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JOHN N. SAPP.
JOHN N. SAPP—One of the leading farmers as well as early settlers, of the township of Marmaton is John N. Sapp. He entered the southeast quarter of section 5, town 25, range 21, in the "three mile strip," in 1874, and has created out of it one of the productive and desirable farms in the township. Mr. Sapp came to Allen County from Knox County, Illinois. He had gone there only three years before from Circleville, Ohio, in which county, Pickaway, he was born August 16, 1840. His father, James Sapp, a cooper by trade, carried on his business in Circieville and was succeeded to it by his son, George. He went into Ohio in 1862, when twenty years of age. He was born in Pennsylvania and was a son of John Sapp.
James Sapp married Margaret McAlister, and both died at Circleville. Their children were: George Sapp; John Sapp; Caroline, wife of Joseph Redmond, of Louisville, Kentucky; William Sapp, of Cleveland, Ohio; Edson Sapp, of Circleville, and Mollie Sapp, of Louisville, Kentucky.
John N. Sapp began his life at the tinner's bench. He was sixteen years old when he went to the trade in Circleville. He completed it and was working at it when the war came on. In August 1862 he enlisted in Company B, 114th Ohio Infantry, Col. John Cradlebaugh, and later on Col. Kelley. The first active service of the regiment was at Chickasaw Bluffs from which point it continued south with Sherman's army to Young's Point and Vicksburg. Mr. Sapp participated in the battles of Raymond Big Black and the final capture of Vicksburg. He went with his regiment, then to New Orleans, at which place, and at Algiers, it was in camp some time, eventually embarking on a gulf steamer for Texas. The winter of 1863 was passed in entrenchments at Indianola, Texas, and in the spring the command returned to New Orleans and was shipped up Red River to help Banks' army out of its difficulty. The latter was relieved at Alexandria and while this operation was in progress the river lowered and the fleet could not be gotten down. The obstacle was removed by the construction of a dam which gathered sufficient water to float the boats over the riffles and thereby get out of the enemy's stronghold. The trip back to Morganza Bend on the Mississippi River was under fire of Rebel batteries. The command rendezvoused at Morganza till the fall of 1864
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when it was ordered to Lake Pontchartrain where it took boat for Ft. Pickens, Florida, and marched on to Pensacola where the work of constructing a pier was done. The 114th marched back to Ft. Blakely and aided in its reduction. This last act cleared up the Alabama River and the Federal wounded were taken down from Selma. The regiment then returned to New Orleans and again went to Texas and was mustered out at Galveston in August 1865. Mr. Sapp was discharged in Columbus, Ohio.
The war over Mr. Sapp located at Oneida, Illinois, where he engaged in the tin and stove business. He prospered there fairly well but the desire to go west became too strong to resist and he came to Allen County, Kansas, the year before stated.
In Allen County Mr. Sapp's progress has been steadily upward. His accumulations show themselves in the increased acreage of his farm and in the substantial improvements to be found thereon. He owns a tract of 400 acres well watered and well stocked. It lies on the east side of the Marmaton River and a large part of it was clearly visible from his home site when it was first located.
Mr. Sapp was married in 1867 to Rebecca, a daughter of Andrew Culbertson, who came to the United States from County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1848 and stopped first in Jersey City, New Jersey. He resided for a time at Galesburg, Illinois, and came to Allen County, Kansas, in 1859. He was the father of thirteen children, seven of whom survive: Elizabeth, Jane and William Culbertson, Mrs. Margaret McGuire, Samuel Culbertson and Mrs. Sapp, all residents of Allen County.
Mr. and Mrs. Sapp's children are: Laura, wife of Ray Smock; May and Ethel.
Mr. Sapp's ancestors were Democrats. The issues of the Civil War made his father a Republican and he, himself, became a Republican and cast his first Presidential vote for Mr. Grant. He is a member of the Bronson Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and a person of high standing in the confidence of his countymen.
Pages 154-155, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
