| William B. McCreery | |
| Order: | 14th |
| Office: | State Treasurer of Michigan |
| Term Start: | 1875 |
| Term End: | 1878 |
| Governor: | John J. Bagley Charles Croswell |
| Predecessor: | Victory P. Collier |
| Successor: | Benjamin D. Pritchard |
| Constituency: | Michigan |
| Order2: | 9th |
| Office2: | Mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan |
| Term Start2: | 1865 |
| Term End2: | 1867 |
| Predecessor2: | William Hamilton |
| Successor2: | Austin B. Witherbee[1] |
| Birth Date: | August 27, 1836 |
| Birth Place: | Mt. Morris, Livingston County, New York |
| Death Date: | December 9, 1896 |
| Spouse: | Ada B. Fenton[2] [3] |
| Relations: | Reuben McCreery, Father Charles H. McCeery, Brother[4] William M. Fenton, Father-in-law |
| Children: | Fenton Reuben[5] |
| Profession: | Law |
| Branch: | Army |
| Rank: | 21st Michigan Infantry |
| Unit: | Company F, Second Michigan Infantry |
| Commands: | 21st Michigan Infantry |
| Battles: | Civil War -- Stones River Williamsburg Chickamauga |
William B. McCreery (August 27, 1836 – December 9, 1896) was an American politician and diplomat who lived much of his life in Michigan.[6]
McCreery was born on August 27, 1836, in Mt. Morris, Livingston County, New York.[5] In 1859, he was admitted to the county bar.[7]
Initially assigned to Company F, Second Michigan Infantry,[7] He was later a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 21st Michigan Infantry[8] with the Union Army in the Civil War. He fought with valor and was serious wounded at Williamsburg, Virginia, and at Chickamauga.[7] He was captured by the Confederates[6] after being wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga.[2] He escaped in 1864 from Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia[6] reportedly by the way of a tunnel dug by himself and other prisoners.[7]
Returning to Flint, McCreery enter the general merchandising business with F. W. Judd then in the lumber industry with a sawmill on the banks of the Flint River just south of the Saginaw Road bridge. In the Grant administration, he became the district collector of internal revenue. He was involved in the Flint City Water Works Company as its president and as an original stockholders and in the Grand Trunk Railway Flint-Lansing extension construction.[7]
He was elected as the ninth mayor of the City of Flint in 1865 serving two 1-year terms. Elected Michigan State Treasurer in 1875 serving until 1878. Appointed in 1890 as U.S. Consul in Valparaíso.[6]
He served as a director of First National Bank of Flint. McCreery died on December 9, 1896, in Flint, Michigan, and laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Michigan.[6]