Colonel John Brooks Compton

biography

Compton, Colonel John Brooks, The subject of this biography was born Nov. 17, 1835, in Mead township, Crawford county, Pa. He grew up on the farm of his father, Col. David Compton, attending district school and Meadville Academy. Became then a teacher, by that means securing funds to prosecute his studies at Allegheny College, which he entered in the spring of 1858, and continued a student till his senior year, when he enlisted as private in the three months’ service, joining the Meadville Grays which were stationed at Pittsburgh; he was soon promoted to Sergeant. While in camp, Sergeant Compton wrote his commencement oration and obtained a furlough for the purpose of graduating with his class. He committed his oration on his way home in a stage coach and appeared with his class, June 1861, in uniform, at the request of his class and the faculty. Soon after graduation he joined the famous 83d Reg’t., Pa. Vols., as a private, and became 1st Sergent of Company F. At the battle of Gaines’ Mills. June 27, 1862, he was wounded, but led his company five days after, at the battle of Malvern Hill, taking thirty-two men into the fight, of whom fourteen were killed and eight wounded, himself among the latter. He was mentioned in the dispatches of the Division Commander for gallantry. He was sent to the hospital at Portsmouth, Va., where he remained until September, most of the time in a critical condition; he afterwards went to Alexandria and then to Washington, where he was discharged on account of disability resulting from wounds and sick­ness. Returning home, after a partial recovery of health, he began the study of medicine under Dr. Edward Ellis, of Meadville, but had to abandon it on account of continued ill health, and at the suggestion of friends became a candidate for the Republican nomination for Prothonotary of the county. Being successful, he was elected in the fall of 1863 by 2,000 majority, and served the entire term. During that time he commanded a company of Emergency Men, serving until the capture of Morgan and the battle of Gettysburg. He was appointed by Governor Curtin a commissioner to take the vote of the State soldiers in the field for the election of 1864, being assigned to Washington City and vicinity. At the general canvass for the same year, he was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and was elected secretary of the board. In this capacity all the tickets, poll books, etc., had to pass through his hands. These were sent in due time by express, but were tampered with at Baltimore, or somewhere on the way, so that in order to obtain them the Harrisburg officials were telegraphed for a new supply and the secretary was obliged (with barely time,) to visit Washington with a guard and watch the precious material till safely landed at City Point, and thus saved to the State and nation the vote of the entire Army of the Potomac. During his Prothonotaryship he was entered as a law student by the late Darwin A. Finney, and was admitted to practice June 11th, 1868, which profession and practice he has since continued. He was three times appointed attorney for the county, and is solicitor for the Meadville Loan Association and other corporations. Mr. Compton was appointed by Governor Hartranft an aid de camp oil his military staff, with rank of Colonel, and served through his two terms, when he was re-appointed on his staff as Major General of the State, which position he still retains. He was on duty during the Centennial Encampment of the Pa. National Guards and on Aug. 10 the date of the great military parade at Philadelphia, was appointed officer of the day. As a politician Colonel Compton has ever been an active supporter of the Republican party, both in council and upon the stump. He was Chairman of the Republican County Committee in 1872, and was Senatorial delegate to the State convention of 1873. In 1874 he received the nomination of his party as a candidate for the Legislature by a larger vote than any of his colleagues. This was the year of the great political revolution in the county, and the entire ticket was defeated, Mr. Compton getting the highest vote of any Republican candidate. In 1878 he presided as chairman of the meeting of the return judges of the primary election. Among other public works he has been intimately connected with the Odd Fellows Home of Western Pennsylvania since its inception, as a member of the board of trustees, as president for two terms, and at present as treasurer. He was married Nov. 12, 1863, to Fannie E. Kingsley, of Springfield, Mass.

Directory of Crawford County, PA, 1879-80, pages 234-235.