Henery R. Sadler

HENRY R. SADLER. Cherokee County is particularly favored in the solid character of its agricultural class, in which is the gentleman above named, who resides in section 15, Crawford township, and owns one of the best farms in the county. Mr. Sadler is a native of England, having been born in Milford, Derbyshire, in 1841, and has been a resident of Cherokee County since June 15, 1869.

The parents of the subject of this sketch came to America with their family in 1856, and settled in Philadelphia. After two years, Mr. Sadler concluded to try his fortunes in the great West, and went to Salem, Henry County, Iowa, where he lived until his removal to Kansas.

The first great event in the life of Mr. Sadler was the Civil War, in which he took an active and honorable part, bearing the scars of battle upon his body to this day. He enlisted in Henry County, Iowa, in September, 1861, as a private in Company F, 4th Reg., Iowa Vol. Cav., Captain Winslow commanding. He saw service in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee, and was mustered out December 12, 1864. He is one of the survivors of the dreaded Libby Prison, where he spent some time as the result of capture during the operations about Vicksburg. In a sharp skirmish which occurred about 25 miles from Helena, Arkansas, he received five bullet wounds, and for many weeks was incapacitated for service. With the exception of his prison life and this hospital experience, he was in the saddle during the entire period of his service.

Returning to Henry County in 1866, he there married Annie E. Smith, a native of Philadelphia, and in 1869 came to Cherokee County.

Upon the arrival of Mr. Sadler in Cherokee County in 1869, he immediately selected the claim which now constitutes his farm. This was unbroken prairie and the task of subduing it has been his life work. How well it has been done is evidenced by the many improvements on his farm, all of which are of a substantial character, the whole tract bearing evidence of the hand of an expert in agriculture.

Mr. and Mrs. Sadler are the parents of seven children, as follows: Sidney F., a farmer of Crawford township, who is married; Lenford S.. a farmer of Crawford township, who is also married; Vinnie (Mrs. M. E. Cowell), of Crawford township; and Cora, Clytie, Scott and Winslow, who are children at home.

Mr. Sadler's political affiliations are with the Republican party; although not a politician in any sense of the term, he has never failed to take an active part in the local contests. In the trying times of the early "nineties," when the Reform party was at its best, the need of a strong ticket caused the leaders of the party to urge upon him the nomination for county treasurer, and in the election which followed he was chosen to that office. He served with credit during the term of 1891-92, and turned over the office to his successor in most creditable shape.

Fraternally, Mr. Sadler holds membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, John A. Dix Post, No. 59.

With a well spent past and no cause for financial worry in the future, the subject of this sketch bids fair to spend the remainder of his days amid the felicitations of his hosts of friends, who esteem him most highly for his true worth and merit.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Judy Hartman, staff from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, January 6, 1997.