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HARDY F. M. COUNCIL, farmer, Fancy Creek township, was born in Fancy Creek township, on the place where he now resides, February 10, 1841. Son of William Council, who was born in Tarboro, North Carolina, October 1, 1790, and Mary Growes, of East Tennessee, born June 15, 1802. They were married in White County, Illinois, in 1819, where one child was born, and moved to Sangamon county in 1821, and located north of Springfield, and kept the ferry on the Sangamon river, near where Carpenter's mill now stands. There was a family of twelve children, nine of whom lived to be adults. Shortly after coming to the county, he bought a claim of Jack Cline, which had ten acres broke, and built a cabin, beginning at the lowest round of the ladder, worked up, until he had accumulated a fine property, where he remained until his death, which occurred July 8, 1846.
Mother died January 25, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Council were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and received academic school education. In 1870, married Miss Charity Ray, daughter of James and Susannah Ray, natives of Ohio, born January 22, 1849. There were three children, one of whom is living - Mary Frances, born November 9, 1879. In 1862, enlisted in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After breaking camp at Springfield, they went to Memphis, where they remained a short time. He participated in the battle of Jackson, Miss., Vicksburg, Black River, second battle of Jackson, and was on all of the marches and fights of the regiment, with the exception of Guntown; at that time was in the hospital in Memphis. Mustered out at Vicksburg and discharged and paid off at Springfield. Mr. Council has two hundred acres of land, one hundred and sixty under
cultivation, valued at $75 per acre.