Brevet Col. John Stinson Hoover

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN STINSON HOOVER.

BREVET COLONEL U. S. V., MERCHANT AT MIDDLETOWN AND NEW CASTLE, GRAIN DEALER AND STATE SENATOR, NEBRASKA.

The Hoover family in Eastern Indiana is an old and respected one. This family takes its root in North Carolina whence the ancestor of the Indiana branch of the family came in 1806-7, settling in Wayne County, just north of the present site of Richmond. The family was a numerous one, consisting of David, who named the city of Richmond, Frederick, Andrew, Henry and two or more sisters. Frederick Hoover, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, married and reared a large family of children, among whom was a son, Samuel, who was born May 10, 1809, at the homestead, a little northeast and within sight of Richmond. This child, destined to act a considerable part in Henry County in after years, was brought up on the home place and as a young man worked on his father's place in Summer and attended the country school of that period during the Winter. He is remembered even now as a young man of great mental vigor, splendid physical powers and unusual charm of manner.

In May, 1832, he was married to Lean Stinson, near New Castle. The Stinson family came to Indiana from Tennessee, in 1819. and settled first, in Franklin County, near Brookville. In 1825, they moved to Henry County and became identified in interest with that community. Mrs. Lean (Stinson) Hoover died at Hastings. Nebraska. July 26, 1894, while on a visit to her daughter, Mrs. William H. Lynn, and was buried there. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoover were the parents of nine boys and two girls who were named as follows : John S., William H., Frederick, De Witt C, David. Harrison, James M., Leander, George A., Sarah Catharine, now the widow of Samuel A. Wilson, formerly of Muncie, and Anna Louisa, now Mrs. William H. Lynn, of Hastings, Nebraska.

In 1832 Samuel Hoover came to New Castle and entered the service of Jacob Thornburgh, as a clerk, Mr. Thornburgh being a pioneer merchant of New Castle. Soon after his marriage, as above noted, he moved to Laporte County, Indiana, where he remained a little more than a year, returning to New Castle in the Fall of 1833, which, from that time, became his permanent home. It was during this sojourn of his parents in Laporte County that John Stinson Hoover was born.

Samuel Hoover and his family have been important factors in the civil and military history of Henry County. In early life he took great interest in public events and was exceedingly active in all matters pertaining to the county's welfare and throughout his career was followed by the respect and good will of its people. He was elected Probate Judge of the county and served acceptably in that position from August 13, 1836, to August 13, 1843, a n,H term of seven years. He was afterwards elected clerk of the courts and served in that capacity from August, 1843, to August 14. 1850. Such was the confidence of the people in him that he was thus continued in office for a full period of fourteen years. Politically, he was a Whig until that party ceased to exist, when he became a Republican and so remained throughout his life. He died in New Castle, August 2, 1869, and at his own request, his remains were buried in the Hoover Cemetery, on the David Hoover farm, immediately north of Richmond.

John Stinson Hoover.

While this sketch treats incidentally of Samuel Hoover and his entire family, it has particular reference to the career of John Stinson Hoover, the first born son of Samuel and Lean Hoover. He was born in Laporte County, Indiana, April 10, 1833, and when less than a year old was brought by his parents to New Castle where he continued under his parents' roof until he became of age. As a young man, he learned the printer's trade in the office of the New Castle Courier. In 1855 ne went to Anderson, Indiana, where for a period of ten months he published the Madison County Democrat. Soon after this venture, he went to Illinois and the beginning of the Civil War found him at Centralia, Marion County, that State. On August 15, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company K, 31st Illinois Infantry, of which the late John A. Logan, who achieved so much distinction in the Civil War, was Colonel. An acquaintance had been formed at Centralia between Logan and young Hoover, in a purely accidental way, but that acquaintance ripened into a friendship which continued without interruption to the day of General Logan's death. Within three days after his muster into the service, Mr. Hoover was made Quartermaster Sergeant of the regiment, an appointment wholly within the gift of his Colonel. His promotions, step by step, were rapid as will be seen from the roster of the field and staff officers preceding this sketch, the close of the war finding him a Colonel, this being the only instance during the Civil War of a soldier from Henry County serving in all the grades of the army from private to Colonel. His first battle was at Belmont, Missouri, and he was with his regiment at the taking of Forts Henry and Donelson. He was retained on garrison duty at Fort Donelson and thus missed the battle of Shiloh, but he rejoined the main army in time to take part in the Siege of Corinth. Here he was detailed as an Aid de Camp to General Henry M. Judah, but was soon transferred to the staff of his old Colonel, who had, in the meantime, become a Brigadier General. Excepting a brief period during which he was attached to the staff of General Michael K. Lawler, he continued on the staff of General Logan as his personal and confidential Aid de Camp, until the close of the war. Thus the military history of John A. Logan is substantially the military history of John S. Hoover, the two being so closely associated from the beginning to the end. After the fall of Vicksburg, Logan became Major General and was placed in command of the 15th Army Corps. At this time Hoover was promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, in which rank he served his chief throughout the Atlanta Campaign.

