behind AotW

This is white-bearded Rufus Williams with part of his large family in Oklahoma about 1924 in a photograph published in Otmar and Celia Williams’ Lawrence County and Beyond – A History of the Family (2007).

Rufus enlisted as a Private in Company D of the 27th Indiana Infantry along with his older brother Eldridge and their cousins Laban and Daniel Williams in September 1861. After Antietam in September 1862 he wrote home:

Eldridge was wounded in the thy & rist but is getting along pretty well. John A. Henshaw was killed. Laban is wounded in arm. Daniel is wounded in knee. George Phillips wounded in leg. Them 3 is at another hospital & I have not saw them. Joe Fiddler is killed. Christ[opher] Fiddler wound in hand. I cannot tell all that is wound. I was struck in the left side by a piece of shell but I soon got over it. I am waiting on Eldridge & will stay with him until he gets well. I think the boys will all get well. I will try to get Laben & Daniel with Eldridge where I can tend to all of them.

Eldridge died of his Antietam wounds on 13 November 1862 in a hospital in Frederick, MD, cousin Laban was later killed at Gettysburg, and Daniel died at age 33 in 1876.