History of Henry County Indiana
B.F. Bowen
1920
Surnames in this biography are:Madison, Hill, Allison, Sparks, Hosier,
Henshaw, Moulton,
John Madison
Among the prominent and well-to-do residents of Henry County,
Indiana, none are more deserving of mention in a volume of this character
than the gentleman whose name appears above. True to his country in the days
of war, behas been equally true in the days of peace and now as the result of
a life of strenuous endeavor and noble purpose he is enjoying the high regard
and esteem of his entire community. John Madison was born in Rush county,
Indiana, November 4, 1840, the sonof Charles and Polly (Hill) Madison. The
ancestors of the subject wereresidents of North Carolina and there the father
of the subject was born andreared. When be was about twenty years old he
accompanied his brothers to RushCounty, this state, and here he began to work
by the month. Here he was unitedin marriage with Miss Polly Hill and to them
were born three children. The mother died whenthe subject was a child of but
two years, and the father was again married. John remained at home untilhe
was about fourteen Years old, obtaining in the meantime a limited education.
When the great struggle between the North and the South culminated in actual
conflict. Mr. Madison without hesitation offered his services in her
defense. He enlisted in October 1861, in Company A, Fifty-seventh Regiment
IndianaVolunteer Infantry, under the immediate command of Captain Allison, of
Knightstown. The regiment rendezvoused at Richmond, Wayne County,
beingafterward sent to Indianapolis. Going to the front, they were engaged in
thesanguinary conflicts at Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga,
MissionRidge and Knoxville. At the latter place he veteranized with the other
membersof his regiment and came home on a thirty-day furlough. Returning to
the front,they were sent upon the Atlanta campaign, culminating in the siege
and fall ofAtlanta. He was afterward in the battleof Spring Hill and at
Franklin, Tennessee, at the latter place being severelywounded. Because of
this wound he was given a thirty-day furlough and was sentto the hospital at
Jeffersonville. Indiana. Recovering from his injury herejoined his command at
Huntsville Alabama from which point they were sent toNashville, Tennessee,
and then to Texas. The regiment was mustered out at PortLavaca, Texas, in the
fall of 1865, after a service of four years and threemonths. He arrived home
on the 6th of January. 1866. While at home on a veteranfurlough in 1864 Mr.
Madison was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth C.Sparks of Hancock
County, and after his return to the army she removed with herfamily to Henry
County. Upon his return home Mr. Madison rented hisfather-in-law’s farm and
commenced housekeeping. He had saved from his army payabout eight hundred
dollars and with this they were enabled to get a start inthe world. In 1872
he rented another place and remained upon it for a fewyears, and then began
to buy an interest in the old farm, finally gaining soleownership of it. In
1894 he left this place and went to Kennard, where hebought ten acres of land
adjoining the town and made that his home until recently. He is astockholder
in and president of the Kennard Canning and Preserving Factory and is also a
stockholder in the Ashland Gas Company, being a tone time president and now
one of the directors of the latter company. He was one of the eight gentlemen
who organized the Kennard Co-operative Telephone Company. He belonged to
theGrange and was also president of the Farmers’ Alliance. In
politics he has always been aDemocrat, but has never taken a very active part
in party affairs.
Mr. Madison’s first wife died in 1885. No children hadbeen born
to that union, but they had adopted a boy, whom they reared and caredfor. In
1887 the subject was united in marriage to Mrs. Hosier, the widow of
Lewis Hosier and theonly daughter of C. C. Henshaw and to this union has been
born one child. VreelC. born February 29,1888. By her first husband Lewis
Hosier, Mrs. Madison hadtwo children, Laura the wife of William Moulton, and
William, now married andaway from home. In all the characteristics that go to
make up a successful lifethe subject of this sketch has been well equipped
and his life career but goesto show what may be accomplished by the mah of
energy and determination. He hasled an eminently useful life in his community
and his influence has ever beenexerted on the side of right and morality.