HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY KENTUCKY, by Robert Peter, ed. by William H. 
Perrin, O. L. Baskin Co., Chicago, 1882.  Reprinted by Southern 
Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1979.
page 776
CAPT. JOHN H. CARTER, farmer, P. O. Lexington, son of Lyman and Anne (West)
Carter, was born in Litchfield County, Conn., August 24, 1835, and is the 
second son of a family of five children, all of whom are yet living.
His mother was of Old Puritan stock and traced her descent back to the 
Pilgrim Fathers.
His father was a farmer, and the sons, while trained to the arduous labor 
of New England farming, were also given the learning of New England boys.
After receiving the best education imparted at the common schools and 
academies of his native town, John entered the New Union College at 
Schenectady, N. Y., whence he graduated in 1859, under the Presidency 
of the celebrated Dr. Norton, being sixteenth in a Class of 128. 
He immediately came to Kentucky as a teacher, and while conducting schools 
followed up by private study the law lectures which he had attended during 
his collegiate course in New York.
When the war broke out he was Principal of School No. 1, Lexington, and a 
member of the rifle company commanded by Capt. John H. Morgan, with whom 
he went into the army, giving up his school and all peaceful associations 
for a career of arms.
He was with Morgan in all operations, and although captured three time, he 
each time contrived to elude the vigilance of his guards and rejoin his 
regiment.
In a charge on a line of infantry at Nashville, Tenn., he was wounded and 
left on the field, his horse being killed under him in the same action; but
a few weeks' nursing by the ladies of Nashville brought about his recovery,
and he soon escaped.
In the winter of 1863-63, he was a prisoner at Camp Douglas, but being 
helped by friendly hands, he was enabled to proceed South to Virginia, 
and joined his command within a fortnight of his escape.
He participated in the severe fighting in Southwestern Virginia toward the 
end of the war.
At the battle of Marion, in which Gen. Breckinridge withstood for thirty 
hours the advance of Gen. Burbridge's force, supported by Stoneman, with 
a comparative handful of men, Sergeant Carter, while the brigade was 
repulsing a heavy attack in front, discovered a strong column of the 
enemy advancing on the key-point of the position and pointed them out 
to Gen. Duke, with the request that he be allowed a force to attack them.
Only ten men could be spared, but with them Carter, by a detour of two or 
three hundred years, and concealed by the nature of the ground, stole upon 
the left flank of the threatening Federals, and, opening fire at about
fifty yards distance, put them to rout.
Shortly after he received his commission as Captain, only soon to surrender
at Washington, Ga.
Officers were permitted to retain their side arms, and twelve of them--the 
present Lieutenant Governor, Capt. Carter and others--set out on horseback 
for Kentucky, arriving home in June, 1865.
Capt. Carter, on his return, owned nothing beyond a horse and two pistols.
He was offered, and accepted, the position of teacher of the school at 
Bryant's Station, and kept it for two years.
In the spring of 1866, he married the younger daughter of William B. and 
Lucy (Ferguson) Coons, of whose family mention is made elsewhere in the 
biographies of residents in this Precinct.
He taught five years and then went to farming, which occupation he likes 
better than any other, and, with his youthful experience of tillage in 
New England, he make an exceptionally good farmer in Kentucky.
He take a lively interest in politics, for his friend, and not for himself;
is a Jackson Democrat of the old school, as was his father, who was one of 
three out of 900 voters in his native town who supported Jackson the fist 
time he ran for President.
Capt. Carter was a Magistrate for four years, a School Commissioner for two
terms and has on several occasions acted as special County Judge and has 
served for ten years on the Central Democratic Committee.
When the enfranchisement of the negroes led to apprehensions that they 
would be uncontrollable at elections, Capt. Carter organized a company 
of State guards, enrolled for five years, and he and his men were twice 
ordered to Lexington to prevent riots, which they happily did on both 
occasions without effusion of blood.
Capt. and Mrs. Carter have five children--William Lyman, John H., Clifton 
Carroll, Gus and Anne Marshall.
West Norton Morgan Breckinridge Burbridge Stoneman Duke Ferguson Coons
Jackson
=
Litchfield-CT Schenectady-NY VA Washington-Wilkes-GA Nashville-Davidson-TN

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