William A. Gregory was the eldest child of John D. Gregory and Sarah (Sallie) Harper Gregory. William was born on January 31, 1837 in Sumner County, TN. He married Nancy Elizabeth Day on Nov. 11, 1854. Nancy was born on August 11, 1837.

Children of William Gregory and Nancy Day:

1. Robert "Monk" Gregory who married Lizzy Richardson.
2. William Hall Gregory born on June 5, 1866. He married Lura E. Keen who was born on Feb. 14, 1867. He died in the 1930s and she on July 7, 1948. They are buried at the Pleasant Grove Cem. in Westmoreland, TN.
3. Lethonia Gregory was born on March 3, 1867 and died on October 11, 1952. She married Charles Brown.
4. Adelia Gregory married Weldon Doss.
5. James Henry "Jim" Gregory was born on March 2, 1872 and died on July 27, 1928. He married Mary L. Burnely.

During the civil war William's father, John D., enlisted as a Private in Co. B 18th TN. Confed. Infantry as he perished of illness while the army was in Bowling Green, Ky. in 1861. Also his younger brother, John B. Gregory was a Confed. private who survived the war.

William enlisted as a private in Co. E 24th TN. Confederate infantry. His regiment participated at the Battle of Shiloh. At the battle of Perryville, Ky. on Oct. 8, 1862 William was on the line of battle and was struck in the left foot by a minnie ball. He was carried off the field by Sumner Co. comrade, T.J. Moncrief. The army had to leave Wm. when it retreated back to TN.

William was a union P.O.W. when he was caught by the federals on May 28, 1863 as he was fleeing south trying to rejoin his army. On August 4, 1863 he was exchanged.

For the rest of the war he served as a hospital nurse in Georgia meeting trains full of wounded soldiers. He served at hospitals in both Atlanta and Marietta, GA. He finally surrendered on May 9, 1865 in Lithuania, GA. and took the oath of allegiance to the U.S. on June 12, 1865 in Nashville, Davidson Co., TN.

William and Nancy lived in Westmoreland, TN. Annual medical reports by Dr. Robert Durham state him as being very poor and his leg perishing away. He died on August 24, 1904 and is buried in the Gregory cemetery in Westemoreland, TN.

Letter written by William Hall on behalf of William Alexander Gregory. It is only a portion of a letter:

He is an illiterate man, can neither read nor write. But a man on good sense and remarkable memory. No man according to his station in life has made a better citizen than he. He is always on the side of law and order and has (unintelligible word) himself for (3 unintelligible words) men of good literary attachments and information. He needs and deserves richly the assistance that the pension law would allow for men who has but one foot. John this is the man of whom I spoke to you at Mrs. Glovers the sunday I met you and Mrs. Hale there.
Wm. Hall

This letter came on official First National Bank paper. Preprinted on the top of the paper from left to right it says

J.W. Blackmore - President
R. Beebee - Vice President
D.F. Barry - Cashier
Wm. Hall - Asst. Cashier
Centered at the top and preprinted in large letters it says
"First National Bank"
and under this "CAPITAL STOCK $50,000.

Here is the letter in Hall's hand:
Gallatin, Tenn. August 18th, 1892
Mr. Jno. P. Hickman and George B. Guild
Nashville, Tenn.

Dear John,
This will be presented to you by Mr. W.A. Gregory, a battle scarred old Confederate veteran. A truer man never had the honor of presenting you a letter. He came home among the very last, and worked in my father's farm with us when I was a boy. Even then his wounded foot gave him so much trouble that he was laid up with it for days at a time. It is near no foot as a man could have. And I know (?) any question that but for the help of his children for several years, he could not have made even the poor living that he has had. If under the law you can possible recommend him for a pension, you need have no fears but that it is worthily bestowed and greatly appreciated by him his friends and his delicate wife.
Your friend,
Wm Hall
over

Preprinted on this paper is
"Chesapeake & Nashville R'y Co."
"Office of Agent"
"Agency", "1892"

To: Jno. P. Hickman
Nashville, Tenn
Rogana Aug. 18th

Dear Sar. Allow one to introduce to you Wm. A. Gregory a worthy and brave old Confed. of Comp. E 24th Tenn. he was among the best - and did not - from the dawn of the lost cause till the cypres crowned (?) of sorow doned he deepest sorrowing veil let up in his fealty to our loved lost cause. Do what you can for him John - and oblige your friend. I know him and he is worthy.
Charles B. Rogan

Battle - Scarred Confederate Veteran's Grave Memorialized 99 Years After His Death.

