John M. Steward, son of James P. and Fanny Steward, pioneers of De Kalb County, Ind., was born in Jackson Township, Jul 6, 1841. ...
... James P. and Fanny Steward emigrated from Pennsylvania to Indiana in 1836, entered and bought eighty acres of land on section 36, Jackson Township, which is now the property of John M., the youngest son. Nine children , as follows, came with them to Indiana---Eliza, Horace, Irena, James L., Caroline, Sally, Harriet N., and Dulcena Steward and Lucinda Pellet. John M. has made this township his home a greater part of his life. In 1861 and 1862 he worked with J. and R. Ettinger, in Auburn and Waterloo, at the cabinet-maker’s trade. With this exception, and the time he was in the army, he has devoted his attention to agricultural machinery.
He enlisted in Company A, Eighty-eighth Indiana Infantry, Aug. 10, 1862, and served nearly three years, his discharge bearing date of June 7, 1865. He was in the campaign with General Buell against General Bragg, and in the battle of Perryville, Tullahoma and Stone River with General Rosecrans, in battles of Stevenson, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and Tunnell Hill and intermediate skirmishes with Generals Thomas and Sherman; in battles of Ringgold, Buzzard’s Roost, Rocky-face, Resaca, Kingston, Rome, Allatoona Pass, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochie River, Decatur and Atlanta, and all intermediate skirmishes; with Sherman to the sea, through the Carolinas, via Richmond to Washington City, D.C., and was in review at
Richmond, May 11, 1865, and also in grand review at Washington, May 24, 1865.
After his discharge he returned to Indiana. March 3, 1866, he married Mrs. Lydia J. Steward, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Tarne early pioneers to Indiana from Ohio, and widow of his brother James L., who was a soldier in Company B, Thirteenth Indiana Infantry, and died at Fort Fisher, N.C., Feb. 14, 1865, leaving six children, Samuel T., Elizabeth T., now Mrs. Samuel George; Jasper N., Ida A., now Mrs. James Furnish; Lewis W., Eva J., now Mrs. Wm. C. Reed.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jo[hn] Steward have been born two children---Adelbert Sherman and Rosella Myrmetta.
Mr. Steward is of patriotic parentage, his father having served in the war of 1812. His brother, David W., served in Company E., Eleventh Indiana Zouaves.
