John A. Logan’s Speech Aug 19, 1861
Barely four months after a party of 10 or 15 had gotten together in a Marion, Illinois saloon in 1861 and organized a meeting calling for the secession of Williamson County from the Union. General John A. Logan rode into town and addressed an explosive crowd on the square in a two-hour speech from the bed of a wagon on the Marion Square. Continue reading
James D. McCown came with his parents from Robinson County, Tennessee in the late 1830’s to Williamson County. He was born on February 7, 1824 and followed his father’s trade of farming like most in those days. Continue reading
Editor’s note: In the summer of 2012, I did some genealogy on the family of Mona (Blankenship) Carter, a friend of mine. When I ran across James McKinney and his story, I was very moved by the experience that he must have endured. Then it occurred to me that, in a way, it was representative of the hardships that a number of our Marion ancestors endured. That anyone could endure hardships like this in their lives and come out even reasonably normal is truly a tribute to the pioneer spirit. Continue reading
81st Illinois Infantry Regimental Flag
Eighty first Infantry – Cols., James J. Dollins, Franklin Campbell; Lieut.-Cols., Franklin Campbell, Andrew W. Rogers; Majs., Andrew W. Rogers, Cornelius S. Ward, Thomas Hightower, James P. Cowens. This regiment was recruited principally from the counties of Perry, Franklin, Williamson, Jackson, Union, Pulaski and Alexander, in the southern portion of Illinois, in what has from the early history of the state been known as “Egypt.” Continue reading
