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Caswell County Genealogy
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 1835 - 1893 (58 years)
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| Name |
Williamson, John Williams |
| Birth |
4 May 1835 |
Caswell County, North Carolina  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Reference Number |
8498 |
| Death |
24 Oct 1893 |
Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina |
| Burial |
Greenview Cemetery, Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina |
| Person ID |
I8357 |
Caswell County |
| Last Modified |
23 Sep 2023 |
| Family |
Williamson, Virginia Frances, b. 18 Feb 1840 d. 30 May 1908 (Age 68 years) |
| Marriage |
30 Jul 1863 |
Caswell County, North Carolina |
| Children |
| | 1. Williamson, Minerva Frances, b. 29 Jan 1866, Caswell County, North Carolina d. 26 Jul 1931, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina (Age 65 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| + | 2. Williamson, Rosa, b. 28 Mar 1867, Caswell County, North Carolina d. 27 Jul 1943, Lynchburg, Virginia (Age 76 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 3. Williamson, James Edward, b. 2 Jul 1869, Caswell County, North Carolina d. 14 Jan 1933, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (Age 63 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| + | 4. Williamson, Lynn Banks, b. 23 Jul 1872, Caswell County, North Carolina d. 11 Apr 1940, Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina (Age 67 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
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| Family ID |
F19993 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
23 Sep 2023 |
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| Notes |
- John Williams Williamson (1835-1893)
(for larger image, click on photograph)
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John Williams Williamson at the age of 25, enlisted into Confederate States Army, Company A, 13th Infantry Regiment, NC Troops as a private on 29 April 1861 in Caswell County, North Carolina. He was promoted to Full Sergeant Major on 20 December 1862. On the 30 April 1863, he transfered out of Company A, !3th Infantry NC Troops into Company D, 1st Infantry Regiment, NC Troops and promoted to Full 1st Lieutenant. In the 1880 US Census for Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina he is listed as Capt J. W. Williamson. He purportedly was present at Appomattox Courthouse during the surrender.
He married Virginia Frances Williamson on the 30 July 1863 in Caswell County, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Thomas and Frances Pannell Banks Farish Williamson. See Find A Grave memorial links 17811848 and 18041869. Virginia's memorial is 30051839 and John W is 30051812.
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Dixon, Elizabeth Williamson. The Williamson Family of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Southampton County, Virginia, Northampton County, North Carolina, Caswell County, North Carolina. MSS., 1958, available at Family History Library.
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The Reidsville Review (Reidsville, North Carolina), 24 April 1917
Our genial fellow townsman, Brother P. H. Williamson in a reminiscence mood, related to us last Tuesday some of his recollections of the Civil War, these thoughts being impelled by the 52nd anniversary of his return from his arduous campaign, which happened to be the date of his conversation.
On that date exactly 52 years before, he made his advent into his home county of Caswell on the back of a worn out army mule, whose period of service ended at the home of Mr. Howard Slade's father, where Mr. Williamson on a borrowed horse, kindly lent to him by Mr. Slade, reached his home about 11 o'clock that night.
In his kindly philosophical manner he dwelled upon the period of hopelessness, intervening between his discharge from the army and his entry upon active duties in his home, a period and enough for many, but brightened for him by his reflection that of six members that had left his father's house to fight with the Confederacy, not one was missing on the 18th when a happy reunited family after undergoing the severities and hardships and dangers involved in the whole campaign and including participation by some of the five, in the major battles of the war, met together at the dinner table of Mr. Williamson's father, Dr. Williamson to partake of a meal that to them, appeared the very acme of the culinary art after the long season of tough bacon and hardtack (when they were lucky enough to get it.)
