Biography:
Judge Joshua G. Adams: One generation has passed away since the young men of the nation were aroused to action by the outbreak of the rebellion. At that time, the subject of this sketch was a boy at school, with as little thought of becoming a soldier as any little boy of today. Possessed of a strong frame, sturdy limbs and an intelligent mind, he was of good material for a soldier, and he promptly volunteered his service in behalf of his country, and on serving out his first term he re-enlisted and served to the close of the war. His battles, skirmishes and marches are the best evidences of his valor as a soldier, and his patient endurance of prison life his most noble tribute of love to his country. A boy thrown at so early an age under the rough influence of army life either develops and strengthens character or takes the downward course. Young Adams, after his long service of four years and four months as a soldier, came out of military life with his ambition on strengthened and determination to make his life a success and become a useful citizen. How well he has fulfilled his resolution, will be attested by every citizen of Indiana who is familiar with his record as a man, a lawyer and a jurist. Judge Adams is of English stock and an old American family. His grandfather was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, contemporaneous with Daniel Boone. He settled in Bath County, where he reared four sons - James, Aaron, Thomas and Solomon the father of our subject, who was born in Bath County, Kentucky, in 1803 and was reared a farmer.
Solomon Adams married Nancy, daughter of William J. and Catharine (Sequist) Griffith and a large family, consisting of eleven children, resulted from this marriage: John, Mary, Catharine, William J., Thomas J., James M., Gabriel H., Joshua G., Hiram F., Caleb F. and Solomon T. Adams. This is the proper order of birth and all were born in Indiana - the first two in Switzerland County, but reared in Hendricks County. Mr. Adams came to Indiana and settled in Switzerland County about 1825-30, and moved, after 35 years of age, to Hendricks County, where he made his home, clearing up a farm from the wilderness and becoming a substantial farmer, He was a well known pioneer citizen, much respected by the old settlers, and was justice of the peace, and held other township offices. He was an officer in the Christian Church, of which his wife was also a member. He was an old-line Whig, afterward a Republican and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had four sons - Thomas J., Gabriel H., Joshua G., and Hiram F. Adams. The two latter were in Company I, Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. Thomas J. served through the war and was in all the battles of his regiment; Hiram F. was taken prisoner at Florence, Alabama, and was never after heard from; Gabriel H. was in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a private, but was promoted through the grades to Captain. He was wounded at the battle of Nashville, and he was a prisoner, being captured at Rome, Georgia in General Straight's raid, and was confined at Belle Isle. Solomon Adams died on his farm in Hendricks County, aged sixty-three years. He was one of those American patriots who sent an unusual number of sons to fight for the Union.
Joshua G. Adams, our subject, was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, February 19, 1845, on his father's farm. He first attended the district school, and at the age of sixteen years enlisted at Lizton, Hendricks County, September 10, 1861, in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years. He was honorably discharged at Louden, Tennessee, where he re-enlisted as a veteran on January 1, 1864, and was honorably discharged January 10, 1866, at Indianapolis, as a Corporal, serving in all four years and four months. He was in the battles of Shiloh, the two-day battle with Buell, and in the campaign from Pittsburgh Landing to the siege of Corinth. This campaign was almost one continuous battle until the evacuation of Corinth. He was also in the Battle of Stone River from beginning to end, Missionary Ridge, Dalton and Nashville. He was in General Straight's raid, his regiment being mounted, the horses having been captured from the surrounding farmers. On this raid he was in the battles of Day's Gap and Crooked Creek, the fighting continuing four days and nights, during which time the command marched a great distance, from Decatur, Alabama, to Rome, Georgia, and destroyed a great amount of Confederate property and railroad communications. The brigade lost one-forth of their men in killed and wounded. They had no sleep during the night except such as they could get upon their horses. This brigade consisted of 1,300 select men from different commands. Confederate forces of 8,000 cavalry under General Forrest from the beginning vigorously pursued them to the end of the raid. At Rome, Georgia, the bridge was destroyed and on May 3, 1863, Col. Straight was obliged to surrender the brigade near Rome, Georgia, and our subject found himself a prisoner, his brother - Captain Adams - being with him. They were taken in cattle cars to Atlanta, thence to Danville Junction, Virginia, and from there to Richmond and confined at Belle Isle four months. General Straight and his officers were confined in Libby Prison, and he planned and successfully carried out, with the help of his fellow-officers, by means of a tunnel, their famous escape from that den of misery. During Mr. Adams four months confinement he had barely enough corn bread and rotten bacon, filled with ashes and maggots, to subsist upon. This bacon, with nigger peas, was often made into soup, from which the soldiers would skim the maggots before eating. The island was a sand bar, and there was no shelter of tents or shade, and the camp had been used so long as to be alive with vermin.
