Gen. Nelson Eggleston
Gen. Nelson Eggleston, farmer, was born October 3, 1811 , in Aurora Township, Portage Co., Ohio; son of Moses and Sally (Taylor) Eggleston. His father was born in Middlefield, Mass., in 1784. He came to this township with his brother Joseph in the spring of 1806; after arriving, and looking up the land for which their father's farm in Massachusetts was exchanged, they commenced clearing away the trees, and making preparations for the arrival of the rest of the family the coming year. Among other labors, the ensuing spring, they made maple sugar, fashioning the spouts and buckets, for gathering sap, from basswood, with only their axes, knives and a sap gouge for tools. During the succeeding summer Joseph revisited Massachusetts, and returned with the Eggleston, Taylor, and Root families, in all, thirty-two in number. They came through Pennsylvania and by way of Pittsburgh. In 1810 Moses had made quite an opening on his land and erected a cabin; having provided it according to the fashion of those times, he proposed to Miss Sally Taylor to come and join with him in the labors and struggles of a border life. This place was one mile and a quarter northwest of the center of Aurora, on the old Cleveland and Newburg road. In the war of 1812 Moses enlisted in the service, and was sent to Huron with his company immediately after the surrender of Hull. His wife stayed at the cabin, not knowing what hour the British and Indians might defeat her defenders, and repeat again the scenes of the River Raisin. In 1824 he moved to the Center, where he remained until his death, August 6, 1866. He was formerly of the Federal, then of the Whig and Republican party, by which he was honored with repeated elections to the offices of Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner. He was an influential member of the Presbyterian Church, and his career that of a man of industry, economy and integrity. The mother of our subject was born in Massachusetts, in 1792, and died in April, 1838. She had three children, two of whom survive her—Nelson and Wealtha. The latter is now living in Tuscola, Ill., the widow of Simeon D. Kelley, by whom she had seven children, three boys and four girls; the sons, Moses, Hiram, and Randolph, served through the late war of the Rebellion. Moses, settled at El Presidio, Texas, where he in a short time accumulated a handsome property, and became a prominent citizen, but was murdered about 1880. His two brothers still reside there. Oar subject passed his early life on his father's farm, received a common school education, and spent some time at Hudson College, whence he graduated in 1831. He taught school in Calloway County, Ky., nearly a year, returned, and commenced to read law with Mathews & Hitchcock, of Painsville, Ohio; subsequently he studied with Humphrey & Hale, of Hudson, and September 9, 1834, was admitted to the bar upon motion before the Supreme Court sitting at Ravenna. He was married, January 29, 1835, to Miss Caroline Lacy, daughter of Isaac J. Lacy. By this union there are two children, Emmett and Addis. Mr. Eggleston engaged earnestly in the practice of his profession for a time, but submitting to the demands made upon him by his father for help in the working of land, and receiving no pecuniary aid from him in the purchase of books, or in the erection of an office, for which things he was unwilling to run in debt, he flung up the law, and has devoted himself since to farming. In 1834-35 he was Adjutant of the cavalry regiment in the Twentieth Brigade, Ohio Militia, under Col. O. L. Drake, of Freedom; afterward was promoted to the Colonelcy, which office he held two or three years until his resignation. Still later he was elected to the command of the brigade with the rank of General. Mr. Eggleston has a wide acquaintance with the early settlers of northeastern Ohio, and has been connected In various ways with its progress. He called the first meeting at his own house that was ever held to consider the subject of a railroad from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. The report of this meeting made by him and published, resulted immediately in a large convention at the center of Aurora, from all the towns on the route. He has earned a handsome competence, owning 500 acres of improved land in Ohio, and 1,200 in Missouri. He takes a lively interest in literature and polititcs, but does not permit them to interfere with his daily labor and the management of his farms. He is a disciple of Thomas Jefferson, and acknowledges no other master.
From History of Portage County, Ohio, Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885