Biography - Josiah Gore
JOSIAH P. GORE was born in Little Rock, Ark., September 12, 1839. He is a son of John F. and Elizabeth (Penrod) Gore, both natives of Illinois. John F. Gore was a son of Thomas and Lydia Gore, the former of whom was one of the first settlers of Union County, Ill. The inhabitants of the county at the time he moved into it were almost exclusively Indians. He resided there until his death. John F. Gore purchased eighty acres of land in Vienna Township, Johnson County, residing there only a short time, however, when he died, in the prime of life, Josiah P. Gore began life for himself at the age of fourteen years by first carrying the mail on horseback. This he continued four years, and afterward worked at anything he could find to do until the war broke out.
Enlisting at Moscow in the Ninth Illinois Regulars, Company A, Mr. Gore was in the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Atlanta and Jonesborough, Ga. Thence he marched to the sea with Sherman, and remained in active service until the close of the war, being in the army for four years and eighteen days. He was honorably discharged at Springfield, Ill., July 30, 1865. He then bought forty acres of land in Cache Township, Johnson County, and followed farming for one year, after which he traded this tract for eighty acres in Vienna Township, keeping this for one year and then selling out and buying eighty acres in Cache Township. On account of failing health and other misfortunes he lost this farm, but finally rallied and bought the farm upon which he now resides in 1881. He now has one hundred and forty-four acres in section 7, Cache Township, having on the farm a good house and other improvements.
In June, 1862, Mr. Gore married Celia Wadd, who died the same year. He was next married, February 28, 1863, to Nancy E. Wilhelm, a native of Johnson County, her parents being natives of North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Gore have reared eight children: Elizabeth, Barnett, Otto, Josiah, Cassandra, Peter, Margaret and Rosetta. The parents are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Gore is firm in his allegiance to the Republican party, and is identified with the Grand Army Post at Vienna.
Extracted 16 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from 1893 Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope, and Hardin Counties, Illinois, page 606.
