John Jackson Sims (1836)

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Biography

John was born in 1836. He is the son of John Sims and Mary Groves. JOHN J. SIMS, justice of the peace, retired farmer & respected citizen of Fortville, Vernon Township, Hancock, Ind., was born Jan. 8, 1836, in Meigs, Ohio, son of John & Mary (Groves) Sims, & Grandson of Morris Sims. The family is of Scotch-Irish stock, & Morris Sims settled as a pioneer along the Shade river, in Meigs, Ohio, at an early day. His children were: John, William, Morris, Oliver, Reese, Peggy, Tenie & Frank.

Tradition says that the Sims family came to Ohio from Virginia, & that Morris Sims was a soldier in the Revolution & died in Meigs, Ohio, where his wife also passed away. John Sims, son of Morris & father of John J., probably born in Virginia, was a blacksmith & wagon maker by trade, & was a very handy man with tools, being able to make almost any article desired by his neighbors out of iron or wood, among a large variety of other articles, making spinning wheels & looms. He was married twenty miles above Cincinnati, to Mary Groves, born in Pennsylvania, of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, who, up to her 30th year could speak no English. After marriage Mr. Sims & his wife settled on the Shade river, in Meigs, Ohio, where he owned 300 acres of land. His farm, which was mostly bottom lands, was very fertile, & this he cleared, making a good home for his family. His children were : Lucinda ; William ; Lewis ; Mary Ann, who died aged 11 years ; Emeline ; Eliza ; John J. ; and Benjamin F., all of whom with the exception of Mary A. lived to grow to maturity, & all married & reared families except Benjamin F. John Sims moved from Meigs, Ohio, to Tuppers Plains, where he bought a small farm & built a sawmill, & sank a salt well, but did not succeed well with these enterprises. In politics he was a Democrat, & he was a strong Union man. He & his wife had been members of the Campbellite Church, but later they joined the United Brethren Church, in the faith of which they died, he in 1852, & his wife in her 96th year, at the home of her daughter, Eliza.

John J, Sims was reared in Meigs, & received but a limited common school education. He has since, however, educated himself thoroughly through his own efforts. He was married in Circleville, Ohio, March 20, 1812, to Hannah Morgan, born April 5, 1841, in Pickaway, Ohio, daughter of George W. & Harriet Morgan, & Granddaughter of George Morgan, who was born in Virginia in 1770, of old Colonial stock of Scotch descent. George Morgan's wife was a native of Maryland. Mr. & Mrs. Morgan located in Pickaway, in the days of its early settlement, & there he died at the age of 88, leaving the following children : Zachariah, Ann, Keturah, Daniel, Elizabeth, Sarah, William, George, John, Benjamin & David, He & his wife were members of the United Brethren Church. He was a hardy pioneer & did a great deal of land clearing, not only for himself, but also for others. His son, George W., father of Mrs, Sims, was born Aug. 12, 1814, in Pickaway, and received absolutely no education, being just able to write his name. He was married May 30, 1840, to Harriet Pinorton, born in September, 1820. Later in life George W. Morgan moved to the line of Ross, where he bought a small farm near Kingston, which he later sold, moving away from that locality. He died aged about 70 years. His children were: Hannah, Mary, Samantha, Sarah E., David & Edson. He was a good citizen, & was a man trusted by the people, acting as administrator of many estates. He was a class leader in the Methodist Church for many years, & also served as school director. His wife died in Pickaway, Ohio, at the age of 49 years.

After marriage John J. Sims & his wife settled first in Pickaway, Ohio, on a farm. Mr. Sims enlisted in the Civil War in 1861, in the 32d O. V. I., but on account of his mother's ill health he was released on the intercession of his friends & neighbors. When John Morgan made his famous raid in Ohio, Mr. Sims joined the pursuit, being out 13 days. He was at the crossing of the Muskingum River, 3 miles below Zanesville, where they had a skirmish with the raiders. After this he enlisted in the Home Guards, Company B, g2d O. V. I., & this company was consolidated with Company E, 55th O. V. I., & ordered to Camp Dennison, & there by vote of the regiment went into active service at the front. He was mustered into the U. S. service in May, 1864, & his services took him into Virginia & South Carolina. After a 113-days experience as a soldier he was honorably discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in August. 1864. He was in the Shenandoah Valley guarding supplies, & took part in many skirmishes, being a participant of the following battles: Cedar Creek, Martinsburg, Bunker Hill & City Point. During service in guarding provision trainson their way to Petersburg, they were repeatedly fired upon. At the battle of Petersburg, Mr. Sims was detailed with a number of other comrades to act as nurse. For 18 days & nights he assisted in caring for the wounded, scarcely getting a bit of sleep, & working day & night to ease the awful suffering of the wounded men. Mr. Sims was never confined to the hospital. His brothers, Frank & Lewis, were 3 year veterans. After the war Mr. Sims returned to his home, in 1865 removing to Lawrence, Ind., where he lived 1 year before going to Anderson. There he engaged in getting out cooper's stuff, & resided in that place for over 30 years. He then removed to 1 mile north of Fortville, where he located on a farm of 50 & 1-half acres. 2 years later, in 1898, he sold his farm & located in Fortville. Mr. & Mrs. Sims are members of the Methodist Church. In politics he is a Democrat, & also a Prohibitionist. He has been coroner of Madison, & has been constable in both Ohio & Indiana. He is a man of excellent moral character & stands high in the opinion of the people. He is a member of Sol. D. Kempton Post, No. 228, G. A. R., of Fortville, in which he has held the office of commander. To Mr. & Mrs. John J. Sims the following children have been born: Walter M., born Jan. 1, 1863, married Nora Groves, and they have one son, George M. ; Frank E., born Feb. 28, 1864, died aged two years and six months; Clara, born Sept. 7, 1866, married Preston Brown, of Anderson, Ind., and they have an adopted son, George M. ; Charles, born Oct. 27, 1868, married Rosa Carter, & they are now living in Lewisville, Ind. ; John M., born Oct. 1, 1871, married Doria Bowen, & they lived in Muncie, Ind., where he died Nov. 14, 1896; Gertrude C, born Dec. 20, 1873, married Douglas Armstrong, of Donnelly, Minn., & has 5 children, Lyle, Bessie, Arnold, Webber and Florence; Mary E., born May 9, 1878, married Charles Welchel, of Fortville, & has had 1 son, Everett M. ; Thomas F. was born Dec. 11, 1880; Ernest E. was born Aug. 5, 1884. (Info)