MILLER CO. WHITE MAN SOLD AT AUCTION IN 1859

By Peggy Smith Hake

On 11 September 1859, a charge of vagrancy was brought against a man in Miller County named William Williams, filed by Constable Barnabas Reed of Glaize Township. The warrant was presented to John K. Hall, a justice of the peace who lived in the vicinity. The sheriff of Miller County in 1859 was Samuel T. Harrison.

Three days later, on September 14, 1859, Williams (about 25 years of age) was found at the home of Samuel Ash in Glaize Township. Constable Reed put him under arrest. Samuel Ash was Williams' father-in-law. His young wife was Mary Ann Ash, age about 19 years. They had married in Miller County on March 2, 1856. William and Mary had a young son named Jeremiah who was approximately one year old when his father was arrested in 1859.

According to the testimony of Samuel Ash, Reed came to the Ash home "in the middle of the night" demanding Williams to surrender. Ash talked William Williams into giving himself over to the constable and the two of them (Reed & Ash) escorted Williams to the home of John Hall, the justice of the peace.

Even though it was after midnight, Justice Hall immediately summoned six jurors to come to his home. They arrived in a short while and without much pomp or ceremony, they found him guilty of vagrancy. One of the jurors must have been named Andrew Ulman because he insisted Williams be untied during his trip to jail. By the next morning, probably only a few hours, Williams was incarcerated in the county jail at Tuscumbia.

For three days a notice was hand-posted on the courthouse door advertising that a "vagrant" would be hired out for a cash payment for a period of six months to the highest bidder.

Mary Ann (Ash) Williams began the bidding at a dime and she continued to raise the bid at "one cent" until she acquired her husband's freedom. The bid reached $2.55 when Sheriff Harrison yelled...."Going, Going, Gone....to Mrs. Mary Ann Williams for $2.55".

In l860, William, Marry Ann, and their two-year old son, Jeremiah, were still living in Glaize Township near others mentioned in this article. After the 1860 census, they appear no more in Miller County census records. The Civil War scattered many families in many directions. I do not know what happened to the William Williams family.

    Some History of Those Mentioned in the Williams Story:

    1.  William Williams......he was born in Virginia circa 1834.  I do not know anything about 
    his ancestry nor when he came to Miller County.  He married Mary Ann Ash in Miller
    County on March 2, 1856, the marriage performed by J. C. Glass, a minister of the 
    gospel.  Mary Ann was born circa 1840, also in Virginia (per census records).  Their son,
    Jeremiah, was born c/1858.  There may have been other children but no record is found
    for William and Mary Ann after the 1860 census.  Their neighbors in 1860 in Glaize
    Township included the families of Horton, Graham, Adams, Ulman, Hix, and Martin.

    2.  Samuel Ash--- was the father of Mary Ann (Ash) Williams.  Samuel was born in Virginia
    about 1802.  He was living with his second wife, Elizabeth (Phillips) when the arrest of
    Williams was made.  He and Elizabeth were married in 1856 just a couple of months
    prior to the marriage of William Williams and Mary Ann Ash.

    3.  Barnabas Reed--- He was the constable of Glaize Township in 1859.  Barnabas was born
    in Missouri circa 1830.  He married Rebecca Ulman, daughter of Samuel and Virginia
    Ulman.  Rebecca was a native of Virginia, born c/1837

    4.  John K. Hall---He was a Justice of the Peace in Glaize Township in 1859.  John was
    Born circa 1817 in Tennessee and lived with his wife, Jane, near Samuel Ash in 1859.

    5.  Andrew Ulman---He was born circa 1825 in Virginia.  In 1860, Andrew and his wife
    (Dolly Tinsley) lived in Glaize Township with two young daughters.  Dolly was born in
    Virginia circa 1828.  Andrew Ulman was a brother to Rebecca (Ulman) Reed, wife of
    Barnabas.

    6.  Samuel T. Harrison---He was sheriff of Miller County during 1858-186l and was the
    Sheriff who arrested William Williams in 1859 on the charge of vagrancy.  He was born
    In Kentucky circa 1820.  He and his wife, Mary (Francis) were living in Saline Township
    when he was elected Miller County Sheriff in 1858.