Mills Whitley was a private in the Illinois Ranger Companies ofCaptain W . B. Whiteside, Captain Jacob Short and Captain WilliamJones in the Wa r of 1812.
[Skinner and Whitley family tree.FTW]
1814 Madison Co, IL, where he and Elizabeth married.
11/4/1817 Bond Co, IL, was his residence when he purchased 160 acresa t a Federal sale, paying $2.00/acre for land located at S24 T04NR02W.
1818 Bond Co, IL. In the state's first census were Mills, brotherJoh n and their father. Mills family included 1 white male over 21and 4 o ther whites.
1820 Perryville Twp, Bond Co, IL, was still his residence at censusti me. His household included 2 males under 10, he was 26-45, 1female un der 10 and 1 at 16-26 . Next door was brother John andfarther down the r oad were his father and brothers Elisha and"Randle" along with his inl aws.
3/1/1823 Edgar Co, IL, was recorded as his address on this date whenh e paid $1.25/acre for 80 acres at S25 T14N R12W, also in Edgar Co.
4/11/1823 He added another 80 acre tract at S24 T14N R12W to hisasset i nventory, again at Federal sale for $1.25/acre.
1827 Shelby Co, IL. He was a member of the first grand jury.
1830 Prect 4, Shelby Co, IL. At census time he was living next doort o brother, Sharp, just down the road from the rest of the Whitleys.In h is household were 1 male under 5, 1 male 5-10, 2 males 10-15,himself a t 30-40, 1 female15-20, and 1 female 30-40. John Bateman,relative thr ough his mother, lived 2 doors down.
He sold his homestead rights to a Samuel M Smysor who took out apatent i n 1831.
1/21/1834 Coles Co, IL. He had already moved to Coles Co when heboug ht 80 acres at another Federal sale, paying $1.25/acre. Thispiece of l and was located at S20 T13N R07E.
7/21/1836 At S19 T13N R07E was the next Federal sale purchase hemade, b uying 40 acres for the same price as before.
2/21/1837 Still amassing land, he purchased another 80 acres whichwas l ocated at S29 T13N R07E, again from a Federal sale and for thesame pri ce.
Walker Co, TX. The exact date of his arrival there is unknown but itw as before son Hiram was born there in 1837. Some relatives say hearri ved in 1835 with Vehlein's Colony but above notes dispute that.
9/17/1850 Walker Co, TX. At census time, both he and Elizabeth were5 8 years old and only the 3 youngest teenage children were left athome: E lizabeth, 18, Randolph, 16, and Hiram, 13. Next door was sonJohn whil e son Sharp was down the road in the opposite direction.
"Mills Whitley, with his two sons Randolph Whitley and Hiram Whitleyfa rmed and raised livestock just north of present-day Luling, Texas.Mill s Whitley became blind in his old age and sold his land to histwo sons ."
[Source: Plum Creek Almanac, Vol. 7, No. 1 Spring 1989]
715/1860 PO Plum Creek, Caldwell Co, TX, was his residence at thetime o f the next census. He was 67 and still farming with propertyworth $60 0/2185. Living with him were sons, R L, 26, and Hiram, 23,as well as R andolph's family: wife Angeline, 19, Sarah E, 3, andMills, 4 months.
His birth date is 9/6/1792 in LDS records as well as some other familyl istings. The 1850 census says he was born in NC.
Some family listings have 1860 as his death date but his will wasdated 6 /29/1861 and recorded 4/25/1864.
