ALBERT
GALLATIN WILLIAMS - son of John
and Jane (KNIGHT) WILLIAMS,
was born August 6, 1831, in a small log cabin at Lick Ford on Culbertson
Creek, owned now by the heirs of Wallace RADER. His father was born April
4, 1793, in a cabin 200 yards east of Salem Church, and his mother was
born near Culberton, one mile east of Maysville, August 10, 1803. She
died April 2, 1858, on Sinking Creek, at the BURR place, and John WILLIAMS
died May 2, 1863, at Samuel THOMPSON's one mile east of Lewisburg. The
first wife of Albert G. Williams was Nancy DONALLY, whom
he married January 1, 1854, and their children are three: James
Bryson, born October 20, 1854; Luther J., October
18, 1856; John B., November 19, 1861. She died in April,
1862. She was a daughter of John DONALLY, twin brother
of Tommy DONALLY, first settlers of this county. It is
said of these twin-brothers that they looked so much alike you could not
tell "which was the other one." Both were noted in their day
for strength of body and vigor of mind. At Salem Church, near Maysville,
January 1, 1863, Albert G. WILLIAMS married Elizabeth
A. DONALLY, and their children were born: Dora Belle,
June 7, 1864; Elizabeth Jane, March 25, 1866; Ulysses
A., August 2, 1868; Thomas M.,
July 16, 1871; Howard Elmer, June 10, 1875. Ulyssess
died March 31, 1870, and the others are with their parents. Elizabeth
A. DONALLY was born on Wolf Creek, Monroe County, (then) Virginia, June
6, 1831, a daughter of James and Hannah (DUNBAR)
DONALLY. Her parents were born in Monroe County, her father in
1806, and her mother on Christmas Day, 1805, and her father died in April,
1864, near Centreville, Upshur County, where her mother is still living
with Mr. WILLIAMS, and Mary M., now wife of Rev. D. C. HEDRICK. John
WILLIAMS, great-grandfather of A. G., was born in Wales
about 1714. He came to America about 1736, and married Mary
McCOY and they settled on Sinking Creek, in Greenbrier
County. He fell a victim to the Indians, where S. B. WILLIAMS
now lives. David,
grandfather of A. G., then an infant in his mother's arms, was taken prisoner
by the Indians, and at a later date exchanged. He married Margaret,
daughter of John McMILLION, and settled on the farm now
owned by his youngest son, James.
Here his house was always the home of the itinerant preacher, and he lived
an earnest, Christian life, and was the founder of the old Salem Church.
Albert Gallatin WILLIAMS is farmer, grazier and dealer in real estate.
He was assessor for the lower district of Greenbrier County, 1866-7. He
filled the place of school commissioner, employed teachers, paid them
out of his own funds, furnished schoolhouse, and for a large part of his
disbursements has never been repaid. He receives his mail at Big Clear
Creek, Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
GEORGE W. WILLIAMS
- born in Greenbrier County, August 10, 1833, in this county, April 25,
1866, was united in marriage with Elizabeth Jane McCLUNG,
who was born in Greenbrier County in 1841. Minnie Virginia,
their oldest child, was born February 15, 1867; Lena E.,
was born May 8, 1868; Callie E., September 20, 1871;
Ida S., December 21, 1873; Cassius M.,
December 6, 1875, and Harry Stuart, May 20, 18879. John
WILLIAMS, father of George W., and son of David
WILLIAMS, was born in Williamsburg District, April 17,
1794, and he married Jane,
daughter of James KNIGHT, Sr., her birth in Williamsburg
District in 1808. She died in this district, April 2, 1858, and John WILLIAMS
died in Lewisburg, May 12, 1863. He was seven years deputy sheriff of
Greenbrier County, and was one of the prominent citizens who were instrumental
in bringing the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad through this county. He always
gave his best endeavors to internal improvements of his native county,
and, although a Methodist in religious faith, gave liberally to the cause
of education regardless of creed. He was proprietor of the Blue Sulphur
Springs, in this county, and gave several thousand dollars to the founding
and building of the Allegheny College at that place. He was two years
a soldier of the 1812 war-in politics a Whig and then a Democrat. He was
a Welsh descent, a descendant of Thomas
WILLIAMS, who came here from Augusta county and was murdered
and had his children carried off by the Indians. At one time John WILLIAMS
was the largest land-owner in the county, having 153,900 acres in one
survey, and 200,000 in all. Russell and Sarah
(McCLINTOCK) McCLUNG, born in Williamsburg District, were the
parents of Elizabeth J. (McCLUNG) WILLIAMS. Her father died about 1849,
and her mother in October, 1865. At the outbreak of the civil war, George
W. Williams was a student in the Virginia University, educating for the
bar. He abandoned study, entered the Confederate army, and on many a hard-fought
field did a soldier's duty. He served first in the 69th Virginia, known
as "Wise's Legion," and when that disbanded at Richmond, in
1862, he entered the 13th Battalion of Artillery, where he served until
1864, when he was promoted major of signal corps, on General Breckenridge's
staff, till the war ended. Since the war he has been engaged in farming,
and is a local minister of the Methodist Protestant Church, Greenbrier
circuit. He represented this county in the legislature, in 1872, and was
re-elected in 1874. During his second term the capital controversy raged
and he was one of the supporters of Charleston for the capital. His post
office address is Williamsburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
JOHN McELHENY
WILLIAMS - born in Braxton County, (then) Virginia, April 24,
1826, was twelve years old when his parents, Joseph and
Martha (BROWN) WILLIAMS, who were natives of Greenbrier
County, came back to make their home here. Both are now deceased, his
father's death occurring in 1880. Mr. WILLIAMS is settled in Falling Spring
District, farming and raising stock, and when he came here the valley
was almost entirely uncultivated and wild game abounded, but now the land
is almost all settled and the game has disappeared. The farm of Mr. WILLIAMS
is historic ground, as the memorable battle of Droop Mountain was fought
upon it, one of the most momentous engagements of the civil war. Mr. WILLIAMS
served in the Federal army throughout the struggle of four years, and
did some service for the government besides. In 1866 he was supervisor
in his district, and sat on the bench of that court for one year. He was
two years member of the board of registration, one year by appointment
from Governor Boreman, and one year appointed by Governor Stevenson. In
Pocahontas County, (then) Virginia, March 4, 1852, John Mc. WILLIAMS
and Sarah KELLISON were joined in wedlock, and to them
were born ten children: Martha Susanna, June 13, 1853;
Rachel Arminta, April 28, 1855; Minerva Hester,
December 7, 1856; Albert Luther, March 29, 1859; James
Robert, May 1, 1861; Mary Frances, July 10,
1863; Waitman T. W., September 7, 1866; Washington
Raymond, May 9, 1869; Edmund Cornell, September
15, 1872; Wilson Lawrence, February 2, 1874. James R.
lives in Ellsworth County, Kansas, Minerva H. in Augusta County, Virginia;
Martha and Rachel have homes of their own in Greenbrier County, and the
other children are with their parents. Sarah, wife of Mr. Williams, was
born in Pocahontas County, December 4, 1834 a daughter of James
and Susanna (McCOLUMN) KELLISON. Mt. Murphy, Pocahontas
County, West Virginia, is the post office address of John Mc. WILLIAMS.
MORGAN WILLIAMS
- is a son of early and prominent settlers of Greenbrier County, Hensen
and Sarah (WESTLICK) WILLIAMS. They were in life loved
and respected by all who knew them, and their son is universally respected,
no man standing higher in the county. He was born near Frankford, June
18, 1818, and his wedded life there began, on the 7th of October, 1841.
She who has shared more than forty years of wedded life with him was Jane
HANNAH, born near Frankford, October 14, 1813. She was a daughter
of Joseph and Polly (BLAIR) HANNAH,
now many years dead. In the civil war, Mr. WILLIAMS lost one brother-in-law,
and several distant relatives, killed in the Confederate service. The
farm for many years owned by Morgan WILLIAMS, and whose cultivation he
still superintends, is well situated on Little Creek, in Anthonys Creek
district, three miles from Alvon, eleven from Frankford, twenty from Lewisburg,
and twelve from White Sulphur Springs. His postoffice address is Alvon,
Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
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