Squire John

Influence of Squire John Ferguson

History of Miller County by Gerard Schultz

Squire John Ferguson (printed in 1933)

Squire John Ferguson, Iberia’s “grand old man,” was born on December 25, 1838, at Dumfries, Scotland. When he was fourteen the family emigrated to the United States.

His father died while crossing and was buried in the Atlantic. John landed at New Orleans, Louisiana, and at once took a steamer to St. Louis.

In 1853, he began to work on the Mississippi River steamer as a deck sweeper, at a salary of $15.00 and board. At the outbreak of the war he was night watchman on steamer New Falls City, which operated between St. Louis and New Orleans with Captain Henry Switzer.

He enlisted on August 15, 1862, in the United States Army at Rolla, Missouri, in Company M, Third Missouri Cavalry Volunteers. This company operated in Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. He served in this regiment until September 27, 1865. He was discharged at New Orleans. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864. Mr. Ferguson has always been very active in public affairs.

For many years he was chairman of the Village Board of Trustees of Iberia and for over fifty years has been justice of the peace. From New Orleans Mr. Ferguson went to his grandfather’s home in Maries County.

On June 4, 1862, he was united in marriage to Miss Dorcas C. Shelton, of Miller County.

He was a charter member of the Miles Carroll Post Number 111 of the G.A.R. and has been commander of this post since 1885.

On May 16, 1928, he was elected Department Commander of the G.A.R. of the State of Missouri. He has attended all of the National G.A.R. encampments since the time of its organization, with the exception of one or two, when illness prevented. The trips to the national encampments have taken him as far east as Portland, Maine, and as far west as Portland, Oregon.

The article reads as follows:

"On the left is John Hollingsworth of Kansas City, elected commander of the Missouri G. A. R. in its convention in Joplin. In the center is Dr. R. B. Tyler of Joplin, youngest member of department, who is 82. He was in the navy during the Civil War and has been a practicing physician for fifty-six years. On the right is John Ferguson of Iberia, Mo. who will be 93 years old next Christmas. He claims the distinction of being the oldest Union veteran in the state. He was a member of the Missouri calvary."

Mrs. Ferguson died January 18, 1920. Fourteen children had been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson:

William T. Ferguson, born May 20, 1863, who died January 14, 1932; Elizabeth Ferguson, born June 2, 1866; Charles D. Ferguson, born October 24, 1867; Edmond S. Ferguson, born October 16, 1868; Frederick P. Ferguson, born October 24, 1869; George F. Ferguson, born October 23, 1871; John R. Ferguson, born October 7, 1873; Joseph Ferguson, born December 10, 1875, who died in infancy; James Ferguson, born December 25, 1876, who also died in infancy; Isabella Ferguson, born February 19, 1878; Laura Ferguson, born June 11, 1881; Harry H. Ferguson, born April 6, 1884; Frank Ferguson, born June 11, 1887; and Martha Ferguson, born June 27, 1889.

Although a man of 94 years, Mr. Ferguson’s gait is firm and his bearing that of a true soldier.

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SQUIRE JOHN FERGUSON - IBERIA'S GRAND OLD GENTLEMAN

By Peggy Smith Hake

(Printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', Dec. 16, 2004)

Squire John Ferguson (on the left) was one of most colorful figures in Iberia's past history. He lived to the advanced age of 101 years and was a noted and respected citizen of the Iberia community.

John Ferguson was born on Christmas Day in 1838 in the small village of Dumfries, Scotland. As a small boy, age eight, he started working as an apprentice to a local village shoemaker. He did not enjoy this type of work at all, so he quit and became an apprentice painter. He worked as a painter's apprentice for the next few years until he reached the age of 14 years learning this skillful trade.

When he was six years old, he began his schooling. These Scottish children were taught from the Bible and hardly anything else. At that time in history, the churches and the school of Scotland were under the control of the government.

When John was 14 years old, his father decided to bring his family to America. They left Dumfries in 1852, going overland to Liverpool, England, and departing Liverpool in September 1852. William Ferguson & his wife, Isabella Hunter Ferguson (on the right), their son John, and daughters Martha & Elizabeth began their long sea journey across the Atlantic.

Unfortunately, John's father did not live to see the shores of his new homeland in America. He died on board ship and was buried with the usual procedure at sea. He was sewn in a canvas bag with a large piece of lead at his feet, lowered over the side of the ship and after a brief funeral service, was lowered into his watery grave. Two other immigrants also died on the same ocean voyage before the ship harbored in New Orleans in October of 1852. The name of the ship in which the family made their journey across the Atlantic was "Colonel Cutts."

John Ferguson drifted into Miller County in September 1861, but first stopped in Maries County where he had relatives living. I believe they were some of his mother's Hunter kinfolks.

