John DeWeese, engineer, Troy. The subject of this sketch was born in this county in the year 1832; he is a son Of Joshua and Mary (Gerard) Deweese; Joshua was the son of Samuel, the first Baptist preacher in the Miami Valley; Mary Gerard Deweese was the daughter of Henry Gerard who came to this county in an early day, in company with Jacob Knoop who made the first settlement in Staunton Township, where he lived to see the county change from a wilderness to one of the banner counties of the State; he was the father of twenty-two children; Mary, the mother of our subject, was, it is claimed, the first white woman born in Miami Co., in the year 1800, in which place she lived till her decease, in 1878; she was the mother of fourteen children, thirteen of whom reached maturity. Mr. Deweese has always lived near Troy; his early education was very limited, and, although he never attended school more than six months in his life, by close application and natural genius combined, he has educated himself a s a successful business man; he has mechanical genius, by which he has constructed a patent grain dump, now in successful operation; for the past twenty-five years he has followed his trade, except during the war. Sept. 5, 1861, he enlisted in the 42d O.V.I., under Col. James A. Garfield, in whose command he remained about one year; he was afterward under Cols. Sheldon and Pardee; was in the fight at Paintsville, and was penned in with his comrades at Cumberland Gap; the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, and twice assisted in the taking of Jackson, Miss., and other battles of the Department of the Gulf; he was discharged, after three years and three months' service, at Columbus, Ohio. Oct. 13, 1852, he celebrated his marriage with Caroline A. Hosier; they are parents of four children - Jason R., born Aug. 10 1853; Charles W., born Oct. 21,1856; Callie B., born Oct. 8, 1858; and Nancy J., born Dec. 25, 1860 -- all of whom are with their parents except Jason R., who died in his 3d year.