The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-07-27
Capt. John e. Ball.

home in Montgomery City, Mont
gomery County Missouri, on Fri
day morning, July 20, 1906. He
was born in Farquicr county,
Virginia, March Ia, 1924, came to
Missouri with his parents in 1888,
and settled in St. Louis county.
In our war with Mexico, he
joined Col. Sterling Prices fam
Gus regiment of Missouri Volun-
teers, who facing toward the Rio
Grande, hurried across the wilds
and through warning tribes of
Indians to the conflict. After the
trump of our forces and the Vol
unteers were mustered out, the
young soldier returned home and
resumed his pursuits on the farm.
On April II, 1850, he married Miss
Elisabeth H. Dyer of Lincoln
county, who is sister of Hon. D.
P. Dyer of ST. Louis. On his way
to their wedding the soldier groom
and his best man swan Big Creek
not only from bank to bank but
from hill to hill, so overflown were
the bottoms. The marriage was a
fortunate one. To the pair were
born nine children, two girls and
siven boys: David A., Nettie,
James F., John Bailey, Galen R.,
Ned j., Claude R., Laura W.,
William S. The oldest is fifty
Ave and the youngest is thirty five
Laura w. died August ri, 1877,
aged ten years; Galen r. died
December 10, 1902, aged forty
three. The other brothers and one
daughter, Mrs. James Vandergrift
of Centralia, with the wife and
mother survive. Three of the sons
have been honored with official
preferment, and the younger was
once a nominee for County Clerk
of Montgomery county.
In 1852, deceased moved with
his family to Lincoln county and
settled on Big Creek, residing
there until 1859 when he moved to
Montgomery county, northeast of
Prices Branch, where he lived un-
til 1899, when he came to Mont
gomery City.
In our Civil war Capt. Ball re-
cruited and commanded Company
E. 49th Mo-, in Col. Dyer's regi-
ment of Missouri Volunteers, 60
ing through to the coast. In 1859
4 Capt. Ball united with the Primi-
tive Baptist church and as mem
ber of t. at organization was res
pected and his council was often
sought and adhered to by his as
sociates. He was q man of clearly
defined convictions in religious as
we'll as in secular ethics; and on
demand vindicated them, but
never failed to be respectful, and
often tolerant. to those disagree
ing with him. To the friendless
and needy he was charitable al
; most to a fault. When in an
emergency his courage was at it's
best. On one occasion his son
David A., when ten years old,
and a kins-boy, Jim Lou Ball, OF
like age, yoked pair of young
steers and undertook to drive
them, but the animals broke away
and in the stampede that followed
both were knocked down and ran
over. The steers escaped; but the
boys wore badly worsted. David's
1 tongue was cut very nearly of
only strip OF the skin on one
side remaining, and nine of jim
' Louis teeth were knocked out. Ii
q this emergency Capt. Ball appear
ed on the field; no sergeon wal
!. near; the father restrained Davit
h SO that an aunt, Mrs. Lou Carter
& visiting at the house, could Sc
v curely hold the patient, and tn
q father with needle and threa'
Z sewed the organ into good shape
: The impromptu surgeon then re
4 set Jim Louis displaced teeth \
d their proper positions; both pa
tients soon recovered.