Elijah Newton Farley (1818 - 1863)

Born 13 Aug 1818 in Sevier, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ellen (DeWitt) Kabler — married 13 Oct 1842 in Cooper, Missouri, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Oct 1863 at age 45 in Knob Noster, Johnson, Missouri, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carole Taylor [send private message]

Biography

Rev Elijah Farley served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 07/24/1861
Mustered out: 12/10/1861
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Co B 27th Missouri Infantry Mounted

Born to Daniel Farley (1792 - 1857 and Sarah Frances Ballard born, 1799 - 1873.

The Story of The Farley Family

From Gary Farley Research Notes:

- Transcribed by Jason Ross

Some Notes on the Farley line
Obediah, Daniel, Elijah Newton
1757 through 1863
Prepared by Gary Farley
(address intentionally left blank)
Conyers, Ga. 30208
July 11, 1994/Oct. 23, 1996

ELIJAH NEWTON

"He was born in Tennessee in 1818. He moved with his family to Missouri in 1833. He married in 1842, Mary (Polly) DeWitt, a neighbor, three years his junior. Her father was Larkin DeWitt. He was a native of New York State, of Dutch descent. He fought in the War of 1812 and was released from the army in St. Louis. In BENNETT-DEWITT AND RELATED FAMILIES^[1]it is reported that he fought the Shawnee Indian Chief, Tecumseh, in Canada and was present when he died. Larkin married Hannah Potter DeWitt Ewing, a widow with one child. Their vows were heard by Rev. Finis Ewing, probably some kin to her first husband. The Potters and Ewings were early settlers in Cooper County. Finis Ewing, one of the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination. He took some land in the area and formed a "preacher" school to train ministers in the village of New Lebanon. Later Finis moved on to Lexington, Missouri, where he managed the land office for the US government and pastored the First Cumberland Presbyterian congregation. (A fine old Presbyterian church house still stand in New Lebanon.) After bearing 7 additional children for Larkin DeWitt she died in 1837 at age 39. He remarried to a Casteel (Castile) woman, probably a Farley cousin, and she bore an additional 9 children. They lived for a while in the Springfield, Mo., area as one of the earlier settlers. Later he moved back to Cooper County. Among the children of Larkin and Hannah was Mary. (Among her kin were several Potters and DeWitts who particiapted in the 1849 Gold Rush.) The 1850 census finds Elijah and Polly on a small farm in Johnson County, about 5 miles south of the village of Monteserrat. It was near the Clear Fork of the Blackwater River. A trail from Booneville to Ft Scott, Ks. passed through the community. It was later to be known as the Sedalia trail and was to become in the years after the Civil War one of the early cattle trails. (Recall the Rawhide TV show in the early 1960s with Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates.)"

In the 1860 census Elijah is listed as a farmer and minister. The form says Methodist, but this must be wrong. He is listed in the 1860 minutes of the Blue River Baptist Association as a licensed minister (not ordained) along with John DeWitt, who is probably his brother-in-law. They were members of the Clear Fork Baptist Church. Like many other congregations on the Western frontier it did not survive the Civil War. And its records seem to have been lost. (Well after the war the area became active as a coal mining region and two new Baptist congregations are to be found. In the 1920s they merge to become Pleasant Bethel. Francis Marion Farley, a son, was an important lay leader there.) I have found several marriage licenses in county records where Elijah was the one who signed the bonds as preacher. I do not know if he pastored a church, but at the very least, he performed pastoral duties. Many Baptist churches of that era had multiple "elders." The biographical information on Mary DeWitt Farley's brother John does not mention his having be a minister. He was among the early settlers in Oklahoma territory. His trade is listed as being a blacksmith.

Elijah and Polly had 10 children, 9 boys and one daughter. By all accounts the war in Western Missouri was terrible for non-combatants. Bushwhacking was wide spread. No one was safe. Elijah and his two oldest sons served. (Why would a 43 year old minister with 9 children be among the first volunteers to join the Union home guard?) Son Will contacted Rubeola at the Jefferson barracks at St. Louis and died. Son John T. served with the Company B of the Missouri 27 Mtd. (This is the same unit in which Elijah served.) Elijah was involved in the Battle of Lexington, an early scrap. (Sept. 20, 1861) He was taken prisoner. While in custody of the Confederates, or while making his way back home, he becaem ill with sonsumption. Later he escaped or was paroled. At home he was able to father his 10th child, but died in 1863 a few months before she was born. He was buried on his home place. The graveyard has since become know as the Ellis cemetery and can be reach off of county route Y. (there is a request for a Civil War widow's pension which reports most of the above.) A family story tells of General STerlingn Price's army marching along the Sedalia trail. When they ask about the whereabouts of Elijah, an old Black man, Sam, tells a lie and Saves Elijah's life.

"Following the war Polly apprently moved most of her children to a village of Lookout, along the Pettis/Cooper county line. This i an area where her DeWitt and Potter kinspeople are heavily present. She ran a store at Lookout. (That settle is now gone. The store location is a hole in a field. The village also boasted a post office. Nearby are the ruins of the school house. Grand-daughter, Myrtle, once taught there.) I wonder what Mary's life was like. Left a widow and pregnant. In a dangerous time and place. How di the family make it through. I have heard that she was red-headed and strong willed."

