VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
303
juror in 1767, sold land in 1778, and died
intestate in 1798. While there is no record
of his wife, it is practically certain that she
was Elizabeth, the daughter of Andrew
Steele, who died in Augusta county, in 1764.
(III) Their tenth child, Andrew McClure, born July 18, 1767, died at the home of his son, John McClure. near Old Providence Church, December 30, 1847. He was a sol- dier of the war of 1812, enlisting March 4, 1814, at Staunton, Virginia, as a private of Captain Sangter's company. Twelfth United States Infantry. At the expiration of his term of service he was discharged, March 30, 1815, at Fort Covington. He married, January 15, 1789, Mary Mitchel, fourth child of Thomas Mitchel and Elizabeth (McClan- ahan) Moore. She died in 1795, and there- after he lived with his sisters and children, frequently walking between Waynesboro and Old Providence, a distance of twenty- five miles, even when over seventy years of age. He is said to have been a large and muscular man, closely resembling his son John.
(IV) John (2) McClure, fourth child of Andrew and Mary Mitchel (Moore) Mc- Clure, was born May 28, 1794, near Waynes- boro, and died April 26, 1873, ^t his home near Old Providence Church. He was less than two years of age when his mother died, and was reared by a great-aunt, Sarah Steele, of Augusta county. His educational privileges were small. He had some school- ing, however, and studied an English gram- mar published at Holgate, near York, in 1795. In 18 19 he settled on the farm of his uncle and aunt, James and Betsey Fulton, which he inherited and lived on for fifty- six years. He married, July 27, 1819, Jane Pilson, born June 14, 1797, died September 18, 1882, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Thompson) Pilson. She joined the Tink- ling Spring Presbyterian Church about 1816, and subsequently removed her membership to the Bethel Presbyterian Church, of which she was a member for nearly sixty-six years. She was the mother of eight children.
(V) The youngest of these, Matthew Thompson McClure, named for a great- grandfather, was born July 23, 1834, and is now living at the McClure homestead where his father and grandfather died, one mde northeast of Old Providence Church. With- out a scientific, education, through study and experimentation he mastered many of the
facts of agricultural chemistry, which has
proved of advantage to himself and his
neighbors. Of cheerful and optimistic
nature, with a strong will and a keen sense
of humor, his way through life has been a
most pleasant one, not only to himself, but
to those about him. He has filled various
positions of trust and honor in the commu-
nity, being school trustee and chairman of the
Democratic district organization. Urged by
friends to become a candidate for the legis-
lature, he resolutely declined. He founded
and fostered for several years, in association
with two others, a classical school at Old
Providence, which enabled many young per-
sons of the community to prepare for higher
education. He was a soldier of the civil
war, serving as commissary sergeant in the
Fifty-second Virginia Regiment, enlisting
July 31, 1861, for a period of twelve months.
He was first attached to General Edward
Johnson's Brigade, afterwards commanded
by General Early, in Stonewall Jackson's
corps. He was commissioned second lieu-
tenant, November 23, 1861, and on the re-
organization of the army was retained as
conmiissary sergeant of Company I, in
which capacity he served until the close of
the war. Early in 1865 he was promoted
first lieutenant, and brevetted captain. He
was made prisoner and paroled at Appo-
mattox Court House, April 10, 1865. Foi
some years he cultivated his father's farm
as a tenant, and later came into its posses-
sion by inheritance. He married, July 27,
1865, Sarah Catherine Bumgardner, born
Alarch 18, 1842, in Carroll county, i\Iissouri,
daughter of Lewis and Hettie Ann (Hal-
stead) Bumgardner. Her great-grandfather.
Christian Bumgardner, served v/ith General
Washington in the colonial wars, in the cam-
paign of 1754. Children: i. Lewis Bum-
gardner, born February 12. 1866, in Green-
ville ; cashier of the People's Exchange
Bank at Russellville, Arkansas ; is an elder
of the Southern Presbyterian Church of
that place. 2. Jane Thompson, born April
2, 1869 ; married, December 27, 1902, Edwin
Bumgardner, and lives at Walnut Grove,
the old McClure home, the comfort of her
parents in their declining years. 3. Anne
Halstead. born September 28. 1870; married.
October 4, 1893. Samuel Walter McCown. a
farmer of Rockbridge, and ruling elder of
New Mammouth Church. 4. James Alex-
ander, of further mention. 5. Andrew Well-
