"WKP Owensby, pvt., Co F, 41 Regt., TN Inf, CSA. Enlisted Nov 4 1861 at Camp Trousdale and on roll dated Oct 31, 1862 he is reported "Absent, detailed as hospital nurse at Russelville, KY. His name is not borne on subsequent rolls partly cover period from Nov 1 1862 to Aug 31, 1864." Taken from WKP Ownby Pension Application


"WKP Owensby, pvt Co F, 4 Regt, TN Cav., (subsequently 8 (Smith's Tennessee Calvary)., CSA, enlisted Sept 27, 1862 at Bardstown, KY and was appointed Sgt, Mar 1 1863. He was captured near Hillsboro, TN Sept 17 1864 and was paroled at Camp Chase, Ohio, Feb 13 1865 being rec'd at Boulwares & Cox Warf, James River, VA, Feb 20 1865. He surrendered, May 1, 1865 at Sand Mountain, AL and subscribed to oath of allegiance at Nashville, TN, May 16 1865. signed Robert C Davis, Adjutant General, May 15, 1923" Pension Application


He received a Civil War Veterans Pension. His grandson, Watt and grandaughter Polly remember that when they were little, he would line all of the grandchildren up and give each of them a quarter every month when he received his pension check. Watt II, says at one time he had $5 from the money that Granpa Watt gave him. Considering this was just before the Depression, that was a lot of money.

Watt and his brother Sam were at Camp Chase at the same time. It is unknown if they knew each other were there.

The entire family remained close emotionally and all but 2 of the siblings moved to Texas in the 1880's. He was exceptionally close to his sister, Elizabeth Nancy Ownby Taylor

They married on the same day (to Mary Jane Taylor and Jefferson Lafayette Taylor, brother and sister) and they died on the same day in the same house in 1930.∼

Dallas Morning News
11 February 1930

ELDERLY SISTER AND BROTHER DIE IN TWO MINUTES

Whitewright, Texas, Feb. 10 - Death came suddently to W.P. Ownby, 88, and his sister, Mrs. Lizzie Taylor, 82, at the Ownby home, four miles southwest of Whitewright, Monday afternoon.
Standing at the bedside of her dying brother, Mrs. Taylor was stricken with a heart attack and expired. Two minutes later Mr. Ownby died.
Coming to Texas from Tennessee in 1882, these two pioneer citizens had lived in the Pilot Grove community, near Whitewright, for the last forty-eight years.
Mr. Ownby is survived by the following children: J.P. Ownby of near Whitewright; A.C. Ownby of Bells; Mrs. E.J. Cowart of Slaton; and Mrs. Mollie Skaggs of Whitewright.
Surviving children of Mrs. Taylor are M.L. Taylor, O'Donnell; D.M. Taylor of Pilot Grove; Mrs. Mary Benson and Mrs. Callie Lane of Sedalia.
Double funeral services will be held at the Pilot Grove Methodist Church, with burial of Mr. Ownby's body at Vittitoe Cemetery and that of Mrs. Taylor at Pilot Grove Cemetery.