JAMES GORDON SLOAN, M. D., one of the leading popular physicians of Washington county, was born at Frankfort, Beaver Co., Penn., January 18, 1841. His paternal and maternal ancestors were from the North of Ireland. His paternal grandparents, James Sloan and wife, came from County Tyrone, Ireland, to Washington county, Penn., in 1801, and settled on a farm near West Middletown, in Hopewell township, where they passed the rest of their pioneer lives, dying at an advanced age. They were Presbyterians of the Covenanter school. Their children who reached the age of maturity were Jane (who died unmarried), Robert (who married, but had no children), James (father of our subject), Eliza (married, but had no children), and John C. (married, and had six children; he was prominent in politics, and represented Washington county in the Legislature; was also a prominent farmer).
James Sloan, son of James the pioneer of the family, was born on the old homestead farm of his father, in Hopewell township. He was twice married, first in 1832, to Miss Sarah Lindsey, by whom he had one daughter, who became the wife of R. C. McIlvain, of Somerset township, Washington county, a cousin of Judge John A. McIlvaine. Mrs. Sarah Lindsey Sloan dying one year after her marriage, her bereaved husband, for his second wife, was united in marriage in 1840 with Miss Margaret Gordon, by which union there were two children: James G., and Martha A., the latter of whom died at the age of nine years.
James Gordon Sloan was educated in the common school of Mordecai Hoge, in Somerset township, Washington Co., Penn., then attended the academy of Hon. John C. Messenger, at Hoge's Summit. In 1859 he entered Jefferson College, Canonsburg, graduating therefrom August 7, 1862. On August 13, same year, he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Capt. John Fraser, professor of mathematics in Jefferson College. Our subject served until the close of the war, having participated in the battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, and was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee to Gen. Grant. His credentials from his company, regimental, divisional and corps commanders Capt. Bingham, Brevet Brig.-Gen. Fraser, Gen. John C. Caldwell, Division Commander and Maj.-Gen. W. S. Hancock all testify to his faithful service and bravery as a soldier. At the close of the war he received an appointment in the Interior Department, Land Office Bureau, at Washington, where he remained four years. He read medicine with Dr. Johnson Eliott, of Washington, D. C., attended medical lectures at Georgetown College, Washington, D. C., and graduated in 1869. The Doctor first began the practice of his profession in Fayette City, Fayette Co., Penn., and in 1874 removed to Monongahela, where he has been actively and successfully engaged in the practice of medicine.
On July 5, 1866, Dr. Sloan was married to Miss Carrie M. Hamilton, who was born near Munntown, Washington Co., Penn., daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth (Bushager) Hamilton, who were members of the Presbyterian Church at Pigeon Creek, of which Mr. Hamilton was a ruling elder a number of years. Dr. and Mrs. Sloan have one daughter, Margaret Gordon, wife of Dr. W. W, Medill, a graduate of Washington College, now a practicing physician in Denver, Colo. Dr. Sloan is one of the pension surgeons for Washington county.
Text taken from page 132 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed April 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]