My Genealogy Hound

William Henry Dingier is one of the oldest settlers of which Buena Vista Township boasts, having resided here since 1855. He was born in Henry County, Ga., December 22, 1835, being the son of Henry and Sarah (Edwards) Dingier, who were also born in that State, the former’s birth occurring in Morgan County in 1791. He was a son of John Dingier and Nancy (Passell) Dingier, the former of whom was a native of England, and at the opening of the Revolutionary War in America joined the British army, and came to this country to assist in quelling the Rebellion. After fighting four years with the “red coats” he became converted to the Colonial cause, and from that time until the close of the war fought under Gen. Washington. After the restoration of peace, he married and settled in Georgia, where he spent the rest of his days as a minister of the Baptist Church, his death occurring in 1818. His son, Henry, was brought up to a farm life in Georgia, and after remaining there until 1850 he removed to Randolph County, Ala., where he spent the rest of his days, dying in 1884. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, also the Indian War of 1836, and was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, as was also his wife. He was married to Miss Edwards, whose birth occurred in 1794, she being a daughter of Reuben Edwards. She died in 1887, having borne a family of sixteen children, nine of whom are still living: Susan (now Mrs. Ogletree, of Alabama), Nancy (Mrs. Leftridge of that State), Martha (Mrs. Chafin, of Alabama), William Henry (the subject of this sketch), Francis M. (a farmer of Alabama), Mary C. (Mrs. Ogletree, of Alabama), Milly (Mrs. Cockrell, of Alabama), Jerry M. (a farmer of Texas), and Emily (Mrs. Bean, of Texas). Mr. Dingier, the immediate subject of this memoir, remained in Arkansas until 1855, since which time the State of Arkansas has been his home. From here he enlisted, in 1802, in the Twenty-fourth Arkansas Infantry, but at the end of one year was transferred to Hodskiss’ battalion of heavy field artillery, with which he served until the close, being in the engagements at Arkansas Post, Fredericksburg, Va., Hoover’s Gap, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, all the engagements of Bragg’s retreat, the Georgia campaign, the battle of Franklin under Hood, and Nashville. He was captured at Arkansas Post, and taken to Camp Douglas, Chicago, where he was kept until April 30, 1803, when he was exchanged. Mr. Dingier was married in 1856 to Miss Drucilla Crane, who was born in Tennessee in 1836, a daughter of Dixon Crane, a native of Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Dingier have had four children born to them, all of whom are living: Sarah E. (Mrs. Smith of this county), Nancy E. (Mrs. Sanders), Henry D. and Christopher C. By hard work and good management Mr. Dingier has succeeded in accumulating a sufficient amount of this world’s goods to supply himself and family with all the necessaries of life, and is now the owner of some fine land, amounting to 240 acres, about 75 of which are under cultivation. Both Mr. Dingier and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, as are their children also, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a Democrat.