History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 771

HISTORY OF T E X A S.'771~~~~~~~

wife departed this life in 1864. Mr. and
Mrs. Young had twelve children, all but two
of whom lived to years of maturity, and three
still survive-W. A., our subject; Mark If.,
and Josephine, wife of Mat Anderson, of
Bastrop county.
William A. Young was educated principally
in Winchester, Tennessee, and commenced
life for himself at the age of twenty-one
years, as a merchant in that city. At the
breaking out of the late war he was engaged
in the wholesale and retail grocery business
at Larkensville, Alabama. Espousing the
cause of the South, he joined Company K,
Fourth Tennessee Cavalry, May 9, 1862,
entering as a private. He took part in the
battles of Pine mountain and Richmond,
was wounded in the fleshy part of the back
of the head in a skirmish at Flat Rock, and
was forced to abstain from active service for
a month. Mr. Young next took part in the
raid after General Straight through Alabama
and Georgia, and by a little strategy 450
Confederates, under General Forrest, captured
2,200 United States soldiers. For meritorious
conduct Mr. Young was promoted to
First Lieutenant of Company K. After arriving
in Rome, Georgia, General Forrest
allowed his tired and sleepy soldiers only
twenty-four hours' rest, when he mounted
and started on a raid through west Tennessee,
and they took part in the battles of Jackson,
Humboldt, etc. At Parker's Roads General
Forrest suffered defeat, and the next engageinent
of importance was Chickamauga, where
our subject was wounded on Monday, the
last day of the battle, on account of which
he was forced to the rear, also spending a
time in the hospital. One month later he
rejoined his command at Knoxville, and the
Fourth Tennessee was then transferred to
Gabriel's Brigade. They then took part in

the siege of Knoxville, next fought General
Burnside at Dandrige, where Captain Young
was wounded for the third time, and thus was
forced from his command for eight months.
During the absence of the Captain from his
company, the regiment was reorganized in
Virginia, under General Johnston, but after
returning from General Hood's disastrous
raid through Tennessee, Lieutenant Young
was elected Captain of his company. The
last battle in which Captain Young participated
was on the Danville road in Virginia.
The battle waxed hot, the Confederates and
Federals mixing in a hand-to-hand encounter.
Captain Young's right hand was still in a
sling, he being obliged to use his left in guiding
his horse and to fire his pistol, yet in that
condition he managed to fire twelve rounds
from his revolver. He was finally obliged
to beat a hasty retreat, and would undoubtedly
have been killed but for the prompt
action of a negro woman, who opened the
gate and gave him access to the barn, where
he fired at every bluecoat that presented himself,
until the appearance of General Johnston's
infantry. The latter put to flight the
Federal troops, and released the cavalry, who
had been for some time in one of the most
stubbornly contested skirmishes. Gabriel's
Brigade was then returned to Charlotte,
North Carolina, and were made the special
escort of President Davis and the special
train containing Mrs. Davis, Bragg, Lubbock
and Benjamin to Washington. While
crossing the river General Gabriel informed
President Davis that General Johnston had
surrendered the army. The gold and silver
was in whisky barrels and boxes, the gold
containing from $10,000 to $15,000 per box.
All was emptied on the ground, and a
division was intended and partly made, when
General Brown's Brigade of United States

771

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