Corporal William M. Conley/Connelly, was born in 1842 in Ohio County, Va. At age 20, he was a farmer and enrolled at (and/or was a resident of) Moundsville. He mustered in at Wheeling, 20 Aug 1862. On 14 Dec 1862, he died of pneumonia at Cumberland, Maryland and is buried in Antietam National Cemetery.*

William M. was the son of Eli and Louisa Jane Bowman Connelly/Conley. Eli was born in 1809 on the Eastern shore of Maryland, probably Caroline County. He was a farmer at Woodlands, south of Moundsville, Marshall County, W. Va. He died in Moundsville in 1898; Louisa Jane also died there.

Eli Connelly was the s/o William Connelly who died about 1830, probably Caroline County, Maryland. His wife was Sophia Eaton, b. 1783 in Maryland; d. 1876 in Wheeling W.Va. Following her husband's death, Sophia and children moved to Washington Co., PA and in 1832 removed to Wheeling (W)VA. She lived to be 93 and is buried in Mt. Wood Cemetery. (Brothers of Eli were: (1) Elisha Connelly, b. 26 Nov 1812 Eastern Shore, MD; d. 14 Apr 1898, Wheeling WV; m. Lorena Edmonds Abt. 1834. (2) William Eaton Connelly, b. 1818 MD; a Grocer in North Wheeling; married Sarah Ann Holiday in 1844. He died 27 Feb 1871 and is buried in Mt. Wood Cemetery.)

William M. Conley's brothers were:

i. Hamilton W. Connelly, b. Sep 1839, Ohio Co., VA; m. (1) Mary Jane Craig, 13 Jul 1862, Marshall Co., VA; m. (2) Alissa Baughner, 19 Nov 1876, Marshall Co., W.Va.
ii. Francis M. Connelly b. Nov 1852, Woodlands; m. Anna V. Jones, 23 Sep 1877, Marshall Co., W.Va.

Eight sisters, all born at Woodlands (W)Va.:

i. Sophia, b. Apr 1844; d. May 1917; m. James M. Parsons, 06 Jul 1862, West Alexander, Pa.
ii. Mary Ann, b. Feb 1846; d. Sep 1931; m. Israel Parsons, 07 Oct 1868, Moundsville W.Va.; s/o Jeahue (Jehu) and Catherine Yoho Parsons.
iii. Sarah Margaret, b. 1848; d. Jan 1921, Glendale W.Va.; m. Jason Parsons, 28 Sep 1867, Franklin Twp. Marshall Co., W.Va., s/o Jeahue and Catherine Yoho Parsons.
iv. Amelia Shriver Connelly, b. Jan 1851; d. Nov 1938, Moundsville, W.Va.; m. Lockwood John Helms, 19 Nov 1872, Franklin Twp. Marshall Co. W.Va., s/o George Helms and Eliza.
v. Almeda, b Apr 1855; m. Robert T. Jones, 16 Apr 1882, Richhill Twp., Greene Co., Pa.
vi. Ruth Connelly, b. 08 Oct 1857.
vii. Ida E., b. Feb 1860
viii Elizabeth Connelly, b. 1862

Note: Cpl. William M. Conley was the great uncle of Eglintine Lydia Parsons Hickman. She thanks Garnet Baxter, Claude Ray Burton, Everett Shipley, Carol Scott & Norbert Klug for research assistance on this Connelly/Conley/Connley family.

Some information provided by Linda Fluharty from West Virginia Adjutant General's Report.