Mecosta County MI Archives Biographies.....Sims, John M. September 26, 1845 - 
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Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 April 7, 2009, 11:56 pm

Author: Chapman Brothers

JOHN M. SIMS, farmer, sec. 2, Green Tp., was born Sept. 26, 1845, in Greene 
Co., Pa., and is the son of 

Martin adn Eliza Jane (Mundy) Sims.  Mr. Sims is descended from loyal 
ancestry, his great-granfather 

having fought in the war of the Revolution, and also in that of 1812.  His 
father was born in the Keystone 

State, of English ancestry; was a farmer and millwright, and enlisted in the 
civil war as a soldier for 

the Union, finally locating in Van Buren Co., Mich., where he died, in 1876.  
The mother, born in County 

Down, Ireland, died Aug. 28, 1871.

True to the patriotic instincts of his race, Mr. Sims enlisted in the war of 
the Rebellion to defend the 

flag his ancestors had fought to establish, and is teh youngest soldier 
recorded in this volume.  He 

nerolled as his country's servant in the 12th W. Va. Infantry, Aug. 9, 1869, 
(sic) when he was 15 years, 

11 months and 13 days old.  He was discharged June 16, 1865, having seen much 
active service in the 

memorable engagements of the war, among them the fight at Winchester, June 14, 
1863, Harper's Ferry, in 

July, 1864, Battle of Winchester, and of Cedar Creek, Nov. 19, 1864, at 
Piedmont, Stanton, Lynchburg; and 

when transferred to the Army of the POtomac he fought at Hatcher's Run, near 
Petersburg, March 29, 30, 31, 

1865, and April 1, following, at Fort Grey, near Petersburg, whence his 
command followed Lee on the 

extreme left of the Army Corps until the rebel chief surrendered to the 
Federal authority at Appomattox, 

of which event Mr. Sims was an eye witness.  After Lee's capitulation the 
forces went from Lynchburg to 

Richmond, where they were discharged, and were mustered out at Wheeling.  Mr. 
Sims sustained but one 

injury during the entire time, receiving a gunshot wound in the left leg in a 
skirmish near Harper's 

Ferry.  He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Winchester, June 14, 1863, and 
was held in captivity three 

months.  At the end of that time he made his escape and rejoined his command, 
after passing four days and 

nights in the mountians almost wholly without supplies.

March 25, 1866, he came to Mecosta Co., Mich., and in 1868 bought 80 acres of 
land in Green Tp., where he 

has since followed farming.   He was married to Ellen E. Robins in 1867; she 
was born in Potter Co., Pa., 

and is the daughter of James G. and Olive (Slade) Robins.  Of this marriage 
one child was born, Otis 

Orlando.  The mother died June 28, 1868.  Mr. Sims was again married in 1869, 
to Elizabeth, daughter of 

John and Amy (Clark) Kitchen, a native of Canada, born Sept. 18, 1841.  Her 
father was born in New Jersey, 

and is now living near Whitehall, Mich.  Her mother was a native of New 
Brunswick and died in 1873.  Mr. 

and Mrs. Sims' children are, Delbert, Anna B., Elsie M. and Viola.

Additional Comments:
1883 Portrait & Bio Album of Mecosta Co., MI.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/mecosta/bios/sims508nbs.txt

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