McCain - Thomas Hart Benton - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

McCain - Thomas Hart Benton

Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal, 30 April 1914 (note do believe this is an incorrect date - SORRY - 30 April 1898 I assume)

H.B. McCain, the editor of The Journal died last evening at 8:05 o'clock at his home on East Wabash Avenue. He had been ill since January and for nearly three months was confined to his home. The disease was hemorrhage of the brain together with a clot in one of the blood vessels. A second hemorrhage occurred Saturday since which time the end was hourly expected. Thomas Hart Benton McCain was born in Clinton County on January 24, 1839, and was the son of Hugh and Minerva McCain. Hugh McCain died in 1893, but Mrs. Minerva McCain is still alive and has made her home in this city since her husband's death.

The McCain family his of Scotch-Irish descent and the American branch has been in this country for more than a century. T.H.B. McCain in his youth enjoyed such educational advantages as were afforded by the common schools and the then famous Thorntown Academy. After completing the course there he taught school during the winter season and in the summer worked as a printer in the newspaper offices of Lebanon. When the Civil War broke out he was among the first to enlist and entered the service as a private in Company I of the 86th Indiana regiment. After a service of several months he was promoted to the office of sergeant-major and during the last year of the war served as first lieutenant of the company, being captain in effect as the captain was serving as a member of the staff. He took part in all the battles in which his regiment participated, among the more notable being Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, Stone River, Franklin and the battles of the Atlanta campaign. At Stone River he was captured and was in Libby Prison at Richmond for several months, suffering not a little from the privations which all who were incarcerated ... Murfreesboro, Tenn, and in 1868 began the publication of Republican newspaper. Murfreesboro was not at that time an especially good field for a Republican paper, so Mr. McCain returned the same year to Indiana and with John H. Hendricks purchased the Crawfordsville Journal. Mr. Hendricks because of poor health soon sold his interest to John T. Talbot who remained a partner in the business until 1876, when Mr. McCain became sole proprietor, remaining so until the organization of The Journal Company in 1892. He had charge of the editorial department of the paper from 1868 until his health broke in January and he was known the state over as one of the best informed and forcible writers in Indiana.

It was his ambition to manage a model country newspaper and how well he succeeded The Journal is as a testimonial. Mr. McCain was prominent as a member of the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Tribe of Ben Hur and the GAR. He was identified with every movement that was for the upbuilding and improvement of the city and was always progressive. He was one of the first to interest the city in building and loan associations and at the time of his death was president of two associations and a director of a third. On May 7, 1867, at Lebanon Mr. McCain was married to Miss Salome Longley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Longley. She with two sons, Arthur A. and Fred T, survive him. In his home life his splendid character was seen at its best and there was in Crawfordsville no happier home than the one which has death leaves desolate. The funeral will take place from the family residence on East Wabash Avenue Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock. -- kbz

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 6 May, 1898

T. H. B. McCain, the editor of The Journal, died Sunday evening at 8:05 o’clock at his home on East Wabash Avenue. He had been ill since January and for nearly three months was confined to his home. The disease was hemorrhage of the brain together with a clot in one of the blood vessels. A second hemorrhage occurred Saturday, since which time the end was hourly expected.

Thomas Hart Benton McCain was born in Clinton County on January 24, 1839, and was the son of Hugh and Minerva McCain. Hugh McCain died in 1893, but Mrs. Minerva McCain is still alive and has made her home in this city since her husband’s death. The McCain family is of Scotch-Irish descent and the American branch has been in this county for more than a century. T. H. B. McCain in his youth enjoyed such educational advantages as were afforded by the common schools and the then famous Thorntown Academy. After completing the course there he taught school during the winter season and in the summer worked as a printer in the newspaper offices of

Lebanon

. When the Civil War broke out he was among the first to enlist and entered the service as a private in Company I of the 86^th Indiana regiment. After a service of several months he was promoted to the office of sergeant-major, and during the last year of the war, he served as first lieutenant of the company, being captain in effect, as the captain was serving as a member of the staff. He took part in all the battles in which his regiment participated, among the more notable being Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, Stone River, Franklin and the battles of the Atlanta Campaign. At Stone River he was captured and was in Libby Prison at Richmond for several months, suffering not a little from the privations which all who were incarcerated there endured. He was finally exchanged and returned to his regiment at the earliest possible moment. Immediately after the war he located in Delphi and began the publication of the Delphi Journal. In a short time he removed to

Lebanon

and there remained a year and a half as the editor of the Patriot. From

Lebanon

he went to Murfreesboro, Tenn., and in 1868 began the publication of a Republican newspaper. Murfreesboro was not at that time an especially good field for a Republican paper, so Mr. McCain returned the same year to Indiana and with John H. Hendricks purchased the Crawfordsville Journal. Mr. Hendricks, because of poor health, soon sold his interest to John T. Talbot, who remained a partner in the business until 1876, when Mr. McCain became sole proprietor, remaining so until the organization of The Journal Company in 1892. He had charge of the editorial department of the paper from 1868 until his health broke in January, and he was known the state over as one of the best informed and forcible writers in Indiana. It was his ambition to maintain a model country newspaper and how well he succeeded The Journal is a testimonial.

Mr. McCain was prominent as a member of the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Tribe of Ben Hur and the G. A. R. he was identified with every movement that was for the up-building and improvement of the city and was always progressive. He was one of the first to interest the city in building and loan associations, and at the time of his death he was president of two associations and a director of a third.

On May 7, 1867, at Lebanon, Mr. McCain was married to Miss Salome Longley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Longley. She with two sons, Arthur A. and Fred T., survive him. In his home life his splendid character was seen at its best and there was in Crawfordsville no happier home than the one which his death leaves desolate.

The funeral took place from the family residence on East Wabash Avenue Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock. -s

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 6 May, 1898

The Lebanon Reporter, speaking of the death of T. H. B. McCain, says:

“He was at one time editor of the

Lebanon

Patriot and is well known all over the county, especially among the older citizens. He purchased the

Lebanon

Patriot of Andrew Hall in March, 1866, and the entire office was destroyed by fire a few weeks later. He lost no time in procuring a new press and material and continued to publish the Patriot until September, 1867, when he sold out to David E. Caldwell. He then went to Murfreesboro, Tenn., and established a paper. He was too outspoken to suit the southern sympathizers there, however, and came near being roughly handled. At the earnest solicitation of his wife he returned to Indiana and bought the Crawfordsville Journal. He was a member of the Indiana Loyal Legion.

Those who knew Mr. McCain speak in the highest terms of his strong, manly character, and his worth as a citizen. The Reporter can testify as to his ability as an editor. The Crawfordsville Journal, to which he has given his best efforts, is considered one of the most successful and strongest of daily and weekly papers in central Indiana.

Mr. McCain was a brother-in-law of Mrs. Mary Hendricks. Since residing in Crawfordsville he has made frequent visits to

Lebanon

and today has a very large circle of friends here who sincerely mourn his demise.” -s

Source: Covington Republican Friday, May 6, 1898

T. H. B. McCain, editor of the Crawfordsville Journal, died Sunday night after an illness of three months. The funeral took place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

T. H. B. McCain was born in Clinton County, on Jan. 24, 1839. His parents were Hugh B. and Minerva (Douglass) McCain. His father died in 1893, but his mother still resides at Westfield. T. H. B. McCain enlisted in the Eighty-sixth-Indiana infantry and in a year he was promoted to a sergeant-major, and the last year of his service he was first lieutenant. He was in many of the civil war battles, among them being Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and the Atlantic campaign engagements. At the close of the war he began the publication of the Delphi