My Genealogy Hound

Maj. Thomas O’Halloran was born in the “Emerald Isle” in 1827, and there resided until 1848, when he immigrated to the United States with his brothers, Maurice and James, and his sister, Eliza. After landing in New York City they remained there three or four months, and then went to Chicago, where the sister died in the fall of 1848. The brothers then came to Missouri, Maurice and James locating in St. Charles County, on a farm, where the former died a short time after. James is now living in Pulaski County. Maj. Thomas O’Halloran remained in St. Louis until about 1856, where he was engaged in pork packing, and then came to Camden County, and began working in the pork packing house of Murphy, McClurg & Co.; then he came to his present farm, which he had purchased the previous year, and on which he has resided ever since, with the exception of a short time during the late war. He enlisted as a private in the Forty-seventh Enrolled Militia, and August 12, 1862, was commissioned captain of a company he organized, and September 18, 1862, rose to the rank of major, and afterward to lieutenant-colonel of the Forty-seventh Regiment. He resigned in 1864, after doing honorable and active service. In the fall of 1863, while at home on furlough to put up his winter’s meat, a party of six men rode up and inquired of his family the way to Mineral Point, Linn Creek and Tuscumbia. Soon after they left the house the Major thought something was not right, and mounted his horse and started after them. When he reached them they asked him which of the three roads led to Linn Creek. He told them not to matter about the roads, but to consider themselves under arrest as prisoners; to which one of them, who afterward proved to be Maj. Rucker, of the Confederate army, replied that he thought it rather cool for one man to take six men; but Maj. O’Halloran marched them down the road, single file, for about a mile and a half, where he secured help to disarm them, and found on their persons over 300 letters for Southern sympathizers in Northern Missouri and St. Louis. For this act of bravery the Major received a vote of thanks from the State Senate, and won the respect and admiration of all his friends. He came to the home place when the war was over, and has since been actively engaged in improving his farm of 440 acres, and has 150 acres in a fine state of cultivation. December 28, 1858, he was married in Linn Creek, by Lewis Coy, to Miss Frances M. Murphy, by whom he became the father of eight children, two being deceased: William D., who died at the age of six years, and Thomas W., whose death occurred when twenty-three years old. Those living are Edwin C., James, Mary E. (wife of Berry Hendricks), Fannie B., John M. and Katie F. Mr. O’Halloran is a Republican in politics.