My Genealogy Hound

JOHN McMASTERS LARIMER, general merchant, Turtle Creek, was born in the same house as his father, in North Huntingdon township, Westmoreland county, in 1844. His parents were James Irwin and Nancy (McMasters) Larimer, the latter a native of Allegheny county. William Larimer, father of James, was among the early settlers of Westmoreland. In 1857 the subject of this memoir came with his parents to a farm in Versailles, this county. While attending New Wilmington College, before completing his eighteenth year, he joined Co. E, 105th P. V. I., and entered the Army of the Potomac under Col. A. A. McKnight. Besides some preliminary skirmishes in the peninsular campaign, he participated in the battles of Williamsburg and Fair Oaks, and although his hat and blouse were pierced with bullets in the latter engagement, he escaped without a scratch, but was taken prisoner while trying to remove his wounded friend, now Col. Gray, of this county, from the field. After fifteen weeks in Salisbury, Libby and Belle Isle prisons, and narrowly escaping death from starvation, he was exchanged and soon discharged on account of disability. After a period of rest at home, in 1863 he recruited a part of Co. F, 14th Regt., S. V., and participated in the capture of Gen. Morgan. In this company he held the rank of first lieutenant under Capt. Taggart, had command most of the time, and the distribution of the captured horses was also placed in his charge. In the fall of 1864 he recruited eighteen men, whom he accompanied as private and joined the 6th P. H. A., under Col. Barnes, and was at once made first lieutenant. For a time the company did guard-duty on the Orange & Alexandria railroad, after which Lieut. Larimer was made ordnance-officer on Col. Barnes’ staff, in charge of the fortifications about Washington. Here he remained until discharged in 1865, his services being no longer required, and participated in the grand review by Gen. Grant. Thus at the age of twenty-one years Mr. Larimer was possessed of three honorable discharges from the United States’ service, and one from the State of Pennsylvania.

After a year in mercantile business at Leavenworth, Kan., our subject opened in the same line at Turtle Creek, where he has continued ever since. He carries on a lumber and livery business in addition to a general store, and is also engaged in farming and stock-breeding, giving special attention to registered Jersey and Holstein cattle. In 1868 Mr. Larimer married Emily, second daughter of Gen. C. P. Markle, of Westmoreland county, and they have had eight children, four yet living: Cyrus Markle, Thomas McMasters, John M., Jr., and Paul Wilfred; the only daughter, Nannie, died at the age of seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Larimer were among the charter members of the First Presbyterian Church of Braddock, of which he is an elder. He is among the most active workers of the republican party.