When William joined the Union forces on 13 June 1861 at age 19, the country was at Civil War. To serve for three years, William moved up to corporal in Captain Norths Company, 12th Regiment, Illnois Infantry. He first engaged in combat at the Battle of Fort Henry. Later, he fought at the Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing), Tennessee in General McClernand's Division where he was severely wounded on the first day of battle, a gun shot wound to the left hip. The object lodged in the muscle of the thigh. Records show he was examined at Camp Butler on Sept 23. He was discharged 12 Oct 1862 at Jackson, Tenn. He married on Christmas the last year of the war. He is buried in Lamar Colorado, a town on the Santa Fe Trail just west of the Kansas border on Route 50.
At age 19, he was described as 5 ft 8 in tall, brown hair, blue eyes, fair complexion. Occupation was a farmer.
Father: James Marrs b.1809
Mother: Elizabeth (O'Neal) Marrs b. 1814
1st Wife
Elizabeth Anna (Grissom) Marrs b.1843
Married: Christmas - 25 December 1864
Children
Ida Mae Marrs b. 1866
Eva Maud Marrs b. 1868
Omer Marrs b. 1871
Frank Ray Marrs b. 1873
Frederick Marrs b. 1876
Eliza Sylvesta Marrs b. 1879
William Herbert Marrs b. 1882
2nd Wife
Lucinda Jane (Manory) Marrs b.1843?
Children
Mary Jane Marrs b. 1892
Zanie Lorena Rebecca Marrs b. 1896
James Foster Marrs b. 1897
Millie Ann Vinetta Marrs b. 1900
William H. Marrs Civil War discharge papers
His discharge papers read:
William H. Marrs, a Corporal of Captian James M North's Company (E) of the Twentieth Regiment of the United
States Illinois Infantry and was enlisted or enrolled by Col C. C. Marsh, of the 20th Regiment of JNs Infantry
at Joliet with Co JN's on the 13th day of June, 1861, to serve a three years; he was born in Shelby in the State
of Ohio, is nineteen years of age, five feet eight inches high, fair complexion, blue eyes,, brown hair and
by occupation when enlisted a farmer. During the last five months said soldier has been unfit for duty 150 days.
Was severly wounded on 6th April 1862 at Battle of Pittsburgh Landing Tenn's a gun shot "wound" in the left hip.
State of Jackson, Tenn
Date:Oct 12 1862 JM North, Capt Commanding Company
I certify that I have carefully examined the said William H Marrs of Captian North's "E" Company, and find him incapable of performing the dutied of a soldier because of a gun shot wound of the left hip, the object causing this wound entered forward of the "joint" which enter and lodged in the muscles of the thigh causing damage to such a degree as to render him totally unfit (incapable is scratched out) for the duties of a soldier.
Camp Butler
September 23, 1862
CC Bahmon?, Surgeon
Discharged this twelth day of October 1862 at Jackson, Tenn