John Wesley Earles

Submitted by Robert Kingrey

Source: by Hon. Malcolm G. McGregor

Among the well-known citizens of Webb City connected with its mining interests is John W. Earles, who was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, June 13, 1839. His father, William Earles, was a native of Virginia and married Artie Brammer, who was a native of Ohio. They settled on a farm and passed their lives in Lawrence County. The paternal grandfather, Charles Earles, was of English ancestry and lived in Virginia, where he married Mary Ferguson. The maternal grandfather was James Brammer, whose mother was a Lee, and he married Sarah Seamands. 

John W. Earles attended the common schools of his locality and later Ewington College, in Gallia County, Ohio, and during the succeeding four winters taught school in his district. On the 24^th of October 1861, Mr. Earles enlisted and was mustered into the United States service at Camp Diamond, Ohio, as a private of Company G, fifty-third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Jesse J. Appler and later Colonel Wells S. Jones commanding, while Captain George K. Hosford commanded the company.

The regiment rendezvoused at Camp Diamond, Jackson County, Ohio, and on February 16^th embarked on a steamer at Portsmouth, Ohio, proceeding to Paducah, Kentucky, where it was assigned to the third Brigade of General W. T. Sherman’s Division and moved on transports to Savannah, Tennessee, from which place they started on an expedition to destroy the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, near Iuka, Mississippi, disembarking at Pittsburgh Landing. Soon afterward the regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, in the Army of Tennessee, and participated in the following engagements: Shiloh, Pittsburgh Landing, Monterey, Tennessee, siege of Corinth, siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, Mission Ridge, Tennessee, Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek, Ruff’s Mills, Atlanta, Ezra Chapel, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, the march to the sea and Fort McAllister, Georgia, besides a number of minor engagements and skirmishes.

Mr. Earles was constantly with his command. He never missed a fight or skirmish in which his regiment participated, and performed most faithful and meritorious service, earning high commendation, as is evidenced by his promotion from private to the rank of Captain. He was wounded in the right arm slightly by a gunshot at Pittsburgh Landing, April 7, 1862, and at Dallas, Georgia, had his belt plate stove in by a sharpshooter. He received his honorable discharge at Fort McAllister, Georgia, on the 24^th of December 1864. Mr. Earles is a valued member of Logan Post No. 6, G. A.R., and has a fine record as a soldier, having been promoted for gallantry from a private to second lieutenant, later to first lieutenant and in 1864 was made captain.

Returning to Ohio, Mr. Earles was elected sheriff of Lawrence County in the fall of 1865, on the republican ticket, and served two years. In 1867 he was appointed United States deputy marshal by General Hikenlooper, in which position he served for two years. In the latter part of 1869 he went west as far as Kansas, where he was engaged in farming until 1875, when he came to Jasper County, Missouri, and engaged in mining. He became part owner of some very valuable property, which was later sold very advantageously for thirty-five thousand dollars. With his partners he now engaged in opening up the Maud B. mine, which was proving the most productive of any of the mines on the Conner tract.