Capt. Hamilton Samuel McRae, son of Franklin and Rachel (Sands) McRae, was born January 2, 1833, near New Middleton, Harrison Co., Ind.
It may not be inappropriate to preface his biography with a short genealogical mention of the family from which he is descended. This was compiled from data collected by John McRa, sometime minister of Dingwall, in Roes-shire, who died in 1704. It was taken up and extended by Farquhar McRa, and printed by Cohn McRae, at Camden, S. C., from manuscript received from Scotland. The spelling of the original name, "McRath," was variously modified to conform with the peculiar pronunciation of certain localities, and became McGrath, McGrow, McRay and McRae; and sometimes the Mac was dropped. In this country, a John McCrea adopted this form of spelling it to distinguish his own from others of the same name. The earliest authentic account of the family dates back to the thirteenth century, when some McRas, adherents of Colin Fitzgerald, settled in Scotland in the year 1265. Having emigrated from Ireland, at a later date, probably, they settled at Kintail whence they were widely diffused.
At a period antedating the American Revolution, some McRaes landed at Wilmington, N. C. and from this branch of the family are descended a large number of the McRaes in the United States, while others trace their family history back to an Episcopalian minister of the same name, sent to Virginia by the British Crown, and one McRae is known to have emigrated to New York at an early period. From these progenitors have descended many families, the members of which have attained high distinction as soldiers, merchants, professional men and legislators but their chief merit is the uniform law-abiding nature of the families, whose names seldom appear on the criminal records. The subject of this biography is descended from the North Carolina branch of the family of McRaes. The maiden name of one of his ancestors was Margaret McKensie, the descendant of an influential Scottish laird of that name. She diligently improved her opportunities, and was a lady of rare culture for the period in which she lived. She had a strong will, and exercised it in the choice of a husband, in defiance of the prejudice of some relatives. This same will power was doubtless instrumental in prolonging her life to the age of 105 years; for her physical organization was very delicate, and her form was bent low with age. She died in Richmond County, N. C. Her son, Alexander, at whose house she lived, took part in the Revolution, and reared a large family. Alexander Bain McRae, his son, and the grandfather of our subject, married Elizabeth (Sullivan) Chance, a member of the Society of Friends. His children were Nancy, Franklin, Hamilton, Abigail and Calvin the names of the sons indicating his philosophy, his polities and his religion. He kept a store, and served as Justice of the Peace. Upon the approach of the War of 1812, he left with his wife what money he could spare and taking his surveyor's compass and provisions for the journey, came to Harrison County, Ind., with the eldest children and a sister. He engaged in the war, and took an honorable part. He had hoped with his compass to earn sufficient money to purchase land for himself, but he found the settlers very poor, and. but few of them had money enough to buy their lands, and less to pay for surveyor's foam. He then tried school teaching, and, while he was a very successful teacher, it proved of little advantage to him in a monetary sense. In the meantime, his wife, who was not able to undertake the journey from North Carolina with him, came with her two children, in company with her bother, to Wayne County, Ind, at a later date. A friendly correspondence was maintained between them, but at the time set for their re-union, the husband died.
Franklin, son of Alexander Bain, and father of Hamilton S. McRae, taught school in early life, and manifested great zeal in the cause of education. He served as Justice of the Peace, a member of the State Legislature, and a Captain in the Mexican war, and as School Trustee for many years.
The parents were estimable people and took great pride and care in the training and molding of the characters of their children. Their government was one of love, and, at an early age, the characters of the latter for temperance, kindness and truthfulness were fully established. At the age of five years, our subject was first sent to school; but however bright might be the scholar; progress was necessarily very slow under the methods of teaching then in vogue. Little beside spelling was taught until the pupil could master the words in the columns of Webster's "Elementary;" but the mother, eager for her son's advancement, taught him the reading lessons at home, while the father performed a similar office as to the elementary principles of arithmetic, and gave him a copy of Peter Parley's "History Of The World" to use as a reader. The author of this book, and his early teachers-Barnes, Leonard Evans and Hamilton Pfrimmer-were objects of profound veneration to the boy's heart. At the age of eight years, he received a small volume as a prize for being the best speller in the highest class in school. The wish expressed by his teacher, Leonard Evens, in the ascription to this volume, "that he may become an ornament to the learned world," has ever been a stimulus to his ambition, and an incentive to the achievements of his later life.
