Springfield-Greene
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COL. THOMAS CALVIN LOVE. A cheerful and hopeful disposition is a trait of character much to be admired, much to be desired, and one that with most men needs to be cultivated and enlarged. It is absolutely necessary to success in any pursuit in life for man to be hopeful and resourceful. He must not only believe that "all things work together for good," but also have confidence in himself, that he has the ability to bring things to pass. It is easy to be good and cheerful when everything is, running smoothly, when everything seems to be prosperous, when a man is flourishing and spreading himself like a green bay tree. How easy it is then to appear cheerful and happy, but it is often quite another story when the day of adversity comes, the hour of difficulty, failure and disappointed hopes. A man who has endeavored to remain cheerful, optimistic and courageous in both sunshine and storm as he has traversed the winding path of life during his three score and ten years is Thomas. Calvin Love, during his active life a gallant soldier, successful farmer and stock raiser and faithful public servant now living retired in Springfield.
Mr. Love has descended from a fine ancestry of military men and people of the right quality. He was born in what is now Webster county, Missouri, near the town of Seymour, May 17, 1844, and is a son of Thomas Bell and Elizabeth (Barnard) Love. The father was born in Hayward county, North Carolina, on December 27, 1798, and was a son of Gen. Thomas and Martha (Dillard) Love. The mother was born September 27, 1774. Gen. Thomas Love, born November 16, 1776, was a native of Ireland from which country he emigrated to America when a young man and located in North Carolina, and while living there the Revolutionary war began. He unhesitatingly joined in the struggle of the colonists for independence. He was a brave and efficient soldier and for meritorious conduct was promoted until he received a colonel's commission and was given command of a North part of the Carolina regiment. After the war he moved to what is now a part of the state of Tennessee, where he became an officer of the state of Franklin, which was created by an act of the Legislature of the state of North Carolina, and later repealed and made Tennessee. But the governor of the former state refused to obey the ruling of the Legislature of North Carolina, and Gen. Thomas Love, then a general of militia, commanded the troops that captured the obstinate governor of Franklin. General Love served thirty consecutive years in the Legislature of Tennessee. He was speaker of the house during a number of terms. He was during that long period one of the best known and most influential men of Tennessee, and was admired as an army officer a statesman and broad-minded citizen. Perhaps no man did more for the early development of the state in general than he. His long life was spent f or the most part in the service f or others, and he passed away at an advanced age about the year that the subject of this sketch was born. He married a Miss Dillard in Tennessee, and to them nine children were born. His eldest son Robert, born December 31, 1789, was a colonel during the war of 1812 and fought under Gen. Andrew Jackson at the great battle of New Orleans. Thomas B. Love, father of our subject, grew up on the General's plantation in Tennessee and there received such educational advantages as the early-day schools afforded, and he remained in his native state until 1842, when he came to what is now Webster county, Missouri, where he entered six hundred acres of land from the government, which he cleared, improved and on which he established the permanent home of the family, and this land was retained by his children until 1910, when it was sold by our subject. When he was a lad, Thomas B. Love went with a party to assist in provisioning General Jackson's troops on their march back from New Orleans after the close of the war of 1812, and Robert Love, who was a colonel in that army, gave his sword to his younger brother, Thomas B. This highly prized heirloom was stolen from the Love home during the Civil war. Mr. Love did not live to enjoy his new home in the Ozarks long—ten years—dying in 1852. Politically, he was a Democrat and while he was active in party affairs would never accept public office. He owned a lock of General Jackson's hair, which his son, our subject, has sent back to Tennessee, to form a part of the collection of the Historical Society, of that state. Thomas B. Love was an extensive farmer and he owned about twenty-five slaves at the time of his death. He always saw that they had comfortable quarters, were well cared for and was considerate of their every welfare. His wife, Elizabeth Barnard, was born in Buncombe county, North Carolina in the year 1800. To these parents nine children were born. Their oldest son died of measles while on the march to Mexico with the army back in the forties, he having been first lieutenant in a company organized in Springfield, Missouri. The mother was left with a family of small children, which she reared in comfort and respectability. She reached the age of sixty-nine years, dying in 1869.
