My Genealogy Hound

Valentine O. McMonigle is a retired farmer, now living in Washington, Ark., but was born in Independence, Mo., in 1834, being a son of Amos and Elizabeth (Crawford) McMonigle, who were born and married in Instill County, of the Bluegrass State. About 1819 they removed to Jack son County, Mo., where Mr. McMonigle followed the occupation of farming, becoming worth about $20,000 prior to his death, which occurred in 1848. He was a soldier in the Seminole, Indian and Mormon Wars, his service in the latter being at Nauvoo, Ill. His wife was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for many years, and died in 1844. The paternal grandfather was a Scotchman, who came to the United States at an early day and settled and died in Kentucky, having served in the War of 1812. Jeptha Crawford, the mother’s father, was a salt manufacturer, and died in Kentucky. Valentine O. McMonigle was one of a large family of children born to his parents, but at the age of fifteen years, owing to his father’s death, he left school and his former duties to serve an apprenticeship at the blacksmith’s trade, an occupation he followed for four years. He then became overseer of a train of freight wagons between Kansas City and New Mexico, and in 1854 crossed the plains with a drove of cattle to California, but soon returned to superintend a Government supply train to the frontier, and in 1857 went with Gen. A. S. Johnson to Utah, and participated in the Mormon War. He next spent some years in Kansas as a farmer, but at the breaking out of the war he offered his services to the Confederacy, belonging to Lucas’ battery, of Independence, Mo., troops, of which he had become a member, and served with it in Missouri and Mississippi until the fall of Vicksburg, when he was paroled. He soon after accepted a position in the Confederate Government machine shops at Washington, Ark., which he retained until the close of the war. His service in the field was as private. He was married in Washington in 1864 to Mrs. Martha Whitford, a daughter of Henry J. Kemmell. She was born in Georgia, and came with her parents to Washington about 1836, and was reared on her father’s farm. She was first married to Dennis Whitford, who died while serving in the Confederate army, and by him she became the mother of five children, a son and a daughter now living: William H. (of Texas), and Mollie (widow of William W. Maxwell). After the war Mr. McMonigle engaged in gunsmithing in Washington, which he continued until 1870, after which he spent two years as post-master, and has since devoted his attention to his farm, owning at the present time about 1,000 acres, 400 being under cultivation, and a beautiful home in town, all of which he has acquired since the war. Although formerly a Whig, his first presidential vote being cast for Fillmore in 1856, he is now a Democrat, and for many years he and wife have been members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.