friend expressed confidence that he should sleep in Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life. The wife that is left to mourn, and the five little children that are left fatherless, shall have our sympathy, our aid, and our prayers." Upon the expiration of William C. McMichael's second term the two offices were divided, and an officer elected to attend to the duties of each separately. CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. William C. McMichael was elected clerk of the circuit court in September, 1855, and served for two years. John R. Casson succeeded Mr. McMichael, being elected in November, 1857, and serving a like term. He is the present county clerk. In November, 1859, W. S. Purdy was elected clerk of the circuit court. In 1861, 1863 and 1865 he was re-elected, serving eight years in all. H. N. Preus succeeded Mr. Purdy, by the election in November, 1867, and served one term. He afterwards became register of deeds. In November, 1869, P. J. Layne was elected clerk of the circuit court, and being re-elected in 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879 and 1881, is the present incumbent. P. J. Layne is the efficient clerk of the circuit court, of Vernon county. He is a son of James H. Layne, who came to Viroqua in the spring of 1854. A personal sketch of this worthy pioneer will be found in this work. P. J. Layne was born in Floyd county in the grand old commonwealth of Kentucky, noted for its fine horses, beautiful women and large quantity and excellent quality of its whiskey. He was but eight years of age when his parents removed to Wisconsin, and he was mostly reared and educated in his adopted county. When a young man, he was elected town clerk, and served as such a number of terms. In the fall of 1869, he was elected clerk of courts of Vernon county, and his long continuance in this position is satisfactory evidence of his ability and faithfulness as a county officer. In 1872 Mr Layne married Alice Gor don, born in Grant Co., Wis., and daughter of John H. Gordon, who was one of the pioneers of Grant county, but now deceased. Mrs. Layne bore her husband two children, and departed this life in 1868. His present wife was Alvira Meade, a native of Waukesha, Wis., and daughter of Henry Meade. She is the mother of one child. Mr. Layne is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for years has been an active temperance worker. COUNTY CLERK OR CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, Upon the division of the offices of county clerk and clerk of the circuit court in September, 1855, A. K. Burrell was elected to the office of county clerk. Mr. Burrell came from New York in 1852 and settled upon a piece of school land in the town of Viroqua, south of the village. He tried to farm but soon gave it up and moved to the village. After serving his term of office he was deputy sheriff for some time; then went into the office of Graham & Terhune to read law, and was elected and served one term as justice of the peace. In 1875 he went to Kansas where he again tried farming but soon gave it up and is now in the grocery trade at Hutchinson. Samuel McKitrick was elected county clerk in November, 1857, and served two years. Samuel McKitrick came from Morgan Co., Ohio, in 1856 and settled with his family in the village of Viroqua. He was a carpenter and builder. He lost his first wife, and married his second wife in Viroqua, remaining until about 1861 when he went to La Crosse and there followed his trade. Subsequently he returned to Vernon county and settled at Readstown, where he started a little. steam saw mill. He has since moved west. John M. Bennett was elected county clerk in November, 1859, and being re elected several times served until Jan. 1, 1867. John M. Bennett, now of Viroqua, settled in the town of Hillsborough in 1856. He was born at Stockbridge, Windsor Co., Vt., where he lived until he settled in Vernon county. Mr. Bennett was brought up on a farm also teaching school while In November, 1866, John R. Casson was elected county clerk. He has been re-elected seven times-in 1869, 1871, 1873, 1975, 1877, 1879 and 1881, and is the present incumbent, having served the county a greater number of years than any other man who has ever held office here. that glorious review of western troops at Washington, at the close of the rebellion, and was mustered out of service June 7, 1865. He returned to Vernon county, and was in the employ of J. H. Tate, as a clerk, from September, 1865, till December, 1866. In the fall of the latter year he was elected to his present position, and his character and actions as a citizen, a soldier, and a public official, have won for him the confidence and esteem of the community and the county at large. Mr. Casson married Lydia A., daughter of Dr. E. W. Tinker, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. They are the parents of four children Harry I., a clerk in the pension department of the United States, at Washington, D. C. ; Lulu E., wife of A W. Campbell, of the law firm of Harris & Campbell, Aberdeen, Dak.; William E. and John E.