Person:William Magee (13)

William Magee inherited the homeplace of his parents John and Sarah Magee. He lived, and raised his family, in the old John Magee home, which stood about 1/2 mile southwest of present Clifton Baptist Church. In 2011, a dairy barn marked the site. The location was related to me by his granddaughter, Maudine Magee Knight, about 2005.

He received a Confederate Pension from the state of Louisiana. In his pension affidavit, he swore that he enlisted at Franklinton, Louisiana in May 1861 as 1st Lieutenant of Company I, 9th Louisiana Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness by being shot in the ankle, and was furloughed on account of his wound. An interesting letter written by William Magee, in the pension file, gave his responses to concerns raised by the Pension Board with respect to perceived irregularities in his service records. He stated that at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg he was in the hospital in Richmond. Afterwards, he was sent home, and was to have become "assessor to assess supplies for the army." However, being unable to do the work, Robert Babington was appointed in his stead.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Tombstone photo, Ellis Cemetery, Franklinton, Washington Parish, Louisiana, in www.findagrave.com.
2. ↑ Obituary of William Magee, Franklinton, Louisiana newspaper "The Era-Leader," Issue of 14 Feb 1918.

   The Hon. William Magee (Uncle Billie) has been called by the grim messenger to that distant and unknown shore, leaving behind him friends and relatives who will for years to come miss his genial smile, his pleasant words and the heartfelt grip of his hand. He was one of the pioneers of this section of the country. In his boyhood days it was little more than a wilderness and many were the happy days that he spent enjoying the sport that nature afforded the huntsmen. In later years the people from his parish, when the sad days of reconstru[c]tion was here, chose him for their representative in the State Legislature, where he helped to restore white supremacy in the state of Louisiana, and it is said of him in that legislature, that he, and the Hon. Amos Kent of Tangipahoa were the "two honest men" in the legislature. Higher tribute can be paid no man. After his term of office he returned to his home and private life, and for many years engaged in farming, until his people again selected him as their Representative which office he filled with credit to himself and satisfaction to his people. He was married three times, surviving all of his wives by several years, and he leaves sons and daughters in this his native parish, to represent him worthily and well. May they prove to be worthy sons of a noble sire. We can only say in conclusion of this short sketch, that a good man, a worth citizen and a true friend has been taken from us, but he has earned his rest. Let us not envy him, but rather say "requiescat in pace." ---A Friend.

3. ↑ Louisiana Confederate Pension Application of William Magee, in "Louisiana Confederate Pensions 1898-1950," viewable at www.familysearch.org.