CATES-Prior - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Capt. Prior Cates, tile manufacturer, Harveysburg, was born June 7, 1838 in Orange County, Indiana and is a son of Joshua and Martha J. (Phillips) Cates, both natives of North Carolina. They moved from Orange to Fountain County, in 1853 and settled in Fulton Township where they own 120 acres of land. They have 7 children living. Prior lived on the farm till the civil war broke out. He married in 1860 to Martha J. Lindley, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth Lindley. She is a native of Fountain County. Mr. Cates enlisted in August 1862 in Co. H, 63rd Ind. Vols and did 35 months of solid service. When the company was organized he was elected orderly sergeant and in one month was promoted to 2nd Lt. and in about one year to 1st Lt, and later to the captaincy of his company. He was engaged at Franklin and Nashville and many other battles. During the Atlanta campaign he spent 60 days at home sick, but rejoined his company at Altoona Mountains and served till June 25, 185 when he was discharge at Greensboro, NC. He then returned to his family and resumed farming. IN 1880 he engaged in the manufacture of tile drain at Harveysburg. He is prominent in the lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows and has been a Knight of Pythias. He was a republican but is now a supporter of the National Greenback Labor Party.