Person:William Beezley (9)

Taken from the RootsWeb World Connect Project: Doug Beezley

Taken from Biographical History of Pottawattamie County 1901

William Beezley, of section 22, Macedonia Township, was born in Clarke County, Ohio, two miles east of Springfield, in January, 1818, the son of John Beezley, who was born in Brown County, Ohio, and was one of the earliest settlers of that state, whose father, William Beezley, came there with Daniel Boone and built the first grist-mill on the Little Miami river. the Beezleys were a patriotic family, and John Beezley, William's father, though a boy was with his father a short time in the war of 1812. His grandfather was made Captain under General William Harrison, and the subject and his father both lived to vote for General and ben Harrison. The father lived to an advanced age, being born in October, 1797 and died in Clarke County, Ohio, March 7, 1889 at about ninety years of age. Our subject's mother was Elizabeth (Ellsworth)Beezley, who was born in Martinsburg, Virginia, of an old Virginia family. Colonel Ellsworth of the late war was her second cousin.

William Beezley, our subject, was reared in Ohio, engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1857, when he removed to Logan County, Illinois. When the war broke out he enlisted in the first Illinois regiment that went out, and he again enlisted in 1862, in the One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Infantry, Company F, and served until the close of the war. He was at Island 62, sige of Vicksburg, the taking of Little Rock, Arkansas, and went up the Red River with General Steele as far as Jenkins' Ferry, and was in many other engagements. He then went out as Captain, and after the death of the Major he was elected to fill his place, and was made Lieutenant Colonel, and had charge of the regiment during the last year. He had three sons and two boys he had raised in the war; John T., in the Thirty-eighth Illinois Infantry, Serving nearly five years and came out with a Captain's commission, he lives in Crawford County, Kansas, near Gerard; Cassius O., who served in the One Hundred and Sixth Regiment Illinois with his father, was killed at Island 62, and was buried near there; William James, in the One Hundred and Forty-Fifth Illinois Regiment, and now lives in southern Nebraska, near Orleans. The two boys Mr. Beezley took to raise were James Ferguson, in the Seventh Regiment and now resides in southwestern Kansas, near Wichita, and Charles Russum in the Thirty-eighth Regiment, and died at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Our subject resided on Logan County until 1876, when he came to this county, and bought 320 acres of land on the Nishuabotna River. He nows own 510 acres of good land on section 21,22 and 15, which is partly improved. He was first married in Miami Couny, Ohio, when twenty-five years of age, to Polly Ann Castle,who was born in Maryland. They had six children, of whom five are now living: John, at Gerard, Kansas; Emeline, the wife of Newton Boyles, of Graham County, Kansas, Cassius O., who was killed on Island 62; William James, residing in Southwestern Nebraska; and Jenny, the wife of Cornelius Stockton, of Ilnason County, Dakota. Mrs Beezley died in 1880, and Mr. Beezley was again married December 20, 1884, to Miss Anna Fawcett, who was born in England. By this union there were three children: Benjamin Roscoe, George Fawcett, and Elmer Smith. Politically he is a Republican and is a member of the G.A.R., Updegraff Post, Macedonia Charter. He was made a Mason in Ohio mearly half a century ago. He was raised in the old-school Baptist Church, but joined the Methodist Episcopal Church over fifty years ago.

Biography: 1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Biography: William Beezley.

Biography: William Beezley, who follows farming and stock-raising and is one of the well known breeders of fine cattle in Crawford County, is pleasantly located about a mile and a half west of Girard. He is also entitled to representation in this volume because of the fact that he is an honored veteran of the Civil War and is one of the revered patriarchs of this community, having passed the eighty-fifth milestone on life's Journey. He was born in Clark County, Ohio, two miles east of the city of Springfield, on the 11th day of January, 1818, and was a son of John and Elizabeth (Ellsworth) Beezley, who became residents of Ohio at a very early period in its development. they crossed the Ohio river where now stands the city of Cincinnati, but at that time its site was marked by only one log cabin. John Beezley was Miller by occupation, and his father, William Beezley, built the first gristmill in the state of Ohio. The family were actively connected with the early pioneer development of that state, and John Beezley continued to make his home in Ohio until his death, which occurred in 1890, when he had reached the very advanced age of ninety-four years. His wife passed away in 1875 at the age of seventy-eight years.

