Ray County, Missouri Biographies - William P. Withers (b. 1819)

Source: History of Ray County, Missouri 1881; p.710-711

MAJOR W. P. WITHERS

William P. Withers is the son of Peter and Evalina A. (Price) Withers. He was born in
Jessamine county, Kentucky, on the 27th day of September, 1819. The family are of English
origin; their ancestors settled in Fauquier county, Virginia, at an early day. Their chief
occupation has always been farming. In religion they were Baptists, and in politics whigs,
until the dissolution of that body, since which time they have been divided in political
sentiment. In 1832 our subject removed with his parents to McLean county, Illinois. Here
his parents both died, his mother in 1848, and his father in 1850, at the age of eighty
years. His father served as a soldier in the early Indian wars, under General Wayne,
"Mad Anthony of the West" William P. Withers was married to Miss Mary E. Coles, in November,
1843. She was a native of Hartford, Indiana, born in 1825. They have had eleven children,
only five of whom are now living: George A., Henry C., Nellie, Ned, Allen W. Mrs. Withers
died July 17, 1863, and Mr. Withers was married again October 22, 1867, to Miss Mattie J.
Grimes, daughter of Major John Grimes. She was born July 18, 1845, in Campbell county,
Tennessee. One child was born of this marriage, John G., born October 30, 1868, in Hamilton,
Caldwell county, Missouri. In 1843 Mr. Withers removed to Howard county, Missouri, and
conducted a hemp factory there for about two years. He then returned to Illinois, and
remained there until 1850, when he went to the state of California, and engaged in
stock-raising near Stockton for about a year, returning to Illinois and sailing by vessel
via Panama and New York. He continued, after his return, farming in Illinois until 1858,
when he was elected sheriff of McLean county, and discharged the duties of that office for
a term of two years, under Judge David Davis. In June, 1861, he raised a company of
volunteers, and went into camp at Springfield, Illinois. He afterward received a commission
as captain of company C, 5th Illinois cavalry, and in the month of February, 1862, left
Springfield for the battle-ground. He was engaged in battles of Doniphan, Missouri; Helena
and Vicksburg, Mississippi; besides many others. He was discharged November 2, 1864, and
returned home. Soon after going home he was commissioned as major of the same regiment in
which he had formerly served, but before he joined the command the war ended. During the
time he was in the army he served under Generals Curtis, Prentice, Washburn, Logan, Sherman,
and Grant. Mr. Withers removed to Caldwell county, Missouri, and engaged there, for a time,
in farming, and then entered the hardware and agricultural implement trade at Hamilton, but
was soon compelled to abandon it on account of ill health, and came to Ray county in 1869,
and settled upon his present place (section 35, township 54, range 28), and has lived there
ever since. He owns 230 acres of land, the greater portion of which is in cultivation and
well improved. He has been a member of the Missionary Baptist Church since he was seventeen
years old. He is also a member of Royal Arch Chapter A. F. & A. M. In politics, Mr. Withers
has always been a republican. He was a member of the earliest conventions of that party,
and has always taken a prominent part in local politics. He was personally acquainted with
President Lincoln, and heard him deliver his first campaign speech.

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