Henry Felkner Devault

CRAVEN, CROW, DEVAULT, DRAKE, FELKNER, NICHOLSON

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/14/2005 at 09:55:02

“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915

A fine farm on section 29, Jackson township, is the property of Henry Felkner Devault and yields him good crops annually in return for his care and labor. Mr. Devault was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, on the 22d of December, 1837, a son of Charles and Rachel (Felkner) Devault, both of whom were natives of Ohio, the former born near Chillicothe, in Ross county, and the latter in Columbus. They are buried in the Solon cemetery near the town of Solon in Johnson county, Iowa. More detailed mention of them is made on another page of this volume.

Henry F. Devault acquired his early education in the district schools of Johnson county, Iowa. For some time he pursued his studies in a primitive log Schoolhouse heated by a fireplace and lighted by oiled paper windows, while the seats were made of puncheons. Later he attended Western College in Linn county and Cornell college at Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Feeling that his country needed his services during the Civil war, he enlisted on the 11th of August, 1862, with his brother, Andrew Jackson, in Company H, Twenty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. The company rendezvoused at Shueyville and joined the regiment at Iowa City, whence they were sent to Davenport. From that point they took a boat down the Mississippi to St. Louis and from there proceeded to Rolla, Missouri, and thence to Houston, that state, going later to West Plains, Iron Mountain, St. Genevieve and Vicksburg. Landing at Milliken's Bend, they became a part of the army under the command of General Grant, their first battle being at Port Gibson on the 1st of May, 1863. They participated in the battle of Champion's Hill, which occurred May 16th, Lawler's charge of Black River bridge. May 17th, being at that time a part of Lawler's Brigade, and in the siege of Vicksburg from May 19th to July 4th. It was during this siege that the brother, Andrew J., died of typhoid fever, and he is buried in the National cemetery at Vicksburg. Our subject was also in Grant's famous charge on May 22, 1863, when they tried to take Vicksburg by force and in the engagement at Jackson, July 8, 1863. On the 19th of September, 1864, Mr. Devault participated in the first charge made on the enemy near Winchester, Virginia, where he was severely wounded, the first finger on the right hand being shot off and the second finger so injured that it has remained stiff ever since. In that engagement the Union forces were driven back but when the second charge was made about four hours later the enemy was routed. He was made sergeant of his company and proved an intrepid soldier, never losing but one day's march during his service and being incapacitated by illness that day. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged at Concord, New Hampshire, July 1, 1865, and returned to his home in Johnson county, Iowa.

Mr. Devault remained under the parental roof until 1868, which year witnessed his removal to Madison county, where he purchased land that he still owns. After erecting thereon a log house he returned to Johnson county, where he was married, and shortly afterward brought his bride to the home that he had prepared here. He has since lived upon his farm, successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising and today owns three hundred and twenty acres of land besides giving considerable property to his children. It was on the 10th of September, 1868, that Mr. Devault was united in marriage to Miss Mary Frances Nicholson, who was born in Johnson county, December 7, 1846, and is the third in order of birth in a family of eleven children. Of the four children born to this union Jesse Lewis died in infancy. Effie May is the wife of Wellington W. Drake, a farmer of Webster township, and they have had five children: Alfred, Cecil, Deva and Loretta, all living; and one who died in infancy. Charles Henry, who is engaged in the cultivation of his own land and also his father's farm, married Carrie B. Crow, by whom he has had seven children, Dale, Ruby, Oria, Reva, Clare, Guyle, and one who died in infancy. Gilbert Allen, who owns and operates six hundred and forty acres of land near Sterling, Colorado, married Elsie Craven and has four children, Glenn, Forrest, Clyde and Velma.

Mr. Devault is a stalwart supporter of the Democratic party, and has taken a very active part in political affairs, serving as chairman of the township central committee and as a member of the county central committee. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and assisted in the erection of the house of worship of that denomination at Middle River, in Webster township. In 1866 he joined the Masonic order at Norway, Iowa, and now belongs Evening Star Lodge No 43, A. F. & A. M., at Winterset. His farm was raw prairie land when it came into his possession but it is now highly cultivated and well improved. In this way he has added materially to the development and prosperity of his locality and is regarded as one of the leading citizens of Jackson township.

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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