Joel H. Williams

As printed in 1882

JOEL H. WILLIAMS. Joel II. Williams was born July 7, 18.50, in the town of Newport (now Fountain City), Wayne (county, Ind.; he is the son of Nathan H. and Mary A. Williams, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Ohio. When about two years of age, he came to Randolph County with his parents, who located upon a farm near Olive Branch; his mother died when her son was quite young, and his father has since been twice married; his first schooling was obtained in the old log cabin, with slab benches without backs for seats, and the slanting board from the wall for a writing desk, while his teachers made pens of quills for him and the other scholars. " Lib " SUvrk, his first teacher, had her bed in the schoolhouse, and cooked her meals on the school stove. At the age of nineteen years, Joel left home to begin the battle of life for himself, and entered the employ of John Clayton, working for him by the month. He had qualified himself by hard study, and in the fall of the same year in which he left home, procured a license to teach school. Since that time, he has been engaged alternately in teaching school during the winter and attending school and working at the carpenter's trade during the summer, excepting about three years of this time, during which he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He has been a student at the Farmland Graded Schools, the Ridgeville College a'nd the

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GRflErS FORK TP. PA!DOLPH 00.10- Pen Art Schools at Delaware, Ohio, and has a diploma for plain and ornamental writing, awarded by the latter institution. Ho has taught school in the townships of Monroe, Franklin, Washington, Greene and White River, and is recognized as one of the most proficient and successful teachers. On the '25th of December, 1876, he was married to Miss Marietta Wright, daughter of Amos and Delliah Wright. This union is blessed with two children, viz., Carlton 0., burn November 19, 1870; I.yra Myrde. born August 8, 1881. In politics, Mr. Williams is a Republican, and both himself and wife are members of Ibe Society of Friends. He has prepared a genealogical record of the families of both his parents, and for the past ten years has kept a diary of passing events; he has also written some poetical effusions, which be expects to publish. Mrs. Williams' father died Mirch 10,1879: her gramlfulher was a soldier in tho war of 1812.

GREAR N. WILLIAMS was born in Wayne County, Ind., May 1, 184.S. He was reared on a farm, and educated in the common schools; he is a son of Joshua Williams, who was a native of North Carolina and born October 19, 1817. The elder WiUiaiPs moved with his family to this county in 1802, and settled near Maxville on a farm, where he died January 18, 187' The mother of our subject was Amanda C. Graham, before her marriage with Joshua Williams. There were thirteen children in the Williams family, and all are now living At the beginning of the war, July 29, 1861, when eighteen years old, Grear N. enlisted in Company B, Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and on the 81st day of December, 1863, re-enlisted at Culpeper Court House, Va. In December of 1804, the Nineteenth, Fourteenth, Seventh anil Twentieth were consolidated and called the Twentieth Regimentof Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which organization Grear served till July 12, 180'' when he was discharged by reason General Order No, 20, Army of Tenne.'see. Under his fir.st enlistment he was a member of the First Brigade, First Army Corps, Array of the Potomac. This brigade was known as the Iron Brigade, and participated in the following engagements; Gainsville, August 18, 1802; Second Bull Run, August 29-30, 1862 i South Mountain, September 14, 1802; Fredericksburg, December 13, 14, li" 1802; Antielam, September 1", 18(j2: Fitzhues' Crossing, April 29, 1863; Gettysburg. July 1, 2, 3, 1803: Chancellorville, May 1, 2, 3, 18li3; Spottsylvania. Wilderness, Laurel Hill, CoM Harbor, battle of Chnntilly, in the night of August 30, 1802; North Anna, Petersburg and siege of Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Weldon Railroad, Five Forks, Appomaitox Court House, Sulphur Springs, August 25, 1802: Rappahannock Station, Augu.st '22, '23, 24, 1862; Thornburgs Mills, August 0. 1862; Louisville, September 11 and 22,1801. Grear N. wa.i present and participated in all the above-named conflicts, and was wounded iit the first day's fight at Gettysburg, for which disability he is now a pensioner; he was also wounded six other times — but slightly. After the war, became home and engaged in farming and stock-raising, in which business he has been prosperous. On the loth day of December. 1874, he was married to Miss Nancy J. Morrow, a daughter of John Morrow.

As printed in History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.