IRWIN, SAMUEL L., born June 6, 1779, in Cabarras county, N. C. Rachel Hudson was born Oct. 15, 1785, in Rockingham county, Va. She was taken by an uncle to Cabarras county, N. C., where she was married Sept. 23, 1802, to Samuel L. Irwin. They had ten living children born in North Carolina, and in the fall of 1818 the family moved to that part of Tennessee then called the Cherokee purchase, where one child was born. The family moved to what became Sangamon county, Ill., arriving April 20, 1820, and first pitched their tents in what is now the northeast part of Pleasant Plains. After a few months' stay, they moved about two miles down Richland creek, at the south side, where four children were born. Of their fifteen children--

HANNAH, born July 11, 1803, in North Carolina, married in Sangamon county to William Miller. They had eight children; three died young. Four of the living are married, namely: FRANCIS, VIRGIL, JANE and SARAH. Hugh is unmarried, and lives with his mother. Mr. Miller died in Feb., 1870, and his widow resides in Morgan county.

MARY, born Jan. 10, 1805, in North Carolina, married in Sangamon county to Samuel Purvines. See his name.

JANE, born June 26, 1806, in North Carolina, died in Sangamon county Jan. 15, 1832.

DEBORAH, born Nov. 7, 1807, in North Carolina, married in Sangamon county to Miles Stevenson. See his name.

WILLIAM C., born Feb. 7, 1809, in North Carolina, married in Sangamon county to Matilda Plunkett. They had eight children. NANCY J., born Sept. 13, 1833, married Daniel Penny, and died Jan. 19, 1863. CHRISTOPHER C., born Sept. 4, 1835, married Jan. 25, 1858, to Lucinda C. Capps, who was born April 1, 1841, in Hardin county, Ky. They have three living children, WILLIAM C., ELMER E. and EVA MAY, and live two miles east of Pleasant Plains. MARTHA married Elder C. C. Purvines. See his name. RUFUS R. and ELIZABETH J. live with their mother. SAMUEL G., born Feb. 20, 1844, enlisted in 1862 for three years, in Co. F, 114th Ill. Inf. He was captured June 10, 1864, at the battle of Guntown; was starved three months in Andersonville prison pens; escaped; served to the end of the rebellion, and was honorably discharged in 1865. He was married Aug. 27, 1867, to Martha C. Davis, who was born Nov. 19, 1848. They have three children, OLLA B., MARY J., and SUSIE E., and live near Bates, Sangamon county, Ill. JULIUS H., born March 28, 1846, enlisted Feb. 6, 1865, in Co. A, 152d Ill. Inf., served to the end of the rebellion, and was honorably discharged Sept. 11, 1865; married Feb. 27, 1870, at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to Harriet I. Cassiday, who was born in Jefferson county, Iowa. Her mother was a daughter of Shadrach Scott, brother of Dallas Scott. They live three miles northeast of Pleasant Plains. JAMES M. and William H. live with their mother. William C. Irwin died in 1852, and his widow resides in Menard county, eight miles north of Pleasant Plains.

NANCY, born Oct. 2, 1810, died in 1824.

HUGH B., born Aug. 30, 1812, in North Carolina, married in 1836 in Sangamon county, to Priscilla Kyle. They had five children, and he died Oct. 18, 1852, and his widow resides in Menard county. THOMAS, the eldest, and CHARLES, the youngest, live in Missouri. Their son, HENRY, was a soldier in Co. F, 114th Ill. Inf., from Aug., 1862, to the end of the rebellion. He was married, had one child, and his wife died Oct., 1873. He resides in Menard county, and is married again. JANE is dead, and CYNTHIA lives in Menard county, Illinois.

