Lemuel, was born June 10, 1807 in Bottom, WV. Married January 1, 1854.
He dealt in land warrants and laid them on the public domain, which comprised a large portion of the paraire country, Pike county, and added a still larger area of prairie land in Hartford township, being prehaps the largest single owner of real estate in Pike county prior to the Cival War.
He was the owner of slave labor and drew his revenues from field and meadow. He lead the advance for making provisions for the higher education of youth in the establishment of a college in the midst of the Ashley community, and favored the plan to inaugurate the career of Watson Seminary an an educational institution, making a liberal contribution of money and a site for that purpose, in addition to giving his personal effort towards that end, and can, therefore, be mentioned as a prime personal factor in the creation of this histroric institution.
His belief in the system of slave labor and the profit which accrued to his household by reason of ownership of such chattels arrayed him against the government in its efforts to restore order and put down the rebellion of 1861. He did not get into the conflict of arms, but came into conflict with the strong arm of government by reason of his seditious sentiment and of his irrepressible Confederate spirit.
He was placed under arrest on seven different occasions and was imprisoned and order to be executed twice during the war. He was arrested, amoung other Confederate sympathizers, for a crime committed near Macon, Missouri, which caused the death of one person, and he was one of sixty drawn to be shot. Of the sixty, thirty were chosen, of which he was one, and out of this number, twelve men were drawn who were decreed to pay the penalty, but his name did not come out of the box as one of the twelve, and he was subsequently released.
Upon another occasion he was the victim of Federal displeasure, as a prisoner in Gratiot street prison in St. Louis. His importance as a leader among the promoters of rebellious sentiment was recognized by the government and his removal summarily was decided upon. News of this decision reached his wife and she started for Federal headqurters of the Federal military to plead his cause,and, if possible to save his life. Just the night before he was to have been shot she appeared at the famous old jail with a pardon for her husband, and restored him to his family.
Died May 8,1882 in Ashly, MO.
To see the Last Will and testament of Lemuel Wells, chick here.
