Barton County, Missouri Biographies-Gwinn McCUISTION

History Of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade And Barton Counties, 
Missouri, 1889.  Published by Goodspeed. Pages 916

Gwinn McCuistion, farmer and fruit-grower, is a member of the Horti-
cultural Society of Barton County, Mo., and was born in Bedford County,
Tenn., September 3, 1826, being a son of James and Isabel (McClintock)
McCuistion, who were born in Guilford County, N. C., September 15, 1805,
and January 27, 1808, respectively.  They accompanied their parents to
Tennessee in their youth, and there married in March, 1825, moving four
years later to Ray County, Mo., and, in 1858, to Navarro County, Texas,
where the mother died in April, 1867, and the father in September, 1869.
James McCuistion served in the Black Hawk and Mormon wars, being a 
lieutenant in the latter, and throughout life was engaged in farming. 
His father, James, who is the gradfather of our subject, was also a 
farmer, and was born in the "Palmetto State" in 1758, and was a soldier
in the Revolutionary War.  After the close of this war he made his home
in Guilford County, N. C., for some time, and in 1806 moved to Davidson
County, Tenn., and built the first grist-mill in that county.  Later
he moved to Bedford County, and built the first mill there.  Here he 
died in March, 1826.  In 1830 his aged widow traveled horseback, with 
her son James, to Ray County, Mo., a distance of 600 miles, in twenty
days.  She died December 1, 1841.  The paternal great-great-grandfather
was a Scotchman, and came to America from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1700,
and settled in Charleston, S. C., where he died.  His name was James,
and his son Thomas was the great-grandfather of our subject.  Gwinn
McCuistion, the eldest of five sons and three daughters, was three years
old when brought by his parents to Ray County, Mo., and he has been a
resident of this State since 1829.  He received a common-school education
in the log school-houses of that day, and for a year and a half attended
the higher schools at Richmond, Mo.  He spent the first eleven years in
teaching, receiving at first only fifteen dollars per month for his
services, but afterward, towards the close of his services as teacher,
received sixty dollars per month, and the last seven years taught in the 
same school-house.  Success followed his labors until the unpleasant war
came up, and during that struggle he lost heavily of his property.  On
the 28th of March, 1850, he was married to Miss Martha I. Lile, daughter
of Henry W. and Lydia (Comer) Lile.  The father was from the State of 
Tennessee, and the mother from the State of Ohio, coming with their 
parents to Ray County, Mo., about the year 1820, and being united in
marriage in 1828.  The father was born November 17, 1803, and the mother
April 8, 1809; in 1854 they moved to Daviess County.  Mr. Lile died
January 26, 1879.  His wife is still living, aged eighty years.  He
served in the Black Hawk and Mormon wars, being a major in the latter,
and was sheriff of Ray County for several years.  Mr. McCuistion has
resided in Barton County since 1880, and owns a fertile and well-
improved farm of eighty acres.  He served in the Confederate army, in
Company C, Third Missouri Infantry, as captain, until after the fall of
Vicksburg.  He then commanded Companies C and F (consolidated) until the
close of the war, and was engaged in nearly all of the battles fought
by his division of the army, and was once wounded by gun-shot.  He was
captured at the battle of Blakely, April 9, 1865, and, on the day of
exchanged of prisoners, came under the capitulation when hostilities
ceased.  Before the war he was a Whig in politics, but since that time 
has been a Democrat.  He is a Master Mason, and belongs to Lamar Lodge
No. 292.  He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South. They are parents of the following-named children: Perneety F., 
wife of Harrison Hamer; James W., of Carroll County, Mo.; Nancy R., 
wife of Balaam Barham; John G.; Martha I., wife of J. M. Castell; 
Charles H., and Montie V.


====================================================================
     USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing
         free information on the Internet, data may be used by
         non-commercial entities, as long as this message
         remains on all copied material. These electronic
         pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit
         or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

         Persons or organizations desiring to use this material
         for purposes other than stated above must obtain the
         written consent of the file contributor.

         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
         Archives by: Kay Griffin Snow <kgsno@primary.net>
====================================================================