Francis Marion Eddleman

Francis Marion Eddleman was born, reared, and died around Milltown Indiana and never left Crawford County except for the three horrible years he spent serving in the 81st Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Civil War. It seems that experience and its affect on his health dominated the rest of his life. During the war he suffered Brain Fever (probably a high temperature fever), and came back lacking his sharp prewar mental faculties. He became a dirt poor farmer in Eddleman Bend of Blue River. I think the wife and kids did most of the work on the farm.

His proven lineage is Francis Marion Eddleman (Civil War private and farmer) <== James Eddleman (farmer of Milltown IN) <== John Eddleman (miller of Georgetown IN, KY, NC) <== Catherine Eddleman (Her husband may have been David of PA, MD, and NC). See page 800 for his most likely lineage to Alsace Germany.

Summary of His Surviving Childern and Their Kids

Isaac Cauncey

• dau Audrey
• son Frank
• son Fred
• son Floyd - low IQ - died before his father (I think)
• dau Dorothy

Francis Marion Eddleman, Jr.

• dau Rosie
• dau Sophie (called Esther) - never married
• dau Eschol
• dau Mary
• dau Bertha

James Thomas Eddleman

• son Shirley
• son Herschel
• dau Grace
• son Joe

Claude Eddleman - lived Milltown & Marengo except for going to Iowa twice

• dau Dorthy - only child by first wife who died caouple months later. Married Kedric Harvey and after his death remarried to "Rocky" Bland about 1980
• son Harold Lee Eddleman
• dau Margaret Ann (Eddleman) Ewbank
• son John Edward Eddleman - got the family farm
• son Robert Leroy Eddleman - head of Soil Conservation Service in Indiana
• dau Betty Catherine (Eddleman) - Forklift operator in Electric Cable Factory

Growing up on a Farm NW of Milltown

His father James inherited the Saw and Grist mills, but soon sold them to Cook and Jim move to a farm about 1 mile NW of Milltown. That was a decent farm of moderate slopes.

The Civil War Years ( - )

A Card at the Indiana State Library states:
Francis Marion Eddleman
Private, Company A, 81st Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, served 3 years
Enrolled: 1862 Aug 12, Milltown, Indiana, by Captain Stout who was commander of Company A. Captain Stout was later Major Stout
Regiment was mustered 1862 Aug 29 at New Albany Indiana, Eddleman was mustered in by Lt. Morris. Eddleman served until a few days before the regiment was musterd out after a hero welcome in Indianapolis. Eddleman was mustered out 1865 June 13 at Camp Hrker in Tennessee. The History of the regiment is told in Report to the Adjutant General, State of Indiana, Volume III (1866) pages 37 to 44.
Eddleman was 20 years old. Eyes: black, Hair: black, height: 5 ft - 7 in, complexion, dark, farmer, born in Floyd County, Indiana.

Esther Eddleman (called Sophie) said, "If you asked him about the [Civil] War, it would make him shaky."

Farming in Eddleman Bend of Big Blue River

I will try to tell what I can about this later.

The following is from the Bible of James Eddleman in the hands of Minnie Eddleman (~1978)

Remarks on the above Table

• Claude said he was 6 when Cora; he remembered them holding him up so he could see and he remembered her Adam's apple (throat) moving some.
• THERE ARE STILL MANY PROBLEMS IN ABOVE TABLE. These are mainly of the MCT = Milltown Cemetery Tomestones giving a different date than Bible of James Eddleman.

The Census of 1880 gives the following informations:

Comments on the Above Census Report

• Notice the error in second line. It says father of Francis Marion was born in NC, but IN is correct as shown line 8 where James, father of Francis, says James was born in Indiana.

Retirement in Milltown

Photographs:

Dorothy Eddleman Harvey Bland, first child of Caude Eddleman has these pictures:

• Cora Eddleman - looks nice, about age 14
• Cora and Etta Eddleman - girls about 8 or 10
• Kitty Wells Eddleman - wife of Chauncey
• Oliver Eddleman, brother of Claude Eddleman - boy with dog, one of the best pictures.
• Emma Eddleman Haines
• severa pictures of Shelby

Minne Eddleman had these pictures:

• Some one in the door of the log cabin down by Blue River. Flat sawed logs about 20 inches wide.
• separate pictures of Fracis Marion and Adam in Civil War uniforms taken at a studio in Tennessee

Claude Eddleman had these pictures:

• His mother Lavina - washing clothles on a scrub board at the farm on Eddleman Bend

Milltown Cemetery - owned by the town

The following markers were present. About 1995 vandals broke some of these.

John Eddleman - This is batchelor brother of James Eddleman below.
    Born Feb 12, 1803
    Died July 28 1876 age 73

James Eddleman - This is son of John Eddleman; grandson of CatherineKY1778
    Born May 26, 1813
    Died Nov 30, 1881
Mary Eddleman, his wife

Oliver Eddleman
    born June I, 1878
    Died June 15, 1878
son of FM and L J Eddleman, Died age 14 days

Cora Eddleman 1884-1892

James T. Eddleman 1879 - 1903

Francis Eddleman 1841-1903 - Husband of Lavina J. Ferguson listed next

Lavina J Eddleman 1850-1926 - wife of Francis Marion Eddleman; maiden name Ferguson

Marry E. Eddleman, infant, died Aug 3, 1876

Adam W. son of F.M. and L.J.
    born Jul 5, 1868
    died Feb 15, 1874