Capt.
PHILIP J. HOWARD, operator of a large stone quarry at Rosiclare,
Ill., is a descendant of one of the oldest families in that section of the
state. His grandfather, John Howard, came from Virginia while he was still
quite a young man, and settled in what was then Pope county. He married a
Miss Robinett and they lived their whole lives in the vicinity of the Old
Illinois Furnace, in what is now Hardin county. They had four sons and one
daughter, all now deceased. One son, Joshua, was at once time sheriff of
Pope county, before Hardin county was organized. John Howard lived to be
seventy years of age and his wife reached the age of seventy-five. Their
son, Philip J. Howard, father of the subject of this sketch, was born six
miles north of Elizabethtown, grew to manhood on his father's farm, married
Miss Minerva McFarland, and lived his whole life on a farm near that town.
Minerva McFarland was a daughter of James and Elizabeth McFarland, who built
the first rude log house where the town of Elizabethtown now stands. As the
settlement grew and the town began to take form, it was named after Mrs.
McFarland. The old log house gave way in time to a commodious brick
dwelling, which is still standing and is now used as hotel. James McFarland
was a farmer and flatboatman, making several trips to New Orleans by that
means before the advent of railroads. Philip J. and Minerva Howard had three
children, Elizabeth, Philip J., and one deceased. Elizabeth is now a Mrs.
Dunn, living in Kansas. The father died at the age of thirty-five and the
mother lived to the age of seventy-nine years. After the death of her
husband she married a second time, her second husband being James Kirkham,
and they had give children, two of whom, James H. and Pinckney, now live at
Smithland, Ky., and the others are deceased. Captain Howard was born near
Elizabethtown, March 11, 1840, received his EDUCATION in the common schools,
and on July 29, 1861, enlisted in Company A, Twenty-ninth Illinois volunteer
infantry, under Capt. Charles M. Ferrill. The regiment was mustered in at
Camp Butler, and after a short stay at Cairo joined the forces in West
Tennessee. It was at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Belmont, Mo., Pittsburg
Landing, Corinth, and Holly Springs. At Holly Springs a portion of the
regiment, among them Captain Howard, was captured and held prisoners at the
parole camp at St. Louis for about five months. In June, 1863, they were
exchanged and rejoined the command in front of Vicksburg. After that the
regiment was at Fort Blakely, Mobile, and numerous minor engagements, not
being mustered out until December, 1865, when it was discharged at
Hempstead, Tex. For gallant conduct at Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing,
Private Howard was promoted from the ranks to the office of captain, and
commanded his company the rest of the time he was in the service. In
November, 1865, he was married to Miss Jennie Howe, a native of Harrison
county, Ind., and for two years they lived on a farm in Saline county, Ill.
They then removed to Rosiclare, where they have lived ever since, now being
the oldest residents of the place. For some time he was in the hotel
business; was then manager of the Pell Mining Company's interests for
fourteen years, and since then has been engaged in the stone business.
Captain Howard has taken an active part in politics ever since the war, and
is one of the leading Republicans of the county. In 1886 he was elected
sheriff of the county against large odds and held the office for four years.
He was for sixteen years the postmaster at Rosiclare, and has held some of
the minor offices of a local character. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge,
No. 276, at Elizabethtown; Empire Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
also at Elizabethtown, and with his family belongs to the CHRISTIAN church.
He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Captain Howard and
his wife have five sons: Charles L., Philip J., John R., William H. and
Walter P., all living at Rosiclare.
Extracted 2015 from Memoirs of the Lower Ohio Valley, Personal and Genealogical with Portraits, published in 1905, Volume 1, page 387
Note: Capt. Howard died Feb. 27 1911 and was buried in the family cemetery behind the First CHRISTIAN Church in Rosiclare, Illinois.
Contributed 2015 27 Feb by David Howard. My gt grandfather Philip J. Howard died 1911 in Rosiclare. I was born & raised in Hardin Co. & graduated from Rosiclare Comm. H. S. in 1957. My gt gt gt grandparents were John & Mary Howard & James & Elizabeth McFarlan. The Howards arrived in IL Territory in 1818 & the McFarlans in 1810.
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| Pope |
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| Livingston KY Crittenden KY | ||
