GILCHRIST, David - 1912 Bio (1832 - 1920)
GILCHRIST, MCCOLLISTER, BAILEY, JACK, ALLMAN, EVANS, SHREVE
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 9/13/2007 at 21:50:57
History of Jefferson County, Iowa -- A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol II
Published 1912, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago
Pages 222, 225 and 226David GILCHRIST, in whom the various phases of life in Jefferson county find a worthy exemplar, is ranked among the prosperous and progressive citizens of this county, within whose borders he has resided for the past nine years. He is one of Pennsylvania's native sons, his birth occurring in Westmoreland county on the 16th of May, 1832, his parents being Joseph and Eliza (McCOLLISTER) GILCHRIST. The father's birth occurred in 1796 on the site of the battle of Gettysburg, while the mother first opened her eyes to the light of day ten years later in North Carolina. After their marriage they continued to reside in the Keystone state until about three years prior to their deaths, when they came to Iowa. Here both passed away, the father in January, 1873. Both were laid to rest in the cemetery at Birmingham, Iowa. The father had been a farmer throughout most his life and also devoted a few years to the occupation of a cooper. In his family were six sons and four daughters, of whom the two eldest sons were children of a former marriage, Joseph GILCHRIST having previously wedded the sister of his second wife. Only four members of the family now survive, namely: Sarah Jane BAILEY, a resident of Fairfield; Archibald, also of that city; John, making his home in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania; and David, who was the fourth in order of birth.
The subject of this review spent the period of his boyhood and youth in his native county until eighteen years of age, when he went with his parents to Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, where he was residing at the time of the Civil war. In connection with his brothers Archibald and John he enlisted for service in the Union army and was mustered in in August, 1862, from Armstrong county. His brothers became members of the Sixty-third Pennsylvania Regiment, John serving about a year and Archibald two years. David GILCHRIST, however, became a soldier in the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, Company B, and with that command served throughout the remainder of hostilities. He took part in many important battles of the war, being present at the battle of the Wilderness or Mine Run, under General Mead, and participating in the engagements of Gettysburg under Mead, Rappahannock Station under General Grant, Antietam Fredricksburg and Spottsylvania Courthouse. In the last named encounter he received a flesh wound in the right foot and also had the shin bone in his left leg shattered, and thereafter was confined in the hospital until discharged at the close of the war. He returned home and for a year moved about only with the assistance of a crutch.
Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, remained the place of residence of David GILCHRIST until 1868, when he came to Iowa and located in Van Buren county, where he remained for twenty-one years, after which he spent three years in Missouri. Nine years ago he came to Jefferson county, locating in 1911 upon his present farm on section 29, Liberty township, consisting of two hundred and twelve and a half acres, all highly cultivated and well improved. His time and attention have mostly been given to agricultural pursuits although he engages to some extent in the occupation of carpentering, and in both branches of activity is meeting with substantial success for he has ever realized that the secret of prosperity lies in hard, unadulterated labor with a liberal infusion of common sense, and has thus worked his way up until today he ranks among the well known and representative business men of Liberty township.
Mr. GILCHRIST was married, on the 19th of January, 1860, in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, to Martha Jane JACK, who was born in that county on the 2d of October, 1839, a daughter of James A. and Eliza (ALLMAN) JACK, both natives of the Keystone state where their entire lives were spent. Unto Mr. and Mrs. GILCHRIST were born fourteen children: James Bailey, residing in the state of Washington, not far from the city of Moscow, Idaho; J. M., of Jefferson county; D. C., living in Davis county; Jennie Beard, who passed away at the age of thirty years; H. O., who makes his home in Florida; W. W., living with his father; Sarah V., who married I. C. EVANS, of Troy, Iowa; L. M., also at home; Anna Maude, the wife of W. B. SHREVE, of Bloomfield, Iowa; Florence, at home, J. J., of Washington; C. P., also of Washington; E. M., a resident of Jefferson county, Iowa; and Harry, of Florida. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which they are deeply interested, and fraternally Mr. GILCHRIST belongs to the Masonic order at Birmingham and the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a republican and although he gives stanch support to the men and measures of that party his activity is merely that of a private citizen who recognizes and appreciates the privileges and obligations of citizenship but to whom the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction. Although his residence in this section of the county is of comparatively short duration, he has nevertheless during that period so comportated himself in the various relations of life as to win the confidence, regard and good will of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
[Transcriber's note: The Grand Army of the Republic is the fore-runner of the American Legion.]
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
Jefferson Biographies maintained by Joey Stark.
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