"BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH" - WILLIAM L. ALEXANDER, of section 30, Huntsville township, settled in the county in 1861. He was born in Russell county, Virginia, December 19, 1836. His parents were William and Mary (McReynolds) Alexander. The grandfather of our subject was John Alexander, born in the north of Ireland. He came to the United States, where he settled and pursued farming. He married and reared a large family. His son William was born in 1802 and was a farmer, marrying in Virginia. In 1840 he came to Illinois and settled in Adams county, North East township, where he became the owner of 400 acres of land on which he made good improvements. He died in 1887, his wife having died a few years previously. They were members of the Presbyterian Church and the father was a Democrat in politics. He was poor when he settled in Illinois, owning only a horse and wagon. They had thirteen children, all of whom attained their majority: Nancy, John, Mary, Rachel, Margaret, William L., Davis, Daniel, Mitchell, Martha, Samuel, Robert Wilson, and Rebecca. William L. was reared on the farm. In 1862 he enlisted in Company I, Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Perryville, Kentucky, Stone river and Chickamauga, Tennessee, and the Atlanta Campaign. He returned with General Thomas and participated in the fight at Franklin and Nashville. He was mustered out at Camp Harker, Tennessee. He was a non-commissioned officer. At the battle of Kenesaw Mountain he received a gunshot wound in the head, for which he now receives a pension. After the war he returned to Schuyler county, where he owned sixty acres of land, purchased in 1864. He has since pursued farming and now owns 541 acres of land and has two good sets of farm buildings. In addition to his farming he has raised stock and dealt in the same. Since 1889 he has rented all his land. He was married in 1861 to Rachel J. Derry, daughter of Basil and Sarah Derry. She was born in Adams county, near Quincy. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have four children: Martha A., wife of William H. Naylor, resides in Baxter Springs, Kansas; Edward died, aged nineteen; Emma, wife of Edward Straub of Galesburg, Illinois; Keely L. is at home. In politics Mr. Alexander is a Democrat and has been a member of the School Board. His wife is an earnest Christian lady, but not a member of any sect. Mr. Alexander has made his property and is a well-to-do man, richly deserving the respect in which he is held by all who know him.

SOURCE: BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS, SCHUYLER and BROWN COUNTIES, Illinois - 1892, Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co., page: 288.
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MARRIAGE:
Groom: ALEXANDER, WILLIAM L; Bride: DERRY, RACHAEL JANE; Date: 1861-05-26; Volume/Page: / ; License Number: 00003104; County: SCHUYLER (IL). Married by: Charles G. Dorsey.
SOURCE: Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900.
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WIFE:
RACHEL JANE DERRY, b.1844. d.after 1880. A daughter of Basil DERRY 1820 & Sarah SLATER-DERRY. Married WILLIAM ALEXANDER.
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CENSUS (summary for Rachel and William Alexander is shown below):
1870 & 1880 - State IL.
County: Schuyler, Twp/City: Huntsville
Surname, Name, Role, Year-Of-Birth/Year-Of-Marriage/Year-Of-Death/Age, Birth-Place
Alexander, William, Head 1837/1861/ 34, VA - 1880 43, VA
Derry, Rachel Jane, Wife 1844/1861/ 26, IL - 1880 37, IL
Alexander, Martha A, Dau 1862// 8, IL
Alexander, Edward, Son 1864// 4, IL - 1880 14, IL
Alexander, Emma E, Dau 1868// 2, IL
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(Another child was born after 1880.)
Alexander, Keely L
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F.A.G. memorials (children above):
# 27465703 Martha A.
# 52878160 Edward
# 21311145 Emma E.
# --------- Keely L.
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ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
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Name: ALEXANDER, W L
Rank: PVT
Company: I
Unit: 84 IL US INF
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
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Residence: NORTH EAST, ADAMS CO, IL
Age: 25
Height: 5' 8
Hair: DARK
Eyes: GRAY
Complexion: DARK
Marital Status: MARRIED
Occupation: FARMER
Nativity: RUSSEL CO, VA
SERVICE RECORD
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Joined When: AUG 5, 1862
Joined Where: N/A
Joined By Whom: N/A
Period: 3 YRS
Muster In: SEP 1, 1862
Muster In Where: QUINCY, IL
Muster In By Whom: N/A
Muster Out: JUN 8, 1865
Muster Out Where: CAMP HARKER, TN
Muster Out By Whom: CPT MORRIS
Remarks MUSTERED OUT AS: CORPORAL
SOURCE: Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database.
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Civil War service notes: William L ALEXANDER served along side his Father-in-law, Basil DERRY & John Jacob WEIDENHAMER
(Basil's Brother-in-law).
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CIVIL WAR HISTORY:

84th Illinois Infantry Regiment
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Col. Louis H. Waters; Lt.Cols. Thomas Hamer, Charles H. Morton; Majs. Charles H. Morton, Caleb B. Cox. "This regiment was organized at Quincy, in Aug., 1862, and was mustered into the U. S. service Sept. 1, for three years, with 939 men and officers. It was ordered to Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23 and was assigned to the 1Oth brigade of the 4th division. It was at the battle of Perryville and on the march with Buell through Kentucky in the pursuit of the Confederate army under Bragg; participated in the battle of Stone's river, where it lost 228 men and officers killed and wounded, out of a total of 350 engaged; was in the Tullahoma campaign and at the battle of Chickamauga, in Chattanooga during what was called the "siege," and with Hooker at Lookout mountain, in the "fight above the clouds." It participated in the Atlanta campaign, the battles at Franklin and Nashville, and was mustered out at the expiration of its term. Its total casualties (killed, wounded) in battle were 558; killed by accident, 7; died of disease, 124; total casualties, 689.

SOURCE: The Union Army, vol. 3.
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"BURIAL"
Entombed in the Hope Abbey Mausoleum.