Thomas Jefferson Cason

[biography #1]

CASON, Thomas Jefferson, a Representative from Indiana; born near Brownsville, Union County, Ind., September 13, 1828; moved to Boone County with his parents, who settled on a farm near Thorntown in 1832; attended the common schools; taught school in Boone County for several years; studied law in Crawfordsville; was admitted to the bar in 1850 and commenced practice in Lebanon, Ind.; member of the State house of representatives 1861-1864; member of the State senate 1864-1867; appointed by Governor Baker common pleas judge of Boone County in April 1867 and was subsequently elected to the same office in October 1867 for a term of four years; declined reelection and resumed the practice of law; elected as a Republican to the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1877); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1876; resumed the practice of law in Lebanon, Ind.; retired in 1897 and moved to Washington, D.C., where he died July 10, 1901; interment in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Boone County, Ind.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: "Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949": The Continental Congress September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788 and The Congress of the United States From the First to the Eightieth Congress March 4, 1789 to January 3, 1949, Inclusive. United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.: 1950. Page 957.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - August 20, 2007

[biography #2]

CASON, THOMAS J., lawyer, jurist, state senator, congressman, was born Sept. 13, 1828, in Union county, Ind. From 1861-64 was a member of the Indiana legislature; from 1864-67 was a member of the state senate; and in 1867 was appointed judge of common pleas, and re-elected to the same office for a term of four years. He was elected to the forty-third and forty-fourth congresses, serving on the committee on revision of laws. He still continues the practice of law at Lebanon, Ind., where he has attained a large practice.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Herringshaw, Thomas William. "Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century." Chicago, IL, USA: American Publishers Association, 1902. Page 200.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - August 20, 2007

[biography #3]

HON. T. J. CASON, Lebanon.

The ancestors of this gentleman were among the early settlers of the United States. In fact, they were residents of this country before it declared its independence of Great Britain. His grandfather, Thomas Cason, was born in Virginia, December 8, 1759, and removed to the State of South Carolina. The origin of the family, so far as shown by the works of genealogy, was French. They became refugees on account of their resistance to the arbitrary actions of the King of France, and fled to Holland, shortly before the invasion of Ireland by William of Orange. They joined his forces, and for valuable services rendered, the King presented the family with a grant of land in Ireland. Subsequently, members of the family emigrated to Scotland and England; and when their descendants emigrated to America there was a mixture of Irish, Scotch and English as well as French blood. There he married Margaret Neill, December 30, 1794. She was a native of South Carolina, born March 24, 1762. The grandfather was an invalid, and, being incapable of manual labor, adopted school teaching as a profession; this inability also prevented him from taking an active part in the Revolutionary war, although he was an earnest Whig. Notwithstanding the the fact that he lived in the hotbed of toryism, he was not molested. The family of his wife, however, did not succeed so well, and suffered many outrages at the hands of the Tories. Their house was despoiled of everything except the bed upon which the invalid mother lay. These depredations were probably due to the fact that her brother was a member of the forces commanded by Gen. Marion. The elder brother finally met with a terrible fate. While on an expedition with the company to which he belonged, and having taken possession of an unoccupied house, they were surrounded by a company of Tories, who at first demanded a surrender, promising that the officers might retain their side-arms, and be treated as prisoners of war. They refused, but were overpowered by their enemies and marched out to a field, where the Captain and Lieutenant were hanged by the neck to a decayed stake, which broke with their weight; when they fell to the ground, they were shot by order of the Tory commander, as were also the privates and non-commissioned officers. The sister, hearing of the surrender, started to the place to intercede for her brother; but at the time of her arrival found the Tory commander going from one corpse to another, cutting with his sword any muscle that might still be quivering. Such were some of the scenes enacted in that center of treason. The sister herself received a wound at the hands of the enemy while assisting her brother to escape on a former occasion.

