William Henry Powell was born in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, the eldest of 5 known children (3 boys / 1 girl) born to wealthy planter, Jesse Harrison Powell and his (1st) wife Sally Hester Moore.
He was the paternal grandchild of William H. Powell & Mary Harrison of Edgecombe; and is a direct descendant of George Powell & Ann Connor of Norfolk, VA who settled in Bertie County in the early 1700's. He was the maternal grandchild of James Moore, Jr. and Sally Lewis of Edgecombe.
William was 8 years old when his mother died (and was buried in the Moore family cemetery), and his father remarried 3 years later to Eliza Pittman of Halifax Co, by whom 8 more siblings were born. Eliza died in 1855, and he married two more times before his death in 1879, but no more children were born. The 13 children of Jesse Harrison Powell all married into prominent Edgecombe County families, and he can certainly be thought of as the patriarch of the Tarboro line of Powells.
On May 24, 1854, the 25-year old married 20-year old Ann Blount Lawrence, daughter of Dr. Josiah Lawrence & Mary Eliza Toole of Tarboro.
The couple would set up housekeeping in the Swift Creek section of Edgecombe County where William was a planter. They would become parents to 9 known children: Frank Powell Sr. (1854), Hester (c. 1857), Josiah (c. 1859), Mary Grainger (1860), William H. Jr. (1863), Robert (c. 1869), Kate (c. 1872), Jesse (c. 1874) and Willis Richard (1877).
William was 33 years old when Civil War erupted, and he enlisted in April, 1862, in the NC 15th Regiment, Co. I, under Captain John Dancy of Edgecombe.
Company I was formed April 21, 1861, with John S. Dancy, captain; A. M. J. Whitehead, first lieutenant; William H. Powell and Pleasant Petway, second lieutenants; Thomas F. Cherry, Henry G. Gorham, James M. Cutchin, David S. Williams, William McDowell, sergeants, in order named, and James P. Jenkins, John A. Cutchin, Jesse H. B. Thorn, and C. R. King, corporals. J. G. Arrington was assistant surgeon. With the exception of William H. Philips, of Virginia, the 180 men, officers and privates, were from Edgecombe County. May 16, 1862, Captain Dancy being detailed as quartermaster of the regiment, A. M. J. Whitehead was put in command. Powell was made first lieutenant, and in December was promoted captain. The entire company, along with the regiment, was captured during the bombardment of Fort Bartow. After being exchanged, it had a reorganization at Camp Mangum and performed picket duty at Newbern, Washington, and Plymouth. The company saw service at Newport, battles of the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. It suffered the hardships of the siege of Petersburg and rejoiced over the fight at Bentonville. It was in North Carolina at Goldsboro when 115,000 Federal troops were menacing three sides of the city, met and repulsed a force over three times its number. The regiment surrendered to General Sherman May 1, 1865 in Greensboro, after a brave struggle, and his men were paroled in Randolph County the following day.
Following the war, William returned to Edgecombe County and resume his farming.
Capt. William Henry Powell died in 1902, at about age 74. His bride of 48 years survived him another 9 years, passing in 1911 at age 75.
He was the paternal grandchild of William H. Powell & Mary Harrison of Edgecombe; and is a direct descendant of George Powell & Ann Connor of Norfolk, VA who settled in Bertie County in the early 1700's. He was the maternal grandchild of James Moore, Jr. and Sally Lewis of Edgecombe.
William was 8 years old when his mother died (and was buried in the Moore family cemetery), and his father remarried 3 years later to Eliza Pittman of Halifax Co, by whom 8 more siblings were born. Eliza died in 1855, and he married two more times before his death in 1879, but no more children were born. The 13 children of Jesse Harrison Powell all married into prominent Edgecombe County families, and he can certainly be thought of as the patriarch of the Tarboro line of Powells.
On May 24, 1854, the 25-year old married 20-year old Ann Blount Lawrence, daughter of Dr. Josiah Lawrence & Mary Eliza Toole of Tarboro.
