William Stephens Gile (1812 - 1904)

Born 5 Jan 1812 in Oxford, Chenango, New York, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1904 at age 92 in Venango, Ellsworth, Kansas, United States

This person was created through the import of Joy Ancestors.ged on 07 October 2010. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Burial

Wheat Field, , Ellsworth County, KS

Note

Burleigh #680 "He was a captain in the 1st Penn. Calvary during the rebellion: moved to Quincy, Ill. thence to Kansas in 1871. Has been State Fish Commissioner, and Democratic candidate for member of Congress in the 6thdistrict of Kansas. In late 1880's a farmer at Venango, Ellsworth Co. Kansas."

• In 1840 was elected Sheriff at Addison, Steuben Co. NY. for 3 years, then removed to Lock Haven, Clinton Co. PA where he was a merchant. Later he becamethe local agent for the International Express Co. In the spring of 1860, heaccepted the superintendancy of the western business of Irwin Jackman & Co whohad entered into a contract to transport governmental supplies from Atchison,KS to various military posts west of the Missouri River. In the winter of 1860- 1861 he was in Des Moines, IA in charge of about 5 thousand head of cattle.After cancellation of the contract due to war, he returned to Lock Haven, PA.He took command of Co. D. 1st Regt., Pa. Vols. June 1, 1861, and they were in action at Drainsville and Fredericksburg, Virginia, at Manassas where hisregiment was under General McDowell on the march to Richmond. They pursuedGen. Stonewall Jackson from Woodstock, VA up the valley to Cross Keys, wherethe battle of Cross Keys was fought until dark, when Jackson again retreated.During that engagement Colonel Gile was, by an unexpected movement of his horse,thrown against the pommel of his saddle and received a rupture so serious incharacter as to incapacitate him for further military action. He resignedand located at Chillicothe, Missouri, where for the next 10 years he wasengaged in shipping stock to Quincy and Chicago. In July 1872 he went toEllsworth, KS. where he homesteaded and farmed. In 1874, his wife wascommissioned postmistress. He developed a fine ranch comprising a half sectionof land, and became postmaster after his wife died.
• 1840 census, Addison, Steuben, NY p. 98.
• 1850 Census, Addison, Steuben Co. NY. age 37, b. NY name William S. Gile,with Adeline P. h/w 32, Cortland H. B. 10, Albert G. Bade Jr. 11, Rulef S. 25,Adeline E. 22; occupation Gentleman, Asst. Marshall; all b. NY.Census copy shows he was the enumerator of the census page showing his family.
• 1860 census (Not Sure) Lock Haven, Clinton, PA - there is a W. S. Gile.
• 1875 Kansas census, Ellsworth, Empire, Ft. Barker, Farmer, age 56, b. NY, cameto KS from IL.
• 1885 Kansas Census, age 73, living with Adaline P. age 68;, C.H.B., age 43.Farm was 320 acres.
• 1895 Kansas census, age 82, living with Adaline P. age 77; C. H. B. Gile, age53, C. P. Yancy age 60.
• 1900 census Empire, Ellsworth, KS age 88, b. NY "Living alone".
• Military Pension Index - Gile, William S. ___PA inf. invalid app 8/1/1890
• Letter from William Wendell Gile, Box 203, Marquette, KS 67464 dated 7/7/89says William S. Gile was his great grandfather and that he is the "oldest ofhis immediate family alive. He is the son of Rome Cortland Gile, who was theson of Cortland Gile, son of William S. Says William S. and wife are buriedin Kansas about 10 miles N.W. of Marquette along the Kanopolis Reservoir."Rome" was nickname for Jerome Courtland Gile.
• 7 Aug 1991, grave visited by John & Jack Gile & Hugh Swofford, accompanied byWendell Gile, eldest living descendant. Photos taken, tour recorded.
• Letter in file from Marlene Gile Chance dated 6 Aug 1989, describes burialsite and graves "..are buried on the land they farmed, right in the middle of awheat field. The cemetery, if you want to call it that, has only their 2graves. It is surrounded by a wrought iron fence with scars of tractor nicksand bent wire. In the center is a scaled down version of the WashingtonMonument is the best way to describe it. It is about 8 ft. tall and about 21/2 ft. square. It is inscribed "They Sleep The Sleep Of The Just".Elsewhere in the letter "While camping at Lake Kanapolis, Southeast ofEllsworth, KS about 15 years ago, my daughter met an older gentleman and duringbreakfast he was telling how Vernango Beach (part of the lake area) got itsname. It seems that William S. Gile and his family moved to Ellsworth areafrom New York, along with a family named Peterson and farmed adjoining land.William S. Gile was the first postmaster in Ellsworth Co. (Venango was namedafter the place in N.Y. where he came from.) (Another report says Venango wasthe county in Pennsylvania where they lived.)
• In letter from great granddaughter Shirley Tuttle, OK, 3/91 "William S. Gilefought on the side of the North in the Civil War. He was in Company D,Pennsylvania Calvary regiment, Rank - Captain." She is sending copies of hismilitary records. She sent a very good biography of him, in file. Some details"William Gile located in Chenango County, NY about the beginning of the lastcentury when that part of the country was a wilderness and remained there until1823 when he became a pioneer in Gallia County, OH. After living there sevenyears, he went back to his old home at Oxford, Chenango Co. NY and remainedthere until 1860 when he emigrated to Hannibal, Missouri, where he died in1874, some years after the death of his wife. They were both active members ofthe Presbyterian Church, in which he held the office of deacon for many years....Until he was 15 years old, Colonel Gile remained under the parental roof.After his graduation in the Oxford high school, with a class the most of themembers of which continued their education at either Yale or Harvard, it hadbeen arranged by his father that he should enter the law office ofLieutenant-Governor Tracy of the state of NY, but the boy had determined tolearn a trade, and, against his father's wish, he became an apprentice to thebaker's trade....until he was 19...he went to Utica, NY where he worked in abakery another 2 years...where he met Adeline P. Butler...married Sep 25 1837.In 1838 he went to Columbia, Lancaster Co. PA and 3 weeks after his arrival wasput in charge of a packet boat...and commanded same until the end of theseason...In 1839 he went to Steuben Co. NY where he engaged in merchandising...in 1840 was elected Sheriff...served for 3 years...removed to LockHaven,Clinton Co. PA where he was a merchant..later he became the local agentfor the International Express Co....In the spring of 1860, Colonel Gileaccepted the superintendancy of the western business of Irwin Jackman & Co whohad entered into a contract to transport governmental supplies from Atchison,KS to various military posts west of the Missouri River......In the winter of1861 he was in Des Moines, IA in charge of about 5 thousand head ofcattle...cancellation of contract and returned to Lock Haven, PA...Company D,First Regiment, Pennsylvania Calvary Reserves of which he took command June 1,1861...Drainsville and Fredericksburg, Virginia...Manassas where his regimentwas under General McDowell...Port Royal Virginia.. Woodstock...They pursuedGen. Stonewall Jackson up the valley to Cross Keys..where the battle of CrossKeys was fought until dark, when Jackson again retreated. During thatengagement Colonel Gile was, by an unepected movement of his horse, thrownagainst the pommel of his saddle and received a rupture so serious in characteras to incapacitate him for further military action....Resigning..proceeded toQuincy, IL...Locating at Chillicothe, Missouri, he was for the next 10 yearsengaged in shipping stock to Quincy and Chicago...In July 1872 he went toEllsworth, KS...homestead." Followed a report of political and public affairs.His wife was postmistress when she died, and he took over the office.