Samuel Waterfall, a Kansas pioneer and veteran of the Civil war, is a native of Switzerland. He was born about twelve miles south of Berne, December 16, 1843, a son of Jacob and Barbara (Weber) Waterfall, natives of Switzerland. The name Waterfall was spelled Wasserfall in Switzerland, which translated into English is Waterfall. The Waterfall family immigrated to America in 1854, and when Samuel was eleven years of age they landed in New York, and shortly afterwards went to Massillon, Ohio. After remaining there about a year they removed to Clinton Station, Ohio, and from there to Loudenville, and later to Knox county, Ohio. The father was a stone cutter and an unusually fine workman.

Samuel Waterfall was following the peaceful vocation of farming when the Civil war broke out, and President Lincoln called for volunteers to defend the Union. At the first call he offered his services, but was rejected on account of being under size, but he enlisted again August 19, 1861, and was mustered into service as a member of Company A, Twentieth regiment, Ohio infantry, and at the expiration of his term of enlistment was discharged December 6, 1863. The following day he re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer in the same company and regiment. During his long and hazardous term of service as a soldier

he participated in the following engagements: Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Iuka, Harkinsberry, Raymond, Champion Hills, siege of Vickshurg, Jackson, Baker's Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Savannah, Pocotaligo, Orangeburg, Cheraw, Bentonville, and at the surrender of Johnson near Raleigh, N. C., and numerous other engagements and skirmishes. During his service in the army Mr. Waterfall was with his command in nearly every Southern State, and they were at many places several times. He had many narrow escapes and was seriously wounded at the battle of Atlanta, and was on two occasions overcome by heat, once while on the firing line in battle, and another time while on the march. After the surrender of Lee and the grand review at Washington, he was discharged and mustered out of service July 24, 1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio.

At the close of the war Mr. Waterfall went to Madison county, Illinois, where his people moved while he was in the army. He remained in Illinois until the fall of 1868, when he went to Springfield, Mo., remaining in that State until 1871, when he returned to Madison county, Illinois, and followed farming near East Alton, Ill., until 1873, when he removed to El Dorado, Butler county, Kansas. The following spring he went to Harvey county, and from there to Carroll county, Arkansas, but soon afterward returned to Butler county and rented a farm in Glencoe township on the south branch of the Little Walnut, and the following year he filed on a claim of government land in that township. On February 20, 1880, he sold his claim and removed to section 2, Lincoln township, Sedgwick county, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1902, when he came to Whitewater, and has been prominently identified with the community of that vicinity since.

Mr. Waterfall was married January 10, 1867, to Miss Emeline V. Childers, a native of Nashville, Tenn. She was born May 5, 1850, and is a daughter of Jacob and Jane (Scott) Childers, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Tennessee. To Mr. and Mrs. Waterfall have been born the following children: Maggie A. married Al A. Warren, farmer, Whitewater; Grace F., married W. D. Chaney, Whitewoter;[sic] James S., Alton, Ill.; Effie J. married Henry N. Jessen, Whitewater; Charles J., Harvey county, Kansas; L. G., Whitewater. The eldest child, Andrew, and the youngest, Joseph R., are both deceased.

Mr. Waterfall is a Republiacn[sic] and has steadfastly supported the policies and principles of that party since casting his first vote for Lincoln while in the army in 1864. He has always taken an active part in local political affairs, and while a resident of Sedgwick county he served as constable and was also justice of the peace for seven years. He was elected justice of the peace in Whitewater in 1904, but refused to accept the office. In 1913 he was elected police judge and still holds that office. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and was commander of the W. C. Ward Post, No. 375, Whitewater, Kans., in 1899, and since

that time has been adjutant. In 1910 he was appointed assistant deputy inspector.

Mr. Waterfall has had an eventful career as a soldier and pioneer. He was one of the early mail carriers of southwestern Kansas and an early day freighter. He carried mail from New Excelsior to Quito, and when Hickory postoffice was established he carried mail between Hickory, New Excelsior and Quito twice each week for three and three-quarter years, and is now living retired, never having fully recovered his health since the war.

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