William W. Waddell Biography This biography appears on pages 949-950 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here Inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm WILLIAM W. WADDELL, the popular and efficient sheriff of Codington county, is a native of the state of Illinois, having been born in the city of Freeport on the 11th of September, 1844, and being a son of William G. and Ann Eliza (Donaldson) Waddell. the former of whom was born in Ohio and the latter in Indiana, while both were of sterling Scottish lineage. The father of our subject was a successful contractor, being engaged in business for a number of years in Freeport and later in the city of Chicago. The subject of this review secured his educational discipline in the public schools of his native town, being graduated in the high school, after which he was employed as a bookkeeper until there came the call to higher duty, when the integrity of our nation was thrown into jeopardy through armed rebellion. Responding to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers, he enlisted, on the 8th of May, 1861, at Freeport, as a private in Company A, Forty-sixth Illinois volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to the front, while at the expiration of his three months' term he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment, with which he continued in active service until January 20, 1866, when he was mustered out at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, having served faithfully and valiantly during practically the entire period of the great civil conflict, the last year being detached as clerk at brigade headquarters. He participated in many important battles, including those of Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Shiloh, the siege and capture of Mobile, etc., his regiment being under command of Generals Grant and Canby at different periods. After the close of the war Mr. Waddell returned to Illinois, where he was connected with various enterprises as bookkeeper until 1883, when he came as a pioneer to Codington county, where he has ever since maintained his home, while he has contributed his quota to the progress and material upbuilding of this attractive section of the state. For nine years he held the position of deputy sheriff of Codington county, and at the expiration of this period, in the fall of 1902, he was elected sheriff, as the candidate on the Republican ticket, being a stanch advocate of the principles of the "grand old party," with which he has been identified since he attained his legal majority. He had done most effective work as deputy and since entering upon the office of sheriff he has materially added to his prestige as an able and discriminating officer, being alert and imbued with great daring and courage, so that his name is one which is held in fear by male factors, in whose apprehension he has been most successful. He is one of the popular citizens of Watertown and the county, and is prominent in both official and social circles, while he commands the respect of all who know him. Mr. Waddell has been identified with the Masonic fraternity for the past thirty years, and has attained the degrees of the lodge, chapter, council and commandery. In Kasota, Minnesota. on the 22d of December, 1899, Mr. Waddell was united in marriage to Miss Mittie Whitford, who was born and reared in Minnesota, and they have two children. Hazel T. and Willard W.