Francis M. Jeffery, 38th Illinois Inf.

“The History of DeWitt County Illinois”

F.M. Jeffery was born in Fayette County, Indiana, September 21st, 1832. The family is Scotch descent on the paternal side. William Jeffrey, the great-grandfather of the present family, emigrated from Scotland to America, and was a soldier of the Revolution. He settled in New Jersey when William, the grandfather, was born. He moved to Utica, New York, where William, his son, and the father of Francis M. was born. The grandfather was a soldier of the war of 1812, and also in the Indian wars, and was at the battle of Tippecanoe. In 1811 he moved to Fayette County, Indiana, and remained there until 1856, when he came to Illinois and settled in this township. He married Ruth Allen, of New York, by whom there were four sons and four daughters. William, the father of F. M., was the eldest son. He was born in Utica, New York, October 27th, 1807, and died August 23d, 1877. He came to Waynesville Township in 1837, and has followed his trade of tanning, subsequently engaging in farming. He married Harriet DeCamp, who was born March 2d, 1813. She still survives her husband. By that marriage there were twelve children-four sons and three daughters still living. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of the children. He worked with his father at the tanning business, and on the farm until 1856, then went to carpentering, and continued at the trade until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted for three years in Co. “F” 38th Reg’t. Ill. Vols. The regiment became part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps. He participated with his regiment in the hard fought battles of Fredericktown, Champion Hills, Stone River, Liberty Gap, the first and second battles of Corinth, then in the Atlanta Campaign, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, and Jonesboro, where the time of service of the regiment expired. He was wounded at the battle of Perryville, where the command was repulsed in their attempt to capture a battery. He received two wounds at Stone River. At the battle of Liberty Gap he was one of the sixty men who volunteered to capture a battery. They succeeded, but it cost them one-fourth of the men in killed and wounded. In that desperate undertaking Mr. Jeffrey was wounded in the head. After he was mustered out he returned home and resumed his trade of carpentering in which he still continues. On the 25th of December, 1850, he married Miss Sarah McEntire. She died in March 1857. Two children by that marriage both died. On July 21st, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Alice Kidd, who was born in Miama County, Indiana. She is the daughter of Captain Edmund Jones Kidd, a native of Carolina County, Virginia. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, with the rank of Captain. His wife, and the mother of Mrs. Jeffrey, was Christiana DeCamp, of Vermont. The DeCamps are of French ancestry. There have been born to Mrs. Jeffrey, four sons and four daughters, two sons and two daughters living. Their names in the order of their births are Roxie B., Mabel St. Clair, Edmund Ernest, and Charles Kidd Jeffrey. On the subject of religious belief, Mr. Jeffrey subscribes to none of the formulated creeds, but believes that in doing unto others as you would have others do unto you, is contained the genuine essence of true religion. He is member of the order of I. O. O. F. and Encampment, and belongs to Prairie State Lodge No. 104 and Encampment, No. 23, Atlanta, Illinois. Politically, he has been a Republican since that party came into existence and supported John C. Fremont for President in 1856. This, in short, is a brief history of Mr. Jeffrey. He was a gallant and brave soldier, and is a good citizen, an honest man, and as such enjoys the confidence and esteem of the entire community.