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Matilda Lamb Hatfield

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Jeremiah Hatfield

One of the best known and highly esteemed citizens of Bloomfield
is Jeremiah Hatfield, a Civil war veteran and a sturdy patriot.
He was born in Jackson township, this county, on January 10, 1843,
being the son of George W. and Elizabeth (Snyder) Hatfield, both
natives of Tennessee, having come to Indiana with their parents
when still children. When George W. Hatfield came to Indiana
things were still in their primitive state -- the land was
uncleared and the forests were full of wild game of all kinds.
He cleared a tract of land in Jackson township, built himself a
log cabin with his own hands, and soon made a good home for himself
and family.

In conjunction with the farm work, Mr. Hatfield did some gunsmithing,
at which he was quite skillful. At other times he performed work
as a blacksmith, being himself an adept in his trade. He and Mrs.
Hatfield were members of the Christian church and were the parents
of nine children. The first born, Rachel, is deceased; Nancy married
Hiram Lamb, of Jackson township; Joel is in charge of the old homestead;
Jeremiah, our subject, was next in order of birth; Jasper was a member
of the Thirty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and died in Texas;
John is following farming in Illinois; Armsted, who followed mining,
is now deceased; James is engaged in carpentry, and has his home in
Lawrence county; Martha married Alonzo Jackson, of Jackson township;
Martin is engaged as a farmer in this county also.

Jeremiah had but a limited education, but acquired the valuable
trait of self-reliance, which has been one of his prominent
characteristics. He took an active part in clearing the farm and
remained under the parental roof until his marriage in November, 1866,
to Matilda Lamb, a native of Greene county and the daughter of John and
Patsy (Green) Lamb, both natives of North Carolina. This union has been
blessed with the following family: John A., a blacksmith of Owensburg,
Indiana, and who married Ella Strosnider and has a family of six children
-- Stanley, Chester, Stella, Ruth, Ruby and May. The second in order of
birth, Laura, became the wife of Oliver Rush, of Lawrence county, and
is the mother of four children -- Rollie, Earl, Kent and Wayne. The
third, Marion, follows railroading and makes his home with his parents.
Otto, the fourth, is also at home; Nora is the wife of Marion Dugger,
of Bloomfield. Nannie is the wife of Blaine Workman, of Bloomfield, and
is the mother of one child, Nora L.

In August, 1861, Mr. Hatfield enlisted in Company H, Thirty-first Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, at Owensburg. He went immediately into service and
took part in many of the famous conflicts of the war. He participated
at the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga
and others, and was with Sherman on the march to the sea. At Kenesaw
Mountain he sustained the loss of his left forearm. It was borne off by
a shell and he was consigned to a hospital, being later discharged,
November 18, 1864. His recovery was very slow, but he ultimately regained
his health and became engaged in farming, continuing at this in Jackson
township, this county, until 1894, at which time he removed to Bloomfield.
Since then he has carried on gardening and has made some investments in
rental dwellings. For a number of years he served as chief of police for
the city of Bloomfield, and has taken an active part in such organizations
as the Grand Army of the Republic and Odd Fellows. For a number of years
Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield have been members of the Christian church, and in
many ways they have contributed generously to the welfare of the community.

Source: "Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, Ind.
with Reminiscences of Pioneer Days", B.F. Bowen & Co.,
Indianapolis, IN, 1908.

SECRET SOCIETIES

The Masonic Lodge was organized about the year 1865. John Potter was W. M.; Dr. N. W. Williams, S. W.; E. Edington, J. W. ; William Hert, Secretary; and Samuel Graham, Treasurer. They and the following were charter members: Ale Hatfield, Mitchell Noel, Abe Shankliri, L. C. Price, Elijah Edington, Jacob Miller and Reuben McCormick. The membership reached about sixty. A building was erected, which burned down. Trouble arose, and the charter was surrendered and the lodge went down in 1881. The Odd Fellows organized a lodge in April, 1879, with the following charter members and officers: W. S. Dye, N. G.; John A. Pate, J. G. Hert, Secretary; J. W. Graham; Charles Graham; W. H. Dowden, V. G.; J. C. Blalock, S. M. Hitchcock, P. Lancaster, W. M. Dobbins, Jerry Hatfield, W. B. Mitchell and T. 0. Daggy. The present membership is about thirty. The lodge owns the upper story of the Dobbins & Mitchell building. The present officers are Charles Graham, N. G.; Ed Strosnider, V. G. ; Marion Graham, R. S. ; F. M. McCurdy, P. S. ; M. S. Hitchcock, Treasurer; John Graham, Jerry Hatfield and William Dobbins, Trustees. The lodge number is 545.

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