Capt. Thomas A. Cobb

CAPT. THOMAS A. COBB. There is no better known citizen in Boone county than Capt. Cobb. He is not only a veteran soldier of the Civil war but is one of the early educators of the county and one of the largest farmers. He has been very active politically, and wields no small influence in the populist party, of which he is one of the leading spirits. It will not be amiss to give a concise account of the genealogy of his family as far as it is known. William Cobb, the founder of the family in America, came from London, England, about the beginning of the present century, as a young, single man. He was well educated and a ship carpenter by trade. He settled in Gettysburg, Adams county, Pa., and was one of the early educators of that county. He married Catherine Strausbaugh, of good Pennsylvania-Dutch stock. To them were born -- John, William, Mary A., Abraham and one who died young. Abraham was a soldier in an Indiana regiment of volunteer infantry, and served one year. William Cobb moved as a pioneer to Harrison county, Ohio, about 1816, where he continued his vocation as a school teacher and resided until his death, which occurred at the venerable age of eighty years. He was a member of the Methodist church and is remembered as a man of just character and broad mind. William Cobb, his son and the father of Thomas A. was born at Gettysburg, Pa., February 6th, 1809, and went with his father to Harrison county, Ohio, when about seven years of age received a good common education, learned the carpenter trade and became a farmer. He married, in Harrison county, Ohio, when about twenty-seven years of age, Mary, daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Sheplar) Copeland, and to them were born the following children -- Thomas A., William F. Jacob S., Nancy, James, John, Christina C., Henry, Mary L. and Dorothy, all born in Harrison county, Ohio, except the last two, who were born in this county. Mr. Cobb bought land in Harrison county, and resided there until 1854, when he came to Boone county, and settled in Marion township on 240 acres of land in section 20. This land was covered by very heavy timber, and Mr. Cobb, by great labor, assisted by his sons, cleared up his land and became a substantial farmer. He and wife were members of the Methodist church and he filled all the offices of his church, in which he was a prominent man. His house was the home of the itinerant Methodist preachers in the early days. His judgment was respected, and he was justice of the peace in his township many years, being universally known as Squire Cobb. He was almost a life-long justice. Mr. Cobb was one of the typical American pioneers of sterling virtues. Self made by his own thrift, he accumulated his property and was held in high esteem for his honorable character. He died October 1, 1877, aged sixty-eight years. He was one of the early friends of the free school in his township. He was a promoter of temperance and good morals, and a liberal supporter of his church, and assisted to build the first Methodist church in Marion township. Previous to this the meetings were held at his house, which, when he first came to the township, was a log cabin. One of his sons, Henry, resides on the old homestead, and occupies the residence; which was the second house built by his father. Mr. Cobb was a war democrat of stanch fidelity to the Union cause, for which three of his sons fought as soldiers -- Capt. Thomas A.; William F. was in company A, Tenth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, as a fifer, and was in many battles. Jacob S. was in same company as a drummer. They were transferred to the regimental staff as chief musicians. Capt. Thomas A. Cobb was born in Harrison county, Ohio, on his father's farm, January 21, 1837, received a good common education in Ohio and afterward attended the Thorntown academy and Duff's Mercantile college at Pittsburg, Pa. He was seventeen years of age when he came to Boone county, Ind., with his father, and greatly assisted him to clear up his farm and was early inured to hard work. He enlisted, at the age of twenty-four years, in company A, Tenth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, at Lebanon, August 8, 1861, and was elected first lieutenant of his company, and commissioned by Gov. Morton. He served three years and one month and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Ind., September 19, 1864. The battles in which he fought were Mills' Spring, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Chickamauga (two days), Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain and in front of Atlanta. During the battle of Stone River, his regiment was detached from the Fourteenth army corps, to attack Morgan, and encountered him at Rolling Fork, Ky. Lieut. Cobb was on recruiting service for two months in 1862, and was commissioned captain of his company. After the war he resumed farming and married Julia A., daughter of Gotleib and Amelia (Zumphe) Wilharm. Mr. Wilharm came from Germany and married in Hancock county. His wife came from Germany in 1835, with friends, leaving her parents in Germany. Mr. Wilharm came to Boone county in 1845 and bought a farm in Marion township. He was the father of two children--Augustus and Julia A. Augustus was in the Eighty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, and was in the battle of Stone River. He died in the service. Mr. Wilharm, like most Germans, was a stanch republican. He lived to be about seventy-seven years of age. He was a good citizen and prosperous farmer. Capt. Cobb has an enviable record as a leading educator of Boone county. He began teaching in Marion township in 1857. In 1859 he went to Missouri, where he taught school, and returned to Marion township, and continued to teach until his enlistment. After the war, he taught winters for six years in his home district. In the spring of 1865 he settled on his present farm, which then consisted of 120 acres, forty acres of which he had previously bought with his savings as a teacher, and gradually added to his land until now he owns 400 acres, one of the finest farm properties in Boone county. Capt. Cobb has made his improvements from the woods, but little being cleared on the farm when he bought it. He set out the orchards, erected the buildings and carefully drained the land. He is now in very prosperous circumstances. Politically, he was a war or Douglas democrat, but voted for Greeley in 1872 and afterward for Peter Cooper. He then voted for Benjamin Harrison and is now a populist. He takes an active interest in politics and has been prominently mentioned for state senator and other important offices. He is a member of the G. A. R., Rich Mountain post, Lebanon, Fraternally he is a K. of P. Lebanon lodge. The union of Captain and Mrs. Cobb has been blessed with six children: Addie A. and Eva A. (twins), Emma B., George M., Thomas A. and Julia L., all living. They all received good educations. Addie A., and George attended the academy at Westfield, Ind. Addie married Samuel R. Artman, a leading lawyer of Lebanon; Emma B. married Frank Staton, a farmer of Marion township; George M., in the insurance business at Muncie, married Maggie Sanders. As a soldier, Capt. Cobb did his duty effectively and cheerfully and was in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment, except Perryville, when he was home on recruiting service. His name is a, synonym of integrity wherever he is known. He is very public-spirited, and has always been in favor of good schools, and roads, and all public improvements. Mrs. Cobb died August 24, 1893, of typhoid fever, and was buried in Mount's Run church, cemetery, and was followed to her last resting place by a large concourse of sorrowing friends. Mr. Cobb was one of the originators of the present agricultural society and assisted in its organization, and has been all the time since an official in some capacity, and mostly general superintendent, and the organization owes much of its present prosperity to his careful and efficient management.

Transcribed and contributed by: Chris Brown
Source: "A Portrait And Biographical Record of Boone and Clinton Counties, Ind.," pp 256-262,
published in 1895 by A. W. Bowen & CO. Chicago