Gone But Not Forgotten

FORT WILLIAMS

ALABAMA IN THE WAR OF 1812

The Fort Williams Cemetery site was located in Talladega County on a elevated rise on the east side of the Coosa River. The military road to Talladega passed to the north of the cemetery and continued in a northeasterly direction toward its final destination, Talladega . The fort which bore the same name, Fort Williams, lay to the west of the cemetery on a hill. Years earlier, Jackson's men had transported supplies down the Coosa and hauled them from the water's edge up the hill which lay in front of the fort. After the construction of Lay dam on the Coosa in 1914, the ruins of fort were noted by a passing traveler who wondered how much longer the weathered remains of the old fort would stand there overlooking the Coosa. Incredibly, the fort did not surrender to the elements until after 1928 when the dam on the Coosa was raised and the old fort fell into the Coosa. This, however, did not occur until the fort had endured several weeks of the water lapping at its foundation.

The Fort Williams Cemetery site survived because it was on higher ground. . The land on which the cemetery was located was donated by the Mitchell Family to the Fort Williams Memorial Association, a large stone monument was erected on the site in 1933 and Veterans Markers were acquired and placed for all of those who were identified as having been buried in the Fort Williams Cemetery. The Ghioto List identified 78 of those buried in the Fort Williams Cemetery

. An effort to get the U.S. Congress to extend protection to the Fort Williams Cemetery site died in the House of Representatives after the U.S. Senate had passed senate bill S2595. More information regarding senate bill S2595 and the correspnding house bill H.R. 7271 can be found in the Congressional Record: Index to the Proceedings and Debates of the Second Session of the Seventy-First Congress, December 2nd to July 3, 1930. These records were made available by Mr. Billy L. Atkinson, the Judge of Probate of Talladega County. The Fort Williams Cemetery site was recognized as a cemetery and accorded tax exempt status by Talladega County. The problem, however, during the decade of the 1930 was money.

The Fort Williams Cemetery was removed in 2006 and the cemetery site and the adjacent area renamed "Riverbend". It is now being developed as part of a River Community on the Coosa River. The monument and markers were relocated at the same time and placed within the Riverbend Development in what the Riverbend Group refers to as a "Memorial Garden." The term "monumental" has also been used to describe the new site to which the markers and monument were taken.There is no record of any human remains having been moved.

A Short History Fort Williams

Fort Williams, located at the mouth of Cedar Creek and the Coosa River in what is now Talladega County, Alabama was constructed in 1814 to serve as a supply depot preparatory to the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814. After this battle, Jackson returned to Fort Williams. The cemetery at Fort Williams became the final resting place of more than a hundred Tennessee militia and others. These others include Cherokee allies who fought with Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, but who were buried apart from Tennessee militia and Creek Indians who were forced to come Fort Williams in 1832. For more information on these individuals, see Creek Indian Removal, the Creek Trail of Tears. More than 3,000 Creek were collected at Fort Williams in 1832 and many died there because the fort's commissary lacked adequate provisions.

Ghioto List Those Buried in Fort Williams Cemetery

The following is a partial list of War pf 1812 veterans who were buried at the Fort Williams Cemetery:

1. Pankey, Riley Pvt.

[Born 1784, died Apr 20, 1814 Ft. Williams Talladega County] was among the first to be buried at Fort Williams. Many of those buried at Fort Williams were members of the 39th Regiment US Army.

2. Duncan, Allen Sgt

3. Austin, John Pvt.

4. Laton, Joshua Pvt.

5. Sharper, Jacob, Pvt.

6. Watson, George Pvt.

7. Abbot, Samuel Pvt.

8. Tracy, Paris Pvt.

9. Sawry, Henry Pvt.

10. Jones, John Pvt.

11. Ellis, James Pvt.

12. Bright, Elijah Pvt.

13. Pursell, William, 1st Sgt

14. Brooks, George Pvt.

15. O'Neal, Isom Pvt.

16. Beeler, Joseph Pvt.

17. Stubbs, Everett Pvt.

18. McGill, William Pvt.

19. Summers, Johnston Pvt.

20. Bray, Solomon, 1st Corp

21. Bell, Phillips, Pvt.

22. Hamblen, Thomas Pvt.

23. Hamilton, James Pvt.

24. McCoy, James Pvt.

25. Dawson, Thomas Pvt.

[Born 1784, died Oct 10, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

26. Meants, David Pvt.

27. Robertson, Joseph Pvt.

28. Sawyer, Smiley Pvt.

29. Hutchinson, Rueben Pvt.

30. Glasco, Robert Pvt.

31. Captain Nicholas Gibbs III born 1772 in Orange County NC

Died on 14 MAR 1814 in Horseshoe Bend, AL

Memorial at Gibbs Home, Corryton, TN

Captain in US Army, War of 1812

From Knox Co. Roster of Soldiers of the War of 1812, which is in the

possession of Mr. Frederick R. Gibbs. Nicholas Gibbs had the rank of

2nd Lieutenant. He died on March 14, 1814, from wounds received in the

Battle of the Horseshoe. Tradition has it that he was a close friend of

Andrew Jackson, and that members of the Gibbs family were frequent visitors

at the Hermitage. Several of his letters to Andrew Jackson are said to

be preserved at the Hermitage.

