Allison W. Cheney was born in Bradford, New Hampshire Sept 20,1833. When he was five he his parents moved to South Newbury, New Hampshire; where he continued to reside until about 22 years of age when he married his wife Eliza Johnson (1834-1863) and they moved to Jacksonville, Illinois and raised three children.

Allison then moved to Loami, Illinois and engaged in farming until the Civil War began. At 29 years old he mustered into Company B, 30th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers at Camp Butler as a 1st Sergeant, August 21,1861, and was in nearly all the battles with General Grant, from Belmont to Atlanta. He was in active service during the long campaign before Vicksburg, while his younger two brothers, Mark Cheney and Luke Cheney, under General Banks, were at Fort Hudson serving with the 16th Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteers. Luke Cheney after contracting an illness died in New Orleans Aug 3,1863. Allison also received word while in service that his wife Eliza had died in 1863. At the siege of Fort Donaldson, in February 1862, for "gallant conduct", he was promoted that of First Lieutenant. He later mustered out on June 5,1863.

After being mustered out in 1864, Allison moved back to New Hampshire where he purchased a farm in Sutton, New Hampshire. He remarried to an Alma Perkins. Allison became active in the G.A.R. of Sutton, NH, where he served as commander with the Robert Campbell Post, No. 58.

While working on his farm in Sutton, NH he died on November 23rd 1886. The cause of death was a heart difficulty super induced by disease contracted through exposure in the army during the War of the Rebellion.

Allison kept a written account of all his activities while serving in the army by writing in his diaries on a daily basis. These diaries described the hardships that all who served endured during the Rebellion. These diaries were passed down to Allison’s Great -Great Grandson Wayne Allison Cheney.