Family:William Dugger and Unknown (1)

Marriage

The name of William Dugger's first wife hasn't yet been discovered. Some list her as "Olivia Ushers" but I've seen no source to back that up. Robert T. Nave says it is wrong and I agree.

Children

William's children by the first wife are the first four named in his 1839 Will, though he makes no distinction as to which child is from which marriage. In the Revolutionary War Pension Application filed by his children after his death, the first marriage and first batch of children are not mentioned at all. They were all dead by then, but probably should have been mentioned anyway for their heirs sakes.

James L. Dugger, a descendant of William via the first marriage, gave us an interesting story as told by Alexander F. Dugger (born 1884) about how William's three sons by his first wife ran away from home when they were still fairly young (15 and under). It was probably around 1805-1808 time-frame:

"... Three boys Julius, James and Mark Dugger had a stepmother and lived in tenn. A mischievous boy or boys in the community committed some sort of misdemeanor and laid it on to the eldest one or the Duggers boys a fifteen year old lad. His father a strict disciplinarian took his son to task. The boy denied the blame, Later the conversation at a woman`s meeting (probably a quilting) centered on the mis-deed and all blamed the Dugger boy. Again, the father called his fifteen year old son and quizzed him. The son denied guilt. The father told him that circumstances pointed to him and that he was going to whip him. The son said to his father, "If you whip me it will be the last time that you will ever whip me." The father whipped him. At the evening meal no boys showed up, when they failed to appear by late bed time, the father and his neighbors searched the forest throughout the night for the boys. In the early morning hours the father stood on a large log and called loudly to his boys without reply. The log was hollow and the boys were spending the night in it, yet they did not answer the fathers calls. The boys found their way through the forest to what is know Knox county, Kentucky and their father never located them until all were grown and married. I do not remember which boy was oldest, but James became my g gf . My gf James was born in Knox co. ky. in 1814. He had a brother William older than he. my g gf was thrown from a horse and killed before gf was born. In 1817 his mother moved to Greene co. Ind. were Dugger relatives had previously located. Records in Bloomfield the co seat of Greene co. show that a Julius and Mark Dugger filed on land in 1816. Thus two of the run-away boys and the widow the third one were located in Green co. in the early 1800`s where my gf grew up and married and where my father was born in 1844, My father`s name was Andrew Ferguson Dugger born in clay co. nb. in 1884. I am Alexander F. Dugger born in clay co. nb in 1884 ..."