William Oren Gwyn

In 1860 he was a 17 year old worker on his maternal uncle Stephen O. Jones' farm near Zebulon in Pike County, GA. He enlisted as a Private in Company A, 13th Georgia Infantry on 8 July 1861 at Griffin, GA.

He was with his Company in action at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He transferred to Company F, 61st Georgia Infantry in August 1863 and was promoted to Sergeant. He transferred again, to accept the commission as First Lieutenant of Company F, 31st Georgia Infantry on 25 October 1864. He was wounded in both knees at Fort Stedman near Petersburg, VA on 25 March 1865 and was discharged on 11 May 1865.

By 1880 he was a farmer at Zebulon, GA. About 1886 he was elected Sheriff of Pike County and was killed in the line of duty 10 years later attempting to apprehend a robbery suspect.

His service from Henderson1 and his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3. His presence at Sharpsburg in a November 1862 letter by Pvt W F Pope's stepmother. Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860 and 1880, and his Officer Down memorial page. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Dozier Rebecca "Dodie" Redding (1850-1926) in November 1870 and they had 3 children.

For further details about his death, see a piece in the Pike County Journal of 10 April 1896, transcribed online by Lynn Cunningham on USGenWeb.

02/27/1843

04/02/1896; Concord, GA; burial in Eastview Cemetery, Zebulon, GA