W. H. Weston

CAPTAIN W. H. WESTON. This gentleman, who was an early settler of Montgomery county, Kansas, has since 1883 occupied a leading place in the agricultural circles of Labette county. He resides in section 26, township 32, range 17, in Mound Valley township. He was born near Salem, Washington county, Indiana, in 1837. His parents died and left three children: W. H.; Almeda, who died young; and Joseph M., who was taken prisoner at Chickamauga, and died in Libby Prison, in 1864.

W. H. Weston was bound out to a Mr. Albertson, with whom he remained until he reached the age of twenty-one years. He purchased time for the last few months. He learned the trade of a shoemaker while with Mr. Albertson, and has followed this trade more or less ever since. He had a shoemaker's shop in Cherryvale, Kansas;, for a number of years. August 9, 1861, Mr. Weston enlisted as a private soldier in Company G, 18th Reg., Ind. Vol. Inf., and was in the 13th Army Corps, under Gen. John A. McClernand, of Illinois, and later under General Banks, and Gen. E. 0. C. Ord. He was discharged in February, 1862, and reenlisted in Company B, 16th Reg., Ind. Vol. Inf., July 21, 1862. The latter part of his service wag under Maj.-Gen. E. R. S. Canby, in the Army of the Gulf. Mr. Weston was commissioned first lieutenant, in May, 1864, served as acting captain, and was commissioned captain in May, 1865. Though he took part in many battles, he was; never seriously wounded. In August, 1862, on a Saturday, he was taken prisoner at Richmond, Kentucky, and the following Tuesday he was paroled. He was under fire forty-eight days, in the campaign of Vicksburg, was in the famous Red River expedition, under General Banks, as a mounted infantryman, and went seven days and nights without sleep. His regiment lost heavily, and the men remaining were sent to fight guerrillas in Louisiana. In April, 1865, they had their last engagement with the guerrillas, and captured many. Mr. Weston was mustered out as captain, July 21, 1865.

After the war, Capt. Weston farmed in Indiana until he located in Kansas, in 1872. He took a claim in Montgomery county, Kansas, one and a half miles from Cherryvale. He remained, there until the fall of 1883, when he bought his present home farm of 16o acres, which is described as; the north half of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter; and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, of section 26, township 32, range 17. This was taken as a claim by an early settler, - Mr. McMichael, - who built on the place a log house, which is now used as a hay-barn. Capt. Weston built a comfortable home in 1883. There is a fine cave, 8 by 10 feet in size, near the house, and a 150-barrel cistern. Big Hill Creek runs through the farm, and there is a goodly amount of timber. Capt. Weston devotes three acres of the land to various kinds of fruit. He carries on general farming, - raising stock and grain. He is a man who succeeds in anything he undertakes, and his farming career has been as successful as his career as a soldier.

Capt. Weston was married in 1863 to Louisa S. Beck. She died in Cherryvale, in 1888, leaving one child, William Robert. William Robert Weston is a general mechanic living at Cherryvale. He is married and has several children, - having had four twins. Captain Weston married, in 1889, Mrs. Mary Cross (nee Lasure). She lived in Ohio a number of years, and located at Abilene, Kansas, in 1872. She has three children, namely. Emma (Robison), of Cherryvale; Rosa (Berentz), of Chautauqua county, Kansas; and Della (Johnson), who lives on Capt. Weston's farm.

Capt. Weston was raised a member of the Democratic party, but since the Civil war he has voted the straight Republican ticket. The citizens of the township have shown their confidence in him by electing him to the offices of clerk, treasurer, trustee of the township, and also to that of justice of the peace. He has been treasurer of the school board in District No. 19 for the past seven years. Captain Weston has many agreeable qualities, and is a man of firm principles. He has numerous warm friends in Labette county.