The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-21
PARSON j. F. JAQUESS
PLUCKY PREACHER FROM POsEY-
WILLIE, POsEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
Famous Recruiting officer During the
tIes-Grnnt's and GarticId's Friend.



Jacksonville QlI.) Letter in Chicago Times
Herald
Parson j. F. Jaquess has come to town
from Poseyvl!e, Posey county, Ind ana. lie
has been honored both as the one man born
in PoseyYille who ever left the place and
the one man who has undisputed claims OF
being the original Grant and the original
Garfield man. He is more than eighty
years old--years which took him a mere boy
from the backwoods village With name
like joke and made lin the center figure
in many of the most important events of
this century, He contributed as much as
any other man to the renown of Illinois In
the war, and had he not deserted the peace
full habits in Poseyville it might have been
that Grant would not have been started
Alright or that Garfield would never have
been a general His life is full of the sort
of stories that patriots would put INTO
readers for examples to youth and ambi-
ton.
Jaquess was a barefooted boy in the very
early days of this century. His parents dug
a sparse living from the rocks and clodS OF
Posey county. They could afford no luxury
for the lad, and he shared in their struggle
killing prey for the table with his rifle ana
hewing wood for the market with his ak.
There was corn to plant in the spring ana
hay to harvest in the fall This cut ms
days at school to the snow-bound months OIL
winter when it was no small task to traVel
through the drifts to the schoolhouse. lie
finished the course, and the glimpse ne nad
of the heights of knowledge created reso-
luton TO see more of the promised land. lie
cast longing eyes in the direction of the old
ASbury UniversiIy-that mecca 10 Whlch all
good Methodist parents turned thelr hoys.
His parents had no means, put youhe
Jaouess had q strong right arm and he set
out TO win an educa ion with II. lie arrived
at the university and was the Laughing
stock. He was tall, lank, lean ana avn
ward His face was brown, he wore jeans
and he was joked as coming from Posey-
vile. He whipped several DULLES LOT potn-
ering him. This gave him consloeratlol
which his scholarship Hau not Set4Aeu AOi
him.
FROM LAW TO THE PULPIT.
He was graduated from the university in
1S45, ready for the law His mother picked
him out for the ministry. and her pleading
changed his mind. He had opened Il law Of
flee. but it was abandoned, as he applied for
a pulpit in the Methodist Church. Peter
Cartwright was then a power in the denom-
nation He looked with 0lsfavor upon the
fact that the young applicant was college
man. Dr. Cartwright was opposed to letting
him become a member of the Illinois Con-
ference because he was college man. lie
was the only college man in the conference,
and to show the objection ne had 70 col
mile parish in Egypt. lie did not KNOW
what else to do with him. All the other
ministers under him had been brought up In
the college of the brush and woods, and II
was as necessary in those days Tor
preacher 10 handle the rifle and the ak
as it was for him to know theology. 1t
young man needed to have some or the
educational kinks taken out of him, and
Jaquess found himself preaching in the
widest of the southern wildernesses. This
was the sort of treatment which the elder
thought would wipe out the ambition or
the young man and Keep MS hlSh IDEAS
well in bounds.
Jaquess was a man of common sense, de-
spite his university training. He was man
among men. There was no one too common
not to have some traits that appealed to
him, and before long there came WondeFful
reports from the young man who had peen
eXiled in the woods lie possessed wonder
full magnetism, in addition to the ability TO
estimate men and live the kind of lie that
appeals to the best manhood. lie made a
hit at the beginning of his career in the
saddle bags. One of his parishioners asked
him if he "knowed'' how to chop. He said
he could chop with the best of them and
wanted them to give him a chance at the
next rolling This the kind of talk
the pioneers in the lower part OF the state
liked and he was at once branded as sum I'm
peared at the log rolling, armed with
trusty ak he had brought from PoseyVille.
He chopped all the farmers into the shade.
His reputation was made at once. There was
abundant proof that his college education
had not spoiled him. and there followed a
flood of letters to the bishop which forever
settled his standing in the Methodist clergy.
He had won the hearts Of the simple-mind-
ed and this led Bishop Morris to recall the
young man from his brush heap and put
him in charge of a prominent pulpit at
Springfield This was another important
point in his life-the point which made his
name latterly one of distinction among the
historians of the rebellion and all the SOL
diers that went out from Illinois to fight.
CAREER IN ILLINOIS.
Rev. Mr.. Jaquess went to Springfield in
the early years when Springfield was the
haunt of statesmen and not politicians. He
ran the Methodist Church as it had never
been run before. He occasionally had men
of prominence at his table. Once he enter
tanned three men from Kentucky, who were
praising the Kentucky schools for girls.
The preacher wondered that no such school
at that time had been started in Illinois.
The thought came as an inspiration, and
he worked out the plan which at once led
to the founding of the Woman'S College
at Jacksonville. He told his project to a
man who had six daughters, and the six
daughters were entered at once as the frst
pupils He preached all the next year, in
addition to his work for the school, and
then the DlSnOp LOON MN from the PulpiI
and made him the president of the college.
He was still living in Springfield, but taxi
ing his family in an OK cart, he was hnalIy
welcomed in Jacksonville-the master of
the first Methodist institution in the State.
His Schoolrooms were in the basement OF
the church. Young women came to him
from all over Illinois, travelling across the
prairies in wagons. The enterprise grew
year by year. and after eight years OF
hard toll Mr. Jaquess saw his hope real
lied in the erection of the then immense
building for the use of the college. He was
afterward president of Quincy College
Governor Yates seems to have been the
first man accurately to judge the real merit
of this man. He sent for Mr.. Jaquess at
the breaking out of the war and wanted
him to go to Springfield. The preacher
obeyed the call and became the companion
and adviser of the Governor. He was In
the office one day when calm, blunt man
came in and declared that he thought he
could be of use to the Governor in getting
troops The Governor looked over the
rough man. but did not see that there was
anything that could be assign ed TO MIN
lust then. Mr.. Jaquess was sitting near
the deck and he whispered to the Governor
TO ask the man to call again tomorrow.
After he had gone out JaQuess turned 10
the Governor and said:
Yates there's something in that man, /
believe, and think you'd better Keep track
of him" - ;, 49,
fWeil. keep him. anyhow. for | feel
there's something in him, and l think am
something of a judge of human nature.
What can / give him to DO =. u,
Put him at that desk in the corner ana
let him write letters until you nave some
thing else to give him.
'If you are so certain about his merits
I'll do it, by George.