The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-02-19
IN MEMoRIAM.

to the vicinity of Hagarstown
Maryland, in 1894, and in 1SO4
emigrated to Ohio, In what wa'
then Fairfield County, (since Perry
removed to Macarthur in 1868
Died at the residence of his son
Thomas B. Davis, in Macarthur
Vinton County, Ohio, May 2, 1881
being SO years, Z month and II
days old.
His father and family were iden.
titled among the pioneer settlers OF
Ohio, especially of Fairfield and
Perry counties, where their citizen
ship was known until 1868, at
which time, in consequence of the
death of his two younger sons,
and old age, he reluctantly retired
from the labors and cares of the
old Perry county farm, and came
to reside in Macarthur, near his
sons residence, as his last earthly
abode. Here he lived a quiet, re-
tired life, such as he desired.
A brief interview of the charac-
ter of this old veteran will not be
out of place.
He was endowed by nature with
a powerful constitution, greatly
over the average of men of our day
well designed to surmount all the
difficulties and hardships connected
with the settlement of a new wood
land country. In all this he took
great delight in attending log cab
in raisings, etc. He remarked,
ssThere seemed to be so much less
sociability now than in former
DAYS" He had outlived his day
With Peter Whitmer, a neighbor
and co-partner in clearing away
the forests of Perry county, of
great integrity and worth of char
acter, who lately went to his final
rest, they were intimate friends
for over go years, and gloried in a
practical cultivation OF the soil.
The subject of our sketch had
not the advantage of an early ed
ucation, schools in the rural dis
tricts of Ohio being almost un-
known in 1904. He was great
reader, and having an excellent
he attained much useful
znowledge, both historical and ag-
He committed all the
strong and important points in re-
gard to the latter, and would talk,
ate in life, of the organic and in
matter requisite to a high
cultivation of the soil. In all this
,e reminded me of our late depart
ID and venerable neighbor, Esq.
Akin. He endowed schools and
colleges and aided, according to
lis abilitys in founding Kenyon
College. One of our town papers
# last week noted him as soldier
# the Mexican War. This was a
mistake. He was a brave and
aithful soldier of the war of 1912.
lie was Orderly Sergeant, and act
d as Captain for some time at
Fort Meigs. in the absence of the
japtain of the company. He pa
iently endured all the hardships |
# that terrible siege.
An incident worth noting oc-
urred at this time. An ounce ball
shot--from the British |
loating battery, passed through a
'air of heavy buckskin gloves,
which were doubled up in his pock |
is, seven times. This undoubt-
dly saved his life. 1 have heard |
i'm laugh and say, ''The doctrine
f foreordination was best in a
iege: a man will not be killed by
bullet unless his time had come"
He visited the old battle ground
y arrangement, In 1870, with Ken
ucky and Ohio comrades. This |
rip seemed to renew life with them,
nd many of the incidents and
avings. which occurred that try |
ng and to them memorable siege,
7ere repeated. Two of which are
7orth noting, viz: As Hull had !
hamefully surrendered the flower
f the western army, the demand
f Fort Meigs was made, of course
lnder white flag. The cOmmu-
ication from Gen Proctor was
to Harrison's headquar- !
ers. who answered, I"The taking
f Fort Meigs would do His Maj
sty more honor than the surrender I
f a dozen forts The army,
owever, seemed restless, lest there
'as surrender on foot. Harrison
allied all out OF grand parade and
communicated to them what had
assed, and said, he would never
an American army, at
'hich he was grandly cheered.
The following lines were also re-
allied and repeated to the memory