My Genealogy Hound

Capt. John Wyckoff was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1813, and is a son of Nicholas and Margaret (Tweed) Wyckoff, natives of Maryland. When young they were both brought by their parents to Ross County, Ohio, where they were reared, and in 1806 united in marriage. The mother died in 1823, and in 1826 Mr. Wyckoff married Susan Cradel. In 1827 he removed to Warren County, Ind., now White County, and from there to Warren County, Ill., in 1836. In 1841 he went to Wapello County, Iowa, and from there, in 1855, he went to Pottawatomie County, Kas. He was a farmer by occupation, a soldier in the War of 1812, and died in 1869. John Wyckoff, our immediate subject, received a common-school education during his younger days, and began life for himself at the age of seventeen, working as a farm hand until twenty years old. He was then engaged as a boatman on the Mississippi River four years, and in 1836 was married, in Illinois, to Miss Maria, daughter of Samuel and Nancy Merrill, and a native of Ross County, Ohio. This union was blessed with eleven children, all of whom are living: Capt. George (of Appanoose County, Ia.), Norman S., Dr. Norval, Nancy (wife of William Bouer), Perry, Aria Adna (wife of William Stewart), Margaret (wife of George Porter), Eliza (widow of Elbert Dillon), Rachel (wife of David McKay), Amelia (wife of James McKinley, of Macon County) and Barbara. In about 1840 Capt. Wyckoff removed to Johnson County, Iowa, living there until 1856, when he came to Putnam County, Mo., and located in Union Township, eight miles north of Unionville. Here he owns a nice farm of 226 acres, besides two other tracts, which make his possessions 311 acres in all, which is the result of a life of labor and good management. Upon the commencement of the Rebellion, being a strong Union sympathizer, Capt. Wyckoff, early in 1862, enlisted in Company D, First Missouri State Militia Cavalry, of which he was made first lieutenant. In September of the same year he was promoted to the captaincy, which office he held with credit and distinction until March, 1868. He was then transferred to Company A, consolidated battalion of the First Missouri Militia, and finally mustered out in July, 1885. He served in Southwest Missouri during the entire time. Four of his sons were also soldiers in the Union army. The eldest, George, was captain of Company D, Eighteenth Missouri, for three years; Norman S. served in the Thirteenth, Twenty-fifth and First Missouri Engineer Corps four years and two months; Norval was first lieutenant in the Forty-second Missouri Infantry ten months, and Perry joined the Eighty-fourth Illinois, and at the battle of Stone River was captured and taken to Andersonville, and from there to Libby prison, where he was afterward paroled and exchanged, and in June, 1863, rejoined his company. After being wounded at the battle of Chickamauga he was discharged and returned home, but in July, 1864, again enlisted in Company C, Forty-second Missouri Infantry, and served until 1865. Capt. John Wyckoff has served as county judge of Putnam County two years prior to the war, and the remainder of the time since. In 1882, he was elected to represent Putnam County in the State Legislature, and served one term. He was a faithful and earnest soldier, and the same qualities have distinguished his public career since. He was reared a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Cass in 1848, but since the war has been an uncompromising Republican, Himself and wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have had seventy-nine grandchildren, sixty-six of whom are living at present.