Ellis, Newton bio

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 590–591; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Newton Ellis, formerly a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, is now residing in Canton, devoting his attention to looking after his investments there and elsewhere, besides having a brick business edifice, good residence and other property within the city limits. He is one of the vast army who spent weary months in campaign life in order to preserve the Union and as such is deserving of the respect of all who love their county.
Isaac Ellis, the father of our subject, was born in South Carolina in 1803 and died in this county in 1877. When quite young he became a resident of Tennessee where he grew to manhood and married Nancy Jennings. This lady was born in Tennessee February 22, 1807. She is English extraction in the paternal line, while the Ellis family is of Scotch descent. In 1830, Isaac Ellis, and his family, which at that time consisted of a wife and two children, removed to this county, locating in what is now Canton Township. Taking possession of a tract of new land, the husband and father opened up and improved the same, carrying on general farming. He was a man of great energy and force of character, a good financier, and accumulated a handsome property, leaving a valuable estate when called hence. His loss was mourned by a wife and ten children and he had been preceded to the tomb by one child. His widow is still living, in the possession of all her faculties, occupying the old homestead which has been the scene of so much of her life work.
The natal day of our subject was in December, 1843, and on the farm in the township of which he is still an honored resident, he grew nearly to manhood. He attended the common schools, where he acquired a good practical understanding of the branches taught, and in the intervals of study bore his share of the work going on upon the estate until after the outbreak of the Civil War. He was about eighteen years old, when, in 1862, he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Third Illinois Infantry, col. Dickerman commanding. When thoroughly organized the regiment was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and to the Fifteenth Army Corps commanded by Gen. John A. Logan. Besides bearing his part in what are considered the minor duties of campaign life, although frequently as arduous and dangerous as participation in battle, Mr. Ellis took part in several of the most bloody engagements of the war. Among these we mention Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Kenesaw Mountain. At the last he received a serious wound, a shot penetrating the fleshy part of the leg just below the knee and unfitting him for duty. He was taken to the Jeffersonville (Ind.) Hospital in which he was forced to remain some months.
When mustered out of the service, in June, 1865, Mr. Ellis returned to his home in this county and engaged in farming and stock-raising, pursuing his enterprises successfully for some years. He was actively engaged thus until 1882, when he moved into the city of Canton, establishing himself in a pleasant residence on the south-west corner of Elm and Second Streets. Here with his chose companion he is enjoying the good things of life in the midst of an intelligent and respected circle of acquaintances.
In the spring of 1871 Mr. Ellis led to the hymeneal altar Miss Kate Negley, at that time a resident of this county, but a native of Franklin County, Pa. Mr. Ellis is identified with the Masonic fraternity. He has filled some minor offices of trust, among them being the Mayoralty of Canton, to which he was elected in the spring of 1889. In politics he s a Republican.