Covington County AlArchives Biographies.....Knowles, William T. October 1832 - living in 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 17, 2004, 7:44 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) WILLIAM T. KNOWLES, farmer and timberman of Beat No. 2, was born at Clay Hill, Pike county, Ala., in October, 1832. He is a son of Richard and Martha Jane (Oliver) Knowles, the former a native of Georgia, and the latter of Ora, Laurens county, S. C. Both of these people came with their respective parents to Alabama at an early day, married in Pike county, and removed Coffee county in 1842, where Mr. Knowles died in September, 1890, lacking only twenty days of being one hundred years old. His wife died in 1886. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church from her youth up. Mr. Knowles was a prosperous farmer all his life, always industrious, enterprising, and active in public affairs; courteous, genial and generous till his death. He was one of a family of five sons and three daughters born to Richard Linsey Knowles, a Georgian by birth who at an early day removed to Alabama, settling at Clay Hill where he died before the war. He was a wealthy planter, was a self-made man, though uneducated, and of Irish parentage. His wife also died at Clay Hill. William Oliver, Mather of our subject on the mother's side, was raised an orphan boy in South Carolina. He married in this state and came to Pike county, Ala., and thence to Montgomery county, where he died, at a great age, after the war. He was a wealthy planter, was in the Indian war with Mr. Knowles, and raised a large family. He was married twice, and both wives died in Montgomery county. William T. Knowles was the eldest of four sons and six daughters, only five of whom are living, the subject being the only one in this county. He was reared on the farm, and at the age of seventeen engaged in teaming for his father, with whom he remained until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1855 he married Matilda, daughter of Allen Daniel, a Georgian. Mrs. Knowles had two children, and died in Coffee county before the war. These children were Richard, and Willie Elizabeth, wife of Jasper Thompson. Mr. Knowles was married, the second time, to Pollie E., daughter of Bradford C. and Mary Carter, both natives of Georgia, whence they removed to Coffee county, Ala., and where Mr. Carter died in 1888, Mrs. Carter is still living. Mrs. Knowles was born in Georgia and is the mother of six children. The first and second born died in infancy; William; Florence; Horace; Clara. In July, 1861, Mr. Knowles joined company B, of Hilliard's legion, and spent three months at Montgomery, and then some months at Chattanooga. He went then to Knoxville and Cumberland Gap, then through the Kentucky campaign and back to Knoxville and to Missionary Ridge. He then went to Virginia with Longstreet and fought in the Wilderness and at the siege of Petersburg. He was captured at Hatcher's Run thirteen days before the surrender of Lee, and was a prisoner at Point Lookout three months and thirteen days, when he was discharged at Mobile, and returned to his home. He was never wounded in the whole time of his service, although he participated in many hard fought battles and skirmishes. He then engaged in farming in Coffee county about a year, and then in milling at Greenville about a year, then in Wilcox county one year, and then in Conecuh county a year. Since then he has been engaged in the same business in Covington county, and for twenty-one years at his present location. His business has been all this time, farming, milling and cutting timber. He owns about 5,000 acres of timber land individually, and owns in connection with James A. Prestwood about 1,600 acres of timber land. Mr. Knowles started in life after the war with nothing and is now one of the most extensive land owner in the county. He has been active and industrious and has always given strict attention to his own affairs. He was a justice of the peace for eighteen years consecutively until 1890, when he declined longer service. He has never sought office. One of the peculiarities of Mr. Knowles is that he has never shaved, and during the war he never had his hair cut, and at the close of the conflict it extended below his waist. Mr. Knowles is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and is one of the reliable and substantial men of the county. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 751-752 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb