William's older brother Cornelius, was 43 when he enlisted. He fought at Gettysberg, and was captured at Brandy Station. Briefly was in Libby Prison, and then transferred to Andersonville. He later died imprisoned there of starvation. William had another brother, James Cannon (the 2nd) who fought in the CW. Also his brother, Daniel, and another older brother, beleived to be Martin.
Lemuel Brooks (brother to Josephine Brooks who married William S VanLIew after the war), was also a soldier in the Union Army, and was captured and imprisoned at Andersonville. Lemuel was part of a prisoner exchange at the end of the war, and was transported to Memphis, Tennessee, where he put aboard the Sultana. While traveling up the Mississippi, the Sultana exploded in the night (it was built to transport 350 passengers, not 2200)! Lemuel was tossed into the drink and found a piece of wood to cling to and floated downriver 11 miles before he was fished out of the water. He returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and took up land granted to him by President Grant for his service in the Union army, and became quite prominent in Kent and Newago counties. Lemuel had a twin brother who also served in the CW, but we don't have any information on him.