THIRD GENERATION

20. William Pinckney Rutledge was born on 29 Jul 1815 in Maury County, Tennessee. He bought land in the town of Washington for $27.50 on 14 Oct 1837 in Washington County, Texas. He bought a second class land grant of 640 acres on 20 Mar 1839 in Washington County, Texas. He appeared on the census on 29 Nov 1850 in Washington County, Texas. ⁽⁹³⁾ He appeared on the census on 9 Jul 1860 in P. O. Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas.⁽⁹⁴⁾ He appointed Confederate Postmaster of Pond Springs, Texas on 16 Mar 1862 in Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas. He appeared on the census in 1870 in P. O. Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas.⁽⁹⁵⁾ He bought 100 acres of Rachel Saul Tract on Brushy Creek for $100 on 6 Feb 1871 in Williamson County, Texas.⁽⁹⁶⁾ He appeared on the census on 4 Jun 1880 in JP #2, Williamson County, Texas. ⁽⁹⁷⁾ He died on 27 Apr 1890 in Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas. He was buried in Pond Springs Cemetery, Williamson County, Texas. Ancestry

W. P. Rutledge was the son of James Rutledge and Nancy Armstrong of Maury County, Tennessee. He was the grandson of the Revolutionary Soldier William Rutledge (1756-1835), who served in North Carolina and settled in Maury and later Wayne County, Tennessee. His war record is outlined in Pension File #S-4171. James Rutledge lived in Maury County, Tennessee all his life. Nancy Armstrong was the granddaughter of William Armstrong, a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in Robertson County, Tennessee.

Susannah Camp was the daughter of John Banks Camp, who was born in 1806 in Clark County, Georgia, son of Cecillius Camp and Mary Margaret "Polly" Williams. Susannah's mother was Eliza Lane Noland, daughter of William Noland and Elizabeth Whitman. Eliza married J. B. Camp in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1825. J. B. Camp held Land Grant #444, Rusk-3-105 in the Republic of Texas. He lived in 1850 in Grimes County, Texas.


Biography

W. P. Rutledge grew up in Maury County, Tennessee, where his father was a farmer. He and his younger brother, Thomas Lafayette Rutledge, moved to Washington County, Texas where W. P. received a 640 acre land grant there on March 20, 1839. His brother, Thomas L. Rutledge, also received a 3rd Class land grant for 320 acres.

In January 1838, a set of anvil and bellows was appropriated by the Secretary of the Texas Navy from W. P. Rutledge for military purposes. On December 12, 1839, W. P. Rutledge wrote the Texas Government for compensation, and $125.00 was paid to Rutledge on a claim issued January 25, 1840.

W. P. Rutledge witnessed a deed for Washington County, Texas, on November 3, 1840 (J.B. Robinson to Jesse Ferrill, Book D, p. 410). He was in Washington County with a 2nd class land grant of 640 acres (dated March 20, 1839) for the 1840 Republic of Texas Census.

In 1841 W. P. Rutledge married Mary Ann Jackson. She died, perhaps in childbirth, on August 29, 1842.

W. P. Rutledge served in the Texas Army in the fall of 1842. An account of his service was recorded in Austin on August 13, 1851, by John Hemphill, late acting Adjutant and General for the Western Army:

"I do hereby certify that Wm. P. Rutledge commanded a company in the detachment of troops which in October 1842 marched from the County of Washington to the rendezvous at San Antonio of the South Western Army under the command of Genl. Somerville and that he continued for a few days after the organization of the army in command - that some time afterwards say between the 15th & 20th November 1842 domestic afflictions as well as I can reflect compelled him to return to his family. I believe that he left under furlough at all events the act was approved by the commanding officer. the army was encamped on the medina when he left and J. B. Robertson was afterwards elected to the command of the company . And I certify that he is in my opinion entitled to pay from the 17th October to about the 7th Decr. 1842."

W. P. Rutledge was paid for 1 month and 21 days at the rate of $92/month, or $156.40 , under second class certificate #1793. This was collected by his attorney R. J. French on March 9, 1852. He also received additional compensation for this service under a 2nd Class "B" certificate of $15.75 received on March 6, 1854.

