LEWIS FAMILY BIOGRAPHIES & CHRONOLOGIES
John Nathan Lewis was born in Ohio on January 16, 1848. According to his obituary and Civil War Muster Roll, John was born in Springfield Township, Gallia County, Ohio. He was the second of eight children born to Nathan G. Lewis and Clarissa Arminia Whitney. From census records we know that John lived in Ohio through 1860.
By 1863 he had moved to Champaign County, Illinois. Here we find a record of John and his older brother Augustus enlisting in the 72nd Illinois Infantry Regiment also known as the First Chicago Board of Trade Regiment, part of Hancock Guards (August 23, 1862 - August 6, 1865). Counties of origin for this regiment were Champaign & McDonough Counties. John enlisted on December 16, 1863 at age 15 (The Muster Roll records his age as 16, but he was exactly one month shy of 16). He was described as being 5'3" tall with light hair, gray eyes, and a fair complexion. According to Robert H. Behrens ("From Salt Fork to Chickamauga" Urbana, Ill.: Urbana Free Library, 1988. pp.156-158) at the time the Lewis brothers enlisted the regiment was serving "provost guard duty" at Vicksburg, Mississippi. "During that year the troops participated in two expeditions against the Rebels. One of these resulted in a severe skirmish with the enemy at Benton, Mississippi, on 7 May 1864, while the second, to Grand Gulf in July was relatively uneventful.
"In early November 1864, the 72nd was moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The regiment then was marched to Columbia, Tennessee, to join General Scofield's Union army, which was preparing to meet General Hood's advancing Confederate army in Hood's final attempt to break the federal hold on Tennessee."
On 29 November 1864 the Union army retreated from Columbia toward Nashville, and the 72nd was in a fierce skirmish with the enemy at Spring Hill. The following day the regiment reached Franklin, Tennessee where it joined with the 91st Indiana, the 50th and 183rd Ohio, and the 44th Missouri "in some of the most savage hand-to-hand fighting of the war..." Even though the Confederate army was all but destroyed the Union army retreated to Nashville. Here the regiment participated in the defeat of Confederate forces and pursued General Hood's men to Clifton, Tennessee. From here the regiment was transportd to Eastport, Tennessee where it participated in an expedition to Iuka and Corinth, Mississippi.
In April 1865 the 72nd Illinois Regiment participated in the assault that captured the Spanish Fort near Mobile, Alabama. The next day the regiment supported the assault that resulted in the capture of Fort Blakely.
Following Lee's surrender (April 14, 1865) the regiment marched for eleven days and covered two-hundred miles to Montgomery, Alabama. On May 23rd and 24th the regiment once again marched forty-five miles to Union Springs, Alabama where it served garrison duty. The regiment was mustered out of service at Vicksburg on August 7, 1865. John and Augustus were among the 270 recruits whose enlistment had not yet expired. They were transferred to Company D of the 33rd Illinois Infantry to complete their term of duty. The brothers were mustered out of the service on November 24, 1865 at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Following the war John returned to Champaign County, Illinois where he married Sarah Elizabeth Funkhouser on September 14, 1867. The couple left Illinois by 1872 and moved briefly to Fremont County, Iowa. From there they may have moved to Mills County but eventually settled in Dallas County, Iowa by 1875 along with his parents and several siblings.
John farmed and raised a family near Dawson, Iowa. Upon retirement he and his wife moved into the small community of Dawson where he lived until he passed away on June 8, 1921. John Nathan is buried in the Lewis family plot in what is now called the Dallas Township Cemetery located just west of Dawson.
1863 "Muster and Descriptive Roll of Company D":
- Lewis, John N.; Private; age 16, 5' 3"; hair - light, eyes - gray, complexion
- fair; married - [blank]; occupation - farmer; Nativity town - Springfield, county - [blank], state - Ohio; Joined for service and enrolled - 13 Dec 63, where - Champaign, by whom - A. Southwick; period - 3 yrs.; mustered into service - 25 Dec 63, where - Camp Yates, by whom - Lt. Hubbs.
