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Surnames: Slane, Sands
Classification: Biography
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http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/gh.2ADI/5419
Message Board Post:
From Biographical Memoirs of Huntington County, 1901, pages 682-683
A successful farmer and raiser of live stock, Amos S. Slane was born in Hocking county,
Ohio, near the town of Logan, on the 12th day of February, 1842. His parents were Hugh
and Susanna Slane, who came from Ohio to Indiana about the year 1847, settling first in
Huntington county, and subsequently came to the county of Wells and entered eighty acres
of land in Union township. On this place Amos S. grew to years of maturity, and after his
father's death, in 1854, looked after his mother's intrests (sic) until the
breaking out of the great Rebellion. His early school experiences embraced the studies
constituting the common-school course of the times, and while not a learned man as far as
books are concerned, he has by wide reading and an active business life become the
possessor of a store of practical knowledge such as educational institutions do not always
impart.
In October, 1862, Mr. Slane responded to the country's call for volunteers by
enlisting in Company D, Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry, and he received his first baptism
of fire at Yazoo Pass, Mississippi, where he was wounded by a musket ball just below the
right knee. The serious nature of this wound necessitated his retention for six weeks in
the hospital, but as soon as sufficiently recovered he rejoined his command and was soon
thereafter engaged in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, and
later took part in the operations around Vicksburg. Soon after the fall of that city he
was detailed for hospital guard, and later did guard duty for a period of six months at
New Orleans. His military career ended in October, 1865, receiving his discharge at
Brownsville, Texas, and returning home immediately thereafter engaged in farm labor by the
month, continuing thus until the latter part of 1866.
On the 2d day of December, 1886, Mr. Slane was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Sands,
and shortly thereafter began farming on rented land in Union township, Huntington county.
Two years later he purchased a farm of fifty-three acres in section nineteen, Wells
county, which he only held a short time, and then purchased and settled on the farmon
(sic) which he now resides in the same section. He has a fine and well-improved farm of
one hundred acres, with good and commodious residence and barns which go to make life in
the rural districts truly desirable. His farm, consisting of one hundred acres, has
ninety-three acres tillable, and in addition to general agriculture devotes some attention
to the raising of live stock, which adds very materially to his annual income. Early in
life Mr. Slane was obliged to rely largely upon his own resources. With little assistance
worth mentioning he has won success from circumstances not always encouraging, and by
industry, economy a!
nd superior management has succeeded in accumulating ample means to render the remainder
of his life comfortable, besides providing well for his children. In all that constitutes
good citizenship he is a valuable factor in the community, and in a quiet way he
materially assisted in the promotion of all enterprises for the public good.
In politics he is a Republican; his opinions when given are the outgrowth of strong
convictions, and has never aspired to official honors. In religion he is a devout member
of the German Baptist church, but believes in the good work of all ecclesiastical bodies
and recognizes the true Christian by whatsoever name designated.
Mr. Slane is popular with the people of his neighborhood, and has always sustained a
reputation in harmony with his high ideals of true nobility and upright manhood. The
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Slane has been blessed with the following children: Almedia,
John E., Hattie, Mary, Silas B., Amos and James A.