William Butler

  General Notes:

Lieutenant

Butler, William (1759-1821) — of South Carolina. Born in Prince William County, Va., December 17, 1759. Father of William Butler (1790-1850), Andrew Pickens Butler and Pierce Mason Butler; grandfather of Matthew Calbraith Butler. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; member of South Carolina state house of representatives, 1787-95; U.S. Representative from South Carolina, 1801-13 (5th District 1801-03, 2nd District 1803-13). Died in Edgefield District (now Edgefield County), S.C., November 15, 1821. Interment at Butler Methodist Church, Saluda, S.C.

William Butler

BUTLER, William, soldier and politician, born in Prince William County, Virginia, in 1759 ; died in Columbia, South Carolina, 15 November, 1821. He was a son of James Butler, who was captured and murdered by the notorious Cunningham, was graduated at South Carolina College as a student of medicine, became a lieutenant in Lincoln's army in 1779, was engaged at Stono, and served in the famous corps of Pulaski. Butler next joined General Pickens, subsequently served with General Lee, under Greene, at the siege of Ninety-Six, and was detached on several separate services requiring celerity, courage, and vigilance. He at length rose to a command of mounted rangers, and took part in many affairs with the tortes. At the head of a body of cavalry, he, with Capt. Michael Watson, attacked and dispersed double the number of the enemy in Dean's swamp, though Watson fell in the action. He was soon after the war made a brigadier-general, and, in 1796, major general of militia. He was a member of the convention of 1787 to consider the adoption of the federal constitution, and, with General Sumter and others, voted against it. He was subsequently a member of the convention that passed the present constitution of South Carolina, for some time a member of the legislature, sheriff in 1794, and served as a magistrate. From 1801 till 1813, when he resigned his seat to make way for John C. Calhoun, he was a member of congress. In 1818 he was again a candidate for congress, but was defeated by Eldred Simkins. In the war of 1812 he commanded the South Carolina troops for state defense.

William married Betheland Moore, daughter of William ?Frank?Francis Moore Sr and ? Frances Foote, in 1784. (Betheland Moore was born on 28 Dec 1764 in , , , Ireland and died on 2 Dec 1853.)