Greenbrier County, West Virginia    Biography: John McElheny WILLIAMS

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Transcribed and submitted by Ed Johnson, <EDEAJ @aol.com>, 1998.
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JOHN MCELHENY WILLIAMS - born in Braxton County, (then) Virginia, April
24, 1826, was twelve years old when his parents, Joseph and Martha (BROWN)
WILLIAMS, who were natives of Greenbrier County, came back to make their
home here.  Both are now deceased, his father's death occurring in 1880.
Mr. WILLIAMS is settled in Falling Spring District, farming and raising
stock, and when he came here the valley was almost entirely uncultivated
and wild game abounded, but now the land is almost all settled and the
game has disappeared.  The farm of Mr. WILLIAMS is historic ground, as
the memorable battle of Droop Mountain was fought upon it, one of the most
momentous engagements of the civil war.  Mr. WILLIAMS served in the Federal
army throughout the struggle of four years, and did some service for the
government besides.  In 1866 he was supervisor in his district, and sat on
the bench of that court for one year.  He was two years member of the board
of registration, one year by appointment from Governor Boreman, and one year
appointed by Governor Stevenson.  In Pocahontas County, (then) Virginia,
March 4, 1852, John Mc. WILLIAMS and Sarah KELLISON were joined in wedlock,
and to them were born ten children:  Martha Susanna, June 13, 1853;  Rachel
Arminta, April 28, 1855;  Minerva Hester, December 7, 1856;  Albert Luther,
March 29, 1859;  James Robert, May 1, 1861;  Mary Frances, July 10, 1863;
Waitman T. W., September 7, 1866;  Washington Raymond, May 9, 1869;  Edmund
Cornell, September 15, 1872;  Wilson Lawrence, February 2, 1874.  James R.
lives in Ellsworth County, Kansas, Minerva H. in Augusta County, Virginia;
Martha and Rachel have homes of their own in Greenbrier County, and the
other children are with their parents.  Sarah, wife of Mr. Williams, was
born in Pocahontas County, December 4, 1834 a daughter of James and Susanna
(McCOLUMN) KELLISON.  Mt. Murphy, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is the
post office address of John Mc. WILLIAMS.

Source:  Hardesty, Henry H.  Hardesty's Historical and Geographical
Encyclopedia.  New York: H.H. Hardesty and Company, 1884.
Rpt. in West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia.  Ed. Jim Comstock.
Richwood: Comstock, 1974.