1885 History of Greene & Jersey
Patterson Township
Help is needed for additional extractions.
. . .
Page 964
Davis Carter, a prominent early settler of Greene county, was born in North Carolina, about 1784, and was a son of Michael Carter. His parents died when he was young, and Davis then removed with his brother-in-law Mr. Powell, and sister, to Tennessee. In 1811 he came to Illinois, locating near the fort in Wood river settlement, Madison county. There he lived until 1820, amid the scenes then attending the early settlement of that part of the territory. While there he was married to Catherine Reagan, a native of Alabama. It was the wife and two children of her brother Reason, who among others, were killed at the Wood river massacre. In the spring of 1820, Mr. Carter moved his family up to Greene county and located on Sec. 25, T. 11, R. 13, now in Walkerville township. There they remained until the spring of 1821, when the removed across the creek on to Sec. 35, T. 11, R. 13, now Bluffdale township. In 1824, they returned to Walkerville township, locating on section 16, where they resided seven years, and then lived at two other locations in that township, respectively one and two years. After that they removed to Sec. 4, T. 12, R. 13, and there resided until Nov., 1847, when Mr. Carter died, having survived his wife since 1844. Both are buried at the Hunnicutt cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Davis Carter were the parents of 6 children – Eleanor, deceased wife of William Little; Lorenzo E., subject of the following sketch; John, married Ann Spencer, died in this county, Joseph, enlisted in Co. D, 2d Ill. Inf., for the entire Mexican war, but fell a victim to the yellow fever, at Vera Cruz; Ruth, deceased wife of John Buck; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Wesley Clevenger, of Macoupin county. Davis Carter was in the Black Hawk war, and was a ranger in the war of 1812, with headquarters at the Wood river fort. He assisted in burning the fort at Peoria. As early as 1827 he drove cattle from this county to Green Bay, Wis., for the soldiers. It may therefore be said that several years of his life were spent in the loyal defense of his country.
Lorenzo E. Carter, a prominent resident of this township, and the only surviving child of Mr. and Mrs. Davis Carter, early pioneers of Greene county, was born at the Wood river settlement, in Madison county, on Christmas day, 1817. Before he was three years of age, his parents removed to Greene county, into which, but a short time before the first pioneers had gone. Here they settled permanently, and here Lorenzo was reared amid the scenes attending the clearing up of the wilderness. He received his education in the log school house of the early days, and among others went to school to the father of Rowell Hunnicutt. He was reared to farm life, and remained with his parents until his marriage in May, 1843, to Sarah Silkwood, a native of Greene county, born June 11, 1827. Her parents were Obadiah and Sarah Silkwood, natives of Kentucky, who removed to St. Clair county, Ill., and from there to Greene county, in 1824, settling on Sec. 15, T. 11, R. 13, where her father died. Her mother died afterwards, while they were living under the bluff. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were the parents of seven children, of whom
[Page 965]
six are living — Eveline, wife of Henry Gollier, living in Patterson township; John, married Melanie Manger, lives in this township; Mary, wife of Joseph Dagly, living in this township; Sylvia J., wife of John Deeds, living in Pearl, Pike county; William and Marcus. George, deceased, was married to Mary Boyer, and died Nov. 22, 1879. Mr. Carter has about 1,500 acres of land in T. 11 and 12, R. 13. He was justice of the peace at one time, and has been connected with the schools at various times, and in different capacities. Mr. Carter enlisted in the Mexican war in June, 1847, and was assigned to Co. D, 2d Ill. Inf., under Captain Bristow and Colonel Collins, commanded by General Patterson. He returned in 1848, and was mustered out at Alton, where he had also been mustered in. He started from there as a sergeant of his company, and while in Mexico, was elected lieutenant of the same. A generation has passed away since Mr. Carter first came to this county, and he has witnessed almost the entire development of Greene county, in the course of his life of over three score years.
Extracted from History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois, published in 1885, pages 959-972.
