Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Reardon, William 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 7:51 pm

Author: History of Grundy County, 1914

REARDON, William.—Grundy County has always been proud of its veterans and 
anxious to show them distinguished honors when opportunity offered. This 
section sent its full quota to help in the defense of the Union in its time of 
dire distress and now it recognizes the fact that its prestige in this regard 
was given it by the bravery and patriotism of the “Boys in Blue” who left 
their homes and went to the dangerous front in the early sixties. One of these 
old soldiers of Grundy County, now residing in Morris, is Captain William 
Reardon. He was born near Malone, Franklin County, N. Y., August 4th, 1837, a 
son of William and Catherine (Curtin) Reardon, natives of County Cork, 
Ireland. The parents came to these shores in early youth and were married 
here. The father was a farmer, living in the neighborhood of Malone, and he 
continued there until 1850, when he started West, making the trip by rail to 
Ogdensburg, from there by boat on the St. Lawrence river to Lewiston, and 
continuing on to Buffalo. He then journeyed, by rail, and on the Great Lakes, 
to Chicago; and, on reaching this western city, he left almost immediately and 
walked the entire distance to Grundy County. The following spring, in 1851, he 
sent for his family, and met them on their arrival in Chicago. They had 
brought with them a team of horses (French brood mares), and the family 
proceeded by wagon to Morris and finally settled in the Collins neighborhood. 
In July of the ensuing year, Mrs. Reardon died. Mr. Reardon, Sr., bought a 
small farm in the northern part of the county, and continued to make it his 
home until his death in 1873.

William Reardon, Jr., not only attended the rural public school, but enjoyed 
the further advantages of a commercial course in Bryant and Stratton’s 
Business College, in Chicago, and graduated there 1858. Prior to taking this 
course of instruction, he had worked on the home farm continuously. On 
finishing school, he entered the employ of J. and H. Benjamin as salesman and 
bookkeeper in their mercantile house and here he was until July, 1862, when, 
on the nation’s call for volunteers, he enlisted for service in the defense of 
the Union. He was among those who went directly to Kankakee, Ill., where a 
regiment was being organized. It was found in Kankakee that the men who had 
come with Mr. Reardon were not sufficient in number to form an entire company, 
so Mr. Reardon went back home and soon returned with the required number of 
new men. When the officers for the company were elected, Mr. Reardon was 
chosen the first lieutenant. C. C. Jones, who had been with Sherman’s men in 
the Pioneer Corps, until it was disbanded, was given the rank of captain and, 
when the regiment was assigned its proper place he was placed in command of 
Company C, Seventy-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was the company to 
which Mr. Reardon belonged. The regiment was sent to Cairo and from thence to 
Columbus, Ky., where they were under the command of General Grant. Mr. Reardon 
was at the siege of Vicksburg, and after sixty-one days of hardship there was 
sent to Jackson, Miss., where the regiment participated in a big fight. Mr. 
Reardon was promoted to the rank of captain after the siege of Vicksburg, 
succeeding Captain Jones who was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On account of 
sickness he was sent home on a furlough and was honorably discharged December 
4, 1864, for disability.

Mr. Reardon then embarked in a grocery business with his brothers, James and 
John Collins, the connection continuing until 1869, when Mr. Reardon moved to 
a farm in Nettle Creek Township, and began specializing in raising registered 
Shorthorn cattle, becoming so successful in this line of endeavor that he was 
made vice-president of the Shorthorn Cattle Dealers Association. He also 
raised all kinds at high grade stock, and was one of the leading stockmen of 
Grundy County.

On September 20, 1865, Mr. Reardon married Charlotte Hoge, born in Nettle 
Creek Township, October 8, 1841, daughter of Samuel and Matilda (Holderman) 
Hoge, natives of Virginia and Ohio. The family came to Grundy County at an 
early day. Mr. and Mrs. Hoge were married in this county, and settled along 
the present route of the canal. Mr. and Mrs. Reardon became the parents of 
children as follows: Elmer, who died at the age of two years and seven months; 
Abbie M., who died at the age of eleven and one-half years; Clarence H., who 
lives in Kansas City. Mo., and married May Thomas and they have one child, 
Grace; William H., who is on the home farm, married Miss Clara Heacox, a 
native of Grundy County; and Dora Virginia, who is Mrs. H. H. Quigley of 
Chicago, and they have three children, Elizabeth, Catherine and Donald. Mrs. 
Reardon died October 30, 1912. He is one of the most enthusiastic comrades of 
Darveau Post No. 329, G. A. R.

pages 890-891

Additional Comments:
Source:  History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. 
Publishers; 1914

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