Tenth Generation

69. Mark WILLIAMS was born on 4 February 1820 in Richland, Oswego County, NY.^1,4,5,6,30 (In the 1880 Census for his son Allen, his birth place was listed as Pennsylvania. In the 1920 Census for his son Leslie, it was listed as Wisconsin.)

General Notes: Census: 8-11-1850, Newton Township, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, District # 19. Mark was living with first wife Charlotte, daughter Susan, and mother-in-law Hannah Williams, 29 years old, a farmer, real estate valued at $200, born in New York, and not attending school. They lived next to Mark's sister Celesta (Williams) Howard and brother J.G. Williams, sister Caroline Williams and his mother Lucinda Williams. (Household # 55,3 Family # 564, Line # 26.)

Census: 3-26-1860, Manitowoc Rapids, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, P.O. Manitowoc Rapids, Wisconsin. Mark was living with his wife and 3 children, 40 years old, a farmer, born in New York, real estate value was $2000, personal property valued at $200, and was not attending school. (Household # 303, Family # 287, Line # 13.)

Census: 7-8-1870, Fairfield, Sauk County, Wisconsin, P.O. Baraboo, Wisconsin. Mark "William" was living with Darius Palmer 40, his wife Sarah 33, son Wilburn 11, Eleanor/ Elaine (unreadable) 9 and Jay 4. Darius and Mark were farmers, and both born in New York. Sarah was also born in New York and the children were born in Wisconsin.

Census: 6-2-1880, Taylor Township, Benton County, Iowa. Mark was head of the household, living with his wife, two sons, a step son, a step-daughter and a boarder, 60 years old, was married, a farm laborer, could read and write, and was born in New York, as were both parents. Boarder: John B. Mayes, age 31, a farmer born in Ohio, his father born in Pennsylvania and mother born in Ohio. (Line # 23. Household # 16 Family # 17 Line # 18.)

Census: 6-1-1900, Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, Ward 1. Mark is head of household, born February 1820, 80 years old, married, in present marriage 29 years, retired, could read, write, and speak English, and was renting his home which was not a farm. (Household # 115 Family # 129 Line #.)

Mark moved to Erie Pennsylvania while a young man. There he worked in the charcoal pits and the blast furnaces. His father died some years previous. He and his elder brother Henry made a trip to Wisconsin in 1848. At that time it was just a territory. The next year they returned to Pennsylvania and brought the family via boat to Milwaukee and a little later, also by boat, to Manitowoc. In a visit to Manitowoc, Harry James Williams found that Mark purchased approximately 60 acres of land from Lycurgus Williams in Manitowoc county, described as the "East half of the West half of the North East quarter, Section thirty four, Township nineteen North of Range twenty three east." The date of purchase was December 10, 1850 and the price $100.

Mark sold his land to Elizabeth and Albert Fulton on February 6, 1867 for $1400 in three installments and interest at seven percent per annum with the final payment due in June 1868. He wasn't to get any cash until April 1, if payment was on time.

Mark purchased 40 acres between the present location of Baraboo and Portage in Sauk County April 18, 1867. The description is, "Northwest quarter of the Southwest quarter of Section 24 in township number 12, North of Range N seven East. It is further described as 1/2 to 3/4 miles East of the bridge on Hwy 33 between Baraboo and Portage. The seller was Herman Johnson.

At Manitowoc he claimed 160 acres of government land at $1.25 per acre near what is now the city of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This region was heavily timbered with virgin white pines.

Mark married Charlotte M. Williams (no relation to his family). Mark and Charlotte lived most of their early married life in the Manitowoc area. They had four children, Allen, Helen, Susan and Hannah Lucinda. "Susie" died at two years of age.

Mark served in the Civil war. He enlisted in the Union Army and was sent with a corps of engineers to Arkansas where he served about nine months, and upon his return home was transferred to Co. K, 6th Wisconsin Infantry. He was then serving with the Army of the Potomoc in Virginia, where he served to the end of the war. He received his honorable discharge June 6, 1865. He went in at private rank and came out as private rank.

In Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Geneology: Dennis Moore's Civil War Rosters, it reads: "6th Wis. Col. Inf. Company and Union Army Enlisted as private 09/30/64 Manitowoc Rapids Township History--Drafted. Mustered out 06/08/65. At the time of his enlistment, Williams was age 44 and listed his occupation as a farmer. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and stood 5' 9"." (Source: http://freepages.geneology.rootsweb.com/~tomanitowoc/cvlwrrz.html)

Mark was hired to work in quartermasters about 8-1864 for six months. He was sent to St. Louis and from there to DuValls Bluff, Arkansas. Captain Gobert was command of the post at that place. He was discharged in 1865 and sent to St. Louis with voucher for his pay and, as no money was available there at that time, he sold his voucher and returned home to Manitowoc about 3-30-1865, and found that he had been drawn on draft in Sept. of the previous year. Henry Wills left the paper of draft at his house while he was away.

