William Alvin Calhoun was born in Chicago, Cook, IL on June 28, 1837. He was the son of early Chicago settlers Alvin Calhoun and Olive Miranda Cooley. On May 26, 1859 in Chicago William married Maria Antoinette Gannett, born in Boston on February 15, 1833. She died in 1860 on August 16. William enlisted in Chicago as a sergeant in Company A, 19th Infantry on June 17, 1861. He was promoted to 2nd lieutenant on October 20, 1861 while serving in Company D, 19th regiment. On February 1, 1863 he was promoted to 1st lieutenant and to captain on February 7, 1863. Mustered out of the U.S. service July 12, 1864 when his term expired.

On April 22, 1865 in Chicago he married Annie Jeffreys, who was born in Grosvenor Park, Camberwell, Surrey England on November 12, 1843. His two daughters (Clara Annie and Hattie Lydia) were by his second wife. While he had worked as a deputy sheriff c. 1860, William later worked as a postal service employee and died after June 1900. Late in life he resided with his older sister Sadie. On August 28, 1907 his widow Annie applied for a Civil War pension in New York; she then reapplied in Illinois on October 31, 1909.

Submitted by Roberta D. Calhoun.