Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-04
BOYHOOD DAYS OF PERSHING
Old Acquaintance Reviews Some
Family History.
CHILDHOOD DAYS SPENT IN MISSOURI
Father Of the General Went Through
Some Rough Times In the West and
the General Himself Smelled the
Smoke Of Battle While Still Youth.

John r. I',.rShiIg. father oi General
John ]. Pcrshing commander OF the
American ExpcditiOnary Forces, began
his career in Linn county Missouri, as
boss OF the Meadow section. on the
Hannibal and 81. Joe railroad. in 1888
the wear the road was completed. a
great many brawny men from New
York, Pennsylvania and other eastern
states came TO Missouri during what
WAS called the railroad era, along liz
the SOS and up to the Civil war. Mr..
Pershing came from PENNSYLVANIA. His
first work in Missouri was that or a
contractor. One Of his contracts Was
ON the North Missouri II road then be-
ing constructed from ~. Louis to Ma
con. IL was while performing his con-
tract in Montgomery county that ne
met the girl that became Mrs. Per
shng As soon as the North missouri
was in operation the Pershings moved
TO Linn county. near MeadNillc. ana
Mr.. Pcrshing took charge of the sec
ton as boss. He also operated a house
for the boarding OF the section men
and other railroad workers. Later they
moved to the Judge Brown house. near
lac Roth houses were about four and
:: half miles west of l.acl"dc.
Controversy Over Birthplace.
&c. I.omax Of the LOmax & stand
~ bank. who came from Illinois 10
I.,cI.d.. I'm 1859. and who is said TO he
the oldest continuous voter in inc
town. saws General Pershing was born
in the Judge Brown house In Septcm-
bcr. 1860. Many Laclede people, now
ever. stoutly insist the general was
born In their town. and they point Out
the old BaIlou house on Main street as
the place.
Mr.. Lomax. in discussing the matter
the other day said:
81 know OF this controversy between
the two places, and a while back. when
Jim, Johns younger brother. was here
asked him where he was born. he
said in Iaclede. Then ] asked him
where hc was born. and hc replied: ON
the Judge Brown plantation. four ana
one-half miles west Of town
According TO my recollection" Mr..
Lomax went on, there was no postof-
flee ut Meadville, and the people about
that town had to come to laclcde for
their mail. That may have been the
reason the idea got out that Johns
parents lived here when he was born.
But 1t Is true they moved here soon
afterward. clerked in therstore Mr..
Psrsbing conducted on the northwest
corner OF the square
Besides being one Of the leading
merchants of Laclede, John r Persh-
ing was the postmaster and ut one
time member OF town council. He was
what might be called prominent cit
izen." as the term is used in the coun-
try.
As tie one resident Of Laclede most
Intimately associated with the gen.
eral's father, Mr. Iomax w;ls asked to
describe him.
We'll" he replied. with whimsical
smile. Il should have TO do that pretty
much like the schoOlmateS describe
the general to those people who came
here In the carly days to build rail-
roads through Missouri. Some of the
hest families we have are the descend
ants OF those men.
As Civil War Began.
.In the PAIL OF '6l the Pershings
moved to Iaclcdc. Mr.. Pershing be-
came sutler for the Eighteenth regi-
ment Of Missouri that year, anu IN
1862 or '63 he held the same job with
another regiment. The Union soldiers
were paid sl3 Il month. and they were
allowed to issue orders for tobacco.
canned goods and such things as they
wanted ON the sutler TO the amount OF
S4.35 n month. Mr.. Pershing went with
the regiment to number of places.
and finally 1t was ordered from Wes-
ton to ST. Louis Then he returned to
Iaclede and opened up store here.
Soon afterward President Lincoln ap-
pointed him postmaster. Mr.. Pershing
employed me as clerk. l was then
Is or 49,"
Nothing ever happcned?"
MIR. Lomax smiled.
Yes, there was something happen
ed" he said slowly. but it sounds so
much like wild west romance that
perhaps"
Tell II. please
1t was along about the middle OF
September. lS6t-Saturday. / think
apparently as quiet and peaceful day
as II is now. Suddenly somebody on
the street shouted:
THE bushwhackers are coming!
The warning was hardly given
armed with revolvers and shotguns
galloped into town. Being Saturday.
there were some 200 or 800 people in
TO do their weekend shopping and 1t
caused considerable excitement among
them. No less excited was four-year-
old John ]. Pershing. the future gen.
eral. Us he played soldier"
Repellins the Railers.
THE sinister visitors were Captain
Holtzclaw's command. There were a
number OF large. fine-looking men
among them. and they handled their
horses like expert cavalrymen.
Soon after saw them l stepped in
to the store and told Mr.. Pershing,
who was behind the counter waiting on
some one. EIc walked back to where
there were some guns. These guns
had been loaded. but that very morn
ing, II happened. we had discharged
them in the air to avoid the danger OF
having loaded guns standing around
Finding the guns empty, he started
forward. Just then some Of the BUSH
whackers entered the front door. In
our store was large safe which the
people Of the town used as q general
safe deposit. At that time there was
between $4,000 and $4,000 cash in the
tAA &c