William was the oldest child of John and Martha (Wheeler) Campbell. He was born, raised, and died in the McLeansboro area of Hamilton County, IL. His middle name is recorded as 'Hume' in an 1830s document, but I have also seen it recorded as 'Hughes'.

He was a Captain in Company G of the 60th Ill. Infantry during the Civil War. He enlisted on 17 Feb 1862 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenaut on 11 Jan 1864 and to Captain on 11 Apr 1865. He left the Military on 31 July 1865 at Louisville, KY.

William was married twice and raised two families. His first wife was Rachel Garrison whom he married on 1 Mar 1849. They raised 8 children. Rachel died Nov of 1868.

Wiliam's second wife was Mary Jane Campbell - Yes, her maiden name was also Campbell. He and Mary Jane are the parents of Arthur Byrd Campbell and six other children.

I have a complete copy of his Civil War pension file. In it is a 5 page document that details some of his experiences during the Civil War. The following is a complete transcription of that record leaving in all errors including very long run on sentences:

DEPOSITION

Case of William H. Campbell, No. 85123

On this 9th day of August, 1888, at/near McLeansboro, County of Hamilton, State of Illinois, before me, James H. Thouse, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared William H. Campbell (Claimant) who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says:

My name is William H. Campbell my age is 59 years my occupation is that of a farmer my Post Office address is McLeansboro, Hamilton Co. Ills.

I am the identical William H. Campbell who served as 2nd LT 1st LT and Captain of Co. G 60th Regt Ills Vols and who filed original application for invalid Pension Claim No 85123 and who was placed on the Pension Roll of the Talem Ills Agency at the rate of $15.00 per month and was dropped from the Rolls in 1874.

I entered the service in Co G 60th Regt Ills Vols in December 1861 and was discharged therefrom in July 1865 and have never been employed in the Military of Naval Service of the United States since that time.

I claim Pension on account of Disease of Eyes which I contracted in the service and line of duty. I contracted disease of eyes just after the Battle of Chicamanga Tenn about September 1863 at that time I took red sore eyes and I never got them entirely cured up afterwards but they would get some better at times. Then on the Atlanta Campaign during the summer of 1864 my eyes got much worse from exposure during the hot weather of summer of 1864 and in August 1864 my eyes got so bad that I had to go to the hospital and was sent to the Officers Hospital on Lookout Mountain Tenn. Regimental Surgeon Dodds advised me to go to the hospital on the account of the condition of my eyes. I remained at the hospital until some time during the fall of 1864 and my eyes got some better and I went back to my company and remained with it until in November 1864 when at Kingston, Ga. There all the sick and disabled were ordered to report to the surgeons to be sent back as Genl Sherman was about to cut his army loose from all supplies and start on the March to the Sea and at that time my eyes were in a bad condition and I was again sent back to the officers hospital at Lookout Mountain Tenn and I remained there in the hospital until the last of Dec 1864 or first of January 1865.

When I started back to join my command and at Nashville Tenn I was placed in charge of a squad of men with instructions to take them to Shermans Army and I again joined my company and Regt in South Carolina in the Month of February 1865 and remained with my Regt from that time on up to muster out of service. My disease of eyes had become chronic and ulcers had appeared and I could not see to read and write and had to have some one to make out my rolls and reports for me and I was almost blind during all the balance of my service and have continued in that condition ever since service only my eyes have gradually grown worse can't see to tell any object with my right eye can just discern daylight from dark and my left eye has been badly diseased all the time have never been able to see to read or write since my service and I have been badly disabled on account of the diseased condition of my eyes ever since they first became sore.

Thomas Bain near Arrangton Wayne Co Ills Thomas J. Friend near Barnhill Wayne Co Ills John Leathers Xenia Clay Co Ills Ellsbury Gregory near Hickory Hill Wayne Co Ills and Andrew J Askey near McLeansboro Ills all knew about my disease of eyes in the service and in fact all the men in the Company knew about the condition of my eyes in the service. I was treated in the officers hospital at Lookout Mountain for my sore eyes was never treated for sore eyes in any other hospital. Can't now state the name of the surgeon who treated my eyes in hospital at Lookout Mountain don't remember the name of the surgeon in charge of that hospital. Capt Wm Godard of Co G 60th Ills Vols was with me in hospital don't know his Post Office address but he is some where in Kanasa. A LT Jones of the 40th Ills Vols was also with me in hospital don't know his first name or his Post Office address don't remember any other officer who was with me in hospital. I had very little treatment for me eyes by my Regimental Surgeons but Surgs Dodds and Grey both gave me some treatment and Surg Charles gave me some treatment in the latter part of my service and this was all the treatment I had for my eyes while in the service. No sir I was never treated in service or at any other time for gonorrhea or any venereal disease I never had a venereal disease in my life.

My Regimental Surgeons were as follows: William Gray Allegheny Allegheny Co Penn Ford S. Dodds Anna Union Co Ills Dr. Charles Nevada City Nevada ___ ___ (can't make out).

I resided at and for more than five years prior to my enlistment in the service in this neighborhood and have lived here all my life have lived all my life both before and since my service within three mile of where I now live and at and for more than five year before my enlistment I was a sound healthy man and entirely free from disease of eyes had never even had red sore eyes before my enlistment had no medical treatment of any kind during the five year prior to my enlistment in the service. Dr. Gates (now dead) was my family physician before the war think perhaps that Dr. DeFoe of McLeansboro Ills practiced some in my family before the war. My occupation both before and since my service has been that of a farmer and at and prior to my entering the service I was carrying on a farm for myself my neighbors and associates before my service were John Thompson Porter Hill Robert McBroom and William Jones all near McLeansboro Ills and the same persons have known me ever since I came out of the service and have lived neighbors to me and many other persons here have known me both before and since my service. My family Physicians since my service have been Dr Z R Millard of Thackery Hamilton Co Ills and C. M. Lyon of McLeansboro Ills and Dr E D Rathbone of McLeansboro has prescribed at times for me for my eyes. I went to St Louis Mo immediately after I got out of the service and had my eyes treated by a Dr Vanzant. I have been informed that Dr Vanzant has since died and I had some treatment by Dr Porter of this County (now dead) and then I had some treatment for my eyes by a Fram?? Doctor but don't know his name or his whereabouts and that is all the treatment I now remember to have had for my eyes since my service.

Yes sir I have another disease for which I now claim pension and for which I expect to make application for pension. This disease is Catarrh of the head which I contracted in the service and line of duty while at home in 1862 and 1863 on recruiting service I took Pneumonia fever and had quite a severe spell and it was after I got over this spell of fever that I first discovered that I had Catarrh of the head and I have been affected with Catarrh of the head from that to the present time. I never had any treatment for Catarrh.

Signed: Wm H Campbell (Deponent.)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of August 1888, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing.

Signed: James H. Thouse (Special Examiner)