MONROE COUNTY, GA - BIOGRAPHIES   W.C. Corley

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'MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA", Historical and Biographical Sketches, by S. Emmett Lucas, Jr., PUBLISHED IN 1896.

Typed by Donna Wall


W. C. CORLEY, planter, Forsyth, Monroe Co., Ga., son of
Austin W. and Margaret N. (Matthews) Corleyt, was born in
Troup county, Ga., Oct. 24, 1838. His grandkfather, Austin
V. Corley, of Irish descent, was born in South Carolina in
1745, and was a soldier in the revolutionary war. By his
uprightness and thriftiness he attained to considerable
influence, and was repeatedly elected a member of the
legislature. Later in life he removed from South Carolina to
Troup county, Ga., and thence, after some years, to
Meriwether county, where he died in 1850 at the advanced age
of 105 years. His wife, also very old, died about the same
time. Both were devout, consistant members of the Missionary
Baptist church. His father was born, reared and married in
Richland Dist,m S. C., and the next fall after his marriage
he removed in wagons to Troup county, Ga., and settled. The
Indians were still there, and he helped to move them. He was
absent thirty-six days during which time his wife and child
were entirely alone. His parents lived in Troup county about
twenty years, and then moved to Meriwether county, where his
father died in 1868 and his mother in 1872. Although his
father began life quite poor, he succeeded by his industry
and frugality and good management in accumulating a
comfortable fortune. He was a democrat and a warm partisan;
himself and wife were active and prominent Missionary
Baptist, and did much toward upbuilding and advancing the
denomination wherever they lived. They reared seven
children: J. E., planter, Baker Co., Ga.; Martha E.
deceased; W. C., the subject f this sketch; S. M. single
lady at home; Robert B., deceased; Simeon B. , deceased;
Austin V., enlisted in Confederate armn, and was killed in
battle of Perryville, Ky. Mr. Corley was reared partly in
Troup and partly in Meriweather counties. When eighteen
years old age went to Cuthbert, Ga., and became one of the
firm of John R. Hull & Co. wholesale grocers. Several years
afterward he went to Doughterty county and engaged in
planting in that and in Calhoun county. The war between the
states occurred while he was in business in Cuthbert and he
enlisted in the Randolph Light guards, was made second
sergeant, and while stationed at Pensacola participated in
the Santa Rosa fight. His command did guard duty about
Savannah for a time, was in the conflicts of Chickamauga and
Missionary Ridge, was in the Georgia campaign, and finally
surrendered at Bentonville, N.C. In 1877 he went to Monroe
County, where, October 24 he was married to Miss Ellen S.,
daughter of Thomas and Sena Dewberry. This family was among
the pioneers of the county, having settled in it in 1825,
moving from Warren county. He was a wealthy planter before
the war, worth probably $300,000, largely in several
valuable tracts of land. Their children were: Madison,
deceased; Thomas, Jr., deceased; William F., planter, Monroe
county; Martha, deceased; Mary, widow, in Alabama; Sarah F.,
deceased; Jane, deceased; Amanda, deceased; Ellen S.,
deceased; Moses J., Monroe County; Berry w., Monroe county.
Capt. Corley’s wife died childless, Feb. 25, 1894.* Her
demise was sudden and unexpected, occasioned by internal
hemorrage. She was reputed to have been one of the most
beautiful ladies in the county, which was emphasized by a
very delicate organization bordering on the ethereal. His
delightful home is about six miles south of Forsyth, and
contains 700 acres; and he has another tract of 800 acres
near by. In addition he has 330 acres with half a mile of
the city limits of Columbus, Ga. He is a great lover of fine
stock, and is perfecting arrangements to establish a stock
farm on the property near Columbus. Capt. Corley is a
democrat in politics, and a Missionary Baptist. He is also a
master Mason.

{*Note: I assume this means she outlived all of her children
since were 11 listed)