My Genealogy Hound

HENRY ZELLERS, farmer and stock-raiser, section 33, post-office Carthage. The subject of this sketch is one of the old settlers of Jasper county; a native of Ohio, born in Preble county, March 10, 1823. When but five years old his father died, and two years later his mother moved with the family to Indiana, where she married George Sly, and in 1840 they came to Jasper county and settled on the same section where subject now lives. In 1846 he enlisted in Company A, First Regiment Missouri Mounted Volunteers, for the war with Mexico. Marched across what was then supposed to be the Great American Desert to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Were attached to Gen. Kearney’s command and were the first United States soldiers to cross from Santa Fe. They marched to Chihuahua, Mexico, the regiment being ordered to report to Gen. Wool, fighting on the way the battle of Bracito on the Rio Grande. General Wool failing to connect, the regiment was in a very precarious condition, in the heart of the enemy’s country with but 924 men. Colonel Doniphan, their commander, boldly attacked upwards of 4,000 entrenched Mexicans, defeating them with very severe loss to themselves, capturing ten pieces of artillery, the colors and camp equipage of the enemy; thus was fought and won the battle of Sacramento, which won Colonel Doniphan his fame and covered his men with glory. Then marched through the heart of Mexico to the gulf, where they took shipping for New Orleans; thence up the river to St. Louis and Boonville, our subject arriving home in Jasper county, July, 1847. He was married Oct. 5, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Whithead, a native of North Carolina, daughter of Francis Whitehead, one of the old settlers of the county. They are the parents of three children, living: David, born March 8, 1855; Mary A., born Jan. 28, 1860; and Eli W., born Oct. 5, 1870. During the civil war Mr. Zellers was a strong Union man; enlisted early in the struggle but was not accepted; moved his family to Kansas and Nodaway county, Mo., where he lived until peace once more dawned, when he returned to Jasper county.