George W. Kelsall, b. 30 Sep 1840

HANCOCK, COOLEY, HAMMOND, SUTTON, DOUGLAS

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/20/2004 at 11:39:44

Col. George W. Kelsall, a well-known and highly-respected resident of Canton, is one of Jackson County's most successful business men. He owns 100 acres of land outside of the town, and is at present engaged in the loaning of money and doing some brokerage business. He is an ex-soldier of the Union army, and during the late war performed efficient service in the ranks.

Col. Kelsall came to this county in May, 1850, when a lad nearly ten years of age. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 30, 1840, and is the son of Edmund and Anna (Hancock) Kelsall, who were born in the city of Manchester, England. The parents of our subject were reared and married in their native city, where also was born their first child, who died there. In 1839 they emigrated to the United States, and settled at Nauvoo, Ill., where they resided three years, and then left on account of the Mormons and their polygamous practices, which were very obnoxious to Mr. and Mrs. Kelsall. Thence they removed to St. Louis, where Mr. Kelsall pursued his trade of tailor until 1850. That year they came to Iowa, making the journey on a Mississippi steamboat, and settled in Dubuque. Two months later, however, they changed their residence to Canton, this county; where the father worked at his trade one year, and then resolved to change his occupation and take up farming.

The father of our subject now purchased land in Brandon Township, where he operated successfully as an agriculturist and accumulated a competence. His death occurred at the old farm in 1881. The wife and mother survived her husband until 1885. Both were members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Mr. Kelsall, politically, was a decided Republican, held the various township offices, and was a member of the School Board. Of the nine children comprising the parental family, five lived to mature years, and George W. was the eldest. Edmund served as a soldier during the Civil War, and died about 1875, at New Orleans, of yellow-fever; Mary became the wife of Adamantis Cooley, and died in this county, leaving one child, a son, George E.; William resides in Northwestern Missouri; Frederick occupies the old homestead.

The subject of this notice was reared upon the farm, pursued his first studies in the district school, and completed them in the Maquoketa High School. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted, in August, 1861, in Company L, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, serving his first term, then veteranized and continued in the army until the close of the war. He first met the enemy in battle on the 9th day of May, 1862, at Farmington, Miss. He received a scalp wound and was left on the field supposed to be dead; was picked up by the rebels as their prisoner (there being a scarcity of prisoners), and after ten days was paroled. Subsequently he participated in several raids, and was at the battles of Colliersville, Franklin, and Nashville, Tenn., was also in various skirmishes, and finally engaged in chasing Hood's army on their retreat after the battle of Nashville.

In 1864, when the regiment was re-organized, our subject was elected First Lieutenant, but the company was so reduced in numbers that his services were not required, and he consequently did not receive his commission. He, however, served as Orderly Sergeant until the close of the war. On Oct. 4, 1865, upon the organization of the Iowa National Guards, he became Captain of Company B (Cavalry); when the first regiment of cavalry was organized he was commissioned a Lieutenant-Colonel, and commanded the regiment three years until it was disbanded, as the State decided to have no cavalry militia.

Upon retiring from the regular service, Col. Kelsall engaged in general merchandising at Canton for a period of eleven years. He was Postmaster at that place for fifteen years, and also Notary Public about the same length of time. Politically, he is a stanch Republican, and has several times been the nominee of his party for the county offices, but the Republicans being greatly in the minority, he was defeated with the balance of his ticket. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he is a Knight Templar.

The marriage of Col. George W. Kelsall and Miss Evaline Hammond, of Davenport, occurred in 1863. Mrs. Kelsall died in 1868, leaving no children. The Colonel in 1871 contracted a second marriage, with Mrs. Maria (Douglas) Sutton, a native of Canada. Mrs. Kelsall by her first marriage became the mother of one child, a son, Ned Sutton, who now makes his home with our subject. The Colonel and Mrs. Kelsall have no children.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois)