MILITARY: Colonel in the 45th Kentucky Militia.
RESIDENCES: Came to Kentucky from Virginia about 1800.
ORGANIZATIONS: Democrat
MILITARY: Colonel in the 45th Kentucky Militia.
RESIDENCES: Came to Kentucky from Virginia about 1800.
ORGANIZATIONS: Democrat
MILITARY: Colonel in the 45th Kentucky Militia.
RESIDENCES: Came to Kentucky from Virginia about 1800.
ORGANIZATIONS: Democrat
Hobbs was a married name. Her previous husband was Dr. Alvin Hobbs.
Biography of Capt. Joseph O. Pedigo
CAPT. JOSEPH O. PEDIGO, the popular mayor of Lebanon, springs from French lineage--the name being originally spelt Pergory, by the older members of the family. The founder of the family came to America at a period long antedating the war of the Revolution. Edward Pedigo, a Virginia soldier in the Revolutionary war, was the great-grandfather of Capt. Joseph O., and his holster and pistols have been handed down to the present generation, showing he was an officer and rode a horse. He moved with his family to Kentucky and settled in the wilds of what afterward became Barren county, near the head of Beaver creek, about 1790. He cleared a farm and became a substantial farmer and slave owner, and died on his homestead, aged 104 years, a member of the Baptist church. Joseph Pedigo, Sen., son of the above and grandfather of the captain, was born in Patrick county, Va., and was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was a man of family, when he went to Kentucky with his father and other Virginians, and was the father of the following children: William, Nancy, Polly, John, Joseph, Henry, and Edward. Joseph Pedigo, Sen., cleared up a farm, on which he lived until he died of fever, aged sixty six years, a member of the Baptist church and a substantial farmer and slave owner.
Maj. John Pedigo, son of above, and father of our subject, was born in Patrick county, Va., and was about seven years of age when taken to Kentucky. He received a common school education and was reared a farmer. He was a great reader, and became an intelligent man, and was a colonel in the Kentucky state militia. He married Elizabeth Oldham, and to them were born five children, who lived to mature years: Edward, Charles, William F., Elizabeth and Mary. Mrs. Pedigo died, and he married Jane Polson, and to them were born two children, who also lived to maturity: Harriet and Willis. This wife also died and he married Jane P. Hobbs, daughter of John and Sarah Obanion, and widow of Dr. Hobbs; the Obanions were of Irish descent, and all old Kentucky families. By this wife nine children were born: Joseph, Robert, Sarah, Alford, Sanford, Elbert, Madison T., Josephine (died at eight years)) and John W. Col. John Pedigo was the father of eighteen children; one died an infant, one at eight years, and all others lived to be men and women, and all are living now, except Elizabeth and Sanford. Col. John Pedigo lived to the age of seventysix years and died in Kentucky in 1859. In politics he was an old-line whig, and afterward a republican and a strong Union man. He had four sons in the Civil war: Joseph O., in companiy G, Seventy-ninth Indiana vollunteer infantry; James A., in company G, Seventy-ninth, Indiana volunteer infantry; Sanford P., company A, Seventieth Indiana voluntter infantry, and Egbert T., company H, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Indiana voluneer infantry.
Col. John Pedigo was a slave owner, his slaves having been left to him, but was an anti-slavery man in politics. He was a member, first of the Baptist and then of the Christian church. He had a high character and was respected by all. About the year 1842, Col. John Pedigo's slave Aaron married a slave woman of a neighbor's family, by whom he had five children. The owner, a Mr. Hamilton, sold his farm and was proposing to move to Missouri. Aaron wanted Col. John Pedigo to buy his wife and children, but he was opposed to the buyhing of slaves, and although Aaron was valued at $2,000, gave him his freedom papers and Aaron rode away to Missouri on his own horse.
Capt. Jos. Pedigo was born December 26, 1835, on his father's farm in Barren county, Ky. He learned to work on the farm, attended college at Danville, Ind., received a good education and became a school-teacher, and for two years folllowed this profession in Boone and Hendricks counties, Inc. He married, April 5, 1860, Mary E., daughter of Zenos and Agnes (Bridges) Darnall, an old settler of Indiana from Kentucky. To Capt. and Mrs. Pedigo was born one child, Cora O., wife of Frank P. Byrum, druggist of Leganon. At the beginning of the war, Capt. Pedigo was a farmer. On August 13, 1862, he enlisted at Indianapolis, in company G, Seventy-ninth Indiana volunteer infantry, and was made a sergeant on the organization of the company. He served in this capacity until the spring of 1864. In 1862 he was in the following battles: Stone River, Chickamaugua, Missionary Ridge and many numerous skirmishes on the route to and at Knozville. He was in the battle of White House Landing in June, 1864, and guarded a wagon train across the Chickahominy river, where a severe running fight was had. He was also in the battle of Perryville, and was later in the pursuit of Gen. Bragg. April 1, 1864, he went before the military examining board at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was commissioned as captain by the war department and assigned to the Twenty-eighth regiment, United States colored troops, as captain. July 30, 1864, he was in the siege of Petersburg, and was in the assaulting party when the explosion of the mine occurred. He remained in this command until the general march of Grant's army in March, 1865, on to Richmond. His regiment was the first infantry regiment to enter Richmond on April 3, and was reviewed by Abraham Lincoln on the next day. In June the command was sent to Indianola, Texas; from there they went to Corpus Christi to watch the Emperor Maximillian. capt. Pedigo was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, January 7, 1866, and returned to Leganon and has since been engaged in the practice of law and the real estate business, having read law after the war. In 1892 he was elected mayor of Leganon, an office which he still holds.
