William M. Whaley

Children

Notes

Records of William M. Whaley's military service in the War of 1812 were found in the National Archives, Washington, D.C. He enlisted on 13 November 1814 as a fifer in Captain John Porter's Company, Colonel Edwin E. Booth's Regiment, East Tennessee Drafted Militia and was discharged on 20 May 1815 at Mobile, Alabama.

On 4 November 1850 (aged 62 years) and 2 April 1855 (aged 66 years), William M. Whaley filed applications and received bounty land grants as a result of his service in the War of 1812.

William M. Whaley filed for pension for his War of 1812 service in the East Tennessee Militia. His pension papers give a detailed story of his military service in the War of 1812. It is given below:

'State of Tennessee) Sevier County SS. On this 22nd day of May A.S. one thousand eight hundred and Seventy one, personally appeared before me W. H. Duggan, Clerk of County Court, a court of record within and for the County and State aforesaid, William Whaley, aged Eighty two years, a resident of 2nd district, County of Sevier, State of Tennessee who being duly Sworn according to law declares that he is married that his wifes name was Mary Ogle to whom he was married in Sevier County, State of Tennessee on the 26th day of December 1811 that he served the full term of Sixty days in the military Service of the United States in the War of 1812. That he is the identical William Whaley who was drafted in Captain Wilson Maples Company, Col Booths Regiment -- Brigade -- Division at Sevier County, State of Tennessee on or about the day of November 1814 and was honorably discharged at Mobile, Alabama on or about the day of March 1815 that he does not recollect the Numbers of the Regiment or Brigade, that Captain Maples resigned and the Company was then Commanded by Captain John W. Porter that he at no time during the late rebellion against the authority of the United States adhered to the Cause of the enemies of the Government giveing them aid or comfort or exercised the functions of any office whatever under any authority or pretend authority in hostility to the United States and that he will support the Constitution of the United States, that he is not in receipt of a pension under any previous act, that he makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the pension roll of the United States under the provision of the act approved February 14, 1871 and he hearby constitutes and appoints with full power of Substitution and revocation M.W. McCown of Sevierville, Tennessee his true and lawful attorney to prosecute his claim and obtain the pension certificate that may be issued. And that his post office is at Sevierville, Sevier County, State of Tennessee and that his domicile or place of abode is on the big East fork of Little Pigeon river in Greenbyor Cove'

'Attest His Jeremiah Chamberlain William X Whaley John W. Huskey Mark

Applicant

'Also personally appeared Jeremiah Chamberlain residing in 2nd district, County of Sevier & John W. Huskey residing in 2nd district, County of Sevier persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit and who being by me duly Sworn Say, They were present and Saw William Whaley, the claiment make his mark to the foregoing declaration, that they have every reason to believe from the appearance of Said claiment and their acquaintance with him that he is the identical person he represents himself to be, and that at no time during the late rebellion against the authority of the United States did he adhere to the cause of the enemies of the Government giving them aid or comfort, and they have no interest in the prosecution of this claim.

Jeremiah Chamberlain John W. Huskey

'Sworn to and Subscribed before me this 22nd day of May 1871 and I hearby Certify that the Contents of the foregoing declaration & c were fully made Known and explained to the applicant and witnesses before Swearing and that I have no interest direct or indirect in the prosecution of this claim

'Given under my hand and Seal of office at office in Sevierville this 22nd day of May 1871

'W. H. H. Duggan, Clear'

In December 1817 when the White Oak Flats Baptist Church was formed as an arm of the Fork of Little Pigeon Baptist Church in Sevierville, William Whaley and his wife were listed as charter members.

At the July 1833 meeting of the Church, William M. Whaley said, 'he had been led to think it (is) his duty to Execrcise a public gift where upon the Church grants to him the privileges of Exercising where in the County as duty may call him'. At this meeting William M. Whaley was ordained as moderator.

It is not known just when William M. and Mary Ann Ogle Whaley moved to Big Greenbrier, Sevier County, Tennessee (now part of Great Smoky Mountain National Park), but they were well settled between 1830 and 1840.

William M. Whaley died from 'abcess of side' and was buried beside his wife, Mary Ann at Plemmons Cemetery now part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Source: 'Smoky Mountain Clans', Donald B. Reagan, 1978, p 143, 288. 'Smoky Mountain Clans, Volume 3', Donald B. Reagan, 1983, p 3-5. 'In the Shadow of the Smokies', Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1993, p 712, 729, 732. 'Sevier County, Tennessee and Its Heritage', 1994, 45, 186, 214.