My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM DUNCAN, farmer; P. O. West Milton; he was born in this township on the land where he now lives in the year 1826; his father, Isaac Duncan, was born in South Carolina in 1795; his early life was spent in Tennessee, and he removed with his parents to Ohio when only 9 years of age; his father, Samuel Duncan, was born in Georgia in 1751, and upon his arrival in Miami Co. in 1804, entered 160 acres of land, where his grandson, our subject, now lives; on this land he reared his family and resided till his death, which occurred in 1832; on this land, his sons Isaac and Jesse lived and reared their families; Isaac departed this life in 1847, aged 52 years, Jesse still later; upon their death, William, our subject, a son of Isaac, came into possession, and on this same estate has reared a family of children; thus this farm has been the birthplace of three generations of children, all of the Duncan family; Isaac Duncan was the father of thirteen children; to the first marriage, with Hannah Pemberton, daughter of Isaiah Pemberton, three were given, who are all deceased, viz., Isaiah, Rachel and John. His second marriage was celebrated with Elizabeth Dixon, and to their union ten children were given, of whom only six are living, viz., Jesse, William, Samuel, Amos, Eli and Abigail; the deceased are Polly, Isaac, Elizabeth and David; Elizabeth (Dixon) Duncan, was born in South Carolina in 1800, and departed this life in 1873; she was a second cousin to the grim old warrior, Anthony Wayne, and a direct descendant of the illustrious Adams family, who figure so prominently in the history of the country; Nicholas Dixon was a military man, and took great pride in army tactics; he has a good military record and was a commissioned officer in the war of 1812; Grandfather Dixon’s house was one of the frontier outposts, and there Gen. Harrison frequently satisfied the cravings of the inner man; the house was a general rendezvous for the early settlers, as it was of strong build, and fitted with loopholes that made it a very; formidable stronghold, and a protection against the ruthless hands of the murderous red man; he belonged to the Society of Friends, and because he would not take part in the great struggle and help England to force her rebellious subjects into submission, he was attacked by the Tories, severely beaten, and left on the ground for dead; but he recovered and came to Ohio, where he passed through all the hardships and dangers incident to pioneer life. Our subject was reared on the farm, where he assisted his father in agricultural pursuits until his 21st year, when he began life for himself and took charge of the old home place, thereby keeping the family together till grown, when they made homes for themselves; here, in the abode of his fathers, he has lived ever since, with the exception of two years, when he lived in Greene Co., so that his children mighty have the advantage of attending the Antioch College. His marriage was celebrated in 1854, with Martha Langston, who is a daughter of Leonard and Francis Langston; her father was born in Georgia and her mother in Maryland; Mr. and Mrs. Duncan are the parents of eight children, of whom seven are living, viz., Leonard, Ira, Elmer, Emma, Charles, William and Mary, and Sarah A., deceased. Mr. Duncan has filled the office of Justice of the Peace for three years, Supervisor one term and School Director many years; he and his amiable wife have been members of the Christian Church for a number of years; they are particularly interested in the advancement of Christianity, and are exemplary Christian people. Isaac Duncan was a member of Co. G, 48th O. V. I., and in the bloody battle of Pittsburg Landing, Sunday morning, April 6, 1862; he fell shot through the heart with his face to the foe; Jesse was a member of the same company and regiment and returned safely to their home; Amos was a member of Co. I, 71st O. V. I., and soon after his enlistment, was detailed to the hospital, where he was installed as steward; from there he was promoted to Assistant Surgeon, and given charge of the 9th Tenn. V. C., where he remained until he was mustered out, having passed through the battles and encounters of the Army of the Cumberland; his regiment captured the notorious John Morgan, who was brought to camp by one of the boys, on horseback.