Thomas Jefferson Dague, Rev., A.M., D.D.
The subject of this sketch, like most genuine Americans, is of mixed origin, being on the paternal side of Dutch and English and on the maternal, Scotch and Irish ancestry. From the best information attainable, early in the eighteenth century one Frederick Deg left Holland with his wife and one child for America. The child, it is said, died during the voyage and was buried at sea,and in the meantime another was born, to whom was given the name Matthias, and to him all the Dague families in this country trace their origin. They came from the sturdy peasant stock, and religiously belonged to that branch of the Protestant faith known as German Baptist Brethren, or "Tunkers." As the family became Americanized, the orthography of the name was gradually changed to conform to the Dutch pronunciation, first to Dage, for one or two generations and later, within the memory of those now living, to its present form.
Michael, Gabriel and Michael D., the great-grandfather and father of the subject of this sketch, were all natives of Washington county, Pennsylvania, where the family first settled in this country. Whether the first Michael ever came to Ohio or not is uncertain, but the tomb of his wife is to be seen in the old burying-ground in Milton township, this county. Gabriel Dage, with his wife and two or three of the older of his ten children, removed to Ohio in the early part of the nineteenth century and settled in Milton township, Wayne county. His wife,to whom he was married about 1815, was Rachael Howe, said to have been a near relative to Sir William Howe, the old Tory general of the Revolution. At any rate, she is recalled by persons still living as a lady of greatly refined manners, with distinct aristocratic proclivities, and a strong, old-fashioned, blue-stocking Presbyterian. Her husband was a man of much ability and great force of character and was prominent in the affairs of the pioneer community. He was a farmer by occupation, a director in one of the first banks established in this region, that at Massillon, and a pioneer teacher in the Wayne county public schools. A few old men still living delight to tell that at his feet they were taught the A B C's of learning. The old brick house erected by him on his farm in Milton township seventy-seven years ago is still occupied as a dwelling and bears his name and the date of its erection on a stone slab in the gable. He died near Wadsworth, Ohio, at the advanced age of more than eighty years. His wife followed him a few years later, having attained about the same age. In politics he was at first a Whig, afterwards a strong Jeffersonian Democrat.
His second son, Michael C. Dague father of the subject of this sketch, came as a lad with his parents to Ohio and grew up with pioneers on the Milton farm. The greater portion of his life was that of a quiet farmer. Though a man of intelligence, excellent judgment and great energy of character, he never sought or accepted any office of public trust or emolument. By industry and frugality, he amassed considerable property, being the owner at his death of about two hundred and fifty acres of land, besides considerable town property. His later years were given to mercantile pursuits until advancing age demanded his retirement. For about forty years he held the office of a ruling elder in the Doylestown Presbyterian church. He died at his home in Doylestown, Ohio, in June, 1903, at the age of eight-five years Of the ten children of the generation to which he belonged, one, his oldest brother, Archibald Dague, still lives at Western Star, Ohio, hale and hearty, at the age of ninety-four years.
The maternal ancestors of Doctor Dague, Thomas McElhenie and Margaret (Eaken) McElhenie, his wife, were of Scotch and Irish descent, Thomas furnishing the Scotch and Margaret the Irish element. They came to Wayne county, Ohio, from Center county, Pennsylvania, about the same time with the Dague family, and settled in the adjoining township of Chippewa. Mr. McElhenie was a man of sterling character and of more than ordinary influence in the community. For some years he followed farming, and also kept a tavern at the cross-roads near where the village of Easton now stands. Later he opened a store in Easton which he conducted successfully for many years, until forced into retirement by advancing age. He was for many years a justice of the peace, both in Pennsylvania, and also after his removal to Ohio, dispensing law and justice with rigorous impartiality. he was a great lover of books, and his library of two dozen or more choice volumes was the wonder and admiration of the pioneers, whose stock of reading matter in many cases was confined to a Bible, a hymn book and an almanac.
The second daughter, Elisabeth King became through her marriage to Michael D. Dague, May 12. 1840, the mother of the subject of this sketch, he being their second son. She was a native of Pennsylvania and about two years the junior of her husband. She was a woman of excellent sense and spirit of refined manners and managed well the affairs of her household. The fruit of this union was five sons and one daughter, all of whom grew to maturity and became settled in life. The parents lived to celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary May 12, 1890, at which an unbroken family circle was present, and a large number of grandchildren and invited guests also participated. Mrs. Dague died in June, 1898, at the age of seventy-nine. Her husband followed her five years later, in June 1893, aged about eighty-five years.
