Individual 2234: William Jervis Whitthorne

Individual Record 2234

Name} Whitthorne, William Jervis (Bill)

Family History} Hancock

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Fam Oct 1844

Place} , Bedford, Tennessee

Marr.: Date} Exa 20 Feb 1869

Place} , Maury, Tennessee (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 1909

Place}

Burial: Date} Cir 1909

Place} Rose Hill Cemetery, Columbia, Maury, Tennessee

Grave Marker} Yes

Source 1}	1229=Marriage rec
Source 2}	1249=Newspaper
Source 3}	885 = 1880 USA cen
Source 4}	1230=1900 USA cen
Source 5}	1227=Cemetery rec
Source 6}	1232=Photograph
Source 7}	1235=Biography
Source 8}	1214=Family history
Source 9}	1233=Family history
Source 10}

Parents: } Major William Jervis Whitthorne & Elizabeth (Eliza) Joyce Wisener
Relationship No.} 768

1st Household No.}

Occupation 1} Soldier
Occupation 2} Attorney

Religion/Church}

Spouses: First} Watson, Charlotte Rebecca
Total Number of} 1

Notes: As a smooth-faced 16 year old boy Bill enlisted in Company H, the Maury Greys, of the First Tennessee Infantry of the Confederate army. Later, when the First Regiment was drawn up and asked to vote on whether or not the men wanted to go to Virginia to defend it from the invading Union Army, Bill was quoted as yelling I vote to go to Virginia! He had on girl's shoes and a large flaming neck-tie, and went around the Company, crying to each soldier Let's go to Virginia. The Regiment all voted to go. Later, Bill was seriously wounded in his neck during the Battle of Perryville, but was able to return to his Company. The soldiers carried their guns, the incomparable Springfield Rifle, until they surrendered them to Sherman on 26 April 1865. Bill was awarded the Cross of Honor.

After the Civil War Bill returned to Tennessee, married in 1869, and became a father. He was a prominent attorney in Columbia, held the position of circuit court clerk there for eight years, and served in both branches of the Tennessee legislature.

Bill was commissioned an officer in the First Tennessee Regiment, U.S. Volunteers when the Spanish-American war broke out, and served in the Philippines. The following newspaper article illustrates his duties:

Bakersfield, June 20 (1898)—Three hundred and fifty-eight volunteers from Kansas and Tennessee reached here this afternoon shortly before 4 o'clock, remained about twenty-five minutes and then departed for San Francisco. The Kansas troops, 208 in number, were under command of Captain David Stewart Elliott and Lieutenant de Fort. The Tennessee men were commanded by Captain W. J. Whitthorne and Lieutenants Martin and Sparkman. The troops were unequiped and only a few were uniformed. The Tennessee company had been on the road four days from Nashville. It made rapid time to Albuquerque, where it was joined by the Kansas companies.
Captain Elliott is a Union veteran, while Captain Whitthorne fought for the lost cause. Both officers are men of prominence at home. . . . Captain Whitthorne is a brother of the late Congressman Whitthorne, who represented a Tennessee district for eighteen years. His home is at Columbia . . . .

Bill was one of the pioneers in the development of the phosphate industry in Maury County until his death. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery's block C.

Time of Birth}

Time of Death}

Fraternal/Social}

Baptism Date}

Place}

Confirm. Date}

Photo} None

Immigr'n Date} N/A

Port} N/A

Education: Grade} or Top 2 Degrees}

Military: Service} Army - Infantry for the State of} Tennessee

Health Condition}
Cause of Death}

Last Updated
by} Dan Hancock

Date Updated} 6 Sep 2010
Date Created} 20 Jun 2010

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