On his return home, he immediately went before an officer and made affidavit as to his service the previous six months in Arkansas. S.A. Wood, then county judge of Manitowoc Co. also furnished proof and endorsed the same. Mark then reported to headquarters at Green Bay 4-10-1865 on the draft and was exonerated by the officers in charge from all charges of desertion. He was sent to Camp Randall, Madison and was received there 4-14-1865. On 4-26, he was forwarded to the army of the Potomac in Virginia, arriving there about 5-1-1865 at West Arlington, Virginia with 81 other men. He returned home to Manitowoc.

His honorable discharge was made out in regular form and oath of identity and full description attached. These papers were burned together with other valuable papers in his house near Tomah, Wisconsin in 1874. He since obtained a certificate of service according to act of -----. Mark was denied a pension because he had not served in the military for 90 days. (Source: handwritten pages by his son, James Findley Williams, who had written letters to the government about his father.)

The record at Washington read: Drafted Sept 30, 1864 and failed to report. He was arrested as a deserter 4-6-1865. He was then sent to the draft rendezvous and received 4-14-1865, and was forwarded to the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry 4-26-1865. He was delivered to Provost Colonel of the Army of Potomac 5-1-1865 and was discharged 6-8-1865. (Source: a handwritten paper by James Findley Williams is currently held by Harry James Williams, grandson of Mark, and Katherine A. (Williams) Kruger, great-great-granddaughter of Mark's.)

Returning from the Army service somewhat broken in health, he sold his interests in Manitowoc County and moved to Sauk County between Portage and Baraboo, where he bought a farm of 80 acres and engaged in the business of raising hops for market.

Charlotte died in 1866 or 1867.

Mark remarried on 9-4-1870 to a widow, Mrs. Sarah (Archer) Vialou. Sarah was from the Janesville area. About a year later, they sold out at Baraboo and moved to a place near Tomah, Wisconsin. It was known locally as Water Mills where he engaged in lumbering and some farming.

It was here that James Finley Williams was born on 1-12-1873. Leslie Ellsworth Williams was born 9-18-1874 in a rented place near the north edge of Tomah. There was a fire in Tomah in 1874 which about wiped out Mark's farming venture.

They lived at Tomah until the spring of 1877 when they moved to Vinton, Benton County, Iowa, where Sarah had some relatives. Mark engaged in farming for a short time, until he hurt his back lifting a wagon. He could never do physical labor again.

They then moved into town, where Leslie and James went to school. Mark was in poor health but did quite a lot of gardening for the next few years. In the fall of 1888 the family returned to Wisconsin, locating in Janesville. Their sons, James Findley ("Fin" to the family) and Leslie dropped out of school at ages 13 and 11 years to work in the cotton mill in Janesville (still standing in 2002) to support Mark and Sarah. They worked 11 hours a day, 6 days a week.

According to the 1920 census of Flambeau, Rusk County, Wisconsin, Mark was born in Ohio.

He died of senile tuberculosis. He was ill with the disease for about five years. Services were held at his home at 404 West Bluff Street, Janesville, Wisconsin.

Mark's pension number was 619743. He first applied for military pension 8-12-1887 at Vinton, Iowa. His claim for disability arose from a disease of the lungs, which was contracted in April or May of 1865 at Alexandria, Pa.. He was diagnosed and treated by Dr. Simmons of Manitowoc, Wis. in October 1865 and by Dr. Fitch in New York in 1866 and 1867. Mark claimed to have used lots of patent medicines. He claimed to have done farm work about 1/3 of the time and for the last six years had not been able to do any work in the winter season. He had an examination 12-7-1887 (62 yrs of age) and was rejected on 4-30-1888. In the board's opinion, he was in a fine state of preservation for a man his age and there was no disability. They found his general nutrition good and general health apparently good.

On May 6, 1890 and now living in Janesville, Wisconsin, he asked for a new examination. He stated that he had not filed for 3 or 4 years and that he had been denied unjustly the first time. He stated that he could not get testimony from the doctors who treated him, as they were deceased. On 7-5-1890, W. J. Cannon and John Masterson witnessed his signature for application. On 10-18-1890, affidavits by W. J. Cannon and M. Evans-pastor of M. Episcopal Church, Janesville.

