Biography - J Black
J. A. BLACK, M. D. The gentleman whose sketch now claims our attention is one of the most successful physicians of the county, where he has lived and labored for so many years. The birth of Dr. Black took place near Salem, Marion County, Ill., July 2, 1835. He is the son of Willis H. Black, who was a native of Kentucky, born in Barren County, June 8, 1806. He was reared in Tennessee and came to Illinois some time in the '20s and located in Clinton County, where he married the mother of our subject. She was Emilia Hensley, a native of Kentucky, born in Hopkins County, June 13, 1814. Her parents brought her to Illinois when she was but a small child.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was a native of Kentucky, and his maternal grandfather, Joseph Hensley, left no record of his birth. The father of our subject was killed in Marion County, Ill., January 22, 1864, while attempting to arrest deserters, and the mother passed from earth February 8, 1892. They were the parents of a large family, namely: Joseph F.; Eliza, the widow of George Journey, of Hays City, Kan.; Lucy, the wife of James M. Crowell, of Shelby, Ala.; Thomas C., of Shelby, Ala.; Mary, the wife of Charles F. Norris, of Clinton County, Ill., are those now living beside our subject; and those who have passed away are: Margaret D. Williams, Julia E. Baird, Elizabeth A.; Robert W., who died at the age of one year and eight months; and Willis H., Jr., who died when one month old.
Our subject is the eldest son and second child, and was reared in his native place and received his first schooling at the district schoolhouse and then went to college at Salem. At the age of twenty-one Mr. Black began the life of a teacher, and after three terms of teaching he began the study of medicine under the guidance of Dr. William Hill, now of Bloomington, Ill. This was in 1857, and our subject remained with him until 1860, when he located in the town of Keenville, Wayne County, Ill. The next year came the call for troops and he enlisted in Company D, Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, as a private, but January 1> 1863, he was put on duty as Assistant Surgeon, which position he held until September, 1865. He was through the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Corinth, Little Rock, Pleasant Hill, and many other of the minor battles and long marches which were harder to endure than the real danger of the pitched battle. The last engagement in which Dr. Black took part was the battle of Nashville. During the Red River campaign, there were forty days when the regiment was under fire without ceasing.
After the war, our subject returned to Salem, and remained until October, 1865, and then located at Fillmore, in Montgomery County. He remained there for two years, but he came to Mulberry Grove in 1867, where he remained until 1871, when he saw a better opening in Fairview and located here. His marriage to Miss M. J. Moody took place March 15, 1865. She is a native of Indiana, and is the daughter of John D. Moody. Dr. and Mrs. Black are the parents of seven living children: Ellen H., the wife of John B. Defrees, of Logan County, Ill.; Jennie A., Mary L., John H., Julia G., Frank B. and Emilia M. Dr. Black is a Republican in his political opinions, and believes in expressing them whenever he thinks he can accomplish good by so doing. He has been Assessor of Pleasant Mound Township and is School Treasurer of the same, and also a valued member of Colby Post No. 301, G. A. R., at Greenville, Ill.
Extracted 10 Jan 2017 by Norma Hass from 1892 Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery and Bond Counties, Illinois, pages 316-317.
