Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 290-291; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Lieut. George Washington Cone. It is a well-known fact
that circumstances in life may make or mar the prospects of a man to a
certain extent, but a determined spirit will bend even the force of
circumstances to its will. The career of Lieut. Cone since his
arrival upon the state of human action is abundant proof of this trite
saying.
The subject of our sketch is the fifth son of Joseph Cone,
founder of Farmington, and a man of extensive fame. He was born
in Harrington, Conn., July 10, 1821, and received an excellent
education, attending the common schools, and afterward the academy of
his native place. He was only a boy of thirteen summers when he
came with his father to Illinois, and continued to live at home up to
the time of his marriage. After his arrival in this State he
attended school at the Peoria Academy, which was at that time under the
charge of the Rev. David Page. Possessing great natural ability
and a fondness for study, our subject found no difficulty in mastering
the depths of “hidden lore.”
Lieut. Cone was twice married. In 1850 he was united in
hymeneal bonds with Miss Harriet Berge, daughter of Deacon Luther
Berge, a famous Abolitionist and temperance man, and well known to the
pioneers of Illinois. To our subject and wife have been born four
children, viz.: Cordelia, who died while in infancy; Frank, who
died when six years old; Everett Luther, who resides at home; and
George C., who is a student at the University of Illinois at Champaign.
Our subject owns much real estate, and has lived in several
different place, and carried on a prosperous dry-good business at
Elmwood for about seven years. But while he was enjoying life at
that time the war broke out, and he enlisted in Company I, of the
Seventy-seventh Illinois Infantry, in the fall of 1862. He was
under command of Col. Grier, who afterward became a General. The
company was mustered in at Peoria, and after a brief time spent there
in drilling they left for the frontier, and our subject was elected
Sergeant by the company. Their prospective point was Lexington,
Ky., and they marched from Covington to Lexington, from there to
Louisville, and from that city took a boat for Memphis and
Vicksburg. They were engaged at Port Gibson, Haines Bluff,
Arkansas Post, where they took six thousand prisoners, Champion Hill
and Black River Bridge. For valiant service our subject was
promoted to be Lieutenant. In the battle of Vicksburg he was shot
throught {though} his left ankle, and was on crutches for eight months,
and was honorably discharged on account of physical disability at New
Orleans in November, 1863. He returned home scarcely more than a
physical wreck, but with a war record of which any man may be justly
proud. In politics he is in sympathy with the Republican party,
but is no office-seeker. In 1863 he went to Memphis and bought
mill property there, but sold same and never received pay for it, and
this transaction practically ruined him financially. He is noted
for integrity, and is a man of great moral force, and is slightly
inclined towards the Swedenborgian religion.