The grandfather lost his property by becoming security for his neighbors, leaving him nothing but a small amount of household goods. He left the South on the 21st day of March, 1804, arriving in Ohio on the 5th of April following. He again taught school, and after procuring the necessary means, removed his family to that State in September of the same year. He continued to reside near the Little Miami River until 1815, when he removed with his family to Indiana Territory, locating in what subsequently became Union County, near the town of Liberty. His son, James Cason, was the father of the subject of this sketch. At that place he married Miss Margaret Rutherford, December 13, 1827. She is of English parentage, and was born August 20, 1806. Her father and his sister were all of her family who survived the Revolutionary war. Her father resided at Walnut Hills, Md., and his sister married a British officer, who died childless, leaving her a large estate in England. This she willed to her brother at her death, but he refused to take the necessary steps to procure it. He moved to Pennsylvania, settling on the Monongahela, near Brownsville. About the year 1820, he came down the river to Pittsburgh in a flatboat, thence down the Ohio to Cincinnati, finally settling in Ohio, on the Dry Fork of Whitewater. From thence he removed to Union County, Ind., settling near Brownsville, on the East Fork of Whitewater River. Near this place the subject of this sketch was born September 13, 1828. The mother's maternal grandfather was named Harper. At one time, he owned Harper's Ferry, W. Va., the place having derived its name from him. His father, James Cason, left Union County in 1830, for the purpose of settling in Boone County. In October of that year, he located upon a heavily-timbered tract of land, two and one-half miles southeast of Thorntown. During that winter, they lived in a very open house, having no doors until late in the winter, the crevices between the logs, many of them, being covered with muslin, to protect them from the cold. Here they were compelled to haul all provisions for themselves and their stock a distance of forty miles. Shortly prior to their arrival, the Indians had left the place where Thorntown is now located, but returned in the following spring, encamping near their dwelling. They were quiet and peaceable, however, and disposed to be friendly with their new neighbors.

The father, James Cason, was a farmer and carpenter. In both branches he was expert and successful; and although small in stature, was a man of strong constitution and wonderful endurance. He was very prompt and very careful as to his promises, and throughout his life enjoyed the friendship and confidence of all his acquaintances. He was never involved in a lawsuit, and never had any serious difficulty with his neighbors. He died in February, 1874, aged seventy-two years. His wife still survives him, being now in her seventy-second year. She has always been a woman of great strength of character, and her maternal love and devotion to her children have secured their everlasting affection and gratitude. She taught all her children to read, and trained their young minds in the right channel; and to her gentle influence is due all the success they have attained in after years. Her children were nine in number, named, respectively, Thomas J., William R., John 0., Joseph N., Samuel L., Margaret, Mary E., James Harrison and Sarah J., of whom three are now living.

Thomas J., the subject of this sketch, never enjoyed educational privileges of an advanced nature, but is indebted to the country schools of his neighborhood for the education of his younger days, assisted by the instructions of his mother. His entire school life is comprised in a period of eighteen or twenty months. But his father was a stockholder in a small though well-selected library in Thorntown, to which he had free access. At a very early age, he evinced a fondness for books, and became a constant reader and a deep student. By the instruction of his father, he received a comprehensive training in the elements of mathematics, which enabled him to pursue his studies with facility. During the spring, summer and fall, he was obliged to work on the farm and in the saw-mill; yet he was never idle, and every spare moment was improved in study. At the age of eighteen, his health, which had always been bad, became greatly impaired, and he was compelled to abandon farm work, and engaged in school teaching. Soon afterward, he began reading law. He first recited to the late Maj. Harvey G. Hazelrigg, and subsequently entered the law offices of Gov. H. S. Lane and S. C. Wilson, of Crawfordsville, Ind. After a severe examination by Judge Naylor and Gov. Lane, he was licensed to practice in the spring of 1850. After the examination, he was highly commended by his examiners, who advised him to seek a location and enter at once upon the practice. He wished to locate in a new town; But, by the earnest entreaties of his father, was persuaded to remain near home, and finally located at Lebanon. His father purchased the library and rented the office of one who had been in the practice a short time in this city. The practice in Lebanon at that time did not look encouraging to the young aspirant. The town being near the cities of Indianapolis, La Fayette and Crawfordsville, it was usual, in cases of importance, to secure legal talent from those cities, and competition was so great that fees were reduced one-half. An effort was finally made to overcome the monopoly, which eventually proved successful. Mr. Cason secured a good practice, and in May, 1852, was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the State.