1870 Illinois Census. Champaign County, Somers Twp.:
Lewis, John, 22, M, W, ?, $300-land, $75-per.prop., Ohio
Lewis, Sarah, 19, F, W, House Keeper, 0, 0, Indiana
Lewis, Edward, 1, M, W, Home, 0, 0, Illinois
Lewis, Luella, 1/12, F, W, Home, 0, 0, Illinois
1880 Iowa Census. Dallas County, Dallas Twp.: Lewis, J. N., W, M, 32, 0, 0 ,0, 1, 0, Farming, X, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Ohio, NY, NY
Lewis, Sarah E. W, F, 29, 0, wife, 0, 1, 0, Keeps House, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Ind, 0, Pa
Lewis, Edward, W, M, 12, 0, son, X, 0, 0, At school, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, X, 0, 0, Ill, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Luella, W, F, 10, 0, daugh, X, 0, 0, At school, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, X, 0, 0, Ill, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Retta, W, F, 8, 0, daugh, X, 0, 0, At school, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, X, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Sada B, W, F, 6, 0, daugh, X, 0, 0, At school, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, X, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Jesse, W, M, 5, 0, son, X, 0, 0, At school, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, X, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Wm, W, M, 3, 0, son, X, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, James, W, M, 2, 0, son, X, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
Lewis, Rose, W, F, 2/12, fbr, daugh, X, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, Iowa, Ohio, Ind
1918 Pension Payment Cards for John N. Lewis, 1918-1926 , Card 2. Veteran's Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933. LDS Family History Library microfilm #1635386.
1921 "Perry Chief". DAWSON HONORS JOHN LEWIS
Many Attend Funeral Services for Civil War Veteran Who Died Last Week. Dawson, June 14 - John Lewis, pioneer of this community died at his home early Wednesday morning, following a short illness.
Funeral Services were held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the U. B. Church. Rev. W. F. Wallace was in charge.
Musical numbers were given by a quartette composed of Mrs. Rly Leighty, Miss Kate Gaskill, Will Leighty and F. L. Hoofnagle wth Miss Marion Wallace, accompanist. The pall bearers were veterans of the World War, J. V. Anderson, Chas. Lenihan, Louis Anderson, Earnest Martin, Will Francis and Clarence McArthur, veterans of the Civil War acting as honorary pall bearers. The firing squad was in charge of Geo. S. Black.
Burial was in the family lot at Woodland cemetery.
1921 - No citation
John Nathan Lewis was born in Galia County, Ohio, January 16, 1848, died at his home in Dawson, Iowa, June 8, 1921, aged 73 years, 4 months and 23 days.
At the age of 14 years, he with his parents, moved westward and sett[l]ed in Champaign Co., Illinois. At the age of 16 he enlisted in the service of his country. He was a member of Company G, 72nd Illinois Infantry, with which he remained until the close of the war.
On September 15, 1867 he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Funkhouser. To this union were born three children, three having preceded him in death. His wife, six sons and 3 daughters are left to mourn his passing. The children, Edward, George and Ben of Dawson, Will, Jesse and Ray of Minnesota, Mrs. Albia Knisely and Mrs. Ida Walsh of Perry and Mrs. Luella Timmons of High Bridge. Twenty-five granchildren and eight great grandchildren, one sister, Mrs. Sarah York of Marshall, Oklahoma and one brother, Charles Lewis of Fremont, Neb.
In 1871 he with his family moved from Illinois to Fremont Co., Iowa where they lived three years.
In 1874 they came to Dallas co., where they have since made their home. In 1901 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis retired from the farm and moved to Dawson to spend their old age in rest and comfort in a splendid home they built to their liking.
Many out of town people were here to attend the funeral services. Their friends extend sympathy.
