William Granberry Collier

Company C

Vital Stats

WILLIAM GRANBERRY COLLIER was born July 01, 1840 in Ga., and died April 05, 1919 in Spurger, Tx.. He
married REBECCA ALICE CRAWFORD June 26, 1862 in Spurger, Tx., daughter of PHILLIP CRAWFORD and
TEMPERENCE YOUNG. She was born July 19, 1845 in Sabine county, Tx., and died August 09, 1929 in Newton
county, Tx..

He joined Beech Creek Baptist Church 24 August 1858
Yellowed Pages Vol. VI #4 Pg 231

He was charged with drunkenness on 24 March 1860 - Charges were dropped 23 June 1860.
Yellowed Pages Vol VII No. 2

1870 Federal Census Farm 655 - pg 416 Tyler County, Texas
Was living with Rebecca, Oscar, & "Baby" He was 30 yrs. old, white male, a farmer and was born in Ga.
Value of real estate - $250, Value of personal estate - $220. Could read and write.

1880 Federal Census - Tyler County, Texas
Vol 31, ED 103, sheet 21, line 41.
age 46, born in Ga., was a farmer, both parents were born in Va. Was living with Rebecca, Oscar G, Acton Y, Mary
Etta, John B, and Rebecca J.

1900 federal Census - Tyler County, Texas
Vol 104, sheet 5, ED 106, line 95.
Was 59 yrs. old, owned his own farm. Living with Rebecca A, John B, and Minnie.

1900 Census

1910 Census

1920 Census

1867 Voters registration - Yellowed Pages XXII #3 Pg 13.
Living in Town Bluff. Been in Tyler County for 14 yrs.Notes for REBECCA ALICE CRAWFORD:
1920 FEDERAL CENSUS
Vol 171 ED 205
Sheet 6 Line 87
Widowed and living with daughter, Minnie Nations. Was 75 years old, could read and write. Was born in Texas,
father was born Tenn., mother was born in Kentucky.

Applied for widow's pension 23 May 1919. J P Jordan and Lilly Collier were witnesses. Mrs. C F Roth filed the
application for Mortuary Warrant. She was a daughter. She died in the Roth's house in Call, Newton, Texas on 9
August 1929. C A Mixon was undertaker. Virgil Beavers was the attending physician. Cause of death was general
debility following fracture of hip.

Texas widow's pension #33869

Family folklore say's that her father went off to California and wrote her that he had struck it rich and was going to
return to get her, he was never heard from again. (Barbara Nations has a letter from Peter Crawford to Rebecca
dated in the 1860's)

A Y Collier said that she was a very kind person except when she was feeding Grandpa's hounds and then she had
no patience. If the hounds weren't perfectly calm, she would not feed them until the next day. She also had a knot
on her hand that she said was where a pine knot splinter was lodged. She had told A Y and Jack that she was with
William at the end of the war and they nearly starved before they got home. She told him that she had to pay $5 for
a loaf of bread.

Was living with her Uncle Acton Young in Tyler County in 1860, she stated that she was born in Sabine County,
Texas and had lived in Texas all her life.

1850 Sabine County Census - was living with Samuel D McMahon, was 4 yrs. old and was born in Texas.

1870 Federal Census - Living in Tyler County, Texas.
Was a housekeeper, could read and write, was 25 and was said she was born in Ga.

1880 Federal Census - Living in Tyler County, Texas with husband.
Was 34 yrs. old, housekeeper, born in Texas, father was born in Tn.

1900 Federal Census - Living with husband in Tyler County, Texas.
Listed both parents from Kentucky, says that 5 out of 10 children were living. Could read and write.

i. WILLIAM H COLLIER, b. September 13, 1864, ?; d. Bef. 1870, ?.

ii. OSCAR G COLLIER, b. June 25, 1866, ?; d. Unknown, ?.

iii. JEREMIAH COLLIER, b. July 25, 1868, ?; d. Bef. 1870, ?.

iv. ACTON YOUNG COLLIER,SR., b. September 13, 1869, Spurger, Tx.; d. September 03, 1959, Warren, Tx..

