William Marion Conerly (1833 - 1911)

Born 30 Jun 1833 in Pike, Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Ann (Harvey) Conerly — married 5 Jan 1855 in Pike, Ms

Husband of Mary J. (Morgan) Conerly — married 1898 (to 1911) in Hornbeck, Vernon, Louisiana, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Nov 1911 at age 78 in Hornbeck, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

William Conerly served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 03 22, 1862
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Holmesville Guards, 33rd Mississippi Infantry

Company E (Holmesville Guards) Muster Rolls 33rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment .

William was born in 1833. He was the son of Cullen Conerly and Levisa Lewis. He passed away in 1911. ^[1]Find a grave death date 1911^[2]

When the Holmesville Guards were organized in Pike County in the spring of 1862, he enlisted. This unit later became Company E of the 33rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment.

William's biography from Behind The Badge and the Bayonet - 2nd Edition Submitted by the author, Michael Conerly

"William Marion Conerly was an older brother of Jabez Newton Conerly, born July 30, 1833 in Pike County, Mississippi to Cullen William Conerly and Lavisa Lewis Conerly. He married Jane Ann Harvey on February 5, 1855. They had three children before William’s Confederate service in the US Civil War; Cullen William Conerly, Sarah Elizabeth Conerly, and Mary Nancy Conerly. William served in the US Civil War in the same unit as his older brother Owen Lewis Conerly and his cousin, Chancery Porter Conerly. All served in Company E, 33rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Like his older brother Owen and his cousin Chancery, William was initially elected a Sergeant (3rd) while he was in the unit. Interestingly, Owen was the oldest, then William, and then Chancery. However, William enlisted first, on March 22, 1862, then Owen on May 4, 1862 and Chancery the next day on May 5, 1862. William apparently became very sick while in the CSA Army. Based on records he spent his entire enlistment, from at least November of 1862 through February 1865 in various hospitals. He was probably even treated some by his cousin, Chancery. William may have seen some combat prior to his “sick time”, based on the short time (less than one year) from his enlistment date until when he first started showing up on the “sick lists”. If so, it would probably be “The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge”, also known as Battle of Davis Bridge or Matamora. It was fought on October 5, 1862, in Hardeman County and McNairy County, Tennessee. William’s unit “Muster Rolls” (some shown above) always showed him as absent-sick and away at a hospital. He was in at least 3 different hospitals; Grenada, Mississippi, Magnolia, Mississippi, and Yazoo City, Mississippi. Rather than combat, what is more likely is that he was suffering from some common US Civil War disease; Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Malaria, diarrhea, and dysentery were common chronic diseases. Camps populated by young soldiers who had never before been exposed to a large variety of these common contagious diseases were plagued by outbreaks of measles, chickenpox, mumps, and whooping cough too. Regardless, William made it through the war and returned safely.

Married Life

When William Marion Conerly married Sarah Harvey, daughter of Harris and Liddy Smith Harvey, they received from his father, Cullen Conerly, the SE 1/4 of section 10 and all that part of SW 1/4 of section 11 lying west of the Bogue Chitto River, all in Township 2, Range 9, East, containing 250 acres more or less. This property was located just below the "Waterfalls" which at the time was the ford on the road between Tylertown and Magnolia in old Pike County, Mississippi. This is where they built their first home which still stands at 2111 Jewell Drive, McComb, Ms. Here they had three children:

Children

1. Cullen William Conerly (1856 - 1912)
2. Sarah Elizabeth (Conerly) Smiley (1858 - 1891)
3. Mary Nancy Conerly (1860 - 1861)

During the Reconstruction period, William Marion was elected Chancery clerk in 1867. However in 1868, by orders of Gov Ames, the military commander and provincial governor, all civil offices were declared vacate. Peres Bonney, an old citizen of Pike County, and a member of the Black and Tan Convention ousted W. M. Conerly. ^[3]

With the completion of the railroad from New Orleans through Pike County in 1874 leaving Holmesville to the west of the tracks the county seat was moved to Magnolia.

He was Pike County Chancery Clerk at Holmesville in 1875 and when they moved the county seat to Magnolia he loaded his second home in Holmesville on four wagons and moved to Magnolia. Presently his offices on Holmesville Square at 1050-1098 Tennessee St McComb, MS, have been restored.

William Marion Conerly held the office of Probate clerk until the fall election of 1879, when he was succeeded by W. C. Vaught. ^[4]

Move to Louisiana

"It appears William Marion Conerly was very civil minded after the Civil war as he became very involved in politics (see attached newspaper clippings). He settled in Magnolia, Mississippi for a relatively short time (perhaps a few years) and then moved to Vermilion Parish, Louisiana where he became the Clerk of the Chancery Court for 25 years. During this time, from about the mid 1880’s to approximately 1900 William also served on the local school board. He was eventually elected President of the local school board and was instrumental in the organization of and funding for new schools in the area, to include a new Abbeville, La High School."^[5]Provided by Michael Conerly

His first wife, Jane Ann Harvey Conerly died on September 5, 1892. According to the 1900 US Census he married again, to a “Mary Jane” Conerly^[6]

On October 21, 1902, Governor William Wright Heard (Louisiana) issued a proclamation declaring that Section 16, Township 4, North Range 10 West was incorporated as Hornbeck; with W.M. Conerly appointed mayor^[7]

He died November 23, 1911 in Hornbeck, Louisiana.^[8]

Obituary

High School William helped raise funds to build

• Louisiana Secretary of State Reel: CP1.30 -- Microdex 4 -- Sequence 4
• Target card: CONERLY, MARY J. Applicant Information & Name Variations:CONERLY, MARY J. (Conerly, Mary J b. Feb. 24, 1855 d. Jan. 12, 1930 )^[9]
• Parish: VERNON -- Pages: 7
• Soldier Information & Variations:
• CONERLY, WILLIAM M. State: MS Branch: INFANTRY Unit: 1ST AND 22ND *CONSOLIDATED REGIMENT (Above military data is from the War Department.)
• State: MS Branch: INFANTRY Unit: 1ST BATTALION

(Above military data is from the War Department.)

• State: MS Branch: INFANTRY Unit: 33RD REGIMENT Company: CO. E

(Above military data is from the War Department.)^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Michelle Ladner, May 4, 2013
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #21971374
3. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/pikecountymissis00cone#page/n509/search/Bonney Conerly's History of Pike County]
4. ↑ Luke Conerly's History of Pike County
5. ↑ Michael Conerly
6. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSPX-RSK
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbeck,_Louisiana#cite_note-Town_of_Hornbeck.27s-2
8. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ms3/davidg33/biosE.htm Resource Records of Pike/Walthall Counties Mississippi, 1798-1910 by Luke Ward Conerly and E. Russ Williams, Jr.
9. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #21971369
10. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysouthernfamily/myff/d0008/g0000024.html#I30026

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Michelle Ladner for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Michelle and others.