Stout, Jacob

PORTRAIT & BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF MORGAN AND SCOTT COUNTIES, ILLINOIS
Chicago: Chapman Bros., Publishers

1889


JACOB STOUT. This gentlemen has spent nearly sixty-four years in this county - in fact his entire life with the exception of about six months, when he was brought here by his parents from the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was born March 7, 1825. Under these circumstances his chief interests have naturally centered here, and while growing up with the country he has been closely identified with the matters pertaining to its development and progress. He comes of excellent New England stock, being the son of Nathaniel Stout, who was born in New Jersey, and was the son of Abraham Stout, a cooper by trade, who lived to be eighty years old and spent his entire life in New England. He was Baptist in religion and was twice married.

Nathaniel Stout was reared to man's estate in his native county, and married a distant kinswoman Miss Catherine Stout, of Ohio, and the daughter of Jesse Stout, a patriot of the war of 1812. The latter came to this county when nearly one hundred years old, and died nearly fifty years ago. His wife survived him and passed away at the home of her daughter Catherine after she had become a centenarian. Both Jesse Stout and his wife were Baptists in religion. Nathaniel and his wife after their marriage settled a few miles from Cincinnati, Ohio, where the father conducted a distillery, but after the birth of their first child, our subject, they determined to change their location and occupation, and came overland to Illinois. The father took up a Government tract near the site of the present city of Jacksonville, which cost him $1.25 per acre and which he sold for $30 per acre. He then removed to Scott County.

Upon first coming to Illinois Nathaniel Stout landed with a capital of $50 and a team of horses which would at this day be considered of very little value. At the expiration of twelve years and preparatory to his removal to Scott County, he sold out for $10,000 and purchased land from which he improved two farms. These also in time he sold and removed to a point near the Ohio River in Pike County, where he began boating and was thus occupied until his death, which took place when he was about fifty-three years old. His career had been more than ordinarily active and industrious and presented a fine illustration of the results of persevering labor and good management. His wife survived him about three years, dying in the spring of 1853, when about fifty-four years old. Their family consisted of five daughters and one son our subject, and they are all living, making their homes mostly in Illinois.

Jacob Stout was first married in this county, in 1843, to Miss Harriet Sprang, who was born here, where she was reared and educated, and who died in Wapello County, Iowa, Feb. 20, 1848. They had removed to Iowa after their marriage. There was one child born of this union, a daughter, Sarah, who died at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. stout was married the second time, Dec. 24, 1849, to Miss Elizabeth Deaten. This lady was born near Jacksonville, July 21, 1836, and is the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Cook) Deaten, who both died here, the father in 1880, at the age of seventy-four years and the mother in 1883, aged seventy-five. The latter was a native of Virginia whence she came to this county with her father, James Deaten, in 1821, when but a few people had settled here. He was thus one of the earliest pioneers and became one of the most prominent men of this county. He put up the first mill within its limits northwest of the present site of Jacksonville, and became widely and favorably known. His death was the result of a fall from an apple tree. His wife, Mrs. Elizabeth (Pollard) Deaten, had passed away prior to the decease of her husband; both were active members of the Methodist Church, and the first class-meeting in the county was organized and held at their house. Their home also became the stopping place of the itinerant.

Mrs. Elizabeth Stout was the eldest of five children born to her mother - two sons and three daughters - and she remained a member of the parental household until her marriage. The seven children born of her union with our subject, are recorded as follows: Marshall married Miss Mary E. Rawlings and lives on a farm in the same township as his father; Albert married Miss Ellen Parks and is also in township 15; William makes his home with his brother Marshall, and they farm together; Joseph married Miss Anna Lake, is a carpenter by trade and lives in Beardstown, this State; Lizzie A., Alta M., and Charles are at home with their parents.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Stout on the 2d of September, 1862, enlisted as a Union soldier in Company D, 101st Illinois Infantry, the Company under command of Capt. Kaufman and the regiment commanded by Col. Fox. They are assigned to the 11th Army Corps and for a time were under Gen. Howard. Later they were consolidated with the 20th Army Corps under Grant and Sherman, and our subject participated in the siege of Vicksburg, and was one of four companions who escaped being captured by the Rebels. He next fought at Chattanooga and was with his regiment near Resaca, May 14, 1864. The following day he was struck by a shell from the battery which was playing upon the Infantry, having his right leg torn from his body. He was conveyed to a hospital where he was confined several months, when he was sent North and received his honorable discharge, Jan. 1, 1865. He also suffered a great deal from sickness and now draws a pension from the Government.

Mr. Stout votes the straight Republican ticket, first, last and altogether, and has served as Justice of the Peace. He is naturally identified with the G.A.R. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church in which Mr. Stout officiates as Trustee, and in which he is a chief pillar. The father of Mr. Stout was a soldier in the Black Hawk War.


1889 Index
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