, since which time, however, the entire tract has pas.sed into his hands. He is an extensive stock-raiser and feeds from five to ten thousand bushels of corn to his cattle annually above that which he raises himself. He has a valuable farm of six hundred and twenty acres, which is well cultivated, and the improvements upon the place are of the highest order.

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Mr. Fitch, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket, and in religious matters is a Cumberland Presbyterian. He is honest, industrious and thoroughly honorable in the walks of life, and enjoys the esteem and respect of the community at large. During his many years' residence in Johnson County his kindly nature and genial disposition have won him many friends, and the poor and needy always receive his aid.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Johnson and Pettis counties, Missouri ; containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biogr (1895). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.