WilliamT. Tyson
WILLIAM T. TYSON, a widelyand favorably known citizen of Bainbridge township, Schuyler county, Illinois,an honored veteran of the late war, and one of the most prosperous farmersof the State, is a worthy representative of a prominent family of distinguishedpatriots, who sealed their devotion to their country long before she becamea distinct nation, and who, by their united and continued efforts, havecontributed in no small measure to her steady advancement to her presentglorious position among the countries of the world.Zephaniah Tyson, the distinguishedgrandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Virginia in 1771,and was thus by birth placed on the arena of the most stirring events ofthat age. It is not surprising, therefore, that he should have developedthat surprising precocity which the time itself tended to foster. Bornof patriots, breathing the air of patriotism, and drinking in those noblesentiments which have filled the hearts of heroes since the world began,he early put by the pastimes of youth, assuming with ease and pleasurethe responsibilities and cares of a man and a soldier. At the age of nineteenyears he enlisted in the Indian war, and served under that able and celebratedpatriot, General Wayne. Again, in the war of 1812, he was still found fightingunder the starry flag; and later took part in the battle of Tippecanoe,under General Harrison. Amidst all these warlike engagements, he foundtime to cultivate the friendship of the little god of love, who directedhis shafts from behind the bright glances of Miss Margaret De Long, anamiable and intelligent Virginian, and a descendant of an old and esteemedfamily of that State. In 1830, he removed to Illinois which was then anew and sparsely settled country, where he settled on a farm on the southeastquarter of section 3, township 1 north, range 1 west of the fourth principalmeridian, where he continued to live until his death in 1849, at the ageof seventy-eight years, universally and sincerely lamented.
George Tyson, an able sonof a great father, was born in 1807, on the Muskingum river, in Ohio. Inthose times, the young apparently matured much earlier than in our presentindolent age, for we find this youth leaving home and starting in pursuitof his fortune long before he was fully grown. He went to Cincinnati, wherehe found work, and where he soon afterward purchased a flat-boat, withwhich he commenced trading and trafficking with the natives on the Ohioriver. In 1829, he married Miss Lucinda Bellamy, a native of Culpeper county,Virginia. Soon afterward he sold his flat-boat, and with the proceeds purchaseda team, with which the young couple made the trip overland from a pointon the Ohio river to Schuyler county, Illinois, where they settled on afarm in the southeast quarter of section 11, township 1 north, range 1west. Fortune smiled on their industrious efforts, and in time Mr. Tysonaccumulated considerable property, having 480 acres of choice agriculturalland, besides owning a steam saw and grist mill. In 1866, he went Westand has never been heard from since. The faithful wife and devoted mothersurvived her husband’s probable death ten years, expiring September 10,1876, in her sixty-seventh year, leaving a bereaved family and many friendsto mourn her loss.
William T. Tyson, the subjectof this notice, was born April 2, 1841, in a log house, situated fortyrods from his present large and comfortable residence. His early life wasspent on the home farm and he attended the country schools of his vicinity,where he received a good common-school education, sufficient to enablehim to teach several schools in his township. At the age of sixteen, beaccompanied his parents to Moniteau county, Missouri, where his fatherbought a farm of 160 acres on the Pacific railroad, and ran a woodyardin connection with his farm, there being an abundance of excellent timberon the land. In the fall of 1858, young William accompanied his parentsto Henry county, Missouri, where his father bought 300 acres of excellentprairie land, on the west half of the southeast quarter of the southwestquarter of section 21, in township 43, of range 28. Here the family continuedto reside until the breaking out of the Civil war, when the mother andyounger children returned to the old homestead in Illinois. It was thenthat young William displayed that patriotism for which his family was famous,by raising the first flag ever hoisted in the county after the nominationof Abraham Lincoln. He raised a pole fifty feet high, to which was attacheda flag fourteen by twenty one feet, with a rail resting on the top of thepole. He was several times ordered to take it down, but as often refusedto do so.
This sentiment of love forhis country culminated in his enlistment in the United States service asa private in Company D, Cass County Regiment of Cavalry, Missouri HomeGuards, on June 27, 1861, to serve three years, or during the war; andwas discharged at Harrisonville, Missouri, February 28, 1862, by reasonof General Order No. 25, paragraph three, Headquarters Department of Missouri,December 14, 1861. He participated in several engagements, the most importantof which were Parkersville and Harrisonville, Missouri, July 18 and 19,1861. He was selected for Second Lieutenant of the company, and lackedbut a few votes of being elected. He was one of the soldiers who helpedto guard the first wagon train of provisions to Lyon’s army, after thebattle of Wilson’s creek, Missouri. Soon after his discharge, he startedfor Illinois, and was obliged to cross the entire State of Missouri fromwest to east at a very dangerous time of the war.
