Britts - John Henry - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

J. H. Britts, M.D. The subject of this sketch came from a long and honorable line of ancestry. The sketch of his father, Dr. George Britts, a prominent physician of Henry County, appears elsewhere in this work. The maiden name of his mother was Mary Jane Rogers. The former was a native of Virginia, born September 4, 1812, and the latter was born in Winchester, Kentucky, November 27, 1820. Their marriage occurred December 10, 1835, at Montgomery County, Indiana. John Henry, their oldest child, was born November 1, 1836, and was named for his grandfather. In 1842 the family emigrated to Henry County, Missouri, and settled at first in Calhoun and lived there until the summer of 1843, then coming into Clinton. Here young John attended his first school, taught by a preacher named Turner in a house on the south side of Franklin Street and a short distance from the square, opposite W. Bozarth's blacksmith shop. At this time there was no school building and but few dwellings in Clinton, the open prairie coming up to the south side of the square and it was no unusual thing to see a drove of wild deer pass within sight of the court house. In 1843 the family returned to Indiana. It will be remembered that this was the year of the great overflow, and the journey from Missouri, as usual, was begun overland, but the high water rendered it impracticable, and a steamboat was taken at Rocheport, Missouri, for Evansville, Indiana. At the latter place whilst making the landing, young Britts reaped the reward of having learned to swim. Falling overboard, unobserved, he was enabled to get ashore unaided and alone, though much to his disgust in having spoiled a pair of new shoes purchased for him in St. Louis. After his return to his native state he spent the remainder of his boyhood days in attending the public schools of the state, working on the farm and in the shop in the interval between school terms. His father not considering himself able to send him to college, he was compelled to make the best use possible of the means within his reach. When nineteen years old he taught one term of a public school near Ladoga. Having already commenced the study of medicine with his grandfather, Dr. Henry Rogers, all his available spare time was given to this. In the year of 1857, with his father's family, he again emigrated to Missouri, and continued the study of medicine with his uncle, Dr. John A. Rogers, at Clinton, and in the winter of 1857-8 attended a course of lectures at St. Louis Medical College, and the following year, 1859, set up for himself at Austin, Cass County, Missouri, where two years of hard work were sacrificed, except the experience thus brought by the event that followed. The war broke out with all the fury that characterized it on the border. There was no middle ground for any person at all prominent, and he at once set about organizing a company for state service for six months enlistment and was commissioned captain by Governor C. F. Jackson, his company being Company B, of Edgar V. Hurst's Regiment, Captain Frank Cockrell commanding Company A in the same regiment. This regiment was in General Rain's Division, Missouri State Guards, and took part in the engagements at Carthage, Wilson Creek and Lexington. The six months term of service expiring, in connection with Colonel Hurst he at once commenced to recruit a new command in Cass and Bates Counties, with headquarters on Cove Creek. While on a visit from this point to his home Col. Hurst was captured by some Kansas troops and killed. Dr. Britts at once proceeded with part of his command, mostly them that were with him in the state service, to Springfield, Missouri, where, on the 10th day of February, 1862, a company of fifty-three men were organized for the Confederate army and he was chosen captain by acclamation; Philip W. Fulkerson was elected first lieutenant; Robert Rennick, second lieutenant; and Aaron Patton, third lieutenant; John Hamilton was appointed orderly. This company remained a part of Waldo P. Johnson's Battalion till 4th day of April, 1862, when the Fourth Regiment of Infantry was organized, McFarlane, colonel, and Waldo P. Johnson, lieutenant colonel, when Dr. Britts was offered the place of major, or that of surgeon. He chose the latter on account of the advantages it would offer in the line of his chosen profession, and from this on he in that capacity followed the fortunes of his regiment, afterwards consolidated with the First Missouri Infantry, Amos Riley colonel, through many bloody engagements east of the Mississippi River, up to the siege of Vicksburg. There he was promoted to brigade surgeon, which position he only filled a few days, till he was severely wounded on the night of the 9th of June, 1863, at the city hospital, whilst in the line of duty. A 15-inch shell from the Porter Mortar Fleet came through the building and exploded in the room occupied by the hospital staff. As it happened at the time, none were in the room except himself and a Dr. Taylor, who escaped unhurt through the door before the explosion. Dr. Britts, who was held down for a time by the lath and plaster torn loose from the ceiling, was not so fortunate, and did not escape in time. He lost his right leg, and was otherwise severely wounded in the lungs and left knee, and crushed by the explosion so that it seemed incredible that any one could escape alive. But a splendid constitution and the kind care of his comrades brought him through, so that he was enabled to again return to duty as hospital surgeon at Montgomery, Alabama, the 18th of November following, and finally surrendered with the last of the Confederates at Atlanta, Georgia, May 13, 1865. Early in August of the same year, 1865, he returned to Clinton, Missouri, coming by way of Mobile, New Orleans and St. Louis, and resumed the practice of medicine and surgery in co-partnership with Dr. P. S. Jennings, which firm has continued up to the present time. In 1866 he received a diploma and adeundem degree from the Missouri Medical College. As a surgeon Dr. Britts enjoys a good reputation. In the war he was a bold operator and an efficient officer; was noted for his mechanical skill in adopting the limited means within his reach to the requirements of his patients; would cut unsparingly when necessary, but was always conservative in the practice of his profession, and was the means of saving many a wounded soldier his limbs, which others less conservative might have sacrificed. As soon after his return to Clinton as he could establish himself in practice he married on the 1st day of November, 1865, Miss Annie E. F. Lewis, daughter of Robert Lewis. Mrs. Britts was born June 18, 1839, in St. Louis County, Missouri, her grandparents having settled in Bonhomme Bottom as early as 1811. Her family is related to familiar names in the early history of Missouri, many of which were among the first settlers of the Mississippi Valley, as the Bacons, Longs, Bates and Woodsons. Their union has been blessed with six children, all girls, five of whom are living: Mary Britts, born September 5, 1866; Lucy Britts, born November 1, 1867, died May 30, 1872, Eugene Salmon Britts, born September 18, 1870; Louisa Lewis Britts, born June 6, 1875; Annie Alice Britts, born September 15, 1876, and Edith Scott Britts, born September 13, 1878. In politics Dr. Britts is a Democrat; since his enfranchisement in 1872, he has been an active worker for the success of his party, though never an aspirant for any office till the present year, 1882, when he received the Democratic nomination for the office of state senator, Sixteenth District, composed of the counties of Bates, Cass and Henry. There were three candidates: Judge J. N. Ballard, of Bates; Mr. Charles W. Sloan, of Cass, and Dr. John H. Britts, of Henry. Each county had five delegates and cast the Hancock vote of 1880, for their choice: Bates, 2,929; Cass, 2,769; Henry, 2848. The convention was held at the city of Butler, August 1, 1882, and after a contest of three days and 375 ballots cast and no choice, Mr. Charles Sloan, of Cass County, withdrew, and on the 577th ballot, Dr. Britts was nominated, and at the following election in November defeated his opponent, a Republican, Mr. H. J. Doolay, 3,129 votes, and took his seat in the Thirty-Second General Assembly, at Jefferson City, January 3, 1883.