Descendants? yes and no. He had 6 children - 2 died under age 1, daughter died age 24 - not married, son who was Brig Gen. married was always in the military and away - one distinct 1900 census in the Philippines, one stray document with the McClernand surname but others seem to have changed name spelling. One daughter (the eldest) married Wirt Butler and she died at age 24  - and there are Butler descendants. Have looked at all know sources for trees - no children ever show up past his sons.

> Note from a tree on line:

> Wirt Butler, son of William, grandson of Elkanah

> The marriage of Wirt & Helen must have been of been a huge affair. Wirt was the son of William Butler, who was among other things one of Abraham Lincoln's closest friends. William was also considered one of most wealthiest and influential men in the state of Illinois. Instead of serving in the union army in the civil war, Wirt attended Brown University and went on to receive his law degree from Harvard. After graduation, Wirt managed to grab the attention of John McClernand. General McClernand having come back from the civil war and recovering from a near fatal case of malaria, needed to rebuild his law practice. Wirt received the opportunity of a lifetime as he was hired on as a junior partner in the McClernand practice. From there, Wirt met and married the Boss's oldest daughter, Helen Chase McClernand. Helen was considered one of the prettiest girls in town and was not only the daughter John McClernand, but also the granddaughter of Morgan County power broker, General James Dunlap. Dunlap was a very wealthy and influential man in his own right. Although from appearances, some thought the marriage of Wirt & Helen was one of connivance, rather than true love but this was not the case. In fact, the couple were madly in love, and only separable by death. Shortly after the birth of their only son, William Joseph Butler, Helen contracted consumption, what we know now as typhoid fever. She died at the tender age of 23, leaving a motherless child and a shattered husband. Wirt and Helen had less than three years together. Wirt went to have a successful law practice and political career, but he never married again. Instead of looking for a new wife, he found comfort in alcohol and developed a bad drinking habit. Although he lived with his father for the majority of his life, his Aunt and his Grandfather McClernand raised young Willie. The medical report claims that Henry Wirt Butler died in 1915 of cirrhosis, but his family and those who knew him said it was from a broken heart.