The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-09
WHO He Is.
Biographical Sketch.
IOn f.. Il. CahOon. of Frederick
town. Candidate for Goyernoro OF
Missouri.

at Smyrna. Kent county. Delaware.
July :. 1916. of Scotch ancestry. Hi.
great grandfather, John Cahoon. was
ensign flag bearer in the revolution.
afy wal under George Washington.
HIS father vas a local Methods
preacher. a farmer, carriage builder
and d poor man. Benson Cahoon'.
life, up to his twelfth year. was spent
AT work on the farm. attending coun.
try public schools in the winter. 4
twelve lac became a printers appren.
tee II the office of the Smyrna Della,
ware Times. where he worked unit
he was fifteen. when in July. 1861. hl
entered the Union army as a private
of Company ID First Delaware Infant,
~. and as such fought many battle,
with the Army of the Potomac. II,
was wounded at Gettysburg and be.
came somewhat deaf in the army.
Because of his youth for he was only
fifteen years old his father ut first
took him nome. but the brave boy re-
turned the next day to the army and
remained with it until at the early are
of nineteen he, under Grant. was at
and saw the surrender of Lee at Ap-
pOmattox.
Comrade Cahoon's regiment First
Delaware was one of the mostfamous
fighting regiments of the Union army.
Its and his record is the highest.
beginning at Antietam, where it lost
80 men. and going through Fredcr-
icksburg. Charlottesville. Gettysburg.
and twenty other battles. besides nu-
merous small engagements. Comrade
CahOon was in them all. Comrade
CahOOn is many times Il hero. From
AppomattoX until his twen~ty-sccond
year he taught Il country school at
$50 per month, reading law at night.
He was admitted to the bar and at
once came to Missouri. settled .Au-
gust 9. 1868. at Fredericktown, Madi-
o county, Missouri, where he has
since lived. When he landed there he
had only S6.25, and did not know a
man in Missouri. Since then his ca
reer has been in the highest degree
successful. professionally and tinan-
clally.
He Is the organizer and Past Com
mander of Post III G. A.. r.. at Fred
ericktown. No.
He is Il thorough student and a hard
worker. He has not heretofore sought
office. BY perseverance and assiduity
he has become of the best read
in the State and is an orator of
great force. Mr.. Cahoon is now
prominently mentioned as the Repub-
lican candidate for Governor of Mis-
souri, in 1896. He made in 1868 the
first speech ever made in Southeast
Missouri advocating the enfranchise-
ment of the negro. For years Com
CahoOn has been the recognized
leader in Southeast Mis-
souri,. He organized the party and
the first Republican speech ever
made in many of the counties in that
part of the State. He is now unani-
and enthusiastically support
I'd for Governor by Southeast Mis-
souri,, which has a vast variety of re-
sources and comprises one fourth of
the State. He will have strong sup
port from other parts of the State. In
his section 1000 votes stronger than
party. Comrade Cahoon is an all
round nan and has met with large
success as a lawyer and orator, a
and IA business man. His ex-
ability is of the highest order.
He is a very broad and liberal Repu5-
and does not belong to any fac
but recognizes and stands we'll
with all elements in the Republican
party of Missouri. He is thoroughly
home with scholars !
and plain men. He is a brave, can
did. manly. open. straight forward.
man, Il devoted Republican and
patriot. and being a child of the pub
lie schools is their steadfast friend
and defender. Indeed so ardent an
IA ivOcate of education is Mr.. Cahoon
that. although not a member of that
church he lately contributed largely
to the building of the new NJ. +.
Church South College in Frederick
town. The mans devotion to his
is wonderful. He is as tena-
to them as he is persistent in
sticking to Il cause he espouses. Both
the mate loyal and sterling
qualities of the man..
: The following compliment comes
his old home paper. the Dover
Delaware Sentinel:
The Republicans of Missouri are
rying 70 nominate Il Delaware boy
or Governor of that State. He is a
awyer who can saw wood. In 1865.
Is. B. Cahoon. u native of SMYRNA
his county. al eX-Union soldier. who.
Il veteran. was present at the sur
'ender OF General Lee at Appomattox.
"a. when he was only l9years of age.
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