William Lewis Barnum was a lieutenant colonel with the 11th Missouri Veteran Volunteer Infantry during the US Civil War. He received a pension as an Army Invalid.
From: The Book of Chicagoans, A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Living Men of the City of Chicago, 1905, Edited by Albert Nelson Marquis, Chicago, A. N. Marquis & Company, 1905: Barnum, William Lewis, insurance; b. Newark. N. J., Aug. 24, 1829; s. Ammon and Catherine King (Erwin) Barnum: ed. private schools and Knox College: took course in higher mathematics and civil engineering: m. Springfield, Illinois, 1854, Mary Davis Clark. After leaving manual training school began as clerk in dry goods store; then went to Saint Louis with wholesale store as collector and salesman for the company and acting as their attorney; made trips on horseback from Saint Louis to Saint Paul, covering territory adjacent to Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in summer, and similar trips south, through Red River and Mississippi valleys to New Orleans in winter, for seven years: then bought a store at Decatur. Ill. Was appointed agent and attorney for swamp lands by Gov. Bissell; studied law; admitted to bar, 1859, while living at Decatur. When war broke out, in 1861, was called to staff of Gov. Yates, organizing and drilling recruits, and in July, 1861, at Gov. Yates' request, took command of company of sharpshooters at Jacksonville, Ill., and took them to Saint Louis Arsenal; mustered in as Capt. Company "I", First Regt., U. S. Rifles: later Lieut. Col. and Col. Eleventh Missouri Veteran Volunteers. After war, came to Chicago in winter of 1865-6, and a year later bought insurance business of Lambert C. Hall, and has since been engaged in fire Insurance business. Republican. Mason, 32°, K. T. Mem. Loyal Legion. Club: Union League. Office: 205 LaSalle St. Residence: Lakota Hotel.
Passport application: Name: William L Barnum; Birth Date: 24 Aug 1829; Birth Place: Newark, New Jersey; Residence: The City of Chicago, Illinois; Passport Issue Date: 3 Apr 1908; Description of applicant: Age, 88+ years; Stature, 5 feet 10-1/2 inches, Eng.; Forehead, High; Eyes, Blue; Nose, Straight; Mouth, Medium; Chin, Round; Hair, Gray; Complexion, Fair; Face, Oval; Address: 174 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill's. Foreign destination not given. Source: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 (M1490).
Honolulu, Hawaii, Passenger Lists, 1900-1953. Name: William L Barnum; Age: 90; Gender: Male; Birth Year: 1829; Birthplace: New Jersey; Port of Departure: San Francisco, California; Departure Date: 21 Feb 1919; Ship: SS Enterprise; Port of Arrival: Honolulu, Hawaii; Arrival Date: 1 Mar 1919; Last Residence: Illinois. The Barnum Family, 1350-1907 mistakenly gives his birthdate as 25 Aug 1829.
He died without issue.
From the Chicago Daily Tribune, May 29, 1921: Col. William Lewis Barnum, age 91, Interment Springfield, Illinois, Member George E. Thomas Post, GAR; Thomas Turner Lodge 409; AF & AM; Chicago Council No.; Apollo commandery No 1; Oriental consistory, Medinah Temple, and Military Order of the Loyal Legion.
Illinois Death Index: William Lewis Barnum died May 28, 1921 at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.