LEWIS, Murphy - Putnam

MURPHY LEWIS, County recorder Covington, was born in Orange county North Carolina, April 27 1829, and is the son of John and Cynthia (Baldwin ) Lewis, whose ancestry for several generations were natives of the New England States, but were at the date of the birth of our subject residents of Orange County North Carolina. Mr. Lewis lived in Orange County until he was eighteen years old, aquiring a fair education, which he completed in the schools of Fountain and Parke Counties. He and his father came north in 1847 and settled in Fountain County, his mother having died previously. The family settled in Mill Creek Township. After engaging in Agriculture pursuits, on his own account, Mr. Lewis removed to Fulton Township, where he still owns a farm. Mr. Lewis followed farming in the summer and teaching school during the fall and winter months. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in Co. H. 63d Reg. Indiana Volunteer Inf. Capt Conover and Col. Jas. McMannomy were his officers. He never received a commission, but at the expiration of his term of service he ranked as an Orderly-Sergeant. His was not a term of service of the kind to add to one’s idea of the “Glory of War”, but three long years of hard fighting and tedious marching. He was in many of the hard fought battles not included in the memorable Atlanta Campaign in which his company and regiment took part. Returning from the service he resumed his farming, but being a thinking and reading man he was outspoken in his political views, which were and are republican, and as a consequence the republican party in October 1878 elected him recorder of Fountain County by a majority of 315 votes. This election was for a four years term, so that at present he is in the midst of the discharge of his duties. In 1853 Mr. Lewis was married to Miss Maria Myers, who is a native of Ross County Ohio, though a resident of Fountain County at the time of marriage. They have a family of nine boys.