A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 985-986
Jeremiah B. Hobson, of Clay Township, Hendricks County, Ind., and a highly respected citizen, has one of the largest war records of any soldier in Hendricks County. He was born on the farm where he now lives, December 22, 1845, the son of Eli W. and Amassa (Bray) Hodson. In November, 1831, Eli W. Hodson came from Guilford County, N.C., with his father, Jesse Hodson, who was one of the original pioneers of this county. Eli W. Hodson inherited the farm in 1837, and on this farm our subject still resides. He had four wives. He first married Amassa Bray, to whom were born eight children: Henry, Jesse, John, James, Jereimiah b., Noah, Eli and Matthew. The second wife, Mary Catherine Thrall, bore him one son. The third wife, Martha Riggin, bore him two children who died during infancy. The fourth wife, Nancy Keeley, bore him no children. Mr. Hodson lived to be seventy-three years old and died near Spencer, Owen County, Ind. He had three sons in the Civil War: Jeremiah B., Jesse B. and Eli B. Jesse was in the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Indiana Infantry, was a private and served seven months. Eli was in the same regiment with Jeremiah B.—Company C, Fifty-first Indiana Infantry—and served two years and three months.
Jeremiah B. Hodson received the common school education of his day and was reared to farming. He also became a general mechanic and is able to work at almost any trade, being especially a good carpenter, brick layer and painter.
Mr. Hodson was not yet sixteen years of age when he enlisted at Indianapolis and was enrolled November 2, 1861, in Company C, Fifty-first Regiment Indiana Infantry, under Capt. James W. Sheets and afterward Capt. Aaron Dooley of this county. He served until December 31, 1863, and re-enlisted as a veteran in the same organization and served until honorably discharged January 12, 1866, at Indianapolis, having served four years, two month, and eleven days, making one of the longest records of any soldier from this county. He was in the battles of Stone River, Nashville, and Buell's retreat, and at the battle of Franklin and in many skirmishes. He was at the battle of Day's Gap, Crooked Run, and Blunt's farm, Dalton, Tenn., and at Pulaski, Tenn., was in several hard skirmishes; he was also at the battle of Columbia; he was in Col. Straight's raid, part of his regiment being mounted infantry, the soldiers obtaining their horses from the surrounding country. While on this raid, after the first attack by the rebels at Day's Gap, it was one continual running fight night and day for six days. Col. Straight was forced to surrender at Rome, Ga., and Mr. Hodson was taken prisoner with the others and sent to Belle Isle, where he was a prisoner fifteen days. This island was really an annex to Libby prison and was a sand bar in the James River. Mr. Hodson was finally paroled with the remainder of his command and shortly after exchanged at Indianapolis. After a short furlough home he was on guard duty at Indianapolis, the officers of the regiment still being prisoners. After this Mr. Hodson was at the battle of Nashville and in many severe skirmishes. In July, 1865, the regiment was sent to Texas and served at San Antonio and Green Lake until December 13, 1865, when they were mustered out. Mr. Hodson had been an active soldier all this time and was never wounded nor sick in hospital, and always performed his duty cheerfully and promptly, and although sunstruck at Chattanooga, Tenn., remained with his regiment. He yet suffers from the effects of this trouble and is much debilitated, at forty-nine years of age his hair and beard being almost as white as snow. He was also sick with malaria and fever, and his strong constitution shattered. He belongs to a very long-lived family. His maternal grandfather, Jeremiah Wilson, of Virginia, lived to be over one hundred years of age. On Mr. Hodson's return from the war he resumed farming and mechanical pursuits. He married, in Clay Township, Emily C., daughter of Willis and Savannah (Cutbirth) Haggard, and settled on the old home farm and here he still lives. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hodson are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, in which he has been deacon and clerk for seven years. He is also a member of the G.A.R., Reuben Masten post No. 431, at Amo, of which he is chaplain. He is now one of the few ex-soldiers who receive no pension, as he made no application until recently.