William Montgomery Gardner was a graduate of the United States Military Academy, a veteran of the Mexican–American War, Colonel of the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment and a Confederate States Army Brigadier General during the American Civil War.[1]
William was born in the Sand Hills area of Augusta, Georgia, to parents James and Elizabeth Gardner.
He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1846.
His military career started as Brevet Second Lieutenant with the First United States Infantry during the Mexican-American War. He was promoted full Second Lieutenant in the Second Infantry and was severely wounded in two battles including a bullet to the chest. Upon recovery he was assigned to the personal staff of Gen. B.C. Riley. He was transferred along with his regiment to California by ship, arriving in March 1849 where he served as company officer at the Benicia Arsenal. He was promoted to Captain of the Second Infantry serving various posts in the frontier until resigning from the army in January 1861.[2]
In June of 1861, William was appointed by the government of the Confederacy Lieutenant Colonel of the Eighth Georgia Infantry. Severely wounded at the Battle of First Bull Run, he continued to serve while recovering and was promoted to Colonel then to Brigadier General in November, 1861. His fearfully maimed condition rendered him unfit for field service when he recovered, but he was assigned several duties chiefly of an administrative character. Among them was the command of the post at Richmond during the last years of the war. [3]
In 1870, William was residing with his family in Appling, Columbia, Georgia where his occupation in the U.S. Census is listed as “farmer”. Family members were:[4]
Name | Age | Sex | Est. Birth Yr. |
William | 46 | M | 1824 |
Helen | 36 | F | 1834 |
James | 10 | M | 1860 |
Marion | 9 | F | 1861 |
John | 8 | M | 1862 |
William M. | 3 | M | 1867 |
Henry | 3 | M | 1867 |
Edwin | 1 | M | 1869 |
All were born in Georgia except Helen who was born in North Carolina.
Two unrelated females, Nancy Jones and Margaret Hannon were listed in the household with the latter’s occupation listed as “nurse”.
In the 1880 U.S. Census, William was still farming in the 919th Militia District, Floyd, Georgia and resided with the following family members:[5]
Name | Age | Sex | Est. Birth Yr. |
William | 56 | M | 1824 |
Helen | 46 | F | 1834 |
James | 19 | M | 1861 |
Marion | 18 | F | 1862 |
John | 17 | M | 1863 |
Montgomery | 12 | M | 1868 |
Harry | 12 | M | 1868 |
Edwin | 11 | M | 1869 |
Bessie | 6 | F | 1874 |
Alexander | 3 | M | 1877 |
Note: The family surname was mispelled as “Gardneer” in this census. William listed his father’s birthplace as “Scotland” and his mother’s as “Georgia”.
Before 1900, William relocated to the City of Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, where he appears in the U.S. Census with several family members:[6]
Name | Age | Sex | Birth Mo. | Birth Yr. | Yrs. Mar. | Birth Pl. | Father’s B.P.. | Mother’s B.P. |
William | 77 | M | Jun | 1823 | 40 | Georgia | Scotland | N. Car. |
Helen | 65 | F | Sep | 1835 | 40 | Wisconsin | N. Car. | New York |
James | 38 | M | Aug | 1862 | - | Nebraska | Georgia | Wisc. |
Edwin R. | 30 | M | Nov | 1870 | 1 | Georgia | GA | Wisc. |
Harriet M. | 22 | F | Apr | 1878 | 1 | Tenn. | Tenn. | Louisiana |
Alex B. | 22 | M | Mar | 1878 | - | Georgia | GA | Wisc. |
Elizabeth M. | 24 | M | Jan | 1876 | - | Georgia | GA | Wisc. |
William’s birth year was recorded as 1823, although most records and grave marker indicate 1824. Harriet is the wife of William’s son Edwin.
William passed away in 1901. Final resting place in Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee.[7]
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Categories: 8th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, United States Civil War | Confederate States Army Generals, United States Civil War