Transcribed by: Mary Ann Kaylor

SAMUEL PITMAN was born in the state of New Jersey, February 9th 1829. The Pitman family are of English descent on the paternal side. Samuel Pitman, the father, was a weaver by trade, but he subsequently abandoned the trade, and took up farming. He came west and settled in Jersey county, Illinois, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1854. The subject of our sketch spent his boyhood days at work, cultivating the paternal acres and attending the country schools in the winter season. When he was about fifteen years of age he commenced the trade of blacksmithing, at which he continued until 1849, after which he clerked in a store until November, 1851, when he entered the law office of John M. Palmer, and read law, and in December of 1854 was admitted to the practice. After his admission he formed a law partnership with Palmer, which continued until 1864. In 1865 he quit the practice and did not resume it again until 1870, when he formed a law partnership with John Mayo Palmer, which continued until 1872, and since that time he has practiced alone. He has no specialties in the practice of his profession. He is regarded by his professional brethren as being well read in the law, and untiring in the interest of his clients. In politics he is a republican, but cast his first vote as a democrat in 1852 for Franklin Pierce, for president, but at the formation of the republican party in 1856 he joined that political organization, and voted for John C. Fremont, and since that time has been an active and influential member of the party, who gave freedom to all mankind who came under, and acknowledged allegiance to the flag of our country. He is not a partisan in the strict sense of the word, only so far as to exercise his right of suffrage. As a man, he is a free, open-hearted gentleman.