Mr. Adams was young and had a powerful constitution, and endured the terrible ordeal with little sickness. He was paroled and marched to City Point, Virginia, where they embarked on a vessel and went to Baltimore, thence to Columbus, Ohio, and Camp Chase. The regiment reached Columbus about 350 strong, ragged, filthy, bare-footed and bareheaded. Here they received supplies and went to Indianapolis on a furlough, where they were exchanged and in the fall of 1863 went to Chattanooga. As the officers were in Libby Prison, the regiment for a while worked in the National Cemetery. Receiving officers, the regiment was assigned to Wood's division, Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and was in the Battle of Nashville and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Cairo, and was at New Orleans on July 4, 1865, on their way to Texas, where they remained until late in December. January 10, 1866, they were disbanded. Mr. Adams was neither wounded nor in the hospital, and his regiment was never on a march on in a single battle or skirmish, in which he did not take an active part. He was a brave, efficient, and gallant soldier during the long service of over four years, and was not yet twenty-one years of age when honorably discharged form his country's service at the close of the war, after which he returned home to find his father and mother both dead. The April following he entered Danville Academy for one year, and taught and attended school for two years. He then attended the North-Western University at Indianapolis, now Butler University, for two years, and began the study of law with Hon. Levi Ritter, also teaching school at Coatsville, Amo and other places. Judge Adams was admitted to the bar in 1871 at Danville, Hendricks County, where he began to practice, continuing until 1876. He was here appointed deputy prosecuting attorney, and this year, 1876, was elected prosecuting attorney of the circuit comprising Hendricks and Marion counties, and in 1878 was elected Judge of this circuit, after which he moved to Indianapolis, while he held this office, and remained for six years. In 1885 he moved to Frankfort, where he practiced law until 1893, when he moved to Lebanon, where he is now practicing his profession. In political opinions he is a stanch Republican. He is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. Judge Adams married July 2, 1873, Augusta F., daughter of William and Rachael (Piper) Brown. They became the parents of two children - Mary E. and Paul B., who died aged eleven years. Judge Abbott is a member of the law firm of Adams & Carter. He has always taken an active interest in educational matters and was a member of the School Board at Danville, and has aided in all public improvements. The Judge is a man of broad ideas and liberal views of life, founded on a wide experience of men and affairs. He is a friend to the oppressed and a strong sense of justice will not allow him to see injustice go un-rebuked, nor the strong oppress the weak, with out more than a protest on his part. His life is an excellent example of what our best American volunteer soldiers have accomplished during and since the war.
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Judge Joshua G. Adams: One generation has passed away since the young men of the nation were aroused to action by the outbreak of the rebellion. At that time, the subject of this sketch was a boy at school, with as little thought of becoming a soldier as any little boy of today. Possessed of a strong frame, sturdy limbs and an intelligent mind, he was of good material for a soldier, and he promptly volunteered his service in behalf of his country, and on serving out his first term he re-enlisted and served to the close of the war. His battles, skirmishes and marches are the best evidences of his valor as a soldier, and his patient endurance of prison life his most noble tribute of love to his country. A boy thrown at so early an age under the rough influence of army life either develops and strengthens character or takes the downward course. Young Adams, after his long service of four years and four months as a soldier, came out of military life with his ambition on strengthened and determination to make his life a success and become a useful citizen. How well he has fulfilled his resolution, will be attested by every citizen of Indiana who is familiar with his record as a man, a lawyer and a jurist. Judge Adams is of English stock and an old American family. His grandfather was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, contemporaneous with Daniel Boone. He settled in Bath County, where he reared four sons - James, Aaron, Thomas and Solomon the father of our subject, who was born in Bath County, Kentucky, in 1803 and was reared a farmer.
