Francis Agnew
  b: 4/Apr/1803 - Hamilton Co., OH
  d: 26/Jun/1882 - Mason Co., IL - bur: Big Grove Cem., Salt Creek Twp.

Father: Samuel Agnew
Mother: Ann or Alice Burns?

Spouse: Catherine Robinson - b: 7/May/1812 - Monroe Co., IL
  d: 31/Jul/1854 - Marion Co., IL - bur: Gainsville Cem.
  m: 9/Oct/1828 - Monroe Co., IL

Child-1: Paulinus (Paul) F. - b: May/1830 - IL
                                           m: Mary Jane Kenoyer - 12/Feb/1857 - Adams Co., IL
          2: Leeander Constantine
          3: Aurilus A. - b: 28/Jan/1834 - St. Clair Co., IL
                                d: 15/Sep/1834 - St. Clair Co., IL - bur: Moore Cem.
          4: (unnamed daughter) - b: ~1837
          5: Adeline Arilla - b: 1839 - Monroe Co., IL
                                      d: ~1875 - IL
                                     m: Green Crowder - 13/Nov/1873 - Monroe Co., IL

Biographical Details:

It is reported that Francis Agnew was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, in April of 1803, and emigrated to Monroe County, Illinois, in 1826 evidently as an unmarried man.  Likewise, he is thought to have been a son of Samuel and Ann or Alice Agnew, but this remains uncertain and is supported only by circumstantial evidence.  Concomitantly, the surname of his putative mother, Ann or Alice Agnew, is not definitively known (although it has been reported as "Burns" and that she was a daughter of James and Janet Gabby Burns, both born in Pennsylvania).  Francis Agnew and Catherine Robinson were married on September 10, 1828, in Monroe County.  Eight children have been attributed to them, although only four are known to history, which implies that the remaining four putative children evidently died young or are spurious.  Concomitantly, in the population schedule of the 1830 US Census for Monroe County, Illinois, the household of Francis Agnew appears and consists of a male and female adult and one male child of less than five years of age.  Clearly, the male child should be identified with son, Paulinius (or Paul), and the adults with Francis and Catherine Agnew themselves.  Subsequently, in the population schedule of the 1840 US Census for Monroe County, the household of Francis Agnew, again, appears and consists of four children, viz., two females less than five years old, one male less than five, and one male between five and ten years of age, and two adults, which can, again, be confidently identified as Francis and Catherine.  Concomitantly, the two males are evidently sons, Paul and Leander (son Arilius having died in 1834); however, only one daughter can be identified as Adeline Arilla, the other, perhaps, dying in the 1840's.  Francis Agnew received a patent for eighty acres of land in Monroe County on October 10, 1840.1  The parcel was described as the Northwest quarter of Northeast quarter and Southeast quarter of Northeast quarter of Section Eighteen, Township Two South, Range Nine West of Principal Meridian Three and, thus, can be identifed with two discontinuous forty acre tracts joined at one corner and situated within Waterloo Township about two to three miles north-northeast of the town of Waterloo (which was declared the county seat in 1825).  The Agnew family evidently remained resident in Monroe County until after 1850 (at which time they were living in the town of Waterloo); however, Catherine Robinson Agnew died in Marion County, Illinois, in the summer of 1854.  Concomitantly, Francis served as postmaster in Central City, Marion County, from April 22, 1854, to February 8, 1855.  Even so, by 1860, Francis Agnew was living with his daughter in Upper Alton Township in Madison County, Illinois.  Moreover, they had returned to Monroe County by 1870 settling in the town of Columbia.  Adeline Agnew married Green Crowder in 1873, but sadly died a year or two later, perhaps, about 1875.  Accordingly, in 1880 Francis Agnew was living with his son Leander in Mason County.  He died June 26, 1882, and was buried in Big Grove Cemetery.  Throughout his life, Francis Agnew was identified as a carpenter.  Indeed, perhaps, his search for work explains some of the various migrations that he made within Illinois in the mid-nineteenth century.

Francis' oldest son, Paul, appears to have eventually settled in Oklahoma and was a veteran of the Civil War.  He served on the Union side in the 111th Regiment of the Illinois Infantry.  Earlier in the war, this unit was generally detailed to garrison duty; however, as the war progressed the unit became an active part of Sherman's army and participated in the Battle and Siege of Atlanta and then the famous March to the Sea.2

Source Notes and Citations:
1. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Certificate No. 6935; To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: WHEREASFrancis Agnew, of Monroe County, Illinois has deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States, a Certificate of the REGISTER OF THE LAND OFFICE at Kaskaskia whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said Francis Agnew according to the provisions of the Act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled "An Act making further provision for the sale of Public Lands," for the North West and the South East quarters of the North East quarter of Section eighteen, in Township two South, of Range nine West, in the District of lands subject to sale at Kaskaskia, Illinois, Containing eighty acres, according to the official plat of the survey of the said Lands, returned to the General Land Office by the SURVEYOR GENERAL, which said tract has been purchased by the said Francis Agnew.
     NOW KNOW YE, That the United States of America, in consideration of the Premises, and in conformity with the several acts of Congress, in such case made and provided, HAVE GIVEN AND GRANTED, and by these presents DO GIVE AND GRANT, unto the said Francis Agnew and to his heirs, the said tract above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the same, together with all the rights, privileges, immunities, and appurtenances, of whatsoever nature, thereunto belonging, unto the said Francis Agnew and to his heirs and assigns forever.
     In Testimony Whereof, I, Martin Van Buren, President Of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made PATENT, and the SEAL of the GENERAL LAND OFFICE to be hereunto affixed.  GIVEN under my hand, at the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the tenth day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty and of the INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES the Sixty fifthBY THE PRESIDENT:Martin Van Buren; By M. Van Buren, Jr. Sec'y; Jos. S. Wilson, Acting Recorder of the General Land Office ad interim  (US Land Patent Certificate No. 6935; Washington, DC, issued 10 Oct 1840.)

