BUTLER, WILLIAM
, was born Dec. 15, 1797, in Adair county, Ky. During the war of 1812 he was selected to carry important dispatches from the Governor of Kentucky to Gen. Harrison, in the field. He traveled on horseback, and made the trip successfully, although he was but fifteen years of age. When a young man he was employed in the iron works of Tennessee, and after that was deputy of the Circuit Clerk for Adair county, Ky. While thus engaged, he made the acquaintance of a young lawyer, now the venerable Judge Stephen T. Logan, of this city. The friendship thus formed continued through life. Mr. Butler spent a portion of his time as clerk on a steamboat. In 1828 he came to Sangamon county, and purchased a farm in Island Grove. On that farm his father, Elkanah Butler, lived and died. William Butler came to Springfield, and was soon after appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court, by his early friend, Judge Logan, March 19, 1836, and resigned March 22, 1841. He was appointed, by Gov. Bissell, State Treasurer, August 29, 1859, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of State Treasurer Miller. He was elected to the same office in 1860 for two years. William Butler and Elizabeth Rickard were married Dec. 18, 1832. They had three children, namely--SALOME E., born in Springfield, and now resides on South Sixth street, at the family homestead.
SPEED, born Aug. 7, 1837, in Springfield. He graduated at the Lutheran University in Springfield, in 1854, studied law, and was admitted to practice in 1860. When the rebellion came upon the country in 1861, Speed Butler was selected by the Governor of Illinois to carry a dispatch to Washington City, asking for an order to remove the United States arms from the Arsenal at St. Louis to Alton, Ill. Railroad and telegraphic communication to the Capital was cut off, but he managed to make his way through, obtained the order, and returned in safety.
The arms were removed just in time to keep them from falling into the hands of the rebels. Soon after completing that service he was appointed Commissary, with the rank of Captain, but was at once assigned to duty on Gen. Pope's staff, and was with that officer during his campaign in North Missouri, at Island No. 10, &c. In Sept., 1861, he was appointed Major of the 5th Ill. Cav. For gallantry on the battle-field at Farmington, Miss., in June, 1862, he was promoted to Colonel in the regular army; but still, by permission from Gen. Wool, he remained on duty with Gen. Pope. He shared the fortunes of that officer during the Virginia campaign, as also in Minnesota against the Indians. He served until the close of the rebellion, in 1865.
Col. Speed Butler was married May 26, 1864, in Milwaukee, Wis., to Jeannie McKenzie Arnold, who was born Sept. 4, 1845; in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. They have three children, ANNIE L., ELIZABETH and ARNOLD W., and live near Springfield, on the southwest.
HENRY WIRT, born Feb. 11, 1840, in Springfield, graduated in 1859 at Brown University, Providence, R. I., and was married May 9, 1867, to Helen McClernand, daughter of Gen. John A. McClernand. She was born in Springfield, and died April 26, 1870, leaving one child, WILLIAM J. H. W. Butler and son live in Springfield.
Mrs. Elizabeth Butler died March 2, 1869, and Hon. William Butler died Jan. 11, 1876, both in Springfield.