Solomon Adams married Nancy, daughter of William J. and Catharine (Sequist) Griffith and a large family, consisting of eleven children, resulted from this marriage: John, Mary, Catharine, William J., Thomas J., James M., Gabriel H., Joshua G., Hiram F., Caleb F. and Solomon T. Adams. This is the proper order of birth and all were born in Indiana - the first two in Switzerland County, but reared in Hendricks County. Mr. Adams came to Indiana and settled in Switzerland County about 1825-30, and moved, after 35 years of age, to Hendricks County, where he made his home, clearing up a farm from the wilderness and becoming a substantial farmer, He was a well known pioneer citizen, much respected by the old settlers, and was justice of the peace, and held other township offices. He was an officer in the Christian Church, of which his wife was also a member. He was an old-line Whig, afterward a Republican and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had four sons - Thomas J., Gabriel H., Joshua G., and Hiram F. Adams. The two latter were in Company I, Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. Thomas J. served through the war and was in all the battles of his regiment; Hiram F. was taken prisoner at Florence, Alabama, and was never after heard from; Gabriel H. was in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a private, but was promoted through the grades to Captain. He was wounded at the battle of Nashville, and he was a prisoner, being captured at Rome, Georgia in General Straight's raid, and was confined at Belle Isle. Solomon Adams died on his farm in Hendricks County, aged sixty-three years. He was one of those American patriots who sent an unusual number of sons to fight for the Union.
Joshua G. Adams, our subject, was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, February 19, 1845, on his father's farm. He first attended the district school, and at the age of sixteen years enlisted at Lizton, Hendricks County, September 10, 1861, in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years. He was honorably discharged at Louden, Tennessee, where he re-enlisted as a veteran on January 1, 1864, and was honorably discharged January 10, 1866, at Indianapolis, as a Corporal, serving in all four years and four months. He was in the battles of Shiloh, the two-day battle with Buell, and in the campaign from Pittsburgh Landing to the siege of Corinth. This campaign was almost one continuous battle until the evacuation of Corinth. He was also in the Battle of Stone River from beginning to end, Missionary Ridge, Dalton and Nashville. He was in General Straight's raid, his regiment being mounted, the horses having been captured from the surrounding farmers. On this raid he was in the battles of Day's Gap and Crooked Creek, the fighting continuing four days and nights, during which time the command marched a great distance, from Decatur, Alabama, to Rome, Georgia, and destroyed a great amount of Confederate property and railroad communications. The brigade lost one-forth of their men in killed and wounded. They had no sleep during the night except such as they could get upon their horses. This brigade consisted of 1,300 select men from different commands. Confederate forces of 8,000 cavalry under General Forrest from the beginning vigorously pursued them to the end of the raid. At Rome, Georgia, the bridge was destroyed and on May 3, 1863, Col. Straight was obliged to surrender the brigade near Rome, Georgia, and our subject found himself a prisoner, his brother - Captain Adams - being with him. They were taken in cattle cars to Atlanta, thence to Danville Junction, Virginia, and from there to Richmond and confined at Belle Isle four months. General Straight and his officers were confined in Libby Prison, and he planned and successfully carried out, with the help of his fellow-officers, by means of a tunnel, their famous escape from that den of misery. During Mr. Adams four months confinement he had barely enough corn bread and rotten bacon, filled with ashes and maggots, to subsist upon. This bacon, with nigger peas, was often made into soup, from which the soldiers would skim the maggots before eating. The island was a sand bar, and there was no shelter of tents or shade, and the camp had been used so long as to be alive with vermin.
