MCCONNELL, JAMES
, was born in 1789, near Belfast, Ireland. Sarah Smith was born at the same place, in 1787. They were married in 1811, and soon after embarked for America, landing in New York City. In a short time he went to Belleville, New Jersey, where he labored in a powder mill three years, without losing a day. The war with England, from 1812 to 1815, was then in full force, and caused a great demand for powder. Mr. McConnell having learned all the processes of manufacturing the same, and was an especial adept in the most difficult part--that of refining saltpetre. He went to Madison county, New York, and established works on his own account, and continued to manufacture powder there, seven or eight years, when he turned his attention to farming and raising fine stock in the same county. After making several trips to Kentucky, selling stock, he was advised to take some to Illinois. Acting upon this advice, he embarked at Pittsburg with a lot of jacks and jennets, landed them at Shawneetown, and drove them from there to Springfield, arriving in the fall of 1840. He had no thought of making his home here, but was so well pleased with the country that he bought the land about three miles south of Springfield, making part of the farms on which two of his sons now reside. He went back to New York, settled up his business, and came with his family the next year. His removal was the cause of several other families coming, also. Mr. McConnell brought a flock of about two hundred fine merino sheep, and at the same time some thorough-bred Berkshire hogs. His son, Edward F., brought a flock of merino sheep, also. This was about the first effort to introduce fine blooded sheep and hogs into Sangamon county.Mr. and Mrs. McConnell had one child in New Jersey and seven in New York, namely--
MARY, born in 1812, in New Jersey, married in New York to John Buck, and died there. Mr. Buck married again and resides in Auburn, Illinois.
SARAH, born in 1814, in Madison county, N. Y., was married there to Franklin B. Hoppin. See his name.
EDWARD F., born April 30, 1816, in Madison county, N. Y., married there to Ann M. Hoppin. They had one son. JAMES S., born Feb. 9, 1843, at the home of his grandfather, near Springfield, Ill., married June 21, 1866, in Galesburg, Ill., to Laura Lavinia Pike, who was born Feb. 18, 1845, at Middleburg, Elkhart county, Indiana. They had two children, EDWARD PIKE and MARY LAVINIA; the latter died Dec., 1875, in her sixth year. James S. McConnell, son and wife reside near Chatham, Ill. Mrs. Ann M. McConnell died June 14, 1853, near Chatham, aged thirty-two years. Edward F. McConnell was married March 13, 1855, at Eaton, N. Y., to Mary P. Hoppin. They have no living children, and reside two miles southwest of Chatham, Sangamon county, Ill. E. F. McConnell has, from the time he came to the county, been engaged in farming, making wool growing a specialty. Previous to 1866 the McConnell and Hoppin flocks of sheep had been developed and brought up to a standard of excellence not equaled in any of the older eastern States for weight of carcass, length of staple, density of fibre, and average weight of fleece per head. These essential merits were brought forth by the highly nutritious grasses and fattening properties of the corn raised in Sangamon county. Mr. McConnell was Major in the New York State Militia previous to his removal west. When he came it was by private conveyance, that being before the days of railroads. He has since returned in as many hours as it required days to travel over the route the first time.
ANDREW B., born Jan., 1819, in Madison county, N. Y., was married there to Augusta Rogers. They have eight children born in Sangamon county, namely: MERCY ADELIA married DeWitt Smith. See his name. FRANK R., married Belle Merriman, has two children, and lives near Victoria, Victoria county, Texas. EDWARD O. married Luella Patteson, has one child, and lives at Bates, Sangamon county, Ill. SARAH A. married S. Willis Merriman, has one child, and lives near Victoria, Texas. JOHN D., WILL A., AUGUSTA and ANDREW; the four latter reside with their parents. A. B. McConnell was elected President of the Illinois State Agricultural Society four years in succession, 1865-'66-'67 and '68. In 1870 he was elected Sheriff of Sangamon county for two years. He resides now--1876--three miles south of Springfield, on part of the land purchased by his father in 1840.
ELIZA, born in Madison county, New York, married there to Charles T. Hoppin. See his name.
JOHN, born Dec. 5, 1824, in Madison county, N. Y., married in 1848, at Chatham, Illinois, to Elizabeth Parsons, who was born March 10, 1831, in Connecticut. They have two sons born in Sangamon county, SAMUEL P., born July 5, 1849, married Feb., 1876, in Chicago, to Sarah Rogers, daughter of Judge J. G. Rogers. S. P. McConnell is a practicing lawyer in Chicago, and resides there. JAMES H. is engaged in business in Springfield. At the beginning of the rebellion John McConnell raised a company, which was assigned as Co. A, 3d Ill. Cav. He was promoted, Sept. 11, 1861, to Major of the regiment, with which he served until until March 18, 1863, when he resigned. While connected with the Third Cavalry, Major McConnell commanded the only cavalry engaged in the battle of Pea Ridge, Mar. 6, 7 and 8, 1862. Col. G. M. Dodge, of the Fourth Iowa Infantry, commanding the brigade, in his report says: "Where so many fought gallantly, it would be hard to distinguish; but I noticed the daring bravery of Major McConnell, of the Third Illinois Cavalry, who supported me on my right." Gen. E. A. Carr, who commanded the Fourth Division, in a letter dated April 14, 1862, after apologizing for the delay on account of a wound in his right hand, says: "Otherwise, I should have taken the liberty of writing to you long before this, to congratulate you on having such a noble man for a husband. His conduct on the day of battle, and all other days, was admired by every-one. With about two hundred and seventy-five men he kept back a line of the enemy four or five deep and three-quarters of a mile long, comprising several thousand, and prevented them from getting around so as to fall on our flank and rear. Tell his father that he has great reason to be proud of such a son." Major McConnell was appointed, June 15, 1863, Colonel of the 5th Ill. Cav. He was physically unable for duty until May 27, 1864, when he was mustered in and took command, the regiment then being in Mississippi. Col. McConnell was appointed, March 13, 1865, to Brev. Brig.-General. His commission was issued April 14, 1865, having been signed on the morning of that day by President Lincoln, being one among the last acts of his official life, as he was assassinated on the evening of that day. Gen. McConnell's regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division, Major-Gen. Custer commanding. They moved by way of Red river to Hempstead, Texas, where they remained from August to October 6, and then moved to Springfield, Ill., where Gen. McConnell was mustered out with the Fifth Cavalry, Oct. 27, 1865. Gen. John McConnell is a farmer, and resides on part of the land bought by his father in 1840, three miles south of Springfield.
JANE, born April 15, 1829, in Madison county, N. Y., married in Sangamon county, in 1842, to Franklin Fassett, a native of Ohio. They have two daughters, SARAH E. and JENNIE, and reside on south Sixth street, Springfield, Ill. Mr. Fassett is a farmer, and is engaged in business in Springfield.
Mrs. Sarah McConnell died Jan. 17, 1855, and James McConnell died Jan. 7, 1867, both in Woodside township, three miles south of Springfield, Ill.
In consequence of his efforts to introduce improved stock, and his advanced ideas generally on the subject of cultivating the soil, James McConnell was by common consent assigned an honorable position among the farmers of Illinois. He was one of the earliest farmers who were in favor of forming a State Agricultural Society, and was president of the convention assembled in 1852, in Springfield, that organized the Illinois State Agricultural Society, now called the Illinois State Board of Agriculture.