Rev. Dr. Dague was born on what is now known as the Samuel Collier farm near Doylestown, Ohio, December 1, 1843. His primary education was begun in "the little red school house" near Wadsworth, Ohio, whither his parents removed about two years after his birth. Later his father purchased a farm in Summit county, near Western Star, where he had the advantages of the old Western Star Academy for a few terms during the winter months. Here he laid the foundation for his future career in the acquisition of that love of books and the passion for a literary life that has ever since been the leading feature of his character. Though it was necessary that a large part of the year should be spent in the severe drudgery of farm work, being a diligent and faithful student, he made the most of his meager opportunities. He was a constant reader of the best books at his command, and in the winter of 1861-2 began teaching in the public schools.
Then came the Civil war. Inspired by the spirit of patriotism that was then prevalent, he enlisted as a private soldier in Company G, One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and went with the regiment to its rendezvous at Camp Mansfield. Here he was stricken with typhoid fever, complicated with pneumonia, and was sent home on sick furlough, where for twelve long weeks he lay hovering between life and death. The convalescence was slow, but after eight months of weary waiting he finally rejoined the regiment, then lying at Big Black River Bridge, on July 3, 1863, the day preceding the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and was immediately assigned to duty and served until finally mustered out at the expiration of his term of service, October 16, 1865. During this time of service he participated in several engagements, the most important being the siege of Jackson, Mississippi, July 10-17, 1863, where the regiment was almost constantly under fire; the "City Belle" disaster, near Snaggy Point on the Red river, where he was one of the few to escape by scaling the river bank under the murderous fire of the enemy; and the siege and capture of Fort Blakely, the last great battle of the war. In this engagement he was one of the first, if not the first of the regiment, to scale the parapet,where he also captured a Confederate flag and carried it with him inside the fort, but which was almost immediately wrested from him by an officer wearing the insignia of a captain, who afterward claimed and reported the capture as made by himself.
Greatly disliking the lazy, lounging monotony of camp life, he was often at such times, at his own request, detailed for special duty. In this way he served upon several occasions as assistant in the commissary department, as helper in the United States Christian Commission, as clerk at headquarters, etc. After the surrender, he was detailed as a clerk, first at brigade headquarters, and was afterward transferred to post headquarters at Houston, Texas, where he became chief clerk and private secretary to the commanding officer, so that practically all the business of the office passed through his hands, though at that time less than twenty-two years of age. This position he retained until finally mustered out of the service. After a year spent in the South, teaching and some attempts at business, failing health obliged him to return to Ohio. Here he resumed his occupation of teaching, first, in the public schools, and later as principal of the Doylestown Academy, an institution which, like so many of its kind, has since passed into oblivion. This was a stepping-stone to the realization of his continued ambition for an education and a literary life, for during all these years this longing ever grew stronger and deeper, and during all the marches, encampments, discomforts, dangers and excitements of a soldier's life there was always found a place in his knapsack for one or more of his favorite books, to be perused often by the light of the camp fire, while most of his comrades were "swapping yarns" or engaged at cards. In the autumn of 1868, having closed his relations with the Doylestown Academy, he entered Miami University, where, after five years of faithful and diligent work, he was graduated as a Bachelor and Master of Arts, having in addition to the regular classical course pursued post-graduate studies in ancient and modern languages, philosophy, English literature, higher mathematics and civil engineering, making thus a most extraordinary record for scholarship. During this time he was also engaged in much benevolent and missionary work, carried on by the college Young Men's Christian Association, of which he was most zealous and active member. As a matter of partial support, he found employment for hours not devoted to study and recitations in the office of the Oxford Citizen, thus incidentally learning the practical work of the printer's trade. He was also one of the editors of the Miami Student.
After an engagement for more than four years, and from a mutual desire that she would be present to witness his triumph at graduation, during the winter vacation preceding that event, December 26, 1872, he was married to a lovely and highly accomplished young lady, Josphine M. Reid, daughter of the late Andrew Reid, of noble Scotch ancestry and a wealthy planter of Rockbridge county, Virginia. His wife also, Sarah (Kelsoe) Reid, was of equally prominent Scotch origin, being a lineal descendant of the stern but pious old non-conformist Rev. James Rutherford, known in history as the pastor of the parish of Anqorth, so that in both families is represented the best blood of Scotland. This marriage has been exceedingly fortunate and happy. Like Jane Carlyle, Mr.s Dague has been in every sense a true, loyal and faithful help-meet for her husband as a teacher, a minister of the gospel and a man of letters. She is also an artist of no mean ability, her work in that line being much admired and praised.
