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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Portrait
Biographical Album
of
Greene and Clark Counties, Ohio
containing Full Page
Portraits
and Prominent and
Representative Citizens
of the County
Together with Portraits and Biographies of all the
Presidents of the United States.
Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1890.
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R. A. KELLY - See
HOOVEN & ALLISON |
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ERASMUS J. KITCHEN.
The career of Mr. Kitchen as a man and a
citizen has been admirable in the extreme. No man in
Greene Township occupies a higher position among the people
who have known him long and well, and none have been of more
service in advancing the best interests of this part of the
county. Liberal and public-spirited, he uniformly
gives his encouragement, to every worthy enterprise, and
during the late Civil War signalized his patriotism by doing
gallant service as a Union soldier. He is the owner of
a fine property, including a well-developed farm with modern
buildings and all the other accessories of the
well-regulated country estate. Both in social and
business circles he is a universal favorite.
Abraham Kitchen, the father of our
subject, was one of the earliest pioneers of Clarke County,
and assisted materially in its growth and development.
He was born in 1808, in Warren County, this State, and when
reaching manhood was joined in wedlock with Miss Martha
M. Jones. The mother of our subject was born in
Fayette County, this State, whence her parents subsequently
removed to Greene County, where she was married to Mr.
Kitchen in 1829. Upon the removal to Clarke
County soon afterward, Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen first
settled on section 4, Green Township, where they lived two
years. The father then purchased the land which is now
owned and occupied by his son, Eramsus J., and there
both parents spent the remainder of their lives, dying in
1888, one month apart, the mother on the 28th of May and the
father on the 28th of June. They were the parents of
eight children, five of whom are living - Margaret
Ann became the wife of John McCullough,
who is now deceased, and she lives at the old homestead; she
is the mother of three boys, who are all married and settled
in homes of their own; J. S. is married and the
father of two children; he lives in Springfield; I. N.
is farming in Green Township; Mary J. and Erasmus
J. are twins; the former is living in Greene County, and
is the wife of John Rife, who is represented
elsewhere in this work.
The subject of this notice was born Aug. 11, 1836, and
spent his boyhood and youth on the farm and in attendance at
the district school, remaining at home until a man of
twenty-five years. In September, 1861, after the
outbreak of the Civil War he laid aside his farming
implements and resolved to have a hand in the preservation
of the Union. Going to Springfield, he enlisted in
Company F, Forty-fourth Ohio Infantry, and went with his
regiment to West Virginia under the command of Gen.
Cox. They drove the rebel Gen. Floyd
from Cotton Mountain, and spent the following winter on the
Kanawa. Later they met the enemy at Lewisburg, and
from there drove the rebels from the Kanawa Valley, engaging
them at the battle of Charleston and in several skirmishes.
Thence they marched to Point Pleasant, passed through
Covington and Lexington, Ky., from there to Danville and
Frankfort, and in the latter place were mounted and remained
in the saddle for several months.
Mr. Kitchen was in the battle of Dutton
Hill, and saw much hard service in Kentucky and Tennessee,
skirmishing and scouting. They were then dismounted
and placed under command of Gen. Burnside, who
led them to Knoxville, where they engaged in the siege of
that city, and next followed Gen. Longstreet into
Virginia, attacking him above Strawberry Plains. In
the winter of 1863-64, Mr. Kitchen re-enlisted
in the Eighth Ohio Cavalry, where he was promoted to Second
Sergeant and later to Orderly Sergeant. Returning then
to West Virginia, he took part in Hunter’s raid, and
then retired to Beverly and remained there through the
following summer. At this place they were surprised by
the rebels and part of their command captured, but they were
recaptured in a couple of hours. At the same place
afterward they were taken by surprise and nearly all the
regiment was captured. Mr. Kitchen,
however, by passing himself off as a rebel, made his escape
through the enemy’s ranks. During the day he remained
in Hiding. He came near being captured upon one
occasion by rebel cavalry, but fortunately eluded them.
When finally beyond danger, he remained for a time
recruiting at Phillippi, W. Va., and from there went to
Clarksburg, in the same State. The war being now
ended, he received his honorable discharge at Clarksburg,
W.Va., July 30, 1865.
Upon leaving the service Mr. Kitchen
returned to his old haunts in his native State, and began
again the life of a farmer. A few months later, Oct.
12, 1865, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Lavina M.,
daughter of James and Margaret (Kitchen) Hatfield.
The parents of Mrs. Kitchen were natives of
Ohio, and spent their last years in Clarke County, both
being now deceased. Mrs. Kitchen was
born May 7, 1841, and departed this life at the homestead in
Green Township, Clark County, Aug. 26, 1889. Six
children had been born of this union, viz: Joseph L.,
Abraham L., James H., Stephen,
Erasmus J. and Wayne A. Mrs. Kitchen, like
her husband, was a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church,
and the latter retains his connection therewith. Mr.
Kitchen has been a School Director in Ids district
and also a member of the Township Board of Education.
Politically, he votes the straight Republican ticket, and
has frequently been sent as a delegate to the county
conventions. As a Union soldier, he belongs to
Mitchell Post, No. 45, G. A. R., at Springfield.
The landed estate of Mr. Kitchen embraces
five hundred and one acres, all in Green Township. He
purchased his present farm in 1865, and in 1874 he put up
the present residence. He occupies himself in general
farming and makes a specialty of stock-raising. The
old Kitchen homestead has been in the family
for about one hundred years. The paternal grandfather
of our subject was Stephen Kitchen, and the
maiden name of his wife was Ann Bacaw, and
both were natives of Pennsylvania.
Source:
Portrait
Biographical Album
of Greene and Clark Counties, Ohio,
Published
Chicago: Chapman Bros. - 1890 - Page 227 |
NOTES:
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