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Surnames: Cason, Neill, Burkhalter,Rutherford, Harper, Norris
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/yBI.2ACIB/307
Message Board Post:
The name of Cason in the Northern States is uncommon, but in the Southern States it is
a very common one. The family on coming to this country setled at an early day in the
State of Virginia. Through works of genealogy the name is traced to the south of France,
and from which place members of the family became refugees in Holland, and from where they
joined William of Orange in his invasion of Ireland. At the time of emigrating to this
country they had become mixed with Irish, English, and Scotch blood.
Thomas Cason, the father of the family that settled in Boone County at an early date,
was born in Virginia on December 8, 1759, and from there emigrated to South Carolina.
Having been afflicted with the "white swelling" in one of his limbs in early
life he became a school teacher, following it most of his life. He married Miss Margaret
Neill December 30, 1794. Miss Neill was born March 24, 1762. She was a woman of
excellent mental ability and great force of character. Her experience during the
Revolutionary war, if written, would read like a tale of romance. She was an ardent Whig,
while a majority of her neighbors were Tories. She had two brothers, only one being old
enough to enlist in the war. Several times her house was robbed and everything in it
destroyed except one bed on which an invalid mother lay. One of these times her brother
had come home from the army on Sunday morning and was relating the news to the family and
some young ladies who had come in to!
see him, when they were surprised by the click of gun locks from a squad of Hessians at
the door of the house. The girls ran in the face of the Hessians and the brother out at
the other side of the house. One of the Hessians, seeing her brother would escape, ran
around the house, while Miss Neill, seeing his intention, ran through the house and,
meeting him, struck up his gun just as he fired, undoubtedy by this act saving the life of
her brother. On returning to the house her young brother became alarmed and ran out, and,
climbing a high fence, was soon out of sight. The Hessians did not seem disposed to
shoot, but followed after him, going to the bars instead of the fence, laying down the
middle one; but when one of them would attempt to go through the girls would jerk him
back. One of the Hessians became so exasperated at Miss Neill that he srruck her across
the head with his gun, severly wounding her, the scar of which she carried to her grave.
The Hessians then we!
nt to the house and destroyed everything of value, not leaving Miss Neill a change of
clothing. The house had been robbed in the same manner before. At another time her
younger brother and herself had "mowed' their wheat, and the night after a
company of the enemy's dragoons came and fed every sheaf to their horses. Her older
brother was, before the war closed, murdered. His company was surrounded in an old house
by a very much larger force of Tories. The capain of the Tories offered if they would
throw their guns out of the house to protect them as prisoners of war. The captain of the
Whigs accepted these terms and ordered his men to throw their guns out the window. The
men at first refused to obey, but as the house had been set on fire they yielded. The
first thing the Tory captain did was to order the Whig captain and his lieutenants to be
hung to a "fodder pole"; this breaking, he ordered them shot, after which the
privates were also all shot. Miss Neill, heari!
ng of the surrender, started immediatedly for the place, but arrived too late to save her
brother; all had been shot and the captain was walking among the dead and hacking with his
sword every muscle that moved.
Thomas Cason, owing to his crippled condition, was never molested by the Tories,
although his brothers were in the service of the colonies. After his marriage he settled
on a farm, but owing to having a large amount of security debts to pay, he had to sell the
farm (a valuable one), negroes and all his other property, except a small amount of
household goods, and then go to Ohio and teach school so as to secure money to move his
family to that state. Their children, four boys and one girl, were all born in South
Carolina, the daughter dying before they left that state. William, the oldest, was born
September 19, 1797; John, May 30, 1799; James, February 13, 1802; And Samuel March 5,
1804. Thomas arrived in Ohio April 5, 1804, and the family moved in August and September
following. From there they came into Indiana territory in 1814 or 1815, settling in Union
County on a farm and remaining there until October, 1831, when John,, James and Henry
emigrated to this count!
y, all settling in the woods and opening up farms near Thorntown. William, who never
married, remained with the old folks, staying on the farm until his death, May 16, 1850,
aged fifty-two years, seven months, and twenty-seven days. His father died October 12,
1835, and mother, July 25, 1846. William Cason was a man of excellent character and
habits, and exerted an influence for good over the people of his county equal if not
greater than any one who ever lived in it. He was probate judge over twenty years, and was
regarded as one of the best probate lawyers in eastern Indiana.
John Cason married Fannie Burkhalter. There were eight children born to them-five
girls and three boys-named Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary, Phebe J., Marion N., Ershula, Oliver
and Samuel Margaret, Elizabeth and Marion are dead. John Cason always resided on a farm
and devoted his entire attention to opening and cultivating it, and lived to see the day,
as also did his brothers James and Samuel, when the farms that had caused them so much
toil and hardship in the early settlement thereon became prosperous homes of thrift and
independence. He was a man of an unusual kind disposition, and always had a kind word for
all whom he met and difficulty with no one. This was, however, amarked trait of character
as to all of the older members of the family, and a law suit was a thing no one of the
family was ever known to engage in, from Thomas, the father, to the death of his sons.
John Cason departed this life in 1868, leaving surviving him his wife, now in her
eighty-fourth yea!
r, and with the exception of a disease in her feet and limbs that renders walking
toublesome, she is in excellent health. She has always been industrious and greatly
devoted to her children, and for whose welfare she yet gives her constant attention.
