Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County IL, 1878

Felix W. CALKINS, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 6; P. O. Peotone; born in Burlington, 
Louisa Co., Iowa, May 4, 1844, and removed with his parents when quite young, to Chicago, 
living there until 1854; then to Naperville, Du Page Co., until 1860; then to Lockport, 
Will Co., until July 29,1862, when he enlisted, at the age of 17, in the 100th IL Vol. 
In. for three years, and in less than one month was with his regiment doing active service 
at the front; he was in many hard-fought battles, and at Stone River was captured, but 
escaped during the night, and reaching the Union lines again, joined his regiment and was 
made prisoner at the battle of Chickamauga Sept. 20, 1863, and taken to Atlanta, Ga.; from 
there to Libby Prison, where he, with others was formed in line, then robbed of all money 
and valuables; from there he was taken to Pemberton and Belle Island for several months; 
then to Danville, Ga., where they were placed in large tobacco warehouses and remained 
during the winter of 1863 and 1864; the winter was one of unusual severity and the prisoners 
were without clothing and were allowed no fire during the entire winter; during the winter 
the small-pox raged with fearful fatality, nearly every prisoner being down and receiving 
no care except such as received from their fellow-prisoners; the fatal cases exceeded upward 
of 50 per cent of the entire sick-list; in May, 1864, he was removed to Andersonville, 
where he remained until November following; the cruelty inflicted here was in keeping with 
its well-known acts of barbarism; from Andersonville, he with 15,000 others, was taken to 
Charleston, S. C., and placed under the most exposed part of the fire of the Union gunboats 
during the bombardment of the city; from there they were taken to Florence Prison, S. C.; 
remaining here until the 21st of February, 1865, when they were placed in box cars with 
upward of eighty in each car, and such as survived the journey were paroled in Richmond 
Feb. 28, 1865; Mr. CALKINS was in rebel prisons nearly two years, and has his health much 
impaired and for a period of two years it was feared he would entirely lose his eyesight; 
he received his discharge for disability in St. Louis June 16, 1865, when he placed himself 
under medical treatment for one year for physical disability caused by cruel treatment 
while in rebel prisons. He located upon his present place in 1866; he owns 200 acres of 
well-improved land, valued at $10,000, which he has accumulated by strict integrity, hard 
labor and industry. He married Aug. 23, 1865, Rosaline CALKINS; she was born in Orleans Co., 
Vt., April 12, 1842; they have three children by this union - George W., Ĉolia M. and Ettie L.


Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.