Thomas C. Love, of this review, grew to manhood on the home farm in Webster county and there received a very meager education in the district schools, but he was preparing to enter college at Columbia, Missouri, when the Civil war began and interfered with his plans. He at once cast his services with the Confederacy, enlisting in July, 1862, in Company F, Third Missouri Cavalry, under General Marmaduke. He was in Arkansas during the early part of the war, and before his enlistment was captured by the Federals and held in jail at Batesville, that state, for five weeks. He proved to be a faithful and brave soldier and saw considerable hard service. On September 10, 1863, while in an engagement near Little Rock, Arkansas, he was shot through the lung and he still carries the bullet in his body. While in the hospital from this wound he was captured by the enemy, but later exchanged and rejoined his command at Camden, that state. He was in engagements at Poison Springs, Jenkins' Ferry, Leg Village, Pine Bluff, all in Arkansas, and the Big Blue in Missouri, and was on the retreat with General Marmaduke when, the latter was captured, but our subject escaped by swimming Mines creek in Kansas, and rejoined his regiment and after a few skirmishes, surrendered with the entire army of the Trans-Mississippi department, at Shreveport, Louisiana, June 8, 1865.
After his discharge from the army Mr. Love went to Texas, where he rented a plantation and devoted his attention to raising cotton for three years, returning to his home in Webster county, Missouri, in 1869, and began farming on the home place, carrying on general farming and stock raising, in fact, traded extensively in live stock, and prospered with advancing years until he became one of the leading farmers of that county. He continued general farming and dealing in live stock until 1892, when he turned his farm into an apple orchard which was fairly successful. He moved to Springfield in 1883 in order to give his children proper educational advantages, but in 1899 moved back to the farm and lived there twelve years, then sold out and returned to Springfield, purchased a good home in which he now lives retired.
Politically, Mr. Love is a Democrat and had been a leader in his party in his earlier years, and he served as representative from Webster county in the state Legislature from 1882 to 1884, in a manner that was highly creditable to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. Among the notable things which he did while in that office was his assistance in securing the passing of a bill appropriating twelve thousand and five hundred dollars to rebuild the court house and jail at Marshfield, which were destroyed by the cyclone of 1880. From 1885 to 1899 he was deputy collector of internal revenue in Springfield, giving the government satisfaction in every respect. In 1893 he was appointed postmaster at Springfield, and served four years with his usual fidelity to duty, which elicited the hearty commendation of the people and the post office department at Washington.
Mr. Love in his fraternal relations is a member of the Masonic order and the Grange, being for some time quite active in the work of the latter. He is a member of Campbell Camp No. 488, United Confederate Veterans. He is active in the affairs of the same and has been commander of the local camp twice, being the only man ever re-elected to the place, and on September 17, 1914, Mr. Love was elected brigadier-general of the Western Brigade, Missouri Division of Mounted Confederate Veterans.
Mr. Love was married, November 5, 1865, to Sallie J. Rogers, who was born in Texas county, Missouri, November 26, 1846. Her people were refugees to Texas during the Civil war. The death of Mrs. Love occurred May 20, 1912, at Mt. Pleasant, Texas, but was brought to Springfield, where he rests in the beautiful Maple Park cemetery. She was a faithful life companion, devoted to her home and family and was beloved by her many friends for her numerous excellent traits of character.
Seven children, all sons, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Love, five of whom are living at this writing, namely: Dr. Joseph W. Love, a specialist of the eye, ear, nose and throat, of Springfield, was for some time in the medical department of the United States army in the Philippine islands; Dr. Robert B. of Springfield, is one of the leading veterinary physicians of southern Missouri; Thomas B. is a prominent attorney of Dallas, Texas; Ralph M. is a successful banker at Mt. Pleasant, Texas; Edgar P. has built up a large business as a manufacturer in Dallas, Texas.
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