William Davis Carnes
1805 - 1879
The Chattanooga Sunday Times March 18, 1934
In 1809, William Carnes’s father Alexander Carnes was robbed and murdered while in Charleston, SC. Wlliam’s mother Mary (with the help of her brother John) sold their business and after paying off all debts was left with $40,000.00 To put it into perspective $40,000 in 1809 is the equivalent of $870,000 in today’s world (2021).
Not a bad sum - this was the amount left over AFTER he was robbed and murdered AND after all his debts were paid. Wife Mary Carnes gets the current day equivalent of $290,000.00 and buys a small farm while her brother John takes $580,000 to ‘invest’ for the boys.
Uncle John squanders the money.
William Carnes marries the ‘Girl of Walnut Tree’ Elizabeth Billingsley in 1825 both were 20 years of age.
Daughter Mary is born one year later in 1826
Followed by son Campbell in 1829, second daughter Amanda in 1831, and second son Alva in 1833. Alva died of scarlet fever at 6 years old. Third son Erasmus was born in 1835 and was said to the the most ingenious of the children.
William Carnes (36yo) attends UT Knoxville around 1841 at the same time as his son Campbell (12yo) was in the preparatory dept of UT.
His daughters Mary (15yo) and Amanda (even younger! 8) were also going to ‘college’ (as per the newspaper) at the time at East TN Female institute.
It was William Carnes who started a Christian Revival on UT campus with two other fellow students. The first three meetings incited mobs and riots. Eventually, the instigator of the riots attended a meeting and dedicated his life to Christ.
For more information and to read grandson Dr. William W. Hill’s biography on W. D. Carnes click on the button below.