John McLimans Biography - Grant County Wisconsin

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Submitted by David W. Taft, dtaft@cowtown.net

John McLimans
Commemorative Biographical Record of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa, and
Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin
J. H. Beers, 1901
Pages 903-904

JOHN McLIMANS, who passed away in Sherburn, Minnesota, June 21, 1899, was a veteran of 
the war of the Rebellion, and was a settler of Grant County in the early days. He was born
in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1831, and was a son of John McLimans Sr., who was 
born December 12, 1799, and died December 18, 1848. His mother was Nancy (Mitchell) 
McLimans, who was born November 12, 1800, and died in Fennimore Township, April 10, 1852. 
The grandfather of John McLimans was a youth when the war of the Revolution was being 
waged, and took part in it as a teamster, and did other duty such as a boy could render; 
several of his brothers were active soldiers in that great struggle. John McLimans Sr. 
and wife were parents of fourteen children. All of these children came to Grant County, but only two sons, 
Henry and Robert, and two daughters, Elizabeth, a resident of Washington, and Mrs. Harriet 
Kinney, are living. John McLimans came to Grant County in 1849 in the company of two 
brothers, William and Patterson. John Mitchell, an uncle, was established here, and at his 
invitation the brothers came. They were so pleased with the prospect, they went back to
bring the other family members of the family out the following spring. The mother died 
in 1852. John McLimans settled on Government land in the town of Liberty, and immediately 
began a series of extensive improvements. On April 15, 1856, he was married to Miss. 
Sophronia A. McGhan, who was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1837, daughter 
of Silas and Mary (Potter) McGhan, who came to Grant County in 1847. They began 
housekeeping in the home Mr. McLimans had already prepared on his farm. Mr. McGhan took 
up Government land, and made a farm which was his home until his death, April 30, 1863; 
his widow survived many years, and died October 23, 1889, at the age of eighty-three. 
They were parents of six children: George, a resident of Colorado; William, of Sherburne, 
Minnesota; Owen, a resident of Cedarville, Minnesota; Merritt, of Colorado. These brothers 
were all members of Company H, 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and completed full 
three years of enlistment. Mrs. McLimans had a sister, Mrs. Jane Groshong, of Montana, 
who died August 4, 1898.

John McLimans enlisted in the Union service September 4, 1862, as a member of Company H, 
7th Wisconsin Voluntary Infantry, which formed a part of the "Iron Brigade," and was 
mustered out May 31, 1865. He was with his regiment in all its engagements down to the 
battle of Gettysburg, where he was taken prisoner on the first day of that famous battle. 
He was confined in Libby Prison and at Belle Isle, but was paroled after a month, and 
rejoined his regiment at Fredericksburg. He passed through the Campaign of the Wilderness 
and the siege of Petersburg, where he was taken sick and sent to Whitehall Hospital at 
Philadelphia. There his wife helped to care for him. She secured a furlough for him and 
took him home with her, where he remained a month, and then came back to his regiment. 
From that time he continued in active service until his time expired.

Coming back to peaceful life, our subject resumed his farming occupations as soon as his 
health would permit and was on the farm for many years. In 1891 he moved into Fennimore, 
where he lived until he passed away. He died in Minnesota, where he and his wife had gone 
to visit their children who were settled there. He was a great sufferer from diseases that 
had followed him from the army, though he was a man who made little complaints. He was 
a gallant soldier, making a record that was without spot or stain, a good citizen and a 
kind and faithful husband and father. His wife and ten children survive, Mrs. McLimans 
and two of her sons now living in the pleasant residence in Fennimore. Mrs. McLimans is 
a most estimable lady, and is greatly respected by all who know her. Of the children, Silas married Christina Kramer. John R. 
married Lena Whaler, and they have had seven children, Sophronia, Riley, Lena, Thomas, 
Glenn, Blanch and Ethel. Nellie L. married Philip Keller, of Liberty, grant County, and has six 
children, John, Ray, Harriet, Edgar, Cora and Mabel. George O. lives with his mother. 
Mary J. married William Lathem, and has three daughters, Fern, Hattie and Lula. Huldah S. 
married William Ellis, and has five children, Orin, Martha, Carrie, Oscar and one not 
yet named. James I. married Adda Hannan, and they have four children, Ira, May, Fern 
and Adda. Hattie F. is the wife of Norval Walker, and has on son, Tanner. Irene was 
married May 30, 1900, to Tanner Walker, of Preston, Wisconsin, where he is engaged in 
farming (he and Norval Walker are brothers and their father, Thomas Walker, was in the 
same company as John McLimans during the Civil War). Robert M. lives with his mother. 
Nancy died in infancy.