William Emerson (c.1839-?) was born in New York and died in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, he served in Company A of the Massachusetts 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was badly wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862 and was discharged later that year. In the early 1880s, William Emerson and his first wife, Nellie J. Emerson, moved to Chicago, Illinois, where they became interested in Christian Science. The Emersons attended the Primary class taught by Mary Baker Eddy in Chicago in May 1884. Nellie attended the whole class and William was present for the last five days. Nellie maintained a healing practice for several years after the class, but records suggest William's involvement with Christian Science was limited to his time in class. The Emersons divorced in 1891, and William re-married shortly thereafter. He moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a clerk in the Navy Department. There is no record of William Emerson uniting with the Church of Christ (Scientist).

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