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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.



SHELTON, STEPHEN, was born about 1777, in North Carolina, married there to Lydia Heath, and at once moved to Ohio, near the mouth of Sciota river, where two children were born, and the family moved across the Ohio river into Cabell county, West Virginia, where seven children were born. He was a soldier from Virginia in the war of 1812, and from there moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in May, 1826, in what is now Curran township, where two children were born. Of their eleven children--

WILLIAM, born March 18, 1807, in Ohio, married in Sangamon county, Feb. 11, 1830, to Prudence Neal. They had five living children. JOHN R. enlisted Sept. 1862, in Co. B, 130th Ill. Inf., for three years, served until late in 1863, when he was detailed to the Chicago Mercantile Battery, which was captured and he was returned to his regiment, which was afterwards consolidated with the 77th Ill. Inf. He was honorably discharged in August, 1865. J. R. Shelton married Eliza Kinney. They had five children. WILLIAM A. died Sept. 23, 1876. JAMES R., LUELLA, CHARLES and MARGARET C., the four latter, live with their parents near Atwood, Moultre county, Illinois. AMARINE married Richard C. Smith. See his name. DANIEL M. married Nancy A. Dodd. They have three children, and live near Chatham, Illinois. JAMES M. married Louisa McComas. They have three living children, MARY S., IDA E., and SMITH, and live in Chatham. ZARILDA married James Worth. They have six children, and live near Taylorville, Illinois. William Shelton and his wife live in Chatham, Sangamon county, Ill. He was at work in the Galena lead mines when the Winnebago war broke out in 1827, and volunteered in a company raised at the mines. When it was over he remained at Galena until 1830 when he returned to Sangamon county. His recollection of the "deep snow" is that it was four feet on a level in the timber. Corn shocks showed eighteen inches above the snow. He also remembers the sudden change of Dec. 20, 1836, and that geese and chickens froze fast in the slush. Water froze in ripples.

SOPHIA, born in 1809 in Ohio, was married in Sangamon county to Elisha McComas. See his name.

NANCY, born in Cabell county, Va., married in Sangamon county to David McComas. See his name.

JAMES, born in Cabell county, West Virginia, married in Sangamon county Sally A. Beckelheimer, who died, aud he married Letitia Wyckoff, who died, and he married a third time. He had seven children. He had two sons, JASPER and NEWTON. The former was killed at the battle of Chickamauga; the latter was wounded at the same battle, had a leg amputated and died in consequence of it nearly five years later. James Shelton resides in Texas.

MORRIS, born in West Virginia, was a soldier in an Illinois regiment in the Mexican war, and was killed on a scout the day before the battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847.

JOHN, born in West Virginia, was in the same company and regiment from Illinois, in the Mexican war, fought through the battle of Cerro Gordo, came home, married Nancy Bogby, had eight children, and lives in Kansas.

ELEVEN, born in West Virginia, married in Sangamon county to Martha Bogby, have six children, and lives in Kansas.

SALLY, born in West Virginia, married in Sangamon county to Thomas Wyckoff, and both died without children.

LUCINDA, born in West Virginia, married in Sangamon county to Samuel Clarke. They have nine children, and reside at Butler, Bates county, Mo.

ELEANOR, born in West Virginia, married in Sangamon county to Mordecai Howard, had three children, and both died.

ZERILDA, born in Sangamon county, married Jesse Mitts, have six children, and live in Montgomery county.

ELISHA, born in Sangamon county, married Esther Murphy, had four children, and she and two of the children died, and he married Leathy Tongate. They have one child, and reside in Wayne county, Iowa.

Mrs. Lydia Shelton died Nov. 20, 1830, and Stephen Shelton was married in April, 1831, to Judith Neal. They had five children born in Sangamon county.

MARY, married Francis Reed, and died leaving four children in Iowa.

REBECCA, married James Stamper. They have eight children, and reside in Curran township.

AMANDA, married William Jones, have five children, and live in Iowa.

MANVILLA, married Elisha Harbor, had six children, and she died. He married and resides in Montgomery county.

MARTIN, born March 22, 1844, in Sangamon county, enlisted June 6, 1862, in Co. B, 7th Ill. Inf., for three years, was honorably discharged Oct. 3, 1862; enlisted Oct. 5, 1864, in Co. B, 13th U. S. A., for three years, and was honorably discharged July 27, 1867, in Montana Territory, married in Sangamon county, June 24, 1868, to Sarah J. Dill, have two children, WILLIAM DALLAS and LOUIS W., and reside in Chatham township.

Stephen Shelton died Jan. 22, 1859, in Sangamon county, and his widow resides with his son, William, in Chatham.



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