The couple would set up housekeeping in the Swift Creek section of Edgecombe County where William was a planter. They would become parents to 9 known children: Frank Powell Sr. (1854), Hester (c. 1857), Josiah (c. 1859), Mary Grainger (1860), William H. Jr. (1863), Robert (c. 1869), Kate (c. 1872), Jesse (c. 1874) and Willis Richard (1877).
William was 33 years old when Civil War erupted, and he enlisted in April, 1862, in the NC 15th Regiment, Co. I, under Captain John Dancy of Edgecombe.
Company I was formed April 21, 1861, with John S. Dancy, captain; A. M. J. Whitehead, first lieutenant; William H. Powell and Pleasant Petway, second lieutenants; Thomas F. Cherry, Henry G. Gorham, James M. Cutchin, David S. Williams, William McDowell, sergeants, in order named, and James P. Jenkins, John A. Cutchin, Jesse H. B. Thorn, and C. R. King, corporals. J. G. Arrington was assistant surgeon. With the exception of William H. Philips, of Virginia, the 180 men, officers and privates, were from Edgecombe County. May 16, 1862, Captain Dancy being detailed as quartermaster of the regiment, A. M. J. Whitehead was put in command. Powell was made first lieutenant, and in December was promoted captain. The entire company, along with the regiment, was captured during the bombardment of Fort Bartow. After being exchanged, it had a reorganization at Camp Mangum and performed picket duty at Newbern, Washington, and Plymouth. The company saw service at Newport, battles of the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. It suffered the hardships of the siege of Petersburg and rejoiced over the fight at Bentonville. It was in North Carolina at Goldsboro when 115,000 Federal troops were menacing three sides of the city, met and repulsed a force over three times its number. The regiment surrendered to General Sherman May 1, 1865 in Greensboro, after a brave struggle, and his men were paroled in Randolph County the following day.
Following the war, William returned to Edgecombe County and resume his farming.
Capt. William Henry Powell died in 1902, at about age 74. His bride of 48 years survived him another 9 years, passing in 1911 at age 75.
William Henry Powell was born in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, the eldest of 5 known children (3 boys / 1 girl) born to wealthy planter, Jesse Harrison Powell and his (1st) wife Sally Hester Moore.
He was the paternal grandchild of William H. Powell & Mary Harrison of Edgecombe; and is a direct descendant of George Powell & Ann Connor of Norfolk, VA who settled in Bertie County in the early 1700's. He was the maternal grandchild of James Moore, Jr. and Sally Lewis of Edgecombe.
William was 8 years old when his mother died (and was buried in the Moore family cemetery), and his father remarried 3 years later to Eliza Pittman of Halifax Co, by whom 8 more siblings were born. Eliza died in 1855, and he married two more times before his death in 1879, but no more children were born. The 13 children of Jesse Harrison Powell all married into prominent Edgecombe County families, and he can certainly be thought of as the patriarch of the Tarboro line of Powells.
On May 24, 1854, the 25-year old married 20-year old Ann Blount Lawrence, daughter of Dr. Josiah Lawrence & Mary Eliza Toole of Tarboro.
The couple would set up housekeeping in the Swift Creek section of Edgecombe County where William was a planter. They would become parents to 9 known children: Frank Powell Sr. (1854), Hester (c. 1857), Josiah (c. 1859), Mary Grainger (1860), William H. Jr. (1863), Robert (c. 1869), Kate (c. 1872), Jesse (c. 1874) and Willis Richard (1877).
William was 33 years old when Civil War erupted, and he enlisted in April, 1862, in the NC 15th Regiment, Co. I, under Captain John Dancy of Edgecombe.
