Randolph  County,  Indiana

Henry  Wise

Although born under alien skies and taught to revere a flag other than the Stars and Stripes, nevertheless Henry Wise, one of the venerable agriculturists and public-spirited citizens of Randolph county, loved his adopted country so well that he risked his health, business chances, even life itself, in our great war between the states that the national union might not be disrupted; and this is not to be wondered at when we learn that he comes of a sterling race that produced the redoubtable Iron Chancellor, universally regarded as one of the greatest statesmen of the world, past or present, in other words, he came of a race of fighters in periods of war, when the fabled Mars strides menacingly up and down the welkin. But men who have such stick-to-itive qualities that they seldom give up any undertaking until the coveted goal is reached cannot be other than helpful and successful wherever they deign to cast their lots; therefore, the German people have been of great assistance to us in forwarding our civilization, in clearing the wilderness from the various states of the Union, in conquering our enemies and building solidly the foundations of our various institutions.              Mr. Wise was born May 5, 1838, at Oppenrod, Germany, and is a son of Melchiar and Elizabeth (Fellig) Wise, both natives of the Fatherland, where they grew to maturity, were educated and married and there spent their lives engaged in farming. There also Henry Wise grew to manhood and attended school, and when about sixteen years of age he emigrated to the United States, reaching our shores on February 11, 1854.

 He came to the central states and found work in a foundry in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained six months, then took up carpentering at Greenville, that state, for a year and one-half, after which he farmed six months, then came to Randolph county, Indiana, and here worked on a farm and attended school. At the age of twenty years he rented a farm, but met with bad luck and began working by the month again and continued going to school, but he has engaged continuously in general farming and stock raising ever since with the exception of the war period. However, he is now living practically retired.
             Mr. Wise enlisted August 19, 1862, in Company F, Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and saw much hard service, but proved to be excellent soldier. He was in the battle at Richmond, Kentucky, Chickasaw Bayou, Siege of Vicksburg and the battles incident to the same, 
was on a campaign through Arkansas, then fought at Carthage, afterwards was sent to Texas and was in the Red River expedition, then fought at Natchez, was in the Mobile campaign, also that of Pensacola, Florida. It was his regiment that opened the famous Vicksburg campaign under General Grant. He relates very vividly the awful scenes of that siege.  He was honorably discharged at Mobile, Alabama, July 5, 1865. He was never wounded or captured, but sustained an injury to his left shoulder by a fall.

After returning home he resumed farming and was successful with advancing years, and at one time owned three hundred acres of valuable land and large herds of good stock.  Old age coming on, he being now seventy-five years old, he discontinued active farming and has lived practically retired for the past ten years, now owning but ninety acres of land, which is all he cares to manage. He has a good home and well improved farm and is very comfortably fixed in his declining years as a result of his good management and hard work of former days. Politically he is a Republican and was the first member of the Greensfork township advisory board. He is a member of the Methodist church.              Mr. Wise was married August 18, 1862, to Hannah L. Bowen, who was born in Greensfork township, Randolph county. She is a daughter of Ephraim L. Bowen and wife, who live on the farm in this township which was entered from the government by his grandfather, and here Mrs. Wise grew to womanhood and had the usual educational advantages of the early days here. To our subject and wife the following children have been born:  Elnora, wife of  Michael Lahey; John married  Dora Moore;  Elizabeth is the wife of John Hart;   Hattie is the wife of  Uriah Dowlar;  Ulrie married  Minnie Powder; Florence, deceased. The Wise family belongs to the agricultural class and are each substantial citizens and owners of well-improved homes.

Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson