William Morgan Loughlin was born on August 24, 1824, in Vermont to Michael Loughlin. He eventually immigrated to America and settled in Burlington, Vermont. He moved to Shields, Illinois, around 1849. He married a woman named Isabella on April 21, 1853, and they had at least five children: Arthur, born around 1855; William, born around 1857; Kittie, born around 1860; Norman, born around 1861; and Howard, born around 1865. He worked as an architect and builder in Shields, and by 1860, he owned $500 of personal property.

 

In September 1862, he received a commission as a 2^nd lieutenant in Company C of the 96^th Illinois Infantry. According to his service records, he was 6 feet tall, with light hair and blue eyes. The regiment took part in the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Lookout Mountain, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, and the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. He was promoted to 1^st lieutenant on April 4, 1863. Then, on August 12, 1864, he was promoted to captain in the 1^st United States Veteran Volunteer Engineers.

 

He settled in Chicago, Illinois, after the war, and he worked as assistant assessor of Internal Revenue. By 1870, he owned $400 of personal property. He supported the Republican Party. He was nominated for Collector of West Chicago in 1873, but he was overwhelmingly defeated. He took part in Decoration Day ceremonies and veterans’ reunions throughout the late 1800s. He died in Chicago on August 20, 1913.

 

Image: William M. Loughlin (History of the Ninety-Sixth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry)

SOURCES