My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

A. W. Anthony, one of the oldest attorneys at Versailles, Mo., has been in active practice of the law in the courts of Central Missouri State and Federal, for a quarter of a century. He was born in Boone County, Mo., is about fifty-five years of age, and his home has been in Morgan County since he was seven years of age. He was reared on a farm, and worked with his father’s hands until he was some seventeen years of age, after which he taught school for about two years, and when nearly twenty years of age he went into the office as deputy under Thomas Monroe, who was clerk of the circuit and county courts of Morgan County. He remained with Mr. Monroe about two years, and then read law in the office of William H. Robinson. He was licensed to practice by the late Judge G. W. Miller. In 1853 he married Miss Susan A. Robinson, a native of Howard County, and a daughter of the late Sidney S. Robinson. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony have never had any children, but have reared and educated eleven children of others. From 1856 to 1861 Mr. Anthony was a clerk in the House of Representatives during the sessions of the Legislature, and in the fall of the last mentioned year he joined Gen. Price’s command (Missouri State Guard), then encamped on Sac River, in St. Clair County. About December 22, 1861, the army moved from there to Springfield, Mo. While encamped at the last mentioned place Mr. Anthony, at the solicitation of Col. Applegate (aid-de-camp), was assigned a position on the staff of Gen. Price, which he held for about a week only, when, on account of a difficulty with Adjt.-Gen. Brand, who was frequently intoxicated, he asked to be relieved, and went back to the ranks. After the battle of Pea Ridge, and prior to the transfer of Price’s army east of the Mississippi, he returned home (his term of enlistment expiring) and remained a short time, after which he went north of the Missouri River. After experiencing many vicissitudes he came back to Versailles, February 6, 1866. To put it in his own language, he “went out in 1861 worth about $15,000, and reached home worth about 15 cents.” Disfranchised, and not allowed to practice in the courts of record under the Drake Constitution, he managed to make a living until the lawyers’ test oath was removed, since which time he has been in active and lucrative practice. He has taken an active part in all public enterprises, and in the political affairs of the State. He was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney in 1872, to the State Legislature in 1876, was a delegate to the National Convention at St. Louis that nominated Tilden for President in 1876, and has been a delegate to most of the State conventions and the congressional conventions of his district held since the war. He has the reputation of being a clear-headed, able lawyer, a good political speaker, a reliable friend and a persistent, uncompromising enemy. He is the son of Lewis C. Anthony, and the grandson of James Anthony, who, with two brothers, came to this country prior to the Revolutionary War. James located in North Carolina, and the other two settled in Virginia. James was a rebel, and fought all through the Revolutionary War for Independence. He married Miss Corder after the war. During the Indian troubles, in 1791 and 1792, he was sent by the Government, with some supplies, to a station in Tennessee. It was a very hazardous expedition, he being frequently ambushed by Indians, but succeeded in executing the commission. For this service the Government gave him 960 acres of land, which he located near Murfreesboro, Tenn. The next year, 1793, he went on an expedition to Kentucky, and concluded to settle near Bean’s (or Bryan’s) Station. This post was garrisoned by United States Dragoons, for the protection of settlers against the Indians. He then returned to North Carolina, and in the fall of 1794 he placed his household effects on pack-horses, and with his wife and five children (Lewis being the eldest, and at that time nine years of age), in company with one other family and five young men, started for Bean’s (or Bryan’s) Station, in Kentucky. When within fifteen miles of the station they were attacked by thirty Shawnee Indians, and the fight was fierce and brief. Fifteen Indians were killed, every man of the expedition except McFarland also being killed. He fought until he alone was left, when he made his escape, and reached the station with six bullet-holes in his hunting-shirt, but with only slight flesh wounds. He then piloted the dragoons to the scene of the massacre. Mrs. Anthony and Lewis were taken prisoners, while the younger children were tomahawked and scalped by the Indians, as being too young to travel. The Indians traveled rapidly in the direction of Detroit, Mich., near which they had a large village. Here the prisoners remained until the spring following, when the mother of Lewis escaped, with the assistance of a Frenchman; was placed on board a ship bound for Edinburgh, Scotland, under the command of Capt. Cartwright, whom she subsequently married, but no further information was ever received of her by her family in this country. After remaining with the Indians three years, Lewis (with other prisoners) was released by treaty, and brought by two of his uncles (Corder) to Tennessee, and put in possession of the 960 acres of land granted to his father, as before stated. In 1804 he married Miss Nancy Kirby, of Albemarle County, Va., who was of French-Huguenot descent. He volunteered in the War of 1812, and served under Jackson until it closed. In 1819 he moved with his family to Howard County, Mo., crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis (then a straggling little French trading post), and soon after the admission of Missouri into the Union he bought a tract of land in Boone County, where he continued to reside until the fall of 1837, when he went to Morgan County, settling on a large tract of land about six miles northwest of Versailles. He was a successful farmer and stock-trader, was a man of much decision of character, and never went in debt for anything. He was never a candidate for office, though an active Democrat. For many years prior to his death he and wife were both members of the Baptist Church. She died at the age of seventy-five years, and he at the age of seventy-six. They reared eleven children, of whom A. W. Anthony is the youngest. The wife of Mr. Anthony is the granddaughter of Capt. John McClanahan, who came from South Carolina to Missouri about the year 1833. Her grandmother McClanahan was the daughter of Elias Earle, of South Carolina, who for many years was a member of Congress from that State. Her family is closely related to Chief Justice John Marshall, the Marshalls of Virginia and Kentucky, the Earles and Harrisons of South Carolina, and, more remotely, to President Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana. Mrs. Anthony is a lady of excellent sense and very decided character.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 120 biographies included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Morgan County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Morgan County, Missouri family biographies here: Morgan County, Missouri Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.