Sixth Generation

2259. Robert Washington Coffey was born on 2 August 1844 in Jackson Twp., Morgan Co., IN. He lived with his mother in Morgan Co., IN on 2 July 1860. Robert served with Co. G, 27th Indiana Infantry, GAR during the Civil War. Robert resided in the household with his daughter Margaret A. Coffey Viles and her family in Stanton Twp., Champaign Co., IL on 19 June 1900. Robert died on 19 March 1918 at the age of 73 in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL and was buried at Kingman-Cline Long Point Cemetery in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL.^8470,8471

ROBERT WASHINGTON COFFEY

"Robert Washington Coffey was born Aug. 2, l84l in Morgan Co., Ind. We would assume his boyhood was the usual for that era, except he was without a father before the age of three. Brother Moses said he was the support of the family after l844, but we suspect that James and John, who lived nearby, also helped. In September of l86l, the 27th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers was formed at Indianapolis with Robert and many of the Morgan County boys enlisted. During its three years of service it was first attached to Banks' 5th Corps, then later to the Army of the Potomac, and finally to the Army of the Cumberland. It camped at Frederick, Maryland until March of l862 when it had its first enemy contact in a skirmish at Smithfield, Virginia. This was followed by 27 other engagements including major battles at Antietem, Chancellorsville, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and Gettysburg. The regiment went into its winter quarters at Tullahoma, Tennessee in the fall of l863 and during this idleness Robert used his leave to return home and marry Margret Adeline Blair on Mar. l7, l864.

"Returning to his unit, Robert found it was now under General Joe Hooker and just entering the Atlanta campaign. In September of l864, enlistments of the original recruits expired. Some, including Bob and nephew, John Taylor Coffey, joined the 70th Indiana Regiment for Sherman's march to the sea. They then turned north through the Carolinas and at long last the war ended. After the Grand Review in Washington, Bob returned home. Arriving in Morgan County, he discovered that his wife's brothers had moved to Illinois, and they advised Bob to do the same. In the spring of l866, Robert and Margret settled in Cumberland County, Illinois. Here they lived as a farm family and raised their five children. Margret died in l900 and Robert in l9l8."

(Compiled from a History of Cumberland Co., Illinois and various accounts of units in the Civil War.)

(Above text was provided by Nancee McMurtrey Seifert and posted at http://bit.ly/1HpJa4A) [Note also that some of the information pertaining to descendants of Robert Washington Coffey is through courtesy of Threcia Pentecost [tcp1952@live.com].

Robert Washington Coffey and Margaret Adeline Blair were married on 17 March 1864 in Morgan Co., IN.^8472,8473 They^8472,8473 appeared in the census on 8 June 1870 in Cumberland Co., IL.⁸⁴⁷⁴ They⁸⁴⁷⁴ appeared in the census on 7 June 1880 in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL.⁸⁴⁷⁵ Margaret Adeline Blair, daughter of Alexander Peter Blair and Elizabeth Keeney, was born on 26 August 1844 in Morgan Co., IN. Margaret died on 11 April 1900 at the age of 55 in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL and was buried at Kingman-Cline Long Point Cemetery in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL.^8476,8477

Robert Washington Coffey and Margaret Adeline Blair had the following children:

Robert Washington Coffey and Rosetta Ellen Davis were married after 1900 in Illinois. They appeared in the census on 25 April 1910 in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL.⁸⁴⁷⁸ Rosetta Ellen Davis was born on 16 November 1866 in Jewett, Cumberland Co., IL. Rosetta died on 5 February 1940 at the age of 73 in Champaign, Champaign Co., IL and was buried at Kingman-Cline Long Point Cemetery in Neoga, Cumberland Co., IL on 7 February 1940.^8479,8480