My Genealogy Hound

WILL DOWNS was born September 28, 1834. He is a son of David and Mary Downs, being one of a family of six children. His brothers and sisters are David, Charles, Rosanna, now the wife of A. Sands, of Wisconsin; Melissa, wife of W. Sheppard, of Indiana, and Julia, now Mrs. Hartman of Iowa. The subject of this sketch was left an orphan at the age of six years and at the age of eleven he started out in the world for himself. His early educational advantages were necessarily very limited. He was too much absorbed in the bread and butter problem to give much time to acquiring knowledge. He however got the rudiments of an ordinary English education and what he lacked in early advantages he made up by his zealous study in private. On casting about for some pursuit, his mind turned to railroading and he learned the business of an engineer and followed it successfully for some years. He was so engaged when the Civil war came on. When the first call was made for soldiers to defend the Union, like thousands of other patriotic men, he quit his post of duty, for that which he deemed higher, and entered the Union Army, enlisting in the Seventh Indiana volunteer infantry. His regiment was organized in September, 1861, and immediately went to the front. He bore a conspicuous part in the war, being engaged in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, in all of which Mr. Downs acquitted himself with credit. Mr. Downs followed the fortunes of the Seventh Indiana all through its service and helped to make for it the gallant record which stands opposite its name on the rolls. The principal engagements in which it took part were Winchester, Va.; Port Republic, Va.; Cedar mountain, Md.; Thoroughfare Gap, Va.; second Bull Run, Va.; South mountain, Md.; Antietam, Md.; Fredericksburgh, Va.; Chancellorsville, Va.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Rappahannock, Va.; Mine Run, Va.; the Wilderness, Spottsylvania court-house, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and the Weldon railroad. The Seventh lost, in killed and wounded on the battle field, one hundred and sixteen men, and from disease, accidents and in prisons two hundred and twenty-nine, making a total of three hundred and forty-five men. Mr. Downs enlisted for three years and he served his time exactly to an hour, entering the army at 2 p. m., on September 13, 1861, and being mustered out at 2 p. m., September 13, 1864. After the expiration of his term of service he returned to North Salem, Ind., where he remained till 1868, at which time he decided to seek a home in the boundless West. He came to Nebraska that year and made his first stop in Plattsmouth; in 1870 moved to Lincoln, Nebr. Two years later he moved to Harlan county and took a homestead fourteen miles northeast of Alma. He lived on his homestead, engaged in a desultory warfare with the grasshoppers, droughts and hard times, till the fall of 1875, at which time he was appointed county clerk of Harlan county, and in order to assume the duties of his office moved into Alma, the county seat. He held the office of county clerk and gave his attention to the duties of that office till 1881. Going out of that office at that time he engaged in the mercantile business in Alma and followed this till 1887. He was then elected clerk of the district court, a position he has since held.

In 1859 Mr. Downs was married, taking as a life companion Miss M. J. Caywood, a daughter of Thomas Caywood, of Kentucky. The wife of his youth abides with him still, having borne him the companionship he sought with her hand nearly a third of a century. This union has been blessed with three children, all daughters, the two eldest being now married. These are Lillie, wife of J. E. Schrack; Hallie, wife of C. R. Fuller of Kansas and Jessie E., still with her parents. Harlan county has no better citizens nor has she ever had a better public servant than Will Downs. “Honest,” as the saying goes, “as the days are long,” diligent in his labors, kind and accommodating, a man of thorough business methods, whom it is a pleasure to meet, a greater pleasure to do business with, and the citizens of Harlan county honor themselves in honoring him as they do.