Company I was formed April 21, 1861, with John S. Dancy, captain; A. M. J. Whitehead, first lieutenant; William H. Powell and Pleasant Petway, second lieutenants; Thomas F. Cherry, Henry G. Gorham, James M. Cutchin, David S. Williams, William McDowell, sergeants, in order named, and James P. Jenkins, John A. Cutchin, Jesse H. B. Thorn, and C. R. King, corporals. J. G. Arrington was assistant surgeon. With the exception of William H. Philips, of Virginia, the 180 men, officers and privates, were from Edgecombe County. May 16, 1862, Captain Dancy being detailed as quartermaster of the regiment, A. M. J. Whitehead was put in command. Powell was made first lieutenant, and in December was promoted captain. The entire company, along with the regiment, was captured during the bombardment of Fort Bartow. After being exchanged, it had a reorganization at Camp Mangum and performed picket duty at Newbern, Washington, and Plymouth. The company saw service at Newport, battles of the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. It suffered the hardships of the siege of Petersburg and rejoiced over the fight at Bentonville. It was in North Carolina at Goldsboro when 115,000 Federal troops were menacing three sides of the city, met and repulsed a force over three times its number. The regiment surrendered to General Sherman May 1, 1865 in Greensboro, after a brave struggle, and his men were paroled in Randolph County the following day.
Following the war, William returned to Edgecombe County and resume his farming.
Capt. William Henry Powell died in 1902, at about age 74. His bride of 48 years survived him another 9 years, passing in 1911 at age 75.
He was the paternal grandchild of William H. Powell & Mary Harrison of Edgecombe; and is a direct descendant of George Powell & Ann Connor of Norfolk, VA who settled in Bertie County in the early 1700's. He was the maternal grandchild of James Moore, Jr. and Sally Lewis of Edgecombe.
William was 8 years old when his mother died (and was buried in the Moore family cemetery), and his father remarried 3 years later to Eliza Pittman of Halifax Co, by whom 8 more siblings were born. Eliza died in 1855, and he married two more times before his death in 1879, but no more children were born. The 13 children of Jesse Harrison Powell all married into prominent Edgecombe County families, and he can certainly be thought of as the patriarch of the Tarboro line of Powells.
On May 24, 1854, the 25-year old married 20-year old Ann Blount Lawrence, daughter of Dr. Josiah Lawrence & Mary Eliza Toole of Tarboro.
The couple would set up housekeeping in the Swift Creek section of Edgecombe County where William was a planter. They would become parents to 9 known children: Frank Powell Sr. (1854), Hester (c. 1857), Josiah (c. 1859), Mary Grainger (1860), William H. Jr. (1863), Robert (c. 1869), Kate (c. 1872), Jesse (c. 1874) and Willis Richard (1877).
William was 33 years old when Civil War erupted, and he enlisted in April, 1862, in the NC 15th Regiment, Co. I, under Captain John Dancy of Edgecombe.
Company I was formed April 21, 1861, with John S. Dancy, captain; A. M. J. Whitehead, first lieutenant; William H. Powell and Pleasant Petway, second lieutenants; Thomas F. Cherry, Henry G. Gorham, James M. Cutchin, David S. Williams, William McDowell, sergeants, in order named, and James P. Jenkins, John A. Cutchin, Jesse H. B. Thorn, and C. R. King, corporals. J. G. Arrington was assistant surgeon. With the exception of William H. Philips, of Virginia, the 180 men, officers and privates, were from Edgecombe County. May 16, 1862, Captain Dancy being detailed as quartermaster of the regiment, A. M. J. Whitehead was put in command. Powell was made first lieutenant, and in December was promoted captain. The entire company, along with the regiment, was captured during the bombardment of Fort Bartow. After being exchanged, it had a reorganization at Camp Mangum and performed picket duty at Newbern, Washington, and Plymouth. The company saw service at Newport, battles of the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. It suffered the hardships of the siege of Petersburg and rejoiced over the fight at Bentonville. It was in North Carolina at Goldsboro when 115,000 Federal troops were menacing three sides of the city, met and repulsed a force over three times its number. The regiment surrendered to General Sherman May 1, 1865 in Greensboro, after a brave struggle, and his men were paroled in Randolph County the following day.
Following the war, William returned to Edgecombe County and resume his farming.
Capt. William Henry Powell died in 1902, at about age 74. His bride of 48 years survived him another 9 years, passing in 1911 at age 75.
Inscription
Capt. Co I, 17th NC Reg CSA. "We have fought a good fight. We have kept the faith".
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