Immediately upon graduation, Doctor Dague was elected principal of the old Salem Academy, at South Salem, Ohio, where he remained three and one-half years, during which time the institution was greatly prospered. Having resigned this charge, he at once projected a private institution known as Dague's Collegiate Institute, which was opened in Chillicothe, Ohio, in January, 1877, with about thirty students. For three years the institution grew and prospered until the accommodations were no longer adequate, when the institute was removed to Wadsworth, Ohio, the grounds and buildings of the Wadsworth College having been purchased for its use. Here it was continued for four more years, when grounds, buildings and good will were sold to a stock company, and its principal turned his attention to the work of the gospel ministry, his original purpose in seeking an education.
With this end in view, he had been licensed as a probationer by the Cleveland presbytery in thespring of 1881, and in September of the same year was, by the same presbytery, duly ordained to the sacred office. His first regular work in this line was as minister at Lafayette church at Lake Chippewa for two years, while still discharging his duties as principal. In 1883 he accepted an unanimous call from the united congregations of Caldwell and Sharon, Ohio, where he held a very prosperous pastorate for five and one-half years. Other charges following were Delphos and Middlepoint, two years, during which time he gathered and organized churches at Scott, Rushmere and Venedocia; Paulding, Ohio two years; Milton Center, Ohio, five years including outlying work at Deshler, Cecil, Haskins, Rudolph, and other points, strengthening weak churches or gathering and organizing new ones. In 1896, over work and failing health obliged him to take a rest. A trip to the South and to the Atlantic coast was taken, during which time he preached constantly in the Southern churches of Williamsburg and North River, and two years of irregular work in vacant churches followed, when he received a unanimous call to his old home church at Doylestown, Ohio, where he served as pastor for the following seven years. In the year 1897, he was a commissioner to the general assembly at Winona, Indiana. Since resigning his charge at Doylestown he is residing in his own beautiful home know as "The Maples," a small fruit farm within the corporate limits of that village. The home is an ideal one of delightfully shaded grounds, adorned with pots of beautiful shrubbery and flowers, where the wild song-birds delight to gather and fill the air with their delightful music. Here, with his wife and an adopted daughter, who constitute his household, he lives in the congenial companionship of his books, pursuing his favorite studies and ministering to the spiritual needs of his old parishioners and others as opportunity offers. Doctor Dague's attainments in scholarship are far beyond those of most men in his profession. His diligence in study, his long career as a teacher, and his thirty years' work in the ministry have developed his powers beyond the average. He is able to read and interpret the Scriptures in seven different languages and dialects, is more or less familiar with the Latin, Greek, German, French and English classics; has a wide acquaintance with the history and themes of philosophic thought; is familiar with the works of all the great thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to the latest of the modern philosophers of note; and keeps himself well informed as to the current developments is science and literature. For the past fifty years he has been a frequent contributor to the general press, though he has published no books, and from a sense of modesty has published most of his writings over a nom de plume. He has written articles on current topics of public interest, besides poetry, hymns, popular songs, set to music, and articles on general literature and for the religious press. Many of these have been widely copied and favorably commented on The history of civilization,embracing philosophy, comparative religion and general literature, are his favorite studies. At present he is engaged in preparing a commentary on the life of Christ on a new and original plan, and largely from a psychological and philosophical stand-point. He is a pleasant and interesting speaker and is in frequent demand for lectures and addresses upon various public occasions. He has also patented some useful inventions. Ecclesiastically, he is a Presbyterian, and soundly orthodox on all the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, though tolerant of all creeds and charitable to all. In politics he is independent, though usually voting with the Prohibitionists. In 1882 he was delegate to the state prohibition convention at Columbus, and was once solicited to become a candidate for governor on that ticket, but declined.
Doctor Dague loves the retired and quiet life of a student. He has little sympathy with or interest in the wild rush for money-making that characterizes the present age. In his library, well stocked with the best books along the line of his favorite studies, or sitting under the maples, enjoying their companionship or that of living literary friends, who often come to visit at his home, with his desk and case well filled with autoghraph manuscripts, the results of many pleasant hours of meditative thought, or in pleasant conversation with the dear ones of his own delightful household, he is content to let the rushing world surge by in its mad rush after the perishable riches whilst he is accumulating and enjoying the true wealth that can never perish, a mind well cultured and stored with knowledge, a clean conscience, a happy home. At peace with God and man, honored and respected at home and abroad, he may well look forward to happy ending of a busy and useful life.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910