My Genealogy Hound

Hon. John C. Lamson, a prominent attorney of Pineville, Mo., was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., on November 29, 1827, and is a son of Peter Lamson, a native of Vermont, who, when a child, removed to New York. After his marriage, and when the subject of this sketch was a small child, Peter Lamson removed his family to Medina County, Ohio, where he resided three years, after which he went to Lagrange County, Ind. There John C. Lamson was reared on a farm, securing his education at Oberlin College, from which institution he graduated in 1857. He then entered the law department of the University of New York, at Albany, graduating in 1859. During the fall of 1860 he traveled through Texas with a view of locating, but political excitement and animosities prevented. He afterward traveled through the Central and Western States, and was at Sunrise City, Minn., when Fort Sumter was fired on. Immediately returning to Indiana, he enlisted, on the 19th of April, 1861, in the Federal army, but was not received in the three months’ call. He, however, remained at Indianapolis, and as soon as the call was made for 75,000 three-year men he enlisted as a private in Company B, Seventeenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. This regiment served on foot until the early part of 1863, after which they served as mounted infantry until the close of the war. Mr. Lamson was promoted to the position of first lieutenant in the winter of 1861-62, and was discharged as captain. He participated in the battles of Greenbriar, West Virginia, Shiloh, Stone River, Hoover’s Gap, Chickamauga, McMinnville, Farmington, and was almost continuously in the field at the front. Mr. Lamson came to Pineville in the winter of 1865, locating permanently in the spring of 1866, since which time he has been actively engaged in practicing his profession, at which he has been very prosperous. He is the owner of 800 acres of land. On November 13, 1872, he was united in marriage with Lois A. Santley, a daughter of Joseph Santley, of Wellington, Ohio. She was born on the Western Reserve, Ohio, in Loraine County. In 1870 Mr. Lamson was elected to represent McDonald County in the State Legislature, and has served as prosecuting attorney for several terms. In politics he is a Republican, and in religion is a member of the Congregational Church of Neosho, Mo.