My Genealogy Hound

JOHN DICKEY.
John Dickey, an honored survivor of the great Civil War and a pioneer in Auburn township, Shawnee County, where he owns a fine farm of 160 acres known as “Seven Oaks Farm,” located in section 30, township 13, range 14, was born in Fayette County, Ohio, near Washington Court House, September 23, 1842, and is a son of William and Eleanor (Ghormley) Dickey.

The father of our subject was born in South Carolina. He was educated for the Presbyterian ministry and preached for 55 years. He organized a church at Bloomingburg, Ohio, in which he preached for 40 years to a day. His death took place there at the age of 83 years. For military service in the War of 1812, he received a grant of 160 acres of land. He married Eleanor Ghormley, who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Ohio, aged 60 years. They had five children, those who reached maturity being: William W., of Johnson County, Kansas, who served three years during the Civil War in Company C, 20th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf.; Sarah Jane, wife of Tracy Down, of Chalk Mound, Kansas; John, of this sketch; and Amanda, wife of H. H. Davis, of this county. By a former marriage with Rebecca Ross, he had 10 children.

Our subject remained on his father’s farm in Ohio until he was 16 years old, too young by far to don a soldier’s uniform, but this he did on August 6, 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, First Reg., Ohio Vol. Cav., under Capt. John H. Robinson. Companies A and C of this regiment were sent to Virginia and took a prominent part in the battles of Cheat Mountain, Green Brier River, Winchester, Port Republic, Mine Run, Fredericksburg, Chantilla, Slaughter Mountain, Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, Monterey, Falling Water, Brandy Station, Antietam, and the Wilderness. This troop of cavalry was then transferred to the Army of the Tennessee, being intended for General Kilpatrick’s body-guard.

On August 22, 1862, Mr. Dickey was taken prisoner, with 300 companions, at the time that General Stuart made a raid on General Pope’s wagon train. He was confined in Castle Thunder, Libby Prison and Belle Isle, but was paroled before long. During his three years of arduous service, he participated in 23 regular battles and many minor engagements. At the close of his army life, he returned to Ohio and engaged in farming for four years, coming then to Kansas and settling on his present farm in 1868.

When Mr. Dickey located here, he found a great tract of unimproved land in his part of the county. From the very first he took a deep interest and genuine pride in his possessions and has given the best years of his life to developing his farm, now one of the finest in his locality, devoted to the raising of grain and stock.

In 1879 Mr. Dickey was married to Sadie Reed, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1856, and is a daughter of H. H. and Eliza (Fisher) Reed. They have two children: Guy Thompson and Earl Fisher, both of whom still remain under the parental roof.

In political sentiment, Mr. Dickey has always been a Republican. He has acceptably filled a number of the township offices, being trustee for five years and clerk for seven years and is justly looked upon as one of the reliable representative men of this section.