Coffee County AlArchives Biographies.....Mixson, William C. September 2 1834 - living in 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 16, 2004, 3:34 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    WILLIAM C. MIXSON, a prominent farmer of Beat No. 12, was born in Monroe
county, Ga., September 2, 1834. He is a son of William and Julia (Harris)
Mixson, natives of North Carolina, in which state they were reared and where
they married. They removed to Georgia about 1832, and in 1853 removed to Coffee
county, Ala., settling on an improvement where Mr. Mixson died in October 9,
1830. His widow is still living, at the age of about eighty years. Both were
Methodists from their youth up. Mr. Mixson was a farmer, a wagon maker, a
blacksmith, etc. He was a hard-working, industrious and prosperous man. His
father, Elijah Mixson, died when the former was a child, was of English descent
and was probably a native of North Carolina. Grandfather Harris died in North
Carolina. William C. Mixson was the third of five sons and seven daughters. Four
of the sons were in the late war, viz.: William C.; Barzilli H., who served from
1862 in the western army, in the Fifty-third Alabama; Henry J., who was a
sergeant in the Fifty-fourth infantry and in the Western army from 1861 to the
close of the war. He was captured at Island No. 10, was imprisoned at Camp
Douglas until the fall of 1862, and rejoined his company when exchanged; John.
E., was in the Fifty-third Alabama mounted infantry all through the war. William
C. Mixson was elected justice of the peace in 1858, was re-elected in 1862, and
resigned in January, 1863, to join company G, Fifty-seventh Alabama infantry as
lieutenant, but commanded his company most of the time, spending his first part
of his service on the coast, at Mobile, Pensacola, Pollard, etc. He then joined
the western army at Demopolis and fought at Resaca, on to the Atlanta and
Jonesboro, back toward Nashville, but in northern Alabama he was taken sick and
sent to the hospital at Montgomery, and rejoined his regiment at Corinth after
the retreat from Nashville. He then went to North Carolina and fought at
Kingston and Bentonville and surrendered with Johnston. He was neither wounded
nor captured daring the war. After the war he resumed farming and has ever since
lived on his present farm, eight miles northeast of Clintonville, where he has a
fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres, all acquired by his own efforts,
upon which he raises his own supplies, corn, cotton, etc. He is considered one
of the best farmers in the county. While his early education was somewhat
limited, yet by his contact with the world he has acquired a great deat of
practical experience and is a man of rare common sense and sound judgment. While
not an active politician he is yet active in the support of his party, He is a
member of Clintonville lodge, No. 188, F. & A. M., and is lecturer of Pea River
farmers' alliance. He and his wife have been Methodists from their youth up. In
1891 he was instrumental in establishing Tabernacle post-office at his house and
he is the postmaster. Mr. Mixson was married January 19, 1860, to Miss Martha E.
Law, daughter of Capt. Isaiah T. Law. Mrs. Mixson was born September 18, 1846,
and has twelve children living. Captain Isaiah T. Law, is one of the pioneer
farmers and one of the most esteemed citizens of Coffee county. He was born in
Sumter district, S. C., in 1820; he is a son of Isaiah and Margaret (Washburn)
Law, the former a native of Sumter district, born in 1784, the latter born in
Rutherford county, N. C., in 1786. Mrs. Law died in South Carolina when Captain
Law was eight years old. Isaiah Law married again, and in 1832 moved to Houston
county, Ga., and afterward to Macon county, where he died in 1840. He was a man
of more than ordinary ability and was for some years associate justice of the
inferior court of Macon county. His father, George Law, was a native of Ireland.
Gabriel Washburn was propably a native of England and died in Rutherford county,
N. C., at an advanced age. Mrs. Law was born in Williamsburg district, S. C., in
1821, is the mother of ten children and is still living. In 1849 Captain Law
came to Coffee county and a few years afterward settled on his present farm six
miles north of Clintonville, where he owns 775 acres of land in two tracts. He
was a justice of the peace nine years from 1850; was tax assessor and collector
during 1852 and 1853, and was county commissioner three years, 1872-73-74. No
case tried before him was ever appealed to the circuit court. He performed
faithful service during the war of the rebellion, first as lieutenant, of
company F. Fortieth Tennessee, and as captain after the regiment was
re-organized. He was taken prisoner first at Island No. 10, and served a time on
Johnson's Island, and he was afterward captured when Vicksburg surrendered to
General Grant. He was paroled and exchanged and rejoined his company. Before
Atlanta he was again taken prisoner and was again taken to Johnson's Island,
where he was kept until June 16, 1865, and reached home June 27. He has been a
Mason since 1854 and is now a member of Clintonville lodge, No. 188. Both he and
his wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, for many
years, and stand deservedly high in the estimation of their neighbors and
friends. On the first day of August, 1892, Mr. Mixson was elected to represent
Coffee county in the state legislature of Alabama.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 676-677

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