St. Clair County pioneer, Revolutionary War hero honored in Shiloh Published Oct. 8, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Erica Holbert-Siebert 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- -- Capt. Joseph Ogle, a notable Revolutionary War patriot, was honored with a cenotaph in Shiloh, Illinois, Sept. 27, flanked by his descendants, the Scott AFB Color Guard and local area Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. Joseph Ogle was born in 1737 in Maryland and served as a commander at Fort Henry during battles against the British. He led a company of Virginia militiamen that defended the area around modern-day Wheeling, West Virginia, from several attacks by the British from Ohio. Ogle would come to settle here in St. Clair County, and according to Ogle family historical records, he came here, because he did not believe in slavery and aimed to sway minds through religious community gatherings. As the first Methodist in Illinois, he founded the First Methodist Church in Shiloh, and facilitated and taught class meetings with anti-slavery tones in partnership with William McKendree, of McKendree University fame, and William Scott of Turkey Hill. Reverend Danny Cox, Shiloh United Methodist Church pastor, said during the dedication, "They were there with a mission before the circuit riders came to the area. The first circuit rider did not appear until 1803." Circuit riders were typically clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations, a sign of development across the United States territories. Ogle has an Illinois county named after him following his death, and his descendants number in the thousands. There is debate whether he was buried in his family's burial plot in O'Fallon, Illinois, or in Shiloh's First Methodist Church cemetery, as the exact burial location has been lost to time. So the Ogle/Olges Family Association worked to install the cenotaph in the cemetery to make note of the mark he left on the Illinois territory. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost put the importance of the dedication into record during a session of the United States House of Representatives Sept. 24 telling the story of Capt. Ogle and the work he did for the United States in its infancy. Bost said, "We are all indebted to the service, the spirit and the resilience of pioneers like Capt. Ogle and his fellow New Americans. These men and women helped lay the foundation on which America was built. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in recognition of this great American and Illinoisan." Bost's district director at the Belleville Office, Matt Rice, represented Bost at the dedication, thanking the family for working to honor Ogle, and reading the Congressional record. James Ogle, Ogle/Olges Family Association president, said, "Honoring Capt. Ogle brought communities together, and we came to pay respect to a hero and patriot. I just feel blessed that he is part of our family."