Fraternally, he is a member of Ben Adhem lodge, No. 472, I.O.O.F., of Lebanon, and has filled all the offices; also is a member of the Red Men, Winnebago tribe, No. 36, and has filled all the offices of the lodge; also a member of Magnolia encampment, I.O.O.F., No. 45, and has here also filled all the offices. He is a member of the G.A.R. Rich Mountain post, No. 42, and has held all the chairs, and a member of the Loyal legion; he is also a member of the Rebecca degree, I.O.O.F., No. 2, as is also his wife. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo are members of the Christian church, and in politics Mr. Pedigo is a republican. No family in the country stands higher in the esteem of their neighbors.
Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 1886 Metcalfe County
GEORGE E. PEDIGO was born November 3, 1818, in Metcalfe County (then Barren), where he has since resided, except for short periods spent in Monroe and Hart Counties. He now lives within six miles of his birthplace, and with the exceptions named - aggregating about twenty months has always lived in the vicinity of it. Ms father, John Pedigo, was born February 4, 1796, in Patrick County, Va. He (die father) was thrice married; first, in 1817, to Sally B., daughter of Tarpley Oldham. From this union sprang six children: George E., Charles T., Eliza J. (deceased), William F., Elizabeth (Bowles), and Mary C. Our subject can remember very distinctly carrying his great-grandfather in his arms when he had become helpless. By industry he has become the owner of 330 acres of productive land. He is a member of the Church of Christ, and in politics a Republican. He had very poor opportunities for obtaining an education in early life, his mother having died when he was a small boy. Living with his grandfather, he went to school three miles to an old log house, with dirt floor, and rude seats made of round logs split open, and the split side turned up, with rude pins for feet; on these seats the scholars would sit and hum their lessons from early mom till late in the evening. At these schools he obtained his education, such as reading, writing and arithmetic. There was not a grammar nor geography in any school he ever attended; yet with pleasant memory he recalls those olden times, when he would rise early in the morning and start to the old schoolhouse in the bottom, the pathway leading through the woods covered with the seared leaves of autumn. 0, that drum and fife we used to hear coming to the old schoolhouse for us to march after that day! William Anderson was the teacher.
Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Penin, & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 1886. Monroe County.
WILLIAM F. PEDIGO, one of the enterprising citizens of Monroe County, was born May 15, 1823, in Barren (now Metcalfe) County. He is a son of Col. John Pedigo, a Virginian, who came to Kentucky with his parents some time about the year 1800, and married, in 1819, Sarah Bishop Oldham, daughter of Tarpley Oldham, of Barren County. She died in 1828, leaving two daughters - Elizabeth and Mary C. - and three sons - George E., Charles T. and William F. Col. John Pedigo was a successful farmer; he was a colonel of the Forty-fifth Kentucky militia. Ms second wife was Nancy Polston, with whom he lived about three years. She left one daughter - Harriet J. - and one son - Willis H. C. his third marriage was with the widow of Dr. Alvin Hobbs, of Cumberland County. To this marriage were born seven children: Joseph, Robert, Sanford, Alfred M. T., Elbert, James and Sarah. Col. John Pedigo died in May, 1869. He was a son of Joseph and Dollie (Edwards) Pedigo, of Virginia, who settled in Barren County about the year 1800. He was an influential man, and a Jackson Democrat. His father, Edward Pedigo, was of French descent; came to America at an early day; his wife was Hannah Elkins; his age at his death, in 1834, was one hundred and four years. William F. Pedigo was reared on a farm. He obtained but little education in schools, but he has obtained a good education through his own exertions, and is possessed of excellent business abilities. January 2, 1845, he married a second cousin, Mary J. Pedigo, with whom he lived happily for four years, when she was called "beyond the silent gate," leaving to his care one son, James R. His second marriage took place, February 12, 1852, with Caroline S. Monroe, who is still living. She is a daughter of John P. and Louise (Alexander) Monroe, of Cumberland County. They have no children of their own, but their adopted daughter, Ella, is an accomplished young lady of sixteen, whose refined tastes and charming manners endear her to all who know her; she has lately returned from Burritt College, at Spencer, Term. Mr. Pedigo commenced business in merchandise, at Glasgow KY., in 1850; removed to Tompkinsville in 1854 and resumed the same business. He was one of the firm of Ray, Ladd & Pedigo, in the milling business, which was destroyed by fire in 1862. Since then he has been engaged in merchandise for some years at Butler's Landing and at Tompkinsville. He has been successful, secured a competence and retired from business. He lives easy and free from cares in his beautiful cottage, situated in the suburbs of Tompkinsville and surrounded by all conveniences. He and wife are members of the Christian Church; he is a member of the 1. 0. 0. F., in good standing. Politically he is a Republican, but a Prohibitionist in sentiment, and takes a strong position in favor of temperance.
No children by this marriage. They did have an adopted daughter,
Ella.