Matthew K. Pynn and
Phebe Ann Pynn appeared on the census of 1870 in Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin.
5 His wife, Phebe, died on 12 December 1873 at age ~45, leaving him a widower.
MATTHEW K. PYNN, a prominent fanner of Jackson County, was born in Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, May 25,1827, the son of Edward Pynn, who was born in Muscato, same country, March 29, 1804. He came to this country June 6, 1849, locating in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He followed the life of a sailor in Newfoundland for twenty years, after which he followed various other pursuits, and also held several minor offices in his county. He died in Waukesha County, at the age of seventy-two years. He was a well-to-do man, and was a member of the Episcopalian Church. His father, Thomas Pynn, was a native of the same country, and was also a sailor all his life. Our subject's mother, nee Anna Karney, was born in Harbor Grace in 1806, and died at the age of eighty years, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Matthew and Anna (Garland) Karney, the former a native of England, and the latter of Ireland, and both died at an advanced age. The father was a merchant and ship-owner, and was a very prominent man. Mr. and Mrs. Pynn were the parents of thirteen children, viz.: Matthew K., Edwin J., Angelena, George, Edward, Julia, Kathrine, Anna, Mary, Arnold, Frances, and one who died in infancy. Edward J. and Julia are now deceased.
Matthew K., their eldest child, was reared and educated on a farm in Harbor Grace, and in 1843 began life as a sailor, and made six voyages, seal hunting on the coast of Labrador, and spent three summers on the coast of Labrador, coasting and trading among the Esquimaux. In 1849 he came to this country with his father, locating in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In 1852 he went to what is now called Waushara, where he took up a claim and afterward returned home to help his father harvest, but while he was away some parties "jumped" his claim, and he became disgusted and never returned to it again. He remained with his father most of the time until 1855, when he came to Jackson County, locating in the town of Melrose, where he worked in a saw-mill until 1860. In that year he bought sixty acres of land. August 11, 1862, he enlisted at North Bend as a private in the late war, in Company C, Thirtieth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was first ordered to St. Louis, where they joined the Sully expedition against the Sioux. They went up the Missouri River and helped to build Fort Rice. From the month of September, 1864, Mr. Pynn kept a diary of his important marches, thus: " September 11, marched eighteen miles, and camped on Cannon-Ball River, without tents. September 12, one wagon and a yoke of cattle were sent back to Fort Rice; marched eighteen miles and camped on Prairie Creek. Sore feet was the general complaint, and several of the boys gave out. September 13, marched twenty miles on Muddy Run, and September 14 marched fifteen miles and camped on Cannon-Ball River, where the cavalry killed some buffalo. September 15, marched twenty-one miles; camped on Bad Creek, in an Indian town named Wauka-paw-secha. September 16, Indians surprised our camp, and ran off sixteen horses. Again marched twenty miles, and camped on Cannon-Ball River. September 17, marched fifteen miles; September 18, eighteen miles, with neither wood nor water, and eighteen oxen gave out. September 19, marched eighteen miles, and saw many signs of Indians. September 20, broke camp at four o'clock A. M., marched twenty miles, and arrived at Captain Fisk's Corral. Captain Fisk had been captured by the Indians, and we were then going to his rescue, in which we succeeded, and took him back to Fort Rice. There we found orders from the War Department to build flat-boats and go down the river to St. Louis, thence to St. Joe, Missouri, next to Quincy, and then to Louisville. In December we were ordered to the battle of Nashville, where we were held in reserve."
Mr. Pynn received his discharge August 24, 1865, at Madison, Wisconsin. After the war Mr. Pynn commenced work on his farm at Melrose, where he now owns 185 acres in sections 22, 27 and 28, residing in the latter section. He carries on general farming and stock-raising, but gives especial attention to the rearing of Poland-China hogs. Politically he is a Republican, and was the first Constable elected in Melrose. He is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
He was married February 24, 1854, to Phoebe [sic, Phebe] A. Bullock, who was born in Attica, New York, in 1829, the daughter of Ebenezer and Huldah Bullock, natives of Wyoming County, New York. They came to Jackson County, Wisconsin, in an early day, where they subsequently died. Mrs. Pynn died at about forty-five years of age, leaving six children, namely: Eva, Carrie, Alice, Charlie, Anna and Lyle. Eva, Alice and Anna are now deceased. August 16, 1882, Mr. Pynn married Martha Robinson, who was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of John and Mary Robinson, natives of Maryland. They came to Greene County, Wisconsin, where the mother died. After her death the father came to Jackson County, where he also died.
Source: Biographical History of Clark and Jackson Counties Wisconsin 1891 [http://genealogytrails.com/wis/jackson/bios1891three.html].
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