STARNS-James F. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

James F. STARNS, retired farmer and Union Veteran, Sebatha, KS was born in Fountain County, Indiana Jan 20, 1842 and is a son of James and Matilda Starns, whose life stories are given in the biography of Frank M. Starns, written elsewhere in this volume. The parents of James F. Starns left Indiana when James F. was a boy and made settlement in Wapello Co Iowa. This was in the pioneer days of the settlement and development of Iowa and the settlers labored under great difficulties. Consequently, the children of James and Matilda Starns had very little schooling and the most of school attendance that James F. ever got was for about 3 months each year during the winter time. Lack of suitable clothing and footwear was one of the serious drawbacks to education in the Starns family and if the children had shoes to protect their feet from the bitter cold of winter they attended the school sessions if not, they stayed at home. In 1856, James Starns and his family migrated westward to Brown County, Kansas. James F. was then 14 and able to do almost a man's work in the fields. For the first five year sin Kansas he broke prairie with a team of oxen. On Sept 28, 1861 he enlisted as a member of Co. D, 8th KS infantry which was enrolled in Nemaha and Brown counties and started to the seat of war from Sabetha. Mr. Starns served under Generals Thomas, Sherman and Rosevrans and was present at the great battle of Chickamauga, receiving a wound in the neck during that memorable battle. He took part in all of the great battles fought by the Union armies between Chickamauga and Atlanta and served the Union in 12 southern States during his time of service. He reenlisted as a veteran volunteer in East Tenn in 1864. Comrade Starns was never taken prisoner for the simple reason he was too good a "runner" when his command was effecting a retreat when the odds were going against the Union forces. He received his final discharge at Leavenworth, KS Jan 9, 1866. Following his return home, he hauled logs to the saw mills for 3 years. In 1869, he began farming on rented land and later bought 40 acres in Morrill Twp, Brown Co KS. He improved this tract with a house and farm buildings and cultivated it for 33 years and then traded it for 80 acres in Capioma Twp, Nemaha Co. Three years later he sold this farm and then bought 40 acres north of Sabetha in Berwick Twp which he sold in 1915 and retired to a cottage home in Sabetha. Comrade Starns was married in Richardson Co NB on Dec 24, 1869 to Elizabeth EAKINS who was born near Ottumwa, Iowa Oct 15, 1849 and is a daughter of William and Marina Vassar Eakins, natives of Indiana and MO respectively. Mrs. Starns' parents made a settlement in Brown Co KS in 1855. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Starns: Elmer, a bookkeeper, Kansas City, MO; Howard, a graduate of St. Joseph Veterinary College and pratictioner at Humboldt, NB. Mr. Starns is a Republican and loyal adherent of the principles of the party. For years he has been a staunch and unswerving supporter of the party candidates. He is a member of the Grand Army post of Sabetha, and is hale and vigorous for his age. He is proud of the fact he was given the opportunity to offer his lfie in defense of the Union and is also proud of the important fact that he is one of the oldest living pioneer settlers of KS. For 60 years, he has lived in KS and has witnessed the settlement and development of a great state and county. He has seen the prairies made to yield food for the millions of people in the nation and has witnessed the gradual transformation of an unsettled wilderness to a smiling and peacful land of plenty, dotted with towns and cities and comfortable and prosperous farms.