President Harrison’s cousin.
John’s mother Elizabeth died when he was about 2 years old.

1920 Address: 1303 main, Hopkinsville, KY45

From Kentucky Biographes:


John W. Breathitt, was born in Hopkinsville in 1825 and died in 1912. He married Miss Katherine A. Webber, daughter of Dr. A. Webber, born in 1831 and died in 1910. John W. Breathitt, in early life, was a farmer and later a merchant. When the war came on, he entered the Union Army and rose to the rank of Major. He served throughout the war, a gallant soldier and a kind-hearted and chivalrous gentleman. After the war, his personal popularity made it an easy matter to be elected county court clerk, and he served in that office five terms of four years each. Following this service, he was county judge for eight years, and was postmaster of Hopkinsville under President Harrison, who was his cousin, and again under Presidents McKinley, Arthur and Roosevelt, and died in office. To him and his wife, Katherine Webber, were born the following children: Peyton S., Gus, Harvie W., James, Elizabeth, Caroline (Mrs. R. S. Green), John W., Jr., and Katherine (Mrs. Griffin). His two eldest sons were soldiers in the Union army. He was a member of the Baptist Church.

Historical Register and Dictionary of the US Army 1789-1903, Vol. 2: Alphabetical List of Officers of the Regular Army. (From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to 1903)
Who Were Killed or Wounded in Action or Taken Prisoner, With Date and Place.
B.
page 82
Breathitt, John W., maj 3 Ky cav.

Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the
Nineteenth Century.
page 143

BREATHITT, JOHN W., jurist, was born Jan. 9, 1825, in Hopkinsville, Ky. He has been postmaster of his native city; judge of Christian county; and has taken an active part in the public affairs of his city, county and state.

County of Christian, Kentucky. Historical and Biographical. Edited by William Henry Perrin. F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1884, pp. 345-346. (snippets split between James Breathitt and his son John W.)

JOHN W. BREATHITT is a native of the county, and descends from one of the old and noted families of Kentucky. Until (the death of his father in) 1839, John W. received the benefits of the Hopkinsville public schools. After the death of his father he went to North Bend, Ohio, to live with his uncle, John C. Short.

Here he attended Cary's Academy, from which he entered the preparatory department of the Kenyon College, where he completed his studies. He afterward studied law, but was never admitted to the bar. For a time he followed farming, later engaged in merchandising. September 1, 1861, he entered the Federal Army as Captain of Company A, Third Kentucky Cavalry. On the 27th of May, 1863, he was promoted to Major of the First Battalion, which position he held until mustered out at Savannah, Ga., at the close of the war. He took active part in many engagements, among which were Pittsburg Landing, Stone River, Lookout Mountain and the fighting incident to the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's march to the sea.

In 1874 he was elected to the office of County Clerk of Christian County, which he has held continuously since, assisted by his sons Augustine and Harvie W. Breathitt. He is a Royal Arch Mason and member of the Baptist Church. On the 12th of November, 1847, he married Catherine A. Webber, daughter of Dr. A. Webber, of whom mention is made elsewhere. Their family consists of Peyton S., Augustine, Harvie W., James, John W. Jr., Elizabeth S., Mary C. and Catherine A. Breathitt.

1850 census reports a worth of $5000, but no ability to read or write.
Also indicates that Ellen R. Ewing age 19 and Mary E Ewing age 17 are living with this family.

From Perrin’s book pp.1849
“Shortly after this Capt. John W. Breathitt organized a company of cavalry, which was mustered into services at Calhoun, Ky., for a period of three years, and assigned to duty December 13, 1861, as Company A, Third Kentucky Cavalry, under Col. James S. Jackson.
...
Immediately after organization this company, together with the others, onder command of the gallant Jackson, was assigned to Gen. T. L. Crittenden’s division, marched to Nashville, Tenn., and participated in the battles of Sacramento, Ky., Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, and Pea Ridge, Miss., New Market, Ala., Kinderhook, Chaplin Hills, Stone River, Tenn., and Chickamaurga, Ga.”