BIOGRAPHIES - LAYSON, William M., Bourbon County, Kentucky From: Bob Francis http://www.shawhan.com Date: 07 Feb 2000 The biographies are taken primarily from William Perrin's "The History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky" and E. Polk Johnson's "The History of Kentucky and Kentuckians," Vol. III. Many Bourbon County, Kentucky, researchers have pointed out mistakes and they are notated. Name: William M. LAYSON _________________________________________ Birth: May 6, 1844 Father: Zedekiah M. LAYSON (1811-1903) Mother: Margaret H. MILLER (-1851) Spouses _________________________________________ 1: Maggie ORR Father: Benjamin Grayson ORR Marriage: January 25, 1870 Children: Charles B. (1871-); Zed Clark (1875-) WILLIAM. LAYSON, Jr.,1 farmer; P. O. Millersburg; son of Zed M., born May 11, 1811, in Bourbon County, to Isaac and Mary (Moore) Layson; she of John Moore and a Miss Black, natives, the former of Delaware, the latter of Maryland; came to Fayette County about 1788. Isaac Layson, son of John and Margaret (Martin) Layson, located near where Paris now stands, before the first house was built at that place. Isaac had eight children: Wm., Zed M., Margaret A. Moore, John M., Robert W., America (Moore) Ardery and Isaac Z.; the four oldest are still living. The grandparents of our subject were natives of Bourbon County. The father of our subject was twice married; first to Margaret H. Miller, daughter of William Miller, he a son of Major John; by this marriage there were two sons; one of them, Wm. M., born May 6, 1844; his first wife died Dec. 18, 1851. In 1854, he married Sarah W. Varnon, daughter of Benjamin and Sally Varnon; by this marriage there were five children, all living: Margaret H., Edward V., Laura R., Martha M. and Eugenia B.; second wife deceased in 1871. On the 27th day of April, the subject of this sketch left home for the Confederacy, determined to join the Southern army; afterward joined a party of twenty men, camped on the night of the 5th near Hazel Green; on the following morning, his eighteenth birthday, they were attacked by a party of home guards; finally reached Marshall's command in Virginia, where all of the company enlisted except William and two companions who went to Corinth, Miss., intending to enlist there, but by the advice of friends went to Chattanooga, Tenn., where they joined Morgan's Command, serving two years, engaging in many hard-fought battles, some of which were: Gallatin, Snowhill, Woodbury, Greasy Creek, Green River Bridge, and Augusta; was taken prisoner by the Federals, sent to Louisville, where he remained until Nov. 8, 1863, when, taking the oath was released and returned home, engaging in farming and stock trading in the South. Jan. 25, 1870, was married to Mrs. Maggie (Orr) Morehead, daughter of B. G. Orr, a prominent officer of Nicholas County, where he died; she a granddaughter of John Orr, who served in the war of 1812 under Col. Johnson. They have had four children, two of whom died in one night of scarlet fever; those living are Charles B., born March 31, 1871; Zed Clark, Dec. 29, 1875. They are members of the Presbyterian Church. Sources 1. Perrin, pp. 512-513 ------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.