ALEXANDER B., born Feb. 7, 1814, in Cabarras county, N. C., married in Sangamon county Oct. 18, 1838, to Cynthelia Broadwell. They had four living children. AMOS D., born Oct. 12, 1839, married Rebecca J. Plunkett; have two children, ROBERT A. and ADOLPHUS J., and live at Pleasant Plains. JOHN B., born March 27, 1841, enlisted Sept., 1861, for three years, in Co. C, 64th Ill. Inf. He was wounded Oct. 4, 1862, at the battle of Corinth, Miss., and died of his wounds at Jackson, Tenn., March 20, 1863. BETSY J., born April 1, 1843, married William Huber; have one child, and live near Medina, Jefferson county, Kansas. SAMUEL P., born Feb. 22, 1845, enlisted Jan., 1862, in Co. C, 64th Ill. Inf., for three years. He was wounded in June, 1864, at Kennesaw mountain, Ga., by a musket ball entering the left side of his face and coming out of the back of his neck. He recovered, and went with Sherman in his "march to the sea;" served to the end of his term, and was honorably discharged. He was married Feb. 21, 1867, to Almeda Howard, who was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. They have three children, JOHN A., SAMUEL and CYNTHELIA, and live three miles east of Pleasant Plains. Mrs. Cynthelia Irwin died Aug. 10, 1847, and Alexander B. Irwin was married Feb. 28, 1855, to Mrs. Jane S. Seaman, whose maiden name was Broadwell. They have four children, namely: JAMES H., ARABEL A., RACHEL A., and MAGGIE S., and reside in Cartwright township, two miles east of Pleasant Plains. Mr. Irwin has served a number of years as a Justice of the Peace, also as a member of the Board of Supervisors of Sangamon county. On the seventh day of Feb., 1874, Alex. B. Irwin gave a festival commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of his birth. The invitations were to relations, only, with, perhaps, the single exception of the writer of this sketch and his wife, which they were very reluctantly compelled to decline. There were two hundred and sixty-four guests present. By way of recognizing the fact that they were all descendants of a family of the earliest settlers in the county, no meat except that of wild game was served--buffalo and venison, from the western plains, and wild turkeys from Wisconsin, with prairie chickens, quails, etc., taken nearer home. Four States were represented by the different branches of the family, and if all had been present it would have included half a dozen more States. The host was not in good health at the time, but still enjoyed the company of so many of his relatives. He was the recipient of a number of presents; among others, a fine gold-headed cane, and a beautiful silver watch, the two latter accompanied by some cheering words from a niece, appropriate to the occasion.

RACHEL, born March 26, 1816, died in 1852.

MATILDA B., born Feb. 13, 1818, married William Conner, and lives in Cartwright township.

ROBERT T., born March 7, 1820, in that part of Tennessee then called the Cherokee purchase, married in Sangamon county Jan. 14, 1847, to Mary E. Day, who was born March 20, 1820, at Ogdensburg, N. Y. They had twins. SOPHIA J. married Joseph J. Dillon. See his name. FRANCES MARIA married Peter S. Cartwright. See his name. Robert T. Irwin resides near Pleasant Plains, in Sangamon county, Illinois.

BENJAMIN F., born May 18, 1822, in Sangamon county, married Oct. 11, 1844, to Jane Combs, of Menard county. They had one child, MARY T., born March 28, 1846, married Aug. 5, 1869, to John W. Whitcomb, who was born Dec. 6, 1842, in Owen county, Ky.; went to Missouri in 1859, and when the rebellion broke out, he entered the enrolled State militia (loyal); served nine months; came to Sangamon county in June, 1863, and enlisted in Feb., 1864, for three years, in Co. C, 64th Ill. Inf. He was with Sherman on his "march to the sea;" was in North Carolina when the rebellion ended, and was present at the great review in Washington, D. C., in May, 1865; was honorably discharged at Chicago July 18, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb have two children, LIZZIE ETHEL and CHARLES FRANKLIN. They live one and one-half miles south of Farmingdale, in Sangamon county. Mrs. Jane Irwin died March 7, 1848, in Sangamon county, and B. F. Irwin was married Jan. 16, 1870, at Mount Florence, Kansas, to Mattie Huber. Her mother resides there. They had two children. ETHEL died in infancy, and EDWARD F. lives with his parents, at Pleasant Plains, Illinois. B. F. Irwin has served several years as Justice of the Peace and Police Magristrate.

JULIUS H., born July 22, 1824, in Sangamon county, married Oct. 24, 1851, to Sarah Kyle; had six living children, SAMUEL W., MARY L., ARMINTA A., EMMA D., CHARLES H., and BENJAMIN F. Mrs. Sarah Irwin died Nov. 24, 1873, and Julius H. Irwin died Oct. 5, 1875. Their children reside at the homestead, one mile southeast of Pleasant Plains.

JAMES C., born May 6, 1827, married March 18, 1862, to Jane Howard, who was born Nov. 29, 1839, in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. They have four living children, LIMIE E., ROBERT H., FRANCES M. and KATE B., and reside two miles southeast of Pleasant Plains.

JOHN M., born April 24, 1829, in Sangamon county, married March 15, 1859, to Sarah May, who was born April 6, 1831, at Circleville, Ohio. They had two children, ABRAHAM L., and MARY M., and Mrs. Irwin died Oct. 8, 1864. He was married May 16, 1867, to Ann Williams, who was born Jan. 30, 1841, in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. They have two children, LULU M. and ALBERT W., and reside at Pleasant Plains.

Samuel L. Irwin died March 1, 1845, and his widow died July 6, 1867, both on the farm where they settled in 1820. Samuel L. Irwin was, at the time of his death, in his sixty-seventh year, and his widow, at her death, was in her eighty-third year.