William Jacob Covington

Infobox Person
name = William Jacob Convington


birth_date = birth date|1838|07|01
birth_place = Spartenburg Dist. , South Carolina , U.S.A.
death_date = death date and age|1910|01|24|1838|07|01
death_place = Memphis, TN, U.S.A.
resting_place = St. John's Episcopal Church Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.
occupation = First District Court Clerk of Camp County, Texas.

Pvt. William Jacob Covington (July 1, 1838, Spartenburg Dist. S.C., U.S.A. – January 24, 1910, Memphis, TN, U.S.A.) was the first district Court Clerk of the Camp County, Texas. A year followingthe American Civil War, Covington moved to Texas, and there in 1876, he was elected toserve as the first district court clerk of the newly formed Camp County, Texas.

Personal background

In 1838 William Covington was born in a two-story chestnut log home built by his relatives in 1799.Private (Pvt.) Covington fought in eight major Civil War battles. Among these were the battle of Harpers Ferry, Antietam,
battle of Fredericksburg, battle of Chancellorsville, battle of Gettysburg and battle of Williamsport also known as Falling Waters.

After surviving the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he was captured at Falling Waters, Maryland on July 14, 1863 during Lee's retreat from Baltimore, Maryland From Baltimore he was sent to Point Lookout POW camp. [ North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A Roster ]

Pvt. Covington was among the 975 repatriated soldiers who traveled the "New York" exchange steamerto City Point, VA, after being formally exchanged on March 19, 1863. A few months laterhe rejoined his 18th North Carolina unit. During the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, he was wounded and re-captured. His leg was amputated at City Point and again at Campbell Gen. Hospitalin DC. He was sent to two different hospitals in Washington, DC, (where the open mall is now located across from the Smithsonian Institute).

Signing his parole in July 18, 1865, he was released and with one leg and a pair of crutcheshe made his way "walking" back to Spartenburg Dist. South Carolina. Before arriving at homehe met his older brother who had been shot trough the neck and captured latein the war. The two arrived home together, both had been long given up for dead. [The Parapet Vol. X No. 2 1999]

After the harvesting of crops in the early fall of 1870, the Covington, Weaver and McIntyre families traveled by covered wagons from Rutherford Co., NC to Upshur Co., Texas, arriving in late 1870. In 1874, Camp County, Texas was formed out of Upshur Co., Texas and Covington was elected as the first district/county court clerk of the newly created Camp County. The positions for district and county clerks were a consolidated position in Texas until the end of the reconstruction period in 1876.

Pvt. Covington was buried at the St. John's Episcopal Church Cemetery adjacent to the Memphis Museum, Central Ave., Memphis, TN. His place of burial was designated with an official historical plaque from the State of Texas Historical Survey Committee on October 20, 1970.

References

* The Parapet, (1999). Vol. X No. 2 August-September 1999 (Point Lookout POW ORG).
* North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A Roster. W.T. Jorden Jr. Vol. VI Infantry 16th-18th AND 20th-21st Regiments (1977)

Notes

External links

* [http://www.PLPOW.com PLPOW: Welcome to the Pt. Lookout POW Descendants Org. Homepage ] at www.PLPOW.com http://www.PLPOW.com

Persondata
NAME = Covington, William Jacob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Covington, PVT. William
SHORT DESCRIPTION = First District Court Clerk of Camp County, Texas
DATE OF BIRTH = birth date|1838|07|01|mf=y
PLACE OF BIRTH = Spartenburg Dist. S.C., U.S.A.
DATE OF DEATH = death date|1910|01|24|mf=y
PLACE OF DEATH = Memphis, TN, U.S.A.