He moved westward to Miller County and began working on a farm about six miles west of Iberia.

In June 1862, John married Dorcas Canzada Shelton (on the left), daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Shelton, who had come to the Big Richwoods from McMinn County, Tennessee.

John & Dorcas were married by Rev. Abraham Castleman, who was captain of a Confederate troop during the war. Isabella Hunter Ferguson and her three children did not stay in New Orleans very long. They boarded a boat called "The Sovereign of Pittsburg" and went up the Mississippi River, arriving in St. Louis the latter part of October 1852. Isabella had a sister and brother-in-law, William Dunlap, living in St. Louis so they went to the home of the Dunlaps and lived with them for awhile. William Dunlap was Mississippi River boatman and he hired John to work for him on the river. He worked there for about nine years, until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

John Ferguson experienced some exciting times on the Mississippi and was a great story teller. Several incidents happened in his young life that would make a great plot for an adventure story. During the war he was a witness to most of the Camp Jackson skirmish which took place near St. Louis. He said one time in an interview that, "If had not been for the loyal German regiments, I believe St. Louis would have been captured by General Jackson and his Confederate forces."

Civil War Veterans - Squire John is 2nd from Left in front row

In order to get Rev. Castleman to come and marry them, John had to ride 15 or 20 miles to get him and then accompany him back home because Rev. Castleman was afraid of the "bushwackers" roaming the area who might be seeking him out.

John's mother, Isabella Hunter Ferguson, came to Miller County to live prior to 1880. She was living near the Madden community in southern Miller County during the census taken in 1880 and was listed as a "seamstress". A descendant of this family believes Isabella is buried at Madden Cemetery, although no tombstone marks her grave.

During the war, John joined Colonel McClurg's Osage Regiment at Linn Creek, Camden County, and later he enlisted in regular service in Company M 3rd Missouri Cavalry Volunteers where he served with the Union Army until the close of the war. It is interesting to note that his wife's relatives were from the South and her uncle, William Rankin Wright, was a lieutenant in the Confederate Army in Miller County. This was typical of many families that were torn apart during this terrible time in American history.

Squire John and Dorcas (Shelton) Ferguson were parents of 14 children, two of them dying in infancy. Those who survived to adulthood were: William, Charles, Fred, George, Edward, Jack, Harry, Frank, Laura, Belle, Elizabeth and Martha.

After his discharge in New Orleans in 1864, Squire John and his family made Miller County their permanent home. Over the next 74 years, John was a prominent man in the Iberia area. For many years he was post commander of Miles Carroll Post 111 of the Grand Army of the Republic in Iberia and was instrumental in keeping the Post in active service. He very seldom missed one of the encampments, both state & national, and over the years he filled most all stations in the highly honored organization... On May 16, 1928 he was elected Department Commander of the G.A.R. for the state of Missouri at its 47th annual encampment held in Springfield.

John was active in the religious, political and public affairs of Miller County and was justice of the peace at Iberia for more than 50 years. In 1939, Iberia lost one of her most remarkable and unforgettable citizens... Captain John Ferguson, also called "Squire". He had reached his 101st year. There are many folks today who remember him so vividly and are still reminiscence of those long-ago days when he could be seen on the streets of Iberia with his snow-white hair and long, white beard, much like a patriarch of old.

Squire John Ferguson standing with Alf Eads beside Eads airplane. The Squire was one of the first to take a ride in Mr. Eads plane.

John & Dorcas Ferguson standing in front of their home. Note: this house burned down after a lantern was tipped over.

There are many descendants of Squire John Ferguson who still live in central Missouri in the counties of Miller, Pulaski and Camden as well as those who have moved all over America.

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Footnote from Kelly:

Squire John Ferguson’s influence in Miller County wonderfully extended during his lifetime and recorded by historians such as Gerard Schultz (1902-1974), who was an early Miller County historian, and Peggy Smith Hake (1935-2013). Squire John was called upon for many public events of importance to be a master of ceremonies or at least to make a speech in his eloquent, enlightening way. For example, he was an instrumental key figure in the Miller County Centennial proceedings of 1937 and was present for the dedication of the 'new' steel bridge across the Osage River at Tuscumbia in 1933. As Gerard Schultz’s biography of John Ferguson was written before the Squire had passed away, Peggy Smith Hake not only had the honored privilege of extending his accomplishments but preserving them for future reference.

While these two biographies by Gerard Schultz and Peggy Smith Hake paint a colorful picture of the man known as Squire John Ferguson, his is a story unique with excitement, determination and purpose. He lived a wonderful long life and was respected by so many. I only wish I could have met him and shook his hand....