v. MARY ETTA COLLIER, b. May 13, 1872, Texas; d. Unknown, ?; m. WILLIAM ANDERSON BARCLAY,
February 15, 1890, Tyler County, Texas; b. Unknown, ?; d. Unknown, ?.

vi. JOHN BENJAMIN COLLIER, b. November 30, 1874, Texas; d. Unknown, ?; m. FELICIA ABIGAIL TEIL,
November 28, 1900, Hardin County, Texas; b. Unknown, ?; d. Unknown, ?.

vii. REBECCA JANE COLLIER, b. November 08, 1877, ?; d. Unknown, ?; m. (1) IRA YOUNG, February 21, 1897,
Tyler County, Texas; b. August 08, 1874, ?1; d. October 1900, ?1; m. (2) RICHARD H BROWN, Unknown, ?; b.
Unknown, ?; d. Unknown, ?; m. (3) JAMES T RATCLIFFE, Unknown, ?; b. Unknown, ?; d. Unknown, ?.

viii. MARTHEY LATISHA COLLIER, b. July 05, 1881, Texas; d. Unknown, ?.

ix. MINNIE VIOLA COLLIER, b. March 29, 1885, Tyler County, Texas; d. March 25, 1977, Kirbyville, Texas.

Military

Was listed on Muster Roll 11 Battalion Texas.
Was a Pvt., 22 yrs. old - Capt. James G Collier's Company, Liken's Battalion, Texas Volunteers. Roll was taken at
Sabine Pass - 24 November 1861. Joined for duty 24 Nov. 1861 at Sabine Pass for a duration of 6 months.

Was on muster roll of Sept. & Oct 1862, was present and was last paid by Lt. Brown on 1 Sept. 1862. Unit was listed
as Co. D Spaight's Battalion Texas Volunteers.

Was listed on muster roll of Nov. and Dec. 1862. Was at Sabine Pass, was present, last paid by Lt. Brown on 31
Oct. 1862.

Was listed on muster roll of July and August 1863, last paid on 30 June 1863. Was listed as absent - W G Collier
left the Co. without leave Beaumont 1863.

Was listed on muster roll of Jan & Feb 1864, was last paid by Capt. B W Brown on 31 Oct. 1863. Was present.

Was listed on Regimental Return of Dec. 1863. Listed as absent without leave since Nov. 13, 1863.

Was listed on Regimental Return of March 1864. Was on extra duty repairing harnesses.

Was on April 1864 Regimental Return. Was listed as sick.

Was listed on the Regimental Return of June 1864. Was listed as "Sick April/64 Hospital Beaumont.

Was listed on the Regimental Return of July 1864. Was listed as "Detached service Hospital nurse Sabine Pass May
13/64.

Was listed on the Regimental Return of August 1864. Was listed as "Detached service Hospital nurse Sabine Pass
May 15/64.

Was listed on the Regimental Return of Sept 1864. Was listed as "Detached service Hospital nurse Sabine Pass
May 15/64.

This Battalion was organized in the latter part of 1861, with one cavalry, one artillery, and two infantry companies,
and known in the field as Likens' Battalion Texas Volunteers. Early in 1862 an infantry company and a cavalry
company were added and it was designated the 6th Battalion Texas Infantry by the A. &I.G.O. It was reorganized
June 17, 1862, and known in the field as A W Spaight's Battalion Texas Volunteers but recognized as the 11th
Battalion Texas Cavalry by the A &I.G.O. Company G was organized May 26, 1864. The Battalion was broken up
November 20, 1864, When Artillery Company B was assigned to the 13th Regiment Texas Infantry as Company I
and the other companies assigned to the 21st Regiment Texas Infantry as Companies A,E,H,B, &, K.Filed for a Confederate Pension on 16 July 1909.
Was 69 yrs. old, born in Ga., resided in Texas since 1855, resides in Tyler County, since 1855, Post office address
is Spurger, occupation is farming, served in a Texas Unit, served from 1862 til the end of the war in Company D,
Speight's Battalion, enlisted in the infantry. J M Hollomon (known for 55 yrs.) and J Dallas Collier (known for 60 yrs.)
signed as witnesses to his service on 12 July 1909. He had $383.00 in property. Mortuary Warrant states that he
was buried by friends and had no undertaker. Attending physician was J W Chapman. He died of Chronic
Neuritis. Casket cost $30.00.

