William Henry Edmunds was born in Danby, Vermont on August 27, 1840. He received his early education in the public schools of that town, and at the age of seventeen came with his parents to Chittenden, where he attended school for one term.
He enlisted in the Civil War on January 4, 1862 in Company I, 7th Regiment Vermont Volunteer Militia and continued in the service until after the close of the war. He was honorably discharged on April 6, 1866. He was a Sergeant-Major and then was commissioned Second Lieutenant on March 1, 1866. His regiment served in the Department of the Gulf and he took part in 19 different engagements, including the battle of Baton Rouge, the Mobile Campaign, the Spanish Fort, and was one of the first to enter New Orleans after it was taken by General Butler and Admiral Farragut. He was also at Ft. Blakely and Whistler Station. He was present at the surrender of General Dick Taylor a month after General Lee surrendered. For six months he assisted in digging the canal at Vicksburg. After he was mustered out of service he returned to Vermont and followed farming at Chittenden for four years, operating steam saw mills and doing a large lumber business. He moved to Bethel, Vermont in 1894. He retired from the lumber business in 1907 but continued actively in the real-estate business and in farming in Bethel. In politics, he was always a Republican. He was a selectman of Stockbridge for many years. He was a Representative in the State Legislature from 1886-1888 and served on the committees of bridges and highways. For many years he was Justice of the Peace of Stockbridge. He was also the Road Commissioner in Bethel. For fifteen years he was on the Board of Selectmen of Bethel. He was a member of the White River Lodge, No. 90, the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Bethel, the Knights of Pythias of Bethel, and the H.H. Baxter Post, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) of Gaysville, VT. He attended the 50th Reunion at Gettysburg, PA.
Superintendent of the Rutland Electric Railroad Company