behind AotW

Corporal William Henry McClenny of Company G of the 4th Texas Infantry had been promoted to Sergeant in August 1862, but something went wrong for him on the Maryland Campaign – he was reduced to Private on 16 September 1862 at Sharpsburg. He got his Sergeant’s stripes back by May 1864, but was killed on the 6th in the Wilderness, VA.

Sergeant McClenny was from a Virginia family who came to Texas in 1851. In addition to their other belongings, they brought with them 9 of their 11 slaves. Young William, about 11 years old, inherited three of them when his father died shortly after they arrived in Texas: Anthony (12), Ned (10), and Mary (1). Here’s the relevant portion of his father’s will:

Here’s the whole thing: