Talbot - Henry H. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The respect which should always be accorded the brave sons of the North who left their homes and the peaceful pursuits of civil life to give their services, and their lives if need be, to preserve the integrity of the Union is certainly due Capt. Henry H. Talbot, one of the success ful agriculturists and esteemed citizens of Montgomery County. He proved his love and loyalty to the government on the long and tiresome marches in all kinds of situations, exposed to summer's withering heat and winter's freezing cold, on the lonely picket line a target for the bullets of the unseen foe, on the tented field and amidst the flame and smoke of battle, where the rattle of the musketry mingled with the terrible concussion of the bursting shell and the deep diapason of the cannon's roar made up the sublime, but awful chorus of death. To the heroes of the "Grand Army' all honor is due; to them the country is under a debt of gratitude which it cannot pay and in centuries yet to be posterity will commemorate their chivalry in fitting eulogy and tell their knightly deeds in story and song. To this rapidly vanishing host into the phantom army of the silent land belongs the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article, still left with us to thrill us with reminiscences of those stirring times of the early sixties. Capt. Talbot was born at Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, September 6, 1841. He is a son of Courtney and Elizabeth (Harp) Talbot. The father was born in Fayette County, that state, on July 14, 1813. Nicholas Talbot, the paternal grandfather, was born in Virginia, November 10, 1781. John Kennedy, the great grandfather of our subject, was born October 16, 1742 and he served in the Revolutionary War. Capt. Talbot has a copy taken from record for a grant of land of two thousand and send hundred acres located on Kennedy's Creek, Bourbon, County, Kentucky. It was issued in favor of his great grandfather, John Kennedy, and his brother Joseph Kennedy, the same land being located and surveyed by Maj. Daniel Boone, October 16, 1779. Capt. Talbot received such education as the early times in which he was a boy afforded, and early in life he took up farming which he has always followed, and he is now the owner of a large, productive and finely improved farm near Crawfordsville on which he has long carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He has always taken a great deal of interest in preparing a good grade of live stock for the market. He has a pleasant home in the midst of attractive surroundings, and it is his intention to spend the rest of his days amid rural scenes,, being a great lover of nature in all her forms and it is his hope that his last view of earth will be on waving grain fields and blooming meadow lands. While his father was the owner of many slaves, Captain Talbot enlisted for service in the Federal army in the first call for three months' troops at the outbreak of the war. Later, as a member of Company C, Seventh Kentucky Cavalry, on June 1, 1862, he saw much hard service, but according to his comrades: he proved to be faithful and gallant no matter how arduous or dangerous the tasks assigned him. His first battle was at Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, 1862, and afterwards he was in scores of battles and skirmishes, his hardest service being against Longstreet around Knoxville, Tennessee, in the winter of 1863-64. He participated in the Atlanta Campaign and was in the Great Wilson Calvary Raid, which started from Eastport, Mississippi, and the regiment to which our subject belonged found itself in Florida at the end of that undertaking. Our subject was in the last battle of the war at Westpoint, Georgia, April 16, 1865. For meritorious conduct he was twice promoted, first to second lieutenant and secondly, to the captaincy of his regiment, and as an officer he won the confidence and respect of his men and superior officers. During his military career he was twice wounded, one through the right breast and once through the right leg. He was mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee, July 17, 1865. Captain Talbot was the only one of his family in Kentucky to join the Union army, others of his relatives joining the Confederate Army. After his career in the army, Captain Talbot returned home, and resumed farming, later coming to Montgomery County, Indiana, where he has since resided. He was married on June 6, 1872 to Hettie A. Evans, daughter of Rev. Samuel and Mary (Woodruff) Evans, of Waveland, Indiana. To this union the following children were born: Mar Wood Talbot and Ethel Talbot Sparks, the last named is the widow of the late Wallace Sparks, formerly clerk of Montgomery County. Captain Talbot has been a Republican for the past fifty years, however in the campaign of 1912 he allied himself with the Progressive Party under Colonel Roosevelt. He has served one term as County Councilman. Captain Talbot is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and he served two terms as post commander of McPherson Post, No. 7, at Crawfordsville. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic Order, having been a Mason for the past fifty years, holding membership with Montgomery Lodge, No. 50. He is a Member of the Rural Detectives, and in this organization he had the honor of constructing its secret work.

