Poet Dakota Williams

Thomas Davis "Tom" Williams (1822-1908)
Sgt. in Company H of Bourland's Regiment
McFarland, Sebastian, White, and Williams entries below from my Name Index

Question: Which military unit did he serve in at the Battle of Pea Ridge ?
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from Patti's 146-page Name Index

Thomas Davis "T.D. or Tom" Williams (1822 DeKalb Co TN-1908 Garfield, Benton Co AR (tombstone s/s Hulda's); m-1842 St Francois Co MO to Hulda Sebastian; m,2-1866 to Martha E. Ford; 1860 Fannin Co TX cen p218; moved 1868 to Benton Co AR (Sgt, Co H, Bourland's Regt), A-20, A-31, A-151

T.D.'s oldest son

Johnathan Hiram Williams (1846 St. Francois Co MO-1914 Restland Cem, Boswell, Choctaw Co OK); m-1865 Fannin Co TX to Eliza Jane Gore; 1860 Fann Co TX cen p219 (Fannin Co, TST), A-149

article by Clydene Williams Cannon

Thomas Davis Williams, also known as T. D., Tom and Thomas, was born April 27, 1822 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. He migrated to St. Francois County, Missouri with his parents, John Jefferson and Nancy M. Bowles Williams, about 1829 where he grew to adulthood. In St. Francois County, Missouri he married to Hulda Sebastian on August 2, 1842, the daughter of Martin Chandler and Mourning Smith Sebastian. Thomas and Hulda's first three children were born in Missouri: Mary Jane b. July 6, 1843 - Mourning E., November 22, 1844 and John Hiram Williams Sr., September 15, 1845. In 1845, they moved to Fannin County, Texas where the rest of their children were born: Rachel Lucinda, August 2, 1846 - Elijah, May 5, 1847 - Joseph, June 18, 1851 - Nancy C., February 8, 1853 and Benjamin F. Williams, May 23, 1856. Thomas Davis Williams is enumerated on the 1850 Fannin County, Texas Census in Household #220 as "T. D." and on the 1860 Census, Household #580/593 as "T." Williams.

T. D., as our family calls him, was a farmer and owned a sizable about of acreage in Fannin County, Texas, prior to the Civil War shipping his product to New Orleans by way of the Red River and the railroad but the War would change his life forever. His Civil War Pension Record Testimony reveals his service to the best of his memory. At the time he gave his deposition, he was suffering from old age; hard of hearing and partially blind at the age of 81 years old. He stated that he enlisted as a Private under Captain John W. Piner's Company in the Fannin County's 14th Brigade under Commanding Officer, General S. A. Roberts, TST on July 6, 1861 at Honey Grove, Texas, Precinct 7, at the age of 38. He marched to Benton County, Arkansas where he fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge. From March of 1862 to June of 1862 he was in Company I of the Texas Cavalry and in 1862 to 1

After the battles and hardship of the War, T. D. returned to Fannin County to reunite with his family and learned of the tragedy they had endured during his absence. His beloved wife, Hulda, and his next to the youngest son, Josephus, had perished during the war probably due to lack of food in the area. The Red River and the railroads had been cut off and no outside goods were forthcoming so hunger and starvation was a common thing. His eldest son, John Hiram, 15 years old at the time, served in the Oak Hill Home Guard protecting the citizens and railroads there from northern aggressors but he could do little to save his mother and youngest brother from lack of food. After the War, T. D. filed with the State of Texas for the loss of two of his family members due to the War. His land was barren but he continue to help and support his remaining children into adulthood.

In 1866, he met and married Martha E. Ford and by 1868 they had moved to Garfield, Benton County, Arkansas and acquired 240 acres, (Section 7-Twp20-Range 28) on Sugar Creek about ten miles from where he had fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge just down the mountain from Yreka Springs. The beauty of the area and the fertile farm land there must have drawn him back to live. T. D., about 1870, built a large log home but later built his nice flagstone house, across the road, on Sugar Creek and both are still extant in 2008. There he raised his second family consisting of four sons: William H. born 1867, TX - Thomas J., born 1869, MO - George Washington, born 1870 and Robert M. born 1874. Nancy and Rachel Lucinda, his daughters by his first wife, Hulda, lived there in Benton County, but returned to Fannin County, Texas, later, where they married.

Thomas Davis "T.D." died March 5, 1908 at his home near Garfield, Arkansas there on Sugar Creek. He is buried on land his son, George W., donated for the private Williams Cemetery; today known as the Williams-Snoderly Cemetery. His second wife, Martha, is buried next to him and several of his sons are also buried there along with their families. (by Clydene Williams Cannon, 1013 Hargus Avenue, Vallejo, CA 94591, Sep 2008 - the 2nd G. G. Daughter of Thomas Davis Williams) >>wmscan@att.net<<
1860 Fannin Co TX cen, pp218-219
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T. Williams, .....male, 37 MO
H. Williams, .......fe, 36 MO
M.J. Williams, .....fe, 16 MO
John Williams, ...male, 15 MO
Elijah Williams, .male, 13 TX
M.C. Williams,......fe, 11 TX
Josephus Williams, male, 8 TX
Nancy C. Williams, fe, 5 TX
Ben F. Williams, .male, 4 TX
Rachel S. Williams, fe, 2 TX