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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.



ROSS, WILLIAM, was born Jan. 9, 1801, in North Carolina. His father, John Ross, was born in Scotland, and came to America before the Revolution. He was a soldier from North Carolina in the Revolution, for five years, when he was wounded, and thus disabled for further service. He was married in North Carolina, and moved to Adair county, Ky., when the subject of this sketch was a boy. William Ross and Maria Willis were there married, in 1827, and had four children in Adair county. They moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in Nov., 1836, in what is now Gardner township, where three children were born. Of their seven children--

MARTHA, born Jan. 10, 1829, in Adair county, Ky., married May 13, 1845, in Sangamon county, to Matthias Miller, who was born April, 1819, in Germany. They had five living children--SARAH E., born April 17, 1846, married, May 17, 1860, to John L. Gard. See his name. GEORGE W. enlisted April, 1864, in Co. B, 114th Ill. Inf. From over exertion, lack of food and exposure at the battle of Guntown, June 10, 1864, he was sent home on sick furlough, and died Feb. 6, 1865. ALFRED F. lives with his parents. FLORENCE married, Jan. 3, 1871, to Alexander Campbell, have one child, FRANKLIN M., and reside near Farmingdale, Sangamon county, Illinois. VIRGINIA lives with her parents. Matthias Miller and wife reside one and one-half mile south of Salisbury, Sangamon county, Illinois.--1874.

SARAH J., born Feb. 14, 1831, in Kentucky, married James Short, had two children, and he died, and she married Frank Ernst. They have six children, and live one mile north of Farmingdale, Illinois.

ALFRED, born March 18, 1833, in Adair county, Ky., married in Sangamon county, April 2, 1856, to Rachel E. Gard. They have seven children, JASPER N., ANNIE MAY, CHARLES LINCOLN, JOHN WM., ZULAIDA, MARIA JANE and OLIVER F., and live two miles northeast of Richland station, Sangamon county, Illinois.

JOHN W., born April 24, 1835, in Kentucky, and raised in Sangamon county. He enlisted in 1862, in Co. D, 33d Ill. Inf., for three years, had one leg shot off, in an assault on the rebel fortifications at Vicksburg, June 22, and died in hospital, July 1, 1863.

MARY E., born Oct., 1838, in Sangamon county, married John P. Goodman, have five children, and reside at Monticello, Piatt county, Illinois.

OLIVER M., born in Sangamon county, married Rachel Laborrence, have two children, and reside near McLean, McLean county, Illinois.

JULIA A., born in Sangamon county, married Charles Stough, have two children, and reside in Monticello, Piatt county, Illinois.

WINFIELD S., born in 1851 in Sangamon county, resides with his mother and brother, Oliver M.

William Ross died Oct. 27, 1862, in Gardner township, and his widow resides with her two youngest sons, near McLean, McLean county, Illinois--1874.



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