Col. H. H. Neff was born near Eaton, Ohio on June 5, 1815.  Neff went to Eaton at 17 and learned the printer's trade.  He worked at the Sentinel at Liberty, Indiana.  From Liberty, he moved to Ft. Wayne where he worked on the first paper published there.  He settled in Winchester in 1838 and in 1843 started the first paper published in Randolph County, the Winchester Patriot.  He was in the legislature in 1847 and then served as Clerk of Randolph County.  Neff was active in the formation of the 124th Indiana Regiment and became Capt. of Company G, later major and then Colonel of the regiment.