Boone County, Missouri Genealogy Trails

BIOGRAPHIES

WRIGHT, GEORGE MATTHEW

The subject of this sketch was born in Boone County, Missouri, April 3d, 1839. He was the son of Wesley and Polly (Potts) Wright and was born upon the farm where he is now living. His father, Wesley Wright was born within five miles of Nashville, Tennessee, and came with his parents to Boone County, Missouri in 1819, where he lived until 1850, when he went to California. He died on his way home and was buried at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1852. Mrs. Wright, the mother of George M., was born in West Tennessee, in 1808, and came to Boone County, Missouri, when she was eight years of age. She died in 1879, and is buried at Hickory Grove Church (have a picture of the church taken in July 1998) George M. Wright was thrown upon his own resources when quite a child and right manfully did he fight the battle of his life. He went to school during the winter months, and in summer he worked to earn money for the next winter's schooling. He afterwards went two terms of nine months each, to Professors Hurt and M. G. Duncan, of Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri, taking a very liberal course, but declining health prevented his graduating as he had intended. He lived with and took care of his mother, more especially after the Negroes were freed. When the war brok eout he espoused the cause of the Confederacy and joined Captain Nimrod Norton's company, Clark's brigade. He was in the battles of Boonville, Fulton Races, Lone Jack, Pea Ridge, Drywood, Can Hill, Helena, Independence and many skirmishes. Under Gen. Joe Shelby, he was in several days continued fighting near Little Rock, Arkansas, fighting Gen. Steel's division U.S. troops. Mr. Wright was commissioned an officer to rank as Colonel, to raise a regiment in Missouri during Shelby's last raid, but the surrender of Lee in the following spring put an end to the war, and Col. Wright was mustered out and surrendered to Captain Cook. He returned home without a dollar and went to work upon the old place. He was married September 16, 1868, to Miss Minerva, daughter of Garland Sims, Esq. By this union they have six children, Garland Sims, Lena, Elizabeth, Wesley, George Walter and Ancil. The year he was married he moved to Audrain County, and lived there until the spring of 1879, when he moved back upon the old place. His house is on the north-east quarter of seciton 16, township 49, range 11, and his farm contains two hundred and seventy acres. Mr. Wright is an energetic, active business-man enjoying the confidence of all who know him.

Col. Geo. M. Wright after distinguished service in the confederate army, most of the time outside of Boone county and outside of Missouri, returned to Boone county after the war, where he resided for some years.
(The following was taken from the "History of Boone County" by William Switzler, 1882, submitted by Peggy Thompson-2009)