On 10-3-1890 there was a physician's testimony. E. E. Loomis and Hugh Mengie, M.D.'s testified they did not know Mark before or after enlistment and had never prescribed or treated him for any disability. He lived within a mile of them. They made a physical examination of him and their diagnosis was chronic bronchitus. They stated that there was real evidence of disease of the lungs and that he was incapacitated to perform manual labor. Two general affidavits, one from Carver Thompson from Vinton, Benton County, Iowa, and the other from Joseph Walters from Vinton, Benton County, Iowa. Both stated they knew Mark for about ten years and that he was able to work only half days in the first part of the ten years and not even that much in the latter part of the ten years.

By November 1890, all evidence required had been turned in. Two neighbors, Peter Howland (knew Mark 2 years) and W. G.Palmer (knew Mark 1 year), signed affidavits. Both said he could only work about one fourth of the average able-bodied man. The second claim was filed on July 7,1890. On February 6, 1891, he filed evidence of present disability.

On October 23, 1891 from Janesville, he personally wrote a letter and said he was 71 years old and in desperate circumstances. He could not earn anything and had no land to sell. On November 1, 1891, he wrote personally to the Honorable General Raum, pension committee. His attorney wrote several notes previously.

On 12-8-1891, General Raum sent him a letter to go before Dr. Cawbacker's office in Osceola Mills in Polk County, Wisconsin, for a medical exam within three months. This was 400 miles from home. He wrote on 12-1891 and told them this and said it must have been a mistake since there was a doctor in Janesville and three others within forty miles of home. On 2-3-1892, he was ordered to see Dr. C. R.Head in Janesville.

On March 3, 1892 (72 years of age) he had a physical examination. He was found to be frail, nutrition impaired and with general muscle weakness. On May 18, 1892 his pension was again rejected on the grounds that he had not served 90 days in the United States Service as required by an Act dated June 27,1890.

On June 15, 1897, another declaration was filed claiming he was physically unable to earn support by manual labor by reason of hernia or rupture, chronic bronchitus and general disability occasioned by age. Peter Howund and William G. Palmer were witnesses. It was again rejected June 3, 1898.

On June 17, 1898, a letter was written to H. Clay Evans at Washington, D.C. It was written by E. --------Gray, in charge of Pension Division. He asked if he should appeal Mark's case. He said according to the records of his office, Mark served more than eight months--September 30, 1864 to June 8, 1865. The letter said the pension was rejected on June 6, 1898. January 9, 1901 a declaration of abandonment was filed. Mark was 81 years of age. The lung disease was not mentioned, but rather the rupture caused from service and feebleness produced. Mark died never receiving any pension.

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He appeared in the census in 1850 in Newton Township, Manitowoc County, WI.^9,12 He and his wife and oldest daughter were living in the household of Hannah Williams (relationship unknown) and his occupation was "Farmer." (Hannah was listed as age 33, born in Vermont.) He appeared in the census in 1860 in Manitowoc Rapids Township, Manitowoc County, WI.¹² Mark appeared in the census in 1870 in Fairfield Township, Sauk County, WI.¹² He appeared in the census in 1880 in Taylor Township, Benton County, IA.^12,31 His occupation was "Farmer." He appeared in the census in 1900 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.^12,32 His household was at 114 North Academy and his occupation was "Retired." Mark died on 7 March 1905 at the age of 85 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.^1,6

Obituary Notes: "MARK WILLIAMS HAS PASSED AWAY
Made This City His Home For Eighteen Years
HE LIVED TO BE 85 YEARS OLD
Born in New York State Coming West in the Early Days--Leaves a Wife and Four Children. Mark Wiliams, a highly respected resident of the Bower City, passed peacefully away last evening at 8:15 o'clock at his home 404 West Bluff Street. Mr. Williams was 85 years of age and died from the infirmities of old age.

For the past eighteen years he has made Janesville his home and his acquaintances extended to all portions of Rock County. Deceased was born in Richland, Oswego county, New York, and besides a wife he leaves four children they being: Allen Williams and Mrs. H. L. Roehrborn, Merrill, Wis., J. F. Williams and L. E. Williams of this city."

"DEATH COMES TO AN OLD RESIDENT
Mark Williams Passsed Away Last Evening, Infirmities of Old Age Death last evening, overtook Mark Williams, an aged and greatly esteemed resident of this city. His demise occurred at quarter after eight at his late home, 404 West Bluff Street, and was the result of the infirmities of old age. The deceased was born near Williamstown, N.Y., Feb. 4, 1820, removing to Erie, Pa., while young. He came to Wisconsin in 1847, locating near Manitowoc, where he lived for many years. Later he moved to Iowa and from there, came to Janesville in 1888.

