Finley O. Cummings
Company E and Field & Staff
1842-After 1881

FINLEY O. CUMMINGS, traveling salesman, Springfield; was born in Xenia Jan. 7, 1842; is the youngest son of Dr. James Cummings, who was a native of Virginia, and for a number of years a prominent physician of Xenia. The father having died, the family removed to Springfield in 1849. The mother, whose maiden name was Mary A. Moore, and who was a native of Maryland, now resides here with her son, being in the 69th year of her age.

The subject of this sketch was among the first to respond to the President's call for troops in 1861, and participated in the first Bull Run battle, being a member of the 2d O. V. I.; at the expiration of his three-months term, he enlisted for one year, and became a member of the 60th O. V. I., of which he was Sergeant Major, and which did service under Gen. Fremont in Virginia, the whole regiment being taken prisoners when their time was about to expire; after exchange, was discharged.

Mr. Cummings, in the meantime, had been promoted to 2d Lieutenant for meritorious conduct, but, having been discharged with his regiment, he re-enlisted as a private in the 44th O. V. I., which served as mounted infantry until January, 1864, when the regiment veteranized, and was organized as the 8th O. V. V. C., with which Mr. Cummings continued until July, 1864, at which time he was commissioned Adjutant of the 176th O. V. I.; after an acceptable service of about one year in this capacity, July 31, 1865, he received a commission from President Johnson as Captain and Assistant Adjutant General, in which capacity he served until November, 1865, when, there being no further need of the volunteer troop, he was honorably and finally discharged, having been in the service a little more than four years, during which he participated in many battles and received marked notice for his bravery and patriotism.

After his return to Springfield, he resumed his law studies, broken off by his enlistment, but which he never completed; finding commercial business more to his liking, in 1866 he became traveling salesman for Foos & Mullikin, manufacturers of furniture, and continued with them until January, 1873, when he accepted a traveling position with John Duer & Sons, of Baltimore, manufacturers and importers of cabinet hardware and upholsterers' goods, which position he has continued to fill acceptably, and he is now the Western representative of the firm.

Mr. Cummings is a member of the Masonic Lodge and Chapter of Springfield, and a gentleman of social and business culture. He married, in 1867, Miss Clara B. Woodward, of Greene County, who was a graduate of the Springfield Female Seminary; she died Feb. 9. 1868, and he again married, May 5, 1875, his wife being Miss Rachel, second daughter of Judge Littler, of this city; she is also a graduate of the seminary here, and possessed of valuable accomplishments as daughter, wife and mother; the issue of this union is one daughter-Kate Logan.

The History of Clark County, Ohio. Chicago, Illinois: W. H. Beers & Co., 1881, page 815-816.

This information was transcribed and posted on the Heritage Pursuit site.