On August 12, 1862, Mr. Tysonre-enlisted in the army as a private in Company D, 115th Regiment, IllinoisVolunteers, for three years or during the war. During his service he didhis full share of marching, fighting, scouting, picketing, digging andsuffering, as well as participating in the foraging and picnicking, ofwhich Uncle Sams boys are generally believed to have had a large amount.During this term of service he took part in a number of prominent engagements.He was in the battle of Franklin and Harpeth river, April 10, 1863. Hewas in Rosecrans’ campaign from Murfreesboro to Tullahoma, Tennessee, fromJune 23 to 30, 1863. He participated in the battle of Chickamauga, September18, 19 and 20, 1863; and was in the Dalton raid, under General Palmer,from February 21 to 27, 1864. He was also in the charge on Tunnel Hill,Georgia, May 7, 1864, and took part in the battle of Resaca, May 15 and16, 1864.
He was one of that bravelittle band of forty-two men who formed Company D, under Captain Hymer’scommand, who held their own against such fearful odds at Buzzard’s Roostgap. Georgia. They were stationed at the block house at that point, inJuly, 1864, where on August 15, they were attacked by Wheeler’s cavalry;but Company D opened such a fire of shot on the attacking party that thecavalry were obliged to retire. Again on October 13, Hood’s army of 40,000came to the block house and opened fire on the inmates with musketry andartillery, 133 cannon balls being fired at the fort. This little band ofSpartans, however, held the attacking party in check for ten hours, whenthey were finally forced to surrender. In this engagement, five were killed,six wounded and thirty-seven taken prisoners. The prisoners, among whomwas the subject of this sketch, were marched to Cahaba, Alabama, wherethey were confined for ten days in Castle Morgan, which was named in honorof the daring Confederate raider, John Morgan. Owing to the crowded conditionof the prison, they were sent to Millen, Georgia, where they were whenGeneral Sherman sent General Kilpatrick’s Cavalry, on November 22, to rescuethem if possible. The preceding evening, however, they were loaded on thecars and sent to Savannah, and thence on down the coast to Thomasville,Georgia, and from there across the country to Andersonville. In this famous,or rather infamous, prison, Mr. Tyson was confined for three months: atthe end of that time he was sent to Vicksburg, where he was paroled, exchanged,and loaded on the Henry Ames, one of those magnificent floating palacesfor which the lower Mississippi was famous in anti-bellum days.He was in this way transferred to St. Louis, and there paid off, and givena thirty days’ furlough to go home. At the expiration of this time he returnedto Springfield. Illinois, where he received his final pay and discharge,on June 14, 1865. As typical of the appreciation in which Mr. Tyson washeld by his commanders, may be mentioned the remark of Captain Hymer, whosaid to him: “1 know you were one of my best soldiers, and were alwaysin the line of duty.” Mr. Tyson was on detached service in the Signal Corps,at Wartrace, Tennessee; and while stationed at Tullahoma, that State, washeadquarter clerk for General Jesse H. Moore. While in Kentucky, Mr. Tysonwas a guest of the great Kentucky statesman, Cassius M. Clay, at that timeabsent in Russia, but whose absence was amply compensated for by the cordialityand hospitality of Mrs. Clay, her daughter and daughter-in-law, with whomhe had the pleasure of dining.
By the spring of 1867, Mr.Tyson had saved up $500, with which he purchased 160 acres of land in section11, township 1 north, range 1 west This event foreshadowed another, whichtranspired in the fall of the same year, and which was but the fulfillingof the saw, to provide a cage before getting the bird. He was married November10, 1867, to Miss Sarah J. Scott, an estimable lady, and a resident ofSchuyler county, Illinois. Their happy married life, however, was destinedto be of short duration, for on February 22, 1878, the faithful wife andmother expired at home, in the midst of her family and friends. She waswidely known and greatly beloved on account of her practical Christianvirtues and kind heart. They had four children: Jesse C., Laura, Leoraand Stella, the latter of whom died in infancy; there are now two grandchildren.
In 1880, Mr. Tyson was appointedCensus Enumerator for Bainbridge township, to which position he was reappointedon May 20, 1890. He is in very comfortable circumstances, and owns as finea farm as there is in the country, which is provided with good improvementsand is moderately and well stocked.
In politics he has alwaysbeen a Republican, and is opposed to oppression in any form.
A duty done is always a sourceof pleasure and pride to the one performing it. This is essentially trueat all times and at all places, but how much more so must it be when theperformance involves danger and perhaps death; when, as in the late war,the champions of justice and freedom were baptized with fire and with blood.It is then that duty assumes her heaven-born spirit, and pours into theheart the balm of unspeakable joy and that peace which passeth understanding.
Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, pages 266-269.
Copyright2000-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only.Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictlyprohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appearwith the information.
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