John C. Flint, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of John C. Flint
JOHN C. FLINT.
This prominent citizen of Porter County, Indiana, is one of five hundred men who served four years and five months in the Civil War. He has also been identified with the farming interests of this county for many years, and in every walk of life has conducted himself in an honorable, upright manner. In tracing his genealogy, we find that the family name was originally Vedder, but was changed by the great-grandmother of our subject, who married a man by the name of Flint. The family settled in the Mohawk Valley, New York, in Colonial times, and is of Dutch origin. Zachariah Flint, father of our subject, was a carpenter by trade, but the latter part of his life was spent in tilling the soil. He was married in Montgomery County, New York, to Miss Margaret Howe, who bore him seven children, as follows: Austin V., served in the Civil War over three years, in the Sixty-Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; Mary E., John C., Jerusha L., Catherine, Martha J. and Sarah A., all born in the Empire State. In 1855 Mr. Flint moved to Kankakee County, Illinois, settled on a farm, and remained on the same until his death in 1869, when seventy-one years of age. In politics he was a Democrat, and a man universally respected. John C. Flint, our subject, is a son of New York State, born in Montgomery County, May 20, 1838, and in the graded school at Greenville he secured a good, practical education. When seventeen years of age he moved with his parents to Illinois, and remained at home on the farm until twenty-two years of age. He then enlisted at Chicago in Company K, Forty-Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, August 16, 1861, and served first in the Western Army under Gen. Fremont, and was afterwards detailed under Col. Buford for service at Island No. 10. He participated in the following engagements: Island No. 10, siege of Corinth, Tallahoma campaign, siege of Nashville, battle of Stone River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Sherman's campaign, siege of Atlanta, Columbus, Tenn.; Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, Resaca, Rutherford Creek, New Hope Church, Peach Tree Creek, etc. He was wounded in the right side of the head by a shell at Stone River, and was senseless on the field for three hours and reported dead. Although he remained with his regiment, he was afterwards sick in the hospital for two and a half mouths. This was the field hospital at Vining Station, the field hospital at Chattanooga and the hospital at Lookout Mountain; these moves having been made on account of Wheeler's raids. Mr. Flint was first honorably discharged in 1863, but re-enlisted in the same company and regiment, and was finally discharged at Port Labaca, Texas, December 12, 1865. For two years after this he followed farming in Kankakee County, Illinois, on the old home place, and March 18, 1867, he was married to Miss Rue A. Rowe, daughter of William and Mary (Teneyck) Rowe, both of Dutch origin and old settlers in the Mohawk Valley. William Rowe came to Illinois, settled first in Chicago, and in 1836 near Joliet, where he followed farming until his death at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He was the father of twelve children, John, Cornelia, Elizabeth, George, who served in the Forty-Second Illinois Regiment during the Rebellion; Jane, Rue A., Ellen, Orrilla, Winfield, Celestia, William and Sarah. Mr. Rowe was a member of the United Brethren Church. After marriage Mr. Flint settled in Iroquois County, Illinois, remained there two years, and then moved to Benton County, Indiana, where he carried on farming for twenty-two years. From this farm of eighty acres he moved in 1889, and settled in Valparaiso in order to educate his children; Allie E., William S., Eva A., Fred U. and Jesse M. He bought two houses in the city, and here he resides at the present time. Mr. Flint is a member of the G. A. R. and is senior vice-commander. In religion he and wife are Methodists, although for twenty years he was a member of the United Brethren Church, holding all the lay offices in the same. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and adds his influence to every cause that needs a helpful impetus, and promises to be of benefit to the people at large. We take pleasure in presenting this worthy gentleman and his family among the many prominent agriculturists, whose biographies are given in this work.
Source: Goodspeed Brothers. 1894. Pictorial and Biographical Record of La Porte, Porter, Lake and Starke Counties, Indiana. Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Brothers. 569 p.
Page(s) in Source: 171-172
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook