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R. S. Smalley was born in Washington County, Pa., April 8, 183?, a son of Nathaniel and Rachel (Smith) Smalley.
His mother died in 1848, aged thirty years, and his father married again in 1850. In 1855 the family came to La
Salle County and located south of Peru and in 1858 settled on section 11, Allen Township. His family consisted
of eight children, five by the first and three by the second wife - R. S., James H., John C., Elmer, Isaiah, William
H., Rachel A. and Mina E., the latter born in this county. R. S. Smalley received a fair education, completing
it at the schools of Peru, and subsequently taught twenty winter terms. He has been a successful agriculturist
and now owns 160 acres in the homestead on section 11, Allen Township, and 120 acres in Iroquois County. He was
married April 4, 1S66, to Louisa Jennings, daughter of Levi and Emily Alice Jennings. She is a native of La Salle
County, born in Brookfield Township, Feb.9, 1843. Mr. and Mrs. Smalley have had four children - Walter S., born
Feb. 10, 1868; Minnie L., born June 22, 1870, died Nov. 16, 1870; Frank G.. born June 19, 1871, died March 25.
1872; William H. born Nov. 6, 1875. In politics Mr. Smalley is a Republican. Aug. 27, 1862. he enlisted in Company
D, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, and served till June 6, 1865; was with Sherman on his memorable march
to the sea, from Savannah to Goldsboro and Raleigh. thence to Richmond and on to Washing. ton where the regiment
was discharged after participating in the grand review on the 24th of May. He is now a member of F. M. Lane Post.
No. 247, G. A. R. Three of his brothers were also soldiers in the civil war, John S. and James H. serving in the
Fifty third Illinois, and Elmer in Company C, First Artillery. Mrs. Smalley's parents came from Beaver County,
Pa., to La Salle County, Ill., in 1832 and settled on section 8, township 32, range 5, south of Marseilles. In
1850 he moved on sector 18, township 32, where the father died April 23, 1851, aged fifty one years. The mother
was born Sept. 23, 1808, and died June 2, 1880. They had a family of ten children, two, Mathew L. and Mary E.,
born in Pennsylvania, and the rest in La Salle County, Ill. In 1833 the mother and two children were at home alone,
when the house was entered by fourteen Indians. She thought they wanted her children as they kept pointing to them,
but she treated them so well that they went away without molesting them. Two of Mrs. Smalley's brothers, Henry
and Fred, were members of the fifty third Illinois Infantry, and served during the war.
FROM:
History of La Salle County, Illinois
Inter-State Publishing Co.
Chicago 1886
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