My Genealogy Hound

ORANGE EDWARDS, retired farmer, P. O. Ripley. James Edwards was the grandfather of our subject. He was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. He came to America previous to the Revolutionary war, in which four of his sons served on the side of liberty. His wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth Jacobs, also of Scotland. They raised a family of twelve children, all of whom lived to be men and women. In 1794, James entered Kenton Station, near Maysville, Ky., near which he purchased a farm. He joined his son at Aberdeen, where he purchased one thousand acres of land and laid out that town, naming it after his birthplace in Scotland. He died at the age of ninety-nine years. Orange Edwards was born in Byrd Township October 3, 1819, and is the son of George and Susannah (Downing) Edwards, both natives of Virginia. George Edwards was the first regularly commissioned officer in Brown County; soon after coming to Aberdeen, he took command of a volunteer company to protect themselves against the Indians. In the war of 1812, he raised a regiment under the general call and entered the service as Colonel of the Second Ohio Volunteers. He was ordered to report to the Lakes, the regiment being obliged to cut their way through the woods. As far as is known, only one man is living at this time (1882) that belonged to that regiment — his name is James Carr, of Brown County. Col. Edwards represented this county in the Legislature for eight successive years, having, prior to that time, served as Justice of the Peace for many years. In 1855, he moved to the house of his son, in Union Township, where he died in the ninety-ninth year of his age. Col. Edwards and his wife had a family of fourteen children, seven of whom are living. Orange Edwards, whose name appears at the head of this article, received a thorough education at the schools of Georgetown in Brown County. He was a scholar in the same class with Gen. U. S. Grant. After the completion of his studies, he engaged in teaching school for some three years. In 1855, he formed a partnership with John Coslett in the milling business near Ripley. Ten years afterward, he disposed of his mill interest and returned to his farm in Union Township. In 1882, he left his farm and moved to Ripley, where he resides, leading a retired life. During the war of the rebellion, Mr. Edwards served as Colonel of the home organization for the protection of the border, and was a Presidential Elector on the election of President Hayes. He was married, in 1842, to Miss Catharine La Favre; from this union there were eight children; four of them are now living, as follows: William H., who received an appointment and served six or seven years in the Treasury Department at Washington, D. C. He also served as Secretary of Legation in South America for two years, also as Secretary of the U. S. Minister at Rio Janeiro, and as Charge d’Affaires at that point, for some time. On his return, he was appointed Consul General at St. Petersburg, Russia, which position he filled to the satisfaction of the Government. He is at present engaged on the French Claims Commission, in the Government service. Charles M. is a practicing lawyer at Cincinnati. Leander A. and George W. are both living at home. Mr. Edwards lost his wife by death in 1860. He was married again, in 1862, to Miss Mary, daughter of Robert McMillen, a native of Ripley, this county.