Thomas W. Lesher

As printed in 1881

THOMAS W. LESHER, farmer; P. O. Springfield; born in Bedford Co., Penn., June 25, 1840; is a son of William and Hadasah (Carroll) Lesher, natives of Peunsylvania, and remained residents of their native State till the death of his wife, which occurred Sept. 30, 1849. They were parents of seven children, four now survive—Mary E., Thos. W.. John B. and Emma M. Mr. Lesher married for his second wife Miss Margaret Martin, a native of Maryland, and a sister to Mr. Robert Martin, late of Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Lesher now resides in Franklin Co., Penn.; has always been a man of sterling character, and held in high esteem by all who know him. A true Union man and a over of his country and its laws. During the war of the rebellion, being on the borders of Pennsylvania, he suffered considerable by loss of property, and gave two sons for the service in the defense of his country. William Lesher, the grandfather of our subject, was a wagon-master in the army ia the war of the Revolution; was with Gen. Washington's troops at Valley Forge; served about two years. The maternal grandfather, William Carroll, was a soldier in the war of 1812. The ancestors of our subject appears to have quite a military record; and the same blood seems to course through the veins and the same patriotic principles to possess the minds of their descendants. Our subject and his brother John B. were both engaged in the late war of the rebellion in defense of Union and liberty. John B. first enlisted in the 126th Penn. V. L; was captured in the battle of Fredericksburg, Va.; was in Libby Prison about eighteen days; was paroled, and again enlisted in the Signal Corps for three years or during the war. Thomas enlisted in the 21st Penn. Cavalry, Co. H, enlisting for two years or during the war. He served till the close of the war. Was mustered out and received an honorable discharge. At the time of Mr. Lesher’s enlistment he was tendered by Gov. Curtin a commission as Captain, but refused it, and would accept no office, declaring he enlisted from pure patriotism, and if his country needed his services as a private, he was ready to go, and in no other sphere would he go, quite in contrast to the general principle of office-seekers. Mr. Lesher became a resident of Clark Co., Ohio, October, 1877. Was married Oct. 30, 1877, to Emma E. Humphreys, whose ancestors’ history appears in full in the sketch of James Humphreys (deceased), in this work. Mr. Lesher is a man highly esteemed for his integrity of character, and one who has been offered various offices, all of which he has universally refused, having no aspirations for notoriety of that kind, but preferring a quiet, private citizen’s life, and as such, is a model which may with profit be copied after by many less worthy aspirants for office.

As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.