SLATER, ELIJAH, was born Dec. 8, 1775, in Wyoming county, Penn. His parents, Samuel and Sibyl Slater, were among the few who escaped the historic massacre of Wyoming in 1778, during the bloody years of the American Revolution. They had barely time to save their lives, each carrying one of their two children on horseback until they reached their friends in Massachusetts. Samuel Slater was killed by a falling tree, and his son and daughter were brought up in Massachusets. Elijah Slater was married in West Stockbridge, Mass., in 1797, to Olive French. They moved in a few years to Great Barrington, where he engaged in the mercantile business. In 1813 the family moved to Pennsylvania, and occupied the house from which Mr. Slater's parents fled many years before. He left the farm for Kingston, Pa., where he opened a store; from there he moved to Ithica, New York, and continued merchandizing. In 1817 he visited the West, selected Milton, near Alton, Ill., for his residence, and returned to New York for his family. Soon after their arrival at Milton they moved to Sangamon county, settling on Sugar creek, in 1818, where they lived until Springfield was laid out, when he moved there in 1821 or '2, among the first settlers. Elijah Slater and wife had seventeen children--

SAMUEL, born Jan. 27, 1798, in West Stockbridge, Mass, lived with his parents until 1818, when he left Ithica, New York, and came West, landing at Shawneetown, and traveled through Illinois to St. Louis on foot, joining his father at Milton, where he clerked in a store for a short time, and afterwards took charge of a store at Hunterstown (now lower Alton), for Major C. W. Hunter, a merchant of St. Louis. The goods were brought up the Mississippi river on keel boats from the latter city, as there were few steamboats, and they seldom went above St. Louis. Mr. Slater's health failed, and he went north to the "Sangamo" country, where his father had bought some land. His favorable report of the country induced Major Hunter to fit him out with a stock of merchandize for a store on Sugar creek. There was only one other store in the country, and that was kept by John Taylor, farther up on the same stream. Mr. Slater found an empty log house on the farm of Isaac Keys, just below the mouth of Lick creek, which he occupied, and among his stores were medicines and whisky, the latter being indispensible. He remained on Sugar creek until 1821, when he went as supercargo to New Orleans for Major Hunter, with some flat boats loaded with oak staves, in 1823. He went again with a lot of bacon, and remained in New Orleans during the winter, at which time he took a lot of hogs to Havana, Cuba, and returned with the proceeds in coffee. Found a clerkship at fifteen dollars per month, with board, for three months. Afterwards, his salary was raised to five hundred dollars per year and board. He visited his friends in Illinois, and was married at Alton, Oct. 27, 1831, to Mary W. Avis. He returned to New Orleans, where they resided until 1839, he moved to Galveston, Texas, and was book-keeper a portion of the time in the United States custom House there. His health failing, he removed in 1848 to his land in the northern part of same State, where he had ten thousand acres. They remained there twelve years. In 1860 he sold the most of his land, determined to move where there was a railroad. He went to Tyler, to settle some business preparatory to leaving, and found the people greatly excited by the news of the general elections and the success of the Republican party. Mr. Slater was told by a friend that the Vigilance Committee was trying to find something out against him, that it had been reported he was about leaving the country, and would take a great many negroes with him. Mr. S. intended leaving town that night, but concluded it was safer to remain, as the mob might follow him, so he reported himself to the Vigilance Committee, saying he was willing to appear before them and answer any questions they might ask, thinking that would end the matter; but not so, they cited him to appear at the court house. He did so, and found there about forty men, self elected jurors. There was no charge made against Mr. Slater and of course no witnesses, but a little lawyer said: "I'll fix him!" and the trial began. After questioning him some time about where he was born, and the different places he had lived before coming to Texas, they dispatched two men twenty-five miles to search his house for abolition documents, keeping him under guard at Tyler during the time. The two men returned next day with large bundles of the New York Observer, which they called those abolition documents. The trial was opened next day, and a Methodist preacher, whom Mr. S. considered his friend, and who secretly was one, was called on to testify. He stated that a third person had told him that Mr. Slater was an abolitionist, and he believed it. This settled the question. The trial closed and he was sent to the Vigilance committee of his own county for punishment, but before arriving at his destination the guard told him of a plan they had formed for his escape. A man who owed Mr. Slater met them at this point and paid him five hundred dollars, besides giving him a good mule to make out his team. He found his wife had made all preparations, and they started Aug. 17, 1860, and traveled ten miles through the woods that night. One of the guard told Mrs. Slater that the committee would have hung her husband the first day had it not been for the Methodist minister, who only testified against Mr. S. to save his own life, and was secretly doing all he could to save Mr. Slater. Some of the guard traveled with them two days and then returned. They made good marches, resting every Sabbath, and arrived at Alton in October of the same year Mr. Slater was in the Quartermaster's department early in the late war to suppress the rebellion, and subsequently mail agent, in place of his son, who enlisted and went as orderly sergeant. Samuel Slater resigned his position as mail agent in 1868, and purchased land in Bates county, Missouri, where he is cultivating a farm, and enjoys better health than when he left New Orleans, in 1839.

