A Portrait and Biographical Record of Boone Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind, page 374:

THOMAS J. McMURRAY. -It is seldom that the biographical historian of these modern days records the services of a veteran of the Mexican war, which occupied the attention of the American people in 1847-8. Thomas J. McMurray, the subject of this sketch, is one of the few veterans of that war yef living in Boone county. He is a practical farmer, a respected citizen and a native Indianian. A few words in regard to his ancestry, placed in this record, would be valued by his descendants. He is the second generation from the founder of his family, in America, his grandfather having first emigrated from Scotland to Ireland, where he settled in Donegal county, and where he died.

John McMurray, the father of out subject, was born in Donegal county, Ireland, and learned the weaver's trade. He came to America in 1819, and married in Nelson county, Ky. , Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Scraggs) Carr. Mr. Carr was a pioneer in Nelson county, Ky. , came from Ireland at the age of sixteen years, his parents having died on the passage. Mr. Carr and wife were the parents of Ruth, William, Lydia, Jane, Elizabeth, Joseph, John, Robert, James and Henry. Mr. Carr became a wealthy planter and slave owner. He lived to be seventy years of age and died in Nelson county, Ky. He was a devout member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was a leader. John McMurray settled in Owen county, Ind. , in 1822, and entered 160 acres of land in the woods. He had just cut a set of house logs when he sickened and died. He left one son, Thomas J., our subject. After the death of her husband, Mrs. McMurray took her infant son in her lap, and rode through the woods, horseback, to Nelson county, Ky. , a distance of 140 miles. This sturdy pioneer woman was undeterred by hardships and fatigue, which would daunt the strongest man at the present day. She afterward married, in Kentucky, Thomas R. Anderson, and they were the parents of Ruth A., William and Elizabeth, who are yet living, and James, Joseph, George, Sarah and Isaac, who are deceased. Mrs. Anderson was a member of the Presbyterian church, a woman of great force of character and many virtues.

Thomas J. McMurray, our subject, was born in Owen county, Ind., March 2, 1823, six weeks before the death of his father. He was reared by his mother and grandfather Carr, and was but two years and a half of age at the time of his mother's second marriage, and was taken by his mother to Owen county, Ind., where Mr. Anderson settled. As he grew up, much of the support of the family devolved upon him, and he had no opportunity of gaining any education. He remained with his mother and cared for her until he was twenty-three years old, when he began to work for himself. While in his twenty-fourth year, on June 4, 1847, he enlisted in company B, Fourth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, at Gosport, Owen county, under Capt. J. I. Alexander. The company went to Jeffersonville, Ind., in wagons, and thence down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in a steamboat to New Orleans. They left that city on July 9, by steamer, and on the 1 2th of that month the steamer blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, but was only partially disabled, and ran into Galveston, Tex. The troops were embarked on a steamer, which sailed to the mouth of the Rio Grande river and landed them in Mexico. Our subject served under Gen. Taylor, then under Gen. Scott, and afterward under Gen. Lane. He was in the battles of Huamantla, Pueblo, Atlixco and other battles. He served thirteen months and returned home with the troops. He was neither sick nor wounded, but was always in active duty as a faithful soldier. After six months' service with the infantry, he was transferred to the artillery, and was right gunner and number one rammer." During this service his right ear drum was burst by the discharge of the artillery, and he has ever since been totally deaf in one ear. On his return to Owen county, Ind., he married Christina, daughter of Francis K. and Presha (Hilton) Porter. Mr. Porter was a pioneer of Johnson county, Ind., born in New Hampshire, of English descent, and finally settled in Owen county, when he became a prosperous farmer. He and wife were the parents of four children: Christina, Lethanna, Verlinda and Presha E. Mr. Porter had been previously married to Margaret Glass. Their children were Julia A., Hiram, Sarah, Rhoda and Margaret H. (twins). Mr. Porter lived to be seventy-nine years old, and died in Owen county, Ind. He was a member of the Swedenborgian church. He was well educated and a prominent citizen. After marriage Mr. McMurray settled in Owen county, Ind., in 1850, and bought 250 acres of land in Illinois. In 1860 he moved to Johnson county, Ind.. and in 1879 he came to Boone county, Ind. He now owns 160 acres of land, being equally divided in Center and Harrison township. He and wife are the parents of nine children: Letha, Charles H., Mary P., John K., James H., Thomas J., Willis, Sarah and Lillis A. Mr. and Mrs. McMurray are members of the Christian church, in which he has been deacon many years. He votes the straight democratic ticket. Mr. McMurray has been a man of iron constitution, and worked with great industry to accumulate his property. He is an honest, straightforward man, with the bluff manners of the veteran soldier. Aided by his faithful wife, he has brought up a respectable family of children. Charles H. married Lovina Burton. He is a farmer in Kansas. They have six children. Mary F. married Joseph L. Mitchell, a farmer of Johnson county, Ind. They have six children. Letha married R. W. Burris, a farmer of Boone county. They have five children. Thomas J. married Lou Doty. He is a farmer, and they have six children. John married Savannah Lipps. He is a farmer and they have two children. Willis A. married Lizzie Mitchell. He is a farmer and they have three children. James H. married Mary F. McFadden. They are farmers and have three children. Lillis A. married James F. Mullen, a farmer.