Tim,
Elias is my g-grandfather, b 1839 in Kane Co, IL, d.1917 in LA , CA. He is the son of (James) Riley Joslin, b.1795 in NJ. Riley migrated with his family to Ohio where he married Eunice Evans, then to IN, then to Kane Co IL where Elias was born, then to northwestern MO. He had a number of other children. From there he went to Collin Co TX where in 1860 where Elias is listed working as a "horseherder." Elias enlisted as a union soldier with his Ohio regiment and was mustered out, I believe, in the akota territory in 1866. He married a girl from the Watkins family they knew in TX - don't know where they were in 1870. His wife died, and he remarried Allena Harriet Medlar in 1878 in Jasper county MO.
They had several childrenand moved about 5 miles west to Galena KS in 1900. In 1902 they headed for California, and the 1910 censu finds him (without Allena) living with a daughter and two of his sons in LA Co, CA. He died in a soldiers home in 1917 and is buried in a military cemetery there. I have much info on his descendants and even some pictures from a cousin who has his civil war medal. Please share with me ANY information you might have and put me in touch with any others who respond to you. I will gladly share any information I have that may be useful to you. Thanks.
Joyce (Joslin) Schumacher