H.H. was active in politics, his Methodist church and the Masonic Lodge.
Listed in the 1860 Census with his family as being an Ohio resident and a school teacher. Was 23 at the time of the census and was married to Lefee Stevens in Sept. of that year. This was a small note under the obit of H.H.'s father John, Wyandot Co. Republican newspaper 7 Aug 1870: "Hon. H.H. Ragon [John Ragon's son] was unanimously denominated, last Saturday, for the legislature by the people of Lake County, Indiana. Mr. Ragon started for home last evening."
Henry Harrison RAGON and Amy Jane (Jennie) SMITH were married on 13 Apr 1871. H.H. Ragon first moved from Ohio to North Judson to teach school. He then located in Lowell, IN.
Dan Masters, the 144th Ohio Regimental Historian e-mailed the following information in July 2001. Note that he says Mr. Ragon was captain of Company A (not Company C, as it states in local obituaries) of the 144th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The parts of his e-mails pertaining to Mr. Ragon follow, as does a letter written by Mr. Ragon:
The book is entitled No Greater Glory: The 144th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. No publisher yet as I am still polishing the manuscript. I do have a website that I update periodically at hometown.aol.com/dam1941/home1.html for anyone interested in more info on the 144th before the book comes out.
As to Captain Ragon, I have a letter which he wrote from Halltown, Virginia which was published in the Wyandot Pioneer in August 1864. . . . Capt. Ragon's full name was Henry Harrison Ragon. He attended most of the 144th Ohio's reunions and made many well-received speeches at them. In 1901, he presented the survivors of Company A with a "beautiful camp roster," the men returned the favor the next year by presenting him an engraved sword. He was very popular with his men and seems to have been a dutiful and earnest officer.
. . . Henry's older brother Eli Ragon was 2nd Lieutenant of Co.A, 144th Ohio with Henry. Henry also had two other brothers that served in the Civil War from Wyandot County.
Captain Henry H. Ragon Letter, Co.A 144th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Originally published in the Wyandot Pioneer, August 19, 1864, p.2
Friend Brunner -- Having a few spare moments after a very fatiguing march I thought I would devote them in trying to interest the many readers of your valuable paper by recanting some of the trials and troubles the 144th have gone through with in marching and countermarching in this campaign. We started from the Relay House on the 14th of July for Washington City; we arrived there about the middle of the afternoon. We bivouacked for the day near the railroad depot, no knowing {what} was to be the next move, or in what direction if it [sic] all, a move was to be made. We, however, were not kept long in waiting, orders were received to march about 8 A.M. July 15th. When the whole column consisting of the Sixth Corps, a portion of the 19th Corps, including Kenly's Brigade, to which the 144th was attached, along with the usual amount of cavalry and artillery. We took the Rockville Pike as far as the village of Tenallytown; we took the main road and proceeded in the direction of Poolesville. We bivouacked the first night some 10 miles from the city. This being the first marching some of the boys had done, some of them were pretty well "played." We, however, started the next morning fresh and vigorous, still continuing our course along the Potomac until we arrived it what is known as White's Ford. The army crossed the river at this place by wading. The width of the stream at this point is near a half a mile. The Rebs crossed at his place only a few hours before our forces arriving there, in fact, our advance guard were near enough to shell the rear guard of the retreating Rebels.
We continued our march, nothing of importance occurring to our march tale. We arrived at the Gap in the Blue Ridge known as Snicker's Gap a distance of 64 miles from Washington. We rested at this place for two days and night, giving our boys a chance to recruit their tired limbs and partly revenge themselves for their long chase on a friendly Reb by capturing, or rather confiscating, a fine Beef or pig, and sometimes a well stored bee's cap.
We started from the Gap on our return march, about 9 P.M. July 20th and arrived at the Chain Bridge on the 23rd. Nothing of importance on the return march save a few shots from some of Mosby's men being fired into us.
Scarcely had we rested from our march when we were again ordered to march, which we commenced on the 26th, for some place, no one knew where. However, a few days patience and hard marching brought us in sight of the beautiful city of Frederick. Some three miles southeast of the city is the battlefield of Monocacy. That portion of the battlefield over which we passed (being near the Junction) shows unmistakable signs of hard fighting, from the manner in which the tengerails (?) are torn to pieces and the number of mounds or heaps of dirt which mark the many resting places of our brave boys, who fell fighting for their country on that never to be forgotten day, in which our forces lost so heavily. While we drop a tear of sympathy for the many brave boys who fell there, we also feel quite to rejoice that quite as many if not more of our enemies of our beloved flag and country paid for their rashness on that memorable day, as shown by the number of piles of dirt, which is a little to the West of our men. The fury of the Johnnies was shown in trying to batter down the firm iron bridge so recently erected over the Monocacy River at this place, but all their attempts to destroy it were fruitless, although they injured it to some considerable extent. After resting a few hours at this place (Monocacy Junction), we again took up our line of march for Harper's Ferry. We reached Halltown, four miles south of the Ferry, on the next day, being the 28th day of July, there, you see, we marched a distance of 65 miles in about four days with the thermometer an average of 99 degrees.
