Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/904

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��BIOGEAPHICAL SI^TCHES:

��battle of Shiloh in April 6 and 7, same year ; in the siege of Corinth, captm-e of Memphis, and in the campaigns through Arkansas under Gen. Fred Steele ; in the flank movement on Vicksburg, viz.. Atchafalaya, in the movement on Vicksburg, viz., Milliken's Bend; was present at the running of the blockade by Com- modore Porter's fleet ; participated in the battles inci- dent to the approaches to Vicksburg, viz., Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Beaver Station, Raymond, Jackson and Champion Hills; the latter one of the severest, for the number engaged, of the war; Mr. Wentz at this time held the rank of First Lieutenant ; his company entered the fight with forty-five men and came out with twenty- three, but had the satisfaction to capture, aided by the regiment, four guns in this engagement ; the boys used the bayonetand butt of the gun at close quarters ; Lieut. Wentz coming out without harm except that caused by a minie ball that carried away the heel of his boot and an- other passing through his cap, received while aiding the Colonel in changing the position of the regiment ; participated in the siege of Vickburg, and was present at its surrender, and was with Gen. Sherman on his Jackson (^liss.) campaign ; in August, 1863, his regi- ment was transferred to the Gulf Department, where Mr. AVentz took part in the campaigns under Gens. W. B. Franklin and Nathaniel Banks ; re-enlisted as a veteran in 1864, after which his regiment was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley, reaching Washington Aug. 4, 1864, and Harper's Ferry, Va., on the 10th ; took part in the skirmish at Halltown, battle of Winchester, Sept. 18, Fisher's Hill, Sept. Tl, and Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864, where Gen. Phil. Sheridan so greatly distin- guished himself by taking command of a defeated army and winning one of the most brilliant victories of the war, after making his fiimous ride from Winchester, twenty miles away ; although Mr. Wentz was a perfect stranger to all in his regiment, he, by his faithfulness to duty, won the confidence of his superiors, and thereby promotion, he having held all the subordinate positions from the command of his company down to private ; was also at difi"erent times detailed on staff duty and acted as Adjutant of his regiment. After the war, Mr. Wentz returned to his home, afterward en- gaged in the lumber business at Crestline, but after one year, finding that his health would not permit him to con- tinue, he sold out his interests and engaged in the hard- ware business, which business he followed until Septem- ber 1874, when he sold out and entered the fire insur- ance field ; since then he has been engaged at Dayton, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Shelby, Ohio ; in the spring of 1880 a new fire association was formed at Shelby, and Mr. Wentz was ofi'ered the secretaryship, which he accepted and now holds. Mr. Wentz married Miss Sarah A. Bushey .^une 8, 1865 ; the fruits of this union were two sons and one daughter — one daughter and one son now living. Although a strong Eepublican, Mr. Wentz was three times elected a member of the City Council at Crestline, Ohio, the usual Democratic major- ity being about two to one.

WHEELER, ISAAC S., was born in Plymouth Town- ship, Feb. 11, 1822; his father, Oliver Wheeler; immi- grated from Connecticut to Ohio at an early day, and settled two miles northwest of Shelby. His father served in the war of 1812 ; his mother, whose maiden name was

��Rebecca Holston, was born in Pennsylvania ; she died when Isaac was 13 years old, and his father died when he was 14, thus leaving him to take care of the younger children, as he was oldest son, and second child. He thus at an early age was deprived of the fostering care of his parents, and had the charge of his younger brothers and sister, who depended on him in a great measure for their raising. He managed the farm and kept the family together until they could do for themselves, for which he certainly ought to take a just pride. He is Vice President of the Shelby National Bank, and Treas- urer of the Buckeye Mutual Insurance Company ; he is a practical business man, and considers well any enter- prise he undertakes ; he is a self-made man ; his educa- tional privileges were poor, as he was compelled to work when young, but he has acquired suflBcient education to see to his business properly conducted, and is a close ob- server of the issues of the times. Mr. AVheeler was mar- ried in 1851, to Mrs. Martha Moore, whose maiden name was Rambo ; they are the parents of six children.

WHITE, WILLIAM C, farmer, was born in Richland Co., Oct. 18, 1836; he has lived in Cass and Sharon Townships all his life except five years he resided in Mar- shall Co., Ind.; he sold his farm in Indiana, and on his return to Ohio, purchased the farm known as the " John Snyder" farm, where he has since resided. He was married to Miss Susan Snyder Feb. '23, 1860; she was born Oct. 3, 1840; they are blessed with five children, four living, namely : Mary E., married to Lau- rence Lake, farmer; Dorali Matilda, Irene Jane and Minnie May, at home. Mr. White started in life with- out material assistance, but by industry has made for himself a comfortable home. Mrs. AVhite's mother, Mrs. Mary E. Snyder, whose maiden name was Magner, was born in Greene Co., April 30, 1818 ; her parents, Samuel and Catharine Magner, immigrated to Columbi- ana Co., Ohio, where they lived for some years, and then came to Richland Co., in April, 1829, and settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. White. This farm was en- tered in 1827. Mary E. Magner was married to John Snyder April 28, 1837 ; he was born Sept. 4, 1804 ; they had four children, all of whom are living.

WILL, PETER, farmer and stock grower; he was born in Bedford Co., Penn., March 19, 1833; his par- ents emigrating to Richland Co., Ohio, in May of the same year, purchasing what is familiarly known as the Will homestead, composed of 155 acres, where he re- ceived his education, remaining with his parents until December, 1860. He married Miss Humphrey, Jan- uary, 1857. They have six children— Ivin E., John Sherman, Franklin E., Jennie E., Sarah E., and George B. His father, Vallentine, was born in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, about 1802, and married Elizabeth Cook, who was born in the same place about 1805, and had twelve children, nine of whom are living — Elizabeth, Henry, Peter, Mar- garet, Mary, Rebecca, Sarah, John A. and Lottie, Peter, the subject of this sketch, was elected Assessor in 1874, and has been re-elected six consecutive years ; he also was elected Land Appraiser in October, 1879 ; on leaving the homestead, in 1860, he moved to Shelby, where he purchased an interest in the Sutter saw-mill, remaining until October, 1867, when he disposed of his interest, and went to Marshall Co., Ind., remaining

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