DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; Biography: G. B. Williams - w452 --------------------------------- Submitted by Gaytha Carver Thompson Typed by Trudy Marlow ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** G. B. Williams has long been prominently identified with the planting interests of De Soto Parish, and the plantation of 1,600 acres, which he is conducting on Bayou Pierre, is one of the finest in this section. Mr. Williams was born in Talla- dega County, Ala., in 1842, and is a son of Thomas J. and Eveline (Young) Williams, who were born and married in Montgomery County, Ala., making their home in that State until 1848, when they came to Mansfield, La., and here spent the rest of their lives, the mother, who was a member of the Methodist Church, dying in 1851. Mr. Williams afterward married again, and followed farming successfully until his death, in 1872. He was a soldier in one of the Indian wars, and was a son of John Williams, who was of English descent, born in South Carolina, but died in Alabama, having been a soldier in the Revolutionary War and a planter by occupation. The mother's father, Bowl- ing Young, was also a planter, and died in Ala- bama. G. B. Williams was the seventh of nine children, and since he attained his sixth year his home has been in De Soto Parish, La., the princi- pal part of his education being received in the schools of Mansfield. Upon the opening of the Rebellion he joined an independent company, and after a short service was placed in Company D, of the Fifth Louisiana Cavalry, being transferred one month later to the North Louisiana Cadets of Capt. Jordan's company, with which he served until 1864, when he was detached to assist in guarding the transfer of specie from Richmond west, which occupied his attention until the close of the war. He was largely on scout duty while with the North Louisiana Cadets, and was in over 100 engagements in all, the principal battles being those of Oak Ridge, Belmont, Fort Donelson, Island No. 10, Shiloh, Corinth, Baton Rouge, Plaine's Store, Port Hudson, Baker's Creek, Jackson, Iuka, Holly Springs, Coldwater, Bolivar, La Grange, Fort Pil- low, etc. He was never wounded or captured. After the war he returned to farming and this has been his life-long occupation, a number of years being also spent in trading in horses and cattle. He has 800 acres of his land cleared, and the buildings on the same are in good condition. In 1875 he was married to Jennie, daughter of James and Jennie Wilcox, her birth occuring in De Soto Parish. Her father and mother were born in South Carolina and Alabama, respectively, but in 1845 became residents of De Soto Parish, where Mr. Wilcox died in 1875, and his wife in 1860. A family of five children has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Williams-two sons and three daughters. Mr. Williams has been a member of the police jury for about two years, and is treasurer of the Bayou Pierre Drainage Commission. He is a member of Woodside Lodge of the Farmers' Alliance, and his wife is a Methodist. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following amendment submitted by Judy Baugh procyon@prodigy.net --------------------------------------------------------------------- "G[oode] B[ryant] Williams' father, Thomas J[efferson] Williams, was the son of Josiah (not John) and Judith (Elmore} Williams, and nephew of Gen. John Archer Elmore, of VA, SC and AL. His maternal grandfather was Bernard (not Bowling) Young. (He did have a brother named Bolling Young.") "Ref. DuBois & Williams family Bible records and obituaries; probate records of Josiah Williams (Autauga cty., AL), Judith Elmore Williams (Tallapoosa cty., AL), & Bernard Young (Montgomery cty., AL). ---------------------------------------------------------------------