Texas Pension #16762

Notes of Interest

William Granberry Collier and Rebecca Alice Crawford Collier

Picture of W G Collier's children and their families

Notes for WILLIAM GRANBERRY COLLIER:
Moved from Blakely, Ga. with Mother, Mary Granberry Collier Keith, in October, 1852. They prepared a wagon train
of 12 wagons and drove straight through to Texas, arriving in Texas in Feb. 1853. The group included James
Gautney, Joseph William, Thomas J., and Lucy and their respective families. Mary Keith's other children
accompanied them too. - unknown book.

Was a very small man. It was said that he was too small to be a soldier in the war so they made him a nurse. His
grandson, A Y Collier said that he can remember him sleeping in the baby beds. He was said to have wore a #3
shoe. He would not cut bread because the bible said to break bread. He may have been prone to drink. Jack
Collier said that he use to always wear spurs when he was drinking. A Y and Jack remembered that all the grand
kids were in a room together at "Grandpa's farm when the grownups came in and told them he had died. They say
"Aunt Jenny" took it very hard and did a lot of crying. He was the first body carried to Beech Creek in a truck. They
remember that they put nickels over his eyes at the funeral.

Tintype of John and Johanna Pate. John is the great great grandson of William Granberry Collier. Tintype was taken at a reenactment in Arkansas in November 2007.

Clifton Collier, Great Grandson - A Y Collier, Son - Judson Collier - Grandson

William Granberry COLLIER was born on July 1, 1840 in Blakely, Early County, GA. He resided between July 1, 1840 and 1852 in Early County,
GA. He resided between February 1853 and 1919 in Tyler County, TX. He served in the military between November 1861 and 1865 in
Confederate Soldier, 11th Battalion, Texas Volunteer Calvary & Infantry (Spaight's), Co. D.. He was a Farmer in 1870 in Tyler County, TX. He was
a Farmer in 1880 in Town Bluff, Tyler County, TX. He resided in 1880 in Town Bluff, Tyler County, TX. He was elected as Constable in 1881 in
Tyler County, TX. He was a Baptist between December 24, 1888 and 1991 in Beech Creek Baptist Church, Tyler County, TX. He was elected as
Commisioner between 1892 and 1894 in Tyler County, TX. He died on April 5, 1919 in Spurger, Tyler County, TX. He was buried in Beech Creek
Baptist Church Cemetery, Tyler County, TX.
NOTES: Texas CSA pension no.16762, Tyler County. Also, Texas CSA pension no. 35869, Tyler County. paid to Mrs. R. A. Collier. Served in the
Infantry, private in Company D, Spaight's Battalion.
National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System shows service in Company H, 21st Regiment, Texas Infantry. 21st Infantry Regiment
was organized during the spring of 1864 by consolidating the 11th (Spaight's) Texas Cavlry and Infantry Battalion and Griffin's Texas Infantry
Battalion. Serving in the Trans-Mississippi Department, the unit was stationed at Sabine Pass with 14 officers and 235 men. Later it moved to
Louisiana, then returned to Texas. It disbanded prior to the surrender in June, 1865. Its commanders were Colonel Ashley W. Spaight, Lieutenant
Colonel William M. Griffin, and Major Felix C. McReynolds.

He was married to Rebecca Alice CRAWFORD (daughter of Phillip CRAWFORD and Temperence YOUNG) on June 26, 1862 in Tyler County, TX.
Rebecca Alice CRAWFORD was born on July 19, 1845 in Sabine County, TX. She resided in 1850 in Sabine County, TX. She resided in 1860 in
Tyler County, TX. She resided in 1880 in Town Bluff, Tyler County, TX. She was a keeps house in 1880 in Town Bluff, Tyler County, TX. She died
on August 9, 1929 in Newton County, TX. She was buried in Beech Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Tyler County, TX. She resided in Spurger,
Tyler County, TX.

Information provided by Turner Lewis

Headstones at Beech Creek Cemetery

Spurger, Tyler, Texas

This site is owned and operated by

Spaight's Battalion Reenactor's Inc.

Last updated

Sunday, December 21, 2008 03:42:45 PM

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