My Genealogy Hound

CYRUS HOWARD (deceased). One of the leading influential farmers of Union Township in his day was the subject whose name heads this sketch. He was born near Ripley December 9, 1812. His parents, Abner and Priscilla (Byne) Howard, were among the earliest pioneers of Brown County. Mr. Howard was reared on his father’s farm till fifteen years of age, when he engaged in transporting pork and provisions by flat-boat to New Orleans. He made fifteen trips to the Crescent City. The last one he made in 1842. He then turned his attention to farming, which he followed with marked success up to his death. In 1835, he purchased the farm on which occurred his demise, and cleared it up from its original wild state. He was a man of good business qualities, and attended to the settlement of a number of estates. He was a stockholder and Director in the Farmers’ Bank of Ripley for a number of years. He was a man of uncompromising honor and sterling integrity. As a citizen, he was enterprising, and as a neighbor, kind and generous to a fault. He was a member of the Christian Church of Ripley for over forty years, and was one of its ablest pillars. His political affiliations were with the Whigs till the organization of the Republican party, in 1854, when he united himself with that political body, and ever afterward remained an earnest advocate of its principles and doctrines. He was a man, quiet and unostentatious, and never sought the honors of a political position, but rather declined offices of trust. On the evening of February 14, 1877, on his way home from Ripley, he was attacked by robbers and beaten so badly that he died on the 13th of March following. He left a widow and two sons. His marriage with Mrs. Howard, nee Miss Mary Stephenson, occurred April 16, 1835. She was a daughter of James and Isabell (Kilpatrick) Stephenson, who were among the earliest settlers of Brown County, and still earlier of Mason County, Ky. Four children were the fruits of this union; of these, two are living — Alfred S., born April 16, 1836, married Anna True, and William C, born July 24, 1840, was married, May 15, 1866, to Lizzie M. King (daughter of G. H. and Hannah King), by whom he has had two children — James H. and Alfred S. July 9, 1861, W. C. Howard entered the Fourth Independent Cavalry and served as body guard to Generals McKinstry, Halleck, McPherson and Howard. He was present when the gallant McPherson met his tragical death. He participated in the following engagements: Silver Creek, Blackwater, siege of Corinth, Port Gibson, Raymond, Utica (where he was slightly wounded), and subsequently Jackson, Champion Hills, Big Black Bridge, siege of Vicksburg, and in all the battles on the famous Atlanta campaign up to July 5, 1864. A portion of his services were rendered in the capacity of Orderly Sergeant. He was honorably discharged and mustered out at Cincinnati. He returned home, and the same year was elected Sheriff of Brown County. He served one term, and was a candidate for the office, in 1866, but was defeated by only 150 votes. In 1866, he was appointed United States Marshall, and filled that office one year. In 1868, he removed to Kansas, where he resided till March, 1877. Since that time, he has divided his time — spending his summers in Kansas, and winters in his native place.