Philander and his wife, Margaret, owned a farm near their parents in northwestern Illinois. They had several children. The following story of Philander King and his family illustrates how the Civil War affected rural families in Illinois. Although many men did not wait to be drafted, and 259,092 volunteered for service, this was not the case for all men. The government had to hold four drafts during the war and Illinois sent men in two of them. A total of 32,085 men were called and 8,997 were held to service. Of these, 55 paid $300 and were released from their obligation to serve, and 5,404 found substitutes.