Philip H. McCartney

PHILIP H. McCARTNEY, an enterprising and successful agriculturist of Washington Township, was born in the town of Martinsburg, in Butler County, Pennsylvania, the date of his birth being April 11, 1838. When about twelve years of age he accompanied his parents, William and Elizabeth (Haines) McCartney, to Adams County, Ohio, where the family resided till the father died, his death being the result of a wound received at the battle of Shiloh while serving with the Seventieth Ohio Infantry. After the death of her husband the mother went to Peoria County, Illinois, where she still makes her home.  Philip H., our subject, passed most of his youth in Adams County, Ohio. In the fall of 1856 he went to Peoria County, Illinois, locating on a farm in 1857. He was married in 1858, to Sarah A. Patton, of Peoria County, a daughter of Joseph B. Patton, a resident of the same county.  He continued farming in Peoria County till August, 1862, when he enlisted in the service of his country, a member of Company C, Seventy-seventh Illinois Infantry. He served two years and four months, and during this time participated in the battles of Mission Ridge, Helena, siege of Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, the Red River Campaign, and was with Sherman on his grand march to the sea. He was mustered out of the service at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, in February, 1864.  He then returned to his farm in Peoria County, Illinois, where he remained till March 1876. He was bereaved by the death of his wife in 1874, who left three children – William P., Walter A. and Luella G. For his present wife he married Isabelle Nicholson, a native of England, but at the time of her marriage living in Peoria County. To this union have been born four children – Maud E., Winfield G. B., Harry J. and Zelda L. Mrs. McCartney is a daughter of Thomas Nicholson, a native of England.  Mr. McCartney came with his family to Clarke County, Iowa, in March, 1876, when he settled on his present farm on section 12, Washington Township, where he has eighty acres of choice land. He has met with success in his agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of 246 acres, most of which is well improved and under fine cultivation. Besides his home farm in Washington Township, he has 161 acres in Fremont Township, on section 7, and five acres of timber land. The first three years of his residence in Clarke County, besides running his farm, he was largely engaged in buying and shipping stock. Of late years he has turned his attention to the raising of stock, and is making a specialty of high-grade cattle and Poland-China hogs. In the year 1885 he raised 160 hogs. Mr. McCartney has served as a member of the School Board.

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 389-90