Col. Ebenezer G. Liles was born in Wilson County Tennessee on November 26, 1825.  Eventually Liles moved to Missouri where the would enlist for service in the Civil War.  Liles didn't enlist at the start of the Civil War and as the war activity increased more and more of Missouri's residents supported the United States and enlisted with the Union cause.  By January 1, 1862 Liles had decided to pledge his support to the Confederate States and enlisted for service in New Madrid, Missouri, at age 37.  Liles was mustered into service with Company K of the 6th Missouri Infantry Regt., where he was elected to represent his company as 1st Lieutenant. During his service with Company K of the 6th Missouri, in October of 1862, Liles was engaged at the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi.  During the Battle of Corinth 1st Lieutenant Liles was wounded in the hand, these wounds were not life threatening and he soon returned to the battle field.  On October 4, 1862, while at Corinth, Mississippi, Liles was promoted to Captain of his company. After the Battle of Corinth Capt. Liles was mustered out of service with Company K back at New Madrid.  After being mustered out of the company Liles was request for services with the Confederate Provost Marshall's Office in Missouri.  From the fall of 1863 to the summer of 1864 Capt. Liles served as the Provost Marshall at the Eastern Missouri Headquarters in Grenada, Missouri.  After the expiration of his Provost services Capt. Liles was ordered to rejoin the troops and the Missouri Regiments being doubled up. Capt. Liles was then promoted to the rank of Colonel and he was given the command of the 39th Missouri Infantry Regt.  The company was immediately sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi.  The 39th Missouri Infantry Regt. commanded by Col. Liles was engaged at the Siege of Vicksburg, where in July of 1863 the Colonel was wounded twice.  Once again Liles was not critically wounded and returned to the battlefield. After their engagement at Vicksburg, the 39th Missouri was ordered to Tennessee. On December 16, 1864, just outside Nashville, the 39th was captured and taken prisoner by Union Troops.  Within a month of being captured Col. Liles was sent to an "Officers Prison" at Johnson Island, Ohio.  From Johnson Island, Ohio Col. Liles was sent to a prison in St. Louis, Missouri where at the close of the war he took an Oath of Allegiance to the United States, which taken before the United States Provost Marshall on June 16, 1865. After the war Liles settled in the town in which he had been imprisoned, St. Louis, Missouri.  Here Col. Liles and his wife, Charlotte "Lottie, occupied a home located in the 9th ward of St. Louis.  In 1868 Ebenezer and Charlotte Liles had a baby boy, who they named Edward.  By 1870 the Colonel had taken a job as a laborer in a dry goods store to support his family, Charlotte stayed at home taking care of baby Edward.  By 1880 the Colonel is listed as being a "Retired Marshall", however he and his wife were operated a very successful boarding house in St. Louis, young Edward now 13 was attending school.  The boarding house was mainly tended to by Charlotte while the continued his work at the local dry good store, by 1880 he had been promoted to a position as "salesman."  The Liles boarding house was home to many local working families, most with several children. In 1883 the Liles Family moved from St. Louis, Missouri to Florida when on September 1, 1883 they arrived to the small town Catholic Colony of San Antonio in Pasco County, then apart of Hernando County.  Here Col. Liles purchased 120 acres of property, which was planted with orange groves.  The Liles Family is listed among the pioneer settlers of the town of San Antonio, where they continued to live for many years to come. Only 4 years after the Liles Family settle in San Antonio, n 1887, it was decided to split Hernando County into three separate counties; Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties.  This was a very political time in local history and with the division of Hernando County and the formation of the new counties came the new political offices for each new county.  In July of 1887 Col. Ebenezer Liles was appointed to the new Board of County Commissioners representing the newly formed Pasco County.  In this capacity Col. Liles was made many political decision and helped improve Pasco County in its beginning.  On July 18, 1887 Col. Liles was elected to hold the position of Chairman of the Board by his fellow County Commissioners.  As Chairman, Col. Liles lead and carried every Board of County Commission meeting.  On August 1, 1887 as the Board of County Commissioners met the discussed the division of Pasco County into County Commission districts as required for every county, these districts would give each County Commissioner a section of the county to represent.  It was decided that Col. Liles would take district 4, which at that time included the town of San Antonio where he lived.  In the months to follow the new Board of County Commissioners decided upon the location of the county seat, the building of a new court house, new roads to be built and many other decision improving Pasco County.  Col. Ebenezer Liles served in his capacity of County Commissioner until 1889, the was again re-elected in 1903. In addition to his election to County Commissioner, Col. Liles became and active member of the United Confederate Veterans Camp No. 57 in Dade City.  For a time the Colonel served as the commander of the Camp.  Interestingly enenough in 1909 Col. Liles also retained $250 in Confederate Bonds, which at the time were worthless.  These bonds during the Civil War were obtained by giving money the Confederate States, in return you were given a bond on which interest was paid at the time of maturity.  This allowed the Confederate Government means to create revenue during the time of war.  Today these bonds are very collectible and sometimes worth more than their face value and maturity, depending on condition and rarity. By his 86th birth day, in November of 1911, Col. Liles had almost lost his entire eyesight.  According to Dr. J.G. Wallace, M.D. of Pasco County who saw the Colonel in August of 1909, "he was suffering from an incurable eye disease."  According to Dr. John C. McMullen, Liles had opthalmia and cataracts in both eyes.  Opthalmia is a disease typically in both eyes, the disease is the cause of severe trauma to one eye.  Symptoms may not develop until years after the trauma, while not known its believed Col. Liles may have suffered some type of eye trauma during the Civil War.  In October of 1911 the Colonel was again examined by doctors, this time doctors A.P. Albaugh and J.E. Douglass of Hillsborough County.  According to these doctors Col. Liles "was totally blind in his right eye and so nearly blind in this left eye that he could hardly tell light from darkness and was not able to recognize any one by sight."   In 1910 Col. Liles lost his San Antonio home and everything inside to a devastating fire, which left him destitute.  Being unable to earn a living due to his blindness, members of the United Confederate Veterans Camp No. 57 in Dade City came together to aid in assistance.  At this time Col. Liles was in such a condition that he could no longer attend Camp meetings in Dade City, however he remained an active member. In 1927 at the age of 101 years old, though blind feeble in his age, Col. Liles participated in a most gallant Confederate Reunion in downtown Dade City.  Liles was the oldest attending Confederate Veteran at the event and was whirled about the city in an automobile.  In 1927 Liles was among the last two living Confederate Veterans in Pasco County, the other David Kennerly.  At the Dade City reunion Col. Liles told of his Civil War days and his companies engagement at Vicksburg, where he was wounded twice. On December 8, 1927, only a few weeks after his 102nd birthday, Col. Ebenezer G. Liles died at his home in San Antonio.  Col. Liles was laid to rest at the St. Anthony Cemetery in San Antonio. (Research by Jeff Cannon- Copyright © 2008) (Photo courtesy of Charles Blankenship)