in front of Atlanta, in all of which Mr. Roberts manfully acted a soldier's part. After the fall of Atlanta the regiment as part of the Twenty-third Corps, turned north, and fought in the heroic battles of Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee, where General Hood's army was practically destroyed. Mr. Roberts received an honorable discharge September 13, 1865, when he returned to his home in Vermillion County. Since November 21, 1870, when he entered the mercantile establishment of Whitcomb, Anderson & Co., as clerk, he has been engaged in mercantile pursuits, with the exception of four years when he was serving as clerk of Vermillion County having been elected to that office in 1878. In 1882 he became a partner in the mercantile firm of A. L. Whitcomb & Co., at Clinton. January 1, 1885, he sold out his interest in the business to Mr. Whitcomb, and bourght a farm in Clinton Township. Later he opened a grocery at Clinton which he continued but a short time when closing out he engaged in general merchandising with B. H. Morgan and John Q. Washburn under the firm name of Roberts & Co. February 1, 1887, they divided their stock and Mr. Roberts became associated in business with B. H. Morgan, at the old stand formerly occupied by A. L. Whitcomb & Co. Besides his business interests in Clinton Mr. Roberts owns a fine farm of 145 acres located on sections 12 and 14, Clinton Township. Mr. Roberts was united in marriage February 20, 1876, to Miss Laura Hagar, a daughter of J. M. and Jane Hagar, her father being deceased. Her mother is still a resident of Clinton. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, a son named Arthur, was born November 7, 1876. Mr. Roberts is one of the leading members of the Masonic fraternity in Vermillion County, and in 1887 was appointed Master of Jerusalem Lodge, No. 99, at Clinton, he is also a membr of Owen Post, No. 329, G. A. R., of which he is Adjutant. In politics he is a Democrat. He is now serving his fourth term as township treasurer which shows the confidence and esteem in which he is held.
GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, of Highland Township, is a son of Elias Nelson Reynolds, a pioneer of Vermillion County. Elias N. Reynolds was born in Maryland September 2, 1804. He was left an orphan at an early age, and learned the trades of wheelwright and chairmaker, serving an apprenticeship of five years, completing it when he was twenty-one years old. He then went to Zanesville, Ohio, where he taught school for a time, and in the fall of 1830 came to Vermillion County, Indiana, and settled about four miles northwest of Perrysville. Here he entered 100 acres of land, which he partially improved, living on it about six years, and also in the meantime taught several terms of school. About 1838 he moved to a farm about three and a half miles northwest of Perrysville, near the present site of Gessie, where he lived until his death, which occurred August 26, 1877, being at that time within a few days of his seventy-third birthday. He was one of the highly respected men of the county, and was one of its public-spirited citizens. He was well educated for his day, and always took an interest in the cause of education. In politics he was a Democrat but during the war was a strong supporter of the Government. He was married May 8, 1828, near Circleville, Ohio, to Rebecca Craig, a daughter of David Craig, a native of Kentucky, who moved to Ohio in an early day and built the first cabin on the present site of the city of Chillicothe. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had three sons, but one of
whom, George H., survives. David J. was born April 12, 1829, and died January 14, 1850; William W., born September 15, 1831, died January 16, 1874. George H. Reynolds was born on the farm where he now lives in Highland Township, July 28, 1835. He was married December 31, 1857, to Marinda Bainbridge, a daughter of Stephen Bainbridge, an early settler of Highland Township. They have six children living -- James B., born July 25, 1859; Flora Belle, born January 15, 1861; Mary C., born December 22, 1868; William M., born November 19, 1871; Elias Nelson, born February 2, 1874, and Callie, born June 5, 1881. Their third child, Lanny J., was born May 9, 1864, and died September 15, 1866. Mr. Reynold's mother makes her home with him and is active and in good health for one of her years. Mr. Reynolds owns about 300 cares of land in Highland Township.
AMOS J. BETSON, one of the prosperous agriculturists of Vermillion County, engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 7, Vermillion Township, was born in Oneida, New York, in the year 1845. His parents, Henry and Mary A. (Johnson) Betson, were natives of New York State, and of English descent. They came to Vermillion County, Indiana with their family in 1847, remaining here till 1875. They then removed to Chrisman, Illinois, where the father died in 1875. The mother still resides in Chrisman. Amos J. Betson, the subject of this sketch, was reared to the avocation of a farmer, which he has followed through life, and in his youth received but a limited education in the schools of his day. He was married in Parke County, Indiana, in 1874, to Miss Louisa Rubottom, who was born in that county in 1853, a daughter of Milton and Lula Rubottom. They are the parents of seven children named -- Maude, Rosa, Lula, Roy, Garnet J., Bernice and Retie C. Mr. Betson commenced life for himself without capital, at first renting land, but by his persevering industry and good business management he has succeeded well, having by his own efforts accumulated his present fine property. He owns 327 acres of land where he resides, besides forty-nine acres in another section. He has a fine brick residence, erected by himself, and his entire surroundings show care and thrift. He raises a variety of crops, most of which he feeds to his stock. In politics he affiliates with the Democratic party. Post office, Newport, Indiana.
ZACHARIAH D. JAMES, late of Vermillion County, but now a resident of Montezuma, Parke County, was born in Virginia, August 30, 1811, a son of Dr. William B. and Elizabeth james. In the fall of 1811, when our subject was an infant his parents removed from Virginia to Jefferson County, Ohio, making the entire trip on horseback, his mother carrying him all the way. In 1816 the family settled in Mansfield, Ohio, among the early settlers, the father preaching the first sermon preached in that place, and superintended the building of the first church there. He immigrated to Vermillion County, Indiana, in 1822, where he praticed medicine and preached the gospel until 1826. In that year he took a load of corn to New Orleans on a flatboat and on the return trip died at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Our subject was about eleven years of age when his father settled in this county, and here he was reared to manhood amid the wild surroundings of pioneer life. He helped