COMPENDIUMOF BIOGRAPHY
Of Henry County Indiana
B.F.Bowen
1920
Page341,342,343
Surnames mentioned in this biography are: Miller, Brookshire, Shelley,
Kiriley, Darling, Rix, Pearson, Armstrong,Coon,
McCormick,
WILLIAM BROOKSHIRE
Among the many gallant and bravesoldiers who volunteered from the
state of
Indiana to save the American unionfrom disruption by the South in
the blood thirsty rebellion of 1861-5 was thegentleman whose name stands at
the head of this biographical sketch, but who isnow one of the most respected
and thrifty agriculturists of Harrison Township, Henry
County,Indiana. Although he was of southernextraction, like many others
whose parents came from that section of thecountry, he was possessed
oftrue patriotism and was but too glad to avail himself of the opportunity
tovolunteer his services in the cause of the Union when the proper time came
tomanifest his love of the cause of liberty and the Union. William
Brookshire was born in New Castlethis County, on the 6th of August 1835, and
is the son of Endsley and Elizabeth(Shelley) Brookshire. The ancestors of the
subject were Scotch-English. Hispaternal grandfather was a native of England,
but came to this country beforethe Revolution and with the true spirit
of loyalty to his adopted country assisted the colonists in
obtainingtheir independence. In thesecond war with England, in 1812,
he was also in the military service ofhis country and rose to the
rankof lieutenant colonel. At the close of this struggle he located in
NorthCarolina, where he lived during the remainder of his life. His son, the
fatherof the subject, was born in the latter state, but emigrated to Indiana
andsettled on the site where the city of New Castle now stands. That was in
1813and at the time he came to this state he was but a penniless boy. At the
age offifteen years he went to work for Wilson Clift and was in his employ
one Year,receiving for his work the sum of fifty dollars. Out of this he
boarded himselfand managed to save twenty-five dollars. About this time his
uncle arrived inthis state from North Carolina and entered a tract of one
hundred and sixtyacres of land and by him the subject was employed for four
years, receivingfifty dollars per year. From his salary and money earned by
extra work he savedtwo hundred and fifty dollars and this he invested in
forty acres of landsituated west of New Castle, which he had entered from the
government. He atonce entered actively upon thework of improving this
property, clearing the land, planting an orchard, buildinga house. Etc. He
subsequently sold that place for four hundred dollars andbought another place
of eighty acres, upon which he resided until the time ofhis death, May 30,
1898, at the advanced age of ninety-eight years. At the ageof twenty-five
years he united with the Wesleyan Methodist church, in which hebecame a
minister and continued as such until his death. In politics he was
aRepublican and for many years held the office of justice of the peace. In
NewCastle, this County, Mr. Brookshire was united in marriage with Miss
ElizabethShelley, the daughter of Eli and Abagail Shelley. Her parents were
natives ofPennsylvania, moving from that state to Tennessee, and thence in
1840, toIndiana. To them were born afamily of nine children, five
boys and four girls, William, the immediatesubject, being the oldest in the
family. William Brookshire experienced all the hardships and privations
incidentto the lives of the early pioneers and early, developed a sturdy
manhood, bothphysically and morally. He assisted his father in the arduous
task of creatinga home in the new country, splitting rails, pulling stumps,
building fences,plowing the land, and the many other arduous duties of the
early farm. He learned the trade of a carpenter, in the meantimealso giving
keen attention to the mastery of the common English branches. Hethus became
sufficiently equipped to teach school, which pursuit he folio Wedduring the
winter months, working at the carpenter's trade during thesummers. While he
was thus engaged thedark cloud of civil strife rose in the southern horizon
and, feeling that hisservices were needed by his Country, he volunteered to
go to the front as adefender of his Country's flag. Heenlisted at Richmond,
Indiana, in Company D, Thirty-sixth Indiana VolunteerInfantry, under the
command of Capt. Isaac Kiriley, and were sent toIndianapolis for equipment.
From there they were sent to Camp Wickliffe onguard duty and on the
6th and
7th of April, 1862, were engaged in the battle atShiloh, and afterward at
Crab Orchard, Whitesides, Buzzard Roost andHuntsville, being under fire for
thirty days. They retreated to Nashville andto Louisville, and later engaged
the enemy at Stone River. The subject's termof service having expired, he
returned home in September 1864, holding the rankof corporal at the time of
his discharge. Upon returning to his home he resumedthe occupations of
carpentering and school teaching. He had prior to theoutbreak of the war
bought a sixty-acre tract in Harrison Township, thisCounty, going in debt on
the account, but by the time of his marriage, in 1866,he had, by hard work
and rigid economy, liquidated this indebtedness and hadseven hundred dollars
in cash. He worked at his trade and lived on his father'sfarm for a while,
but in September 1867, he moved onto his own land, which hehas since
cultivated. He has prospered and has added to his possession fromtime to time
until he now owns one hundred and twenty acres here and eightyacres in
Greensboro Township. In addition to the tilling of the soil, Mr.Brookshire
has given considerable attention to the breeding, raising andselling of
livestock and has found this a profitable source of income. Since
1848 he has been largely engaged in the capacity of an auctioneer,
inwhich he has been signally successful, as he is in all his
undertakings. He has now amasseda very comfortable competence, all
acquired by his own strenuous endeavors. On the 10th of May 1866,
William Brookshire was united in theholy bonds of matrimony with Miss
Elizabeth Miller, a native of Henry County,born January 31, 1848. This union
has been a most congenial and happy one andhas resulted in the birth of the
following children: John XV married EffieDarling, and resides in California:
Emma J. is the wife of Charles Rix; Ella isthe wife of Charles Pearson; Perry
H married Etta Armstrong; Charles E. marriedPearl Coon; Minnie is the wife of
Luther McCormick; Thomas is unmarried andlives in Hollister, California;
Weaver, a practical farmer, is unmarried and isat home. All of these children
have been given the benefit of a good, practicalcommon school education. In
politicsthe subject is a pronounced Republican and takes a keen interest in
the successof his party at the polls. Fraternally he is a member of the
Independent Orderof Odd Fellows, belonging to Lodge No. 375 at Kennard, and
has twice passed allthe chairs in the subordinate lodge and twice represented
the lodge in thegrand lodge. He is not affiliated withany religious
denomination, but is obedient to the principle laid down in theGolden Rule
and is a liberal contributor to churches and other worthy objects.He has
taken an interest in public affairs generally, and has several timesacted in
the capacity of administrator of estates. He also holds the responsible
position of treasurer of the AshlandGas Company in his locality. Mr. and Mrs.
Brookshire have lived strictlyupright lives and have thus gained the
respect of their neighbors and won from many of them thewarmest sentiments of
personal friendship. The early defense of his nativecountry and his excellent
management of his affairs since peace finally spreadher mantle over the fair
face of the land, have been the means of exciting in the rising
generation a spiritof emulation and imitation thatmust redound in the
future welfare of the township and the ultimate advancementof public
improvements within all its bounds.