Kate’s notes: In the annals of Linn County history you will find, among volumes published at different times, biographies of both Gillilans and Gillilands. These families are ancestors of Nathan Gilliland, an early settler of the Scots-Irish Settlement in Augusta County, Virginia and who later moved to Greenbrier County, in what is now West Virginia. One should also make note that the Edmiston family, whose surname may be found in the records as Edmondston, Edmonston and Edmiston, had been closely connected to the Gillilands from the early days, with several marriages between the families. Documentation of this relationship may be found in the Gilliland Trails library among the marriage bonds for Greenbrier County, WV.

THE
BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
OF
LINN COUNTY
IOWA.
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ILLUSTRATED.
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“A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve
anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations.” –MACAULAY.
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CHICAGO:
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1901.

SAMUEL GILLILAND.

    The subject of this review is one of the very earliest settlers of the state, and is today a prominent and highly respected citizen of Mr. Vernon, where he is living a retired life, enjoying a well-earned rest. He was born in Logan county, Ohio, April 16, 1814, a son of Nathan and Jane (Edmondson) Gilliland, both of whom were natives of Virginia. In 1810 they removed from Greenbriar[sic], that state, to Ohio, where they made their home throughout the remainder of their lives. The father, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, died in 1823 on his forty-seventh birthday, and the mother died in 1835. They were the parents of nine children, three sons and six daughters, all of whom are now deceased with exception of our subject and his sisters, Nancy Ann, wife of Peter Jacobs, a retired farmer of Tipton, Cedar county, Iowa. 
    Samuel Gilliland spent the first twenty years of his life at the place of his nativity and obtained his literary education in the primitive log school house so common in those days. He then went to Indiana, where he spent two years, and in the fall of 1836 came to Iowa, locating in Cedar county, on the day Martin Van Buren was elected president of the United States. For many years he successfully engaged in farming there, and together with his sons still owns two hundred and forty acres of land, which he purchased from the government at one dollar and a quarter per acre. 
    In Pioneer township, Cedar county Mr. Gilliland was married, July 18, 1839 to Miss Martha Comstock, theirs being the first marriage celebrated in the township. She too was a native of Ohio and a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Fox) Comstock. Her father was born in Massachusetts, in 1795, and was twelve years of age when he removed with his parents from that state to New York. He was one of the defenders of his country in the war of 1812. 
    At an early day he went to Ohio, and in the spring of 1836 came to Iowa, settling fifteen miles north of Muscatine, where he made his home for three years. He was accompanied by two other families and they were the first to come out from Muscatine with teams. He next located in Pioneer township, Cedar county, where he followed farming until his death, which occurred July 19, 1864, when he was seventy-one years of age. His wife died there at the age of fifty-nine years. they had a family of ten children, but only three are now living. Prior to his marriage with Elizabeth Fox, Mr. Comstock was married in New York. By this wife he had two daughters - Angeline, who married M. Sterns and Julia, who married George Lattimer. Mrs. Comstock died prior to Mr. Comstock's emigration west. Mr. Comstock took a very prominent part in public affairs and was called upon to fill many local offices, including that of county trustee. He also assisted in the platting of the town of Tipton. 
    Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gilliland were born seven children, namely: (1) Francis Marion, born May 28, 1840, engaged in farming on the old homestead in Cedar county for a number of years, but is now living retired in Mr. Vernon.  He married Louise Freeman, of Cedar county, a daughter of Walter Freeman, a native of Ohio, who settled in Sugar Creek township, Cedar county, in 1836, and followed the miller's trade throughout the greater part of his life. In 1852 he went to the Pacific coast and died in Oregon, at the extreme old age of ninety-three years. His wife died in 1842 when Mrs. Gilliland was only nine months old. Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Gilliland had three children, all born in Cedar county, namely: Dollie, deceased; Harry C. and Don W., deceased. (2) Nathan, born December 3, 1842, enlisted September 23, 1861, at the age of nineteen years, in Company A, Thirteenth Iowa Infantry, and was mustered into the United States service on the 18th of October, following. While at Vicksburg he re-enlisted January 4, 1864, as a veteran and was made corporal of his company. He participated in the battle of Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, and the engagements at Bolivar, Iuka, Holly Springs, Vicksburg, Monroe, Jackson, Meridian and Atlanta. He was wounded in a charge on the works at Nickajack creek, July 5, 1864, and was again wounded on the 21st of the same month, and died a few hours later, his remains being interred at Marietta, Georgia. (3) Julia A., born January 16, 1844, died in 1864. (4) Elizabeth, born November 18, 1850, died at the age of fourteen years, five months and eleven days. (5) Mary, born November 5, 1852, died January 23, 1865. (6) Daniel C., born June 27, 1855, is engaged in the agricultural implement business in Mechanicsville, Iowa. He married Florence Brogan, and they have three children, Maude, Ethel and Haven. (7) William M. born November 29, 1861, married Annie Wareham and died in Toledo, Ohio, November 10, 1886. The mother of these children departed this life May 31, 1865. She was a devoted wife and loving mother, and a consistent member of the Methodist church. 
    For his second wife Mr. Gilliland married Mrs. Abigail Puffer, a younger sister of his first wife and the widow of Charles Puffer, who was born near Keene, New Hampshire, and lived there until twenty-three years of age, when he removed to Cedar county, Iowa. There he was united in marriage with Miss Abigail Comstock, June 13, 1847, and was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising in that county until called to his final rest February 15, 1863, at the age of forty-three years. He was a prosperous man and had the respect and confidence of all who knew him as he was upright and honorable in all his dealings. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Puffer were born the following children: (1) Authernial G. W., born in 1848, followed farming on the old homestead in Cedar county, where he died at the age of forty-seven years. He married Amanda Boyles, and they had three children, Ray, Mabel and Everett. (2) Levi died in infancy. (3) Priscilla H. is the wife of William Bassett, a farmer of Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, and they have four children, Frank, Ora, Austin and Guy. (4) Daniel married Laura Boland, and is successfully engaged in farming in Mercer county, Missouri, where he owns seven hundred acres of land. (5) Jemima died at the age of fifteen years. (6) Mary is the wife of George Keister, an architect of New York City, and they have one child, George (7) Nathan, a farmer of Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, married Dora Van Zent, and they have two children, Helen and a boy. 

                                                   -transcription by Kate Maynard, 2012