fifty miles from home, without reward or fee. I was appointed Justice by the Congress and was one of the first appointed by the General Assembly, and under which I still act."
He served in the Indian war as a Lieutenant under General Rutherford, in Captain Cleveland's Company, where he suffered great hardships. After this campaign was over, he was constantly engaged in subduing the Tories, who were daring and dangerous. In the battle of King's Mountain he was a Captain in Colonel Cleveland's Regiment, and in this desperate and bloody victory was wounded in the arm and side. He was also at the defeat of Pyles, near Haw River, and in the engagement his horse was killed under him. He raised a company and endeavored to unite with General Greene at the battle of Guilford, but did not succeed. After the war he returned home, and was an active and useful citizen. He was the oldest magistrate in the County; a Trustee of the University; member of the Senate from 1781 to 1795, and for years Speaker of the Senate. He was a member of the Convention that sat at Hillsboro' to consider the Constitution of the United States, and took an active part in its discussion.
The latter part of his life was devoted to reading and retirement, and he manifested much anxiety for the destiny of our Republic, that at a day, in the near future, from abuse and corruption, and the wild theories of politicians it would follow the fate of the republics of other days, and so utterly fail.
His character was one of great moral worth, and pure patriotism; his friendships were sincere and ardent; his hospitality, open and unbounded. Full of years and full of honors he departed this life May 6, 1839, at his home, Fort Defiance, Wilkes County. He married, as already stated, Ann Ballard, of Halifax The County of Lenoir worthily preserves his name in grateful memory.
The Williams family is one of the most extensive as well as most talented families of our State. Its branches have extended to the West and the Southwest; and wherever they are they have marked their career by enterprise and intellect.
The annexed diagram will explain more fully and the descriptive statement will enable us to know all about the Williams family.
The progenitor of this family was Nathaniel Williams, a native of Hanover County, Virginia. He had four sons and one daughter: I, Robert; II, Betsy; III, John; IV, Nathaniel, and V, Joseph. I, Robert settled in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; a lawyer; married Sarah Lanier; issue: (a) Nathaniel, Judge of Superior Courts in Tennessee; (b) Polly, wife of Matthew Clay, member of Congress 1797-1813; (c) Lucy, wife of Robert Call; (d) Patsy, wife of John Henry; (e) Sarah, wife of James Chalmers, (they lived in Halifax, Virginia, the grand-parents of Gen'l Jas. R. Chalmers, member of Congress from Mississippi;) (f) Elizabeth, wife of Rev. John Kerr, member of Congress, father of John Kerr, also a member of Congress 1853-1855, and of Mary Mary G. Kerr, wife of Nicholas L. White, (see V. j. below,) and of Martha, wife of Dr. Frank Martin; (g) Frances, wife of Thomas D. Connally, of Tennessee; to them was born Rev. John Kerr Connally, (who married Alice C., a daughter of James Thomas, of Richmond, Va.,) Mary E., wife of James Turner Morehead, son of Governor J. M. Morehead, and Fannie, married to C. W. Guerrant, of Rockingham, N. C.; (g) Frances, wife of Gen. Barcilia Graves.
II, Betsy, married to Hicks; III, John married Williamson, settled in North Carolina; issue: (a) Christopher H., member of Congress from Tennessee 1837-1843 and 1849-1853; (b) Eliazbeth, married to General Azeriah Graves, grand-parents of Judge Thomas Settle. IV, Nathaniel, married and had issue: (a) Robert,
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