Person:James Curry (30)

http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Union/Untp4BS.htm

CAPT. JAMES A. CURRY, deceased. The subject of this sketch was born in Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., Va., March 30, 1787. When eleven years of age (1798), his father, Col. James Curry, removed with his family to Ohio, and effected a settlement in Highland County, twelve miles from Chillicothe. Highland was then the border of an unexplored wilderness, extending west and north over the entire State. The red man still claimed it as his heritage, and the wild animals roamed at will over its hills and valleys. Young Curry, then a boy of twelve summers, possessing to some extent the fearlessness and spirit of Boone for hunting, longed for an adventure. He attired himself in his hunting costume, which consisted of a tow shirt and buckskin pants, and with his game-sack and rifle and a dozen dogs, five of which were his own, he started out, and after a tramp of several hours encountered a bear, which he killed. It was the largest of its species known to have been killed in Highland County. On one occasion when but a lad, he made a trip of 100 miles to get a physician to attend on a sick brother. His route lay through a densely-wooded forest, and the distance was traveled principally during nights. February 1811, in company with Joseph Bell, he came to what is now Union County. The snow was two feet deep, and with these surroundings they felled some trees and erected a "half-faced camp," which served as a shelter for them during the spring and summer. The situation of the camp was about forty rods northeast, of Sugar Run Falls. Here he cleared a field anti raised a crop of corn. The latter part of the summer he went back to Highland County, anti in the fall returned to Union County, accompanied by his parents. Early in the summer of 1812, he enlisted with a company of forty-day volunteers, and with the necessary military equipments, mounted his horse and went to Urbana, where he joined a company of horse from Highland County, and served in Col, Carr's regiment. On his way to Urbana he followed the paths and made the whole trip without seeing a single person. His steed, "old Jack," although an animal twenty-one years old, served him efficiently during his military career. In February 1813, Capt. Curry (he having been previously chosen to that rank), was ordered to report with his company for duty and join the army of the Northwest, under Gen. Harrison. He was camped at Delaware, Upper Sandusky, Wapakoneta, Falls St. Marys and Fort Meigs. After the war closed, he was offered a Captaincy in the regular army, which he declined. Capt. Curry had come to Ohio when young, and his advantages for an education were very limited, but through h is own diligence and efforts to secure learning, he acquired a good education, which was of great practical use to him in after years. The chief elements of his education, and in which he displayed a marked thoroughness, were geography, natural philosophy and history. Natural philosophy was so easily mastered by him that he gave it the version of - natural simplicity." In boyhood he formed strong tastes for reading, and his extensive knowledge was all obtained through the avenues of literature. He was a man wholly self-acquired, and no doubt the best historian in the county. A man of strong conversational powers, he was able to entertain any one in the most pleasing manner. As a mail, he was generous and hospitable, and never turned from his door the needy and distressed. he died near New California, March 1, 1874, aged eighty-seven. March 18, 1817, Ile was married to Miss Phebe Winget, a daughter of Stephen and Hannah Winget, natives of Washington County, Penn. They removed to Madison County, Ohio, in 1801. Mrs. Winget was, before her marriage. a Cary, and was a distant relative of Alice and Phebe Cary, and also of Hon. Samuel F. Cary. Mrs. Winget was left a widow in 1807, with six children. She died in 1860, aged eighty-five years, Mr. and Mrs. Curry reared a family of ten children-five sons and five daughters, viz.: John: Harriet, widow of William Baird Nancy; Mariah, widow of John Woodburn; James, deceased; Samantha, deceased; William W.; Phebe, wife of W. H. Williams; David; and James A., deceased, who died in the army. Mrs. Curry is still living on the old homestead at the advanced age of eighty-four years. She is enjoying good health and in possession of all her mental faculties. She spent two days at the "world's fair," in 1882, and there saw the improvements of the country of threescore years, which was all accomplished under her observation. John Carry, the eldest son and child, was born in Jerome, December 22, 1817. December 9, 1845, he was married to Tabitha W. Gill, daughter of Jesse Gill, by whom he has had eleven children, viz.: Allen T., Lewis C., Thomas H., Frank P., Olive C. (wife of J. D. McCampbell), Jesse G., Stephenson, Jennie, Mantie, James E. and John M. Mr. Curry owns a valuable farm of 347 acres, and is a successful farmer and stock-raiser. Mrs. Curry is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Politically, Mr. Curry is Democratic.

1.   Geneanet Community Trees Index.

   https://gw.geneanet.org/julane1974?lang=en&p=james+addison&n=curry&oc=1