Samuel Slater and wife attended a meeting of the early settlers of Sangamon county, held on Sugar creek, in 1874, near where his father settled in 1818, but was unable to find a single person who knew him, and felt as though they thought he was trying to deceive them. He was the Rip Van Winkle of the occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Slater had nine children. THOMAS AVIS, born February 12, 1833, in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1855 went to Alton, Illinois, to attend Shurtleff College. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar, and soon after received an appointment in the Land Office at Washington, D. C. By too close attention to business lost his health, and died at his father's house in Brighton, Illinois, Sept. 13, 1865. SAMUEL N., born Jan. 15, 1836, in New Orleans, Louisiana, attended school at Alton, enlisted May 15, 1861, in Co. I, 4th Reg. Mo. Vol. Inf., for three months, went out as Orderly Sergeant, served full time and was honorably discharged. He was substitute for his brother in the Land Office at Washington, and afterwards, through the influence of Governor Yates, was sent with appointment in the Custom House to New Orleans, remained there a year or two and returned, was appointed in the Agricultural Department at Washington, D. C., where he remains. He married Ida V. Tramell Nov. 16, 1871. They have one child, OLIVE MAY, and reside in Washington, D. C. MARY O., born Nov. 18, 1839, in Galveston, Texas, attended school in Springfield, Illinois, and Monticello Seminary, and was married August 13, 1873, to William Page, who attended college in Chicago, and graduated in the Law School of Michigan University, at Ann Arbor. He is a practicing attorney, and resides in Butler, Bates county, Missouri. JAMES H., born March 3, 1842, in Galveston, Texas, enlisted in Missouri in the same company with his brother, Samuel N., for three months, served full time, re-enlisted in August, 1862, for three years in Co. D, 122d Ill. Inf. He was honorably discharged July 18, 1865. In 1868 he was appointed Postal Clerk on the Chicago and Alton Railroad, in place of his father, (who bad just resigned) which position he still retains. WILLIAM A., born Dec. 29, 1844, in Galveston, attended school in Springfield, and in March, 1865, enlisted in Co. D, 18th Ill. Inf., went out as a drummer boy, was taken sick and died at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Oct. 20, 1865, and was buried there. MARTHA, born Feb. 21, 1847, at Galveston, attended school in Springfield, Illinois, and Monticello Seminary two sessions. She resides with her parents. CHARLES M., born Sept. 19, 1849, in Henderson county, Texas, was sent in 1861 to Boston, Massachusetts, at his uncle Charles' request, to be educated by him. He is now, and has been for several years, a traveling agent for a business house in New York City. His route is as far west as Omaha and as far south as New Orleans. JOSEPH B., born Nov. 21, 1852, in Henderson county, Texas, resides with his father. PERRY J., born Sept. 21, 1854, in Starrville, Smith county, Texas, is a dentist, and lives in Butler, Missouri. Samuel Slater and family reside near Butler, Bates county, Missouri.

HENRIETTA MARIA was born in 1800 in Berkshire county, Massachusetts. She was married in Madison county, Illinois, to Rev. Thomas Lippincott, and died in 1820. Mr. Lippincott was the father, by a subsequent marriage, of General Charles E. Lippincott, present Auditor of State for Illinois, who resides in Springfield--1876.

OLIVE, born in 1801 in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, was married in Ithica, New York, to Joseph Torrey. See his name. They settled on Sugar creek, Sangaman county, Illinois, where she died in August or September, 1820.

SIBYL, born in 1807 in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, was married Dec. 22, 1842, in Springfield, Illinois, to Dr. Gershom Jayne. See his name.

C. PERRY, born September, 1823, in Springfield, Illinois, studied medicine with Dr. Jayne, spent three years in California, returned and was married in 1854 to Susan Mather Lamb. He was a practicing physician, and died in 1858 in Springfield, Illinois, leaving a widow and one child, HANNAH M., who was married in Chicago, Sept. 27, 1876, to Walter Trumbull, eldest son of Hon. Lyman Trumbull. They reside in Chicago. C. P. Slater's widow married James H. Roberts, a lawyer, and resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Elijah Slater and wife were two of the original members of the first Presbyterian church of Springfield, Illinois, formed by the Rev. J. G. Bergen. Mr. Slater was distinguished for his energy and upright life, and died July, 1836. His widow died in November, 1844, and both were buried in Springfield, Illinois.