William Thomas Overby - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

William Thomas Overby was born in April 1840 in Coweta County Georgia. During the Civil war Private Overby served in Company A of the 7th Georgia Infantry and was wounded on August 30, 1862 at Bull Run. Private Overby also served in Company D of the 43rd Virginia Cavalry which was under the command of Colonel John Singleton Mosby and known as “Mosby’s Rangers” Overby was captured near Front Royal Virginia in September 1864. He was offed his life in exchange for betraying his fellow rangers. He refused and under order signed by General George Armstrong Custer, was hanged on September 23, 1864. Overby was buried in the family cemetery by the family of a fellow raider who was also hanged on the same day. Or over 132 years, Private Overby remain buried near Markham, Virginia. On December 20 and 21, 1996 the remains of Private William Overby were removed from his Virginia Resting place and returned to his native Coweta County, Georgia. After lying in repose in the Coweta County Courthouse, William Thomas Overby was laid to rest with full Confederate Military Honors on January 5, 1997 in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia.

Description: William Thomas Overby was a member of the 43 Battalion Virginia Cavalry, which was under the command of John Singleton Mosby. This group of men was known for their lightning quick raids and became known as Mosby’s Rangers. William Overby was captured in the summer of 1864 in the Upper Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Overby was offered his life in exchange for betraying his comrades. He refuse and by the orders of General George Armstrong Custer, was hanged on September 23, 1864 near Front Royal, Virginia. Overby was buried in Markham, Virginia in the family cemetery of one of his comrads who was also hanged on the same day. For over 132 years, Private William Thomas Overby rested in Virginia far from his native Coweta County, Georgia. On December 20 and 21, 1996 members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans retrieved Private Overby’s remains and returned them to Coweta County. The remains were then placed in a simple pine coffin and draped with a Confederate Flag and moved to the Coweta County Courthouse where he lay in repose. On January 5, 1997, Private William Thomas Overby was transported by horse-drawn military caisson and escorted by over 300-Confederate reenactors to Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia, where he rests today. Private Overby was known as “the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy,” was awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor. Date of birth: 04/02/1840 Date of death: 09/23/1864 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   06/28/2014 kb10bo visited it