William Alexander Gregory (1837-1904), lifetime resident of Sumner County, was honored with a military marker at the Gregory Cemetery in Westmoreland, Tennessee 99 years after his death. William was the oldest child of John D. Gregory and Sarah Harper Gregory. William along with his father, John D., and his younger brother, John B., all joined Confederate Infantry Regiments. The father John D. died in 1861 while his outfit was camped at Bowling Green, Kentucky. John B. was seriously wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and was honorably discharged. William was permanently wounded at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky but he served until the end of the war. In July of 1861 William enlisted in Capt. John A. Baskerville's company which was composed of Sumner County men. In August of that year at Camp Trousdale in Sumner County this outfit became Company E of the 24th Tennessee Confederate Infantry. The 24th participated in the occupation of and retreat from Bowling Green, Kentucky as well as the battles of Shiloh (April 6 -7, 1862) and Perryville (October 8, 1862). At this latter battle William was shot through the left foot by a Union minnie ball and was carried off the field by Sumner Co. comrade, T. J. Moncrief. He was left at the hospital when the Confederate Army left Kentucky. He was captured by the Federals in May of 1863 in Mercer County, Kentucky as he tried to hobble back to his army. He spent 3 months as a prisoner of war in various camps in Ohio. After his exchange he served the Confederacy in Georgia as a train nurse. He surrendered on May 9, 1865 in Lithonia, GA and he took the oath of allegiance to the US govt. on June 12, 1865 in Nashville. 26 years later he was married with five children. In August of 1891 he was one of the first to apply for a Confederate pension from the state of Tennessee. A surgeon reported that William's left leg and hip had perished away and was not 1/2 the size of his right leg. William owned no land and a young boy of his did all the farm work and was not able to go to school. T. J. Moncrief was one of the witnesses to the application. William Hall, the assistant cashier at the First National Bank in Gallatin, wrote in his behalf "he came home among the very last and worked in my father's farm with us when I was a boy. Even then his wounded foot gave him so much trouble that he was laid up with it for days at a time. It is near no foot as a man could have. He is an illiterate man, can neither read nor write, but a man of good sense and remarkable memory." Charles Bryan, agent on the Chesapeake and Nashville Railroad Co., wrote to John P. Hickman, chairman of the pension board, "Do what you can for him John and oblige your friend. I know him and know he is worthy." William received the pension for the rest of his life and as the amount was small he was still property less when he died on August 25, 1904. Through the coordination of Daniel Gregory and Linda Carpenter a military marker was ordered for William. The marker was set on October 20, 2003 by Daniel Gregory and his grandfather Flavil Gregory. Direct descendants of William - Douglas Gregory, Mary Frances Gregory, and Annie Lois Wix helped in the process. Also in attendance were Mayzell Ragland, Mamie Ruth Gregory, Lauren Gregory, and Ford Wix.

The father, John D. Gregory, enlisted as a Private in Company B of the 18th Tennessee Confederate Infantry Regiment which was composed of men from Sumner and Davidson counties. He died in 1861 in Bowling Green, Kentucky when the Army was camped there, family legend says he was accidentally scalded to death. His exact burial site is not known but the with the help of Mr. Stephen Lynn King, a Kentucky Sons of Confederate Veterans representative, a marker was placed in the Confederate Section of the Fairview Cemetery in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky.

The brother, John B. Gregory, enlisted as a Private in Company F of the 6th Kentucky Confederate Infantry Regiment, which was part of Kentucky's famous "Orphan Brigade". He was seriously wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and was honorably discharged. John B. is buried at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery in Franklin, Simpson County, Kentucky. Through the efforts of Mr. Billy Byrd, Director of the Octagon Hall, an application for a military marker for John B. has been ordered and installed.