Randolph County, Indiana
Biographies
Calvin S. Engle
Realizing, with Lowell, at the outset of his career that, "New occasions teach new duties, time making ancient good uncouth, and we must up and onward," Calvin S. Engle, one of Randolph county’s old and honored citizens, sought to keep fully abreast of the times in all that pertained to his special field of endeavor, and so he has prospered; and no doubt much of his material success has been due to the fact that he has been an advocate of progress in all lines, material, civic and moral, playing well his part as a citizen in this locality for more than a half century during which he has noted vast changes in every way. He represents one of our worthy pioneer families, the name Engle having been familiar throughout this county since pioneer times.
Mr. Engle was born September 9, 1844, on a farm in Washington township, Randolph county, and he now owns the farm on which he was born. He is a son of William and Letitia (Cabe) Engle, and a brother of Judge James S. Engle, a sketch of whom appears in another part of this work.
Our subject was reared on the home farm and he attended the country schools. On December 8, 1863 he left school, and enlisted in Company C, Second Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, in which he served nineteen months, lacking nine days. The regiment was in the army of the Tennessee and was with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign, and on May 9, 1864, he was captured while in advance of Sherman's army at Varnell Station, Georgia. Our subject was taken to Andersonville prison and tasted the horrors of that place for four months, when he was transferred to Charleston, South Carolina where he was a prisoner for a month, then sent to Florence, that state, for four months, later to Wilmington, North Carolina, and there paroled on February 28, 1865. He with other Union soldiers came north to Columbus, Ohio, where Mr. Engle was furloughed, after which he came back to Randolph county. He was so emaciated by his long imprisonment that his home folks hardly knew him, and his recovery was very slow. He was not able to return to his regiment until the war was over. His furlough was extended from time to time, and he was finally mustered out July 31, 1865, when his regiment returned to Indianapolis, after it had seen much hard service in many important campaigns.
For a year after the war Mr. Engle remained on the home farm, and in the spring of 1866 he went to Rice county, Minnesota and bought a farm where he soon had a good foothold and there he remained for a period of seventeen years.
He was married on December 12, 1867 to Ellen Greeley, a distant relative of Horace Greeley, the famous editor and politician. She was a daughter of James and Sarah Jane (Rand) Greeley. To our subject and wife six children were born, namely: Sarah Letitia died when one and one-half years of age; Lillian married Omar Van Landingham, a farmer of White River township; Ella died when seven years old; Price died when five years of age; Alice who married J. O. Batchelor of Winchester, is also deceased; Jennie is the wife of Samuel Staudt, of Darke county, Ohio.
Mr. Engle returned from the North to Randolph county, Indiana in 1883 and rented his father's farm, the old homestead for one year, and a year later he returned to the old place where he was born. After the death of the father he bought the interests of some of the heirs and he still owns one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead, including the old buildings there. Here he continued to reside and carry on general farming successfully until he removed to Winchester in the fall of 1898, having been elected county auditor, and he assumed office on November 17th of that year. He served in this capacity four years and during a term extension until January 1st. He has always been a Republican and always more or less active in party affairs. After his term of office expired he remained in Winchester. He owns besides the old home place seventy-six acres in White River township all good and well-improved land. The last mentioned land lies southeast of the county-seat. He lives retired but looks after his farms in a general way.
Mr. Engle's first wife died on August 20, 1908, and on September 7, 1911 he married Mrs. Martha E. Johnson, daughter of Philip and Mary (Owens) Snoderly. She was born on a farm near Gordon, Darke county, Ohio. At the time of her marriage she lived in Miamisburg, Ohio. Mrs. Engle's father was a native of North Carolina, and the mother was a native of Tennessee.
Several years ago Mr. Engle published his experiences in Andersonville in a series of well-written and interesting articles which ran several weeks in the Winchester Journal. Other Southern prisons were also included and they attracted widespread attention.
Mrs. Engle's first husband was Jacob H. Johnson, who was also a soldier in the Federal army, serving three years as a member of the Thirteenth Ohio Cavalry under the famous Phil Sheridan. Mr. Engle is a member of the Nelson Trusler Post, No. 60, Grand Army of the Republic. He was formerly a member of the Jake Jackson Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and he filled all the chairs of the same before coming to Winchester. At one time he belonged to Williamsburg Post, of this organization. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife are members of the Rebekahs. He holds membership with Carlos City Lodge, No.643, in Carlos City and has passed through all the chairs of the same. He and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he was for many years a member of the hoard of stewards, and he has always been active in church and Sunday school work.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson