Union County, Ohio Biographies Project - James A. Curry
JAMES A. CURRY
James A. Curry
was born in Virginia March 30, 1787, and remained with his father's
family until his marriage to Phoebe Winget, daughter of Stephen Winget,
of Madison County, in March 1817. In politics, he was a Democrat. He
devoted himself to agricultural life and died on his farm March 1,
1874, aged eighty-seven years
CAPTAIN JAMES A. CURRY
Captain James A. Curry is deceased. The subject of this sketch
was born in Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., Va., March 30, 1787.
When eleven years of age (1798), his father, Col. James Curry, removed
with his family to Ohio, and effected a settlement in Highland County,
twelve miles from Chillicothe. Highland was then the border of an
unexplored wilderness, extending west and north over the entire
State. The red man still claimed it as his heritage, and the wild
animals roamed at will over its hills and valleys. Young Curry,
then a boy of twelve summers, possessing to some extent the
fearlessness and spirit of Boone for hunting, longed for an
adventure. He attired himself in his hunting costume, which
consisted of a tow shirt and buckskin pants, and with his game-sack and
rifle and a dozen dogs, five of which were his own, he started out, and
after a tramp of several hours encountered a bear, which he
killed. It was the largest of its species known to have been
killed in Highland County. On one occasion when but a lad, he
made a trip of 100 miles to get a physician to attend on a sick
brother. His route lay through a densely-wooded forest, and the
distance was traveled principally during nights. February 1811, in
company with Joseph Bell, he came to what is now Union County.
The snow was two feet deep, and with these surroundings they felled
some trees and erected a "half-faced camp," which served as a shelter
for them during the spring and summer. The situation of the camp
was about forty rods northeast, of Sugar Run Falls. Here he
cleared a field anti raised a crop of corn. The latter part of
the summer he went back to Highland County, anti in the fall returned
to Union County, accompanied by his parents. Early in the summer
of 1812, he enlisted with a company of forty-day volunteers, and with
the necessary military equipments, mounted his horse and went to
Urbana, where he joined a company of horse from Highland County, and
served in Col. Carr's regiment. On his way to Urbana he followed
the paths and made the whole trip without seeing a single person.
His steed, "old Jack," although an animal twenty-one years old, served
him efficiently during his military career. In February 1813,
Capt. Curry (he having been previously chosen to that rank), was
ordered to report with his company for duty and join the army of the
Northwest, under Gen. Harrison. He was camped at Delaware, Upper
Sandusky, Wapakoneta, Falls St. Marys and Fort Meigs. After the
war closed, he was offered a Captaincy in the regular army, which he
declined. Capt. Curry had come to Ohio when young, and his
advantages for an education were very limited, but through his own
diligence and efforts to secure learning, he acquired a good education,
which was of great practical use to him in after years. The chief
elements of his education, and in which he displayed a marked
thoroughness, were geography, natural philosophy and history.
Natural philosophy was so easily mastered by him that he gave it the
version of - natural simplicity." In boyhood he formed strong
tastes for reading, and his extensive knowledge was all obtained
through the avenues of literature. He was a man wholly
self-acquired, and no doubt the best historian in the county. A
man of strong conversational powers, he was able to entertain any one
in the most pleasing manner. As a mail, he was generous and
hospitable, and never turned from his door the needy and distressed. he
died near New California, March 1, 1874, aged eighty-seven. March 18,
1817, he was married to Miss Phebe Winget, a daughter of Stephen and
Hannah Winget, natives of Washington County, Penn. They removed
to Madison County, Ohio, in 1801. Mrs. Winget was, before her marriage.
a Cary, and was a distant relative of Alice and Phebe Cary, and also of
Hon. Samuel F. Cary. Mrs. Winget was left a widow in 1807, with
six children. She died in 1860, aged eighty-five years. Mr.
and Mrs. Curry reared a family of ten children-five sons and five
daughters, viz.: John: Harriet, widow of William Baird Nancy; Mariah,
widow of John Woodburn; James, deceased; Samantha, deceased; William
W.; Phebe, wife of W. H. Williams; David; and James A., deceased, who
died in the army. Mrs. Curry is still living on the old homestead
at the advanced age of eighty-four years. She is enjoying good
health and in possession of all her mental faculties. She spent
two days at the "world's fair," in 1882, and there saw the improvements
of the country of threescore years, which was all accomplished under
her observation. John Curry, the eldest son and child, was born
in Jerome, December 22, 1817. December 9, 1845, he was married to
Tabitha W. Gill, daughter of Jesse Gill, by whom he has had eleven
children, viz.: Allen T., Lewis C., Thomas H., Frank P., Olive C. (wife
of J. D. McCampbell), Jesse G., Stephenson, Jennie, Mantie, James E.
and John M. Mr. Curry owns a valuable farm of 347 acres, and is a
successful farmer and stock-raiser. Mrs. Curry is a member of the
Presbyterian Church. Politically, Mr. Curry is Democratic.
** The 1883 Beer's HISTORY OF UNION
COUNTY gives two accounts for Capt. Curry.