William G. Swanson was born around 1809 in Virginia to William and Elizabeth Swanson. By 1860, he was living in Palestine, Texas, with his brothers, James Madison Swanson and Henry Clay Swanson. He supported the Confederacy during the Civil War, writing in November 1862 that “We are all united here and strong in the faith. We regard recognition as a fixed fact it is only a matter of time.” He died sometime after 1862.