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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.




DICKERSON, SAMUEL, was born about 1793, in Virginia. His parents moved to Pendleton county, Ky., when he was a boy, and his father engaged in salt-making at Grant's Lick. Susan Kane was born in 1800. They were married, and had six children in Kentucky. They moved to Logan county, Ill., in 1830, and in February, 1831, arrived in what is now Illiopolis township, five miles east of Mechanicsburg. Of their children--

HUGH W., born Oct. 25, 1811, in Pendleton county, Ky., married in Sangamon county, Aug. 7, 1833, to Catharine Greene. They had five children in Sangamon county. WILLIAM H., born July 11, 1834, enlisted in 1862 in Co. E, 116th Ill. Inf., for three years, married Sarah Enlow, has two children, and lives in Franklin county, Kan. ELIZA J. married John Taylor. See his name. ALEXANDER, born Oct. 12, 1844, enlisted Angust, 1862, in Co. B, 130th Ill. Inf., for three years. He was on duty at the capture of Vicksburg, though sick at the time, was sent to hospital at Memphis, where his father took charge of him in July, and started for home. He died on board a steamboat, Aug. 12, 1863. His remains were brought home and buried in Williams township. JOHN, born in Sangamon county, is publishing the Gazette, at Terre Haute, Ind. SAMUEL resides with his father. Mrs. Catharine Dickerson died in 1850, and H. W. Dickerson was married April 1, 1852, to Edna C. Rice. They had seven children. JOSIAH, ANNA M. and ROBBY died under four years. MARY, CHARLES E., OLIVER P. and IDA BELL, the six living, reside with their parents near Barclay, in Williams township.

POLLY married William Hunter. See his name. Both died.

ARCHIBALD, born May 6, 1816, in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county to Celia Hunter. They had nine children. HARRIET married Michael Derry, and live near Bowling Green, Mo. JAMES R. enlisted July 19, 1861, in Co. I, 41st Ill. Inf., for three years, was wounded at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 6, 1862, was brought home and died on the fourteenth of the same month. SAMUEL, enlisted April, 1861, on the first call for 75,000 men, served three months, re-enlisted in 1862, in Co. I, 41st Ill. Inf., and served three years. He was married to Ellen Shinaman, have four children, and live near Mt. Auburn, Christian county, Illinois. LUCINDA, born November, 1845, married to Harry Blair, April, 1871, have one child, KATIE, and live near Illiopolis. AMANDA J., born Dec. 25, 1847, married John McGuffin, and reside in Illiopolis township. ZACHARY T., born Dec. 29, 1849, married Dec. 3, 1873, to Louisa S. Ream, and live in Illiopolis township. JOHN HENRY, born Sept. 2, 1852, ARCHIBALD, born Dec. 2, 1854, and ERASTUS, born Sept. 10, 1857, live with their mother. Archibald Dickerson was killed Sept. 2, 1865, at Harristown, Macon county, Ill., by an accident on the T., W & W. R. R. His widow resides three and a half miles southwest of Illiopolis.

MARTHA, born in Kentucky, married John Hunter, and both died, leaving a family in Christian county.

C. ALEXANDER, born April 11, 1827, in Campbell county, Ky., married April 12, 1848, to Melinda Ridgeway. She was born Jan. 26, 1831, in Sangamon county. They have eight children, HENRY CLAY, JOHN HARDIN, WILLIAM F., SAMUEL O., REUBEN J., SARAH J., ULYSSES GRANT and CHARLES, and reside in Illiopolis township, five miles east of Mechanicsburg, where his father settled in 1832.

AMELIA J. married Samuel Garretson. See his name.

Samuel Dickerson died in the fall of 1856, and his widow died in June, 1859, both in Illiopolis township




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