INGenWeb

Vermillion County Genealogy

Biographical and Historical Record of Vermillion County, Indiana


452 - History of Vermillion County

were killed or wounded, and of 300 Indians all but one were killed. Mr. Hood was wounded in this engagement, and sent to hospital, where he remained three weeks. He returned to his home in Eugene in 1863, and for eight or ten years following followed the butcher's trade, and also worked in the pork packing houses at Newport, Eugene and Danville, Illinois. He is now living retired from active business life. He was married September 16, 1883, to Mrs. Evaline Craig, a daughter of John Holtz. She died July 18, 1885. She had three children by her first marriage, their names being John, Ella and Claude. Mr. Hood is a member of the Odd Fellows order, and is a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic.

OSCAR B. GIBSON, one of the rising young attorneys of Vermillion County began his professional career in Newport, in the fall of 1880. In that year he was admitted to the Vermillion County bar, and for one year following he was in the law office of Jump & Ward, of Newport. He then became associated with J. C. Sawyer,  which partnership continued until the present firm of Ward & Gibson was formed in November 1886. Mr. Gibson is a native of Vermillion County, Indiana, born in Helt Township iin November, 1859, a son of Edmond Gibson. He received his primary education in the common schools of Helt Township, and subsequently was a student at Asbury University at Greencastle, Indiana, for four years. For his wife Mr. Gibson married Miss Hattie Elder, a daughter of James A. Elder, a resident of Helt Township. Mr. Ward is an active and public-spirited man, and is always interested in any enterprise which has for its object the welfare of the public, and every movement calculated to aid in building up his town or developing its business interests, has his encouragement and assistance.

JAMES DUZAN, a representative of one of the early pioneer families of Vermillion County, is a native of Kentucky, born in Mason County, July 31, 1818. His father, William Duzan, was also a native of Mason County, Kentucky, and there grew to manhood, and married Miss Sarah Williams, a daughter of Charles Williams, who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. William Duzan settled with his family in Vermillion Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, in February, 1835. He made his home in this county for upward of twenty years, when he removed to Parke County, Indiana, and engaged in farming, and was also postmaster at Howard, that county, for a number of years. Both he and his wife died in Parke County. They were the parents of eight children, of whom only three are now living -- James, their eldest child, and our subject; Peter E., living at Dora in Wabash County, and Catherine, widow of Dr. Surbaugh, residing at Harveysburg, Fountain County, Indiana. James Duzan, whose name heads this sketch, was seventeen years of age when he came with his father to this county. He learned the carpenter's trade with his father, and has followed that pursuit much of his life. He alwso ran a cooper's shop in Vermillion Township for twenty-six years. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Ann Myers, was born in Mason County, Kentucky, and died in this county in August, 1880, leaving a family of five children -- Mary Jane, John, Fred, Maria and Lizzie. In politics Mr. Duzan was formerly a Whig,

Biographical Sketches - 453

but has been a Republican since the organization of that party, in religion he was reared a Methodist, but is not identified with any church.

LEWIS COIL, a representative of one of the old and respected pioneer families of this part of Indiana, was born at Eugene, Vermillion County, November 28, 1836, a son of Jonas and Olive (Smith) Coil. His father was a carpenter by occupation, and worked quite extensively at bridge-building. In the early days of the county he also followed teaming, hauling goods from Evansville, which at that time was the only mode of transportation. He was of German origin, and was reared in the State of Ohio, his family coming from Pennsylvania in an early day. He was married in Ohio to Miss Olive Smith, who was also reared in that State, and to them were born six children, of whom three died in early childhood. Those yet living are -- Lewis, the eldest, and the subject of this sketch; Mary, wife of R. W. Winders, of Scotland, Illinois, and Myrick, living in Vermillion County, Illinois. The father came with his family to Vermillion County, Indiana, about 1830, settling in Eugene Township. He resided at Eugene until about 1842 when he went to Champaign County, Illinois, dying there some two years later. His widow subsequently married James Burk, who died at Eugene not long after their marriage. She was a third time married to James Johnson, who is also deceased. She has one son by her last marriage, John S. Johnson, living in Missouri. With the exception of a three years' residence in Missouri, and four years spent in Kansas, Lewis Coil, our subject, has spent his life in Vermillion County. He was a brave and gallant soldier in the war of the Rebellion enlisting in September, 1863, in Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-third Indiana Infantry, and on the organization of the company he was made First Duty Sergeant. He served in the army of General Sherman the greater part of his term of service, in the Twenty-third Corps, and was in the Atlanta campaign, his regiment taking an active part in that campaign. His regiment then served under General Thomas in the Nashville campaign, thence up the Ohio River to Cincinnati, and from there by railroad to Washington. From Washington the regiment went to Fort Fisher, North Carolina, by steamer, down the Atlantic coast, thence to Newbern. Later the division to which our subject belonged had a severe engagement near Kingston, North Carolina, with the Confederate General Bragg. July 1, 1865, Mr. Coil was commissioned Second Lieutenant by his company. He joined General Sherman at Goldsboro, and from there went to Charlotte, where he was mustered out of the service with his regiment August 25, 1865. He received no wounds while in the army, and during his two years service was in the hospital only one night. After the war he engaged in agricultural pursuits. March 19, 1868, he married Miss Lizzie Eberhort, who was born in Crawford County, Ohio, in 1846, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Eberhort. The parents of Mrs. Coil are natives of Germany, the father born May 20, 1820, and the mother born February 8, 1826. On coming to America they first settled in Ohio, removing thence to Missouri, and are still living in Monitor County, that State. They have had born to them ten children, as follows -- Mary, born in 1844; Lizzie, in 1846; John, in February, 1849; Rosa, born in 1850, died October 24, 1856; Henry, born in 1852; William,