Mr. Adams was young and had a powerful constitution, and endured the terrible ordeal with little sickness. He was paroled and marched to City Point, Virginia, where they embarked on a vessel and went to Baltimore, thence to Columbus, Ohio, and Camp Chase. The regiment reached Columbus about 350 strong, ragged, filthy, bare-footed and bareheaded. Here they received supplies and went to Indianapolis on a furlough, where they were exchanged and in the fall of 1863 went to Chattanooga. As the officers were in Libby Prison, the regiment for a while worked in the National Cemetery. Receiving officers, the regiment was assigned to Wood's division, Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and was in the Battle of Nashville and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Cairo, and was at New Orleans on July 4, 1865, on their way to Texas, where they remained until late in December. January 10, 1866, they were disbanded. Mr. Adams was neither wounded nor in the hospital, and his regiment was never on a march on in a single battle or skirmish, in which he did not take an active part. He was a brave, efficient, and gallant soldier during the long service of over four years, and was not yet twenty-one years of age when honorably discharged form his country's service at the close of the war, after which he returned home to find his father and mother both dead. The April following he entered Danville Academy for one year, and taught and attended school for two years. He then attended the North-Western University at Indianapolis, now Butler University, for two years, and began the study of law with Hon. Levi Ritter, also teaching school at Coatsville, Amo and other places. Judge Adams was admitted to the bar in 1871 at Danville, Hendricks County, where he began to practice, continuing until 1876. He was here appointed deputy prosecuting attorney, and this year, 1876, was elected prosecuting attorney of the circuit comprising Hendricks and Marion counties, and in 1878 was elected Judge of this circuit, after which he moved to Indianapolis, while he held this office, and remained for six years. In 1885 he moved to Frankfort, where he practiced law until 1893, when he moved to Lebanon, where he is now practicing his profession. In political opinions he is a stanch Republican. He is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. Judge Adams married July 2, 1873, Augusta F., daughter of William and Rachael (Piper) Brown. They became the parents of two children - Mary E. and Paul B., who died aged eleven years. Judge Abbott is a member of the law firm of Adams & Carter. He has always taken an active interest in educational matters and was a member of the School Board at Danville, and has aided in all public improvements. The Judge is a man of broad ideas and liberal views of life, founded on a wide experience of men and affairs. He is a friend to the oppressed and a strong sense of justice will not allow him to see injustice go un-rebuked, nor the strong oppress the weak, with out more than a protest on his part. His life is an excellent example of what our best American volunteer soldiers have accomplished during and since the war.
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Biography:
Judge Joshua G. Adams: One generation has passed away since the young men of the nation were aroused to action by the outbreak of the rebellion. At that time, the subject of this sketch was a boy at school, with as little thought of becoming a soldier as any little boy of today. Possessed of a strong frame, sturdy limbs and an intelligent mind, he was of good material for a soldier, and he promptly volunteered his service in behalf of his country, and on serving out his first term he re-enlisted and served to the close of the war. His battles, skirmishes and marches are the best evidences of his valor as a soldier, and his patient endurance of prison life his most noble tribute of love to his country. A boy thrown at so early an age under the rough influence of army life either develops and strengthens character or takes the downward course. Young Adams, after his long service of four years and four months as a soldier, came out of military life with his ambition on strengthened and determination to make his life a success and become a useful citizen. How well he has fulfilled his resolution, will be attested by every citizen of Indiana who is familiar with his record as a man, a lawyer and a jurist. Judge Adams is of English stock and an old American family. His grandfather was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, contemporaneous with Daniel Boone. He settled in Bath County, where he reared four sons - James, Aaron, Thomas and Solomon the father of our subject, who was born in Bath County, Kentucky, in 1803 and was reared a farmer.
Solomon Adams married Nancy, daughter of William J. and Catharine (Sequist) Griffith and a large family, consisting of eleven children, resulted from this marriage: John, Mary, Catharine, William J., Thomas J., James M., Gabriel H., Joshua G., Hiram F., Caleb F. and Solomon T. Adams. This is the proper order of birth and all were born in Indiana - the first two in Switzerland County, but reared in Hendricks County. Mr. Adams came to Indiana and settled in Switzerland County about 1825-30, and moved, after 35 years of age, to Hendricks County, where he made his home, clearing up a farm from the wilderness and becoming a substantial farmer, He was a well known pioneer citizen, much respected by the old settlers, and was justice of the peace, and held other township offices. He was an officer in the Christian Church, of which his wife was also a member. He was an old-line Whig, afterward a Republican and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had four sons - Thomas J., Gabriel H., Joshua G., and Hiram F. Adams. The two latter were in Company I, Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. Thomas J. served through the war and was in all the battles of his regiment; Hiram F. was taken prisoner at Florence, Alabama, and was never after heard from; Gabriel H. was in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a private, but was promoted through the grades to Captain. He was wounded at the battle of Nashville, and he was a prisoner, being captured at Rome, Georgia in General Straight's raid, and was confined at Belle Isle. Solomon Adams died on his farm in Hendricks County, aged sixty-three years. He was one of those American patriots who sent an unusual number of sons to fight for the Union.
