WILLIAM A. WAY, farmer and stock-grower, section 6, range 10, township 17, post office, Virginia,, was born in Morgan county, Illinois, October 5, 1842. He was the son of Jesse and Melinda (Guin) Way, early settlers in Morgan county. The father came to the county in 1832, and has been a resident of either Morgan or Cass county ever since, and now resides in Virginia city. The mother died in Virginia in 1880, leaving six children: Elizabeth, the eldest, married T. H. Williams and died in Nebraska; Mary died when twelve years of age; Richard is a farmer, residing in Cass county, Virginia precinct; Stephen is the same, and John died at the age of twenty-six years.
William attended the public schools and then learned the carpenter trade, intermingled with farming. He enlisted August 11, 1862, in Company I, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was assigned to duty in the army of the Cumberland. A few days after the battle of Chickamauga, while on a scouting expedition, composed of details from the different regiments, he was taken prisoner with several others. He was sent to Richmond, via Atlanta, and was kept there about six weeks, quartered in the Smith building, near Libby prison. He was then taken to Danville, Virginia, kept there five months, and then to Andersonville, where he remained about eight months. From there he was sent to Charleston, and on from there to Florence. At this place he was paroled December 7, 1864, after fourteen months and thirteen days imprisonment. To say that he suffered a thousand deaths during this long confinement is no exaggeration. He was attacked with scurvy while in Andersonville and suffered greatly from that cause. Even to this day his limbs are scarred and measurably deformed. After this he was sent to Annapolis, Maryland, and then home, remaining there three months under treatment. He rejoined the regiment at Shield Mill, and remained there until the end of the war. He was discharged June 11, 1865, and returned to Virginia, Illinois.
He was married December 24, 1868, in Cass county, to Hattie Davis, daughter of Julia Ann and Edward Davis, old settlers of Cass county. Mr. and Mrs. Way have four children: Lenora married D. J. Parkison, a railroad employee; Walter, Linnie and John L. are all under the parental roof.
Mr. Way's grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Way is independent in politics, voting for men rather than for parties. He is one of the men that a grateful country would delight to honor.