Biography of William Carroll (Bill) Mecoy
February 3, 1833 - December 10, 1907

Named after the Tennessee Governor at the time of his birth, William Carroll (Bill) Mecoy was born in McNairy County, TN on 3 Feb. 1833. Bill  was the son of Abner and Polly Mecoy. In the 1850 census although only a young man he is listed as owning 500 dollars of property.  A the age of 28 he enlisted as Private for the Confederate Army on September 19, 1861, in Iuka, Mississippi, with Company C of the 23rd Regiment, also known as the "Tippah Tigers".  His military records indicate that the regiment was captured at Fort Donelson, in February 1862.  He was transferred from the custody of Provost Marshal in Memphis, TN, to a Military Prison in Alton, Illinois on July 7, 1862.  Family stories have said that while in military prison Bill met and became friends  a first cousin fighting for the Union Army.  It is believed that this was Hardy McCoy's son as they had settled in Illinois, Bill later named one of his children Robert Hardy to honor this cousin, apparently he and Hardy maintained contact with letters until they passed.

He was listed as POW until the company was sent to Vicksburg and exchanged in September 1862. Bill stayed involved in combat throughout the war, he escape 2 more times during his career. Military records show he was captured again May 25, 1863, place not given.  He was again captured June 10, 1863 in Mechanicsville.  Two weeks later on June 24, 1863 he was captured in Tippah County, MS. and then two days later in Galesburg, TN and was sent back to prison in Alton, IL. On February 29, 1864, Bill was transferred to Fort Delaware where he stayed until the war ended.  Conditions in military prisons were harsh and many died of desease and starvation. Bill survived and was discharged from the Confederate Army in April of 1865.   He signed a Oath of Allegiance to the United States at Fort Delaware, Del., on June 11, 1865, and was released from Military Prison. Prisoners were sent home on trains.   After the War,  friends would tease him about being such a wily escape artist speculating that he must at some point hid under Nancy's skirts since she was such a large woman.

When Bill Mecoy returned home, he married his fiancé Nancy Siddle and had 9 children.  He served 3 terms as road supervisor, in his second term he along with the other supervisors obtained funds from the county to pay for the nails necessary to build the bridges of the district.  This was a “first time" to receive payment as before the blacksmiths donated the making of the nails for their share of the community work on the roads. In his third term the county furnished lumber for the bridges, where as before each community had furnished its own lumber.

Bill and Nancy raised two sets of orphans of lost family members and they were both known to be of a kind and generous heart.  One family was two sisters; Sarah Emeline Pickens was born October 23rd day 1866, Carry B. Pickens (Hopkins) was born March the 1st day 1871. These children were the daughters of Israel Pickens and Margaret Samantha Mecoy Pickens, Bill's sister.  Both had died within a year of each other with Tuberculosis leaving 6 children to move in with relatives.

 He gave each of his children enough land to farm when they became of age, some of which is still own by his descendants today, as a result they all lived on land near or adjoining his.  Bill and Nancy continued to farm until his death on November 10, 1907.  He is buried in New Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, west of Walnut. Nancy continued to live in the house until her death on June 14, 1914, she is buried at his side. All of Bill and Nancy's children grew up to adulthood with the exception of Samantha's twin and their first child only know as W. P., both are buried at New Salem Cemetery.

In July 1930, while Robert Hardy (Bob) Mecoy( the youngest son)  and his family were living in it,  the old home place burned to the ground.  In a trunk in the house were all of Bill’s Civil War medals as well as other family momentos.

William Carroll Mecoy Obituary from the Southern Sentinel
In Memory:
Death with all it's accompaning grief and desolation has taken from our midst a beloved and galant veteran of our own southland.  Thus: One by one they cross the river, one by one  they are gathering home and ere the hope of another decade, they will all have been numbered with pale nations of the dead.  The subject of this sketch is William C. McCoy who was born February 3rd, 1832, died November 30th 1907.
I feel I have lost a friend, for a nobler and more generous soul never lived, always a friend to the down trodden or oppressed.  The widow and orphan found both husband and father in him.
My dear old mother deceased, who was a widow, was often the recipient of his generosity and kindness of dependent gratitude that I bear testimony to these facts this morning.
The memory of W. C. McCoy will be dear to our hearts so long as we remain this side of the last dark river.
And I'm assured we were not the only ones to share his benovolence.  There are many others who could testify to the same.  He having taken several orphans in his home and reared and educated them as his own.
He had served his country in official:  always with honesty and satisfaction.
Being of the Primitve Baptist faith he had never attached himself to any church, but can't believe him lost and like Corneluis of old, his prayers and aims will come up as a memorial onto the Lord and will be accounted to him for righteousness.
He was said to have talked beautifully the night before he died, quoting many passages of scripture, which was consoling evidence to his bereaved ones.
And may that when the cold hand of death shall unlock for the the portals of eternal life, and their bodies rest in the grave, their souls in the presence of the Lord to enjoy the bliss of the redeemed throughout eternity a reunited family.

One that loved him,
Mattie Frederick

Nancy Siddall Mecoy Last Will and Testament:
The State of Miss
Tippah County
I N. M. Mecoy being of sound mind and memory and over the age of 21 yrs and knowing the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death and see while liking to dispose of my property.
1st I desire that all my just debts burial expenses be paid.
2. I wish my 3 girls Lizi Hudson, Mantie Easley and Cornel Hopkins (Neice) to divide all the house hold goods I may possess at my death and to divide it as they thru rite and just without having any public sale.
3 After the house hold goods are disposed of I will to Richmond and John D my 2 sons all other personal property sher and shar alike.
4 I will to my 3 sons Richmond John D , R. hardy 105 acre of land which was deed to me from the divide in the estate of my deceased husband W. C. Mecoy and which land is fully described in a deed to me from my children to which reference is here given.

I nominate J. Mecoy my son as executor to see that this will is carried out and assist making the same agreeably with all my children he understands fully my intention and desire.
And I further desire and intent that he shall act as said executor without bond or repository to any court and in fact it is not expected that there will be any thing for the executor to do except to probate this will but in case of any disagreement he is to arbitrate with them I publish and declare this to be my last will and testimony  This the 19th day of Oct 1910.
N M MeCoy
her X

Witness
J V Street
R C Bennett