He was eight years old when he concluded his primary education, and at a later date, entered Friendship Seminary, at Elizabeth Ind. His teacher, John Spurrier Sandbach, had an accurate, rather than an extensive scholarship, but possessed a wonderful power of inspiration, enforcing by fitting illustrations the maxim, "What man has done, man can do."
From sixteen to twenty years of age, young McRae taught school during the winter and worked on the farm during the summer. In 1852, he entered the seminary at Corydon, Ind, where he spent months in the study of algebra and physics. In the following spring, he entered the preparatory Department of the Indiana University at Bloomington, graduating August 5, 1857 and delivering the valedictory address. At the close of his college, scarcely having decided upon a profession, he adopted the vocation of school teaching, which he continued successfully for one year, at "Maple Grove"? ? Academy, near Vincennes, Ind. He then began the study of law in the office of Hon. William A. Porter, a thorough instructor, at Corydon, Ind., and soon after entering the office was unanimously nominated and elected District Attorney of the Common Pleas Court. He began the ? ? ? Salem, Ind., and achieved fair success at the bar; but his mind inclined to constitutional law and general literature. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1861, to fill a vacancy, but his services were not called for.
At the outbreak of the rebellion, he joined a cavalry company, which was not accepted for the service. From motives of patriotism, he declined to become a candidate for re-election to the Legislature, and volunteered as a private soldier in Company B, Sixty-sixth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and, on the 19th of August 1862, was mustered in as Sergeant of that company. May 25, 1868, he was detailed to act as Second Lieutenant, and, on the 8th of June following, was appointed Captain of the company. He was honorably engaged in action at Richmond, Ky., August 30, 1862; Colliersville, Tenn., October 11, 1863; Snake Creek Gap, May 10, 1864; Resaca, Ga., May 15, 1864; Dallas, Ga., May 27, 1864. In the last action he was severely wounded and, at the expiration of a furlough, was received into General Hospital No. 6, at New Albany, Ind., and subsequently transferred to the officers' hospital at Cincinnati, Ohio. He was afterward assigned to court martial duty at Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Mich. He rejoined his command at Alexandria, Va., upon the dissolution of the court, and, within a few days there after, was honorably discharged from the service on account of his wound. Before he was wounded, he was almost constantly with his company, excepting a brief period during which he served as Judge Advocate and aide on the staff of Brig. Gen. Sweeney.
In 1885, he was appointed Principal of the Third Ward School at Terre Haute, Ind., and this may be properly regarded as the beginning of his career as an educator. In 1866, he was appointed Superintendent of the public school Vevay, Ind., and School Examiner of Switzerland County. In the latter capacity, he held the first township institute in the State. In 1867, be became Superintendent of the Muncie schools. Under his management, the public schools of this city have been built up and improved, until they rank with the best in the state. It was he who first established the present system of grading the schools and he introduced into his system of government some original ideas that have rebounded greatly to the advantage of the schools. He regards the high school as being, properly a department of the common school and that a proper course of study for such a school should embrace only the elements of the higher branches, preparatory to a college course, while the eight branches of the common school should be reviewed. He put this idea into practice while at Vevay, and has continued it with great success at Muncie. He is a reformer in educational matters, and a friend to all innovations having in view the promotion of educational interests. He advocates the introduction into the district schools of the elements of music, drawing, physics, botany and zoology, and believes that the school system, to be complete, must be prefaced by the free kindergarten and supplemented by the free public library. In the establishment of both of these auxiliaries at Muncie, he bore a prominent and active part.
On the 6th day of August 1868, he was wedded to his present companion, who, as Principal of the Muncie High School, has won a deservedly fine reputation. She was the first President of the Woman's Club of Muncie, and is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Woman. Her father was an able and devoted minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he mother was a worthy coadjutor in the work of her noble husband. Her grandfathers were both ministers, and Mrs. McRay herself is an eloquent and effective speaker. Their eldest child, Bertha Montgomery McRay, was born November 28, 1873, and died August 8,1874. Charlene Montgomery McRae was born February 10, 1876. At the age of three years, she entered the Kindergarten in the establishment of which her parents rendered and valuable assistance.
