2 bios, CW and personal:

History of the 85th Illinois Volunteers
Illinois Volunteer Infantry
by
Henry J. Aten
1901
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Pages 482 - 497

FIRST SERGEANT WILLIAM H. HOLE was born in Salem, Washington county, Indiana, April 13, 1836, removed to Illinois in 1856, and settled on a farm in Mason county. He enlisted from Havana, and was chosen sergeant at the organization of the company; served through all the campaigns in which the regiment was engaged; was promoted first sergeant at Jonesboro, Ga., and was mustered out with the regiment. At the close of his service he returned to Illinois, and is among the prosperous farmers of Mason county. He resides at Mason City, Ill.

Company K was enrolled by Dr. Robert G. Rider at Topeka, in Mason county, between July 18 and August 17, 1862. The men were mostly farmers from Mason county, although Iroquois, McDonough, Peoria, Stephenson, Tazewell, and Will counties were represented in its ranks. At the organization of the company the following commissioned officers were elected: Dr. Robert G. Rider, captain; Samuel Yates, first lieutenant, and Isaac C. Short, second lieutenant.

Of the 89 officers and men of which this company was composed, 22 were hit with shot or shell, 4 of whom were killed in action, while 18 lived to be discharged or mustered out, 1 officer resigned, 29 men died of disease, 14 were discharged for disability incident to their hard service, 5 were transferred to other organizations, and 45 were present at the final muster out.

From first to last, the company was ably commanded, and being one of the skirmish companies was well drilled in that special drill in addition to the usual drill of the others. The men were above the average in intelligence, and the surviving members of the company may justly feel proud of the part it bore in its three years' service, and all may rejoice in the fact that they did their full share in the overthrow of the slave-holders' rebellion.

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1879 History of Menard & Mason Counties
Chicago
Published by: O.L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers
186 Dearborn Street

WILLIAM H. HOLE
Page 762
WILLIAM H. HOLE, farmer, Sec. 29; P. O. Havana; was born in Washington Co., Ind., April 13, 1836, and is a son of Stephen and Lucinda (Mitchell) Hole; the former born on the site of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, July 12, 1795, and the latter in Woodford Co., Ky.; his father died Jan. 26, 1873, and his mother Sept. 19, 1877; the subject of this sketch resided in his place of nativity till the removal of the family to Illinois in 1856, locating in Havana Township, this county. He enlisted in Co. K, 85th I. V. I., Aug. 18, 1862; was promoted to First Sergeant and served in that capacity during the last year of the war; was with Gen. Sherman on his march to the sea, arriving at Washington, D. C., June 5, 1865, and received final pay and discharge at Camp Butler, Illinois, on the 11th of the same month. In 1866, he was married to Susan R., daughter of Daniel Dieffenbacher, who was born in Havana Township; she died April 11, 1877; two children by this union-Philip B. and Garnet D. Mr. H. owns eighty acres in Havana Township.