Carter, Thomas

“Captain Carter was a native of Virginia, born September 10, 1810.    When he was quite small, his parents moved to Kentucky, where they resided till Thomas was fifteen years old.  They then moved to Delaware county, Ohio, where Thomas served five years as a millwright’s apprentice, and became a scientific workman.  His son John has a fine case of tools formerly owned by his father, some of which have been in use for fifty years.  Mr. Carter was, perhaps, the first millwright who operated in this part of the state.  He left Ohio in the spring of 1829, and moved to Livingston county, Missouri, where he remained four years and built several mills.  In 1834, he moved to Linn county, and settled at the old Botts mill, and was living there during the flood of 1844, when the water rose so high he had to get his family out in a flat-boat.  From there he moved to Miles’s mill in 1848, which her built; and also built a bridge across Locust Creek, just below the mill.  In 1851, he bought a farm three miles from the mill, and lived there till 1854, when he broke up housekeeping.  He assisted in building and operating too many mills to make mention of all.  The last milling enterprise in which he engaged was in partnership with his son Fran, they having bought out Beckett & Trumbo, in Benton town- ship.  Mr. Carter enlisted in the Union service in August, 1861, in Company F, Twenty-third Missouri Infantry, of which he was elected captain.  He resigned, however, again becoming a private, and served two years and nine months.  He was in the battle of Shiloh, and was in the thickest of the fight.  After the war, he never engaged in active life to any great ex- tent.  He had been twice married.  His first wife was Annie Conkling, to whom he was married in Ohio, September 18, 1833.  After her death he was again married to Mrs. Martha A. Moore, of Linn county.  By his first union he had ten children, eight of whom still survive.  In 1868, he was elected county treasurer, beating his opponent three or four hundred votes.  On taking sick, he resigned this office; his son John was appointed to fill the vacancy.  Captain Carter departed this life June 5, 1868, and was buried at Linneus.  In religion, he was a Cumberland Presbyterian, and in politics he was formerly and old line Whig, but latterly a Republican.  He was always a Free-soiler, and fully believed in both religious and political liberty.”

Transcribed, in total, by kkfitch