32. Miltonberger, William Pvt.

33. Feffew, Jeffery Pvt.

34. Pankey, Stephen Pvt.

[Born 1778, died May 6, 1814 Fort Williams]

35. Ford, Thomas Pvt.

36. Yates, Robert Pvt. [Yeats]

[Born 1794, died Apr. 11, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

37. Freeman, Moses Pvt.

[Born Apr 5, 1780, died Jan 9, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

38. Payne, William Pvt.

39. Hill, Spencer Pvt.

40. Rice, Roland Pvt.

[Born Dec 12, 1781 Mass, died Nov 8, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

41. Cloud, William Pvt.

[Born 1795, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

42. Ucher, John Pvt.

43. Ritchey, Thomas Pvt.

44. Rector, Enoch Pvt.

45. Nail, Archibald Pvt.

46. Harden, William P. Pvt.

47. Weddle, Elias was born Apr 16, 1770 in Holland, he died on Mar 27, 1814 at Horseshoe Bend 2nd Lt.

48. King, Edward 1st Lt.

Page 2, The Indian War of 1812 Cemetery:

49. Smith, Bryant Pvt.

50. Sims, Alfred Sgt.

51. Cahoon, Andrew Pvt.

52. Cox, Gale Q.M.

53. Bruner, Jacob Pvt.

54. Gross, George Pvt.

55. Johnson, Thomas J. 1st Lt.

56. Bunch, William Pvt.

57. Huffman, John Pvt.

58. Crumley, Jacob, Sr. Pvt.

[Born 1771, died Apr 28, 1814, Fort Strouthers]

59. Marshall, Joseph Pvt.

60. Masoner, Peter Pvt.

61. Horton, Caleb Pvt.

62. Hill, Richard Pvt.

63. McConka, Samuel Corp

64. Rogers, Spencer Pvt.

65. Boaz, James Pvt.

[James Boaz of East Tennessee Militia died on May 14, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

66.Yount, Jacob Pvt.

67.Hellums, George Pvt.

68.Dockrey, Able Pvt.

[Abel Henry Dockrey born 1783, died May 2, 1815, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]

MILITARY: Abel Henry Dockery enlisted as a private in the War of 1812 on

June 20, 1814 in Capt. Henry Newlin's Co., Col. Philip Pipkin's TN Militia

Infantry. He left on 4 November 1814 because of illness. He was left behind

at Ft. Williams, AL, when his unit left. He died and was buried there, or

near there, at the National Cemetery (from Soldiers of Maury County, Tennessee).

The inscription on his grave marker reads:

PVT. NEWLINS' CO., 1 WEST TN MILITIA, WAR OF 1812 at National Cemetery near

Childersburg and Sylacauga, AL.

69.Leeper, John Pvt.

70.Rankin, David 1st Lt

[Born Feb 4, 1791, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort William Cemetery]

71.Thompson, Moses Pvt.

72.Kathcart, Joseph Pvt.

73.Rice, Able (Musician)

[Note: Able Rice brother to Roland Rice died in 1837 in Illinois]

74.Moiers, Williams Pvt.

75.French, John Pvt.

76.Holmes, Joseph Pvt.

77.Fields, David Pvt.

78.Alstatt, Nicholas, Pvt.
[
Born Nov 28, 1793, died Mar 27, 1814]

Other men who possibly were buried at Fort Williams

Berry, James, born ca. 1771. Service began May, 1814. See Compiled Service Record of 1st. Lieut. James Berry, Company Muster Roll dated at Fayetteville. Lt. James Berry's company, Col Robert H. Dyer's Regiment of Cavalry and Mounted Gunmen, Tennessee Volunteers, Mustered into service March 1, 1813 to May 10, 1814 when discharged. Engaged until 27 March, 1814. Muster indicates he was killed on 27 March at the Battle of Tohopeka (Horseshoe Bend)

Estes, Gallant. He was born 1780, buried Fort Williams Cemetery. He was with his son Edward (son from his first wife) at the Battle of Eufaula in Alabama as a private in the Company of Tennessee Volunteers Mounted Gunmen commanded by Captain Adam Dale, 2nd Regiment commanded by Col William Y. Higgins under the command of General Andrew Jackson, fighting the Creek Indians. He was shot through the head on the morning of January 22, 1814 and died four days later on Jan 26, 1814.

Fancher, Job. born ca. 1780 and died 1814 at Fort Williams, Talladega County.

Hudson, Charles W. born March 15, 1789 and died March 27, 1814. Buried Fort Williams Cemtery.

Patton, James. Born 1784 and died March 27, 1814. Buried at Fort Williams Cemetery.

Shields,, William. Buried at Fort Williams Cemetery

Stephens, Joseph. Died on March 27, 1814 and buried at Fort Williams Cemtery.

Williams, Michael. Born 1778, died October 16, 1814. Buried at Fort Williams Cemetery. .

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For more info see History Fort Williams