W. P. Rutledge remarried July 4, 1843 in Washington County, to Susannah Camp, daughter of J. B. Camp.

During the Republic of Texas era, W. P. Rutledge performed work for the state of Texas: He was paid $15.00 for the use of a vice to affix the Seal of the State to documents on March 4, 1844, $3.00 to repair a gun for the Indian Bureau in May, 1844, and $3.50 for repairing office seal press on May 1, 1845.

In 1850 Rutledge was on the federal census in Washington County. In 1854 he was on the state scholastic census in also in Washington County. Rutledge moved to Williamson County about 1856 where he became a fruitgrower.

In 1860 he was on the census for Pond Springs, Williamson County, where he lived next to his two brothers, Thomas and Edward. Thomas L. Rutledge owned a general store in Pond Springs.

During the war, W. P. Rutledge was nominated as the Doorkeeper of the (state) Senate for the ninth legislature on November 4, 1861. He received 4 votes on the first round and 3 on the second. He was not elected. William P. Rutledge was the confederate postmaster of Pond Springs, Texas, from March 13, 1862 to 1866, where his wife succeeded him (because she did not swear an oath to the confederacy) until the post office was closed in 1880.

Rutledge lost his wife Susan sometime during the War. His oldest son W. P., Jr., died in a union prison on May 3, 1863 at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois. He remarried to Mrs. Etta Carter in 1864. She was the widow of Sam M. Carter.

In 1867, he was a voter in Travis County, Texas (p. 125). He stated at that time that he was a resident of Texas 14 years (?) and Travis County 4 years.

W. P. Rutledge took out a guardianship for his two minor sons, John and Frank, in Williamson County in August 1868 (R-7).

Rutledge was still in Pond Springs at the 1870 census.

W. P. Rutledge received a 108 acre 2nd class grant in Travis County from the state of Texas patented July 23, 1873, Pat #309, p. 8, File #191 (p. 544, Abstract of Texas Land Grants, General Land Office; 2nd class were granted to those who came to Texas 3/2/1836 to 10/1/1837). Rutledge also received a 2nd class grant in McClennan County of 320 acres (Certificate #43, Milam District, File #592) and 532 acres in Burnet County (Cert. # 15/408, Milam District, File #712).

Travis County Deeds: W. P. Rutledge & wife to P. L. Stewart, April 8, 1874, v. 26, p. 390. W. P. Rutledge & wife to W. P. Black September 9, 1878, v. 42, p. 121. W. P. Rutledge & wife to Jno. T. Miller, July __, 1876, v. 68, p. 53.

Rutledge was again in Pond Springs for the 1880 census.

According to the history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop and Travis Counties:

"... Captain W. P. Rutledge, an old Texas pioneer, who commanded a company in the Mexican War. He resided in Williamson County from 1858 to his death, which occurred April 26, 1890. Mr. Rutledge was a well-read and intelligent gentleman, and was respected by all who knew him; and was a prominent fruitgrower."

W. P Rutledge's tombstone states: "The world was his country; to do good his religion"

He was married to Mary Ann Elizabeth Jackson on 17 Jul 1841 in Washington County, Texas. Mary Ann Elizabeth Jackson was born on 21 Mar 1826. She died on 29 Aug 1842 in Washington County, Texas. She was buried in Washington Cemetery, Washington County, Texas. William Pinckney Rutledge and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jackson had the following children:

+127 i. William Pinckney Rutledge Jr..

He was married to Susannah Camp (daughter of John Banks Camp and Eliza Lane Noland) on 4 Jul 1843 in Washington County, Texas. Susannah Camp was born in 1826 in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. She died in 1863 in Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas. William Pinckney Rutledge and Susannah Camp had the following children:

+128 i. Samuel H. Rutledge.
+129 ii. Anna Eliza Rutledge.
+130 iii. John Toliver Rutledge.
+131 iv. Franklin Camp Rutledge.

He was married to Margaretta "Etta" Oliphant (daughter of W. Oliphant and J. E.) on 1 Sep 1864 in Travis County, Texas. ⁽⁹⁸⁾ Margaretta "Etta" Oliphant was born in 1842 in Indiana. She died on 2 Jan 1915 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas.⁽⁹⁹⁾