Miami County, Ohio Genealogical Researchers -- Sponsored by the Computerized Heritage Association


    AARON A. MEREDITH

    A veteran of two of the great wars in which this country has engaged, and one of the honored pioneers of Miami county who became identified with this section of the state at a very early period, Major Aaron A. Meredith certainly deserves mention among those whose life work forms a part of the annals of this section of the state. Although his last days were spent in Wisconsin, he is remembered by many of the residents of this community, and his widow is now living in Tippecanoe City. A native of Miami county, his birth occurred in Troy on the 14th of July, 1829, his parents being Norville and Mary (James) Meredith. They had ten children, eight sons and two daughters, namely: John, Samuel, Sarah E., William, Olive J., Aaron A., Richard, Harvey, Henry and Lewis A.

    Major Meredith was reared in the city of his nativity until after his mother's death, when be went to live on a farm with Mack C. Hart, with whom he continued for two years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Lafayette, Indiana, where he began working at the carpenter's trade, being thus employed until his enlistment in the Mexican war, in April, 1846. He became a private of the Second Ohio Volunteer Regiment, under Colonel Mitchell, and participated in the famous battle of Monterey, the gallantry of the soldiers at that winning them immortal fame. His regiment afterward acted as guard at Monterey and was under General Taylor in northern Mexico. Mr. Meredith was a member of the army for two years and then returned to Troy, Ohio, where he was married, on the 24th of August, 1848, to Miss Lutitia A. Dye, a daughter of Benjamin and Priscilla (Long) Dye. Her father was born December 27, 1771. He first married Elizabeth Jackson, the wedding being celebrated in Pennsylvania, and about 1799 he started with his wife for Ohio. Their eldest child was born that winter near the present site of the city of Cincinnati. Mr. Dye and his wife made their way down the Ohio river on a flat-boat from Pittsburg, bringing with them a feather bed, one horse and a fine rifle. Arriving in Cincinnati, an old French Indian trader and trapper offered Mr. Dye a large tract of land which is now in the heart of Cincinnati in exchange for his rifle, but Mr. Dye refused the offer. However, he remained for some time near Cincinnati and there built a log cabin, in which the family lived in true pioneer style. Subsequently he removed to what is now Elizabeth township, Miami county, where he built a little home on a tract of wild land, which he afterward transformed into a good farm, there continuing his abode until his death, which occurred in 1843, when he was sixty-three years of age.

    He was the father of the following children: Steven, who was born April 22, 1799; Elizabeth, who was born October 8, 1800, and was married, in July, 1817, to John Pettit; Horatio P., who was her twin brother and married Margaret Baxter Ramsey; Vincent, who was born January 25, 1802; Andrew, who was born March 8, 1804; James, who was born September 6, 1805; Sarah M., who was born December 16, 1806; William, born April 15, 1808; Benjamin, born March 16, 1810; Maria, who was born April 7, 1812, and was married, March 3, 1825, to John Marsh; and John, born September 3, 1814. After the death of his first wife Mr. Dye wedded his brother's widow. She bore the maiden name of Priscilla Long and was born July 22, 1786, her death occurring December 12, 1848. The children of the second marriage are: Amanda, who was born May 10, 1817, and died in infancy; Jeremiah L., born September 24, 1819; Priscilla, who was born April 2, 1821, and died at the age of forty-one years; Horatio P., who was born April 4, 1823, and left a daughter, Mrs. W. B. Ten Eick, who in connection with her sister owns the old family homestead where the grandfather first settled; Boswell M., who was born March 2, 1826; and Lutitia, who was born August 16, 1829, and became the wife of Major Meredith. The father of this family was one of the honored pioneers of Miami county and at his death owned a valuable tract of land of four hundred acres. In 1838 he replaced the log cabin with a substantial brick residence, which was one of the finest homes in the county at an early day, and it still stands as one of the landmarks of that time.

    After his marriage Major Meredith engaged in building canal boats at Troy, Ohio, for two years, and then removed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he conducted a grocery store for five years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Madison, Wisconsin, where he engaged in clerking for two years, after which he took up his abode on a farm near the city, continuing its cultivation for a year. Returning to Madison, he conducted the Hotel Meredith until 1861, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he again responded to his country's call for troops and enlisted as a member of Company H, Second Wisconsin Infantry, his regiment becoming a part of the famous Iron Brigade. He was made first lieutenant, and with his command proceeded to Washington, D. C. He participated in the first battle of Bull Run, where he was wounded by a minie ball in the right arm, which crippled that member for life. For a time he remained in the Georgetown hospital, but after a few weeks returned to his home in Madison on furlough. Soon afterward he was detailed as a recruiting officer, serving in that capacity from July until the following April, when he returned to Washington as captain and was given charge of army supplies in the commissary department. He was captured and held a prisoner by Stuart's cavalry while proceeding from his post on the upper Potomac with four boat loads of commissaries intended for Frederick, Maryland. He and five officers, including Major Duran of the regular army, were thus captured, but were paroled. At York, Pennsylvania, he served as commissary for two years, and on the 1st of September, 1865, he was mustered out with the rank of major, and immediately afterward returned to his home in Madison.

    There, in November, 1865, he received an appointment from Governor Fairchilds, of Wisconsin, to the position of superintendent of public property, and served in that capacity for eight years, being most faithful to the trusts reposed in him. On the expiration of that period he removed to St. Louis, Missouri, and became a stockholder and the treasurer of the Western Engraving Company, which conducted a large steel plate engraving house. Major Meredith continued his connection with that business from 1874 until 1879, when, on account of ill health, he returned to Madison, where his death occurred November 8, 1883.

    Major Meredith was a valued member of Fairchilds Post, G. A. R., of Madison, and enjoyed the pleasant meetings with his old army comrades, where they lived again in memory the scenes that occurred when they "wore the blue" and followed the starry banner on southern battle fields. In business he was very successful, having the ability to plan and execute the right thing at the right time. His labors were prosecuted earnestly and systematically and carried on with such diligence that they resulted in bringing to him a handsome competence. At all times his dealings were strictly honorable and his business reputation was thus unassailable. All who knew him greatly esteemed him for his sterling worth. He inspired warm personal friendship, and was held in the highest regard by reason of his many excellent qualities of head and heart.

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