Capt. Harvey J. Dutton, general merchant of El Dorado Spring, with a stock of goods valued at about $3,000 is a native of Woodford County, Ill., born in 1836, and is the eldest of six sons and two daughters, born to Norman and Nancy E. (Smith) Dutton. Mr. Dutton was born in Rutland County, VT., in 1810, and Mrs. Dutton in Canada, in 1808. they moved to Illinois, were married there, and there Mrs. Dutton died in 1866. One year later, Mr. Dutton married Miss Maria Sleeper, from New Hampshire. He died March 18, 1889, was a member of the Congregational Church for forty years, was a deacon in the same, and was a successful tiller of the soil. Capt. Harvey J. Dutton was reared to farm life, received a fair education in the common schools, and later attended the State normal at Bloomington, Ill, from which institution he graduated July 3, 1861. He then joined Company A, Thirty-third Illinois Infantry, known as the Normal Regiment, and was made sergeant at once. Afterward, he was made lieutenant, etc., until August, 1863, when he was commissioned captain, and commanded his company with credit until December, 1865, when he was mustered out at Springfield, Ill. He operated in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, and was slightly wounded three times. August 21, 1867, he married Miss Louisa V., daughter of John and Louisa Brinsden, who were natives of London, England, where they were married. Mr. and Mrs. Brinsden emigrated to Canada before Mrs. Dutton was born, and there they both died, Mr. Brinsden in 1861, and Mrs. Brinsden in 1850. Mrs. Dutton came to Illinois with an uncle, and was there married to Mr. Dutton, by whom she had six children, one son and four daughters now living: Florence E., Clarence A., Norma E., Bertha I., and Gertrude L. The fourth child, Colena A., is deceased. In 1869 Mr. Dutton moved to Cedar County, Mo., settling five miles south of El Dorado Springs, where he followed farming until 1889, when he moved to town, and engaged in his present business. He is a Republican in politics, voting for Lincoln in 1860; is a member of Colonel Leonard Post at El Dorado Springs, and has held nearly all the offices in the same. He and Mrs. Dutton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.-- As the article states, Capt. Harvey J. Dutton was the offspring of Norman Dutton and Nancy (Smith) Dutton. Nancy was the widow of Norman's older brother Samuel. Nancy and Samuel's eldest daughter was my g-grandmother Louisa (Dutton) Walker. So Harvey was my half 2xgreat-grand uncle, and a blood relative. What makes this article so nice is that it has so much to say about Harvey's parents who are my ancestors!
What makes Harvey so important to my family history is it is probably a safe assumption that he talked Louisa's husband Henry to enter the Civil War. It was January 1865, the war was winding down, the South was fighting without regular supplies and victory appeared inevitable. Henry mustered into Company A, of the 33rd Regiment Illinois, the very same company that Harvey was in command of as Second Lieutenant. Two months later Henry was killed while in service in a railroad accident.
According to the government's military pension records, Capt. H.J. Dutton died January 18, 1928, age 92. Quite a full life and an ancestor to be proud of.
Copyright © 2011 by Kevin W. Walker
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