MONTGOMERY COUNTY BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY
Quarles, William Anderson (1825 - 1893)*
SENATE, 39th and 45th General Assemblies, 1875-77, 1887-89; representing
Montgomery, Robertson, and Stewart Counties in 39th; Montgomery and Stewart
in 45th; Democrat. Born near Louisa Court House, VA, Jul 4, 1825; son of
Garrett and Mary J. (Poindexter) Quarles. Taught at home; attended University
of Virginia, Charlottesville, until death of father caused him to return
home to manage family estate; studied law and admitted to bar, 1848. Married
three times, dates and places of marriages not found; first marriage to
a cousin, Miss Poindexter; second marriage, to Alice Vivian; third time
to another cousin, Mrs. Louisa (Meriwether) Barker, daughter of Dr. Charles
Hunter Meriwether; one son - William A., by which marriage not indicated.
Moved with parents, 1830, to Christian County, Kentucky, and later to Clarksville,
Montgomery County. Began practice of law at Clarksville, 1848; an incorporator
of Clarksville Building Association and of Stewart College, both in 1856;
appointed president Memphis, Chattanooga, and Louisville Railway Co., appointed
bank supervisor for state, 1858; served as judge of circuit court for one
year during illness of incumbent. Was a Democratic presidential elector
on two occasions; first in 1852, supporting ticket of Franklin Pierce and
William R. King; second in 1872, on ticket of Horace Greeley and B. Gratz
Brown; unsuccessful candidate for Congress, 1858; delegate to Democratic
national conventions in 1856, in 1860 (both at Charleston and Baltimore),
in 1880, and in 1884; member Democratic State Executive Committee, 1882.
In Confederate army; organized 42nd TN Infantry; inducted in Confederate
service Nov 28, 1861; elected Col. of Regt. same day; captured with forces
at Fort Donelson, Feb 16, 1862; sent as prisoner of war to Johnson’s Island,
Ohio; paroled to report at Vicksburg, Mississippi for exchange Aug 27,
1862; resumed command of Regt; promoted to Brig. Gen. Aug. 25, 1863; severely
wounded at Battle of Franklin, Nov 30, 1864. One of thirteen former Confederate
generals to appeal to Gov. William G. Brownlow for removal of political
disabilities of ex-Confederates; a trustee of Tennessee Orphans Society,
1867. Member Methodist Episcopal Church; Free and Accepted Masons with
following degrees - Master Mason, 1856; Royal Arch Mason, 1865; Knights
Templar, 1871. Died at “Meriville” in Todd County, Kentucky, Dec 28, 1893;
buried in Bethel Church graveyard, Christian County, Kentucky.
Sources: Blakeney, Quarles, Belcher, et al, p 15; Clarksville Jeffersonian,
Apr 25, 1860; Clarksville Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle, Dec 29, 30, 1893; Clarksville
Daily Leaf-Chronicle, Mar 4, 1901; Nashville Banner, Dec 29, 1893; Nashville
American, Dec 30, 1893; Beach, Along the Warioto, 131, 138, 139, 160, 181,
191, 196, 225, 230; Anderson, Lewis, Meriwethers and Their Kin, 132, 158-59,
161; Hale and Merritt, Tennessee and Tennesseans, 1086; Richardson, Tennessee
Templars, 185; White, Messages of the Governors of Tennessee, V, 618-19.
Biographies submitted by Jill Hastings-Johnson,
Montgomery County Archivist
Correction submitted by Randall Rubel: Should read as William
ANDREW Quarles, Brig. Gen. in Confederate Army.
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