William Bish

ILLIAM BISH, an enterprising agriculturist of Cessna Township, Hardin County, is a veteran of the Mexican War, and can relate many interesting reminiscences of those far-away days. During a period of over forty years his fortunes have been interwoven with those of this section, and at all times he has manifested great interest in whatever has been, calculated to benefit the county and its inhabitants.

On the paternal side our subject is of German lineage. His father was a native of Virginia, and there he married Mary Drawbaum, by whom he had twelve children, six sons and six daughters. About 1828 the family started with all their worldly possessions in a wagon to seek a new home in Ohio. Arriving here, they’ made a settlement in Fairfield County, on a farm near Basil.

William Bish was born in Rockingham County, Va., February 20, 1828. When he was brought by his parents to the Buckeye State he was an infant of only a year and a half. The boy received a common-school education, and helped his father with the farm work until he was seventeen years of age, when, desiring new scenes and novelty, he enlisted in a company of the Second Ohio Volunteers, and was mustered into the Mexican service at Cincinnati. He took part in numerous skirmishes, and made the long march from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico and back again. At the close of the war he was granted an honorable discharge as a private. In the War of the Rebellion he again took up arms in defense of his country’s rights, becoming a member of Company K, One Hundred and Eightieth Ohio Infantry. At Camp Chase he was mustered in and was then sent to Nashville. He participated in the battle of Kingston, marched from Nashville to Deckest’s Station, later followed Hood as far as Columbia, and was finally released from service at Shiloh, his discharge being dated at Columbus, July 25,

At the close of the Mexican War Mr. Bish returned to Fairfield County and resumed farming. For nearly three years he hired out to neighbors as an assistant in the various duties pertaining to the routine of farm work. Then for some time he lived in Franklin County, and in the fall of 1852 became a resident of this locality. After conducting a farm in Marion Township about eighteen months he bought fifty-nine acres on section 7, and that tract he still owns. The only sign of improvement at this time was a clearing of about four acres, and here Mr. Bish put up a log house, which served as a home for his family eighteen years. In 1871 he removed to his present place of above, the farm being a valuable one of two hundred and forty-seven acres.

August 4, 1850, Mr. Bish married Eliza J. Gray, who was born December 18, 1833, and is a daughter of Thomas and Harriet (Hughes) Gray. Of the children born to our subject and wife, George W. died in infancy; Elizabeth died; in 1874; Ellen died February 9, 1874; Willard W. j was killed on the Chicago & Erie Railroad. February 19, 1894; William I). is next in order of birth; John died in infancy; and Clara B. and Roscoe complete the number.

For four or five, terms Mr. Bish officiated as Trustee and School Director of this township. His own educational advantages were limited, and he appreciates the modern and progressive ideas now used in connection with our schools. He uses his right of franchise in behalf of the Democratic party.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Marion and Hardin counties, Ohio (1895). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.