Rowland's mother died giving birth to him and his father died the following year.
His grandfather, Samuel, was made guardian (he is mentioned in S.W.'s will). When Samuel died in 1817 guardianship was passed to his wife "Dilly"......the following year (1818) guardianship was taken over by her son, Samuel Jr.
Rowland fought in the Indian Wars in both GA and FL Capt. Niblack's Company 1836; Capt. Wm. Haddock's Company for 6 months, then served with deponent in Capt. Bird's company 6 months and then under Capt. Jernigan for 6 months. In the Indian War his Uncle William A. Williams was Capt. of the Florida Mounted Militia from 16 Aug 1838 to 16 Feb. 1839 Rowland served as 4th Sgt.
On his military papers he is described as being 5'11" tall, brown hair, blue eyes with fair complection.
The court house in Columbia Co., FL burned down and there are no records prior to 1900. Rowland travelled with his Uncle, William A. WILLIAMS, to Columbia Co., FL in 1835. W.A.W. was a JP and married Rowland and Annie SWEAT.
In 1861 Rowland received a Bounty Land Warrant for 160 acres (at the time he was living on St.Mary's River, Columbia Co., FL. For unknown reasons, Rowland moved his family south, about 1858. They moved to Brownville, a small community in S. FL, in what was then Manatee Co. (now DeSoto), where they homesteaded and farmed. They were living there in 1870 Census. Rowland is buried there in an unmarked grave.
Rowland wrote a letter to his wife, Annie, when he went to GA to see doctors. While there he, and his sister, Elizabeth, visited the graves of his parents. Rowland died of throat cancer.
A copy of this letter is in the DAR files and he spells his name Rowland, with a "w".

Nov. 15, 1850 Columbia Co., FL Census, page 68:
312/312
Williams, Roland 36 M Farmer GA
Williams, Anna 26 F (1824) GA
Williams, John 12 M FL
Williams, Mary A. J. 9 F FL
Williams, James 7 M FL
Williams, Nathan 5 M FL
Williams, Simion 4 M FL
Williams, Martha 3 F FL
Williams, George 1 M FL

1860 Manatee Co., FL Census, Page 4, June 8, 1860 Lists:
24/24
Williams, Roland age 46 born GA
Williams, Anna age 35 born GA (1825)
Williams, James age 17 born FL
Williams, Martha age 15 born FL
Williams, Nathan age 13 born FL
Williams, Simeon age 13 born FL
Williams, Sarah age 10 born FL
Williams, George age 8 born FL
Williams, Andrew age 2 born FL
Williams, William age 4mos born FL