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From the Belmont Dispatch, April 15, 1910.
Transcribed by Yvonne E. Smith.


 

The Death of John E. Middaugh

Prominent Citizen of Belmont Died Monday Night of Pneumonia
Masonic Funeral will be held Sunday

Captain John Emory Middaugh died at his beautiful home on Washington street at midnight Monday, April 11th. The cause of his death was pneumonia. Mr. Middaugh was distinguished by service to this country during the Civil war and by his able […?] of responsibility with which he was honored in both public affairs and in various organizations. Death followed a brief illness of less than a week. He was taken ill while at the breakfast table on the preceding Tuesday, but his illness was not diagnosed as pneumonia until Friday. He suffered an attack of diabetes last winter, from which he apparently had recovered, but he was not physically able to conquer the attack of pneumonia which caused his death.

Captain Middaugh’s wife Elizabeth Gorton Middaugh died April 7th, 1907. On December 18th, 1908 he married Mrs. Mary Crandall, widow of Captain William Crandall, a veteran of the Civil war, who survives him. He leaves three children; J.E. Middaugh Jr., of the law firm of Sennett and Middaugh of Cando, N. Dakota, H.G. Middaugh of Burke, Middaugh and Cutbbert, Attorneys of Devil’s Lake, N. Dakota; and Mrs. Annie E. Falger of Devil’s Lake. Mr. Falger formerly of New York City, is now managing clerk in the office of the last named firm. Mr. J.E. Middaugh Jr., and Mrs. Falger arrived from Dakota Wednesday evening and Mr. Henry Middaugh is expected Saturday night. The latter has been traveling thru the west and could not be reached with the news of his father’s death until late Tuesday at El Paso, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o’clock Sunday afternoon at the home, the Masonic Fraternity of which Mr. Middaugh was a loyal member, having charge at the house and at the grave, Revere Post, G.A.R. will attend the funeral services of their deceased Commander in a body. Interment will be made in the family plot in the Thibou cemetery.

The Allegany County History contains the following sketch [for] the Middaugh family.

It is nearly four score years since the Middaugh family has had foothold on the soil of Grand Old Allegany. In 1819, a settlement was made on what has since been known as Middaugh Hill by John Middaugh, others of the family soon following. The Middaughs are of Dutch ancestry, some of the family emigrated to New Jersey and New York from Amsterdam, Holland, before the Revolution. In the early part of this century we find them in Dryden, Tompkins Co., and there Elijah, a son of Abraham, was born. He came to Scio in [18__, possibly 1836?] and located on the farm now owned by his son, John Emory Middaugh. The Middaughs cut the first road from the Genesee river to their land and made the first clearings on their farms. The father of Elijah came a few years later and passed the remainder of his life on the farm with his son, Mr. Middaugh married [Louisa] Noble, and six sons and two daughters were born to them.

Captain John Emory Middaugh, the third son of Elijah and Louisa (Noble) Middaugh, was born January 20, 1838 in Scio. He was educated at Friendship Academy and Alfred University and had the novel experience of teaching school in the Indian Territory with Creeks and Cherokees for his pupils. The black clouds of the threatening war had hardly obscured the sky of our peace when Mr. Middaugh offered his services in this country’s defense, and April 25, 1861, enlisted in Co. C, 67th Regt. N.Y.V. and was elected second sergeant. He was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks, Va., and by order of General Abercrombie was [promoted] to second lieutenant. In January, 1863, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy and transferred to Co. K. and placed in command. May 6, 1864, he was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, and at the battle of Fredericksburg he led his company and made a successful charge. Mr. Middaugh participated in 23 engagements, was a loyal and brave soldier and received his honorable discharge from service July 4, 1864, with rank of first lieutenant. He was appointed Captain in Hancock’s Veteran Reserve Corps, January 5, 1865.

Mr. Middaugh returned to his home in Scio, and January 5, 1868, married Elizabeth S., a daughter of John Gorton. She was graduated from Alfred University in 1862. They have three children, John E., Jr., and Henry G., both lawyers and Annie, a graduate of the Geneseo Normal School in class of 1895. Mr. Middaugh was one of the organizers of Hakes Post, Nd. [261], G.A.R., of Scio and was its first Commander, holding that office 5 years. He has held the elective offices of justice of the peace and assessor. He was an oil operator for some years and for the greater part of his life conducted his fine farm, Maplehurst, of 430 acres, on “Middaugh Hill.” He held for many years continuously the office of vice president of the Allegany County Farmer’s Co-Operative Fire Insurance Company and was one of its directors.