PAGE, ALONZO, who has lived retired for the past twenty yeas, was long actively engaged in farming in Sangamon County and is honored as a veteran of the Civil War. He now lives at No. 555 West Mason Street, Springfield, and has many friends and acquaintances in the city. He was born in Ohio, July 5, 1838, a son of Archless and Urany (Holmes) Page, the father a native of New York and the mother of Pennsylvania. The parents were married in the latter State and then located in Virginia. Later they moved to Ohio, lived there several years, and eventually came to Pontiac, Livingston County, Ill., the father purchasing 160 acres of land near there, upon which he lived until his death in 1867. He was a soldier in the Civil War, in which struggle he also had six sons at the same time, namely: Alonzo and John, in Company E, Fiftieth Ohio Infantry; Preston in the One Hundred Thirty-ninth Illinois; Lorenzo and William, in the One Hundred Twenty-sixth Ohio; and Henry in the Seventieth Ohio. The father had one brother, Ezekiel Page.

In boyhood Alonzo Page attended the public schools in Ohio and worked on his father's farm, where he remained until he was twenty-two years of age, at which time he enlisted in Company E, Fiftieth Ohio, under Capt. Guthrie, serving three years. They marched from Covington to Perryville, Ky., where they encountered the first battle, which lasted one day. They went to Knoxville, Tenn., built a fort and remained there one month, then moved on to Kingston, Ga., where they camped a short time, whence they moved on to Atlanta, and there took part in their second battle, which lasted one day. They soon afterward participated in their third battle, which was at Franklin, Tenn. Their next serious engagement was the Battle of Nashville, which lasted one day, soon afterward went to the city of Washington, D.C., where they camped a short time, after which they went to Raleigh and later to Salisbury in the same State. Mr. Page was mustered out at Salisbury, June 28, 1865 went to Baltimore, Md., and then on to Cleveland and thence to Camp Dennison, Ohio, where he received his final discharge. He was wounded at the battle of Perryville, the first serious engagement in which he participated. He returned to Fincastle, Brown County, Ohio, after leaving the army. He is now an active member of Stephenson Post G.A.R. No. 30, of Springfield. In politics he is a Republican. He came to Sangamon County in 1882 and engaged in farming, which was his occupation all his active life, but for the past twenty years has been retired. He well remembers Abraham Lincoln, for whom he voted twice, and the noted Mr. Douglas once made a speech in the rear of the house where Mr. Page now lives.

Mr. Page was married in Ohio in June, 1861, to Miss Margaret Cox, daughter of Elzy and Delila Cox, who came to the United States in early life. By this marriage Mr. Page had four children, namely: Cornelius; Noah, of Springfield; Urany, wife of Frank Miller, a painter living in Springfield; William M., a teamster. He also has seven grandchildren. Mr. Page was married (second) April 9, 1901, to Mrs. Margaret (Purnell) Morris, born January 6, 1845, a daughter of John and Sally Ann Purnell, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Page's father came to Rochester, Ill., and died July 29, 1892, and her mother died January 16, 1892. By her first husband, Mrs. Page had eleven children, of whom three are living, namely: William E. Morris, of Sangamon County; Norah Willeto Courtney, wife of Andrew Courtney, a farmer; Margaret, wife of Brocksen Page, employed at the Illinois Watch Factory. Mrs. Page had eight grandchildren, of whom five are now living. Mr. Page has one great-grandchild.