MERRIMAN, ELIAS H.
, was born Jan. 20, 1802, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated at William and Mary College about 1820, and at the Baltimore Medical University soon after. He was married in Baltimore Aug. 16, 1822, to Susan H. Lavely, a sister to William Lavely. See his name. She was born Dec. 9, 1804, in that city. They had one child there, also. After practicing for a time in the vicinity of Baltimore, Dr. Merriman moved to St. Louis, Mo., and from there to Springfield, Ill., arriving in March, 1830. They had one child in St. Louis, and two in Springfield. Of their children--JAMES H., born Jan. 27, 1827, in Baltimore, Md., was raised in Springfield, Ill. He enlisted in Co. A, 4th Ill. Inf., in 1846, and was appointed by Col. E. D. Baker Sergeant-Major of the regiment, and served as such during the war with Mexico. He was appointed under President Taylor to a clerkship in the United States General Land Office, and was later appointed Lieutenant in the United States Revenue Service, in which he served about twenty-four years, the last twelve as Captain. He is now Inspector of the Life Saving Service, having charge of all the stations on the Atlantic coast, with headquarters in New York city--1876.
WILLIAM J. N., born Feb. 10, 1830, in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Springfield. In 1852, he went to California, and in 1855 went from there with Gen. Walker on his expedition to Central America, after which he returned to the United States. He now resides in Springfield, Ill.
ELLEN M., born May 1 1832, in Springfield, married in 1854 to Thomas H. Murphy, a native of Quebec, Canada. They moved in 1859 to New Orleans, and returned to Springfield in 1873. She resides with her mother, in Springfield.
Dr. E. H. Merriman was engaged in one of the campaigns of the Black Hawk war, and was bearer of dispatches from General Henry to General Atkinson. See page 85. He was in successful practice in Springfield for twenty years. In 1851 he went to San Francisco; spent four years there, and in 1855 went to Costa Rica, in search of coal. He had commenced mining, but the yellow fever breaking out among the men, he treated them successfully, but afterwards fell a victim to the disease himself, and died there on the Island of Cano, May 8, 1855. His widow resides in Springfield, Illinois.