Biographies and Obituaries
In loving memory
Francis Marion Hunter
Francis Marion Hunter was born 19 September 1845 in Barr Township, Daviess County, Indiana. His birth was recorded in the Bible that had belonged to his grandfather John Hunter, a Revoluntionary War Soldier. The Bible record reads "Franklin Marion Hunter" but his Civil War records give his name as Francis. The name he actually used was Frank. He was the fourth child of William Hunter and Martha Davis
In September of 1861 Frank's older brothers Henry and Reuben enlisted in Company "G" 42nd Indiana Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. At the Battle of Perryville, 8 October 1862 the 42nd was attacked in a ravine where they were filling their canteens and eating their rations. The 42nd was ordered to break into companies and to reform at the top of the hill. In the confusion there were many casualties. Henry Hunter was killed and Reuben Hunter was wounded. Reuben received a medical discharge on 3 January 1863, a little more than a year later, Reuben enlisted again in the 42nd as a Corporal, and Francis Marion Hunter enlisted at the age of 18 and went off to war with his older brother.
the 42nd joined General Sherman's army at Chattanooga, Tennessee and fought in the Atlanta Campaign from 1 May through 8 September 1864. They fought at Buzzard's Roost Gap, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope "Church, Allatoona Hills, Picketts' Mills, Pine Hill, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Smyrna Camp Ground, Nancy's Creek, and the Peachtree Creek. It was at Peachtree Creek, Georgia that Reuben Hunter was mortally wounded. He died at the Federal Field Hospital in Kingston, Georgia, 5 August 1864. Frank Hunter was also wounded at Peachtree Creek on the 20th of July. A rebel bullet hit him in the left shin. Frank was treated by a regimental surgeon and was soon returned to duty. The wound caused him a good deal of pain while on the marches that followed the Battle of Peachtree Creek, but it eventually healed completely.
Sherman's army soon occupied Atlanta. The next capmpaign was Serman's March to the Sea. It began in Atlanta 15 November 1864 and ended in Savannah 21 December 1864. Then came the Carolinas Campaign early in 1865. The Grand Army of the West marched 425 miles from Savannah, Georgia to Goldsboro, North Carolina in fifty days.
The 42nd was present at the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston on 26 April1865 near Durham Station, North Carolina. The war was nearly over. The 42nd began its long march to Washington, D.C. on the 29th of April and arrived in the capital city on the 19th of May where a Grand Review of the vicotious armies was held on 23 and 24 May 1865.
Francis M. Hunter, was discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, 21 July 1865 and returned home to Daviess County. Paul Hunter never remembered hearing his grandfather Frank talk about the Civil War. The subject must have brought many painful memories to the old man.
Tradition has it that the Hunter family moved to Texas and "burnt up" in the dustbowl. Most of the family moved up into Kansas except Frank who came back to Barr Township where he and Susan Dell Banta were married. Susan's parents were Abram T. Banta and Eliza Stephens, and her grandparents were William Stephens and Elizabeth McCracken. Fraklin M. Hunter and Wusan Dell Banta were married 27 December 1871.
Frank and Susan Dell lived in a log house built by Susan Dell's grandfather, Henry Banta. They purchased 72 acres of land in Barr Township that had been in the Banta family since 1818. Tour of the five Hunter children were born in the log house.. In 1888 a frame house which still stands, was built, and in 1889 ,b>Annie Gertrude, the youngest Hunter child was born there. The house is still owned by the Hunter family and is the home of Leota Hunter, widow of J.Paul Hunter.
Frank and Susan celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 27 December 1921 with a family gathering. All five of their children and nine of their ten grandchildren celebrated with them. The highlight of the party was an elaborate wedding cake trimmed with sweet peas and gold lietters. Baked inside the cake was a gold ring for Susan and a gold pen for Frank. The gold ring is a treasured family heirloom. It now belongs to Jerome Hunter and was given to him by Curt Wildridge on the occasion of the golden wedding anniversary of Jerome's parents Paul & Leota Hunter
Frank Hunter died 7 March 1924 from a heart attack brought on by the exertion of using an old fiddle--style seeder to sow grass seed. He was buried in Bethany Cemetery. One of the obituries written about him said, "The deceased man whose word was as good as his bond was an outstanding representative of the fast-passing type of citizen that has done much to make Daviess County a leading Inadiana community. It can be said with all candidness that in his death the county has suffered an irrepairable loss.
Contributed by Mrs. Jeanne Everett, McCracken Family Historian