"I came across an interested document in the Pettis Co. marriage book for the early 1880's. Polly DeWitt Farley contracted to marry William Kabler. In essense the document allows each to pass the property they will bring to the marriage on to their own children. I found the marriage license. And I have seen documents where she is referred to as Mrs. Kabler. But her gravestone in the Potter-DeWitt cemetery does not mention Kabler. Had she already had the stone made? Did her heirs not recognize the marriage? Did it not last? She died in 1891. Another interesting note is that in the 1880 census record she has some of her grandchildren living with her. I believe that a little later this was also the case for the first three children of Daniel Lee Farley. A further story concerning her is that she provided a 40 acre farm for each of her children. I have some verification for this in a deed from her to Daniel Lee for just such a place near Lookout."

Marriage

Spouse: Mary Ellen DeWitt Kabler Farley (1821 - 1891)

Name Elijah Farley

Spouse's Name Polly Dewit

Event Date 13 Oct 1842

Event Place Cooper,Missouri ^[2]

Married Life

1850 Jefferson, Johnson, Missouri,

Age 31

Birth Year (Estimated) 1819

Birthplace Tennessee

House Number 393

Elijah N Farley M 31 Tennessee Farmer

Mary Farley F 28 Missouri

John Farley M 6 Missouri

William F Farley M 4 Missouri

Francis M Farley M 2 Missouri

Jasper W Farley M 0 Missouri ^[3]

1860 P.O. Walls Store, Jefferson Township, Johnson, Missouri,

Age 42

Birth Year (Estimated) 1818

Birthplace Tennessee

Page 319

E N Farley HEAD of Household age:42 Tennessee Methodist Clergyman"

May Farley F 39 Missouri

John T Farley M 16 Missouri

Wm F Farley M 14 Missouri

Franes M Farley M 12 Missouri

Jasper N Farley M 10 Missouri

Larkin D Farley M 7 Missouri

Danl L Farley M 5 Missouri

Gerge W Farley M 3 Missouri

Jas H Farley M 1 Missouri ^[4]

Military

Location: 'Missouri

Surname: Farley

enlisted = 07/24/1861 in Warrensburg, Missouri

mustered = 12/10/1861 "Home sick" and then with the Regiment Jan 27 1862

side = USA

regiment flag =

regiment name = Co B 27th Missouri Mounted Infantry

source: FOLD3 3 Muster Cards

One muster card states, "sick at home since Dec. 10, 1861"

Gives age as 49, and is dated Jan 27, 1862 Benton Barracks, which makes him born 1813.

The pension card for Elijah's Widow, Mary Farley is dated May 25 1870

No other Regiments are listed.

After The War

Here is Mary and the kids after Elijah passed....

1880 Heaths Creek, Pettis, Missouri,

Age 57

Marital Status Widowed

Occupation Keeping House

Birth Year (Estimated) 1823

Birthplace Missouri,

Father's Birthplace New York, --Mother's Birthplace Kentucky,

Sheet Letter C--Sheet Number 129--Person Number 0--Volume 2

Mary Farley Self F 57 Missouri, United States

George Farley Son M 23 Missouri, United States

James Farley Son M 21 Missouri, United States

Andrew Farley Son M 18 Missouri, United States

Susan Farley Daughter F 16 Missouri

Elizabeth Farley Granddaughter F 15 Missouri, United States

Mary Farley Granddaughter F 13 Missouri, United States

Abraham Farley Grandson M 12 Missouri, United States

Susan Farley Granddaughter F 9 Missouri, United States

Martha Farley Granddaughter F 7 Missouri, United States

Nancy Farley Granddaughter F 5 Missouri, United States

LOOK at all the grandchildren living with her......

Abraham is t least the son of John T. and Mary Barnhart

Children

1. John T. Farley born 1844 -died: 1906
2. William F Farley born 1846 Missouri died:Jan 4, 1865 in service
3. Francis Marion Farley (1848 - 1918 Mar.:Barbara Barnhart-Roark
4. Jasper Newton Farley (1850 - 1931
5. Larkin D. Farley (1852 - 1888
6. Daniel Lee Farley (1855 - 1930
7. George Washington Farley (1857 - 1933
8. James Henry Farley (1859 - 1948
9. Andrew Jackson Farley (1862 - 1925 [1]
10. Susan Farley Daughter F 16 Missouri BORN just after Elijah died.....

Siblings

1. Elijah Newton Farley (1818 - 1863
2. Matthew Anderson Farley (1820 - 1909
3. Elizabeth Ann Farley Farris (1822 - 1897
4. William J Farley (1829 - 1905
5. Martha Lucinda Farley Hogan (1839 - 1913
6. Permelia Virginia Farley Farris (1845 - 1928

Death

Burial: Ellis Cemetery, Johnson County, Missouri, ^[5]

Elijah died on 3 Oct 1863 in Knob Noster, Johnson, Missouri, United States, aged 50.

Sources

1. ↑ Bennett, Paul W. LL. B. Bennett - DeWitt and Related Families. Self Published. Vandalia, Missouri. 1980. Location: Sedalia Public Library, Sedalia Missouri; (https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE954605&from=fhd Last Accessed 15 Jan 2023)
2. ↑ "Missouri Marriages, 1750-1920," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V284-YTP : 6 December 2014), Elijah Farley and Polly Dewit, 13 Oct 1842; citing Cooper,Missouri; FHL microfilm 902,782.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZ8-3ZM : 9 November 2014), Elijah N Farley, Jefferson, Johnson, Missouri, United States; citing family 395, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHZ4-2W3 : 30 December 2015), E N Farley, 1860.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44133827/elijah-newton-farley: accessed 29 May 2023), memorial page for Elijah Newton Farley (13 Aug 1813–3 Oct 1863), Find A Grave: Memorial #44133827, citing Ellis Cemetery, Johnson County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Steve Vandiver (contributor 47099452).