Wildermuth Family - Tradition and Family History - David Clinton Wildermuth - page 3

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and his father married and English woman who had one daughter Lo isa. This the total of the family
   His home life not being very happy, father commenced to wander when quite young. He spent one winter in shipyard at New Orleans, and one year as overseer on a sugar plantion in Louisiana. There he made friends with the negro slaves by being kind to them and setting their tasks to do and praising them for their good conduct rather than driving them with a whip.
   When the Ohio Canal was built he worked

during construction as a foreman. He joined the Army and was a Major under Colonel McCracken in the Ohio State troops. He spent one winter on the Illinois river at what is not Beardstown. This was then far in the wilderness and the party he joined had gone there to kill wild hogs and salt them down, and then boat them down the river in the spring in flat boats. He worked at coopering.
   At this time he made the acquaintance of an old trapper and Indian guide who tried to persuade him to go with him in the far wilds as an Indian Interpreter but he felt moved to go home one more. But the thoughts of the wilds still haunted him so later he with two companions started for a journey through the wilds, the objective being St. Louis Missouri.
   While on this trip they passed a night where now stands the city of Springsfield Illinois. It was nearing evening and they were looking for a camping place.
[continued on page 4.]

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