William Fussell

This information below from a Walters-Oliver-Tolar Reunion notice mailed in September 2002 by Patsy Ann Jackson. The picture is of the Findley Family from the 1953 W-O-T Reunion.
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I have written about John Phillip Tolar and his wife Canzetta Fussell in a previous newsletter. This letter will be about Canzetta Fussell’s parent’s - William Fussell Jr. and his wife Mary B Morris.
William Fussell is the son of William Fussell, Sr. born July 26, 1755 in NC and Mary Wilson born Dec 25, 1762. William Fussell, Jr. was born 1798 in georgia and married Mary B. Morris, born in 1802 in Georgia, on September 1821 in Washington, Parish, LA.
William enlisted in the War of 1812 on December 23, 1814 at Covington Louisiana and served under Captain William Beekam Company, Colonel Thomas Warner Regiment and was discharged at Camp Navy Yard on February 24, 1815 serving a total of 64 days.. William stated on his pension application: “At the time of the Battle of New Orleans I was at Camp Navy Yard on the Chefunky about 7 miles from its mouth. Our command was then sent across the Mississippi to reinforce Gen. Morgan who was camped about 6 miles below New Orleans on the west side of the river. A few days after the Battle of New Orleans General Morgan was ordered by General Jackson to reinforce him upon a given signal by crossing the river, advance and attack the enemy below New Orleans. No signal was given and during the night I saw camp fires on the east bank of the river and carriages & cannon by the aid of the campfire and the next day learned it was the enemy.”
William applied for and received Bounty land donations (land given to soldiers for a specified time of enlistment). William’s bounty land was located in Rankin County, Mississippi. William was in Tyler County, Texas by 1874 according to the dates on his pension application. William applied for his pension and on January 30, 1875 was granted a monthly pension of $8.00 per month from February 14, 1871.
William Fussell’s will was filed on September 7, 1875 in Tyler County, Texas. The will was filed under Index Jacket Number X-359. I have been to Tyler County several times and all the County Clerks will tell me is “There is no will in the box and we can only surmise that someone took it.” John Phillip Tolar is given as administrator of William’s will.
John Findley, a descendent, told me that William Fussell, Jr. sometimes referred to as “Big Daddy Fussell” was buried in Justice Cemetery, Northwest of Warren, Tyler Co., Texas in an unmarked grave.