In 1865 George was one of the many local young men who joined the Union Army and served in the 118th Illinois Infantry.  The following details are from the Muster and Descriptive Rolls compiled by the Illinois Adjutant General's Office:

Name   ELLIS, GEORGE W
Rank   PVT   Company I  Unit  118 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence   HANCOCK, HANCOCK CO, IL
Age 19   Height 5' 5"   Hair BLACK   Eyes HAZEL   Complexion DARK
Marital Status   N/A   Occupation   FARMER   Nativity   IL

Service Record
Joined When   MAR 1, 1865   Joined Where   QUINCY
Joined By Whom   CPT ASBURY   Period   1 YR
Muster In   MAR 1, 1865   Muster In Where   QUINCY, IL
Muster In By Whom   N/A   Muster Out   OCT 1, 1865
Muster Out Where   BATON ROUGE, LA   Muster Out By Whom   LT SHRYVER
Remarks   N/A

He returned home and resumed farming with his father.  Nine years later he married Nancy Ann Mosley.

Nancy Ann was born in Hancock Township, Hancock County, in 1855.  She was the daughter of early Hancock County settlers Armstead Mosley and the former Nancy Ryan Driskell.

On December 24, 1874, the Hancock County Clerk issued marriage license #4916 to George Ellis, 26, and Miss Anna Mosley, 19, both of Hancock Township.  They were married on the 30th by William Booz, Minister of the Gospel, at the Booz residence (also located in Hancock Township).
Marriage License  (63k)

The marriage produced four children, all of whom were probably born in Hancock Township:

George and Nancy divorced.  She married Moses Printy about 1891 and they subsequently had two children together.  The Printys lived in Carthage Township, Hancock County, and later in the village of Hamilton, Montebello Township, Hancock County.  Nancy died prior to August of 1926 (perhaps prior to September 1918).

In the meantime, George remained in Hancock Township.  He and the three younger children were there in 1900.  Myrtle died in 1903.

By 1910 George had moved in with his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and John Furchtbar, who lived near Joetta in Hancock Township.  George died October 25, 1916, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.

William B Ellis, 43, male, farmer, born VA
Elizabeth Ellis, 30, female, born VA, could not read or write
Sarah J, 12, female, born VA
[continued on next page]
Mary K Ellis, 11, female, born IL
Frances M, female, born IL
Eliza A, 6, female, born IL
George W, 3, male, born IL
Harriet J, 1, female, born IL

[No indication of schooling, as indicated for other children on this census page.]

Wm Ellis, 45, male, farmer, value of personal estate 375, born VA
Elizabeth Ellis, 42, female, born VA, could not read or write
Jane Ellis, 22, female, born VA, could not read or write
Eliza Ellis, 16, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Harriet Ellis, 12, female, born IL, attended school within the year
George Ellis, 14, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Elizabeth Ellis, 10, female, born IL, attended school within the year
David Ellis, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Eugene Davidson, 3, male, born IL
Elmer Davidson, 6/12, male, born IL

Ellis, William B, 59, male, white, farmer, value of personal estate 1025, born VA, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elizabeth A, 51, female, white, keeping house, born VA
George W, 23, male, white, farmer, born IL, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
David A, 16, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Davidson, Eugenia, 17, female, white, born IL
Elmon, 12, male, white, born IL
Ellis, Marion ? E, 10/12, male, white, born IL, born Sept

Mesley, Amisted, 60, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 4000, value of personal estate 500, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Nancy, 55, female, white, keeping house, born KY
(continued on next page)
Mesley, Samuel, 22, male, white, farm laborer, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
John, 20, male, white, born IL
Sarah, 18, female, white, born IL
Anna, 15, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Amanda, 12, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year

Ellis, George W, white, male, 32, married, farmer, born IL, both parents born VA
Anny, white, female, 23, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born KY
Nancy E, white, female, 2, daughter, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Ellis, George W, head, white, male, Feb 1847, 53, [marital status entry heavily overwritten, illegible], born IL, both parents born VA, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage on his farm home, farm schedule 70
Mertti (or Matte), daughter, white, female, July 1881, 18, single, born IL, both parents born IL, could read, write and speak English
John, son, white, male, Aug 1883, 16, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 6 months, could read, write and speak English
Walter, son, white, male, Oct 188_ [last digit illegible], 14, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 6 months, could read, write and speak English

Ellis, David A, head, male, white, 57, married (1st) for 31 years, born IL, both parents born VA, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, rented his farm home, farm schedule 11

Effie, wife, female, white, 53, married (1st) for 21 years; mother of 2 children, both living; born KY, father born VA, mother born KY, spoke English, could read and write

John W, nephew, male, white, 26, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, laborer, farm laborer, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 12, could read and write