Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 344-345; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
George W. Curfman is a fine representative of the brave
soldiers who fought so nobly in the late war, and to whose unflinching
courage and unswerving loyalty it is due that our glorious banner waves
over a free and undivided country. He is a highly respected resident of
Harris Township, where he is acting as the efficient agent of the
Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw Railway Company, at the station at the
village of Seville.
Our subject is a son of one of the early pioneer families of
this county, of which he is a native, born at Barker's Grove, March 2,
1843. His parents, Adam and Elizabeth Curfman, were natives
respectively of Frederick County, Md. and Virginia, the former born in
1791, and the latter in 1806. They were married in Franklin County,
Ohio, in 1831, and came immediately to this county, and began their
wedded life in a primitive pioneer home at Lewistown. They located on
the banks of Big Creek, on what is now known as the Ike Harris place,
and there Mr. Curfman made his first clearing. He and his wife lived
there the ensuing year, but during the year of the Black Hawk War he
took his wife and the one child that had been born to them in the
meantime, to Mason City for safety, and while there stayed in the
blockhouse and watched the Indians. After the close of hostilities with
the savages in 1833, the family removed to where the village of
Marietta now stands, and there Mr. Curfman built the first house that
was ever erected in that town. He lived there two years and then
entered a piece of land at Barker's Grove, where he remained until
about 1845, when he came to Harris Township, and settled on section 12.
He opened up a farm here on which he dwelt until 1855, when he sold it,
having traded for it in the first place. To the last place he purchased
he had been given a forged deed, and the rightful owner subsequently
took possession of the land and in his old age the father of our
subject was left without a home, when George was a lad of twelve years.
After that misfortune Mr. Curfman went to Cass Township in 1858 and
rented a farm and there made his home until death closed his mortal
career February 7, 1882, at the venerable age of ninety-one years, he
having arrived at that age the September previous. He was a soldier in
the War of 1812, and was in all respects an honest, upright man.
George Curfman, of whom we write, was reared in this his native
county and gleaned his education in its district schools. When the war
broke out he was a youth of eighteen years, and with enthusiastic ardor
and patriotism he resolved to give his services to his country, and if
need be sacrifice his life for the old flag. October 19, 1861, he
enlisted at Canton in Company D, Fifty-fifth Illinois Infantry. From
Chicago his regiment was dispatched to the South and our subject had
the honor of taking an active part in thirty-three different battles,
among which were those fought at Shiloh, Corinth, Champion Hills,
Jackson (Miss.), Black river and Vicksburg. He was present at the
assaults on that city and he fought at Missionary Ridge, Kenesaw
Mountains, did good service at Atlanta, at Ezra Church and at
Jonesboro. Mr. Curfman was one of the brave men who attacked Ft.
McCallister and engaged with the enemy at Bentonville, N. C., which was
the last of the many big battles in which he fought. He was an actor in
many skirmishes, took part with his regiment in all its fights and was
under fire one hundred days. He was with Sherman in his march to the
sea and through the Carolinas to Washington where he took part in the
Grand Review.
Mr. Curfman had a long and honorable career as a soldier,
lacking but a few days of four years' continuous service. During that
time he had veteranized after three years for another three years, or
during the war. He was twice wounded; once at the battle of Kenesaw by
a piece of shell, but he pluckily remained with his regiment, and was
again hit by a musket ball the 10th of August, 1864, in front of
Atlanta. The latter wound laid him up for about two weeks, but he
sturdily refused to go to the hospital. He still bears the scars so
bravely won by him while defending his country's honor. After the Grand
Review the rest of the army was mustered out, but the Second Division
of the Fifteenth Corps, which included our subject's regiment, was sent
to Little Rock, Ark., where he and his comrades continued in service
two months, and were then honorably discharged and sent home.
After his long and hard experience of life in the army our
subject returned to Fulton County, and quietly resumed farming, the
occupation to which he had been bred. In 1872 he obtained the
companionship and help of a good wife in his labors, by his marriage to
Miss Phoebe J. Watson, of Smithfield, the daughter of A. S. Watson, a
well-known man of this county. Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs.
Curfman have lived in Harris Township, where he has held the position
of agent for the past five years, at the Seville station on the Toledo,
Peoria & Warsaw Railway. He also operates the engine for the
pumping works in connection with his other duties. He is prompt and
faithful in the discharge of his duties, devoting his best energies to
looking after the interests of the company that employs him, and is
regarded by the officials of the road as one of their most useful men.
Five children have blessed their marriage to our subject and his
amiable wife, whom they have named: Charles C., Mary Ellen, Joseph
Martin, John L., and Lula May. Mr. Curfman is a Republican in politics,
but does not care to take a very active part in the political life of
the town, though the value of his citizenship is never questioned. He
proved his loyalty by his conduct during the war. He was then often in
the midst of very hotly contested battles, and of one of these the
history of his regiment states that five hundred and twelve men went
into the fight, and in two hours and twenty minutes, two hundred and
forty-eight of them had been slain by the enemy or severely wounded,
and twenty-six were taken prisoners.