On the 2d day of January, 1851, Judge Cason was united in marriage with Miss Clerinda J. Olive, of Lebanon. By this marriage they are the parents of six children, named, respectively, James R., Thomas J., Ralph W., Mary Arnetta, Margarettie 0. and William H. Morton. All are now living, except James E., who died at Washington City at the age of twenty-two years, and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery, near that city, on the banks of the Anneloustan River. He was a young man of decided promise and excellent habits, and was beloved by all; and, although his disease (lung complaint) caused him nearly two years of intense suffering, he was never known to utter a complaint.

In politics he was a Whig, having cast his first vote for Gen. Scott for President in 1852. Upon the organization of the Republican party, he embraced its principles, and has continued since to act with it. In 1860, he was nominated by his party for joint Representative from the counties of Hendricks and Boone, in the Indiana Legislature, An energetic canvass was made and he was elected by a handsome majority. Two years later, he was a candidate for the same position and carried his district by an increased majority. In 1864, he was a candidate for the State Senate, and was elected by a larger majority than on any former occasion. During his service of eight years in the State Legislature, he was always intrusted [sic] with responsible positions, serving, throughout that period, on the Judiciary Committee. He was Chairman of the Compromise Commission to settle the difficulties between the Democratic members, who wished to establish a military commission or executive council, without whose consent the Governor could not act in matters relating to the militia of the State. The Republican members and Gov. Morton resisted the measure. It was he who introduced the resolution to constitute a compromise committee, and by this means cause delay in the passage of the bill. He was bitterly denounced by his opponents for this stratagem, but he represented the sentiments of loyal people in his efforts to accomplish the defeat of an infamous outrage, and was loyally upheld. This session was, beyond question, the most important and eventful in the history of the State; and, to save the Union cause, responsibilities of overwhelming magnitude were necessary assumed; Legislation was stopped, preventing the appropriations, and leaving the Executive to manage the affairs of State as best he could. And the burden of this responsibility fell upon a few men.

During the war, Mr. Cason did all in his power to uphold the Union and suppress rebellion; and his effort in the defeat of the Militia Bill was a potent instrument for good in that cause.

His health, whilst in the Legislature, was very precarious, and on several occasions he was taken from his bed to be present at the opening of the session.

After the passage of the bill, in 1867, creating a new judicial district of Boone and Clinton Counties, he was appointed Common Pleas Judge by Gov. Baker. He received his commission in 1867, and held the May term of court as his first term. In the fall of that year, he was the Republican candidate for that office. The opposition circulated the report that he would live but a few weeks, and that his election would not be advisable. Finally, as the election drew near, they procured some Republican tickets, erased his name, inserted that of his opponent and distributed them in remote parts of the county, with the report that his health was so precarious that his party had withdrawn his name. Despite this trickery, however, he was elected and served for four years. He declined a second nomination, and upon retiring from the bench, at a reception given him by members of the bar of Clinton County, he was presented with a handsome and valuable gold-headed cane. The bar then unanimously passed a resolution expressing their highest confidence in his course on the bench. While acting in the judicial capacity, his health became greatly improved; and after retiring from the bench he resumed the practice of the law.

In May, 1872, he was nominated for Congress in opposition to Gen. M. D. Manson, of Montgomery Co., for the district consisting of Boone, Clinton, Carroll, Tippecanoe, Benton, Warren, Fountain and Montgomery Counties. He made a thorough canvass, and, although having a powerful opposition to contend with, was elected by a majority of 191. In the Forty-third Congress, he was placed upon the Committee of Revision of the laws. He occupied a very responsible and laborious position, and, at the close of his labors, was highly commended by members of that Congress. At the next Congressional race he was elected to the Forty-fourth Congress by a majority of 370, his opponent being the Hon. Leander McClurg. In this session, he was a member of the Committee on Claims, a position not less responsible and laborious than that occupied in the previous session. In this position he was especially earnest in his efforts in behalf of the soldiers of the late war, procuring pensions and assisting them in every way to attain their rights. His actions, both in public and private life, have always been marked by an inflexible obedience to his convictions of right; and from every official capacity in which he acted, he has retired with a noble record.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: "Combination Atlas Map of Boone County Indiana," Kingman Brothers, 1878, pp 14-15.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - October 9, 2007