BRYANT-James - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Wallace, Feb. 18 (1942) - Boyhood visits in the home of Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's stepmother, and the echo of the guns during the battle of Charleston Courthouse during the Civil war, were recalled Monday by James Peter Bryant - "Pete" to his many friends here - as he celebrated his 83rd birthday. The octogenarian was born in Coles County, Ill., near Charleston, on Feb. 16, 1859, the son of Nathaniel and Sarah Jane Maxey Bryant. When Mr. Bryant was four years old the family moved to a farm near Morgantown, Ky. The trip was made in a covered wagon drawn by an ox team and took two weeks. The Civil war was in progress and soon after their arrival in Kentucky the rumor was spread that the Confederate army was near Morgantown. Mrs. Bryant took "Pete" and his two sisters to a nearby cave where they stayed for two weeks. They hewed a place in the rock side of the cave so they could have a place to rind their corn. The family made several trips between Charleston and Morgantown during the war. On one of these trips, "Pete" recalls his pet dog, Brandy, went with them. When they reached Rockport, Ind., the dog disappeared. Several weeks later his mother received a letter from Charleston telling that the dog had returned. Because there were no bridges, Brandy had to swim the Wabash, White and Ambrass rivers to reach Charleston. The first school Mr. Bryant attended was at Rockport, Ind. His father was required to pay a fee for the term which he attended at the school and the first free school he attended was at Petersburg, Indiana. Near the end of the war the Bryant family moved back to Charleston. The day they arrived a battle was fought at Charleston courthouse. "Pete's" father had to give up his horse and had to pretend deafness to keep from being shot after a soldier had commanded him to halt. Mr. Bryant remembered Sally Bush Lincoln, step-mother of Abraham Lincoln. The families were neighbors and visited many times. "Pete's" brother George had a infected foot and Lincoln's stepmother made a salve from herbs for the infection. Mr. Bryant married Maretta Jane Robbins July 3, 1878, at Charleston. In 1883 they bought a farm in Jackson township, near Wallace, where they lived until Mrs. Bryant's death in 1933. When he came to Jackson township, Wallace was called Jacksonville which was changed to Wallace in 1891 because there was another Jacksonville in Indiana. "Pete" has never missed an election since he was 21 and has never voted any place but in Jackson township. Mr. Bryant had four brothers and five sisters, one of whom, Mrs. Dora Green, of Charleston, is still living. He is the father of eight children, Alfred and Nathan of Yeddo; Charles of Marshfield; Martin of Wallace; Mrs. Stella Keller of Waynetown, and Mrs. Anna Roth of Elkhart, Ind. Two children, Mrs. Artie Wooley and Melvin are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant also reared two nieces, Lily and Dolly Thompson. He has 11 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Since the death of Mrs. Bryant, "Pete" has lived with his children. He calls it "living in a suitcase". He is good health and although he is partially blind he helps with the work wherever he is staying. He is unable to read the newspapers, but he is keenly interested in national and world events. He keeps up on all the latest news by radio. He celebrated his birthday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Bryant. His daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ruth Bryant, baked a large birthday cake for him.