WILSON, Alexander ^{1 2 3 4}

  General Notes:

"Born in Coleraine, County Antrim, North Ireland, the fourth child of John and Nancy Law Wilson. He married Margaret Jane McAllister in Pike County IL in 1858 just before her 15th birthday. They went back east to Philadelphia where the first two children were born in 1859 and 1860. While in the east, he was a carpet weaver, dairyman, and farmer. Alex was in the Civil War, enlisting from Pike County. After the war he was a farmer in Fairmont Township (Pike) until after 1880 when they migrated to Hamilton County NE.

This is a statement Alexander for his request for a Civil War Pension. "The three years preceding my enlistment, I was in Onodago County, New York for six months from thence I went to Rochester, New York and remained six months. I then came to Fairmount Township, Pike Co., IL, in which place I remained one year then I went to Philadelphia and sojourned there thirteen or fourteen months. I then went to St. Louis, MO. and there stayed three months when I came back to Fairmount Township, Pike County, IL and remained here a week or ten days when I enlisted in Co. B, 99 Regiment Vol. IL.

My occupation for three years preceding my my enlistment was somewhat varied part of the time. I wove carpet in the City of Philadelphia and some of the time I worked in the capacity of a dairyman and also farmed more or less during that time. Since my discharge, I have been living on a farm and farmed all the time I was able up to the present date. I have been living in Fairmount Township, Pike County, IL from the date of my discharge up to the present time." The statement goes on to describe his illness from the Civil War.

Alexander's father lived in Pike County and his background in the US prior to Pike County is not known. Wife Margaret's family lived in ST Louis. Her family was in Montgomery County, north of Philadelphia, in 1850. Margaret had an uncle in Pike County and is probably how they met (another possibility is she was visiting the McDougal's which were McAllister friends).

Grand-daughter Elva recalls that Alexander and Margaret Jane had a nice home on the farm. The boys did all the farming, took care of the stock, and kept the barn and corral clean. The girls took turns milking the cows before school, cooking and cleaning the house. Water was scarce, so dish water was poured into the swill barrel. Grandpa put mash and grain in the barrel to soak for feed. He would pull the swill barrel (on wheels) out to feed the hogs in the hog pen.

Discharged 31 July 1865 in Baton Rouge Louisiana.

The birthplace is taken from a Civil War document signed by Alexander. The document shows Coleraine in County Antrim. Coleraine is not in County Antrim, it is is County Derry. More confusion as to where they came from? It is believed the Wilson's were from Ballymaclevennon Townland, Ballywillin Parish, Londonderry County, Northern Ireland."

Source: Melvin McCallister, descendant of McCallister family.

Alexander married Margaret Jane McCALLISTER on 19 Aug 1858 in Pike County, Illinois. (Margaret Jane McCALLISTER was born on 31 Dec 1843 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, died on 16 Dec 1903 in Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska and was buried in Dec 1903 in Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska.)