Federal Land Sale: October 10, 1840.  80 Acres: Northwest Quarter of Northeast Quarter and Southeast Quarter of Northeast Quarterof Section 18, Township 2 South, Range 9 West of Principal Meridian 3 (Waterloo Township) in Monroe County, Illinois.  Purchaser: Francis Agnew; Rate: $1.25 per acre; Price: $100.  (Field General Land Office Register, Vol. 31, pg. 143, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL, 1957.  (Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database, http://www.ilsos.gov/isa/landsrch.jsp, 2015.))
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2. Civil War Military Service Records, National Archives, Washington DC, (microfilm: roll M539_1).  (Database searchable online at Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service, www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.htm, 2004.)
     Agnew , Paulinus F., Private; Company G, 111th Regiment, Illinois Infantry
Overview:
     Organized at Salem, Ill., and mustered in September 18, 1862. At Camp Marshall, Salem, till October 31, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., October 31; thence to Columbus, Ky:, November 1, and Post and garrison duty there till March, 1863. Attached to District of Columbus, 13th Army Corps (Old), Department of the Tennessee, November to December, 1862. District of Columbus, Ky., 16th Army Corps, to November, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to March, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 15th Army Corps, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 15th Army Corps, to June, 1865.
Service:
     Moved from Columbus, Ky., to Fort Heiman, Ky., March 12-13, 1863, and garrison duty there till May 28.  Moved to Paducah, Ky., May 28 and duty there till October.  Expedition to Conyersville, Tenn., September 1-10, and to McLemoresville, Tenn., September 20-30.  Moved to Eastport, Miss.; thence to Gravelly Springs, Ala., and Pulaski, Tenn., October 31-November 12.  Duty at Pulaski and Decatur, Ala., till February 25, 1864.  Moved to Decatur Junction February 25-27.  Capture of Decatur March 7.  Moved to Huntsville, Ala., March 16-18.  At Larkinsville till May 1.  Atlanta Campaign May 1-September 8.  Demonstrations on Resaca, Ga., May 8-13.  Near Resaca May 13.  Battle of Resaca May 14-15.  Advance on Dallas May 17-25.  Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5.  Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2.  Assault on Kenesaw June 27.  Nickajack Creek July 2-5.  Chattahoochie River July 6-17.  Battle of Atlanta July 22.  Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25.  Ezra Chapel, Hood's second sortie, July 28.  Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30.  Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1.  Lovejoy's Station September 2-6.  Operations against Hood in North Goorgla and North Alabama September 29-November 3.  Bull's Gap, Ala., October 23.  Turkeytown and Gadsden Road October 25.  March to the sea November 15-December 10.  Siege of Savannah December 10-21.  Assault on and capture of Fort McAllister December 13.  Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865.  Salkehatchie Swamps February 2-5.  Cannon's Bridge, South Edisto River, February 8.  North Edisto River February 12-13.  Congaree Creek February 15.  Columbia February 16-17.  Fayetteville, N. C., March 11. Battle of Bentonville March 20-21.  Occupation of Goldsboro March 24.  Advance on Raleigh April 10-14.  Occupation of Raleigh April 14.  Bennett's House April 26.  Surrender of Johnston and his army.  March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19.  Grand Review May 24.  Mustered out June 7 and discharged at Springfield, Ill., June 27, 1865.
     Regiment lost during service: 7 Officers and 75 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 166 Enlisted men by disease.  Total 250.
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Additional Citations:

3. 1830 US Census Population Schedule for Monroe County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 173, (microfilm: roll M19_22; imgs. 336-7).

4. 1840 US Census Population Schedule for Monroe County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 349, (microfilm roll M704_66, imgs. 58-9).

5. 1850 US Census Population Schedule for Monroe County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 89B, (microfilm: roll M432_121; img. 179).

6. 1860 US Census Population Schedule for Madison County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 6, (microfilm: roll M653_208; img. 7).

7. 1870 US Census Population Schedule for Monroe County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 402B, (microfilm: roll M593_261; img. 11).

8. 1880 US Census Population Schedule for Mason County, Illinois, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 428A, (microfilm: roll T9_235; img. 237).

9. Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, Illinois State Archives & Illinois Genealogical Society, Springfield, IL, 2014.  ("Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900", www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/marriage.html)

10. Anonymous, Portrait and Biographical Record of Tazewell and Mason Counties, Illinois, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1894: pg. 476.

11. Big Grove Cemetery, Mason County, Illinois (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=104754&CScn=Big+Grove+&CScntry=4&CSst=16&, continuously updated).

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