My Genealogy Hound

Josiah Stanley, attorney at law and carpenter, of Climax Springs, Mo., is a native of Wayne County, Md., where he was born in 1841, being a son of Richard H. and Naomi (Beeson) Stanley, who were born in North Carolina in 1808 and 1814, and died in Howard County, Ind., in 1858 and 1882, respectively. They first moved from their native State to Wayne County, but afterward located in Howard County in 1851, where the father followed his trade of carpentering, and where they reared their family, which consisted of seven children, five now living: Nancy A. (Kemp), Josiah, Lydia (Poole), Richard Henry and Melissa (Smith). William died during the late war from the effects of a wound received at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Mary (Mrs. Gardner) died in 1878, having borne one child. Josiah Stanley spent his early life in Howard County, Ind., and at the early age of sixteen began the battle of life for himself as a carpenter. April 17, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Sixth Indiana, three months troops, under Capt. Thomas J. Harrison, United States army, but after receiving his discharge, in August of that year he joined Company D, Thirty-ninth Regiment Indiana Cavalry, of which company he was afterward made sergeant. He was promoted to second lieutenant in April, 1862, and in May, 1864, became captain of his company, and was discharged on the 31st of December, 1864, at Savannah, Ga., having taken an active part in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Liberty Gap, Hoover’s Gap, Rousseau’s raid in Alabama, Gen. McCook’s raid in Georgia, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, and was with Gen Sherman on his march to the sea. He was wounded near Waynesboro, Ga., November 24, 1864, by a gunshot in the right knee, which wound still troubles him, and confines him to his room for months at a time. He was taken prisoner at Murfreesboro. In 1865 he married Miss Sarah A. Brownfield, who was born in Indiana in 1844, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Boyd) Brownfield, both of whom were of Irish descent, and whose children’s names are as follows: William, Ellen and Sarah A. (Mrs. Stanley). Eight of their nine children grew to maturity. Mr. Stanley has served as notary public for a number of years, and also as justice of the peace. He is a Republican, his first vote being cast for Grant in 1868, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the I. O. O. F. and G. A. R. He and wife became the parents of one son, Albert Sherman, who died at the age of twelve years. They have reared two orphan children: William M. Brownfield and Stanley Gardner.