Son of Ebenezer Henderson and his wife, Jane Lee, both natives of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and grandson of Elizabeth Russell, wife of Robert Henderson. John's family lived in Guernsey County, Ohio until about 1849, when they moved to Adams County, Ohio. Not long after, the family moved to Fulton County, Illinois. In 1854, when John was 17 years of age, his father was thrown from his horse and killed, en route to pay for a farm in northern Warren County, Illinois. Following his father's death, John settled with his mother and siblings near Pope Creek in Mercer County, Illinois, a few miles from where Ebenezer had been found laying on a roadway.
John remained with his mother until his marriage at the age of 23 to Miss Elizabeth Louisa Lesley, of Henderson County, Illinois (spelling varies: Lessly, Lessley, Leslie, etc). They were married October 10, 1861 in Henderson County, then settled in Mercer County, Illinois, where they engaged in farming. They were the parents of two children -- Marietta "Etta" Lee, wife of George A. Harrington, of Nebraska, and Edith Louise, wife of Mastin A. Campbell of Iowa.
On August 14, 1862, a week before his first daughter was born, John enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and joined his regiment in Kentucky during September. He participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge when he was placed on detached duty. He was in the Atlanta campaign and in front of General Hood's army. He then went to Huntsville, Alabama, thence to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was mustered out June 17, 1865.
After being honorably discharged, John returned to his farm in Mercer County, Illinois. In the fall of 1865, he removed to Marshall County, Iowa, then shortly afterward settled in Centre View, Johnson County, Missouri. In 1869 he removed to Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, and in 1874 was elected Sheriff of Ringgold County, which office he resigned after filling it for sixteen months. In the following fall he engaged in the grocery business on the south side of the square. His partner in that venture was Thomas Liggett, another native of Ohio, whom he served with during the war and had much in common. John also dealt in stock, and operated his own farm.
John filed for a disability pension about 1888. Family lore states he was murdered by thieves, and left laying in a roadway in Kansas not long after moving there (yet to be documented).
John remained with his mother until his marriage at the age of 23 to Miss Elizabeth Louisa Lesley, of Henderson County, Illinois (spelling varies: Lessly, Lessley, Leslie, etc). They were married October 10, 1861 in Henderson County, then settled in Mercer County, Illinois, where they engaged in farming. They were the parents of two children -- Marietta "Etta" Lee, wife of George A. Harrington, of Nebraska, and Edith Louise, wife of Mastin A. Campbell of Iowa.
On August 14, 1862, a week before his first daughter was born, John enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and joined his regiment in Kentucky during September. He participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge when he was placed on detached duty. He was in the Atlanta campaign and in front of General Hood's army. He then went to Huntsville, Alabama, thence to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was mustered out June 17, 1865.
After being honorably discharged, John returned to his farm in Mercer County, Illinois. In the fall of 1865, he removed to Marshall County, Iowa, then shortly afterward settled in Centre View, Johnson County, Missouri. In 1869 he removed to Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, and in 1874 was elected Sheriff of Ringgold County, which office he resigned after filling it for sixteen months. In the following fall he engaged in the grocery business on the south side of the square. His partner in that venture was Thomas Liggett, another native of Ohio, whom he served with during the war and had much in common. John also dealt in stock, and operated his own farm.
John filed for a disability pension about 1888. Family lore states he was murdered by thieves, and left laying in a roadway in Kansas not long after moving there (yet to be documented).
Son of Ebenezer Henderson and his wife, Jane Lee, both natives of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and grandson of Elizabeth Russell, wife of Robert Henderson. John's family lived in Guernsey County, Ohio until about 1849, when they moved to Adams County, Ohio. Not long after, the family moved to Fulton County, Illinois. In 1854, when John was 17 years of age, his father was thrown from his horse and killed, en route to pay for a farm in northern Warren County, Illinois. Following his father's death, John settled with his mother and siblings near Pope Creek in Mercer County, Illinois, a few miles from where Ebenezer had been found laying on a roadway.
John remained with his mother until his marriage at the age of 23 to Miss Elizabeth Louisa Lesley, of Henderson County, Illinois (spelling varies: Lessly, Lessley, Leslie, etc). They were married October 10, 1861 in Henderson County, then settled in Mercer County, Illinois, where they engaged in farming. They were the parents of two children -- Marietta "Etta" Lee, wife of George A. Harrington, of Nebraska, and Edith Louise, wife of Mastin A. Campbell of Iowa.
On August 14, 1862, a week before his first daughter was born, John enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and joined his regiment in Kentucky during September. He participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge when he was placed on detached duty. He was in the Atlanta campaign and in front of General Hood's army. He then went to Huntsville, Alabama, thence to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was mustered out June 17, 1865.
After being honorably discharged, John returned to his farm in Mercer County, Illinois. In the fall of 1865, he removed to Marshall County, Iowa, then shortly afterward settled in Centre View, Johnson County, Missouri. In 1869 he removed to Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, and in 1874 was elected Sheriff of Ringgold County, which office he resigned after filling it for sixteen months. In the following fall he engaged in the grocery business on the south side of the square. His partner in that venture was Thomas Liggett, another native of Ohio, whom he served with during the war and had much in common. John also dealt in stock, and operated his own farm.
John filed for a disability pension about 1888. Family lore states he was murdered by thieves, and left laying in a roadway in Kansas not long after moving there (yet to be documented).
John remained with his mother until his marriage at the age of 23 to Miss Elizabeth Louisa Lesley, of Henderson County, Illinois (spelling varies: Lessly, Lessley, Leslie, etc). They were married October 10, 1861 in Henderson County, then settled in Mercer County, Illinois, where they engaged in farming. They were the parents of two children -- Marietta "Etta" Lee, wife of George A. Harrington, of Nebraska, and Edith Louise, wife of Mastin A. Campbell of Iowa.
On August 14, 1862, a week before his first daughter was born, John enlisted in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and joined his regiment in Kentucky during September. He participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge when he was placed on detached duty. He was in the Atlanta campaign and in front of General Hood's army. He then went to Huntsville, Alabama, thence to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was mustered out June 17, 1865.
After being honorably discharged, John returned to his farm in Mercer County, Illinois. In the fall of 1865, he removed to Marshall County, Iowa, then shortly afterward settled in Centre View, Johnson County, Missouri. In 1869 he removed to Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, and in 1874 was elected Sheriff of Ringgold County, which office he resigned after filling it for sixteen months. In the following fall he engaged in the grocery business on the south side of the square. His partner in that venture was Thomas Liggett, another native of Ohio, whom he served with during the war and had much in common. John also dealt in stock, and operated his own farm.
John filed for a disability pension about 1888. Family lore states he was murdered by thieves, and left laying in a roadway in Kansas not long after moving there (yet to be documented).
Gravesite Details
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Marker
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
