George Wilson

WILSON, WALLACE, DROLLINGER, MITCHELL, SKYLES, BULLARD, STEWART, DUNN

Posted By: Sue Thielmann (email)
Date: 4/14/2005 at 20:15:05

From 1891 Ft. Madison, IA newspaper written by Wm R. Henthorn
[capitalization, punctuation and sentence structure is original]

Concerning the Late George Wilson

Died, at his home in Jefferson township, Lee county, Iowa, March 20th, 1891, George Wilson, aged 81 years, 7 months and 22 days.

An announcement of the death of this aged veteran at any time has been long looked for by his children and friends, knowing (as every one did) of his serious heart troubles and pulmonary difficulties, yet his very sudden demise creates no small surprise among the people of his acquaintance.

On the morning of March 20, 1891, at a bout six o’clock, Mr. Wilson rose as usual from his bed and went from his bed chamber to his dining room, and there prepared himself for the morning meal, of which he was partaking when the death stroke came and wafted his soul away to its immortal habitation. On the previous day he seemed inclined to great talkativeness, and on the morning of his death he was brighter than usual. But death came at last, and our subject responded willingly to the call of his master.

Mr. George Wilson was born in the state of Tennessee, July 22, 1809. He went with his parents to Indiana, remaining there a few years; then removing to Kentucky, where they remained only a short time. Thence they moved to a place near St. Louis, Mo., where they remained seven years, then removing again to a farm near Rushville, Schuyler county, Ill., where Mr. Wilson married Miss Rebecca Wallace, July 18th, 1831. She was born in Tennessee in 1812, and died June 2d, 1878. Having lived in Schuyler county several months, Mr. Wilson removed then to Commerce, (now Nauvoo) Hancock county, Ill., thence to Jefferson to3nship, Lee county, Iowa, on the 14th of March, 1834 and settled on a . . .
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. . .I never knew him to do injustice in a single case. Though he opposed war and favored arbitration instead of battle, yet he went into the Black Hawk war in 1832. Mr. Wilson won a great victory while warring with the red skins and came out of that engagement with a good understanding of the Indian language. He could speak with Indian tongue with same degree of rapidity and correctness as his own. As a warrior Mr. Wilson certainly was of a pacific disposition as before state, but possessed the elements of true courage and could fight when occasion required, with a cool judgment and heroic energy. “Many of the Sioux, the Sacs and the Winnebagos have kissed soil,” said Mr. Wilson, “as the result of my deadly aim with my unerring blunderbuss.”

Mr. Wilson was largely instrumental in securing a treaty of peace with the Sioux, Sacs, Foxes, Iowas and the Winnebagos. He was among the earliest and most constant workers in the sanitary field, and by his liberal gifts and personal efforts for the soldiery placed his state in the front rank of those who became distinguished for their exhibitions of patriotic benevolence during the period covered by the war. Nor did his patriotic benevolence stop here; he was just so with all mankind everywhere, possessing love to mankind and desiring to promote their prosperity and happiness. At 10:00 o’clock, Sunday, a larch concourse of people gathered at the residence and after a brief ceremony mr. Wilson’s remains were borne to Eden Chapel, where religious services were held, conducted by Rev. A.C. Snively, thence to the Wilson cemetery and there laid to rest to await the final resurrection. The pall bearers, active, were Monroe Drollinger, B. Drollinger, A. Mitchell, James Mitchell. Honorary; Benjamin Skyles, Alex Bullard, Dan’l McConn, James Bullard, Sr., Frank Stewart and Richard Dunn.