Joshua G. Adams, our subject, was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, February 19, 1845, on his father's farm. He first attended the district school, and at the age of sixteen years enlisted at Lizton, Hendricks County, September 10, 1861, in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years. He was honorably discharged at Louden, Tennessee, where he re-enlisted as a veteran on January 1, 1864, and was honorably discharged January 10, 1866, at Indianapolis, as a Corporal, serving in all four years and four months. He was in the battles of Shiloh, the two-day battle with Buell, and in the campaign from Pittsburgh Landing to the siege of Corinth. This campaign was almost one continuous battle until the evacuation of Corinth. He was also in the Battle of Stone River from beginning to end, Missionary Ridge, Dalton and Nashville. He was in General Straight's raid, his regiment being mounted, the horses having been captured from the surrounding farmers. On this raid he was in the battles of Day's Gap and Crooked Creek, the fighting continuing four days and nights, during which time the command marched a great distance, from Decatur, Alabama, to Rome, Georgia, and destroyed a great amount of Confederate property and railroad communications. The brigade lost one-forth of their men in killed and wounded. They had no sleep during the night except such as they could get upon their horses. This brigade consisted of 1,300 select men from different commands. Confederate forces of 8,000 cavalry under General Forrest from the beginning vigorously pursued them to the end of the raid. At Rome, Georgia, the bridge was destroyed and on May 3, 1863, Col. Straight was obliged to surrender the brigade near Rome, Georgia, and our subject found himself a prisoner, his brother - Captain Adams - being with him. They were taken in cattle cars to Atlanta, thence to Danville Junction, Virginia, and from there to Richmond and confined at Belle Isle four months. General Straight and his officers were confined in Libby Prison, and he planned and successfully carried out, with the help of his fellow-officers, by means of a tunnel, their famous escape from that den of misery. During Mr. Adams four months confinement he had barely enough corn bread and rotten bacon, filled with ashes and maggots, to subsist upon. This bacon, with nigger peas, was often made into soup, from which the soldiers would skim the maggots before eating. The island was a sand bar, and there was no shelter of tents or shade, and the camp had been used so long as to be alive with vermin.
Mr. Adams was young and had a powerful constitution, and endured the terrible ordeal with little sickness. He was paroled and marched to City Point, Virginia, where they embarked on a vessel and went to Baltimore, thence to Columbus, Ohio, and Camp Chase. The regiment reached Columbus about 350 strong, ragged, filthy, bare-footed and bareheaded. Here they received supplies and went to Indianapolis on a furlough, where they were exchanged and in the fall of 1863 went to Chattanooga. As the officers were in Libby Prison, the regiment for a while worked in the National Cemetery. Receiving officers, the regiment was assigned to Wood's division, Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and was in the Battle of Nashville and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Cairo, and was at New Orleans on July 4, 1865, on their way to Texas, where they remained until late in December. January 10, 1866, they were disbanded. Mr. Adams was neither wounded nor in the hospital, and his regiment was never on a march on in a single battle or skirmish, in which he did not take an active part. He was a brave, efficient, and gallant soldier during the long service of over four years, and was not yet twenty-one years of age when honorably discharged form his country's service at the close of the war, after which he returned home to find his father and mother both dead. The April following he entered Danville Academy for one year, and taught and attended school for two years. He then attended the North-Western University at Indianapolis, now Butler University, for two years, and began the study of law with Hon. Levi Ritter, also teaching school at Coatsville, Amo and other places. Judge Adams was admitted to the bar in 1871 at Danville, Hendricks County, where he began to practice, continuing until 1876. He was here appointed deputy prosecuting attorney, and this year, 1876, was elected prosecuting attorney of the circuit comprising Hendricks and Marion counties, and in 1878 was elected Judge of this circuit, after which he moved to Indianapolis, while he held this office, and remained for six years. In 1885 he moved to Frankfort, where he practiced law until 1893, when he moved to Lebanon, where he is now practicing his profession. In political opinions he is a stanch Republican. He is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. Judge Adams married July 2, 1873, Augusta F., daughter of William and Rachael (Piper) Brown. They became the parents of two children - Mary E. and Paul B., who died aged eleven years. Judge Abbott is a member of the law firm of Adams & Carter. He has always taken an active interest in educational matters and was a member of the School Board at Danville, and has aided in all public improvements. The Judge is a man of broad ideas and liberal views of life, founded on a wide experience of men and affairs. He is a friend to the oppressed and a strong sense of justice will not allow him to see injustice go un-rebuked, nor the strong oppress the weak, with out more than a protest on his part. His life is an excellent example of what our best American volunteer soldiers have accomplished during and since the war.
