John received a 108 acre parcel of land from his father's farm at the age of 21(1856). He built a new house and farmed the land. His older brother William received the other half of the homestead and the original house when he reached 21.

In January of 1862 John enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was discharged in Jun 1865. He was a private in the Third Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry, Company H, and saw service in many of the major Civil War battles(Bull Run, Gettysburg, Lynchburg, Appomattox).

John returned home after the war and worked the family farm in Sand Hill Township, Marshall, Co., WV until his fathers' death in 1882. Nancy had been ill and getting worse, they found it necessary to sell his 108 acre portion of the family homestead and move to the city.

In Wheeling, John found employment as a teamster. I speculate that most of the nest egg John had from the sale of his farm were used up paying Doctor bills and such for Nancy, she died in 1887. By 1900 John was retired, Widowed and living with his son John Crawford in the Pittsburgh suburb of Allegheny City, Allegheny Co., PA. He was enumerated John Crawford at 15 Sarah St., Allegheny City.

The last know address for Both Nancy and John was 3303 Wetzel Wheeling.

John W McCracken