BIOGRAPHY: William Beezley was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life in the Buckeye state, and early became familiar with the hardships and difficulties which fall to the lot of pioneer settlers. He was educated in the subscription schools, for at that time the public-school system had not been established in his home locality. He also added largely to his knowledge through reading and by instruction received from his parents. In his boyhood days he became familiar with the arduous work of developing new land and of Carrig on the home farm, and he lived with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-four years, working for his father for three years after he attained his majority. He left home in 1857 and made his way westward to Logan County, Illinois, where he purchased one hundred and thirty acres of land, and began farming on his own account. As his financial resources increased he added to his property from time to time until he was the owner of four hundred acres, and was accounted one of the most enterprising and successful agriculturists of his community. He carried on his farm work until July, 1861, when he offered his services to the government as a defender of the Union cause. His age would have exempted him from military service, but his patriotic sprit prompted his enlistment and he became a member of Company F, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Infantry, with which command he went to the front. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, was in the battle of Highland, in 1862,the battle of Little Rock,Arkansas, and several smaller engagements. His meritorious conduct on the front brought him promotion from time to time and when he was discharged at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on the 1st of August, 1865, he held the rank of captain.

BIOGRAPHY: When the war was over Mr. Beezley returned to his farm in Illinois and continued to engage in its cultivation until 1876, when he traded a quarter section of his Illinois land for a half section in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. In 1893 he was the owner of six hundred acres of land there, having added to his original holdings. In that year he sold his property in Iowa and came to Crawford County, Kansas, where he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He also has a farm of two hundred and forty acres adjoining this property, and in connection with the raising of grain he devotes considerable attention to the breeding of fine cattle and has upon his place some of the best stock to be found in this part of the state. He has always made a specialty of Shorthorn and Red Polled cattle.

BIOGRAPHY: In 1844 Mr. Beezley was united in marriage to Miss Pollie Ann Castle, and they became the parents of seven children: John F., who is now deceased, Casius, who was killed in the Civil War, while serving as a defender of the Union; Joseph N., who died in infancy; James, who is living in Graham County, Kansas; Emeline C. the wife of R. N. Boyle, of Graham County; Charles T., who is manager for an insurance company in Des Moines, Iowa, and Jennie, the wife of Cornelius F. Stockton, a resident farmer of Crawford County, Kansas. In 1881 Mr. Beezley was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife and on the 22d of December 1884, he was again married, his second union being with Anna Fawcett, a native of England. They have four children: Benjamin R., George F., and Elmer C., all of whom are students in the high school at Girard; and Roy C., a lad of ten years, at home.

BIOGRAPH: Mr. Beezley and his family have long been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church and now attend the services of the church of that denomination of Girard. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and he belongs to the Grand Army post at Macedonia, Iowa. While residing in that state he served as county commissioner of Pottawattamie County for one term, elected to the position on the Republican ticket. From the organization of the party he has been a Stauch advocate of the Republican principles, and has kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day..He has now passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey and has, therefore, witnessed much of the growth and development of the republic. He was born during the fifth president's administration and has lived through a period of great material development and of national progress. He rode in the first train that ran over the first railroad built in Ohio, the line being called the Cincinnati & Little Miami road. He has also witnessed the introduction of the telegraph and the telephone and of much modern machinery used in industrial and agriculture life. In his farming operations he has kept pace with the universal progress and has always owned well improved property abreast with modern improvements. Pages 442-445 from A Twentieth century history and biographical record of Crawford County, Kansas, by Home Authors, Illustrated Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago,IL. 1905. 656p.ill. Transcribed by Carolyn Ward, in November, 2003.

1. ↑ Doug Beezley doug@@beezley.net.