My Genealogy Hound

B. C. McWilliams, stockman, farmer, and fruit-grower, of Barton County, Mo., was born in Pennsylvania, October 13, 1843, and is a son of William and Fannie (Knauss) McWilliams, who were of Scotch and German origin, and were born in Northumberland County, Penn.; the former’s birth occurring March 17, 1821. He was a farmer by occupation, and he and wife became the parents of the following family: B. C; John, a resident of Barton County; Francis M., a farmer of Ellsworth, Mo.; James A., also a farmer of Ellsworth; W. H., a miner and stone mason, of Barton County; Mary, the deceased wife of W. L. Olley, Jr., of Pennsylvania; and Maggie E., attending school at Fort Scott. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John McWilliams, and his wife, a Miss Cruiser, were also born in the “Keystone State.” The maternal grandfather, Benjamin Knauss, was born in Northampton County, Penn., and was reared in Bucks County, of that State. His father came in an early day to America from Holland with a brother, and served in the Revolutionary army. Benjamin Knauss served as lieutenant on the Canadian frontier in the War of 1812, and proved a trusty soldier. He was twice married, his second wife being a Miss Billmyer. His death occurred in Northumberland County, Penn. At the age of twenty years B. C. McWilliams embarked on the sea of life for himself, and joined Company F, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, U. S. A., and served about twenty-seven months under Capt. J. K. Robertson, and was in different Southern prisons for about thirteen months. He was in the battle of Sulphur Springs, and was captured at Catlett Station, and sent to Libby Prison, where he remained three days, and was then taken to Belle Isle, where he was retained four months, then spent six months and seven days at Andersonville, one month at Savannah, Ga., and the remainder of his prison life was passed at Miller. Twenty-seven members of his regiment were captured with him, and of those who were confined where he was only one besides himself survived the horrors of the Southern prisons, Mr. McWilliams and John Flowers, of Company I. He was paroled on the 19th of November, 1864, and was furloughed home. While in Andersonville he was water-carrier for four months, and was the original owner of the Miller ax, for which he paid twenty-five dollars, and which he used in building his hut, it being also used for the same purpose by many of his comrades. After the war he worked with the Enterprise Coal Colliery, Shamokin, Penn., but July 6, 1866, went to Belleview, Ohio, and from there to Clinton, Mich.; thence to Barton County, Mo, where he bought his present property of 168 acres. He only remained here a short time, as the country was but a vast rolling prairie, with no houses or improved farms, and went to Dubuque, Iowa, thence to Cedar Rapids, and was married at Danforth, Johnson County, Iowa, to Miss Mary A. Cloud, on the 24th of December, 1867. In 1869 he returned to his farm in Missouri — at that time there being no house between his and the county seat, Lamar, sixteen miles away — and here has since remained and reared his children, whose names are as follows: Fannie E., born October 22, 1868; Rosa C., born December 10, 1869; Nellie May, born July 22, 1873; William H. and Samuel (twins), born February 16, 1875; Lena, born March 26, 1882; John F., born February 25, 1884; Bessie C., born June 16, 1887; and Benjamin H., born March 8, 1889. Mrs. McWilliams was born in Iowa, August 27, 1847, and is a daughter of Samuel and Eliza A. (Case) Cloud, who were born in Ohio and Virginia, respectively, and settled at Big Grove, Johnson County, Iowa, where Mrs. Cloud died July 20, 1882, and her husband, October 12, 1883. They were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom lived to be grown: Callie, wife of B. F. Hopkins, of Zenorsville, Iowa; Mrs. McWilliams; Nathaniel, who was killed in the battle of Shiloh; Rebecca, wife of Steve Almond, of Parker, Dak.; Fannie, wife of Richard Bissell, of Cass Co., Iowa; Frank, of Allendale, Mo.; Newton and Will S., of Iantha, Mo.; Rosa and John, of Danforth, Iowa. Mrs. McWilliams’ paternal grandfather was born in Pennsylvania and Mr. McWilliams’ paternal great-grandfather served throughout the Revolutionary War. Mr. and Mrs. McWilliams are members of the Church of God, and in his political views he is a Republican. His mother, sister and brother have settled here since he came, his father also coming a few years before his death, which occurred February 28, 1883.