George Lafferty

LAFFERTY

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/13/2010 at 17:14:14

More than half century has come and gone since the tocsin of war sounded and President Lincoln issued his first call for troops to defend the Union. Before the war had progressed to any great extent George Lafferty was among the number who offered their service at the front, joining the Fifth Wisconsin Battery, of which he was made first lieutenant. He was then a comparatively young man. Today he has almost reached the eightieth milestone on life’s journey, his birth having occurred at Danville, Illinois, November 20, 1834. His parents being James and Ann (Kinney) Lafferty and his paternal grandfather was Patrick Lafferty, who came form Ireland in early manhood. He was left an orphan and form that time forward was dependent upon his own resources. He first settled in Pennsylvania, where he followed farm work. He was married in that state or in New York and later removed to Danville, Illinois, where he followed farming until the latter portion of his life, his death occurring when he was eighty years of age. His children were James and Daniel.
James Lafferty was born in Dayton, Ohio, and there spent the period of his boyhood and youth. When twenty-one years of age he went to Danville, Illinois, with his father. He became a farmer and stonecutter and followed those pursuits as a life work. Following his marriage he came to Iowa and his last days were passed in Woodward, Dallas county, where he died in December 1893, at the age of eighty-seven yeas, his birth having occurred in 1806. His children were as follows: J Russell, now deceased, George, Sarah who died in childhood, Emma the wife of A C Smith of Woodward, Iowa, Mary, Ellen who has passed away and William deceased.
George Lafferty spent his first nine years of his life in Danville, at the end of which time the father went with his family to Monroe, Green county, Wisconsin. His educational privileges were very meager and he had opportunity to attend school for only six months altogether and that period spent in one of the old time log school houses. His father had 40 acres of land in timber which had to be cleared away ere plowing could be done and George Lafferty assisted in the arduous task of cutting old trees, burning the brush and grubbing up the stumps. He was busily employed in assisting his father until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when in August 1861, he responded to the county’s call for troops, enlisting in Green county, Wisconsin. He was mustered in the following October, went to the front and joined the command at New Madrid or Island NO 10, under General Pope. He assisted in manning the forts of New Madrid and was in that section of the country until after the evacuation of Corinth, following the siege. Later under General J C Davis he went to re-enforce General Buell, commanding the army of the Cumberland. Later he participated in the battle of Perryville and of Stone River and was in the campaign through to Chickamauga. He also participated in the battles at Missionary Ride, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Georgia, Peach Tree Creek, the hotly contested battle of Kenesaw Mountain and the siege of Atlanta. He was likewise in the engagement at Jonesboro and went in the Georgia campaign to Savannah, where he aided in besieging that city. There he was honorably discharge, December 25, 1864, after more than three years devoted tot eh most strenuous and arduous military service.
Mr Lafferty retuned to his old home in Wisconsin, but came almost immediately afterward to Iowa, reaching Boonesboro on September 10, 1865, accompanied by his wife and one child. He had learned the cabinet maker’s trade at Monroe, Wisconsin, and in Boone he worked at his trade until 1870, when he took up carpentering, which he followed continuously until his retirement about a year ago. He was closely identified with building operations in this city and was accorded a large patronage. He still enjoys good health, being a hale and hearty man for one of his years.
In Monroe, Wisconsin, Mr Lafferty was untied in marriage to Miss Sarah Sutterlee, a daughter of William E Sutterlee, who was born December 20, 1812, and died September 25, 1877. Mr and Mrs Lafferty have but one child, Mamie now Mrs John Doran, of York, Nebraska. Mrs Lafferty is a member of the Methodist church. Mr Lafferty belongs to the McCook Post, G A R, and thus maintains pleasant relations with is old army comrades and recounts with them interesting events which occurred upon the battlefields of the south. In politics he is a stanch republican, having supported the men and measures in the party since its organization. He erected his present hoe in 1893 on an acre and a quarter of ground at the corner of Tenth and Division streets. He is now one of the venerable residents of Boone and well merit’s the high regard entertained for him His life history has connected him closely with the city and its up building through almost a half century.

1914 Boone County History Book