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EARLY SETTLERS OF SANGAMON COUNTY - 1876
By John Carroll Power

These biographies were submitted by a researcher and evidently abstracted from the 1876 History of Sangamon County, IL. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.




KNIGHT, MRS. ELIZABETH, whose maiden name was Bowen, sister to Zaza Bowen, was born Jan. 1, 1796, in Guilford county, N. C. She was married in that county to Abner Knight. They had two children there, and she and her husband, in company with her widowed mother and family, moved to Cabell county, West Va., where Mr. and Mrs. Knight had six children. Abner Knight died there, Dec. 17, 1838. Mrs. Knight, with six of her children, moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving April, 1839, in what is now Loami township. Of all her children--

EZEKIEL, born in North Carolina, left home in Virginia about the time the family came west. He went down the Mississippi river, and has never been heard of by the family since.

MINERVA, born Aug. 21, 1817, in North Carolina, married, May 26, 1837, in West Virginia, to Wm. F. Joy. They had seven living children in West Virginia, and came to Sangamon county in 1857, where one child was born. Of the eight children--JOHN W. married Elizabeth Hall. Mr. Joy enlisted, Aug., 1862, in Co. I, 73d Ill. Inf., for three years, was wounded at the battle of Perryville, brought home, and died. JAMES M. enlisted in Aug., 1862, in Co. I, 73d Ill. Inf., for three years. He was captured at the battle of Chickamauga. He was five weeks in Libby prison, at Richmond, five months at Danville, eleven months in Andersonville, with its usual bill of fare. He was released from that place, March 27, 1865, and honorably discharged, June 17, 1865, He married Amanda Hall, has one child, and lives in Loami township. WILLIAM E. enlisted Aug., 1862, in Co. I, 73d Ill. Inf., for three years, was wounded at the battle of Perryville, Ky., and discharged on account of physical disability. He married Celestine Cook, has two children, LETTIE MAY and WILLIE, and lives in Loami. JOSEPH O. enlisted Aug., 1862, for three years, in Co. I, 73d Ill. Inf., was wounded at the battle of Mission Ridge, Nov. 24, 1863, recovered, served full term, and was honorably discharged, June 24, 1865, at Springfield. He was married to Jane Baker. They have three children, and live near Loami. MARY E. married John D. Nevins, had two children, NELLIE and JOSEPH O., and Mr. Nevins died. His widow and child live with her mother. BUENA V. enlisted in 1863, for three years, in Co. I, 16th Ill. Cav., He was captured, and first put in Libby prison, was one winter at Belle Isle, taken thence to Andersonville, where he died, July 5, 1864. WIRT W., and ZAZA B., live with their mother. Wm. F. Joy died, March 17, 1873, and his widow resides two and one-half miles southwest of Loami, Sangamon county.

NANCY L., born Feb. 2, 1821, married Michael Cassity.

JAMES M., born Oct. 8, 1823, in West Virginia, married, Sept. 17, 1850, in Sangamon county, to Rachel Tilley. They have ten children--ZAZA B. lives near Loami. WILLIAM A. was married, April 5, 1876, to Mary Josephine Jarret, and live near Loami. LEROY G., JOHN M., SUSANNA, MARY A., LIZZIE M., JAMES M., NANCY J. and LYDIA; the seven latter live with their parents, one and one-half miles west of Loami, Sangamon county, Illinois.

SUSANNA, born in 1825, in Virginia, married Wm. Boyd, and died, leaving five children in Indiana.

ZAZA D., born in Virginia, died in Sangamon county, at twenty-six years of age.

ABNER W., born May 18, 1832, in Virginia, married in Sangamon county, Oct. 14, 1858, to Hepsey Nipper, who died, leaving one child, ALICE. Mr. Knight was married, Oct. 17, 1872, to Catharine R. Langston, who was born Aug. 17, 1851, in Mason county. They live near Mason City, Illinois.

WILLIAM, born in West Virginia, died in Sangamon county, aged twenty-two years.

Mrs. Elizabeth Knight resides with her son, James M., in Loami township--1874.




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