April 5, 1929
Ten Old Vets Hear Sermon
Dr. J. C. Orr Of Emory, Is Orator Of Day.
According to announcement Dr. J. C. Orr of Emory, assisted by Rev. G. A. Maiden, of Abingdon, Rev. P. P. Tabor, of Lebanon, and Rev. J. Jacqulin Ambler, of the Episcopal church, of Dante, delivered a very find sermon in Lebanon Sunday to 10 of the seventeen surviving Confederate veterans of the county. Ten of the old boys having answered the call since the annual sermon one year ago also ten widows of Confederate veterans have passed away since that time.
Following are the ones who journeyed to Lebanon Sunday to hear the powerful and inspiring sermon delivered in their honor. The list is headed by George Williams who is several years the senior of his comrades in attendance, having reached the age of ninety years; and these 90 years have rested heavily upon this brave old boy of the sixties, being almost helpless and by the aid of some one and his crutches he is barely able to walk, tho his weak, frail old voice scarcely audible to the audience, reached the throne of God in a most eloquent prayer as did also the touching prayer in the weak quavering voice of Henry Mabe.
George Williams, Chaplain, McElhaney Camp.
N. S. Dickenson, Adjutant.
Henry Mabe, Assistant Chaplain.
J. W. Bausell, Commander
B. F. Francisco
Lowry Cox
John C. Dickenson
Henry Dickenson
J. D. Alexander
B. F. Francisco was perhaps the next oldest veteran, he being also in his ninetieth year and adding the ages of he and Mr. Williams makes a total of 180 years.
The old boys were entertained at dinner at the Lebanon Tea Room.
The day was fine and a large audience assembled to hear a most eloquent sermon and the splendid music by the choir.
The audience was also treated to a beautiful solo rendered by Miss Betty Davidson, of Gate City.
A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 990-991
Sylvanus Mabe, of Clay Township, Hendricks County, Ind., one of the old soldiers of the Civil War, a substantial citizen and head of a respected family, was born in Brown County, Ind., May 31, 1844, a son of James M. and Annie (Knoblett) Mabe. James M. Mabe was of Irish descent, was born in North Carolina and married in Brown County, Ind., where he had come when but ten years of age with his father, Hiram, settling there about 1839. To James M. Mabe and wife were born eight children: Sylvanua, Hiram, Vandever Ray, Williamson, Mary J., Maggie, William and David. Cyrus, Levi and James are dead, and two died in infancy. Mr. Mabe, who was a farmer in Brown County, enlisted in the fall of 1862, in Company H, Eighty-second Indiana Infantry, and was promoted to sergeant. He was in many battles, among them Chickamauga. He served three years and was attacked by rheumatism. He had two sons in the war also; Vandever R., who was in the Forty-third Indiana Infantry as a private and served one year, and Sylvanus, for whose record see below. Mr. Mabe lived in Brown County until four years since, when, in 1890, he moved to Hendricks County, Clay Township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mabe are members of the Christian Church. Politically he is a Democrat, and he is a member of the G.A.R. He is an honorable, straightforward man, who did his full share toward putting down the rebellion, and gave two sons to his country's need.
ylvanus Mabe, our subject received only the pioneer education in the log school-house of Brown County, and was reared a farmer. He enlisted at the early age of eighteen years in Company B, then exchanged to Company C., Sixth Indiana Infantry, in Brown County, August 30, 1861, and served until honorably discharged, September 22, 1864, at Indianapolis, by reason of expiration of term of service. He was at the battle of Shiloh, and siege of Corinth, and from this battlefield marched to Louisville, Ky., and on the way was in several skirmishes with Bragg. He was on the reserve with Buell at Perryville and his regiment assisted to bury the dead in shallow trenches in great haste. He was next in a skirmish at Crab Orchard and Hoover's Gap. His next severe battle was Chickamauga, then at Chattanooga, Brown's Ferry and Missionary Ridge, and here Mr. Mabe was shot by a piece of shell in the knee and severely wounded, and was in the hospital until July. He then rejoined his regiment and was on the Atlanta campaign, and was at the battle of Atlanta, where Gen. McPherson was killed. Here his term of service expired and he was sent with his regiment to Indianapolis and mustered out. Mr. Mabe was an active and efficient soldier, and except when in hospital with his wounds was in all the battles, skirmishes and marches of his regiment and always prompt to do his duty.
After the war, Mr. Mabe returned to Brown County and resumed farming. He married Harriet C., daughter of Eli and Memory A. Bartholomew. Mr. Bartholomew was the father of eight children: Ira, Cyrus, John, Augustus, Parmelia, Harriet C., Polly and one that died in infancy. He died in Hendricks County at the house of our subject, aged over eighty years, and a member of the Methodist Church. After marriage Mr. Mabe remained in Brown County until 1873, when he moved to Dawson County, Neb., and took up a homestead and remained there two and one-half years and then returned to Indiana and settled, in the fall of 1876, in Clay Township, Hendricks County, and bought his present farm in the spring of 1886; this farm consisted of 160 acres, upon which Mr. Mabe has erected tasteful and substantial buildings. To Mr. and Mrs. Mabe have been born two sons, Lorenzo F. and Eli B., farmers on the home farm. Mr. Mabe is a member of the Reuben Masten post, G.A.R., and has held the office of sergeant. Politically he is independent. Mr. Mabe has always been a hard-working and is a self-made man, who has accumulated his property by his own unaided efforts. He was greatly disabled by his services in the war and his days have been considerably shortened.
