John Willis Ellis
Attorney ✵ Superior Court Judge ✵ Governor of North Carolina
— Salisbury History & Art Trail - Civil War & Reconstruction —
John Willis Ellis was born November 20, 1820, in the area of Rowan County which later became a part of the new county of Davidson. In 1842 he opened his law office at No. 2 Cowan's Row, located in this block. Early in his career he won a seat in the House of Commons, and by the age of 28, he was serving as a Superior Court judge. Ellis was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1858 and reelected for a second term.
On April 15, 1861, two days after Fort Sumter at Charleston, S.C., fell to Confederate troops, President Lincoln issued a call for Federal trorops to include two regimentss from North Carolina. Ellis promptly responded: "Lincolnl can get no troops from North Carolina." He then ordered state troops to occupy the federal forts and to seize the Fayetteville Arsenal. On May 20, 1861, a convention met in Raleigh to determine North Carolina's course of action. The Ordinance of Secession, introduced by Burton Craige of Salisbury, was unanimously adopted, and North Carolina linked "her fate with her sisters of the South."
Ellis, ill with tuburculosis, journeyed to Red Sulphur Springs, Virginia, in hopes of regaining his health. He died there on July 7, 1861, at age foroty. First buried in the Ellis family graveyard in Davidson County, his remains were later removed to the English Cemetery, Salisbury, and interred next
this page online
Erected 2007 by Salisbury History & Art Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Government & Politics • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 15, 1861.
Location. 35° 40.026′ N, 80° 28.187′ W. Marker is in Salisbury, North Carolina, in Rowan County. Marker is on East Innes Street just east of South Main Street (U.S. 29/70), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 E Innes St, Salisbury NC 28144, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William Valentine (a few steps from this marker); Salisbury Fire Dept. (within shouting distance of this marker); Boone Trail 1769 (within shouting distance of this marker); Hinton Rowan Helper (within shouting distance of this marker); Salisbury Rotary Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Andrew Jackson (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wiley Immanuel Lash (about 500 feet away); Crossroads: Past Into Present (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salisbury.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 23, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
