Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Ely, John Knox 1837 - 
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Author: Bio/Gen Record LaSalle/Grundy 1900

John Knox Ely

There can be no reading more edifying to the younger generation of the 
residents of any county than truthful accounts of the lives and experiences of 
the pioneers who planted the seeds of civilization within its limits, and of 
men of hope and pluck and perseverance who were in the van in the later march 
of development.  It is to record the deeds and virtues of such men that this 
sketch is prepared; and if it does justice to John Knox Ely, his predecessors 
and contemporaries, the writer’s task will have been fulfilled.

John Knox Ely, of Mazon, Illinois, one of the representative citizens of 
Grundy county and a prominent business man and farmer of Mazon township, was 
born in Oneida county, New York, December 2, 1837, a son of James G. and 
Rebecca (Knox) Ely. The Ely family is of sterling English stock, its founders 
in America having been early colonial settlers of New Jersey. John Ely, the 
grandfather of our subject, was a native of New Jersey and was married in that 
commonwealth. He settled and lived out his days in the town of Western, Oneida 
county, New York, where he was a stock farmer and owned a considerable amount 
of property. He lived to the venerable age of eighty years, was a Democrat in 
his politics and a prominent man in his community. His children were Henry, 
David, James G., George, Frank, Elvira, Lydia and Louisa.

James G. Ely, a son of John, was born in New Jersey, September 25, 1807, 
received a common-school education and became a farmer, and while yet young 
went with his father to Oneida county, New York, and married there, July 4, 
1826, Fanny Hunt, who was born March 12, 1809. Their children were Martha, 
William, Ann and Harriet. Mr. Ely settled on land which was a part of his 
father’s estate and lived there many years. His wife died July 2, 1835, and he 
married the second time, January 1, 1837, in Oneida county, New York, Rebecca 
E. Knox, born near Perth Amboy, New Jersey, May 4, 1807, a daughter of Joseph 
and Rebecca (Karr) Knox. Her father, Joseph Knox, was a planter and slave-
owner, but, believing in human liberty in its broadest sense, eventually freed 
his slaves. John Knox Ely has a silver spoon formerly belonging to the Karr 
family, marked with the initials S. K., for Samuel Karr, the grandfather of 
his mother. Joseph Knox and wife were the parents of Nelson, Samuel, Sylvanus, 
Eliza, Ruth, Rebecca and Mary. James G. Ely, the father of our subject, moved 
with his family to Illinois in 1844, making the journey by way of the Erie 
canal to Buffalo and the lakes to Chicago, and thence by teams to Lisbon, 
Kendall county, Illinois. From the early part of May to June 4 was the period 
he consumed in reaching his destination. He at once bought an improved farm of 
eighty acres, and died July 3, only a month after his arrival. In politics he 
was a Democrat. He was an industrious and straightforward man who commanded 
the highest respect, and he reared an excellent family.

John Knox Ely was only seven years old when he came with his parents to 
Kendall county. He received his education in the common schools and at Mount 
Morris Seminary, at Mount Morris, Ogle county, this state, at the latter of 
which he was duly graduated. He engaged in school-teaching in LaSalle and 
Grundy counties, being thus employed for several years.

August 12, 1862, at Chicago, he enlisted as a private in the Eighty-eighth 
Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, to serve three years or during the 
war, and he served until honorably discharged on account of wounds received in 
battle at Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 20, 1864. He took part in the 
battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and Resaca, and he was 
slightly wounded in the engagement last mentioned. He was also in the Atlanta 
campaign when the Union troops were under fire four months, and participated 
in the battles of Buzzards’ Roost, Adairsville, New Hope Church, Dallas, 
Kenesaw Mountain, Lost Mountain and Peach Tree Creek, in the last of which he 
was struck in the right side by a piece of concussion shell and injured 
seriously. He was taken to a field hospital, and after two weeks moved to 
Chattanooga and thence to Nashville and confined in the hospital about two and 
a half months.

He then went home on a furlough, being incapacitated for arduous duty.  He was 
always an active soldier, always on duty in all the campaigns, marches, 
battles and skirmishes in which his regiment was engaged, and did his full 
duty promptly and cheerfully. He was promoted for meritorious services, to be 
corporal and then duty sergeant and afterward orderly sergeant; and he was one 
of the men selected for General Rosecrans’ regiment to be called The Roll of 
Honor; but that regiment was never formed. After recovering from his wounds he 
was detailed to the United States secret service and stationed at Nashville 
till the close of the war, and after the war he returned to Illinois.