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Source: Dunn, Jacob Piatt. Indiana and Indianans. Chicago: American Historical Society, 1919, p 1310

Capt. Henry H. Talbot. It has been the gracious privilege of Capt. Henry H. Talbot of Crawfordsville to review the emotions and experiences of the great American Civil War through which he passed as a gallant soldier and officer when he lent his energies to the forces of the WW when america joined the allies in overcoming the menance of Prussianism in the world. Capt. Talbot is now one of the scattered remnants of that great army that fought against slavery more than half a century ago and the honors he achieved as a soldier have been repeated again and again as a substantial citizen and for many years as a practical farmer in Montgomery County. He comes of a family of soldiers, pioneers and patriots. he was born at Lexington, Fayette Co KY September 6, 1841, son of Courtney and Elizabeth Harp Talbot. His great grandfather, John Kennedy born Oct 16, 1742, was a soldier in the struggle for independence. A grant of nearly 3000 acres of land on Kennedy's Creek in Bourbon Co KY was issued John Kennedy and his brother Joseph Kennedy. The record of that trasaction, a copy of which is in the possession of Capt. Talbot, shows that the land was located and surveyed by Maj. Daniel Boone Oct 16, 1779. The paternal grandfather was Nicholas Talbot, born in VA Nov 10, 1781. He was an early settler in KY where his son Courtney was born Sept 3, 1804. Elizabeth Harp was born in Fayette County, KY July 14, 1813. The Talbots of KY were planters and slave owners and Capt. Talbot was the only one of the family to espouse the cause of the Union in the Civil War, a number of his relatives having fought on the other side. Capt. Talbot was 20 when the war broke out. His earlier life had been spent on the farm with a practical education i the common schools. At the very outbreak of the war he enlisted in a three months' regiment and later became a member of Co C, 7th Ky Cavalry. HIs first battle was at Richmond, KY AUg 30, 1862. Upon the cavalry arm of the federal forces devolved some of the most hazardous and responsible duties in connection with waging the war in the Mississippi Valley. Thus Capt. Talbot was exposed to many more dangers than those encountered by the average soldier in infantry commands and for nearly 3 years was riding about over many states of the Central South, scouting raiding, guarding lines of communication. Some of his hardest service was against Longstreet around Knoxville, Tenn in the winter of 1863-64. He was in the Wilson Cavalry raid, which started from Eastport, Mississippi, and ended with Capt. Talbot's regiment in Florida. He was also in the Atlanta campaign, and fought in the last battle of the war at Westpoint, Georgia April 16, 1865. He was mustered out at Nashville July 17, 1865. Capt. Talbot was twice wounded, once through the right breast and once through the right leg. Soldierly conduct, bravery and efficiency won him several promotions, being advanced to the rank of 2nd Lt. and later captain of his company. When the war was over Capt Talbot, a veteran soldier, returned to his Ky home and resumed farming, but a few years later moved to Montgomery County, Indiana where he acquired a large farm near Crawfordsville. He has been one of the leading stock raisers in that community and all branches of farming have appealed to him and he has long been recognized as a master of those arts concerned in making the soil produce abundantly. For many years he has enjoyed one of the best country homes of the county. During this time he has allied himself constantly with the elements of progress. In politics he has been a steadfast republican though in 1912 he supported the progressive ticket. He served one term as member of the County Council. For two terms he was commander of McPherson Post 7 Grand Army of the Republic at Crawfordsville. He has been a Mason in good standing for more than half a century,being affiliated with Montgomery Lodge 50, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. On June 6, 1872, Capt. Talbot married Miss Hettie A. Evans, daughter of Rev. Samuel and Mary Woodruff Evans of Waveland, Indiana. They became the parents of two daughters, May Wood and Ethel. Ethel is the widow of Wallace Sparks, a former clerk of Montgomery County.

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Source: Janet Lambert, famed Montgomery County author, wrote about Crawfordsville in "Thanks for the Memories" (typed)

One day Capt. Talbot who won a two-cylinder Brush at the County Fair was driving around town with his wife. The wind blew up his long beard in his face and he stopped the car so suddenly that Mrs. Talbot was pitched out. After he helped her back in, he said, "Sorry, Mother, my whiskers blew up and I thought it was a load of hay." After that the Capt. always went out with his beard neatly rolled in a bun and fastened with a bone hair pin."

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Thanks so much to the Crawfordsville District Public Library's database for this super pic of Henry - it goes along perfectly with the last little entry below :) And proudrebel.com for the flag