CEDARVILLE HISTORY

(BIOGRAPHICAL CONTINUED)

   Mr. Mitchell was reared on the farm on which be lived till thirty-one years of age. In 1842 he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob McFarland, who has borne him three children, James J., Anna, and William M. In the spring of 1854 he abandoned the farm, went to Cincinnati, and engaged in the grocery business for three years, when, in the fall of 1857, he came to Cedarville, and soon after embarked in the lumber business, in which he is yet engaged, having a branch yard at Yellow Springs, which is under the management of his son James. Mr. Mitchell and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian Church, in which they were raised. He is a ruling elder in the church, an office he has held. since 1855.

    Jacob Miller, farmer, Cedarville, is, we are pleased to record, one of the oldest settlers now living in Cedarville Township. He was born January 9, 1799, not far from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and immigrated to this county, with his mother, in 1809, a part of the journey being made with one small horse, which carried the greater portion of their goods. They found this county a wild and desolate.wilderness. He has seen the vast forests disappear, and beautiful fields of grain take their place. His mother was a poor widow with seven small children, and the hardships they endured for the first few years were simply heartrending. The younger children were compelled to hunt and trap small game; while the older ones endeavored to break the ground as best they could, to raise small lots of potatoes, corn, and pumpkins, and thus they toiled on for some years. At the age of thirteen, Jacob left home, and went to live with one of the neighbors until he reached the age of twenty-one, in consideration of which he received one hundred dollars, and a horse, saddle, and bridle, after which he rented the same farm on which he had remained for eight years, and cared .for the family until he was married, about the year 1825, to Margaret McClellan. Three children were born to them. William died at the age of fourteen, and the other two are now living. After forty years of married life had been spent, his wife died, and again on October 15, 1874, he married Eliza Rodgers. She is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, and he is a Baptist,, and a strict temperance man all his life.

   John Orr, retired, Cedarville. The above gentleman is one of the oldest living settlers in this township. He was born in South Carolina April 6, 1795. He is. a son of John and Rosana Orr, whowere born in Ireland, where they were married, and in 1783 emigrated to America, settling in Chester County, South Carolina, in which they lived forty years. Then they moved to Gibson County, Indiana he walking the entire distance when he was in the eighty-first year of his age. Here they lived till they died. He in 1833, aged eighty-three years; she in 1838, eighty-four years. They were parents of five sons and three daughters, of whom only our subject survives. The boyhood of our subject was passed in South Carolina, on the farm where he was born, living thereon until thirty-five years of age. He received his education through the teaching of his father, who was a highly educated man. In. his native state he was married to Genet B, daughter of John McMillan, and after two children were born to them, emigrated to Indiana, where he built a log house for his father, after which he visited Illinois, and upon his return, came to Greene County in 1831, locating in Xenia. In March 1833, he came to Cedarville and erected the first frame house ever built on a town lot in the village. He cleared most of the ground on which the town stands. He kept the first store in the place, having a stock of goods in his dwelling, from which he supplied the wants of the settlers. In 1840 he built the house which he and his son occupied as a dry goods and clothing store. His fair dealing and popular business habits have always won the confidence and esteem of the people. He has never been a political aspirant.. A Republican in politics, a lover of his country, a respecter of human rights, and a champion of any cause that tends to develop the happiness and well-being of humanity. In the war of 1812 he served six months in Captain Chestnut's company of Colonel Meens' regular South Carolina militia, and is on the pension rolls of the Government as one of the survivors of that war. To Mr. and Mrs. Orr nine children were born, five of whom are living; Martha. Rosana, Elizabeth, Adassa, and James; the deceased are Genet, Mary A., John R., and Cammeron. He has been a member of the United Presbyterian Church during a great portion of his life, and a ruling elder since 1822. He is the author of a book entitled, "Some Thoughts on the Book of Revelations," which was edited in 1876.

   James W. Pollock, farmer, Cedarville, born in Logan County, Ohio, January 12, 1841, is the son of John and Jane (Elder) Pollock. James, subject of this sketch, spent the earlier part of his life at home with his parents In July, 1862, he enlisted in the Forty-fifth Regiment OhioVolunteer Infantry, and the hardship of an unusual career of a soldier's life commenced; was mustered into the service at Columbus. Soon after his enlistment his regiment chased John Morgan on his raid, until he was captured, after which he had his horse, a great, favorite, shot from under him, near Knoxville, Tennessee, and taken prisoner, with a number of his comrades, on the 19th of October, 1863. He was incarcerated in the following prisons: Atlanta, Georgia; Bell Island, Libby and Andersonville; in the latter place he remained for six months, suffering all the horrors of a prison life. He also had experiences in Millen, Charleston, and Florence prisons. Sixteen of his comrades, that were taken prisoners with him, perished in Andersonville, he being the only one that survived the hardships of that awful place. He witnessed the hanging of six Union soldiers in prison by their own men, for murdering and robbing their own comrades. He weighed one hundred and seventy pounds when captured, and has not weighed to exceed one hundred and forty any time since; still, Mr. Pollock does not draw a pension, and has not asked for one. November 4, 1870, the subject of this sketch married Miss Nettie Anderson, daughter of Samuel and Jane Anderson, by which union three children are now living, Edith, Jennie, and Junia. The family are members of the United Presbyterian Church.

   Samuel Smith, farmer, Cedarville, born in Clarke County, on the Little Miami River, December 30, 1827, is the son of Seth and Deborah (Wildman) Smith. Seth was born July 11, 1798, and was the son of Seth Smith, Sen.; he was born in Virginia, May 19, 1761, and departed this life April 1, 1837, aged seventy-five years. Samuel, the gentleman's name who heads this sketch, spent the early part of his life on the farm with his parents; afterwards removed to the farm where he now lives. Married June 1, 1869, Miss Esther J. Cook, daughter of Marcalus Cook, by which union four children have been born, three of which are now living. The family are all members of the Friends Society.

   Dr. J. M. Stewart, physician and surgeon, Cedarville, was born in York District, South Carolina, and immigrated to this county with his parents in an early days, locating three and one-half miles east of Xenia. Receiving the rudiments of an education in the common district schools, he then attended Rev. Hugh McMillan's Academy, at Xenia; also a select class in mathematics, after which he commenced life for himself as a school teacher, following that profession for eight years,

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