the opening of General Sherman's campaign against General Johnstons's rebel army which culminated in the capture of Atlanta, the Sixth Indiana Cavalry joined the former at Buzzards' Roost, Georgia, and did hard work and gallant service during that campaign. The regiment also took part in the ill-starred raid of General Stoneman at Sun Shine Church, south of Atlanta, where many were killed, wounded and taken prisoners. Among the latter was Mr. Beckman, who was shot through the left thigh, and his sufferings from this serious wound were rendered more than ordinarily severe by lack of proper care. For four weeks he was confined in Macon, Georgia, over one month at Andersonville, and at Charleston and Florence four and a half months. He was finally paroled and returned to his home. After being exchanged, April 19, 1865, he rejoined his regiment at Pulaski Tennessee, and in June 1865, he received an honorable discharge from the army, after which he returned to Vermillion County and engaged in agricultural pursuits. September 10, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Laura E. Crane, a native of Vermillion County, born in Helt Township, April 26, 1853, a daughter of Carlton Crane. Mr. and Mrs. Beckman made their home in Helt township until he was elected to the office of county sheriff in October, 1872, when he moved to Newport. He was re-elected to the same office, serving in that capacity four years, and in 1876 returned to his farm in Helt Township. He remained on his farm until the spring of 1884, when he removed to Clinton. In January, 1885, he established his present grocery business, and by his genial and accommodating manners, and strict attention to the wants of his customers he has built up a good trade, his sales amounting to over $13,000 per annum. In politics Mr. Beckman is a Republican, and is prominent in the councils of his party. He is a member of the Masonic fraterity. He is a member also of Owen Post, no. 329, G. A. R., and in 1887 he was elected commander of the post. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Four children have been born to them, of whom three are living, named Alice, Charles and Ray. Their third child, Lena Belle, died at the age of nine months.
JOHN W. PARRETT, of Newport, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Indiana. His father, Rev. Robert Parrett, was born in England, February 14, 1791, and was married in 1814 to Martha Mason. In 1816 they sailed from Hull, England, and after a voyage of ninety days landed in New York. They spent a few weeks in New Jersey, then came west and located near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and two years later removed to Vincennes, where they lived about a year. In the meantime he entered eighty acres of land in Posey County, to which he removed, and built a log cabin, making his home there six years. In December, 1824, he moved to Evansville and bought forty-five acres near that city, and several years later, bought 160 acres adjoining, and of this made a homestead, living on it until his death in 1859. His wife survived him about ten years. A part of his land is now included in the site of Evansville, and is known as Parrett's addition. Mr. Parrett was a Christian gentleman, and the founder of Methodism in Evansville, and a memorial window has been placed in Trinity church, that city, in his honor. He was a successful business man, acquiring considerable wealth, which he used freely in the support of the Gospel and all worthy enterprises. He was
one of the founders of the old State Bank of Indiana, which afterward became the Evansville National Bank, and was one of its directors for many years. At his death he left a record of which his descendants may well be proud. He was a not a man of liberal education, but of great natural ability, and was always greatly interested in the cause of education, and was one of ten who gave $1,000 each toward the founding of Asbury College at Greencastle, Indiana. He and his wife were the parents of ten children who grew to maturity, all of whom became worthy and influential citizens. Three sons and two daughters are yet living, John W. being the eldest of this number. The second son, Rev. Richard M. Parrett, is a citizen of Patoka, Indiana, and William F. is judge of the First Judicial Circuit, his residence being at Evansville. Jane is the wife of Hon. Alvah Johnson, of Evansville, and Eva M. is the wife of Hon. Union Bethel, of Newburg, Warren County, Indiana. The eldest of the family, Mary A., was born on the ocean while the parents were en route for America. She became the wife of Hon. John S. Hopkins, and died at their homestead in Evansville in 1885. The third son, Robert, was a successfuly attorney, a graduate of Asbury College, and at one time a member of the State Legislature. He was a Major of the One Hundredth Indiana Infantry, and was killed at Vicksburg in 1863. The youngest son, Joseph B, died at the age of thirty years, and Mrs. Martha Roberts and Mrs. Sarah Reed, died several years ago. John W. Parrett, whose name heads this sketch, was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, August 10, 1818, and was reared at Evansville from his sixth year. He joined the Methodist church when twenty years of age, and in 1842 entered the work of the ministry, and for nineteen years was a member of the Indiana Conference. He was then granted a location and settled on a farm in Vermillion County which he had bought in 1850. Although not in the regular work of the ministry he is always ready to aid the cause of Christianity, and has many calls which he is glad to answer, to fill neighboring pulpits and perform other duties devolving on a Christian minister. From the De Pauw Advocate we learn that he was present at a meeting of the Northwest Conference held at Greencastle, Indiana, when the report of the committee on education showed a lack of about $5,500 on the amount assumed by the Conference on the De Pauw fund. The first meeting of the lay and clerical conferences failed to raise the amount by $1,500. Colonel Ray delivered a long speech, followed by Doctor John in a short, compact speech, and then came the prince of beggars, Bishop Bowman, but the Bishop seemed to have lost his grip or the contract was too much for him. Things were dragging and failure seemed inevitable when Rev. John W. Parrett, then a local preacher from Newport, arose in the back part of the room, and strode forward in an awkward way, and began as nobody else could, to talk, taking the management of the meeting abruptly out of the hands of the Bishop, and by volleys of wit and wisdom, of anecdote, and sayings, wise and otherwise, now eloquent, now pathetic, and at times ludicrous beyond description, he managed to raise the last $1,500. Mr. Parrett was first married to Miss Elizabeth W. Mick, a daughter of Judge John Mick, and to them were born three children -- Richard W., Edmund J., who died at the age of nineteen years, and John W., who died aged seventeen years. Mrs. Parrett died in December, 1848, and in March 1850, Mr. Parrett was again married to Miss Lydia Zener, a daughter of Adam Zener, one of the substantial men of Newport, and founder of the Methodist church