... James Leggitt was born February 10, 1837. He is therefore nearly seventy years old. He was born in Philadelphia. His father was of Scotch Irish descent. His mother was born in Leeds, England. His father was an English "marine," and the son shows with pride a discharge from the royal service which is written on parchment, and though almost illegible from age, bears the following inscription: "Thomas Leggitt, served six years and 351 days in the Royal Marines. Character: A good and efficient soldier. Signed F. D. Denchar Major Commandery First Regt "Jan. 7, 1831" Headquarters at Barbadors, West Indies."
Soon after leaving the royal service, Thomas Leggitt was married in Philadelphia, to Elizabeth Sterling, an English woman of good repute in the town of Philadelphia. The family consisted of four children, who, with the widowed mother, came west in the early "forties." They were:
- Sarah McCarty, whose husband was killed in an explosion in the Hungarian neighborhood near St. Paul, years ago, and she died at Greely, Colorado in 1902;
- James, the subject of this sketch;
- Joseph, living in this city;
- Eliza, who died in 1854.
Mrs. Leggitt, the widow, married Thomas Israel at Middletown, Ohio. He was the father of John Israel, so well known here as Squire Israel, for whom is called the Israel addition in the city of Greensburg, between Franklin and East streets, above Walnut. He was a pioneer justice of the peace for Washington township. ...
