William Thomas Jesse

CHURCH, ESKEW, JESSE, MCNEALEY

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/11/2005 at 21:44:23

William T. Jesse, a veteran of the Civil war and a well known and highly respected farmer living on section 15, Walnut township, was born in Adair county, Kentucky, on the 5th of August, 1839, a son of John J. and Jane (McNealey) Jesse. The father was born in Virginia of Scotch descent and the mother in Indiana of Irish lineage. Their marriage occurred in Adair county, where the father had removed as a boy with his parents. He was a shoemaker by trade and was an expert workman. He and his wife both passed away in Metcaife county, Kentucky, in 1885.

William T. Jesse acquired his education in that county, going both to the free district school and to the school in which he had to pay tuition. He remained under the parental roof until 1860 and then came to Madison county, Iowa, locating near Providence in Scott township. He worked for others until August 9, 1862, and then became a member of Company H, Twenty-third Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving in the Civil war with credit to himself until July 28, 1865, when he was mustered out and discharged at Harrisburg, Texas. He was clerk in the quartermaster's department part of the time, but fought in the following battles: Pittman's Ferry; Pocahontas; Black River Bridge, Mississippi, where his regiment led the charge and he was wounded in the hand; Port S. P. Ramsey, Texas; and Spanish Fort, Alabama; and also participated in the siege of Vicksburg. He was with the men of the Department of the Gulf under General Sheridan on their expedition into Texas.

On returning to the duties of civil life he came back to Madison county and worked as a ired hand in Scott township until he had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to rent land. Several years later, or in 1881, he removed to a farm in Walnut township, which he operated until 1891. In that year he located upon the farm where he now lives and he has a half interest in sixty acres of land, which constitutes his home place, and seventy acres of ridge and timber land. In partnership with his sons he carries on a general farming and stock-raising business and his labors are effective and yield him a gratifying yearly profit.

In 1866 Mr. Jesse married Miss Martha E. Eskew, a daughter of John and Sally Eskew, both natives of Kentucky. The father, who was a farmer, continued to follow that occupation in Scott township after the removal of the family to this county, where both he and his wife passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse have become the parents of five children: Edgar M., who was born on the 14th of February, 1867, and is upon the home farm; Ellen, now Mrs. Clyde Church, of Boulder, Colorado; C. A. and John W., both in partnership with their father; and Jane, who died when two years of age. Mr. Jesse has taken his sons into partnership and all work together in the cultivation of his land, and as they have a part in the business they have always been content to remain upon the farm finding the work congenial and profitable.

Mr. Jesse has been a lifelong supporter of the republican party and is thoroughly convinced of the wisdom of its policies. His wife holds membership in the United Brethren church and he is interested in its work and in all movements that seek the enrichment of the moral life of the community.

As a young man his indignation was aroused by the wrongs of the negro and it was because of his attitude upon the slavery question that he was compelled to leave Kentucky.
When the seceding states refused to again consider themselves a part of the Union he felt it to be his duty to do all in his power to compel them to do so and also felt that an opportunity was offered to strike a blow against slavery. His physical courage equaled his moral stamina, and when he was shot in the hand he dressed it himself, refused to go to the hospital or to leave his command and was back in line in thirty days. Determination and a conscientious adherence to the right .as he sees it have always characterized him and to those qualities is due much of the respect in which he is uniformly held.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915,” by Herman Mueller.