My Genealogy Hound

Col. John F. McMahan. Prominent among the many enterprising and successful citizens of Southwest Missouri stands the name of Col. McMahan, who was born in Bedford County, Tenn., November 24, 1826, the son of James and Temperance (Mason) McMahan, and grandson of John McMahan, who came to the United States from Ireland after the Revolutionary War, and located in East Tennessee. James McMahan was born in Sevier County, Tenn., January 4, 1800, left his home at the age of twelve years, and was in the War of 1812. He was of Scotch-Irish descent. His wife was born in North Carolina January 7, 1804, and both are now deceased, the father dying May 13, 1853, and the mother in Webster County, Mo., in 1872. They lived in Bedford County, Tenn., until 1838, then after a short residence in Coffee County, of the same State, they moved to Missouri, and located near where Seymour now is. Here they passed their last days. The father was overseer until coming to Missouri, and after that he was engaged in farming until his death. They had born to their union nine sons and three daughters, five sons and one daughter now living: Col. John F., Joseph, William T., Dubson, Robert, and Huldah, wife of Jefferson P. Chaffin. Those deceased were named as follows: James; Samuel, who died at Springfield; Abram, who was killed near Seymour during the war; Elijah, died in Texas in 1885; Elizabeth, died in 1838 in Tennessee, and Temperance, died in 1847 in Missouri. In 1846 Col. John F. McMahan volunteered in the Mexican War, and in 1847 was placed in Company G, Third Regiment Missouri Mounted Infantry, commanded by Col. Ralls. He served until the fall of 1848, and was in many battles with the Indians. He then attended school for some time, and later crossed the plains to California. In 1851 he returned home, engaged in farming and dealing in stock, and January 3, 1856, he married Miss Margaret E. Young, a native of Henry County, Tenn., born December 26, 1883, and the daughter of James Young. This union has been blessed by six sons and one daughter: James T., the eldest, died when in his twenty-first year; Mason Y. is at home; John F., now at home; Samuel R., engaged in merchandising; Robert C., at home; Charles W., at home, and Mattie E., at home. In 1857 Col. McMahan commenced farming where he now lives, where he first purchased 160 acres of land, and to this has added 850 acres in Webster County and 480 acres in Laclede County. He has over 600 acres under cultivation. In the early part of 1862 he organized a company, and was commissioned captain of Company D, Seventy-fourth Enrolled Missouri Militia, August 6, 1862. December 20, the same year, he was commissioned major of the Seventy-fourth Regiment, and October 1, 1863, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the Seventy-second Missouri Enrolled Militia Infantry. June 17, 1864, he was commissioned colonel in the Sixteenth Missouri Cavalry, Federal army, and was discharged from service July 6, 1865. During the time of service he was at the battles of Boonville, Mo., Independence, Mo., and Big Blue. His regiment was in Newtonia, but the Colonel was absent on account of sickness. During every engagement the Colonel could be found in the thickest of the fight, but was fortunate in not being wounded. Previous to his war record, in 1854, the Colonel was elected to represent Wright County when barely old enough to take a seat in the House of Representatives, and was instrumental in organizing Webster County. Just twenty years later he was elected to represent Webster County in the Legislature, and in 1880 he was elected to represent the Twenty-third Missouri District in the State Senate. In 1872 he was elected associate judge, and in 1878 was elected president of the county court. He voted the Whig ticket until the war, and since that time has affiliated with the Democratic party, has always been active in political affairs, and has been in several conventions. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, is a member of the Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Mutual Aid Society, and Mrs. McMahan is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.