Champaign County IL Archives Biographies.....Haddock, Maj William 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Celia Snyder cgsnyder@uiuc.edu September 1999

Biography of Major William HADDOCK, Champaign County, Illinois

From:  "History of Champaign County, Illinois with Illustrations," 1878

MAJ. WILLIAM HADDOCK,

EDITOR Of the Champaign Times, was born near Watertown, N. Y., on the 24th
of October, 1822. His father, Samuel, was a blacksmith, who learned
grammar, mathematics and Latin, from written lessons, copied from his
text-books at night, and pinned to the chimney of his forge during the day.

Maj. Wm. HADDOCK, spent his boyhood days on a farm, and at the age of
twelve was placed in a printing office at Watertown, where he became
familiar with the details of business, and subsequently acquired a strong
taste for literary pursuits. At the age of eighteen he commenced the study
of law in the office of the Hon. William Ruger, of Watertown, and when
nineteen, entered the Black River Institute, of the same place, with the
view of preparing for Columbia College, of New York city, and in nine
months was prepared to enter the freshman class in that Institution.

On reaching the city in August, 1843, he found the printing business (his
only reliance) at so low an ebb, that he was compelled to abandon his
college project, and be content, for the time being, with merely earning a
bare subsistence. But his nine years of city life had its compensations,
for he saw and met many of the leading journalists and prominent men, among
whom were Horace Greeley, Henry J. Raymond and the elder Bennet, from whom
he gleaned much information. He also witnessed many dramatic and literary
entertainments, by the most celebrated actors and lecturers of the world,
prominent among whom were the elder Booth, Macready and Miss Brougham, all
of which had their influence in developing his mind, and as a consequence
he wrote considerably for the press. His political inclinations were to the
side of reform, and during the later years of his residence in the city, he
was an active member of the National Reform organization. For about a year
he was editor of one of its organs, called the Landmark, a weekly journal
devoted to Homestead exemptions, Freedom of the Soil to actual settlers and
land limitations---three objects which had the support of some of the
foremost thinkers and writers of the day.

On the 15th of October 1846, he was married to Miss Kate RAFFETY, by whom
he had one son and one daughter, viz:---William J., age 30, and Alice (now
Mrs. Dr. A. N. EVARTS,) age 28.

In 1851, he organized a colony to settle in the west, and in February,
1852, went in advance to Minnesota, and selected a site for it, on Polling
Stone Creek, about six miles north of the present city of Winona, the table
lands bordering the Mississippi. At the time of this settlement, the
Indian-title to that portion of Minnesota had not been formally
extinguished, and when the advance settlers of his colony landed in April,
he was compelled to make a temporary treaty with the Sioux chief, which was
six barrels of flour, in order to keep his fellow-settlers from being
molested.

After locating this colony, he returned to New York, for his family, which
he immediately brought west and introduced to their new home. This change
was an important one for his wife. Like many others of the colony she soon
fell a victim to the poisonous miasma, incidental to all new western
locations, and in a short time was sorrowfully laid away in her grave,
within sight of the " Great Father of Waters."

Soon after the death of his wife he went to Anamosa, Jones Co., Iowa, where
in October, 1852, he began the publication of a weekly, six column, folio,
called the Anamosa News, an independent journal, with democratic
proclivities. He remained there about three years, during which time he
enlarged his paper, was admitted to the bar, and elected prosecuting
attorney of the county. About the close of his term the question of keeping
slaves out of the territories, was taking a strong hold on the public mind
of the worthy, and appealing to the consciences of all good men under such
circumstances. Mr. Haddock did not hesitate a moment which side to take,
but joined the new party, and took his journal with him into the fight. The
contest that all resulted in the election of the first Republican state
ticket.

While living in Anamosa, he was married to Miss Sarah CORNWELL, an orphan,
by whom he had one son---Edward---now living, age 22. Subsequently he sold
his printing establishment and moved to Waterloo, Black Hawk county, where
he commenced, in October, 1855, the Iowa State Register, a weekly eight
column folio, with Republican bias, but not a party organ.

Soon after locating at Waterloo his second wife died from consumption. He
was again elected, on the Republican ticket, prosecuting attorney. Being
without a companion, Mr. Haddock was again married to Miss Cordelia FAGLES,
daughter of Col. J. W. FAGLES, of Cattaraugus County, New York. By this
union they have two children, Belle, aged 22, and Frank, aged 10 years.

In 1859 he again sold his printing establishment, and the following year
started a weekly newspaper in Butler Centre, Butler County, and called The
Jeffersonian. This he continued to publish during the
Lincoln-Douglass-Breckenridge presidential contest, and warmly espoused
Lincoln, and the cause. At the breaking out of the Rebellion Mr. H. gave
his heart and hand to the northern cause, and in the fall of '61 raised a
company for the 12th Iowa Inft. Regiment, in which be was mustered in
October as Captain of Company E. Leaving his family at their residence in
Waterloo he went, in the following spring, with his regiment to the front,
and took part in the capture of Ft. Henry. Was at the battle of Shiloh,
where he together with one hundred and fifty union officers, and nearly two
thousand privates, were taken prisoners. They were held for six months, and
while at Madison, Georgia, they held a formal celebration on the 4th of
July in their Cotton Mill prison, at which Gen. Prentiss was president of
the day, and Captain Haddock the orator. In the early part of October the
prisoners were sent to City Point, on the James river, where they were
paroled and sent home, and in January, 1863, the Shiloh, prisoners were
exchanged and returned to their respective regiments.

While at Vicksburg Captain Haddock received from Governor Kirkwood, of
Iowa, a commission as Major in the 8th Iowa cavalry, which he accepted, but
was afterwards assigned as Major in the 9th Iowa Regiment.

The Major was assigned the third battalion, and was soon ordered to St.
Louis, where he spent some time in drilling. In the spring of 1864, the
regiment was ordered to Arkansas, where they spent a season in watching the
movements of the Confederate army in that section.

But one engagement occurred, which was with Gen. Shelby, near Brownsville
station, where some one hundred and fifty men were killed and wounded on
both sides.

In October, 1864, after having spent three years in the service, the Major
resigned, came north, and with his family settled in Effingham, where in
October, 1864, he started the Effingham Register, a weekly Republican
journal, which he continued until 1872. He was a delegate to the Cincinnati
Convention, and actively assisted in the nomination of Mr. Greeley, his old
friend, and immediately enlisted his journal in the support of the ticket.
Still later in the canvass he received a substantial call from the Liberals
and Democrats of Champaign to establish a Liberal Journal, which he
accepted, and on Saturday, August 31st, 1872, bought out the Liberal
Democrat, which was changed to the Champaign Times, July, 1873. During his
residence in Effingham he did much to improve the city. In 1871 he built a
fine three story opera house at a cost of $16,500. He also built a neat
residence now occupied by his family, which he visits weekly. Since his
advent to Champaign he has been a zealous advocate of Democratic measures.
His journal is recognized as the leading democratic organ of the 14th
congressional district.

Such is a brief record of the eventful life of Major Haddook, the brave
soldier, thorough scholar, accomplished gentleman and successful
journalist, whose many genial social qualities and remarkable energy place
him prominent among the best citizens of Champaign County.


http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/champaign/bios/e-h/whaddock.txt