James lived in Hancock Co IL, then settled in McDonough Co, but four years later returned to Hancock Co, living there for most of the remainder of his life. James served in the 118th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteers. In 1890 Ann Mariah went to live with her son James and his family in Joetta, IL From the "History of Hancock County, Illinois," (G977.343, H 193G) "James Samons, farmer, section 24; P.O. Joetta; was born May 24, 1835. He is a son of Edward [sic] and Anna (Hays) Samons [sic], the former a native of Virginia, and born in 1800; the latter a native of Rutherford Co., Tenn., was born in 1818[sic]. Edward came to Illinois in 1831, and lived in Morgan county until 1847, when he moved into St. Mary's town, and was there eight years. He finally moved to the State of Missouri, and lived there until his death in 1857. At the age of 20 James located in McDonough county and there remained four years, and then moved to Hancock county, and has since resided on his present farm of 267 acres, valued at $30 per acre. Mr. S. was married in 1855 to Sarah E. Way, native of Illinois and was born in 1840. They have been blessed with 7 children; viz., Mary J., Edmond, Chars. W., Ruth E., Louisa, Stephen A., Ida May. Mr. S. enlisted in Co A, 118th Reg., under Capt. Campbell in 1862; was in battles of Thompkins Hill, and Baker Creek; discharged at Port Hudson, Louisiana, in 1864. He is a republican." It would appear that James (and probably his older brother Jonathan/John) stayed in Illinois and established their own farms instead of moving to Missouri with the rest of the family. James apparently spelled his name Samons consistently, even though his wife in a later affidavit signed Sammons. He enlisted in Co. K of the 118th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on 15 August 1862 and was discharged on 12 March 1864 at Port Hudson, Louisiana. The pension gave no specific details of his military service. According to the pension file of James Samons, his first wife died in 1903 at which time, based on pension records, he was living in McDonough Co. Illinois. He remarried in 1908. The handwriting of the name of the second wife in the file is difficult to read but appears something like "Lucy Adelid (Adelaide?) Rhod. James and Lucy were married on 3 December 1908 at Lancaster, Schuyler Co. Missouri by Reverend C(harles) Wesley Burnett who at this time would have been James' brother- in-law. James' sister, Mary, had lived in Rooks County, Kansas, and Furnas County, Nebraska, after the death of her first husband but had returned to Lancaster and married Burnett there in 1904. According to Lucy's "Declaration of a Widow for Accrued Pension" form which she submitted in 1916, James Samons died on 12 November 1915 after a long and difficult illness.
Charlotte
Curlee Ramsey
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cramsey/index.html