From "History of Clay and Platte Counties". JACOB N. BLACKBURN (Telegraph Operator and Station Agent, C. R. I. & P. R. R., Camden Point). Mr. Blackburn is a Virginian, and is of the same family from which the Kentucky Blackburns sprang. He was born in Grayson county of the old Dominion, June 13, 1846. His parents were Lambuth Blackburn and Nancy (Hanks) Blackburn, both natives of North Carolina. But each was of Virginia descent. The father died when vouno-Blackburn was quite young. There were eight children in the family seven of whom were sons. Left an orphan by the death of his father, and the widowed mother having a large family of children, young' Blackburn began to do for himself at the age of twelve years, and without help from others, or education. He was, therefore, a self-made and self-educated man. Though only in his sixteenth year when the war broke out, he promptly enlisted in the Confederate army. Napoleon always said that boys make the best soldiers. Experience in all wars proves the correctness of his opinion. They are enthusiastic, fearless and always ready to obey orders. These are the qualiti! es that go to make a valuable, dashing soldiery. Though a mere boy, young Blackburn followed the flag of the Confederacy with unfaltering devotion, and through hardships and dangers and wounds and imprisonments that would have chilled the enthusiasm of any but the most resolute and patriotic. He was a member of the Fourth Virginia infantry and served throughout the war, taking part in nearly all the great battles of Virginia and contiguous sections of the country. He was wounded no less than thirteen times, and nine different bullet scars are still plainly visible on his body, one distinctly on his forehead. That, alone, would have made him an accepted and honored member of the Old Guard under the first Napoleon, A soldier could bear no prouder decoration than the scar from a wound in the forehead received in open battle. In May, 1864, he was taken prisoner and held from that time, at Point Lookout, Md., until the close of the war. Young Blackburn then came West and spent tw! o years in Minnesota and Dakota. Returning to Virginia in 1867, he was married there November 6, of the following year, to Miss Thurma, a daughter of Stephen Ward, of Grayson county. He then came West and made his home at Burlingame, Kan. Two years later he came to Platte City. Here he worked at anything he could get to do for a time, and after a while learned telegraphy. In 1881 he was appointed agent at Camden Point, and he still holds the position. He makes an efficient 1017 HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY. agent and is popular with both the officials of the company and the general public. Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn have six children: Ellen, . Frank, Orville, Homer, Burton and Katie. His two eldest sons, though the oldest is only about fourteen years of age, are good tele-o-raph operators themselves, and are of much assistance to their Father. Mr. Blackburn is a member of the A. F. and A. M. at Camden Point. ====================================================================== I copied the above from my scanners OCR reader so if there is some garbage you can't decipher, let me know. I think I found most of the mistakes. There were no Blackburns listed in "Annals of Platte County". In "History of Andrew and Dekalb Counties", the only Blackburns I see mentioned is a William listed as a member of the Lodge in Andrew County. Is this the type of info you are looking for? Chuck The older I get, the better I was! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan A. Rives" <rives@iname.com> To: <MOPLATTE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 9:42 AM Subject: [MOPLATTE] Blackburn > I am searching for any information on the Blackburn family from Platte and DeKalb counties. This is the family of Jacob Newton Blackburn who fought in the Civil War, and his son Homer Blackburn. Thanks for your help! > > Susan > >