WI BIO - Richland Co - RECOB, William

History of Crawford & Richland Counties, Wisconsin. Springfield: Union, 1884, 
pp 937, 1034-1035

William RECOB, an early settler of Eagle Township [Richland County, 
Wisconsin], was born 17 December 1820 in Ross County, Ohio. His younger days 
were spent on the farm and in school, where he obtained a liberal education. 
When a young man he emigrated to Indiana, and located in Tippecanoe County. 
He came here [to Richland County, Wisconsin] from Indiana in 1854, making the 
journey by rail as far as Warren [Jo Daviess County], Illinois, and the 
remainder of the distance by team. He purchased the southeast quarter of 
Section 11, Town 9 North, Range 1 West [Section 11 of Eagle Township, 
Richland County, Wisconsin]. Having left his family at Orion [the township 
adjacent to and east of Eagle Township], he pushed on through the woods, 
chopped a road to a suitable location for a dwelling and built a log cabin. 
He then returned to Orion for his family. He was fond of hunting, and a good 
marksman. Game was plentiful, and he had abundant opportunities for 
displaying his skill; one winter he killed 14 deer. He cleared land and 
farmed until 1864.

In February 1864 he [William RECOB] enlisted [as a Private] in [p 1035] 
Company B, 36th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, joined the Army of the Potomac, 
and participated in many of the important battles of the campaign from that 
time until the close of the war. He received an injury in his spine at 
Appomattox, the day before the surrender of Lee [Lee surrendered at 
Appomattox Courthouse on 08 April 1865], being stuck by a horse while 
crossing a ravine. It resulted in paralysis from which he was confined to 
his bed for four years. He bore his sufferings patiently. Death came to his 
relief [William RECOB died] 09 September 1881. [The same source, p 937, 
states that William RECOB "was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee at 
Appomattox, and received injuries from which he never recovered, but the 
effects continued to increase on him with advancing age until he was rendered 
entirely helpless, and continued so until death relieved his sufferings. His 
funeral was attended at Pleasant Hill Church by a large number of 
sympathizing friends. The services were conducted by Rev. John WALWORTH, the 
sermon being founded on Job 19:24-25, the text chosen by the deceased."]

[There may have been as many as three persons named "William RECOB" who were 
born in Ross County, Ohio, one 17 December 1820, one in December 1821, and a 
third (William H. RECOB) on 07 September 1831. The William RECOB who was in 
the 36th Wisconsin was married in 1845 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to 
"Mary A. NELSON," who died 27 July 1893 at age sixty-seven years, three 
months, and twenty-five days. Note that the next paragraph begins with the 
marriage of William RECOB of the Richland County biography to "Mary A. 
WILSON," which may be in error. There is a Madison County, Ohio, biography 
for "William H. RECOB" (also related biographies for Frederick and Valentine 
RECOB) in the 1883 History of Madison County, Ohio, published by Beers.]

In 1845 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, he [William RECOB] was married to 
[Miss?] Mary A. WILSON, who was born 02 April 1826 in Butler County, Ohio. 
Twelve children blessed the union [of William and Mary A. RECOB, the first 
eight of whom were living in 1884 when the biography was published; numbering 
of children added by submitter and may not indicate order of birth]: (1) 
Leonidas; (2) Amanda A.; (3) Margaret E.; (4) Emily L.; (5) Lycurgus 
[born in 1856, who died 05 December 1905 in Richland County, Wisconsin; 
Lycurgus RECOB married Alvaretta O. BARKER, who was born 12 March 1854 and 
died 13 August 1871; on 30 July 1877 Lycurgus RECOB married Clara S. EWING; 
on 22 February 1880 Lycurgus RECOB married Miss Caroline WARD, daughter of 
Franklin & Adaline Rebecca WARD; Caroline WARD born 06 September 1857 and 
died 09 November 1920; Lycurgus and Caroline RECOB had at least two children: 
an infant who died 17 March 1881 at age six weeks who is buried in Pleasant 
Hill Cemetery in Richland County, Wisconsin, and a son, Vernon B., who was 
born 11 October 1899, married Agatha L. ANDERSON in 1923, and died 18 January 
1967]; (6) Mary S.; (7) Orlando B. [who died 19 June 1929 in Richland 
County, Wisconsin]; (8) Effie L.; (9) Alvaretta, born 16 March 1854, who 
died in 1871; (10) Zella A. [Zelia A.?], born 08 December 1857 [September 
1859?], who died in March 1876 [Zelia A., who died at age sixteen years, six 
months, ten days, is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Richland County, 
Wisconsin]; and (11) & (12) two who died in infancy. Mrs. [Mary A.] RECOB 
and some of her children now [1884] occupy the homestead, where they have a 
comfortable and pleasant home. [Record of death for Mary A. RECOB on 27 July 
1893 in Richland County, Wisconsin, not viewed by submitter.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly