APPLEGATE, John Samuel - Putnam

We regret to announce that John Samuel Applegate, Sheriff of this county died at an early hour Saturday morning from chronic diarrhea contracted while in the rebel prison pen of Andersonville.  Mr. Applegate was born Sept 4th, 1823, at May’s Lick, Mason County KY and removed with his father, Peter Applegate to this county about the year 1831. He early learned the blacksmith trade which he followed in this city until 1862.  In August of that year, he enlisted as a private in the 71st Ind Vol, afterwards the 6th Cav and on the organization of the regiment was mustered in as Orderly Sgt of Company C. Was in the battle of Richmond, Ky where he was captured by the rebels and paroled.  He was afterwards again captured near the same place and again paroled. He served continuously with his regiment and his superior officers report him as being intensely loyal and exceedingly faithful in the discharge of his duties. During Stoneman’s celebrated raid in the rear of Atlanta, 1864, he, with the greater part of that command was captured near Athens, Georgia and sent to Andersonville prison. Here he lay for eight months and twenty days during which time he contracted the disease which eventually caused his death. When he entered that place of death, he was a stout, able-bodied man; when he emerged from it to be exchanged, he had been reduced by disease to a mere skeleton.  From there he was sent to Vicksburg and was there placed on board the ill-fated steamer Sultana for transportation North. When a short distance above Memphis, that boat blew up, instantly hurling hundreds into eternity. When the disaster took place, Applegate was asleep and was first conscious of what had occurred by finding himself in the water. Seizing a board, he managed to keep himself afloat until dragged under the water by the weight of those who were also clinging to the same support. He then swam to a bale of hay to which he succeeded in retaining his hold until he had floated, together with three others, a distance of 7 miles when he and his companions were rescued by a friendly boat, after having been in the water over four hours. His already prostrated system never recovered from this shock but his energetic spirit would not permit him to remain away from his comrades and he rejoined his regiment at Pulaski, Tennessee, May 11th, 1865. There being a vacancy in his company he was at once appointed and commissioned 1st Lt. But his health was broken. What rebel lead had failed to do, the prison pen had accomplished, and the indefatigable soldier was soon forced to retire from active duty. On the 27th of September 1865, his term of service having expired, he was mustered out with his regiment. The Union men of Putnam County were not unmindful of what he had done and suffered for his country and in October 1866 elected him to the responsible office of Sheriff, notwithstanding the determined opposition of the Democracy. In this capacity he served, with satisfaction to all, until the messenger of Death, so long expected, released him from his sufferings. Often he would seem to get better, but it was only a temporary change and he would soon relapse into his former condition growing gradually worse. Since early autumn he has been constantly confined to his room where kind friends did what they could to render his short stay on earth as pleasant as possible. The funeral took place Monday afternoon under the direction of the Masonic and Odd Fellow’s fraternities, Mr. Applegate having been a member of both Orders, Clad in their beautiful regalia, the Orders formed in procession at Brown’s Hall, from whence they marched to the residence of the deceased and from thence they moved, preceded by appropriate martial music and followed by the hearse and pall bearers after which came carriages containing friends to the Christian Church where Elder OP Badger gave a brief biographical sketch of the deceased. He was followed by Dr. EH Barry, Grand Secretary of the Order of Odd Fellows in Indiana who addressed himself in a few feeling remarks to the order.  On the conclusion of Dr. Barry’s address, the procession again formed in the same order as before and moved to the Old Cemetery where all that was mortal of John S. Applegate was consigned to earth, under the combined and impressive ceremony of the Masons and Odd Fellows. Mr. Applegate leaves a wife and one child, who have the sympathies of the entire community in their sad bereavement.