Robert M. Allen, Marion Alderman and county sheriff, was born about 1840, the son of Willis Allen (1806-1859) and Elizabeth Joiner (1803-1862).
Robert’s father, Willis Allen, was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and worked as a farmer in Tennessee before moving to Franklin (now Williamson) County, Illinois in 1830. There he studied law and became a practicing attorney in Marion. Willis was elected sheriff of Franklin County in 1836 and served as the state representative in 1838.
Soon after the new town of Marion was laid out Willis Allen bought three acres from William Benson and moved into the log cabin on the land just south of the Marion square. He was appointed the first postmaster for Marion January 30, 1840 and became prosecuting attorney of the judicial circuit the next year in 1841
When James K. Polk was elected president in 1844, Willis Allen was one of the presidential electors. He was a candidate himself that summer, and defeated the veteran Dempsey Odum for state senator by less than one hundred votes. Senator Allen was a member of the 14th and 15th general assemblies, 1844-1847. Then Mr. Odum succeeded to the office. Willis served as a member of the State constitutional conventions of 1847 and 1848.
In 1850 Willis was a lawyer with a personal property value of $1000, nearly $28,900 today. Willis was 43 and Elizabeth was 41. The oldest son, William, had left home, leaving children; Paulina, 16; Josiah J., 12; Robert M., 10; and Nancy Allen, 7.
A commission as circuit judge of the 26th State Circuit Court was presented to Willis on March 2, 1859 and he rode the county circuit on horseback with his fellow lawyers, but he died while holding court at Harrisburg that June. His son, William J. Allen, succeeded him. Willis was buried in a family plot on his property behind his residence at 514 S. Market St and later moved to the Rose Hill Cemetery.
In the 1860 census, Robert’s widowed mother, Elizabeth, still had children; Pauline, 25; A. J., 22; Robert M., 20 years old and Nannie, 17 at home. There were also two Hundley children living with her, probably grandchildren. She had a real estate value of $20,000 and $2,000 personal property value. $20,000 in 1860 would be worth over $550,000 today, a huge increase over the ten year period since the last census. Robert Watson and Thomas Lynch were laborers, living in the home.
In 1861, with the advent of the Civil War, Robert Allen was part of the Marion militia at the battle of Goodall’s Bridge that took place on the Old Creal Road where Crab Orchard Creek intersects. He was selected as a courier to bring in the pickets (outlying scouts) due to his acuteness in hearing. The trouble was his eyesight. He saw the pickets coming toward him and thought they were the troop sent from Carbondale. His mad dash back to the bridge caused the so-called battle to commence. For more details see the Goodall Bridge fiasco.
Robert was a Captain in Co. F of the 128th Illinois Regiment. He joined on September 26, 1862 and mustered in on November 4, 1862. He was discharged on April 4, 1863. According to the muster roll, Robert M. Allen was born in Franklin County. He had dark hair, dark eyes, a light complexion and was 5’11 ½. He was 21, single and a merchant.
128th Illinois Infantry
ORDER FROM WAR DEPARTMENT.
Cairo, Ill., April 1, 1863.
Special Order,
The ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT OF ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS having, in its short period of service of less than five months, been reduced from an aggregate of eight hundred and sixty to one hundred and sixty-one-principally by desertions and there having been an utter want of discipline in it, the following officers are hereby discharged from the service of the United States, to take effect the 4th inst., viz: Colonel Robert M. Hundley, Lieutenant Colonel James D. Pulley, First Lieutenant George W. Akin, R. Q. M, Chaplain Archibald T. Benton.
Captains; William J. Moyers, William G. Durham, Jefferson S. Allen, John Brown, Joel H. Swindell, Robert M. Allen, William Huffstutler, Aaron A. Bell, William A. Fry, Joshua Pemberton.
First Lieutenants; James V. Moore, John A. Ensminger, Sibron A. Walker, Zachariah Hudgens, Iradell A. Williams, Jesse A. McIntosh, William L. Stilley, Samuel Upchurch.
Second Lieutenants Martin A. B. Dial, Joseph M. Dorris, Jasper A. Crain, Addison Reese, Martin W. Robertson, N. E. Norris, Joseph B. Fuller, Wiley W. Hall, and Samuel Pemberton.
The few remaining men of this Regiment will be consolidated into a Detachment, under First Lieutenant W. A. Lemma, William M. Cooper and Assistant Surgeon George W. French, for transfer to some other Illinois regiment to be designated by Major General Grant, commanding the Department of the Tennessee. Brigadier General A. Asboth, commanding District of Columbus, Kentucky, will order an officer of the regular army to this place, to critically inspect the Detachment, to muster out of service such old men and others who, by reason of defects, should not have been mustered into the service.
By order of the Secretary of War.
L. THOMAS, Adjutant General.
Official: E.D. Townsend,
Assistant Adjutant General.
After the war, Robert became Williamson County sheriff in 1864 through 1865. In 1874 and 1875 Robert M. Allen was an alderman for the City of Marion under Mayors Joseph W. Hartwell and William R. Hall. Other aldermen serving with him in 1974 were: Martin W. Robertson, Hartwell Hendrickson, John M. Young, Charles M. Edwards and Augustus N. Lodge. In 1975 they were: James C. Jackson, Charles M. Edwards, William Hendrickson, Hartwell Hendrickson and J.M. Young.
In 1880 Robert was single and living in a boarding house. He was 38 years old and was a livestock dealer.
Robert M. Allen, never having married, died in 1885 at the age of 45 and was buried in Old Rose Hill Cemetery.
Notes on Robert’s siblings:
Brother. William Joshua Allen. 1829 – 1901. Josh Allen was an attorney, a congressman and a judge of the circuit court. He married Ann McKeen.
Sister. Paulina Allen Lodge. 1834 – 1892. After Willis’ death, Elizabeth sold their home on 514 S. Market to their daughter Paulina who became the wife of Dr. Augustus N. Lodge, a member of the legislature. When she died, she was buried along with her father, mother and siblings at the family plot behind the S. Market home. After her husband, Augustus Lodge died; all of the burial plots were moved to the then new Rose Hill Cemetery and reinterred.
Brother. Josiah Allen. 1838 –xxxx.
Sister. Nancy “Nannie” Allen Hartwell. Oct 6, 1843 –xxxx. Nannie has the distinction of being the first female baby born in Marion. She married J. Monroe Goddard January 6, 1843 by which she had three children Mrs. H.C. Purdy, Mrs. D.F. Kiser and Mrs. D.G. Fitzgerald. He died June 27, 1870. Her second marriage took place March 6, 1873 to Hartwell Hendrickson who died December 29, 1899. Hartwell was one of the first aldermen in 1874. The Hendrickson’s lived at 201 W. College St. Their children were Jessie L. Hendrickson, Gussie A. Hendrickson, b. 1873, Stella M. Hendrickson, d. Bef. 1887 and Willis H. Hendrickson, b. October 09, 1874; d. August 02, 1956; married Clara Davis.
(Sources: 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County; Federal Census Records; Marion City Cemetery Records; Pioneer Folks and Places; compiled by Colleen Norman)