William
Ketchum - the son of Major Daniel Ketchum, distinguished
in the War of 1812-15 against Great Britain - attended the
U.S. Military Academy from July 1, 1830, to July 1, 1834,
when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to Bvt. Second
Lieut., 6th Infantry, July 1, 1834. He served in garrison
at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1834-36; as Bearer of Dispatches.
Promoted to Second Lieut., 6th Infantry, on Dec. 31, 1836),
he remained in garrison at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1836-37,
and on frontier duty at Camp Sabine, La., 1837-38.
He was promoted to First Lieut., 6th Infantry, Dec. 25,
1837.
He served in the Florida
Wars (1838-42), and served thereafter as as Adjutant, 6th
Infantry, from Oct. 1, 1838, to Feb. 28, 1839. Promoted
to Captain in 1839, he served on the Staff as Assistant
Quartermaster during 1839-42 he was on Quartermaster duty,
1839-42; as Bearer of Dispatches to Washington in 1842;
and returned to Quartermaster duty at Ft. Gibson, Indian
Territory as Captain, 6th Infantry during 1843-45.
After his service with
the 6th Infantry during the Military Occupation of Texas
(1845-46), Ketchum was on frontier duty at Ft. Gibson and
Ft. Wayne, Indian Terr. (1846-48), and on frontier duty
at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (1849). During 1849-52,
his unit was posted at Ft. Laramie, Dakota to protect emigrants.
During 1852-54, Ketchum was on recruiting service, and guarding
the mails between Ft. Kearny, Neb., and the Sweet Water,
1854-55, -- on Sioux Expedition, 1855; as Member of Board
to Examine Subalterns appointed to 6th Infantry, from civil
life, 1855-56; on frontier duty at the Infantry, Howitzer
Battery, and Park Train, during the Action of Solomon’s
Fork, Kan., July 29, 1857, -- in quelling Kansas Disturbances,
1857-58, -- Utah Expedition 1858, -- March of two thousand
miles to California, 1858, -- Benicia, Cal., 1858, -- New
San Diego, Cal., 1858-59, -- Majave Expedition, 1859, --
New San Diego, Cal., 1859-60, -- Major, 4th Infantry, June
5, 1860 Alcatraz Island, Cal., 1860, -- Ft. Vancouver,
Wash., 1860-61, -- Ft. Dalles, Or., 1861, -- Ft. Townshend,
Wash., 1861, -- San Francisco, Cal., 1861, -- and Southern
California, 1861; and on voyage to New York, 1861.
Promoted to Lieut.-Col.,
10th Infantry, Nov. 1, 1861, he served as Acting Inspector-General,
headquarters at St. Louis, Mo., of the Department of the
Missouri, Dec. 8, 1861, to Mar. 11, 1862, of the Department
of the Mississippi, Mar. 11 to July 11, 1862, -- and of
the department of the Missouri, July 11 to Aug. 5, 1862;
in organizing Pennsylvania
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Volunteers, at Harrisburg,
Pa., Aug. 11-24, -- and Illinois Volunteers, at Springfield,
Ill., Aug. 29 to Oct. 28, 1862; on Special duty in the War
Department, auditing accounts, etc., etc., Nov. 3, 1862,
to Feb. 13, 1866, being detached to superintend the muster
out and payment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, at Harrisburg,
Pa., July 23 to Aug. 20, 1863,
Ketchum was made Brig.-General,
U. S. Volunteers, on Feb. 3, 1862 and Bvt. Colonel, Feb.
1, 1863, for Meritorious Services in Missouri, in the Line
of the Army.
-- on special tour
of inspection in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, June 28
to July 22, 1864,
Colonel, 11th Infantry,
May 6, 1864
-- on Board to examine
into the management and military control of General Hospitals,
Aug. 5, 1864,
-- in organizing Pennsylvania
Volunteers, at Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Sep. 7 to Oct.
4, 1864, -- on special tour of Harper’s Ferry, Va., to secure
paymasters and their funds, Oct. 14-15, 1864, -- as Member
of a Commission to inspect and report on the Quartermaster
Department in New York and Philadelphia, Mar. 25 to June
24, 1865, as required by joint resolution of Congress, approved
Mar. 3, 1865, -- and on inspection of Staff service in Florida,
Sep. 29 to Oct. 31, 1866; and on Special duty under the
Treasury Department, “to investigate the audit the accounts
presented against the Government by the several States for
Military Expenditures chargeable against the Treasury,”
Feb. 13 to July 5, 1866. Mustered Out of Volunteer
Service, Apr. 30, 1866.
Bvt. Maj.-General,
U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865, for Diligent, Faithful, and Meritorious
Service in the War Department
He served on special
duty in the Adjutant-General’s Office, at Washington, D.
C., July 5, 1866, to Dec. 15, 1870. After 30 consecutive
years of service, Ketchum retired from active service on
Dec. 15, 1870. Ketchum died on June 28, 1871 in
Baltimore, Md. at the age of 58.
