Biography - Daniel Conway
DANIEL CONWAY was born in the county of Limerick, Ireland, on the 11th of
May, 1840. His is the second child of Capt. Thomas Conway and Catherine, his
wife. In the fall of 1846 Mr. Conway emigrated to the United States, soon
after locating in Canada. As regards pecuniary matters he was quite
comfortably situated. In 1851 he became a contractor on the St. Lawrence &
Atlantic railroad, and subsequently was a large contractor on the Grand
Trunk road. In the railroading business he amassed a considerable fortune.
In 1856 he settled in Macomb county, Michigan, where he engaged largely in
farming operations, and now ranks among the more opulent citizens of that
county.
Daniel Conway attended five years the college at Notre Dame, Montreal,
Canada, after which he became foreman on his father's line of contracts. In
the fall of 1856 he went to St. Louis, where he turned his attention to
learning the machinist trade, and after a short time engaged in engineering
on the steamer "Emma," running on the Missouri river trade. He operated in
that capacity about two years, and, in 1858, went down to New Orleans. From
there he went to engineering on the Jackson railroad. In that city he became
a member of the Washington Artillery, consisting of one battalion, in which
he held the commission of lieutenant. On the breaking out of the war they
offered their services to the Confederate states, and were accepted. He
remained in the service four years, and at the battle of Malvern Hill was
wounded by the explosion of a shell, after which he was granted a parole of
honor and returned to New Orleans. This was while General Butler was in
command of the city. And one day, while sauntering leisurely down one of the
beautiful avenues in citizen's dress he was arrested, and, refusing to take
the oath of allegiance, he was incarcerated in Ft. Pickens; but, with Cap
Garing, of Texas, and five others, he planned an escape, although they were
captured at the head of Santa Rosa Island, Florida while attempting to cross
the bay in a yawl; consequently, they were doomed to a little more
prisoner's fare. He was afterwards sent to New Orleans and exchanged under
Gen. Banks's administration. A few of the most prominent battles that he was
engaged in were Bull Run, Ball's Bluff, Antietam, and Sharpsburg. In 1865 he
again resumed railroading, this time superintending the building of the
Jacksonville branch of the Chicago, Alton, & St. Louis railroad, under the
firm of Brooks, Foster, & C. On the 12th of July, 1866, he was married to
Miss Mary L. Costley, daughter of Major Wm. Costley, and old resident of
Greene county. In 1867 Mr. Conway removed to Covington, Ky., where he took a
contract on the Louisville, Cincinnati, & Lexington railroad. As a railroad
man he has proved himself successful. In the fall of 1868 he returned to
Greene county, purchasing the old farm known as the "Hugh Jackson place,"
near the Macoupin bridge, south of Carrollton, and is now the proprietor of
Convayville, where he is engaged in the wholesale liquor trade.
Extracted 07 Sep 2018 by Norma Hass from Atlas Map of Greene County Illinois, 1873, page 46-47.
