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598 BIOGRAPHY AND RERIINISCENCES<br />
who was a native of Ireland. When the War of 1812 broke out,<br />
Charles enlisted ancl served through the whole campaign. After tlie<br />
war he engaged in farming and stoclr growing in Ohio and Incliana,<br />
until 1830. ~vhen he re~novecl to <strong>Illinois</strong> and settled at what is. known<br />
&s"~eecl'B Grove," in Will countv, taking up :L claim of 160 acres on<br />
what is now Joliet. EIe built thg first house ever built in that city,<br />
U'<br />
and erected the first house at tlie Grove, in 1835. When tlie i3lnck<br />
kIamb war broke out he relnovecl his fmmily to Pnrl; coontp, lndinn;~.<br />
After the Indian troubles he returned to his claim ant1 engaged in<br />
fanning. lie built a flouring Inill in Joliet in the year 1834, nncl as,<br />
in fact, the lnnn who laid out ancl started tlie town where he inatle the<br />
cli~im, ancl intencled to purchase tlhe smne when it came into nl;wlret,<br />
but lost it through the act of a so-called friend. Chi~rles Iteetl built<br />
the lo fort i~t Reed's Grove for a protection against the Indit~us, itnd<br />
when % e had it re:tdy to raise the prominent men of Chicago came out<br />
to assist in the work. While he lived in Will county he took a prominent<br />
part in politics. Being a strong anti-slavery man, he was llonoretl<br />
with state and county offices. In the course of time lle reulovetl to<br />
. . Winnebago county, ancl laid out the town of Winnebago, and remainecl<br />
in that county uhtil his death, ~vhich occurred about 1864. George<br />
W. Reed spent his younger years in ancl near Joliet; attended scllool<br />
in the old fort there. When the Mexican v7ar bdie out, i~ company<br />
was formed at Joliet, of which he was a member, but their services<br />
mere not accepted. He was married in 1849 to Mary Strader, claagllter<br />
of John ancl Marv (Longmire) Stracler, by wllonl he hatl two children.<br />
' After his marriige he removed to Mercer county, Ill., ant1 purchased<br />
160 acres of lmcl, built a house and iinprovecl his farm. IIis wife,.~v\.ho<br />
was afflictecl with consumption, becoming worse, requestecl that she be<br />
taben back to her home in Incliima. Tit70 years after his aiariv:tl in<br />
Mercer county he returned with his sick wife to her llome, ~vl~ere she<br />
died the clay ifter. her arrival. After her death he solcl his interests in<br />
Mercer county, removed to Starlr county in 1853, located in Osceola<br />
township, and was engtgecl in farming until ISSO, when he enp~ged in<br />
the mercantile business at 13raclfortl. In 1851 he married MISS Phila<br />
Webster, who clietl in 1862, and in 1865 llis marriage wit11 Nrs. Jane<br />
(Montooth) Hunter took place.<br />
George Ieevas, the ontlalv of Senachrvine, moved to the eastern<br />
borders of Stark county in 1833. Such desl~eracloes as I3urcl1, Fox,<br />
Long, Cameron Reeves, Allison, Preston lleeres made the neighborliootl<br />
their ho~ne, ancl brought thither their stolen l~orses ant1 gootls.<br />
After the robbery of Rheinbeck at Wliitefieltl, the people turnetl out<br />
en mass&, and sent them out of the countrv. Sopllronia Ileeves, wife<br />
of A. D. J'ones, the founder of Omaha, m&es in the best s~ciety of<br />
that town.<br />
Be$a.min 3'. lockI~oid, son of E. M. and Je~nima (Turner) Rockhold,<br />
was born in Fulton county, Ill., May 27, 1840. Benjamin F.<br />
Rockl~olcl was educated in Fulton county. On July 27, 1861, he<br />
enlisted in Colnpany E, Eighth <strong>Illinois</strong> Volunteer Infantrv, and served<br />
with thqt command until mustered out, with rank of sergkant, in July,<br />
1864. After the war, he and Jonn F. embarked in business at St.
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