STEWART, JAMES, was born Sept. 28, 1777, at Fort Ann, Washington county, New York. That was in the very height of the conflict for American Independence, and at times all the families in the neighborhood were compelled to take refuge in the fort. On one occasion, when the men had gone for provisions, Indians entered the fort and found the subject of this sketch at his mother's breast, as she lay sick in bed. One of them took him by the heels and was about to dash his brains out, when she made the savages believe that she was in the act of summoning the white men. He dropped the infant and fled. James Stewart grew to manhood in that region, and followed the business of a lumberman on the Hudson river. He was married in 1803 in Bloomfield, Ontario county, to Roxana Stillman, and in 1806 moved to Buffalo, in the same State. In 1810 Mr. Stewart moved his family back to Bloomfield, thence to Junius, Seneca county. They had six living children in New York. In the fall of 1819 they embarked at Olean Point, on the Allegheny river, in a boat prepared for the purpose. Two other families, those of Joseph Inslee and Jesse Southwick, each occupied a boat. The three united in the purchase of a boat for the conveyance of their horses, wagons, and household goods. The whole party landed at Shawneetown on the last day of 1819. They made their way through the mud and water of the sloughs and running streams, all unbridged, until they reached Sugar creek, about eight miles south of the present city of Springfield, Ill. Each of the families commenced improvements by building cabins. A few weeks later, the mother-in-law of Mr. Stewart--Mrs. Stillman--arrived with her family. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart started to accompany them to the north side of the Sangamon river. After seeing that part of the country they determined to settle there also. Mr. Stewart returned to Sugar creek, and moved his family and property, arriving in the spring of 1820, in what is now Williams township, where three children were born. On coming to the country, there were so small a number before them, that it was almost impossible to obtain food. Mr. Stewart rode two days in search of provisions, and all he could obtain was a bushel or two of frostbitten corn--for which he paid two dollars per bushel--and a few pounds of rusty bacon, at twenty-five cents per pound. The nearest postoffice was at Edwardsville, seventy-five miles south, and they had to pay twenty-five cents for a letter from their friends. Of their nine children--

JANE C., born Oct. 2, 1804, in New York, married in Sangamon county to Oramel Clark. See his name.

BENJAMIN H., born March 22, 1806, at Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York, married Margery Morgan, and had four children. Mrs. Margery Stewart died, and he married Nancy Hall. They had three children. Benj. H. Stewart died in 1871 in Missouri. His son, WILLIAM A., born Aug. 16, 1836 in Sangamon county, married Sept. 27, 1858, to Sarah L. Schick, a native of Danville, Pa. He enlisted Aug. 14, 1861, in Co. A, 3d Ill. Cav. was discharged on account of physical disability, Dec. 30, 1861. He enlisted Jan. 20. 1864, in Co. A, 34th Ill. Inf., served until April, 1865, when he was discharged on account of physical disability. He was appointed postmaster at Williamsville, April 8, 1869, and died April 18, 1870. His widow, Mrs. Sarah L. Stewart was appointed as his successor April 20, 1870.

WILLIAM A., born May 24, 1809, in Buffalo, N. Y. He was brought by his parents to Sangamon county in the spring of 1820. He was captain of a Sangamon county company in the Blackhawk war of 1832, and was in command of a supply train under his uncle, Isaiah Stillman at the time of his defeat on Rock river. Mr. Stewart taught school on Fancy creek for a time after the Indian war, and still later became a steamboat clerk on the Illinois river, and rose to the positions of pilot and captain. He was engaged in navigating the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio and other western rivers, with his home at Cincinnati, until the breaking out of the great rebellion. William A. Stewart was married at Cincinnati October 14, 1841, to Elizabeth Haman. They had one child, JAMES E., born May 10, 1843, in Cincinnati. He had just completed his literary studies and graduated at Delaware, Ohio, when the rebellion broke out. His home was in Cincinnati, but he went over the river and enlisted on the eighteenth anniversary of his birth, May 10, 1861, in Co. D, 2d Ky. Inf., for three months, and re-enlisted for three years in the same company and regiment. He carried his musket for nineteen months, passing through Pittsburg Landing and many other battles. He was promoted August, 1862, to second lieutenant. In May, 1864, he was commissioned captain of Co. A, 167th Ohio Inf., and March 13, 1865, promoted to Colonel of United States Volunteers. In October, 1865, he engaged in the practice of law at Cincinnati. In October, 1869, moved to Springfield, Ohio, where he succeeded to his father's interests, and was elected Vice President of the Republic Printing Company, publishers of the Daily Republic; is also a member of the City Council of Springfield. Colonel James E. Stewart was married April 3, 1871, at Mount Vernon, Ohio, to Mary E. Durbin, and resides at Springfield, O., 1874. Mrs. Elizabeth Stewart died at Cincinnati August 26, 1860, and W. A. Stewart was married in the same city Sept. 14, 1864, to Mrs. E. W. Hall, whose maiden name was Norton. They moved to Springfield, Ohio, in July, 1866. He died there July 21, 1869, and his widow resides there.

Of the public services of W. A. Stewart I can only make a very brief statement. When the rebellion burst upon the country he was engaged as an expert as one of a committee appointed by the United States Government to ascertain the channels and bearings of the Mississippi river. Whilst he was at Washington making his report in July, 1861, he witnessed the battle and deteat at Bull Run. He superintended, under direction of Commodore Foote, the fitting out of the gunboats Carondelet and Mound City, and was on the latter in its engagement with the rebel ram Van Dorn; also in the battles of Fort Henry and Island No. 10. He was pilot of the United States Monitor Osage at the battle of Fort Durussy, in April, which was his last service in the war. He was appointed in April, 1864, United States Inspector of Steamboats at Cincinnati, which he resigned in 1867. While in the naval service he and Commodore Foote co-operated with each other in holding religious services on the gunboats, on all suitable occasions. He was a member of Park Street M. E. Church and Sunday School, at Cincinnati, and of the High Street M. E. Church, Springfield, Ohio; also of the Masonic Fraternity.

ABIGAIL C., born May 16, 1811, in New York, married to Ossian Stone. See his name.

MARY M., born April 6, 1813, at Junius, New York, married in Sangamon county to Nathan E. Constant. See his name. Mr. Constant died August 25, 1843, and his widow married Miletus W. Ellis. See his name.

ROXANA, born Sept. 8, 1818, in Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York, married in Sangamon county, Jan. 30, 1873, to Ira Knights, a native of St. Lawrence county, New York. They reside at the family homestead, where her father settled in 1820, two and a half miles west of Williamsville, Sangamon county, Ill.

MARTHA B., born March 10, 1821, in Sangamon county, married George W. Constant. See his name.

JAMES O., born Oct. 20, 1822, in Sangamon county, died June 6, 1849, at Paducah, Kentucky, of cholera, and was brought home for interment.

JOSEPH B., born July 4, 1825, died in the 22d year of his age.

Mrs. Roxana Stewart died Nov. 11, 1833. James Stewart married Mrs. Phoebe Twist. She died Jan. 11, 1836, in Sangamon county. See the Twist family name.

The last years of his life James Stewart required a great deal of care, which was freely bestowed by his faithful daughter, Roxana, who declined very advantageous offers of marriage, expressing her determination to remain unmarried as long as he required her attention, and most faithfully and lovingly did she discharge the self-imposed duties. Mr. Stewart died April 16, 1872, in the 95th year of his age, and on the farm where he had spent more than half a century of his life.