In the Presidential campaign of 1864. Captain Hoover accompanied General Logan in his political tour through Illinois, and after the election the two went to Washington City and called upon President Lincoln. In the meantime the army under General Sherman had reached Savannah. Georgia, where Logan and Hoover joined their old command in time to take part in the campaign through the Carolinas. For gallant service in the Carolinas, Captain Hoover was promoted to the rank of Major. After the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. Virginia, and the surrender of Johnston's forces in Xorth Carolina, Logan and Hoover marched with the army under General Sherman through Virginia to Washington City and there took part in the grand review of all troops bv the President at the close of the war. At this time Major Hoover was promoted Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel by brevet for faithful and meritorious service during the Civil War. No soldier from Henry County, Indiana, has a brighter military record than Colonel John Stinson Hoover. He was finally mustered out of the service September 6, 1865.

Colonel Hoover was not the only representative of his family in the war. His father, Samuel Hoover, was connected with the army for some months in the Paymaster's Department, and Frederick, De Witt C. David. Harrison and James M., brothers of John S. Hoover were all in the army as is shown in their respective regiments elsewhere in this history.

For two years after his retirement from the army, Colonel Hoover was a commercial traveler with headquarters at Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1867 he returned to his old home in Henry County. He engaged in mercantile business first, at Middletovvn, and then at New Castle, and continued therein until 1872 when he became proprietor of the Taylor House, the leading hotel of the place, which he conducted successfully until 1876. In that year Colonel Hoover disposed of his hotel property and determined to go West and while looking for a location was induced by George Hazzard, the author of this History, who then had large property interests in Nebraska, to go to Hastings, Adams County, that State, a move he has never regretted. There he engaged in the grain trade but in 1878 removed from Hastings to Blue Hill, Webster County, Nebraska. He was one of the earliest settlers of that place where he continued in the grain business, his experience in that line having been altogether satisfactory. Since moving to Blue Hill, Colonel Hoover has represented the counties of Webster, Franklin and Nuckolls in the Nebraska State Senate. He was for a time, also, State Oil Inspector and for six years was postmaster of Blue Hill. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Politically, he has been an active Republican since the organization of the party.

November 7, 1867, at Middletovvn, Henry County, Indiana, Colonel Hoover was married to a most estimable woman. Louisa F. Lynn, a native of Poughkeepsie. New York, and a daughter of George and Ann (Allison) Lynn. To this happy union were born three children, namely: William G., now residing in Kansas City, Missouri; Clara E., now Mrs. B. Koehler of Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska, and Howard L., in business at San Francisco, California. Mrs. Hoover died at Blue Hill, Nebraska, April 23, 1887. Only two members of this branch of the Hoover family are now living in Henry County, to wit, David Hoover, at New Castle, and Leander, in Franklin Township, near Lewisville.

• Source - Hazzard's History of Henry County, Indiana, 1822-1906, Volume 1 by George Hazzard

John Stinson Hoover served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He enlisted in Company S, 31st Illinois Infantry Regiment on 18 Sep 1861 in Cairo, IL with the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant. Promoted to Full 1st Lieutenant on 24 Apr 1862 and transferred to Company K. Promoted to Full Captain on 29 Feb 1864. He resigned on MAY 19, 1864. Commissioned an officer in the U.S. Volunteers Aide-de-Camp Infantry Regiment on 29 Feb 1864. Promoted to Full Major on 17 Feb 1865. Mustered out on 06 Sep 1865. Promoted to Brevet Lt Colonel on 13 Mar 1865. Promoted to Brevet Colonel on 13 Mar 1865.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/31st_Illinois_Volunteer_Infantry_Regi...