The present Mayor of Claremont, Richland county, Joseph A. Engle, is a
veteran of the Civil war. He was born December 12, 1829, in Vigo county,
Indiana, and was the son of John and Hannah Engle. His father was a native
of the Blue Grass state, coming from Kentucky to Indiana with his parents in
early life. There they settled upon a farm in Vigo county, where
subsequently the older couple died. John Engle at the time of his marriage
bought a farm of eighty acres in Parke county in the same state. The newly
married couple remained there but a short time, returning to Vigo county and
purchasing a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. About this time Joseph A.
Engle, the subject of our present sketch, was born. Later ninety-six acres
adjoining land was added to the family property. Work upon the farm went on
steadily with good results, and it became the permanent family residence.
Here his father's death occurred in 1863, and his mother's the following
year. At the time of his father's death he was in the army, but was home on
wounded furlough when his mother's death took place. His parents are buried
in Sulphur Springs Meeting-house cemetery, which is but a mile and a half
from the farm where they died. Joseph worked manfully on the farm in early
life and was of much assistance to his parents. In his youth the homestead
was a log cabin and the land was in a very raw state. He helped materially
to change the existing condition of affairs.
His mother was born on
the 10th of January, 1812, and belonged to an old Indiana family. Up to the
time of her marriage she lived with her parents on a farm on the banks of
Deer creek in Perry county. Her father's death preceded her mother's by
several years. During her married life she reared ten children, the oldest
of which was Joseph.
In his sixteenth year Joseph A. Engle was
apprenticed to the blacksmith trade in Terre Haute. At the end of his term
he opened shop for himself, where he continued to work and prosper until the
outbreak of the Civil war. His business as a blacksmith necessitated the use
of three furnaces and the help of several skilled assistants. Plows were
manufactured in his establishment and numerous wagons and buggies were
quipped. At this period of his life his marriage with Rhoda C. Howell took
place in February, 1851. His wife was born in the state. Her father died when
she was quite young; her mother, whose maiden name was Gookins, survived him
for several years.
His marriage resulted in a family of five
children - three boys and two girls. Four grew to maturity, one child dying at
the age of two years, while its father was away on active military service.
His wife closed a happy life at the age of sixty-six on June 11, 1897. She
is buried at Soddom cemetery. Her children's names are: Olive, John H.,
Samuel A., William and Mary, who died in infancy, as above recorded.
Joseph A. Engle in July 1862, joined Company B, of the Eighty-fifth Regiment
Indiana Volunteers, under Col. John P. Beard, in the western division of the
army commanded by Sherman. His company moved to the front via Indianapolis,
Cincinnati and Covington, his company first engaging the enemy at Thompson
Station. Being unwell at this crucial period he did not participate, but his
brother, who was also on the ground fought in the engagement. He was a flag
bearer to the company and was captured, being immediately shipped to Libby
prison, from which place he was later discharged on account of chronic
sickness. Joseph's indisposition, however, was only temporary. He was
destined to go through the thick of the struggle. He participated in nine of
the fierce engagements which took place in the vicinity of Georgia. He
fought at Buzzard's Roost, Georgia, May 8, 1864; at Burned Church on May 26,
at Calfsville, May 19th to the 22d; Culp's House, June 22d; Dallas, also
known as Burnt Hickory, May 25th to June 5th; Dalton, May 9th and August
14th to 16th and October 13th; Lost Mountain, June 9th to 30th; near Dalton,
January 21, 1864; New Hope Church, May 25th to June 5th; Battle of Resaca,
May 13th to 16th; Peach Tree Creek, July 20th. In this last encounter he
received a serious wound, a ball striking him on the head. After he had lain
unconscious on the field for half an hour he was found and taken to a
hospital. From there he was shortly afterwards invalided home, where he
remained. He received his discharge at Indianapolis during the latter part
of 1864.
On recovering from his wound and the wear and tear of the
terrible conflict, he moved with his family to Richland county, where he had
some time before acquired one hundred and twenty acres. At the end of
seventeen years of a peaceable farm life, he moved to Olney, where he
engaged in the grocery business for a few years, when he once more moved to
Claremont township, where his wife died in 1897. Shortly afterwards he again
sold his farm and moved into Claremont, where he purchased property. Here a
second marriage took place on January 18, 1898, when he espoused Laura
Stevens, daughter of Edward and Melissa (Shepherd) Stevens, natives of
Illinois. She was born in Lawrence county, February 7, 1860. Her father was
a Civil war veteran. Her mother still lives in Lawrence county with a young
daughter. Her mother was born in 1835, and her father in 1836. On the
mother's side the grandfather of Mrs. Engle was the first white child born
in Lawrence county. In after life this relative took an active part in the
Black Hawk war.
Joseph A. Engle's second matrimonial venture has
proved to be as much a success as his first. He has been blessed with two
more children, Joseph L., and Mary Josephine, aged nine and six years
respectively.
In early life the subject of our sketch attended about
three terms in the old subscription schools in Parke county, and afterwards
attended for an equal period the schools at Sulphur Springs, Indiana. The
old time elementary speller and Ray's arithmetic were then used; blackboards
were unknown; plain rough planks, propped with stout wooden "pins," were
used as seats, and the high desks ranged along the sides of the room for the
pupils to write upon.
Joseph A. Engle's mind is still as vigorous as
ever, his health also, though not as robust as formerly, is still good. His
public life has been a most popular one and he well maintains his place as
Claremont's premier citizen. He is well and favorably known in fraternal and
social circles. He was formerly a member of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, and is a member of the Grand Army Post at Olney, Illinois.
Joseph A. Engle's public life began as a Ward Supervisor in the Third ward
at Olney, serving in that capacity for four years. The esteem in which he is
regarded by his fellow citizens may be determined from the fact that he is
now serving a third term as Mayor of Claremont. In politics he has been an
active Republican from the days of the Civil war, and is a vigilant party
worker. The first time he cast his vote at a Presidential election it went
to Henry Clay, who was then running in the old regime as a Whig candidate.
He and his wife are both active and devoted members of the Christian church.
They are diligent church workers.
Extracted 26 Apr 2017 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 341-343.
| Jasper | Crawford | |
| Clay |
 |
Lawrence |
| Wayne | Edwards | Wabash |
