On This Day - January 17

CASSIUS MUSGROVE SARGENT was born on January 17, 1845 in Bethel, Clermont, Ohio.  He was the second child and second son of Temple Sargent (1806-1879) and Rebecca Colthar (1819-1890).  However this was Temple's second marriage, his first wife died in 1835 or 1839 after giving birth to two sons.  Temple had a total of ten children.  By 1850 Temple had moved his family from Ohio to Moultrie, Illinois. In 1871 Cassius married Catherine Virginia McJilton. They had seven children,  four daughters and three son between 1872 and 1890.  Cassius was a farmer.
   It is said that Cassius was name for Cassius Marcellus Clay who was born in Kentucky but freed his slaves and paid them a wage and worked for the abolition of slavery.  Abraham Lincoln appointed him minister to Russia during the Civil War. Our Cassius' father became acquainted with Clay and admired his so much he named his child after him
    Cassius Sargent died in 1901 when only 56. He had written his will the year before and described his land holding.  His wife outlived him by 36 years.
    The following article was in the Bloominton, Illinois newspaper on June 6, 1913 describing Cassius' orchard:

 Cassius Sargent is my 2nd cousin 4x removed.