Samuel Devoss
Among the skillful mechanics of this county, we take pleasure in mentioning Samuel Devoss, who carries on his business of carriage making and general repair shop, in New Martinsburg, in the shop formerly occupied by Jesse W. Barrett. He was born in Adams County, this state, September 5, 1840. The Devoss family came from Kentucky and settled first in Ross County, 1815. Jonas Pettit, the maternal grandfather of our subject, died in southern Ohio before the year 1840.
The parents of our subject, David and Rachel (Pettit) Devoss, had eight children: Arrietta, Samuel, John, William, James, George, Frank and Mary. The oldest daughter, Arrietta, is a graduate of Granville Female Seminary, and lives in Missouri, near Fulton; John works at the blacksmith business, in Scioto County; William resides in Fulton, Missouri; James works at wagon making, in Scioto County, and George works at blacksmithing in the same county ; John served in the late war, on the side of the Union.
Our subject learned his trade at Portsmouth, with C. Moffitt, and in 1858 began business for himself, at Rockville, Adams County, this state.
In June, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, 22d regiment O. V. I. After his discharge, and a brief taste of civil life, he again enlisted, this time in Company F, 81st O. V. I., in which he served till 1864, serving three years; afterwards he re-enlisted in the same regiment as a recruit, serving in Company D. His total term of service was but sixteen days less than four years, and during the whole time he never spent a day in the hospital on account of sickness. His regiment participated at Pittsburg Landing, luka, Corinth, Kenesaw Mountains, and many other hard fought battles of the war.
Our subject married Margaret Ellen Ellis, in June, 1871; to this union, one child, Setta Jane, was born, and died at seventeen months of age. Mrs. Devoss died, October 4, 1873, aged twenty-two years. For his second wife, he married Nancy Terrell, daughter of Thomas Terrell, of Perry Township. The fruits of this union have been born: Flora, Bertha and David Garfield.
Mr. Devoss began business in New Martinsburg, in 1870, and his workmanship and attention to business, give him a steady trade year after year.
George Colven, the great-grandfather of our subject, died in 1864, at the age of ninety-eight years. He was a pioneer mail carrier on the frontier in his youth, and transported the United States mail in a canoe on the Ohio River. He was attacked on one occasion by Indians, and, though wounded seven times, he made his escape by strategy.
Mr. Devoss is a Republican of the ardent order and an honest man, deserving of success in his business.
From R. S. Dills' History of Fayette County