Community News
Original Civil War Print back home in Macoupin County
Men of Company F of the 7th Illinois Infantry are photographed on Lookout Mountain, Ga. in 1864. Many of the men are from the Bunker Hill area. An original print of the photo has been purchased by a Carlinville collector who plans to loan the photo for public view.
Written and contributed by Tom Emery
An original print of a Civil War photograph is back home in Macoupin County, thanks to an antique tractor sale in Wisconsin. The photo is of Company F of the Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry on a rocky outgrowth of Lookout Mountain, Ga. It was found pressed in a book at an estate sale in Salem, Ill. Company F was comprised mainly of men from Bunker Hill. Twenty-four men are shown in the photo, which was taken around June 17, 1864.
The print is now in the possession of Norm Crays, a Carlinville businessman who operates Carlinville Truck Equipment Manufacturing, Inc. A Civil War enthusiast and collector, Crays learned of the photo through a customer and friend from Dorchester.
“I received a call from Leo Hauschild, who had just purchased an antique tractor in Wisconsin,” said Crays. “He had heard from a man named Gene Timm from Mount Vernon, who had bought a different antique tractor in Wisconsin around the same time, and didn’t really know how to get it home.
“So he was given Leo’s name, and they began talking,” continued Crays. “He didn’t know where Dorchester was, but when Leo said it was near Bunker Hill, he knew where that was.”
That was because of the photo, which Timm had bought at the estate sale. “He was going through the line, and a woman ahead of him opened a book that had the photo in it,” said Crays. “She looked at the photo, closed the book, and put it down. Gene thought it looked like a Civil War photo, so he bought the whole lot of books.”
Hauschild contacted Crays and put him in touch with Timm, who felt that the photo should be returned to the Bunker Hill area. He offered what Crays called “a very fair price,” and the photo eventually made its way back to Macoupin County.
The Seventh Illinois is considered the first unit from Illinois to answer the call for troops at the outbreak of the Civil War. The regimental history includes an entry for June 17, 1864 in which the Seventh was in Chattanooga on their way to join the Atlanta Campaign of William T. Sherman.
That day, the Seventh climbed the imposing slopes of Lookout Mountain, described as a “wearisome task,” and reached Point Lookout, where the photo was taken. After “lowering clouds” passed, the men could see Chattanooga and the surrounding areas below.
The regimental biographer wrote that the men reflected on the Union victories at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga the previous November, as well as the bloody Federal defeat at Chickamauga in September 1863. The Chickamauga battlefield was visible from their perch on Lookout Mountain.
Among the men pictured is the unusually-named Christopher Columbus Ryan of Bunker Hill, who still has descendants in Macoupin County. Ryan survived the war, but at least four others in the photo did not.
Crays plans to restore the photo and offer it on loan for display in an area museum. “I’d like to see it in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield,” said Crays. “If that doesn’t work out, I’ll look at other places. I think this photo should be in public view for everyone to enjoy.”
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In a decisive finish that underscored his rising dominance in Illinois Class 1A cross country, senior Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie High School claimed the state title with a time of 14:31.10 at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships held at Detweiller Park on Saturday, November 8.
Finishing just behind Oberkfell, sophomore Evan Knobloch of Toulon (Stark County) crossed the line in 14:46.25, placing second. Rounding out the top five were senior Blake McLeese of Tuscola (14:46.45), senior Luca Bryja of Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) with 14:48.38, and senior Elijah Teefey of Pleasant Plains at 14:49.02.
This victory marks Oberkfell’s second IHSA Class 1A state championship. He also won the state crown as a junior in 2024 with a time of 14:31.87. In his sophomore year, he finished 21st with a 15:21.43 season-best time.
Looking ahead, Oberkfell is set to compete in the New Balance NXR Midwest Regional Championships on Sunday, November 16, at the LaVerne Gibson Course in Indiana. The meet serves as a critical stepping stone toward the national championships, and Oberkfell will look to carry his state momentum into the regional stage.
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The community is invited to participate in a family-friendly, drive-thru charity event aimed at keeping local students warm this winter. The “Warm Up Our Kids” drive-thru takes place on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Karmak Campus, located at 1 Karmak Plaza, Carlinville, IL and is sponsored by Karmak and Carlinville Area Hospital and Clinics.
Additional drop-off boxes will be available at the following locations to maximize participation and convenience:
- Sullivans in Carlinville, Gillespie, and Litchfield
- Pharmacy Plus in Girard
- Sav-Mor Pharmacy in Virden
- CAH&C Clinic sites in Gillespie, Girard, Carlinville, and Virden
- Briar Rose in Litchfield
- Brave Hazel in Carlinville
- Oh-So Cute Boutique in Virden
Drive through the event route and drop off much-needed supplies listed below. All donations will directly benefit students in the participating school districts, helping ensure every child has the warmth and essentials they need to face the winter season. Community support help bridge gaps and bring tangible, immediate relief to families in need.
Join us in spreading warmth and goodwill this December. The Ben Gil Post and community partners look forward to seeing you at the Karmak Campus drive-thru.
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A Macoupin County jury found Jeffrey D. Brown, 50, of Sawyerville guilty of aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the shooting death of Rodney Messerly, 42, also of Sawyerville, authorities said.
The verdict was delivered a little before 6 p.m. on November 4, 2025, after a days-long trial led by Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan J. Garrison. Brown now faces a mandatory prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years with the sentence to be served at 85 percent. The sentencing will take place on January 12, 2025.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the incident unfolded on September 17, 2024, when Brown called 911 claiming Messerly had entered his home. Responding deputies found Messerly deceased on the front stoop outside the residence. Brown testified that Messerly had forced his way into the home, and he fired in self-defense inside the residence.
Surveillance video played to the jury depicted portions of the confrontation: Messerly speaking with Brown at the door outside the residence before Messerly pushes inside—off-camera for a stretch—followed by four gunshots fired from within the home. Messerly is seen falling back onto the front steps.
A video interview of Brown with Lt. Ryan Dixon of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department revealed Brown stated he took three steps back inside the residence before firing the initial shots. Forensic pathologist Dr. Nathanial Patterson testified that the first four shots would have been fatal. Approximately seven seconds pass before Brown fires a final shot from inside the residence, striking Messerly in the chest as he yells an expletive.
Garrison offered condolences to Messerly’s family, calling the incident a “horrible situation” and noting that the healing process is just beginning for those affected. He described Messerly as having been experiencing delusions at the time of the incident and emphasized that the last shot was not in self-defense, characterizing it as an act of vengeance.
Brown faces additional charges in unrelated matters: Armed Violence (Class X felony) and Production of Cannabis Plants (Class 4) in 2024CF228, and Resisting Arrest Causing Injury to an Officer in 2024CF252.
Public sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2025. Prosecutors cautioned readers that charges are not proof of guilt and that Brown is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
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