We came across the 123rd O.V.I. at Halltown. It would have done good to see the joy at the meeting of many old and long separated friends. I had the pleasure of taking by the hand the old and tried veterans, Col. W.T. Wilson and Capt. J.W. Chamberlain. They are both looking as though they had seen "actual" service this summer. Most of the men of the 123rd from our county are looking well.
On the evening of the 30th at 1 o'clock, we began to fall back across the Potomac; this was one of the hardest marches I ever experienced. Many of the boys were falling from entire exhaustion, quite a number of which died. We did not halt until we arrived some two miles north of Frederick, on the Emmitsburg Road. Since then we have kept up a continual move. The longest one being from Monocacy Junction to Harper's Ferry, which was made by railroad.
We find ourselves tonight in line of battle near our old camping ground at Halltown, Va. How long we will stay here is more than I can say. We have 8 companies of our regiment here, making in the aggregate for duty 331 men and 9 officers. Quite a number of men were left sick at Washington. The boys are looking forward to the time when they are to start for home with considerable anxiety. My "posish" being rather uncomfortable laying flat upon the ground and space limited, I shall bring my already lengthy letter to a close, my respects to all.
Yours Truly,
Capt. H.H. Ragon
The following May 25, 1901, Lowell Souvenir article was found on page 9, column 3:
MEMORIAL SUNDAY
Meet at Post room at 10 a.m. Sunday May 26, 1901, and march to M.E. church, Lowell, to attend Memorial service.
DECORATION DAY
Meet at Post room at 12:30 p.m. sharp and march in column to Lowell cemetery.
Song, quartette.
Ritual service of G.A.R.
Saluting the dead.
Song, "America," quartette.
Decoration of graves by school children.
Reform column and march to Lowell opera house.
Song, quartette.
Invocation, Elder John Bruce.
Reading of Orders by Adjutant.
Song, quartette.
Flower Drill, sixth grade.
Reading of Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, R.W. Bacon
Song, quartette.
Andersonville as it was in '64-'65 and as it is today, H.H. Ragon
Song, "Marching Through Georgia," audience led by quartette.
One of the "Bunch."
A Card: I desire to thank the comrades of Burnham Post G.A.R. for the visit they paid me last Saturday. It did me good to see so many of the comrades together once more. I assure them that their visit was very highly appreciated and will be kindly treasured in my memory. Signed: H.H. Ragon.
This obituary from an unknown source was found in the Local History Files at Lowell Public Library (LH--Vital Statistics, v.2, p. 41):
H.H. Ragon Passes Away
He had twice been honored by being elected to public office. He represented Lake County for one term and was trustee for one term. He was a charter member of Burnham Post G.A.R. and was instrumental in stating the order. He was a member of Colfax Lodge F. & A.M. The erecting of the beautiful soldiers' monument was due in great measure to his untiring efforts. He was always ready and willing to use his influence and give of his labor to advance the interest of this part of the county where he had made his home for so many years.
He leaves to mourn him his wife, three daughters, three sons, three sisters, Mrs. Irene Tilton of Lowell, Mrs. Mary J. Moody of Payette, Idaho, and Mrs. Eliza Hartsough*, of Marion, O., one brother , George W. Ragon of Lenapah, Okla., 19 grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and many relatives and a host of friends.
Funeral services were held at the First M.E. church in Lowell Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and the church was filled with sorrowing relatives and friends who gathered to pay their last resects to one of our oldest citizens. Rev. C.A. Brown, pastor of the church, preached the funeral sermon, assisted by Nathan Worley. The church choir furnished the music. The members of the Grand Army, fourteen in number, attended in a body and performed their ritualistic work after the ceremony at the church. The Masonic lodge then took charge and when the funeral cortege arrived at the cemetery they performed their ritualistic ceremony over the remains of their brother. Interment was made in Lowell cemetery. Undertaker John Castle had charge. The pall bearers were one from each school that he had taught so many years ago, and were as follows: Lowell school, H.L. Baughman; Orchard Grove school, S.C. Kenny; Robinson Prairie school, Jesse Wemple; Bailey school, C.T. Bailey; Jones school, Walter S. Nichols, and Buckley school, Charles Buckley.
* NOTE -- Eliza Hartsough's last name was spelled "Hartslough" on a photo from another source.
A copy of this Lowell Tribune article (Aug. 28, 1952, page 25, the Centennial Edition) can be found in the Local History Files at the Lowell Public Library (LH--Vital Statistics, vol. 4, page 61). The last three paragraphs of this obituary, which were not in the Library file, were in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal.:
Go to Henry H. Ragon, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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