John Kenneth Shields
Researched compiled by Tana Lively (Great-great granddaughter of John and Louisa)
Timeline
- 1846 December 24 - Born in Indiana
- 1863 August 12 - Enlists in the Union Army in Williamsport, Warren County, Indiana and is assigned the 116th Indiana Infantry, Company H.
- 1863 August 31 - 116th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry moves to Dearborn, Michigan to guard an arsenal there.
- 1863 September 16 - 116th moves to Nicholasville, Kentucky.
- 1863 September 24 - 116th begins march to the Cumberland Gap.
- 1863 October 3 - 116th arrives at the Cumberland Gap (where the West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky borders meet).
- 1863 October 6 - 116th begins march to Morristown (Tennessee?).
- 1863 October 8 - 116th arrives at Morristown (Tennessee?).
- 1863 October 10 - 116th sees action at Blue Springs (?); continues Marching towards Greenville, Tennessee.
- 1863 November 6 - 116th departs Greenville, Tennessee and marches to Bulls Gap, Tennessee, across Clinch Mountain to the Clinch River.
- 1863 November 15 - John Kenneth reports incurring a [rhumatism]. Affidavit of William Bush...n, Company C, 116 Indiana Infantry, states he took John from [Greenvill, Tenessee] to [Noxvill] and by the time they arrived in Knoxville the [rhumatism] was so bad John had to be lifted on and off the cars (train cars?)
- 1863 December 2 - 116th sees action at Walker's Ford, Tennessee
- 1864 January 24 - 116th sees action at Tazewell, Tennessee.
- 1864 February - 116th completes duty assignments at Tazewell and Maynardsville, Tennessee.
- 1864 March - Honorably discharged from the Union Army in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
- 1870 - Living with the James Harrison family in Walnut Township, Montgomery County, Indiana.
- 1870 November 15 - Marries Louisa Ellen Hall in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana.
- 1871 September 6 - Marian (Mary) Elizabeth is born.
- 1873 December 10 - James Ulysses is born in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.
- 1876 February 15 - Arminta is born.
- 1878 April 15 - William Henry Harrison is born in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana.
- 1880 - Living with Louisa and children in Brown, Montgomery County, Indiana.
- 1880 - Serves as the Enumerator for Brown, Montgomery County, Indiana for the census that year.
- 1881 - Elva Lou is born in Indiana.
- 1883 February 5 - Harvey Shields is born in Kansas
- 1885 - Living with Louisa and children in Centralopolis, Franklin County, Kansas.
- 1887 June 24 - John and Louisa's daughter, Mary Elizabeth, gets married in Franklin Co. Marriage Certificate lists her residence as Ottawa, implying the rest of the family may have been living there.
- 1890 September 14 - Columbus Lorenzo is born in Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri.
- 1890 - John files his paperwork for the Soldier's Application Act of 1890 (June 27) and lists his address as (10/20?) Edinburg, Missouri. (The census for this year was destroyed in a fire).
- 1895 July 19 - John Kenneth dies and is buried in Brimson, Grundy County, Missouri.
- 1900 - Louisa and the three youngest are living in Sugar Creek, Harrison County, Missouri.
- 1909 - Louisa dies and is buried in Brimson, Grundy County, Missouri.
John's Birth (1846)
Family Folk Lore
The story handed down in the family is that his mother died when he was a baby and his father went to war, and a family by the name of Shields reared him. It is believed that his father's name was either Riley or O'Reilly.
-From a Shields family history book of unknown origins
John Kenneth was left by a man on wagon train- probably his father; name was Riley or O’Riley; age 4 yrs [c. 1850].
-A note on a pedigree chart from Carolyn
Facts We Do Know
- He was born in Indiana on 24 December 1846 (United States Census 1870, United States Census 1880, Kansas State Census 1885, Death Certificate of Columbus Lorenzo Shields 1948).
- He believed his parents were born in Ireland (US Census 1880).
The Early Years (1850-1870)
The James H. Harrison Adoption Theory
The 1850 census shows a family in Walnut, Montgomery County, Indiana by the name of Harrison. James and Elizabeth were the parents and they had seven kids, one of which was named "John K".
What's in a name?
If you are familiar with the John Kenneth Shields family you will likely recognize several of these names from John Kenneth's own children. One of them, William, bore "Harrison" as one of his middle names--William Henry Harrison (US Census 1880).
