My Genealogy Hound

RENWARD NAPPER, farmer and stock-raiser, section 9, post-office Carthage, was born in Hamilton county, Ills., June 22, 1839. His parents immigrated when he was an infant to St. Genevieve county, Mo., and one year later his father died. His mother married again a few years afterwards and they returned to Illinois in 1855. Our subject then started out to seek his fortune in the West, going to Franklin county, Mo., where he staid three years; he then came to Jasper county and engaged as a farm hand and cattle herder in the family of Wm. Kerr, deceased. At the breaking out of the war, Mr. Napper, though a young man, was pronounced in favor of the Union, and early became a member of Captain Stemmons’s company of guards, and subsequently went to Springfield, Mo., for the purpose of enlisting in the volunteers. The state would not accept any men, and he reluctantly retraced his way to Jasper county, stopping over night at the house of Thos. Buck. During the night the place was attacked by a party from Price’s command, and our subject not feeling inclined to be made a prisoner, attempted to escape, but was fired upon, and five of their bullets took effect in his limbs and body, wounding him very severely. They placed him upon a horse and took him with them as far as Wild Cat Grove, where he was abandoned, they thinking he would surely die. Good fortune, however, got him into the family of Widow Mattley, where he received every attention, and finally recovered from the effect of his wounds. Shortly after he started with Mr. Kerr’s family with the intention of going to Iowa for safety, but the battle of Lexington being fought at the time they went to Illinois instead, and from there to Iowa the following spring, when our subject enlisted Aug. 4, 1862, in Company B, Twenty-third Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and participated in the battles of Dallas, Missouri, Port Gibson, Mississippi, Champion’s Hill, Black River, and Milliken’s Bend, where he was again wounded. After recovering from his wounds he rejoined his regiment in Louisiana, and fought at Guadalupe, Texas, Simms’ Post, the Red River campaign, Mobile Point, Spanish Fort, and Blakely. He was discharged in June, 1865, and returned to Iowa, where he was married in September of the same year to Miss Phoebe Kerr, a native of Jasper county, Mo. Two years later they both returned to Missouri, since which time they have been permanent residents of Jasper county. He keeps a small herd of pedigree Short-Horns, and has a good farm of 85 acres. His family consists of one son and three daughters; viz., John W., Margaret J., Mary L., and Minnie E.