Obituary of John Jeremiah Harris, Linn County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

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THE PLEASANTON OBSERVER, 2 March 1878

Obituary of JOHN JEREMIAH HARRIS

JOHN JEREMIAH HARRIS

John Jeremiah Harris died at half past 11 o'clock p.m. October 28, 1893. He was born in Philadelphia Nov. 29, 1842. At age eleven, his parents moved to Zanesville, Ohio then at the end of the year the family moved to Louisville, Ky.

In the spring of 1855 he came to St. Louis, Mo. and obtained employment as a clerk. In 1861, at the age of nineteen, he enlisted in Co. B, 1st Colorado Calvary. When his term of enlistment expired, he re-enlisted and continued to serve his country until Nov. 1865. This regiment, commanded by the famous Col. Chivington extended its rapid marches over a great portion of Colorado and New Mexico, taking part in numerous engagements with detachments of Confederate forces from Texas.
This regiment was kept upon the plains in Indian service several months after the War of the Rebellion ended. This regiment was on duty at Ft. Riley and Ft. Larned in Kansas. It was also the same regiment which was engaged in the so-called Chivington massacre, which received diverse criticism concerning the Indian problem and Indian warfare.

After being mustered out of service, he came to eastern Kansas in search of a homestead and remained in Potosi Township in Linn County. He was commissioned postmaster in 1876 and served this office for nearly ten years.

On Nov. 25, 1874 he married Jennie Whitson, who died March 22, 1876, leaving a daughter five months old. In 1878 he married Libbie McClure, who, with a daughter fourteen years of age, survives him.

Transcribed and Contributed by Joyce McCool