VanBebber, Vardaman,

VanBebber, Vardaman, Biography submitted by: Susan Bowman

Vardaman VanBebber has a wonderful family history. He comes from a family that arrived in America on the Concord in 1687 at the invitation of William Penn. Vardaman'’s father, Jacob, fought in the War of 1812 and he has two great-grandfathers that fought in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Point Pleasant, Mason Co., Virginia. Vardaman is the grand nephew of Olive VanBibber who married Nathan Boone, son of the famous Daniel Boone. Vardaman was born 1825 in Tennessee and you can find his father Jacob living in Claiborne in the 1830 census and in Meigs, Tennessee in the 1840 census records. Between 1840 and 1845 the family had migrated to Missouri as Vardaman and Elenor were married April 2, 1845 in Linn Co., Missouri. Vardaman and Elenor/Ellen had nine children, Henry Grey born 1846, Emily Ann born 1850, George Elison born 1852, Lucy Jane born 1853, Nancy Elizabeth born 1857, Martha born 1859, Catherine “Kitty” born 1861, William “Sherman” born 1866 and Melcina “Nellie” born 1867. According to Vardaman’s pension records he fought in the Civil War for the state of Missouri in the infantry - Company F, 23rd Regiment as a private. He enlisted on December 29, 1861 in Linn County, Missouri and was discharged December 30, 1864 from Savannah, Georgia. He was captured at Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, on April 6, 1862. As history has reported the Battle of Shiloh was the bloodiest conflict the nation had seen. Vardaman was in the prisons in Tuscaloosa and Montgomery, Alabama. He contracted typhoid fever and the measles during the war which affected his lungs and he suffered for the rest of his life with medical problems as a result. Prior to the Civil War he was a farmer and after the war he returned to Linn County, Missouri where he returned to farming to provide for his family. Vardaman is buried with his wife, Elenor/Ellen in the Pierce Family Cemetery.