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Judge Joshua G. Adams: One generation has passed away since the young men of the nation were aroused to action by the outbreak of the rebellion. At that time, the subject of this sketch was a boy at school, with as little thought of becoming a soldier as any little boy of today. Possessed of a strong frame, sturdy limbs and an intelligent mind, he was of good material for a soldier, and he promptly volunteered his service in behalf of his country, and on serving out his first term he re-enlisted and served to the close of the war. His battles, skirmishes and marches are the best evidences of his valor as a soldier, and his patient endurance of prison life his most noble tribute of love to his country. A boy thrown at so early an age under the rough influence of army life either develops and strengthens character or takes the downward course. Young Adams, after his long service of four years and four months as a soldier, came out of military life with his ambition on strengthened and determination to make his life a success and become a useful citizen. How well he has fulfilled his resolution, will be attested by every citizen of Indiana who is familiar with his record as a man, a lawyer and a jurist. Judge Adams is of English stock and an old American family. His grandfather was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, contemporaneous with Daniel Boone. He settled in Bath County, where he reared four sons - James, Aaron, Thomas and Solomon the father of our subject, who was born in Bath County, Kentucky, in 1803 and was reared a farmer.
Solomon Adams married Nancy, daughter of William J. and Catharine (Sequist) Griffith and a large family, consisting of eleven children, resulted from this marriage: John, Mary, Catharine, William J., Thomas J., James M., Gabriel H., Joshua G., Hiram F., Caleb F. and Solomon T. Adams. This is the proper order of birth and all were born in Indiana - the first two in Switzerland County, but reared in Hendricks County. Mr. Adams came to Indiana and settled in Switzerland County about 1825-30, and moved, after 35 years of age, to Hendricks County, where he made his home, clearing up a farm from the wilderness and becoming a substantial farmer, He was a well known pioneer citizen, much respected by the old settlers, and was justice of the peace, and held other township offices. He was an officer in the Christian Church, of which his wife was also a member. He was an old-line Whig, afterward a Republican and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had four sons - Thomas J., Gabriel H., Joshua G., and Hiram F. Adams. The two latter were in Company I, Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. Thomas J. served through the war and was in all the battles of his regiment; Hiram F. was taken prisoner at Florence, Alabama, and was never after heard from; Gabriel H. was in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a private, but was promoted through the grades to Captain. He was wounded at the battle of Nashville, and he was a prisoner, being captured at Rome, Georgia in General Straight's raid, and was confined at Belle Isle. Solomon Adams died on his farm in Hendricks County, aged sixty-three years. He was one of those American patriots who sent an unusual number of sons to fight for the Union.
Joshua G. Adams, our subject, was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, February 19, 1845, on his father's farm. He first attended the district school, and at the age of sixteen years enlisted at Lizton, Hendricks County, September 10, 1861, in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years. He was honorably discharged at Louden, Tennessee, where he re-enlisted as a veteran on January 1, 1864, and was honorably discharged January 10, 1866, at Indianapolis, as a Corporal, serving in all four years and four months. He was in the battles of Shiloh, the two-day battle with Buell, and in the campaign from Pittsburgh Landing to the siege of Corinth. This campaign was almost one continuous battle until the evacuation of Corinth. He was also in the Battle of Stone River from beginning to end, Missionary Ridge, Dalton and Nashville. He was in General Straight's raid, his regiment being mounted, the horses having been captured from the surrounding farmers. On this raid he was in the battles of Day's Gap and Crooked Creek, the fighting continuing four days and nights, during which time the command marched a great distance, from Decatur, Alabama, to Rome, Georgia, and destroyed a great amount of Confederate property and railroad communications. The brigade lost one-forth of their men in killed and wounded. They had no sleep during the night except such as they could get upon their horses. This brigade consisted of 1,300 select men from different commands. Confederate forces of 8,000 cavalry under General Forrest from the beginning vigorously pursued them to the end of the raid. At Rome, Georgia, the bridge was destroyed and on May 3, 1863, Col. Straight was obliged to surrender the brigade near Rome, Georgia, and our subject found himself a prisoner, his brother - Captain Adams - being with him. They were taken in cattle cars to Atlanta, thence to Danville Junction, Virginia, and from there to Richmond and confined at Belle Isle four months. General Straight and his officers were confined in Libby Prison, and he planned and successfully carried out, with the help of his fellow-officers, by means of a tunnel, their famous escape from that den of misery. During Mr. Adams four months confinement he had barely enough corn bread and rotten bacon, filled with ashes and maggots, to subsist upon. This bacon, with nigger peas, was often made into soup, from which the soldiers would skim the maggots before eating. The island was a sand bar, and there was no shelter of tents or shade, and the camp had been used so long as to be alive with vermin.
Mr. Adams was young and had a powerful constitution, and endured the terrible ordeal with little sickness. He was paroled and marched to City Point, Virginia, where they embarked on a vessel and went to Baltimore, thence to Columbus, Ohio, and Camp Chase. The regiment reached Columbus about 350 strong, ragged, filthy, bare-footed and bareheaded. Here they received supplies and went to Indianapolis on a furlough, where they were exchanged and in the fall of 1863 went to Chattanooga. As the officers were in Libby Prison, the regiment for a while worked in the National Cemetery. Receiving officers, the regiment was assigned to Wood's division, Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and was in the Battle of Nashville and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Cairo, and was at New Orleans on July 4, 1865, on their way to Texas, where they remained until late in December. January 10, 1866, they were disbanded. Mr. Adams was neither wounded nor in the hospital, and his regiment was never on a march on in a single battle or skirmish, in which he did not take an active part. He was a brave, efficient, and gallant soldier during the long service of over four years, and was not yet twenty-one years of age when honorably discharged form his country's service at the close of the war, after which he returned home to find his father and mother both dead. The April following he entered Danville Academy for one year, and taught and attended school for two years. He then attended the North-Western University at Indianapolis, now Butler University, for two years, and began the study of law with Hon. Levi Ritter, also teaching school at Coatsville, Amo and other places. Judge Adams was admitted to the bar in 1871 at Danville, Hendricks County, where he began to practice, continuing until 1876. He was here appointed deputy prosecuting attorney, and this year, 1876, was elected prosecuting attorney of the circuit comprising Hendricks and Marion counties, and in 1878 was elected Judge of this circuit, after which he moved to Indianapolis, while he held this office, and remained for six years. In 1885 he moved to Frankfort, where he practiced law until 1893, when he moved to Lebanon, where he is now practicing his profession. In political opinions he is a stanch Republican. He is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. Judge Adams married July 2, 1873, Augusta F., daughter of William and Rachael (Piper) Brown. They became the parents of two children - Mary E. and Paul B., who died aged eleven years. Judge Abbott is a member of the law firm of Adams & Carter. He has always taken an active interest in educational matters and was a member of the School Board at Danville, and has aided in all public improvements. The Judge is a man of broad ideas and liberal views of life, founded on a wide experience of men and affairs. He is a friend to the oppressed and a strong sense of justice will not allow him to see injustice go un-rebuked, nor the strong oppress the weak, with out more than a protest on his part. His life is an excellent example of what our best American volunteer soldiers have accomplished during and since the war.
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