Alexander Gillespie Saxon

"Biography of A. G. Saxon A. G. Saxon was born in Franklin county, Georgia, in the year 1802 - emigrated to Indiana, in the year 1811 in the fall, and settled opposite where the mill of Keller, Uhl & Co. now stands. His father's name was Alexander Saxon, he died on the 2d of December, 1844. A. G. Saxon was married to Margret McCrory in the year 1827 at the residence of the brides' father, John McCrory. Mrs. Saxon was born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, in the year 1809 - emigrated with her parents to America in the year 1811, settling in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, from whence they removed to Indiana about the year 1821. A. G. and Margret Saxon are the parents of twelve children, all of whom are living except one girl, the wife of Jesse Shortridge, who died some two years since. Of the children there were six boys and six girls. The eldest is Jane, the wife of Hiram Jeffry, Mrs. Salina Shortridge, deceased, the next and McHenry, late elected county Commissioner, John, now a resident of Howard county, Indiana, Anna, wife of James Hinchman, living in Rush County, Indiana; William A. now a resident of Hancock county; Savannah , wife of David Lewis, resident of Hancock county; Robert lives near his father, in this county; Samuel lives on the home farm, with his father; James N. lives in Falmouth, this county, of the firm Saxon & Dawson, saw mill; Mary wife of Perry Dawson, Falmouth; Elizabeth, wife of William Maze, lives in Rush county, Indiana. Mr. Saxon has lately sold his farm to his son Robert - price seventy five dollars per acre. This farm lies in Fairview township, south-west quarter of section 11, 160 acres. There were two tribes of Indians here when Mr. Saxon came to this county, viz: The Pottowatamies and Delawares. They were friendly, or professed to be, yet they sometimes stole horses from the farmers and occasionally killed and scalped a man, and sometimes captured and carried off children. A man by the name of Con, living near where Harrisburg now stands, while making sugar, was killed and scalped in his camp. In the early morning, not coming to his breakfast, his wife went out and found his body, they carried off his tent cloth and stole some horses, and retreated. There was at this time a blockhouse near Harrisburg, containing fifty soldiers. A party of these, and with them a brother of the murdered man, started in pursuit, following the trail of the horses to near the head waters of Buck Creek, when despairing of overtaking them, they all turned back except Con and four of his comrades, who camped secretly alongside the trail that night, and next morning taking the trail early, they came on the Indians eating their breakfast. They crept upon them until they came in shooting distance, when each selected his man, they fired simultaneously, killing all but one, and he was wounded in the lower part of the abdomen, but he ran and was pursued by Con, who, with drawn tomahawk, soon brought the redskin to bay. When the Indian turned and begged, saying good Lord, white man don't kill poor Ingun, but Con sunk his tomahawk in his brain. Gathering up the horses, and other stolen property found in the Indian camp, they returned to the block house. Mr. Saxon says he can remember well hearing them firing the salute and rejoicing at the return, and success of the party. Mr. Saxon was enrolled in the militia at the age of 18, under first Captain Phillip Mason, who was afterward promoted to Major, and then he served under Charles Williams, father of our present County Auditor. He also served under Captain Alexander, as a private. Major Tate was his battalion commander. At the age of 16, his father hired him out to a couple of men who were running a brick yard, in what is now Connersville. He assisted in making the first brick that were made in Connersville of Fayette county. The first brick house that was built stood where the Huston block row stands, built by John Conner for a tavern and was used as such for a number of years by various parties, among others the fathers of Governor Wallace, Decamp, Sample and Hamilton. Mr. Saxon relates that his father used to keep a canoe opposite his house to ferry travelers over the river, they landed near where the lower mill now stands, and at the landing on this side they had a bee bait, and the boys, him and his brother, had to watch it. One day they espied a bee feeding, and when he took his flight, they set up stakes in the ground marking his course fo it, knowing that when a bee is full, he will take a straight line for home. They followed the line and treed him in a white oak tree that stood in what is now the south-east corner of the court house yard, but was then simply in the forest. Mr. Saxon and his wife are members of the Christian Church, and he is a Democrat in politics. ..." [The Connersville Examiner 11-15-1876 p. 1.]

Pictured: Alexander Gillespie Saxon and wife Margaret McCrory Saxon.

Pictured: Sons of Alexander Gillespie Saxon and Margaret McCrory Saxon. Information from picture back was probably recorded by Arthur Gillespie Saxon in 1966: "Taken about 1870 [*1865 written above and on 1870], Left to Right Standing Robert Saxon, Samual Saxon, James Nuten Saxon, Siting (sic) Mack Henry Saxon, John Saxon & William Andrew Saxon Sons of Alexander Gillespie Saxon and wife Margaret McCrory Saxon".