William Thomas Overby was a Confederate soldier from Coweta County who entered service on May 31, 1861.

He served with the 7th Georgia for two years, was severely wounded at the battle of Second Manassas, and was unable to continue with that unit.

He worked as a nurse in hospitals in Northern Virginia and eventually began riding as a Mosby’s Ranger at night.

He and other Confederate soldiers were captured on September 23, 1864 at Front Royal, Virginia. Three of them were shot, and Overby and one other soldier were hung. Because of his stature and composure at his hanging, he impressed not only the local townspeople, but Union solders who were present. There are several first-hand account by both groups written after the war, praising his steadfastness not to reveal any information on the whereabouts of Mosby or fellow soldiers.

He was buried in Markham, Virginia until December, 1996, when a group from the Sharpsburg Sharpshooters Sons of Confederate Veterans obtained permission to disinter the remains and re-inter them at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan.

When his mother died his father married the mother’s sister. The descendants of this second marriage are still living in Georgia and got together for a family reunion last weekend.

Eighty “Overbys” brought their family history’s up-to-date with the addition of new babies and marriages, and paused for a reflective moment for those no longer living.

John and Sarah Josephine Gable Overby had, among others in the 1800’s, Sarah Elizabeth Overby, who married Jules Bigelow Trimble. One of their children, John Ross Trimble, married Abba Jane Barnett. Two of their children, Janet Lea Trimble, who married Jeff Vines, and Melanie Trimble, who is married to Larry Miller, are residents of Tyrone.

The sisters and families were on hand at High Falls to share in the warmth of old memories and to reflect on being collateral relatives of the Confederate soldier, known as the “Nathan Hale” of Georgia.

“We heard about his story many times in growing up,” Janet said. “And the fact that there is now a book about his life helps us to share the pride of being an Overby descendant.”

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