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William Thomas Overby 1840 - 1864

4th Cousin of William Epps Overby, who served in the 5th VA Calvary

My 4th Cousin – Four times removed – by David Arthur

 

 

 

He volunteered for the 7th Georgia Infantry of the Confederate States of America, called the Coweta Guards

He later joined the 43rd Battalion, Company D, Virginia Calvary, also called Moseby's Rangers

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Pvt William Thomas Overby

Birth: 

1840

Death: 

Sep., 1864

http://www.findagrave.com/icons2/trans.gif
Overby, William Thomas 
Known as "The Nathan Hale of the Confederacy."
April 1840-1864
Co. D 43 Bn. Va. Cav.
CSA 

Residence Coweta County GA; 
Enlisted on 5/31/1861 as a Private.
On 5/31/1861 he mustered into "A" Co. GA 7th Infantry 
(date and method of discharge not given)

He was listed as:
Wounded 8/30/1862 2nd Manassas, VA
POW 9/23/1864 Front Royal, VA
He also had service in:
"D" Co. VA 43rd Bttn Cavalry 

~Offered his life in exchange for betraying his comrades. Refused and was hanged as a spy September 1864~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
born in Newnan, GA

Overby was one of the six Mosby's Men executed at Front Royal by orders of General George Custer on Friday, September 23rd, 1864. Overby and Love, were hung to a tree in sight of the town of Front Royal, and a paper pinned on the breast of one read: "Such is the fate of all of Mosby's gang."

The remains of the Mosby's Ranger often called the "Nathan Hale of the Confederacy" lie once again in the soil of his native Georgia. William Thomas Overby was given a hero's reburial January 5, 1997, in Oakhill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta. 

His body had lain the past 132 years in a rural Virginia Cemetery near where he was hanged on September 23, 1864, for refusing to reveal the whereabouts of the headquarters of his commander Confederate Cavalry Colonel John Singleton Mosby. 

Overby was the son of a Coweta County, GA, planter, and was wounded at 2nd Bull Run while with the 7th Georgia Infantry. 

In 1864 he was a 27 year old member of Company D, of Mosby's Rangers. He was captured near Front Royal, VA, with 5 other rebels. All six were executed, and Overby was one of the last two to die. His captors offered to spare his life if he would reveal Mosby's whereabouts, but he was refused and was hanged from a walnut tree. His last words were reportedly: "Mosby will hang 10 of you for every one of us." 

Mosby did indeed retaliate: he hanged seven captured Union troops, attaching a note to the body of one of them with words to the effect that he would hang no more prisioners if Yankee commander George Custer desisted from hanging anymore captured Confederates. The hangings ceased. 

Overby was buried in Markham, Virginia, in the family cemetery of one of the other men executed that day, according to the Atlanta Constitution. The Sharpsburg Sharpshooters Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Coweta County made numerous attempts in recent years to have Overby's body returned, but without success. They finally got permission when the owner of the Virginia graveyard died and the new owners, descendants and judges in both states were amenable. 

Overby's few remaining bones were retrieved on the weekend of December 20-21, 1996, by members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), and returned to Newnan, GA. There, they were placed in a pine period coffin and lay in state on January 4, 1997, in the Coweta County Courthouse. The coffin was draped in a Confederate flag and topped with a framed photo of Overby under a pair of Confederate swords. An honor guard of Confederate reenactors stood vigil, wearing black armbands over their left sleeves. The following day, a Sunday, Overby's casket was transported to Oakhill Cemetery via a horse-drawn artillery caisson, accompanied by more than 300 reeanctors while about 300 spectators looked on. 

(reported by Joe Kirby, for the Civil War News, Route 1, Box 36, Turnbridge, VT

This is a second monument on the Courthouse Square in Newnan, GA. and is erected in memory of William Thomas Overby, Confederate Hero. He enlisted May 31,1861, into Co. A 7th Ga. Infantry. He was wounded at second Manassas, Aug. 30, 1862, then joined Co. D, 43rd Batln. Mosby's Rangers. They raided within Federal lines to embarrass the enemy, causing U. S. Grant to issue the order that "when found Mosby's men were to be hanged without trial." William Overby was captured at Front Royal, Va. on Friday, Sept. 23,1864. He was offered his life if he would reveal the hiding place of Mosby's men. This he refused, and was executed without trial. A federal said "He was the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy." Scott said, "He was a famous soldier and died unafraid." A lady, present at his death said, "He died a Christian-unafraid." William Overby suffered death rather than betray his friends. He is buried in Markham, Va. The monument reads: "Erected 1956 by Alfred Colquitt and Newnan Chapters UDC, Inscription by Col. Thomas Spencer. At the top of this granite Boulder are crossed battle flags.

