Biography - William Campbell
William CAMPBELL, Postmaster, Litchfield, was born March 17, 1843, in the county of Monaghan, Ireland, his parents being Scotch Protestants. He was but four years old when he came to the United States with his widowed mother and her six other children. She resided seven years in New York City, where she acted as dressmaker and forewoman of a large manufacturing establishment; she died in 1865. In 1856, Mr. CAMPBELL came to Illinois, being then thirteen years old; he made his home with Philo JUDSON, of Evanston, this State, for one year. In 1857, he went to Carlinville, where he engaged his services as clerk to G. W. WOODS; he continued a year, and then removed to Franklin, Morgan Co, Ill., where he lived three years with Abram C. WOODS, and clerked in the store two years of that period, the remainder of the time working on the farm. In July, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and First Illinois Infantry, Company H, for three years, and served his entire time; his regiment was assigned to the Army of the Mississippi, and during 1863, the company to which he belonged was as signed to marine duty on the gunboat LaFayette, which ran the blockade at the siege of Vicksburg and silenced the batteries at Grand Gulf; late in 1863, they were transferred to the Army of the Cumberland, and their battles were the midnight fight at Lookout Valley, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Sherman's march to the sea; in the first battle at Resaca, Ga., Mr. CAMPBELL was wounded in the neck by a Minie ball, on May 14, 1864;passing beneath the jugular vein, it lodged in the tissues of the neck, and was removed on the following day; he was sent to Jeffersonville, Ind., where the wound, which had been badly neglected, healed so rapidly that in June he went on duty as a hospital nurse; he left the hospital service from choice, and on July 10, started back to join his regiment, which he did non the 18th, and two days later, engaged in the battle of Peach Tree Creek, where he was wounded twice early in the fight by some Minie balls which struck his ankle, crushing the tibia bone, and produced a flesh wound in the thigh, passing out; he was consequently disabled, and lay in the hospital until July, 1865, when he was discharged. He returned to Jacksonville and entered school for the winter. In the spring of 1866, he became a clerk for his old employer, G. W. WOODS, at Carlinville, Ill., where he remained until March, 1873, when he came to Litchfield and took charge of the ticket and express office of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, under Mr.KEELER, continuing three and a half years; he then entered the employ of the Litchfield Car Company as assistant book-keeper, holding that position a year, when, learning that none of the applicants for the post office were successful in receiving appointment to the same, he made application for it, and, fifteen days later, was appointed by President HAYES, his term beginning on June 15, 1877; in January, 1882, he was re-appointed for four years, after a severe contest for the position. In 1869, he married Miss Sarah J. ORCUTT, of Carlinville; they have had four children - Lelia Rose, Essie Orcutt, Lucy and Grace. Mr. CAMPBELL is an efficient and obliging Postmaster and an estimable citizen.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 135-136.