When he was at home on a furlough Mr. Ely married, at Vinton, Iowa, September 
5, 1864, Lovina J. Mossman, who was born April 13, 1845, in Mercer county, 
Ohio, a daughter of William Mossman and Mary nee Thompson. William Mossman was 
born in Pennsylvania, February 28, 1801, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. In 
early life he was a school-teacher, particularly skilled in mathematics. Later 
he became a farmer. He married, in Pennsylvania, Mary Thompson, who was born 
in Maryland, November 10, 1815, a daughter of Aquila Thompson, of Scotch 
descent. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mossman lived for a time in 
Pennsylvania and then moved to Ohio, where Mr. Mossman was a farmer. About 
1845 they moved to Grundy county, Illinois, settling in Nettle Creek township, 
where Mr. Mossman bought an improved farm of eighty acres, upon which they 
lived until 1855, when he went to Benton county, Iowa, and bought prairie 
land, but settled in the town of Urbana. He died in Vinton, Iowa, aged about 
eighty-seven years. He was a man of excellent mind and well educated, and held 
town offices so creditably that his judgment was respected by the people. He 
was an old-line Whig and an Abolitionist, and was one of the founders of the 
Republican party in Benton county, Iowa, and afterward acted and voted with 
that party as long as he lived. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which he was a class-leader for many years. His children were 
Francis A., James C., George W., William H., Sarah E., Mary V., Lovina J., 
Aquila P., David C., Winfield W. and Ella.  Mr. Mossman had four sons in the 
civil war, —Francis, George, William and Aquila. Francis and George were in 
the Thirty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and Francis 
veteranized, serving four years, and was in many battles. George also 
veteranized and saw four years of service and was mustered out a major, having 
been promoted from the rank of corporal. William was a private in the One 
Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served 
about one year, when he was honorably discharged, on account of sickness, and 
died soon afterward. Aquila P. was in the Eighth Regiment of the Iowa 
Volunteer Infantry, in which he enlisted and served eighteen months, until the 
regiment was discharged.

After his marriage John Knox Ely continued to reside in Nettle Creek township, 
Grundy county, on land which he and his mother had entered in 1847, and where 
he lived until he was twenty-five years old. After his return from the war he 
lived there two years, and in 1868 he moved upon two hundred acres of improved 
land, which he bought in the same township. He resided there until 1876, and 
then moved to Mazon township and settled on his present property, consisting 
of three hundred and twenty acres of fine land. This farm he greatly improved. 
His children are: Rubie Maude, born February 8, 1867; Lena Grace, October 21, 
1868; Mary Rebecca, June 18, 1870; Nellie Virginia, February 23, 1872; John 
Maurice, January 2, 1874; William Ray, May 29, 1879; and Hamlin Mossman, 
November 11, 1882, —all born in Grundy county. Parents and children are all 
members of the Congregational church, in which body Mr. Ely has held the 
offices of church trustee and treasurer.

Politically Mr. Ely is a Republican, and, being an honored citizen of his 
township, he has from time to time held all the township offices, excepting 
that of road commissioner. He was twice elected to the general assembly of 
Illinois by heavy majorities, and he filled the responsible position of 
representative of the people with great credit to himself and satisfactorily 
to his constituents. He is a Mason of Orient Chapter, No. 46, R. A. M., and of 
Blaney Commandery, No. 5, K. T., of Morris, Illinois. He and Mrs. Ely are both 
members of the Eastern Star Chapter, of which she is the chaplain. The 
children of John Knox and Lovina (Mossman) Ely are all well trained 
intellectually, each having enjoyed ample opportunities for higher education.

In conclusion and in general we can say that Mr. Ely is a man of broad and 
independent views and a fearless advocate of what he believes to be right. He 
is very popular and justly noted for his stanch honesty of character. His 
family is one of the representative families of the county.

Additional Comments:
Source:  Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle and Grundy Counties 
Illinois, Volume 11, Chicago, 1900, pages 504-508

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