JOHN W. DANIEL, an intelligent and progressive farmer of Ashland, Cass county, Illinois, and an honored veteran of the late war, was born in Morgan county, this State, January 12, 1839.
His parents were Joseph and Jemima (Stiltz) Daniel, both of whom were natives of Tennessee, in which State they were married and where their eldest child, Somers T., was born. They had four sons and four daughters, the youngest of whom was a man full grown, when the father died, that being the first death in the family. Somers T. died in mature life, leaving a wife and one son; Mary J. went to California in 1849, and has never been heard from since; she was unmarried; James M., a miller by trade, lives in Kansas, is a widower and has a family; Eliza Ann married Mr. Hodgson, and is now deceased; Ellen is the wife of John Goodall, a prosperous farmer of Kansas; Lavinia, wife of John May, a well-to-do farmer, lives in Arkansas; Joseph is married, and lives in Montana, where he is a miner by occupation.
The subject of this sketch attended the subscription schools of Morgan county, and was reared to farm life. Thus passed his boyhood and early manhood, when the country was shaken to its foundations by the bloody carnage of civil war. Leaving his home, young Mr. Daniel enlisted, August 7, 1862, in company K, One Hundred and First Illinois Infantry. He was assigned to duty at Cairo, Illinois, for a month, at the end of which time he was transferred to the Sixteenth Corps, accompanying his regiment to Holly Springs, Mississippi, where Mr. Daniel participated in his first engagement. A portion of the regiment was taken prisoners, the remainder being detached to duty as a guard at General Grant's headquarters. Among the latter was Company K, which accompanied General Grant to Vicksburg. After the capture of that city, the portion of the regiment which had been captured was exchanged, and the regiment went to Union City, Tennessee, thence to Louisville, Kentucky, and from there to Bridgeport, Alabama, whence they went to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they took part in the battle of Missionary Ridge with the Twentieth Army Corps. This brave company made the memorable winter march to Knoxville, during which they were without sufficient food, and their shoes being worn out they might have been tracked by blood from their bruised and bleeding feet. Mr. Daniel participated with his regiment in all the battles from Chattanooga to Atlanta, Georgia, being 100 days under fire. From Atlanta he accompanied General Sherman in his march to the sea, and thence through the Carolinas, north to Washington City, where he participated in the grand review. In June, 1865, he was mustered out of service at Springfield, Illinois.
Mr. Daniel then returned to his boyhood home in Morgan county, where he was married in September, 1866, to Miss Lutheria Hubbard, an estimable lady and a native of Illinois. To this union two children were born, Edward Grant and Lorenzo Cass, both living and unmarried, and both employed as telegraph operators. Mr. Daniel's wife died, and he was afterward married to Zilpah Carter, a native of Morgan county. They had three children: Elizabeth E., Charles O. and Daisy, all living at home.
Mr. Daniel owns a small fruit farm in the suburbs of Ashland, and deals quite extensively in poultry, from the proceeds of which, and his pension, he lives very comfortably.
He is a stanch Republican in politics; and belongs to John Douglas Post, No. 592, G.A.R. He and his worthy wife are earnest and useful members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
Thus in brief is given the few most prominent facts of a modest and useful life, which although not blazoned abroad is yet as well lived and important as that of the trumpeted heroes of the war. His duty done, he rests by his fireside in peace and happiness, the recipient of the good wishes of his neighbors, the affection of his family, and the gratitude of his country.