What's in a name? (cont.)
In 2017, we were contacted by members of the Frasher/Frazier family, who sent us document of notes on the Shields family, including John Kenneth. They too had arrived at the conclusion that John Kenneth was raised by the James Harrison family and suggested the similarities in names were evidence of this.
We don't know how all the Harrison, Shields, Watkins or Reilly families were related, but John Kenneth must have been grateful to the family who raised him as he named children after the James Henry Harrison family. One of his sons is named William Henry Harrison Shields and another son is named James.
The Frasher/Frazier info also included the traditional story of John Kenneth's parents but with a twist.
John Kenneth Shields' mother died when he was a baby and later his father went to war and died, and a family by the name of Harrison reared him.
They do not claim that John Kenneth's parents were Reilly or O'Reilly. The James Harrison Family hypothesis suggests his birth parent's name was Shields and John Kenneth changed it back after he he was grown, sometime before 1863 when he enlists as John Kenneth Shields and before 1870 when he reappears in the James Harrison household but as a farmhand.
John K. omitted from a county history.
In 1878 the "Atlas of Montgomery County Indiana to which are added various general maps, history, statistics, illustrations. etc. etc. etc." by J.H. Beers & Co. was published. On page 55 of this atlas it has a write up on the James H. Harrison family. However, it does not reference John K.
This was thought to be further proof that John K Harrison was John Kenneth Shields, assuming he had been omitted as one of the Harrison children in the Beers Atlas because he was adopted.
References to Civil War service in county history
In 1881, H.W. Beckwith compiled and published "History of Montgomery County : together with historic notes on the Wabash Valley, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic sources". The James Harrison family is also mentioned in this book but this time John K. is listed as one of the children and it states he served in the Civil War.
Evidence of Civil War service supports the hypothesis that John K. Harrison is also John Kenneth Shields, as we have copies of documents showing John Kenneth served in the Indiana Infantry during the war.
Parallels between John Kenneth's work and James Harrison's work
The family history book of unknown origins state
[John K. Shields] was a stock buyer, trader, and farmer after the war.
As shown on the right, James Harrison was heavily involved in stock and with 650 acres of land, he probably did some farming on it too.
This evidence would lead you to believe that John Kenneth was just working in the family business after he returned from serving in the the Civil War.
Although it should be noted that there are no sources to verify that John Kenneth bought stock or traded. He is only ever listed as a farmer on US censuses.
Time as a farm hand with the Harrison's
Further evidence of James Harrison's farming operations is the fact that John Kenneth is listed on the 1870 census as a farm hand in the James Harrison household, along with Sam Richardson.
John K. is no longer listed as a member of the household suggesting he may be one in the same with John Kenneth. One can only speculate why John Kenneth would be listed as a farm hand, however his personal estate of $700 listed on the census is very close to the inheritance values left by James Harrison to his children
...and has given to five children one and one-fourth sections, and to another $1000 in cash.
-Beckwith, A History of Montgomery County, p. 381 (see previous slide).
We know that James Harrison had given that money and land out by 1881 when Beckwith's book was published. If he issued the inheritances as early as 1870 (when he was 62) then that would account for the $700 in property listed for John Kenneth. Probate records or similar documents would be needed to confirm that.
The girl next door
Bainbridge Hall was one of the early settler's of Montgomery County. He and his wife came to Indiana from Kentucky and bought land in Brown Township. Then he bought land for his children, one of which, was Henry Harrison Hall. Henry's property location in section 32 is outlined in the biographies section of the 1878 Beers Atlas, shown on the right.
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the James Harrison family theory is found in the plat maps from the Atlas of Montgomery County... (Beers 1878)
The girl next door (cont.)
Map of Walnut Township, Montgomery County, Indiana. Henry Harrison Hall's land is in section 32 (See lower left corner of the map). Note Samuel Q. Hall (Henry's brother)'s land is also in section 32 (SE quarter).
John Kenneth Shields Map_Draft1
The girl next door (cont.)
Bainbridge Hall was the father of Henry Harrison, and Henry Harrison was the father Louisa Ellen Hall (US Census 1860), who married John Kenneth Shields 10 years later in 1870.
The girl next door (cont.)