He leaves to mourn his loss a wife, a son, and a daughter by a former marriage, Allen Williams and Mrs. E. Roehrborn of Merrill, Wis.; two stepsons, F. J. Vialou of Vinton, Iowa, and W. J. Vialou, of Denver, Col; two stepdaughters, Mrs. W. J. Cannon and Miss Julia Vialou; and two sons, J. F. and L. E. Williams of this city; and a brother, B. F. Williams of Bethel, Wis., and two sisters, Mrs. I. G. Fisher of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Mrs. Ann Bon of Weeping Water, Nebraska. Funeral services over the remains will be held from the home Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. The G.A.R. Post of this city will attend in a body."

"Attention Comrades,
There will be a special meeting of Post No. 20 G.A.R., held at the office of the adjutant general (E.O. Kimberly). Thursday evening, March 9 th, to make arrangements for the funeral and burial of our late comrade, Mark Williams. Meet at 7:30. By order of Elias Heller, Commander, C.D. Child, adjutant."

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He was buried on 10 March 1905 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.¹² in the Oakhill Cemetery.

Mark WILLIAMS and Charlotte M. WILLIAMS were married on 18 May 1847 in Pennsylvania.^1,6,12 Charlotte M. WILLIAMS, daughter of John WILLIAMS and Hannah PORTER, was born in 1829 in Pennsylvania.^1,9,12
Census: 8-11-1850-Newton Township (Manitowoc) Wisconsin-District # 19-Charlotte was living with her husband and daughter Susan at her mother's home, 21 years old, not employed, born in Pennsylvania, and not attending school. They lived next door to E. W. and Celesta (Williams) Howard, Lucinda Williams (his mother), Caroline Williams and J.G. (Jeremiah Giles) Willians. Household # 553 Family # 564 Line # 27.
3-26-1860 -Manitowoc Rapids (Manitowoc) Wisconsin-P.O. Manitowoc Rapids, Wisconsin-Charlotte was living with her husband and 3 children, 31 years old, not employed, born in Pennsylvania, and not attending school. Household # 303 Family # 287 Line # 14.

She appeared in the census in 1850 in Newton Township, Manitowoc County, WI.⁹ She died in January 1869 at the age of 40 in Wisconsin.^1,12 (She may have died in 1869.)

Mark WILLIAMS and Charlotte M. WILLIAMS had the following children:

Mark WILLIAMS and Sarah ARCHER were married on 4 September 1870 in Fairfield Township, Sauk County, WI.^1,12,32 (They may have married in Janesville, Rock County, WI.) They moved to Monroe County, WI, in 1872.

(According to the 1900 Census, they had 8 children, of whom 6 were living at the time. Some of them would have been from his marriage to his first wife.) Sarah ARCHER, daughter of Joseph ARCHER and Elizabeth HASLER, was born on 5 March 1830 in London, Middlesex County, England.^1,4,32 (The 1900 Census listed her birth date as May 1830.) She appeared in the census in 1870 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.³³ She was a Widow and her occupation was "Keeps House." Her surname was listed as "Valou." She appeared in the census in 1880 in Taylor Township, Benton County, IA.^12,31 Sarah lived in Janesville, Rock County, WI in 1890.³⁴ Her son Leslie and his wife, Grace, were living with her and her daughter Julia Vialou. She appeared in the census in 1900 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.^12,32 She died on 14 May 1910 at the age of 80 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.¹

Obituary Notes: "Mrs. Sarah Williams, an old resident of this city passed away at her home at 721 Center Street, Saturday afternoon after an illness of four weeks. Mrs. Williams was born in London, England, March 5, 1830 and came to Janesville in 1854.

She is survived by six children, four by a former marriage. E.J. Vialou of Vinton, Iowa, Mrs. W.J. Cannon of this city, W.J. Vialou of Nucla, Colo., and Miss Julia Vialou of this city and J.F. Williams of this city and L.E. Williams of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mrs. Williams was an earnest Christian and faithful church worker all her life. The funeral will be held from the home at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon."

Tuesday May 17, 1910. "The funeral of Mrs. Sarah Williams was held at two o'clock this afternoon from the late residence, 721 Center street. The Rev. T.D. Williams officiated. Many relatives and friends attended the services and the casket was covered with handsome floral tokens."

"Another faithful member of the church has been translated. Mrs. Sarah Williams, 721 Center St. Leslie Williams of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and F. J. Vialou of Vinton, Iowa, were present at the funeral services held Tuesday afternoon, May 17, 1910."

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Sarah was buried on 17 May 1910 in Janesville, Rock County, WI.¹² in the Oakhill Cemetery.

Mark WILLIAMS and Sarah ARCHER had the following children: