John Wall

OHN WALL, a prosperous and representative agriculturist, a citizen of unflinching integrity of character, and widely known a> an excellent business man, now resides in township 51, range 20, near Norton, Saline County, Mo. lie was born January is. 1819, in Montgomery County, Ya. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject emigrated from Germany and settled in South Carolina. The paternal grandfather was a native of South Carolina, and served bravely in the War of the Revolution. and was one of Marion's men. He removed to Virginia, where he lived to a good old age, and died in 1824, having survived to see the Government, for whose liberty he had fought, prosper and increase yearly in influence and power.

Samuel Wall, the father of John Wall, was born in Montgomery County, Ya., November 22, 1790. His brothers were Adam, John and Daniel. Adam served his country faithfully in the War of 1812. In 1811 Samuel Wall married Miss Margaret Utt, whose father, Henry Utt, of Montgomery County, Ya., was of German descent. In 1833 the husband and wife moved to Missouri, locating in Saline County in November, and in 1835 settled upon land where John Wall now resides. Samuel Wall was an energetic and upright man, and in political belief was a Democrat. He died August 15, 1865, at seventy-five years of age.

John Wall was but fourteen years old when he came with his parents to Missouri, driving a four-horse team and wagon all the way. The trip began the 15th of September, and they did not reach their destination until November 3. The party passed safely over the Ohio below Louisville, Ky., near the last town in Virginia, Arlington, Washington County, at the Tennessee line, crossing the Mississippi at St. Louis, and the Missouri at Arrow Rock.

Accompanying the Wall family were their old neighbors the Triggs. The party brought with them one negro, and camped out all the way. The three hundred and twenty acres Mr. Wall now owns were then taken up by his father. Two hundred and forty acres are in the home farm, and eighty acres are in the timber lot near. The mother of our subject died in August, 1885. at the advanced age of eighty-five years. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Wall were as follows: Klvine, the wife of William I.. Brown, resides in California; Elizabeth, the widow of John Ryan, lives in California; the third child was our subject: Henry, a resident of Colorado; Mary Jane married Andrew Jackson, and is now deceased; Margaret is the wife of William Clark, and has a pleasant home in Marshall. Mo.; and William lives in Indian Territory.

John Wall and Miss Mary Cault, a daughter of

John and Salome Gault, of Saline County, Mo., were united in marriage in 185(5, and six sons have brought joy and sunshine into their pleasant home. They are Edward E., John E., Samuel G., Henry W. and George C, all men of usefulness and influence in their several homes and localities. Charles G. died at the age of four years. In May, 1846, our subject volunteered in the Mexican War, and went to Ft. Leavenworth, where he was mustered into the United States service Mr. Wall served in Company I), First Regiment Missouri Mounted Volunteers. The regiment was commanded by Col. A. W. Donithan at the battles of Brazito and of Sacramento. Our subject was mustered out in June, 1847, at New Orleans, lie was at first under Gen. Kearny, afterward being in the command of Col. Donithan. Upon returning from the war, our subject came to his father's farm, and in the spring of 1849 went to California with the great tide of travel which moved toward the setting sun. The company in which Mr. Wall journeyed was composed of fifty-four men, who with their outfit of sixteen wagons crossed the plains, starting from Marshall, Mo.; they carried for a brief time at Grand Pass, Saline County, were there reinforced, and journeyed on, taking the old Oregon trail, striking the river at Ft. Kearney, then going via Ft. Laramie, South Pass and Ft. Hall, to the head of the Humboldt River, then down its current and by a certain pass across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and then to Sutter's Fort, in Sacramento Valley, where the party scattered and went their several ways. At this time Sacramento was a tent-town, boasting only one house.

Mr. Wall prospected and mined in different places for three years — first on Wood 's Creek1, then on the Yuba River, and at a mining town called "Rough and Ready," and lastly at the Chinese camp. Finally returning to the East in 1852, our subject settled in Saline County, Mo., and engaged in both the saw and flour milling business. He afterward handled merchandise in Cambridge, Saline County, and in 187* located where he now resides. During the Civil War Mr. Wall was in the State service in the Federal cause, from 1862 to 1865, and liable to call at any time, but did not leave the State. He served in what was called the Missouri enrolled militia. He now draws a pension for his services in the Mexican War. Mr. Wall is a stalwart Republican in political affiliation, and held with ability the office of Sheriff from 1866 to 1*70. Universally respected by the community of his neighborhood, our subject, upright and straight-forward in character, may be literally said to have won friendship from political enemies, who appreciate the virtues of their candid fellow-citizen.

ICIIARD M. BARLEY is a farmer in Dover Township. LaFayette County, and is greatly esteemed as a man of excellent V£) parts by his friends and neighbors. He was born in Winchester, Ya., that old town which during the late Rebellion was the battlefield and meeting-ground of North and South. Mr. Barley's natal day was November 22. 1822. He has now reached that age that he can afford to look back with pleasant reminiscence over the years checkered by success and failure, happiness, and the usual modicum of trouble.

Mr. Barley is a son of John and Sarah (Marsh) Barley, both natives of Virginia. His paternal grandsire, Frederick Barley, emigrated from Scotland and settled in Frederick County, Ya. The material grandsire was John Marsh, also a native of Virginia.

The original of this sketch spent his boyhood days in his native State and there attended the public schools, lie also helped his father on the farm and in that way acquired a good knowledge of agricultural duties in a practical way. In 1849 he started across the country on a trip to California in search of gold, and remained on the Pacific Coast for seven years. He returned to Virginia in 1856, and three years later moved to Missouri and settled on his present place in LaFayette County. He has a good farm of two hundred and forty acres of land, all of which is under cultivafcion. Although he reaps the advantage secured in scientific methods of farming, he finds thai his practical knowledge of the calling is worth most to him. In politics he is a stand Democrat. Fraternally he is a member of LaFayette Lodge No. 137, of the A. F. & A. M.

In L864 our subject was appointed Justice of the Peace, and lias held the office continuously until the present time. In 18.06 Mr. Barley married Miss Anna E. Nelson, a native of Virginia. She died in 1861, leaving two sons. L.X. and.1. II. Both are married and living on the home farm. In February, 1862, Mr. Parley married his present wife, who was Miss Mary V. Cooper. She is a thorough lady and an admirable Christian woman, a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Parlejis an equally devoted worshiper with the Methodist Church. Their present home is located on section 2 of the township above-named.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri (1893). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.