So if John Kenneth Shields was raised by James Harrison, then he would have grown up knowing Louisa Ellen as his neighbor for most of his life before marrying her in 1870.
If the map to the right crashes, you can view the parcel locations here
There's just one problem with this tale of life long friends turned lovers. That isn't the way it happened. There are several key problems with the James Harrison Family Adoption Theory.
The John K Harrison on the 1850 census that is believed to be John Kenneth Shields is listed as 14 years old, placing his birthday somewhere around 1836. John Kenneth Shields was born in 1846 so he would have only been four years old at the time.
Next, if you closely read the text from James Harrison's bibliography in the 1878 Beers Atlas you'll see it says he has
Six children living...
While the James Harrison bibliography in the 1881 History of Montgomery County says James and Elizabeth had eleven children. You'll see it proceeds to list them and whether or not they are deceased. John K is one of those mentioned as deceased.
Based on the fact that the 1878 atlas was only listing living children and it omitted John K, it is safe to assume that John K Harrison died sometime before 1878.
In fact, there is a grave marker in Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas for a John K. Harrison who was born in 1836 (meaning he would have been 14 when the 1850 census was taken) and died in 1868 (long before the atlas omitted him as a living child in 1878 or the history book listing him as deceased by 1881).
From his gravestone, we also learn that John K Harrison was a Captain in 135th Indiana Infantry, meaning he at least was commissioned in Indiana and therefore, likely lived there.
Records show that John Kenneth Shields was an enlisted man, rank of Private, not an officer, and served in the 116th Indiana Infantry.
Other documents, such as John's paperwork for the Soldier's Application Act of 1890 also indicate that he was with Company H, 166th Regiment of the Volunteer Indiana Infantry.
So how did this 32 year old, alleged son of a wealthy Indiana business man end up dead in Franklin County, Kansas?
Well that is yet to be definitively determined but we learn from his headstone that he was an attorney for Franklin County. The 1881 bibliography stated that James Harrison owned 250 acres in Kansas. If that land was in Franklin County then that might explain what took his son, John K Harrison, there.
A review of the grantor/grantee indexes and deed books for Franklin County, Kansas may help prove that theory and would ultimately disprove that John K Harrison and John Kenneth Shields were not the same person and therefore, the James Harrison family was not the adopted family John Kenneth was left with as a young child.
The name game
The issue of John and Louisa's children sharing names with the Harrison family may be nothing more than coincidence. Louisa had an uncle and a brother named James and a sister named Mary. It's possible John and Louisa might have named their children after them rather than after the Harrisons.
William Henry Harrison may have been named after General (and later POTUS) William Henry Harrison, who fought at Tippecanoe, immediately north of Montgomery County. Or he may have been named after Louisa's father, Henry Harrison Hall.
Currently, there is nothing to suggest Henry Harrison Hall was related to James Harrison.
It is also plausible that they did name their children after members of the Harrison family. Louisa grew up next door to them and John Kenneth did live with them as a farm hand for a time so perhaps they developed an admiration for the Harrison's and some of their children after them.
William Shields Family Adoption Theory
Recently, evidence to support the original family story that John Kenneth was adopted by the Shields family came to light.
While searching for Shields families in other Indiana counties near Montgomery County, a record for the William Shields family surfaced in Jennings County, Illinois.
A tale of two counties
Jennings County, Indiana Is situated in the southeast corner of Indiana, ~100 miles from Montgomery County where John Kenneth surfaces in 1870 at the James Harrison farm. Beyond Montgomery County lies Williamsport, Warren County where John Kenneth enlisted in the 166th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry in August of 1863.
Age is just a number
In 1860, William Shields and his wife Matilda were living in Sugar Creek Township in Jennings County with their seven children, one of whom was named John.
John Shields is listed as age 13 in 1860, which is approximately the age John Kenneth Shields would have been in 1860.
The other interesting thing about John's age is how it compares to his siblings--all of them are spaced 2 to 3 years apart. The age gap between him and his sister, Louisa, feels crowded compared to the gaps between the other siblings. If John was adopted, that might explain the irregular age gap between him and Louisa.
Unanswered Questions
As discussed early, by 1870 John Kenneth Shields surfaces in Walnut Township, Montgomery County, Indiana working as a farm hand for James Harrison.
If the map above crashes, you can view the parcel boundaries here.
John does not appear with the William Shields family on the 1870 census... but that's also the case for all of the William Shields children.
Matilda and all of the children, except Louisa, have yet to be accounted for in the 1870 census. Louisa, age 24, appears with her husband, Eli Thurston, and their 8 month old son, in Sand Creek Township, Decatur County (Decatur County lies due north of Jennings County). Louisa's father, William, is listed as living with them as a "Farm Laborer"
Note Jennings County, home of the William Shields family in 1860, immediately to the south of Decatur County. In Jennings, the family lived in Sandcreek Township (north central, on the border of Decatur County).
The 1870 census is has William Shields living in Sand Creek township, Decatur County (immediately north of Sandcreek Township, Jennings County) with his daughter, Louisa, and her husband, Eli Thurston.
In 1880, the William Shields family resurfaces in in Geneva Township (immediately west of Sandcreek Township), Jennings County, Indiana... Maybe.
Now Matilda's (William's wife) name is listed as Mary, but the ages line up with the William and Matilda on the 1860 census.
The children's names have changed as well, although the ages still light up with the 1860 census.
There is some evidence to suggest Peter is the William Shields on the 1860 census and he is now going by his middle name.
There is also some evidence to suggest William is the George Shields on the 1860 census and he is now going by his middle name as well. Both these claims need further investigation.
James remained unchanged.
The Civil War in southern Indiana
If the John Shields who lived with the William Shields family in Jennings County in 1860 is John Kenneth Shields, Civil War history provides a plausible theory for why he enlisted over 100mi away in Williamsport, Warren County.
- 1862 July 18 - Newburgh Raid
First city captured by the Confederacy was Newburgh, Indiana.
- 1863 June 17 - Hines' Raid
Captain Thomas Hines crossed the Ohio River to search for horses and support from Hoosiers in southern Indiana. Local citizens and members of Indiana's home guard pursued the Confederates and succeeded in capturing most of them without a fight.
-Indiana in the American Civil War, Raids, Wikipedia.org (accessed Thursday, Aug. 16th)
- 1863 July 8 - Morgan's Raid enters Indiana
General Morgan crossed the Ohio River, at Mauckport, Indiana with 2,400 troopers.
The Confederates advanced rapidly. Corydon was sacked, but little damage was done to its buildings. Morgan continued his raid north and burned most of the town of Salem.
When Morgan's movements appeared to be headed toward Indianapolis, panic spread. Governor Morton had called up the state militia...and more than 60,000 men of all ages volunteered to protect Indiana against Morgan's men.
-Indiana in the American Civil War, Raids, Wikipedia.org (access 15 August 2019)
- 1863 July 10
Morgan's soldiers traveled east and reached Vienna (approx. 6 miles west of Lexington) where they burned a railroad bridge and depot, and tapped a telegraph line.
- 1863 July 11
After spending the night in Lexington, they headed to the northeast, terrorizing the towns of Vernon and Versailles along the way.
-Morgan's Raid, Indiana, Wikipedia.org (access 15 August 2019)
- 1863 July 13 - Morgan's troops cross into Ohio
- 1863 August 13 - John Kenneth enlists in Williamsport
The town of Vernon is the county seat for Jennings County where the William Shields family, including John was living in 1860.
It is possible that a young John Kenneth witnessed or heard about the Confederate attacks and answered the Governor's call to action and went to Williamsport to enlist just over one month later.
Why he went clear to Williamsport is still uncertain. Perhaps that was the regiment that was mustering-in soonest? Or maybe there were no enlistment offices so close to Confederate territory?
Several documents related to his time in Company H, of the 116th identify him only as John Shields, however on his Invalid Pension application clearly states that John Kenneth Shields was the same John Sheals (his enlistment papers spelled it incorrectly) that enlisted in Williamsport on 12 August 1863.
In both instances he was identified as serving in Company H. His head stone also identifies him as serving in Company H.
Note the Co. H (Company H) inscription immediately below his name.
Connections to the James H. Harrison Family
While it is certain that the James H. Harrison family did not raise John Kenneth, he did have some connection to the family since he was living with them as a farm hand in 1870.
Civil War Service
We know that John Kenneth served in Company H, 116th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry.
We also know from the that James H. Harrison had four sons that served in the Civil War. One of the sons that served was Robert W. Harrison. Civil War records show there was a Captain Robert W. Harrison in Company G, 116th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry. Later in life William Bush...n wrote the affidavit for John Kenneth to support is claim of injury during military service (see timeline). William identifies himself as a member of Company C, 116th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, demonstrating that John did have contact with members of other companies. So, serving in adjacent companies for 6 months it is plausible that Capt. Robert W. Harrison of Company G and Pvt. John K. Shields of Company H may have known each other. Perhaps they became friends and he invited John Kenneth to come work for them in Montgomery Country sometime after the war ended and before 1870.
Ties to Kansas
The 1881 History states that James H. Harrison owned 240 acres of well-developed land in Kansas. As shown previously, James Harrison's son, John K., died in Ottawa, Kansas and was an attorney for Franklin County.
In 1885, John Kenneth, Louisa, and the kids are shown on the 1885 Kansas State Census as living in Centralopolis, in Franklin County, Kansas where James Harrison's son, John died.
John Kenneth Shields Map_Draft1
If James Harrison's land was in Franklin County then it is possible that John Kenneth was still working for James as a farmer (which is John's listed occupation on the 1885 Kansas Census).
Marriage and Beyond (1870-1895)
Family Ties to Brown's Valley
In 1880, John, Louisa and the children were recorded as living in Brown, Montgomery County, Indiana.
Louisa's mother was named Catherine Wasson. Catherine Wasson has a brother named James Wasson and according to a plat map in the 1878 Beers atlas, there was a James Wasson who owned a large farm outside of Brown's Vally (Brown).
The map shows two structures on the property, one in the southeast corner of the farm near the intersection. This is likely where John and Co. were living in 1880.
Across the road from that house, to the east, is the William J. Swindler farm. The Swindler family is listed immediately after the John and Louisa on the 1880 census suggesting they were neighbors.
If the map above crashes you can view the parcel boundaries/buildings here.
James Wasson is not listed on the 1880 census until several pages after John and Louisa. If he was living in the other house, shown in the north central part of the farm, the enumerator may have visited him much later (i.e. maybe the enumerator worked his way east on the south half of those sections, and then recorded the north half on his way back west).
His is the year that John served as the enumerator for the census, although we are not sure how his family ended up listed as [Sherds] instead of Shields on the census rows, but his name appears correctly at the top of the document.
Time in Kansas
See timeline at beginning
Missouri
See timeline at beginning
Theories Yet to Explore and Questions to Answer
John Kenneth's birth parents left Ireland because of the Irish potato famine (1845-1849)
- When did the migration from the famine begin?
- Where did most of the immigrants go when they got here?
- What areas of Ireland were affected?
- Did Irish immigrants come to Indiana in large numbers?
- Did they come for other reasons than the famine?
- How did they typically get there? What rail lines and trails passed through the area? How expensive was it to use them? Any other probable modes of transport?
Answering these questions might provide a source for finding them on the 1850 US census
John's father died in the Mexican-American War
- John O’Riley Co K, 5th Indiana Infantry. Private
- James Riley Co B, 4th Indiana Infantry. Private
The Mexican-American War lasted from 1846-1848. John Kenneth was born in 1846. There are two potential matches for John Kenneth's father from volunteer list of Mexican War from Fold3:
If his father did indeed die in the war then the last name (Riley, O'Riley) of the person who dropped him off could be irrelevant.
If his father came home from the war then another theory could be that the mother died shortly after so the father left with a wagon train but didn’t want to take the 4 year old so he left him with another family (relatives?).
- What were the primary wagon trails going through the area?
- Do any of them come near Jennings County where John could have been left with William Shields?
John's mother died when he was 4
Other Questions to consider
- Did Indiana do a state census between the Federal Censuses? If so can we find John Shields and the William W. Shields family on it in 1865?
- Were were Matilda and the rest of the Shields kids in 1870? Was John listed as living with them? If so, then he is not John Kenneth.
- Where was James Harrison’s property in Kansas? Was it in Centropolis?
- Is there anything to the Harrison part of Henry Harrison Hall’s name? Was he related to James Harrison? Nothing on the Hall line suggest that as of now.
EXPLORE PLACES RELEVANT TO JOHN KENNETH
John Kenneth Shields Map
