Colonel William R. Manning (serving from 22 March 1862- 31 July 1863), who commanded the 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Confederate Army, was born in Georgia in 1817, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Laurence Manning, US Army and Martha Ashley Manning. He was married 27 January 1853, in Telfair (now Coffee) County, to his first cousin, Virginia E. Ashley, born 1830 in Telfair County, daughter of Nathaniel Ashley. The had eight children: Laurence, Nathaniel Ashley, Cornelius Ashley, Mary Martha, Caroline, Virginia,William. R. Jr., and John A. Colonel Manning served as Colonel of the 58th Regiment of Georgia militia from 1846-1852. He was Justice of Peace for the 437th district of Telfair (now Coffee) county during 1843-1845. When the War Between the States broke out he took a leading part in organizing the first company of men from Coffee County. Early in 1862 when the 50th Georgia Volunteer Regiment was raised in "Wiregrass Georgia", he became its commanding officer, and served through the war with the rank of Colonel. Colonel Manning was a large land-owner and slave-holder in Coffee County (into which he was cut out of Telfair in 1854) until 1861 when he sold out and moved to Lowndes County and bought lands near Valdosta. His first purchase there was lot of land 153, 11th district, through which the railroad ran just east of Valdosta. He next bought lot 170, 11th District and later bought about 600 acres more, adjoining, from other parties. The close of the war left Colonel Manning in very straitened circumstances due to the loss of his slaves and to accumulated debts. He died in the midst of his financial worries, in October 1871. A homestead saved his home-place for the widow and children, it being the north half of lot 153. The widow Manning died there in 1880. She and her husband are buried in the Ashley-Manning lot in Sunset Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia. (The information about Colonel Manning was found in "The Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia", by Folks Huxford, Volume IV, page 191.)