ALONZO B. PARKELL, Civil War Union veteran, Early day Carthage Businessman

The following item was written in the Carthage Daily Patriot, Friday Morning, April 23, 1880 showcasing many of Carthage's businesses. It read:

A. B. PARKELL

Merchant tailor, has been here about twelve years. He keeps a good selection of goods, both foreign and domestic. In connection with his business he deals in sowing machines of all kinds and makes a specialty of repairing. We would respectfully call attention to his business, and hope he will receive a due share of the public patronage.

Biographical data and notes:

- Born in New York

Enlistment:

- Residing in Grinnell, IA at time of enlistment

- 36 years of age at time of enlistment

- Enlisted on Sep 14 1861 as Captain

Mustering information:

- Commissioned into E Company, 4th Cavalry (Iowa) on Nov 23 1861

- Resigned from 4th Cavalry (Iowa) on Sep 26 1864

Promotions:

- Promoted to Second Battalion Major (Full, Vol) on Aug 10 1862

Sources for the above information:

- Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of Rebellion, (English, 1910)

- Union Blue: History of MOLLUS, (White Mane, 2001)

Appreciation for this information to

Kent Kooi

Kearney MO

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HISTORY OF PARKELL ANCESTRY

Below was a record made of his children January 1st, 1900, (Biography and Genealogy of Alonzo Burrett Parkell)

"The name Parkhill originated in Devonshire, England in the early part of the seventeenth century; nativity of paternal ancestor, France; nativity of maternal ancestor, England. Paternal great grandfather was a field officer under William III, Prince of Orange, in the "war of 1690, against Catholic Persecution" of Protestants in Ireland and Scotland, participated in the battle of the Boyne, July, 1690. At the termination of the war he married a Scotch maiden and settled in Scotland, subsequently settled in County Derry, Ireland, upon lands awarded by the Crown for bravery in action during the campaign of 1690.

Paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Parkhill, and three brothers, viz.: Hugh, James, and David, emigrated to America about the year 1740, the first two settled in Vermont, the latter two settled in Pennsylvania; they were Covenanters. My grandfather had a family consisting of twelve children, viz.: Robert Parkhill, born August, 1767; John, born April, 1769; Abigail, born April, 1771 (married a Tilton); Rebecca, born July, 1772 (married a Gosline); David, born May, 1774; Hannah, born June, 1776 (married a Ferguson); Nathaniel, born September 13, 1778; Timothy, born December, 1780; Reuben, born January, 1783; Ezra, born February, 1785; Polly, born August, 1787 (married a Smyth); Oliver, born December, 1791; grandfather Nathaniel Parkhill is buried at Springfield, Otsego County, New York.

Nathaniel Parkhill, my father, a native of Vermont, settled in Oneida County, New York, in the early part of the nineteenth century; he was a soldier in the U.S. volunteer service, "war of 1812".

Mother's maiden name was Anna Thompson, a native of Middlebury, Vermont, born 1780; she was a sister of Colonel John Thompson of Vergennes, Vermont.

The children of Nathaniel and Anna Parkhill were, viz.: Nathaniel Jefferson, born 1802; John Thompson, born April 1804; David Albert, born 1806; Delia Ann, born September 1808 (married Solander Pettit); Dianthat, born May, 1810 (married Chas. Gilmore); Betsey Maria, born 1813 (married Henry H. Cooper); Hiram Henry, born 1815; Susana, born 1817 (married James Avery); Mary, born 1819 (married Tobias Green); Caroline Melissa, born May, 1823 (married William W. Lapham); Alonzo Burrett, born September 1825.

My father, deceased, September 3, 1828, was buried in the old cemetery at Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York. Upon the death of my father his family were left in quite limited circumstances; the elder members of the family went out to seek employment; my mother, with the younger children, removed from Whitesboro to a little home in Verona, Oneida County, where my early childhood days were passed; how well do I remember the little red painted house; how vivid in my recollection are the scenes of my childhood; my earliest recollection is of the death of my father, then our removal and the incidents that followed: My sister, Carrie, constant companion of my youth, whose hand was ever held out to guide my early footsteps and shield me from harm; the old schoolhouse beside the brook, the mill yard where we used to sport, the hill where we used to coast in the winter, the Scanandoa Creek where we fished in summer, the butternut orchard and the beech tree grove where we chased the squirrel, the factory, the store and the old tavern, where the Indians used to assemble to play the fiddle and dance for firewater, all are indelibly stamped upon the tablets of my memory.

In explanation of the change in manner of spelling the name Parkhill, I should say that after the decease of my father my elder brothers, for the sake of brevity, dropped the "h", spelling the name Parkill; later my brother Henry and myself dropped the "i" and inserted an "e", hence spelling the name Parkell.

