Third Generation

51. Francis Marion HARMON was born on 8 February 1835 in Boone County, Indiana.³ He served in the military in 1861–1862 at Company F, 15th Infantry Regt, Iowa in Civil War. He died on 1 June 1862 at the age of 27 in Shiloh, Hardin County, Tennessee.³

1850 Census, District 7, Boone Co
Living with his married sister Mary Shaw and her family. His parents both deceased - he was 15.

1860 Census. Lyons Twp, Mills Co, Iowa. Hh 300 [next door to her parents]
F. M. Harman, age 25, b. IN. Manerva, 25, b. IN
Fielding, age 2, b. Iowa. Sarah A., 9/12, b. Iowa.
Note: the Harmon manuscript in the Lebanon library listed the children as Oscar and Mary Emma, born in Iowa - this would not agree with the 1860 census. In the letter below, it seems that there were more children born after 1860.

Posted By: Lynnea Dickinson
Subject: Utterback/Harmon Civil War letters
Post Date: August 23, 2001 at 16:21:05
Message URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/utterback/messages/339.html
Forum: Utterback Family Genealogy Forum
Forum URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/utterback/
A while back, I offered to post Civil War letters from Francis Marion Harmon, husband of Minerva (Utterback) Harmon and Addison Utterback, brother to Minerva. I will begin today with the first letter. A little background: Francis Marion Harmon was born 8 Feb 1835 in Boone Co., IN. His parents were James & Philadelphia (Dickerson) Harmon. Minerva Utterback was born 19 Jan 1835, the daughter of Fielding and Sarah (Terhune) Utterback. Francis and Minerva resided in Mills Co., Iowa.
As of 1962, the original letters were in the possession of Ernest A. Harmon of Zionsville, IN. Addressed to: W. A. Harmon & J. D. Harmon & N. S. Harmon & Charles Harmon & all the rest
November the 8th [1861]
Glenwood Iowa Camp Balden
Dear brother and sister
i take the pleasure and opportunity to inform you my helth which is good. I have been in Camp one week today. We received order day before yesterday to march to Davenport Iowa to be mustered in the U. S. servis. we are a packing up today. we expect to start early tomorrow morning. this Comopany is made up to go to Ft of Leavensworth Kansas but it is uncertain wher we will go. it makes no deference with me where we go. i feel it my duty to do something for my cuntry. we have not yet learned what Company this is nor what regiment we will get in. it will be the 14 or 15. it is a very sivel Company. there 17 of my neighbors with me. Adison Utterback Minervas brother and Snyder Utterback Charles Utterback boy. i have left Nerva with her father wher she will be taking care of. She has as good a mother as any body else. She has another girl. we call ___ Mary Emma. Nervas folks take care of my things. her father keeps 2 of my horses and them 2 pigs i bought. tell Jay that they will weigh over two hundred a piece and money would not buy them. i want you all to write to me as son as you find out what Company and Reigment i belong to and i will do the same. you must excuse my bad writing. if i had some i would throw this away and write another but i have not time. i will have to quit. remember me and i will remember thee.
F. M. Harmon

Another of the letters from Minerva:
Addressed to:
Mr. W. H. Harmon
Zionsville, Ind.
James & Martha Harmon

June the 30th, 1862
Dear brother and sister
It is with great sorrow that I try to write you a few lines. My companion has departed this life and gone home to heaven. O, it is a hard tryal to bear but a debt we all must pay wheather we are prepared or not. I have no feares but what Marion was prepared for death. it is a great consolation to me to know that Marion was a Christian man and tryed to live right. I feel bound to meet him in heaven one day and I hope that day is not far off. I know that I have done wrong many times but I want you to try to meet Marion in heaven as he always thought so much of you and all his brothers and sisters. he said you was so him. I have good parents to live with and brothers and sisters and plenty to live on but they all cant fill the place of a companion. Marion died at the Hospital at or near Corinth. he died the first day of this month. he had typhoyed feavor. the last letter I got from Marion was dated April the 25th. he was not very well then but others around here got letters from their friends in the army and they always wrote that Marion was better till they wrote he was dead three weeks before I heard the bad news.
I would like to hear whear Charles is. Elizabeth wrote to me some time ago that he had volunteered. I never heard whear he went. I would like to hear from Robert John. I would be glad if some of you could come and see me and the children. I want all to writ to me as often as you can for I would like to hear from you all. Mother is sick. Oscar is not very well. my babe is not very well.
I hope this few lines will find you all well. write soon.Yours affectionately untill death
Minerva Harmon

Francis M. Harmon, whose residence was Glenwood, Iowa, enlisted 10 Oct 1861, as a Private, in Company F, 15th Infantry Regt, Iowa. He gave his age as 26 and was mustered in on 18 Nov 1861. He was severely wounded in the hand on 6 April 1862 at Shiloh, Tennessee and died of typhoid fever at the division hospital on 1 Jun 1862. He is buried at Pittsburg Landing, now Shiloh National Cemetery - a picture of his grave marker is on their website.
Apparently taken from the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion, p. 957
His Interment Control Form notes that he was originally burined Talliferos Place, Tenn.

The 15th Iowa Regiment
Organized at Keokuk, February 22, 1862, and mustered in on March 14th. It left the State, 1,038 strong, on March 19th, stopping at St. Louis where it was armed and equipped, and on the morning of April 6th arrived at Pittsburg Landing just as the battle of Shiloh was commencing. It had been previously assigned to Prentiss's Division, but being unable to find that command, Colonel Reid ordered the regiment into line, and it fought in McClernand's Division. Though entering a battle with so little preparation, it rendered efficient service and acquitted itself creditably. Its loss at Shiloh was 21 killed, 156 wounded, and 8 missing; a total of 185, out of 760 engaged. At the battle of Corinth the Iowa Brigade was commanded by Crocker, and fought in McKean's Division; the Fifteenth, Colonel Belknap commanding, sustained the principal loss in the brigade, its casualties amounting to 11 killed, 67 wounded, and 8 missing, out of "about" 350 engaged.

Francis Marion HARMON and Minerva UTTERBACK were married circa 1856.³ Minerva UTTERBACK⁶³, daughter of Fielding UTTERBACK and Sarah TERHUNE, was born on 19 January 1835 in Boone County, Indiana.² She died on 13 May 1923 at the age of 88 in Orange County, California.

George Findley has:
Minerva Utterback
Sex: F
Birth: 19 JUN 1835 in Boone, Co., In.
Father: Fielding Utterback b: 23 NOV 1809 in Woodford Co., KY
Mother: Sarah Tuger Terhune b: 10 AUG 1814 in Boone, Co., In.
Marriage 1 Francis Marion Harmon b: 8 FEB 1835 in Boone, Co., In.

In 1850 the family of "Fielden" Utterback lived in Dist 7 of Boone Co, p.173, Household 1578. Fielden was age 40, b. KY. Wife Sarah, 36 b. KY. Manerva was the eldest child, age 15, b. IN, as were all her siblings.

Iowa State Census, 1856. Nevada, Story Co
Robert John Harmon's family was nearby, as was a Dye family from Indiana
Fielding Utterback, age 46, b. NY, farmer. Sarah, age 42, b. NY
Children all born in Indiana: Minerva, 21. William 19. Martha 17. Addison 14. Emiline 12. Oscar 11, Albert, age 1.

The Utterback family goes back to the Germanna colony in Virginia as does my Holtzclaw line. Minerva is actually a 5th cousin, 5 times removed as an Utterback. Francis Harmon is my great great grand-uncle.

1860 Census. Lyons Twp, Mills Co, Iowa, Hh 251
F. M. Harmon, 35, Farmer, b. IN
Manerva, 25, b. IN
Fielding, 2, b. Iowa
Sarah A., nine months, b. Iowa

Minerva Harmon applied for pension on the service of Francis M. Harmon. She applied as his widow, 20 Apr 1863, Application #18938, Certificate #5718
Riley Jones, as guardian of minor children, applied on 12 Jul 1867, App #149816, Cert #112957

Minerva is said to have married Riley Jones, 13 Apr 1865. John Todd, MG.

1876, Nebraska State Census. Rock Bluff, Cass Co
Riley Jones, 65, b. Tenn, Farmer
Minerva, 41, b. IN
Sara A. Harmon, 16, b. Iowa
Mary E. Harmon, 14, b. Iowa

1877, Nebraska State Census. Rock Bluff, Cass Co
Minerva Jones, 42, b. IN
W. A. Davis, 35, b. NC
Allice Davis, 17, b. Iowa
Emma Harmon, 15, b. Iowa

1880 Census. Center Twp, Mills Co Iowa, Hh 154
F. Utterback, age 70, lumber merchant, b. KY, parents b. VA
Sarah, 66, wife, b. KY, parents b. NJ
M. J. Jones, 45, widow [no relationship stated but this must be Minerva - her brother Addison living next door], b. IN, parents b. KY

She married 3rd to Joshua Boyd, age 60, a son of Spencer Boyd, a farmer; it was his second marriage. They married 30 Aug 1883, Mills, Iowa. Her age given as 49. She was nee Utterback, daughter of Fielding Utterback and Sarah Terhune.

1900 Census. Weeping Water, Cass Co, NE, Hh 217
Wesley A. Davis, b. Jun 1851, age 48, married 23 years, b. NC, Capitalist
Alice H., wife, b. Sep 1859, 40, no children, b. IN
Mabel Martin, adopted daughter, b. Jul 1885, age 14, b. S.D.
Minerva Boyd, mother-in-law, b. Jan 1835, age 65; widow, had 4 children - 3 are living, b. IN

1910 Census. Weeping Water, Ward 3, Cass, NE, Hh 283
Wesley A. Davis, 58, married 33 years, b. NC, Retail Hardware
Alice H., wife, 50, b. Iowa
Mabel, foster daughter, 24, b. SD - parents b. Iowa, Teacher, Public School
Minerva Boyd, mother-in-law, 75, widow, 4 children - 3 are living

3 Jul 1916 - Remarried Widow Pension Application. Certificate 5718
Minerva Boys, widow of Francis M. Harmon who served in Company 3, 15th Iowa Infantry. Filed 26 Dec 1916.

1920 Census. Weeping Water, Cass, NE
Wesley A. Davis, 68
Alice, H., wife, 60
Minerva Boyd, mother-in-law, widow, age 84.

Buried Loma Vista Memorial Park, Fullerton, Orange Co, CA.

Francis Marion HARMON and Minerva UTTERBACK had the following children: