Biographical Sketch of L. P. Chalfant, Camden County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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L. P. Chalfant is a son of David H. and grandson of David Chalfant, of
Chester county, Penn., the latter being of Quaker origin, who was 
drafted to serve in the Revolutionary War.  The Quakers being opposed 
to fighting, a dispute arose between his parents and the man he was
bound out to as to who would pay the penalty of the draft, when he ran
away and joined Washington's army at Valley Forge, and was severely
wounded at the battle of Brandywine, from the effects of which he died
at the age of seventy-eight years.  He was born in Chester county, 
Penn., but moved to and reared his family in Fayette county, and there
followed the occupations of farming and blacksmithing.  His son, David
H. Chalfant, was his third child, and spent his life in Fayette county,
dying in 1875.  He and wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Patterson,
became the parents of seven daughters and two sons, only two of the
family being now alive: L. P., and Martha, wife of H. C. Gearing, resi-
dents of Pittsburg, Penn.  Mrs. Chalfant, who was a consistent member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, died in 1852; was a daughter of Col.
Robert Patterson, a native of Pennsylvania, who obtained his title in
the War of 1812, being a colonel under Gen. W. H. Harrison.  His family
consisted of five children, four daughters and one son, whom he reared
in Fayette county, Penn.  He represented that county a number of years
in the State Legislature.  L. P. Chalfant, whose name heads this sketch
was born in Fayette county, Penn., in 1822, and remained under the home
roof until about twenty years of age, when he went to Pittsburg, and
began working at his trade, that of blacksmithing, which he had prev-
iously learned, but after a short time hired out as a deck hand on the
steamboat "Mayflower" and afterward became fireman on the "Expert" 
under his uncle.  He went up the Arkansas river to Little Rock, where 
he gave up his position on the boat, and resumed work at his trade in a
foundry, continuing there about thirteen months, then rejoined the
"Expert" as assistant engineer, and returned to Pittsburg in the spring
of 1844.  He afterward worked on the steamer "Majestic" running between
Pittsburg, Penn. and Cincinnati, Ohio, during the summer, and in the
fall he went back to the Arkansas River again on the steamer "Archer."
In the following spring he returned to Pittsburg; boated on the Ohio
River during the summer, when he went with the steamer "Archer" to St.
Louis, where the boat ran for awhile on the Upper Mississippi.  Late in
the fall he went up the Missouri River, where he spent the winter of
1845-46, and arrived at St. Louis in the spring.  From 1846 to 1855 he
was engaged as engineer on various boats, and running on all the prin-
cipal rivers emptying into the Mississippi, making his home at St. 
Louis until 1855, when he came to Linn Creek, and worked for McClurg,
Murphy & Co., until 1862, and two years later returned to steamboating
on the Mississippi River, being connected with the boat "Minnehaha."
At a later period he returned to Linn Creek on the "Zouave," and a 
short time afterward purchased his present farm, and on which he has
since lived.  He helped to build the steamer "Emma" for Draper, McClurg
& Co., which boat he managed for about ten years, and also made trips
on other boats for this company.  In the fall of 1847 he made trips up
the Osage River on the "St. Louis Oak" and is one of the oldest 
Missouri River engineers now living.  When the war broke out he enlist-
ed in the Forty-seventh Enrolled Missouri Militia, of which he was the
captain and adjutant, and was also captain of the Ninth Provisional
Enrolled Missouri Militia, and during his two years' service was in no
regular engagement.  He served as Deputy United States Marshal under 
Mr. Sitton in 1861, and under Mr. Wallace in 1862.  In March, 1848, he
was married to Maria Russell, in St. Louis, who was born in Philadel-
phia, Penn., and was brought to St. Louis, Mo., when about four years
of age, where she was reared to maturity.  Her father, Isaiah Russell,
was an old steamboat pilot and mate between St. Louis and New Orleans,
and was pilot on the gun boat "Essex," his son James being on the
"Arkansas" when they had a fight below Vicksburg.  The former was 
victorious, and the father saw his son crawl up the bank, as his boat
struck the shore, and make his escape.  Mr. Chalfant and wife became
the parents of seven sons and four daughters, all of the latter dying
in childhood, save Joan Hester, who lived to be fourteen years of age.
The sons' names are as follows: Joab V., James L., Henry W., William 
D., Edward C., Francis A. and George R.  Mr. Chalfant is a Republican
in politics, originally a Whig, and was a delegate to the State conven-
tion, in 1870, at Jefferson City, and at St. Louis, Mo., in 1872.  He
is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and is temperate in his habits.

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