The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-02-23
Obituary.

DAVID ~. Lawson, OF brusnCreek
township, an energetic ard valued
citizen, was born May %, 1S4l, on the
farm now owned by James NJ. Lawson,
in that township. He was the son of
James Lawson, born in Virginia In
1902, who was orphaned by the death
of his father at seven years of age
and was reared by John Palmer. A,
twenty-five years of age James Law
son married Mary Hammond, a native
of Brushcreek tow nship, and they be-
gan housekeeping on the farm now
owned by their son, James NJ, and
we're the parents of eleven children
John, living in Adams county, Alfred
A. and Josiah, both deceased, David
N, James NJ, Sarah A., wife of B
Cravens, of Illinois, Lucinda e, wifi
of Joseph Woods, of Iowa, Lucilla.
Jemima and Agnes, deceased. and
Mary, wife of James A. Taylor, Of
Brushcreek, and Melissa, wife Of
Frank Messenger, of Adams county.
James Lawson lived to the age of
sixty eight years and had an honora-
bic and fairly successful life, acquir-
ing a comfortable property, although
he began poor and he vas houorod
among his associates in the Univcr-
salist Church, of which he was one OF
the trustees and staunchest support
ers, and honored also by the people of
the township, who made him township
treasurer and trustee.
David n. Lawson, son of the fore
going, started out at the age of eigh.
teen years to make his own way In
the world, working by the month at
farming, but soon the great war came
on and he volunteered in the defense
of the Nation he loved, becoming a
private soldier in Company in the
oath Regiment, Ohio Infantry. His
first active service was in the We st
Virginia campaigns, fighting at Green
Brler and Cheat Mountain. Early in
the spring Of 1862, being transferred
to the West, he was in the great bat
tie of Shiloh, and after that he was in
the campaigns under Buell. and Rose
Grams, participating in the great
march from Middle Tennessee to
Louisville and back, and fighting at
Crab Orchard, Perrysville and Stone
River. In the Chickamauga campaign
he was in numerous engagements, in.
Guiding the great battle of Sept. 20,
1868, when he, with many others, was
made prisoner of war. Then fol.
lowed long period of confinement in
the southern prison pens, at Libby
prison, Richmond, where he was held
five months /; Andersonville prison and
several months at Charleston, s. c.,
and Florence. Toward the close of
the war, early in 1865, while being
transferred to Raleigh, N. c., he
escaped by jumping from a moving
train and had the good fortune to
reach the Union lines at Smithland
Being sent to Annapolis he was given
a furlough to visit his home and was
soon afterward honorably mustered
out at Columbus. Since then he has
been a worthy citizen of Brushcreek
township, for some time farming
rented places, one of which, the Hiser
farm, he remained for twenty years
and 10 now the owner of a valuable
farm of one hundred and twcnty-nine
acres near Sinking Spring. He has
also for eight years been engaged in
operating tbreshing machine. The
last three years he was not able to
work at his machine he sold 1t. He
was confined to his room for the past
three years. He was a member of
the Grand Army Post at Fort Hill
and of the Threshers' National Pro-
tective Association, and has served
years as Supervisor and Constable.
Funeral services were held at the
Universalist Church at Olive Branch,
conducted bv Rev. s. G. Ayres, of Gin
cinnati, and the G. A. r. Post of Fort
Hill, after which he was laid to rest
in the cemetery near by.