In politics, Mr. McRae was originally a Democrat, and voted for James Buchanan in 1856, for Douglas in 1860, and for Lincoln in 1864. He has not often taken public part in politics, yet during the Presidential campaign of 1868, he consented to address the Grant Club of Muncie, and the effort was pronounced an able one. A city paper said of it: "Prof. McRae is accredited with having made the best radical speech of the campaign."
He has contributed some very able articles to the school periodicals and newspapers. The most important of these appeared in the Indianapolis Journal in 1867, and was entitled "The Great Need of the Schools," and the Cincinnati Commercial of December 25, 1876, contained an article from his pen on the "Election of President and Vice President." He has been actively identified, for a number of years, with various literary and scientific societies. In 1853, he became a member of the Philomathean Society of the University, and served as its President; in 1856, he became a member of the Beta Theta Pi; in 1866, of the Indiana Teachers' Association, in which he was chosen Chairman of the Executive Committee, and, in the same year, of the National Education Society, of which he is a life member; in 1871, of the Association for the Advancement of Science, of which he is a Fellow; in 1877, of the American Metric Bureau; and, in the same year, of the National Spelling Reform Association. He was elected President of the Public Library Association of Muncie at the organization of the board in 1875 and served six years in that capacity.
In public life, Prof. McRae is a, man of rare ability; true as steel and with a quick perception of duty he has the courage to carry out his convictions, even if he stands unsupported, while in social life he is a genial hospitable gentleman, respected and esteemed by all. (Page 223)
An old and highly respected citizen of Muncie was born in Monroe County, Va., March 23, 1815, and was reared on a farm in that county. At the age of sixteen years, he began teaching school, and was thus engaged two terms. In 1832, he settled near Middletown, Henry County, Ind, where he was similarly engaged, and, in 1834, came to Muncie, and was a clerk in the store of John Haines. During the summer of 1835, he taught school at Smithfield, and, during the winter of that year, taught at Muncie. Afterward, he went to Granville and took charge of a stock of goods for Wilson Stanley, and subsequently purchased the stock and conducted the business alone. He was then engaged in mercantile pursuits at various times until 1845, and served as Justice of the Peace four years at Granville. In 1838, he was appointed Collector of Delaware County, serving one year, and, in 1845, was elected Recorder, in which capacity he served eleven years. He then removed to Muncie, where he has resided ever since. In this city he was associated in business with Joseph M. Davis, and subsequently engaged in the grocery business, and later in the boot and shoe trade. About three years ago, he opened a feed and provision store at the southeast corner of Main and Mulberry Streets, where he conducts a trade which, although not extensive, yet affords him employment and amply supplies his modest requirements.
He was twice married, first in 1836, to Susan Battreall, daughter of Rev. John Battreall, an early preacher of Delaware County, and a man well known and highly esteemed. She died in 1851, and, in the latter part of the same year, he was married to Rebecca Dragoo, his present companion. The children by the first marriage were William R. Goldsberry, S., John B., Lydia Ann (now deceased), Elias A., and Lydia Ellen, and by the second marriage, Charles W., Clara M., Anna, Nettie, and Mary F. (deceased). The surviving children all reside in the county save one who is at Leadville, Colo. (Page 223)
Was born October 18,1846, near Blountsville, Henry Co., Ind.
His father was a farmer, and, until Albert was in the eighteenth year of his age, his time was employed in working on the farm during the summer, and attending the district school in the winter. In the winter of 1864, the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry was at home on veteran furlough, and, in February of that year, he enlisted as a recruit in Company K of this regiment, returning with them to the field, as a part of the Army of the Potomac, and participating with them in all their engagements, from the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 6 and 7, 1864,to the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. He served eighteen months and fifteen days, and was mustered out of service at Louisville, KY, July l8, 1865. Although actively engaged during this time, and often in the thickest of the fray, he was never wounded or disabled. After returning to his home, he attended school until 1867, and in that year began his medical studies in the office of Dr. A. McElwee, at Hagerstown, Wayne Co., Ind. In August, 1869 he removed to the village at Sharon, in Delaware County, Indiana, and engaged in the practice of his profession, and, about two years later, removed to Albany, in this county, where he still continues to practice. He graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Keokuk, Iowa, June 19, 1877, thus completing the theoretical part of his education. He enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice, and his skill has made him a valued friend to those in need of medical aid. (Page 224)