-all natives of Viroqua. SHERIFF. John R. Casson was first elected county clerk in November, 1866, and has served continuously in that capacity since Jan. 1, 1867. Mr. Rufus Gillett was the first sheriff of the Casson was born in Albany, N. Y., March 2, county, being elected in April, 1851. Rufus 1833. His parents, Henry and Mary Casson, Gillett came from Illinois, in 1847, and settled removed with their family to Brownsville, upon a farm in township 13, range 4, now the Penn., in the summer of 1833, and in 1848 town of Viroqua. He remained upon the place again sought a new home, this time in the "far until the time of his death, a few years ago, west." They located at Hennepin, Putnam and his widow still survives him. Mr. Gillett Co., Ill., where the father, brother and sister was a man of sterling worth and integrity. still live; the mother died in 1872. When He held the respect of all who knew him. thirteen years of age Mr. Casson obtained em- James M. Bailey was elected sheriff in ployment as a clerk, and was engaged alter-November, 1851, and re-elected in November, nately in clerking and attending school for some years. He finally went to Freeport, Ill., and a short time after, in December, 1854, came to Viroqua. He was employed as a clerk until August, 1862, when he enlisted in company A, 25th regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Upon the organization of the company, Mr. Casson was made 2d sergeant; was promoted to a 2d lieutenantcy Sept. 13, 1862; elected as 1st lieutenant, Jan. 20, 1864, and chosen as captain of his company April 11, 1865. He participated in all the skirmishes and battles of "the 25th," "and with Sherman marched down to the sea." He formed one in 1853. Bailey was In September, 1855, Jeremiah M. Rusk was elected sheriff and served for two years. He is the present governor of Wisconsin. William P. Clark succeeded J. M. Rusk as sheriff, being elected in November, 1857. Clark was a relative of, and came from the same place as did J. M. Bailey. He, also, settled upon West Prairie, and remained until about the time the war broke out, when he removed to Victory. In 1882 he went to Tomah, Wis., where he still lives. By the November election, 1859, William Goode succeeded Mr. Clark. Goode was a native of Kentucky. He came to Bad Ax county from Illinois, in 1852, and located upon land in township 13, range 5 west. He was a single man at the time, but married within a few years. Several years later he bought the old Decker place, which was the original site of the village, and moved to Viroqua. He remained in Viroqua until a short time before the war broke out, when he removed to Mel vina, Monroe county, where he still lives. Goode was a prominent man in early days, and held various offices of trust. Lewis Sterling was elected sheriff in November, 1861, and served two years. Mr. Sterling was also a Kentuckian, and one of the earliest pioneers of western Wisconsin. He located upon a piece of land on West Prairie, now included in the town of Sterling, which town was named after the family of that name. Lewis Sterling remained upon the land which he first selected until after the close of the war, when he sold out and removed to Cass Co., Mo., where he still lives. He was a man of a great deal more than ordinary ability and intelligence. In fact, in pioneer days, he was among the most prominent men in the county. C. E. Rogers was elected sheriff in November, 1863. Mr. Rogers was born in Wayne Co., Penn., in 1834. In 1840 he came west to Wisconsin and settled at Ontario, now in Vernon county, where he was subsequently engaged in milling. When the war broke out he enlisted in company I, 6th Wisconsin regiment, and became lieutenant, serving as aid to Gen. Wadsworth In the summer of 1863, he resigned, came home and was elected sheriff. He soon abandoned the office, raised a company for the 50th regiment, and went into the service as captain. In 1866 he was mustered out and settled at Monomonee, Wis. He now lives at Chippewa Falls, where he is foreman for the Mississippi Valley Lumber Company. C. E. Rogers was married in 1856 to Emily Tuttle. They have seven children. In November, 1865, Capt. R. S. McMichael was elected sheriff and served for two years. He is the present postmaster at Viroqua, and is noticed elsewhere at length. T. B. Brown succeeded Capt. McMichael as sheriff, being elected in November, 1867. Mr. Brown came from Ohio in 1854 and settled upon a farm in what is now the town of Greenwood, Vernon county. Subsequently he moved to Viroqua, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred in 1881. Mr. Brown was among the most respected of old settlers. He was a prominent man; ran the postoffice during the war, and served as sheriff of the county more years than any other man who has ever filled the office. In November, 1869, W. W. Lowrie was elected sheriff. W. W. Lowrie came from the State of New York, and in 1855 located upon a piece of land in the town of Jefferson, Vernon county. He was a single man at the time, but later married Mrs. Shaw. When he was elected to office he moved to town, where his home remained until the time of his death, which occurred while he was at LaCrosse, Sept. 19, 1870. His disease was contracted while he was in the army. He had a gallant soldier's record. He was in the At Shiloh he Chicago board of trade battery. was the only man who stayed uninjured with the guns, and with the repulse of the enemy, he arose, and without any help loaded a cannon and sent a shot flying after the rebels. Upon the death of Mr. Lowrie, deputy sheriff Nathan Coe, of Viroqua, became sheriff exofficio until the November election, 1870, when he was elected for 'he balance of the term. In November, 1871, T B. Brown was again elected sheriff, and served for three years, the |