Biography - Lucian King
Capt. Lucian King is a native of Onondaga county, New York, born June 11, 1817, and is the seventh of a family of nine children of Pulaski and Susan King. Mr. Pulaski King was of English and Scotch parentage; his wife was of French extraction. The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools of Onondaga county, attaining a sufficient education for practical purposes. His early manhood was principally spent on his father's farm. In the autumn of 1830 Capt. King started west, and made the trip by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Illinois, landing in Greene county in November of that year, and in January, 1841, he was married to Miss Amira Lemen, daughter of Elder Moses Lemen, an old resident and native of Monroe county, Illinois. Mr. Lemen was among the first persons born in that county, and was one of the pioneer preachers of the Baptist denomination in this portion of the state. After his marriage he located on a farm, and since then his time was been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He came to Illinois with little, if any, capital, but being a man of industrious habits and pure principles, untarnished by a single dishonorable act, success has attended his efforts; and, besides raising an intelligent family of children, he has accumulated a comfortable competence. Mr. King and wife have had a family of seven children, five of whom are yet living. Their eldest daughter, Hattie E., is the wife of Henry L. Parker, of Kane; their second daughter, Mida, is the wife of Theophilus Jones, of Kane. Mr. King is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, at Jerseyville; his wife is a member of the Baptist church at Kane. In politics the Captain has been a supporter of the principles of the democratic party, his first vote for president having been cast for Martin Van Burren. In 1859 he became a member of the "mystic tie." After the war broke out, thinking his services needed, with that patriotism characteristic of the man, he raised a company of one hundred men and was elected its captain. They were mustered in at Carlinville, forming part of the one hundred and twenty-second regiment Illinois volunteers, commanded by John J. Renaker, and sworn into the service September 15, 1862. They were soon after ordered to the front. Among the battles which he participated in were Parker's Cross-Roads, Tenn., Town Creek, Alabama, Paducah, Ky., when attacked by Forrest at Tupelo, Miss., and he was with that division of the army that chased Price for forty-eight days. He was then transferred to Nashville, when he fought Hood two days, under General Thomas; from thence to Eastport, and soon after went to Mobile, Alabama. He was attacked by a severe sickness, at Dauphin Island, and a leave of absence being granted him, returned to his family. His company soon after being mustered out, Captain King was given an honorable discharge. In all those series of long campaigns the glory of his military record was never dimmed by an act unworthy a noble-minded officer. Well may Greene county feel proud of her valiant citizens who rushed forward to preserve unsullied the old flag from traitors' hands, and to prevent the consummation of the dissolution of the Union, and prominent in that galaxy of brave soldiers Captain King will ever stand bright in the memory of those who joined hands in the great civil conflict. He will be remembered as among the bravest of the brave. The Captain is now devoting his attention to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, and residing on his farm about two miles north-east of Kane.
Extracted 05 Jan 2017 & 06 Jun 2018 by Norma Hass from Atlas Map of Greene County Illinois, 1873, page 38.