Major Alonzo Burrett Parkell was born at Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York, on the 1st of September, 1825. Father died when I was but three years old; I remained with my widowed mother until I arrived at the age of eight years; the financial circumstances of my mother, my frailty and inability to render her any assistance, caused me to become much depressed, and for some days I was in a quandary to solve the difficulty; then, in a single day, I seemed to emerge from youth to manhood; my resolution was taken, and at the age of eight years I went out into the world to seek a livelihood among strangers. Thence I was variously employed until I became sixteen years old; during this period I drove horses on the tow path of the Erie Canal through the summer of 1834; having acquired sufficient money for the purchase of clothing for winter use, I returned to the home of my mother, where I remained through the winter attending school. In the spring of 1835 I went to Saratoga County to work in a grist mill, and remained there for a period of two years; I then, after making a visit to my mother, went to the home of my brother John, in Clockville, Madison Co., New York, where I attended school during the winter of 1836 and 1837. The following summer I was employed in a tavern in that place. I then went to reside with my brother Nathaniel in Brooklyn, Jackson Co., Michigan; there I remained about two years, employed in a hotel and attending school part of the time, after which I went to Dansville, Livingston County, New York, where I found employment in a grocery store until 1842.

My education being necessarily limited, having acquired only the primary branches, I though it advisable to gain a knowledge of mechanics; I, therefore, learned the occupation of tailoring April 18, 1848. At the age of twenty-two I married Rebecca Maria Morrison, daughter of the Rev, George Morrison, of Dansville, New York, her age was twenty, having been born October 14, 1827. Her mother's maiden name was Lucy Allen Hendee, a descendant of Col. Ethan Allen, of revolutionary fame. I resided in Dansville for a period of fifteen years. My mother died in 1849, was buried in Clayville, Oneida Co., New York. During the gold excitement of 1850 I went to California, was in the mining district near Shasta City some three months, then returned to Sacramento where I had the cholera in 1851; after my recovery I went with my brother Henry to San Francisco and engaged in hotel business until 1852; I then returned to my home in New York. In 1853 I removed to Iowa and engaged in mercantile business in Buchanan County until 1859; then went to Grinnell, Iowa, and engaged in merchant tailoring until 1861. At this time, the slavery question having assumed such proportions that war became imminent, and when Fort Sumpter was fired upon by Insurgents my patriotism was so aroused that I resolved to enlist in the service of the United States. Thereupon I commenced recruiting, and in thirty days had a company, thereby fitting them for immediate service. I had my men appareled in uniform, then reported to the adjutant general of Iowa, received orders to proceed, with my company, to quarters at Camp Harlan, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where we arrived on the 24th of October, 1861. I was commissioned captain, Company "E", Fourth Regiment Iowa Cavalry Volunteers, and mustered into the United States military service on the 23rd day of November, 1861; was promoted and commissioned to the rank of major, August 10th, 1862. I was in the military service of the United States three years, participated in the Arkansas campaign during 1862, my regiment, the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, was attached to the Fifteenth Army Corps during 1863 and 1864; participated in action at Fourteen-Mile Creek, Miss., May 12th, 1863, also in the capture of Jackson, Miss., May 14th, 1863; was in command of Gen'l W. T. Sherman's advance guards at Champion Hills, Miss., May 16th, 1863; was in command of regiment in action at Mechanicsburg, Miss., May 24th and 29th, 1863; participated in Vicksburg campaign, May 16th to July 5th, 1863; was in command of cavalry forces in action at Black River, Miss., June 22nd, 1863; was in command of regiment in Grenada, Miss., raid, August 10th to 25th, 1863; commanded regiment in action at Coldwater, Miss., August 21st, 1863; commanded regiment in Meridian campaign, February 3d to 14th, 1864; having been disabled from active field service, I tendered my resignation, and in October, 1864, returned to my home, in Iowa. I removed from Grinnell in 1865; was a resident of Independence, Mo., from 1865 to 1867; engaged in business of merchant tailoring; while there I often saw members of Quantrell's Band of Desperadoes, they used to come into town fully armed, ride their horses into stores, take such goods as they wanted and ride away in defiance of authorities, terrifying people and sometimes shooting down citizens without the least provocation.

I removed from Independence to Carthage, Jasper Co., Mo., in 1867, and engaged in the business of merchant tailoring and clothing for a period of fifteen years; retired from business in 1881 and made my second visit to the Pacific coast. I have been in thirty of the States and six Territories; have been in Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, and Central America.

I have been a Republican since the inception of the party; was a member of the Jasper County, Mo., Republican county committee two years; was collector, Marion Township, two years, 1873 and 1874; was a member of City Council, Carthage, Mo., two terms, 1873 and 1874, and 1882 and 1883; was a member of School Board, City of Carthage, two years; am a member of Carthage Lodge, No. 197, A.F. & A.M.; a member of Stanton Post, No. 1, G.A.R., Mo.; was a member of Council Administration G.A.R., State of Missouri, in 1892; attended National Encampment, Washington, D.C. in 1892."

1 daughter Maggie Alice Parkell, buried in Cedar Hill (aka East) Cemetery in Carthage.