WILLIAM HAMILTON (HAM) O達ANION
© Karen McCann Hett All Rights Reserved 2003-2012
William Hamilton O'Banion
Photo contributed by Joan O'Banion
William Hamilton O達anion was known as Hamilton or Ham. He was born April 22, 1827, in Alabama, the son of Green H. O達anion and Hulda Teer. The family migrated from South Carolina to Georgia to Alabama, and then moved to Montgomery County, Texas, in the 1840s.Ham was the brother of John R. O達anion. One of his sisters was Frances O'Banion who married William Harrison.
Ham married Rachel Morris Lindley Kelton on 28 February 1861 in Montgomery County, widow of B. F. Kelton. Rachel was the daughter of Samuel Washington Lindley and Elizabeth Whitley and was born 7 July 1827 in Illinois; she was the widow of Benjamin Franklin Kelton.
He did not, however, join Capt. Wooldridge痴 CSA unit with his brother and brothers-in-law, since he was several years over age at the beginning of the war. According to family stories, Ham served in the Civil War driving a supply wagon. Rachel Morris Lindley Kelton
Photo found in Lindley vertical file, Montgomery Co. Library
She was the sister of John Lindley, James Lindley, and Elijah Lindley. One of her sisters was Mary (Polly) Lindley who was married to Hiram Little.
Ham joined the Danville Mounted Riflemen, Texas State Troops, and was on the muster roll of February 14, 1862.
The only soldier in the Compiled Service Records who fits the profile of William Hamilton (Ham) O'Banion was one “H. O'Banion” who was a private in Company F, Second Regiment, Texas Infantry.
This H. O'Banion appears on the Regimental Return of the Second Infantry dated February, 1865; the return was filed at Galveston, and under Remarks is the notation, “Conscript.”
Toward the end of the war, even older men were conscripted or drafted into service because so many of the younger ones had died or were wounded or too ill to continue in service.
Another Regimental Return, also dated February, 1865, has a space entitled Enlisted Men Accounted For, and in this space is the notation, “Det'd [detailed] Teamster S. O. 28, [Special Order #28] January 28, 1864; Dist Hd Qrs.
This means that the District Head Quarters issued the order that H. O'Banion was to be detailed as a teamster. A teamster was a soldier who not only drove wagons, but also could be detailed to herd cattle or to care for stock.
William Hamilton O'Banion returned to Montgomery County after the war, and the couple had a number of children.
Ham died 9 May 1913, and Rachel died 1 November 1916. They are buried in the Willis City Cemetery.
Photos courtesy of Anna Shepeard, January, 2004
O達anion family information is from Joan O達anion, whose husband is a direct descendant of Ham; from the Montgomery County History book, 1981; and from information in the vertical files at the Montgomery County Library, and from county and census records. Return to History of Co. B 24th Texas Cavalry
© Karen McCann Hett All Rights Reserved 2003-2012
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