History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 370

870

870 HISTORY OF TEXAS.~~~~

became one of the sisterhood of States; and
he hks lived long enough to know that this
State is destined to become the greatest in the
American galaxy.
He was eminently equipped by nature for
the life he has lived: of rugged constitution,
adequate courage, persevering energy, generous
in nature, hospitable, kind and faithful;
with clear and well defined convictions,
sound judgment and honorable impulses.
Although he began life with comparatively
little, he is now one of the wealthiest men in
the county, and still it can not be said of him
that he ever sued or oppressed a debtor.
Concerning those things that have engaged
his mind, he has been an accurate thinker,
and his judgment is deferred to by those who
know him long and well. He has lived
soberly, honestly, uprightly, and there is no
stain on his honor, no blot on his character.
1W1kh ILLIAM W. HARVEY, of Rockdale,
Milam county, is a son of
Samuel H. Harvey, who was a native
of Alabama, born near the town of Bowling
Green on a farm where he was reared, whence
after his marriage he came about 1837 to
Texas and settled in Burleson county. There
he lived until his death, which occurred in
1850. He was a farmer by occupation,-a
fairly successful one for his day, an industrious,
good citizen. He was in the ranging
service in this State soon after coming here,
but never filled any civil offices. He came
of good antecedents, the Harveys being
substantial, well-to-do planters of Alabama,
originally of English descent, the early
representatives of the name having settled in
the Atlantic seacoast States in colonialrimes,
whence they drifted west and south by way

of Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. His
father, Edmond Harvey, was a pioneer in
Alabama.
Samuel H. Harvey was twice married, his
first marriage occurring in 1840, when he
wedded Catherine Prewitt, who was a native
of Alabama and a daughter of James A. and
Nancy (Wilder) Prewitt, early settlers of
that State. Her parents moved to Texas
about 1833, where they died. Her people
were pioneers throughout, the Prewitts being
of English extraction, and the Wilders of
Scotch. Mrs. Harvey died in 1847, leaving
three children: Martha, who was married
to James B. Gee and is now deceased;
William W. of this sketch; and James, who
died in Burleson county, Texas, about 1846.
Samuel H. Harvey married the second time
in 1848, Samantha Oldham, who was a
native of Tennessee, but at the time of her
marriage a resident of Burleson county, this
State. By this marriage he had one child,
Mary Samantha, who is now the wife of
William Daniels, of Williamson county,
Texas.
William W. Harvey, with whom this
sketch is principally concerned, was born
in Burleson county, Texas, January 22, 1843.
At his father's death seven years later, he
was taken by his maternal grandmother,
Mrs. Prewitt, who then lived in Hill county,
and given a home in her family until the
marriage of his older sister. He then went
to live with her and formed one of her
household until her death five years later.
He was then thrown at the age of fourteen on
the world, when he began the battle of life
for himself.
He worked for wages as a stock-herder and
farm-hand until the opening of the late war,
when, in May, 1861, he entered the Confederate
army, enlisting in Company A, Seven

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