Joseph M. Swope

JOSEPH M. SWOPE

Fame may look to the clash of resounding arms for its heroes; history's pages may be filled with a record of the deeds of the so-called great who have deluged the world with blood, destroyed kingdoms, created dynasties and left their names as plague spots upon civilization's escutcheon; the poet may embalm in deathless song the short and simple annals of the poor; but there have been comparatively few to sound the praise of the brave and sturdy pioneer who among the truly great and noble is certainly among the deserving of at least a little space on the category of the immortals. To him more than to any other is civilization indebted for the brightest gem in its diadem, for it was he that blazed the way and acted as vanguard for the mighty army of progress that within the last century has conquered the wilderness and transformed it into a fair and enlightened domain. One of this hardy band, who came to Boone county, Indiana, when it was little developed and sparsely settled was Joseph M. Swope, who was a leading farmer in his day, an influential citizen and a gallant soldier for the Union.

Mr. Swope was born October 10, 1842, in Boone county, Indiana. His father, Ebenezer H. Swope, was born in Estill county, Kentucky, in 1812, and there grew to manhood and in 1830 married Lucinda Robertson, who was born in 1810. She was a daughter of Jesse Robertson, who lived to be ninety-six years of age. His wife was Sarah White before her marriage. Their parents moved to Indiana in 1836, locating in Putnam county. In the spring of 1840 they changed their residence to Boone county, locating a short distance south of Elizaville. Ebenezer H. Swope was a farmer and became one of the successful men of his community, accumulating a handsome competence, including a well-improved and productive farm of two hundred and twenty acres besides valuable personal property. He dealt quite extensively in live stock in connection with general farming. He was a man of strict propriety, his word always being considered as good as his bond in the community where he lived. He was an ardent Republican in his political faith, and his death, which occurred on September 2, 1881, was an event greatly deplored by the people of Clinton township. His widow survived until March 20, 1893, and, like her husband, was greatly missed from the community in which she resided. Their family consisted of the following children: Lewis, born February 7, 1833, died in 1860; Elizabeth, born August 21, 1835; Sarah A., born October 13, 1837, died in 1860; Jonathan, born August 11, 1840, died in January, 1912; and Joseph M., whose name heads this memoir; Jessie, born November 16, 1844; Mrs. Mary Brinton, born January 1, 1847; Mrs. Serrilda A. Perkins, born September 6, 1851, died in 1879.

The father of Ebenezer H. Swope was Joseph Swope, who was born in Virginia in 1784, and whose death occurred May 26, 1877, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. He served as an officer in the War of 1812, and married in Virginia Mary Hines, who was born July 15, 1782, in the Old Dominion. Joseph Swope and family moved to Kentucky about the year 1810, and the death of his wife occurred in that state. The following are the names of their children: Andrew William, Eliza A., Ebenezer H., Helena D. and Catherine S. After the death of the mother of the above named children Joseph Swope married for his second wife Julia A. Robertson, who was born July 27, 1801, in Kentucky, and whose death occurred at the age of eighty-three years.

Joseph M. Swope grew to manhood on the home farm in Boone county, and there he found plenty of hard work to do when he was a boy, and he received his education in the early-day schools of his community; here he was contented to spend his life, and became one of the county's leading farmers and stock men, owning a large and well-improved farm, on which is to be seen an attractive residence and substantial outbuildings. He prospered through good management and the exercise of sound judgment and was a man of industry.

Mr. Swope was married September 17, 1871, to Patsy Garrett, who was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, May 25, 1854. She is a daughter of Benjamin D. Garrett, who was also a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred there in the year 1838, and there he grew to manhood and was married to Sarah Gilmore, who was born in Nichols county, that state, in 1828, and there she spent her earlier years. Mrs. Swope grew up in the Blue Grass state and received a good education in the common schools.

To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Swope four children were born, namely: Orie A., born March 31, 1873; Alva D., born May 28, 1875; Edith, born February 1, 1877, died October 14, 1880; Harlan, born April 20, 1879, died August 12, 1881.

The death of Joseph M. Swope occurred April 3, 1914, when well past his three score and ten, and the entire community feels that it has lost a good and useful citizen.

Mr. Swope was a veteran of the Civil war, having fought gallantly for the Union during its greatest crisis, and before his death his captain paid a high tribute, which is contained in the following article, which we here reproduce from a leading newspaper in Boone county:

"The story of the military experience of Joseph M. Swope, who died last Friday at his home in Clinton township, is set forth in an article written several years ago by the late Felix Shumate, captain of the company in which Mr. Swope was a member. The article, which will be of general interest, follows: 'Joseph M. Swope was a citizen of Elizaville, or near there, when the war of the rebellion broke out, of good family, with only a common school education, and only eighteen years of age. He was more than the average in intellect and a true type of the western soldier. Boy, as he was, he enlisted in my company--I, Tenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, September 18, 1861, at Lebanon, Indiana, and in three days was in front of the Confederate army in Kentucky. He remained a private soldier, preferring that to any promotions, which were offered him on several occasions. Joe, as the boys learned to call him, was honest and conscientious, and made a true soldier in every sense of the word, was never arrested, never in the hospital, and never attended sick call while in the service, made every march his company made, was in every skirmish and battle his company was in, including Mill Springs, and Perryville, Kentucky; Hoover's Gap, Tennessee; Corinth, Mississippi; Chickamauga, Ringgold, Tunnel Hill, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Adairville, Kingston, New Hope Church, Chattahoochee, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Lost Mountain, Atlanta, Utah Creek, and all the skirmishes in Sherman's celebrated campaign in Georgia in 1864.

"'I want to mention a few acts of bravery performed by Mr. Swope. Early in 1862, at the battle of Mill Springs, his first baptism in battle, I discovered that he had the peculiar qualities for a good soldier. At Tullahoma, Tennessee, in June, 1862, Joe, with one or two other members of his company, distinguished himself, in the heat of battle, by giving me some valuable information as to a flank movement of the enemy. Also at Perryville, Kentucky, 1863, while my company was making a night attack, he, in company with his comrades, performed a deed which gave the brigade commander very valuable information as to the position of the enemy. At Chickamauga Joe behaved himself most gallantly, and on Sunday, the twentieth, he performed services that were scarcely equaled in the annals of war. He was detailed, with Wiley Howard, to assist the wounded to the surgeons in the rear, and so well did they do that duty that all the wounded of my company were saved and got back to Chattanooga, and notwithstanding the fact that the army was much broken and scattered and many changes made in the lines, he came off the field that night with the remnant of his company. At Kenesaw Mountain he distinguished himself by standing out in a storm of shot and shell and greatly encouraged his comrades who were feeling blue. At Utah Creek, to the right of Atlanta, when we had charged up close to the Confederate works, and were short of ammunition, and it looked to be just as hazardous to go backward as forward, there came an order to send a man after ammunition. Well, the orderly sergeant raised up and said to the boys that he did not feel like detailing a man to go to death, and asked if any volunteer would go. After a brief pause, Joe informed him that he would go, and go he did, although his comrade that was helping him was knocked senseless by a shell in front of him, Joe returned to the company with the box of cartridges."
 

Submitted by: T. Stover - March 12, 2007

Source: "History of Boone County, Indiana," by Hon. L. M. Crist, 1914.