My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS J. STUART, contractor and builder, is a native of Ohio, born in Fairfield county, Nov. 18, 1844. His father’s name was Samuel Stuart, and he was born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1801. Samuel’s father was from Scotland, and was born near Edinburgh, but emigrated from there to the north of Ireland and from there to the United States, settling in Lancaster county, Pa. Thomas’s mother’s maiden name was Catharine Musser, a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and of German descent. Thomas came to Miami county, Ind., in 1859, with his parents, and received his finishing education at the schools of Peru, Ind., and at the Indianapolis Commercial School. When he left here he began the carpenter’s trade, but with the breaking out of the war he responded to the call for troops, and in September, 1861, he enlisted in the Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry Volunteers, and served till the close of the war. He was engaged with his regiment at the battles of Fort Pillow, New Madrid, Memphis, Fort Charles and Black River, Ark., Fort Gibson, Champlain, and Vicksburg. He had several offers of promotion for meritorious service, but refused them all, preferring to serve as a private, which he did throughout the war. After the fall of Vicksburg his regiment was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi department, under the command of General Banks. They were in the Red River expedition, and at Sabine Cross-Roads engagement the regiment went in with 230 and came out with but 136. Mr. Stuart was mustered out Sept. 8, 1865, at Louisville, Ky. In 1875, in company with his brother, he purchased and ran the Bunker Hill, Ind., Press. He came to Jasper county in 1881, and engaged in his trade, and in the fall of 1882 accepted a position with the S. A. Brown Lumber Company.