James Cason married Margaret Rutherford December 13, 1827. Her family were of the old
English stock of Rutherfords, the name originating from Ruther's Ford, a stream near
the line between England and Scotland, on which there was a ford on the land of a man name
Ruther. Her mother's folks were named Harper, her grandfather being the owner and
giving the name to Harper's Ferry, Virginia, which Old John Brown immortalized. Thus
are united in one family the name of one branch originating from a ford and the other
giving name to a ferry. James Cason resided on the land he first settled on in coming to
this county until the fall of 1865, when he moved to Thorntown, where he lived until his
death. He was a carpetner as well as farmer, and was a master of his trade. There are
many house, barns, bridges and other strructures yet standing in this county which well
attest the care and fidelity with which he did his work. Although a man small in stature,
yet his physical stren!
gth and endurance was remarkable. He had a clear, incisive insight into most every subject
before the people of his day, and with this he had most excellent "common
sense", giving to his opinions and judgments unusual correctness. He was outspoken
and frank almost to a fault, and was extremely active and energetic--doing everything with
all his might; and he was always ready to assist in every enterprise for the public good.
He departed this life January 31, 1875, leaving his wife surviving him, now in her
eight-first year, and with the exception of reheumatisn in one of her limbs is in
excellent health and as active as most persons at fifty or sixty years old. Her life has
been unusually active and industrious. She is frank, outspoken and independent at all
times, yet kind and genial to all who meet her, and liberal and tolerant in all her views.
Her mental faculties are far above an ordinary person's, and her devotion to her
children has been untiring; and they owe to!
her much of whatever success that has attended them in life. There were nine children
born to them--six boys and three girls--one of whom William died at four weeks of age. Of
the others, Thomas J., Samuel L. and Sarah Ann are yet living; John O, Joseph N. and
Margaret E lived to be married and have children; Mary E. died in her eighteeth year and
James H. on September 11 ,1850.
Samuel Cason first married Mary Burkhalter. She was an excellent woman, a prudent and
careful motrher, and it is largely due to her training and instruction, young as her
children were at her death, that several of them have become more than ordinary men and
women. There were nine children born to them--six girls and three boys. Jane, Mary and
Cynthia are dead; the others, Elizabeth, Margaret, Fanny, William N., Joseph M. and John
are living. She departed this life about 1844. Samuel Cason was much like his oldest
brother, William in his traits of character and mental ability, and like him he exercised
and held an influence for good over the people of the county that few, if any, have ever
attained. Soon after coming to his county he was made one of the associate jduges of the
circuit court of the county. Judge Cason became a good judge of law, and was treated with
great respect by the presiding judge, who, upon all occasions, consulted him. Among the
best lawyer!
s of the circuit he was regarded as a sound lawyer and one of the ablest associate judges
of the state. He always gave close, careful attention to his duties of every character,
and had a clear, logical and incisive insight into most every subject brought before him,
which, with the good common sense he exercised upon all occasion, caused his opinions to
be received with great confidence. Like his brothers, he was of a positive, open, frank
nature, and always straightforward in his intercourse with others. At the time of his
death, and for some years prior thereto, he was a president of the First National Bank,
Thorntown, Under his management the stock, at the time of his death, sold at twenty-six
per cent, premium. There was never a dollar lost to the bank while he was at its head.
He had for several years been one of the directors of the Lafayette & Indianpolis
Railroad, and reisgned the position when he became convinced it was managed in the
interest of a few direct!
ors instead of the stockholders. Both James Cason and himself had devoted much time,
expense and labor in procuring the organization of the company and establishing the road
through this county,. Judge Cason was married the second time to Alphea Norris, and by
this marriage there were three children--two girls and one boy--Lysia, and Idia, and
James. He departed this life August 7, 1871, at the age of sixty-seven years, five months
and one day, his wife surviving him.
It required thirteen days to move their families from Union County to this county, the
distance being only about one hundred miles. It rained every day or night while they were
on the road. Swamping and braking down was an every day occurrence; and to cap the climax
of all their troubles the wagon in which the family of James Cason was riding, when within
five miles of their destination, overset in a creek plunging them and everything belonging
to them under water; and although it was cold and raining, they had to camp out of doors
in their wet clothes and bed covers.
The winter of 1831-32, after the three brothers settled in this county, was a severe
one. It set in early, a heavy snow falling the last of November or first of December, and
lay on the ground until about the middle of March next. They had all landed in the woods
"without a stick amiss", except Samuel, who had a small log cabin on his land
when he came to it. It was spring before some of the chimneys were higher than the
mantle-piece. Neither were there any doors in their houses until spring, old quilts and
sheets had to be substituted, and when some of the doors were made they were of split
boards from trees. No mortar could be made to stop the open space between the logs of the
house, so split pieces of timber and old clothes were the only substitute. The howl of
the wolf and other wild animals were heard nightly, and the writer remembers of their
frequently driving the dog under the floor of the house where he would flee for safety.
The feed for both man and be!
ast had to be procured through the entire winter, spring and summer following their
settlement in this county from Shawnee, Scott's and Wea prairies, the distance being
about fory miles; and when procured the flour would often be sick, the corn so unripe and
soft that when cold came it froze and all had to be thawed out by the fire before it could
be used for feed to either man or beast.
It would take a volume to recite only the more important part of the hardships of any
family of early settlers of this county, and it would be impossible to go into detail in a
brief article.
EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA
MAY 1887