SHEBOYGAN HISTORY

David Morrill Carson, Jr., Page 284

DAVID MORRILL CARSON, Jr., who owns and occupies the original homestead in Fond du Lac County of David Morrill Carson, Sr., was born in Augusta, Me., February 16, 1837, and is a son of David Morrill, Sr., and Mary Jane (Robinson) Carson, pioneers of Sheboygan County, of whom see sketch elsewhere in this volume.

    The subject of this sketch was about twelve years of age when the family came to Wisconsin.  He assisted his father in the work of clearing the farm, in the mean time attending the district school in the winter season.  On September 11, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Fourteenth Wisconsin Infantry, the company being under the command of Capt. Mansfield.  The regiment rendezvoused at Fond du Lac, going thence to Benton Barracks, Mo.  It would be impossible in a sketch of this scope to give his full military career, suffice it to say that with his regiment he took part in the famous battle of Shiloh and in Gen. Banks' ill-starred Red River Expedition, as a part of the Sixteenth Army Corps, under Gen. A. J. Smith.  At Shiloh he had served with McPherson's Seventeenth Army Corps.  After the Red River Expedition, his regiment returned to Memphis and took part in the second expedition into Mississippi; it also took part in the severe battle of Tupelo.  In 1864, the command to which he belonged moved up the White River and took part in the Missouri campaign in pursuit of the Confederate General, Price, after which it returned to St. Louis, and soon after started for Nashville, Tenn., participating in the great battle there between Gens. Thomas and Hood, and joining in pursuit of the defeated Confederate army.  The command went thence to Eastport, Miss., where our subject was discharged by reason of the expiration of time of enlistment.  As he was away from the regiment on detached service when it re-enlisted, he did not re-enlist, but, as stated, was discharged.  On his return from the war he resumed farming, and has owned the old homestead since 1868.

    May 31, 1868, Mr. Carson was united in marriage to Miss Alvina Barnes, daughter of Samuel and Salome Barnes.  Mrs. Carson was born in Steuben County, N. Y., and came West with her parents, who settled in the town of Forest, Fond du Lac County.  Her father died in 1858, but her mother is still living.  Mr. and Mrs. Carson have four children, three sons and a daughter, namely:  William D., Allie A., Austin J. and Milton A.

    Mr. Carson owns the original Carson Homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, and is a well-known and respected citizen.  His record as a soldier is an honorable one.  In his political views he is a Republican, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860.