Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-17
col. WILLOUGHBY WILLIAMS.
Sketch of the Eyentful Life Of Nash
yille's Oldest Citizen.
Nashville American, Saturday.


yille's Oldest Citizen.
Nashville American, Saturday.
Col Willoughby Williams died yesterday
in Louisville, KY, where he has for some
time been living with his daughter, Mrs.
Marion w. Lewis, of that city.
Colonel Willoughby Williams was North
Carolinian by birth, having been born Lear
Snowfall, in what is now Greene County,
on the 14th of June, 1913. His father was
Welshman, and was major in the revo-
lutionary war, serving through the war,
and, although his widow, the mother of
Colonel Williams, afterwards married Gov
ernor McMinn, by some special legislation
she drew pension during her life. She
lived to quite an advanced age and died in
1856. She was the daughter of Col James
Glasgow, who was at one time secretary Of
State of North Carolina,
Colonel Williams married Miss Nancy d.
Nichols, the daughter of Captain John
Nichols a most estimable lady, with whom
he lived, using his own words, Sin the most
perfect love and harmony for twenty one
years, when she died, causing such shock
to my feelings that l wss only sustained by
the consciousness that, neither in word nor
deed, had ever caused tear to fall from
For thirty five years he had remained a
widower, prefering the sweet memories of a
happy married life, to the risk of expert
menting in sacred relations. From .ne
death of his wife, his life had been devoted
constant. unceasing labor-to the chill
dren of his happy marriage. Of nine chill
dren born, six are still living, to-wit: John
Fl. Williams, Mrs. Mary Jane McNairy,
widow of Colonel r. G. McNairy; McLe-
more b. Williams, Willoughby Williams,
jr., Ellen, wife of Marion w. Lewis; Nancy
D., wife of c. n Nichols. Robert N. Viii
Gams married the daughter of the late
Samuel ID. Morgan, and died, leaving a
family of children. Andrew ]. was killed
in the late war. The other child died in
infancy.
Colonel Williams father died when he
was only four years old, at camp near
cambridge, in East Tennessee, when the
family were moving from North Carolina.
While very young, Willoughby went into
store at Knoxville, and worked as store
boy at salary sufficient to buy his clothes,
and then for time at Abingdon, Va. His
mother having stopped in Roane County,
in East Tennessee, after the death of his
father, he came first to Nashville, riding on
horseback, in company with her, to visit
his two aunts, Mrs Colonel Donelson,
whose husband was the brother of Mrs.
jackson, and Mrs. Judge Whyte.
Remaining for nearly a year this time,
he was much at the house of General
jackson, and being boy of quick percep-
ton, he imbibed many of lis lifetime ways
from that early visit to the coming great
hero. His next visit to Nashville was
in 1913, when he witnessed, and was the
only man who ever did witness, the
| fight between jackson and the Bentons.
Nashville became his home in 1918. The
conneetiod between himself and the Jack.
son family brought him, at very early
day, into close relations with the old gen.
eral, and it can be said with absolute GER
tainty that of all the men now living none
were SO close to jackson for SO long time.
A man of the greatest prudence, and him
self of unbounded popularity, of good ad-
dress and stately manners, and firmly fixed
in all the principles of Democratic govern
ment, General jackson looked upon him
through all his struggles as one of his
staunchest and most reliable friends. The
relations between Colonel Williams and
Colonel Sam Houston at the time in the his
tory of that great man when he resigned the
Office of Governor of Tennessee and put
Tennessee's greatest secret under cover, OF
separating from his wife without telling
| the world the cause, were of most init
mate and confidential character. 1t was to
him that General Houston perhaps first
communicated his purpose, and to him
we're intrusted some of the details of this
most extraordinary move. But it is due to
the memory of the hero of San Jacinto
that, SO far as Colonel Williams knows, or
believes he never, through his life, com
| municated to any person living the secrets
of this domestic tragedy.
Although having lived to be eighty five
years old, Col Williams has been m an OF
strict temperance and uniform habits, never
intoxicated, and never playing even game
of cards for amusement He attributed his
success in life, in great measure, to the
advice given him by his lifetime friend and
adviser, General Jackson. With him, next
to the sweet memory of his wife and the
| love of his children the name of Andrew
jackson was most sacred. He was living
evidence of what has become historical
that General Jackson's friends were devoted
to him in manner exceeding even the de-
votion of Napoleon's followers.
Colonel Williams was above medium size
remarkably erect, with strong face, full OF
decision, as well as benevolence. He wa
one of the most companionable of men
quick of speech, accurate of thought, chastt
of language. exceedingly neat in person
pie, he had no peer He was living hb1a
ry of all that has taken place in Tennessee
since 1909.