William Crawford was born around 1820 in Tennessee. He married a woman named Amarada, and they had at least seven children: Malinda, born around 1841; Mary, born around 1843; Benjamin, born around 1846; Sarah, born around 1850; Jackson, born around 1852; William Henry, born around 1855; and Catherine, born around 1858. He worked as a farmer in Hawkins County, Tennessee, and by 1850, he owned $250 of real estate. A decade later, he owned $1,000 of real estate and $250 of personal property.

 

He enlisted in the Confederate army on August 1, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in Company K of the 29^th Tennessee Infantry later that day. He fiercely supported the Confederate cause, and he rejoiced that his young children were “strong cecessionist[s].” In September 1861, he wrote that he “intend[ed] to kill old abe if we can get the chance we are a waiting for a chance to get to kill him or some of his union friends.” He was eventually promoted to corporal. He apparently died in a Confederate hospital in Mississippi on August 15, 1862.

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