Samuel
Gray, one of the old and highly esteemed citizens of
Macoupin County and a leading agriculturist of Gillespie township, the owner
of a fine farm of 258 acres, situated in sections 6, 7, 8 and 17, was born
February 10, 1839, in Gillespie township. He is a son of William and Eliza
(De Crow) Gray.
The Gray family is one of the pioneer families of
this county. James Gray, the grandfather of our subject, an Irishman by
birth, came here in 1824, entering land on Coup's creek, where he resided
until his death, at the age of 75 years. His children were: James, Samuel,
Menoah, Julia, Elizabeth, Polly, Matilda, William, Mrs. Maria Maxwell, Mrs.
Lucy Clark and Mrs. Jane James. Julia, Elizabeth and Matilda married
brothers of the McKinsey family. William Gray was born on the James River in
Virginia, and he was 23 years of age when he came to Illinois, in 1824. He
entered land here and paid his taxes with sales of coonskins and beeswax.
His destination was Carlinville, but the few log cabins which formed the
village were so inconspicuous that he could scarcely believe he had reached
the settlement. Of this place he soon became a leading factor. Like other
pioneers he possessed much inventive genius and the agricultural implements
he required he was able to construct himself. As game was abundant he spent
much time in hunting and our subject can recall when 16 deer at one time
hung ready to be preserved for future use, all having been killed by his
father. In those days the mothers of the families were equally ingenious and
industrious, making all the materials for the garbing of the family on their
busy looms and riding on horseback many miles to the nearest markets to
dispose of their butter and eggs. Mr. Gray entered land in Christian County,
earning money to pay the entering fee by making rails at a "bit" a hundred.
His death took place in Christian County where he left a good farm of 120
acres. He was a Democrat in his political views. For a long time he was a
major, in the local militia. Although a man of little book education, he was
possessed of much native intelligence. In religion he was a Baptist. He
married Eliza De Crow, who was born in Maryland, of French ancestry and
could speak the French language fluently. These children were born to this
union, namely: Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs, deceased; James, deceased; Mrs. Mary
Johnson, of Missouri; Mrs. Julia Armstrong, of Morrisonville, Christian
County; William, deceased, who was wounded in the battle of Shiloh, during
the Civil War, his brother Samuel receiving injuries in the same battle;
Samuel, of this sketch; Mrs. Anna Reed, deceased; Jackson, deceased; David,
of Alton, Illinois; Elijah, deceased; and Mrs. Priscilla Record.
Samuel Gray was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools of
his neighborhood. When the Civil War came upon the land, he was one of the
first loyal young men to respond from Carlinville, enlisting in Company C,
32nd Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., under Col. John A. Logan. His regiment was
sent to the Army of the Tennessee and during two years he participated in
some of the most serious battles of the great war. Survivors can not hear
the names of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth mentioned,
without recalling appalling scenes of carnage. At Shiloh he was wounded;
after the battle of Corinth, he, with other sick and injured, was sent by
Governor Richard Yates, Sr., to the Marine Hospital at St. Louis, where,
after six months of convalescence, he was honorably discharged for
disability, October 16, 1863.
Mr. Gray returned to the farm in
Christian County, where he lived for 18 months, removing then to his present
farm in Gillespie township, which has been his home ever since. Here Mr.
Gray has carried on extensive general farming and stock raising, having 170
acres under cultivation. He has made many valuable and substantial
improvements on his property and has set out an apple, peach and pear
orchard of 6,000 trees.
On February 12, 1863, Mr. Gray was married
to Sarah B. Bell, who was borji in Marion County, Ohio, March 26, 1847, and
is a daughter of William J. and Katherine (Bushy) Bell, and children have
been born to them, as follows: Julia A., who died at the age of nine years;
Wilson Dennis, a farmer of Gillespie township, who married Minnie Taylor and
has five children — Roy E., Samuel, Clara B., Joseph F., and Mildred E.;
Cora A., who is at school; and five others who are now deceased.
Fraternally Mr. Gray belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics
he is identified with the Republican party. He is serving at present as
school director. Formerly he was a member of the Methodist Church. His
portrait accompanies this sketch.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 347-349.
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