And Brother Williamson says that the recollection of that meal will never entirely fail so long as the memory lasts. He has probably eaten other meals since that better deserve engraving on his tablets of memory, but in comparison with the atmosphere of thanksgiving in this joyful reunion that gives such intense zest to that meal, all others fade into insignificance. Of the company that partook of the feast at his father's table, his three brothers, John W., James A., George O. and [two half-uncles] Robert W. Williams and Ralph D. Williams, together with himself, had wonderful experiences to relate of their period of service and not the least wonderful was the fact that all six answered the call to dinner in the most perfect conditions of health and gave splendid evidence of it in the wreck they specially made of the repast.
Brother P. H. Williamson entered the army a private and retired a lieutenant. His brother, John W., retired a Captain and J. A. a lieutenant.
His father who had over 100 slaves at the date of the abolition act gave to each of them their freedom, but they unanimously refused to leave the plantation and the repast referred to was prepared especially by Rosetta, an old family slave, who spread herself to do the honor to "her folks" just returned from the "wah."
Mr. Williamson's father was a strict disciplinarian and an autocrat of the breakfast table to the matter of etiquette but his somewhat unruly brood took the bit in their teeth and when Captain John called for three cheers for Rosetta, the father evidently considering discretion the better part of valor for that occasion at least did not venture to put any restraint on six husky fighters, splendidly reinforced by such a meal as they had only ventured to contemplate in day dreams and the roof quavered over the yell that rose in response.
Another reunion of the perfect six occurred 20 years later but today brother P. H. remains the sole survivor of the devoted family of fighters.
Such conception of the horrors of that campaign may be gleaned from extracts of letters in Brother P. H.'s possession. One dated August 12th, 1864, written by Captain and Gen. Officer D. C. Pearson emanating P.O., Asheboro, N.C. containing the information and injunction that "I have come down here to try to arrest the deserter's that are playing the very devil with everything. I hope that you are getting on finely - or at least as well as you can. I am sorry to know of the killing of some of the company I sent you. Don't take any more prisoners-shoot them all, shoot as many as you can; it will have a good effect on the country." Another dated Subsistence Department, Raleigh, N.C., September 3rd, 1864 from Captain W. D. Reynolds, states: "I am short of Bacon and you must buy it or beef in Moore County. If the farmers will not sell it, it must be impressed………I cannot spare the Bacon and I am told there is Bacon in abundance in Moore County." Still another missive from Captain Pearson, dated August 15th, 1864 contains the instructions "to take the d___d scoundrels you catch with guns in their hands and shoot them on the spot."
Captain Pearson evidently [performed] strictly on the job and liked quick results, but that is the order in time of war, and it would be well for us to take this to heart and ponder over this as history begins to repeat itself under, however, somewhat different conditions.
The worst kind of row is a family one. May we be spared another during the existence of time. There is no glory worth talking of in it. But there is glory in putting up a united front as a nation in deference of the great principals of freedom and helping the nations of earth who been ground into dust under kings, czars and rulers.
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1850 United States Federal Census
Name: John W Williamson
Age: 15
Birth Year: abt 1835
Birthplace: Caswell
Home in 1850: Caswell, North Carolina
Gender: Male
Family Number: 536
Household Members: Name Age
James E Williamson 50
Helen M Williamson 44
John W Williamson 15
Eudora A Williamson 13
James A Williamson 11
Manervia J Williamson 9
George A Williamson 7
Peter H Williamson 5
John L Williamson 28
1860 US Census
Name: J W Williamson
Age in 1860: 25
Birth Year: abt 1835
Birthplace: North Carolina
Home in 1860: Not Stated, Caswell, North Carolina
Gender: Male
Post Office: Locust Hill
1880 United States Federal Census
Name: J. W. Williamson
Age: 45
Birth Year: abt 1835
Birthplace: North Carolina
Home in 1880: Williamsburg, Rockingham, North Carolina
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Virginia Williamson
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Drummer For Warehouse
Household Members: Name Age
J. W. Williamson 45
Virginia Williamson 40
Minerva Williamson 14
Rosa W. Williamson 15
James E. Williamson 11
Lynn D. [B] Williamson 7
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