Source: http://www.cowetaguards.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=3

 
 
Family links: 
 Parents:
  
William Overby (1811 - 1869)
  
Mae Overby

 

Burial:
Cokes Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery 
Sharpsburg
Coweta County
Georgia, USA

 

 

 

 

 

SR 260                                               SR260/AP 

SENATE RESOLUTION 260 

By:  Senator Price of the 28th 


                             A RESOLUTION 

  1- 1  Designating the William Thomas Overby Memorial Parkway and 
  1- 2  the Buddy Reddick Parkway; and for other purposes. 



  1- 3  WHEREAS, William Thomas Overby was born in Brunswick County, 
  1- 4  Virginia, around 1840, the third child of William and Martha 
  1- 5  Overby, who were among the first families to settle in 
  1- 6  Coweta County, Georgia; and 

  1- 7  WHEREAS, he volunteered for the 7th Georgia Infantry of the 
  1- 8  Confederate States of America, called the Coweta Guards, and 
  1- 9  was wounded in the Second Battle of Manassas; and 

  1-10  WHEREAS, he later joined the 43rd Battalion, Company D, 
  1-11  Virginia Calvary, also called Moseby's Rangers; and 

  1-12  WHEREAS, he was captured by Union troops in Fort Royal, 
  1-13  Virginia, and hanged without a trial; and 

  1-14  WHEREAS, originally buried on a private farm in Markman
  1-15  Virginia, he was respectfully exhumed in December, 1996, and 
  1-16  returned home to  Coweta County, Georgia, and was reinterred 
  1-17  in January, 1997, among the Confederate graves of Oakhill 
  1-18  Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia; and 

  1-19  WHEREAS, he was the only Georgian who received the 
  1-20  Confederate Medal of Honor. 



  1-21  WHEREAS, Harry Cleveland "Buddy" Reddick lived a life that 
  1-22  touched so many people from September 19, 1950, when he was 
  1-23  born in Peach County, Georgia, to the sad day of his death 
  1-24  in the town that loved him, Fort Valley, on March 31, 1996; 
  1-25  and 

  1-26  WHEREAS, Mr. Reddick attended Georgia Southern University 
  1-27  and later Georgia Southwestern where he earned a degree in 
  1-28  business administration and met his lovely wife, Becky; and 

  1-29  WHEREAS, Mr. Reddick owned Reddick Hardware in Fort Valley, 
  1-30  was past president of the Kiwanis Club and of the Peach 
  1-31  County Chamber of Commerce, was past president of the 
  1-32  Community Unity Group, past chairman of the Development 


                                 -1-
 



  2- 1  Authority, and involved in Sunday School and coaching little 
  2- 2  league football; and 

  2- 3  WHEREAS, Buddy received the Durwood Gassett Award in 1996 
  2- 4  for his accomplishments; and 

  2- 5  WHEREAS, the list of his public accomplishments and civic 
  2- 6  contributions is certainly long, but Buddy's major 
  2- 7  contributions were as a friend to anybody who knew him. 
  2- 8  Buddy was unforgettable because he loved his community and 
  2- 9  all those in it; and 

  2-10  WHEREAS, on this the one-year anniversary of the month of 
  2-11  Buddy's death, it is only fitting and proper that a 
  2-12  beautiful stretch of road in the community dear to his heart 
  2-13  be honored with his name. 

  2-14  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY that 
  2-15  the members of this body designate that portion of Georgia 
  2-16  Highway 154 from Sharpsburg to the intersection of Georgia 
  2-17  Highway 154 with U.S. Highway 29 as the William Thomas 
  2-18  Overby Memorial Parkway, in honor  of William Thomas Overby, 
  2-19  courageous and distinguished Confederate soldier. 

  2-20  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body 
  2-21  designate the bypass around the City of Fort Valley from 
  2-22  Georgia Highway 49 North to U.S. Highway 341 as the Buddy 
  2-23  Reddick Parkway to honor this great man. 

  2-24  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation 
  2-25  is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate 
  2-26  signs designating the William Thomas Overby Memorial Parkway 
  2-27  and the Buddy Reddick Parkway. 

  2-28  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of 
  2-29  Representatives is authorized and directed to deliver a copy 
  2-30  of this resolution to Mrs. Becky Reddick. 
 
 

 

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