A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 1055-1056
Capt. James P. Catterson, a prominent farmer of Brown Township, Hendricks County, Ind., is of Irish descent. His grandfather, James Catterson, emigrated from Ireland about 1774 and located in Virginia, and later in Pennsylvania. His grandfather's wife is supposed to have been a sister of Patrick Henry. They were married and four children were born to them in Ireland. After some years the children went to Kentucky, where they married. James Catterson, son of above, and father of our subject, was born in Ireland, in Donegal County. He married Sarah Wyant, of Kentucky, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Wyant, the former of whom was a slave-owner and planter and who became the father of the following children: Cyrus (deceased) Zerelda, Emerine, James P., Sarah (deceased), George, Elizabeth, Mary, Robert, Margaret (deceased).
Robert Catterson was a soldier in the late Civil War in Company A, Fourteenth Regiment, Indiana Infantry. He was wounded in the battle of Antietam and soon as he recovered he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Ninety-seventh Indiana Volunteers. He led the charge at Jackson, Miss., and was promoted to brigadier general and honorably discharged with the rank of brevet major general. The father and mother of subject were married in Owen County, Ky., lived there some ten years, and then emigrated to Marion County, Ind., in the fall of 1832, where they owned 160 acres of land, cleared it up and made a nice home, all by hard work. The father was a Jackson Democrat in politics, but afterward, when Jackson vetoed the bank law, he voted with the old-line Whig Party. He was a deacon of the Missionary Baptist Church many years and a charter member of Lick Creek Church, and aided in building the old hewed log structure. He lived to see much improvement made in the county, and died April 5, 1841, the wife dying January, 1873.
James P. Catterson, our subject, was born in Owen County, Ky., March 20, 1827, and was four years old when his father emigrated to Marion County, Ind. He has seen the county develop to its present high state of cultivation from its primitive state. He attended the old log school-house of the pioneer fathers, and later attended the old academy at Lebanon, Ind., and secured a license to teach. He enlisted in May, 1847, for the Mexican War, in Company D, Fourth Indiana Infantry; went down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, thence on a sailing vessel to the Rio Grande; then to Vera Cruz; then marched several hundred miles and participated in the battle of Hulamantola, on October 9, 1847; next was at the Pueblo fight, on the 12th of October, in which they withstood all of Santa Anna's troops. On the 18th of October he fought at Acleso, and on the 22nd at Clasdelier. Our subject had traveled several hundred miles, had seen much active service, and was honorably discharged, July 16, 1848. He married Emarine McKee, daughter of William and Jane McKee, early settlers of Trimble County, Ky., but who came to Marion County, Ind., in 1848. Our subject's children are named Buena Z., Hulda, Alva R. (deceased), Minnie R. (deceased), Elzena F., James S., Lou Etta, Cora M., Sallie N., Emma F. (deceased), Elizabeth J. (deceased), India McKee. James, Lou Etta and Emma F. attended Danville Normal College, and have all taught some years. Our subject has served two terms as township trustee. He is a stanch Republican, with strong prohibition proclivities. He and wife are devout Methodists, and his family aid the church financially very largely. He owns 100 acres of fine farm land—as good as any in the township—and has a good house and two barns. Mr. Catterson enlisted, June 7, 1862, in Company F, Seventy-ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and was in the campaigns of Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, taking part in the battles of Crab Apple Orchard, Perryville, Murfreesboro (in which he was badly wounded in the right foot); he was captured at Harper's Shoals, paroled, and afterward exchanged. His next battle was at Mission Ridge. He next was placed in charge of batteries Sixth Ohio, Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, Capt. Bridges' battery of Chicago, and First Missouri artillery from St. Louis, located at Chattanooga. In forming the company, our subject was elected second lieutenant, and was afterward promoted to the first and later to captain. He was the first new captain appointed in his regiment. He was honorably discharged May 4, 1864. He is member of the G.A.R., post 241, Brownsburg, and a member of the F. & A.M. He is one of the progressive and enterprising citizens of Hendricks County.