105th Illinois Veteran Henry Beard's Carriage Ride to Sycamore in 1916

I wrote a lot about this man in March and April.  He was an escaped slave who joined the 105th Illinois in 1863 and fought with them the rest of the war and followed them back to DeKalb County, settling north of Sycamore and sending his children to a Swedish-speaking school.  He is buried in DeKalb's Fairview Park Cemetery

From the February 24, 2016, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"While going from DeKalb to visit their sons who live near Sycamore, Mr. and Mrs Henry Beard encountered serious difficulties.  Their horse stumbled and fell and broke a thill.

"It could not rise and the aged couple could not raise the animal.  So waiting with patience till assistance came along, the animal at last was raised and sent on the journey."

A thill is part of how a horse is hitched to a wagon or carriage.

Evidently, Henry Beard and his wife had moved to DeKalb and some of their children still lived in Sycamore.

--Old Secesh