The family folklore says he was the son of a riverboat captain (Samuel Alexander Algeo) but I've not found the records that Samuel was a captain yet.
William and his sister, Mary Enfield Algeo, were born in Hardinsburg, Ky. Their mother died in 1832 of TB. After that, their father moved them to Louisville to live with their uncle Thomas J. Lewis for about a year, then with another family not very far away due to the illnesses in Louisville at the time.
Samuel then about another year later sent them via steamboat (The Pennsylvania) to live with their Grandma, Rebecca Algeo, in Pittsburgh.
There is much history I could put here, but I just want to keep it short for this sketch.
I will say in a nutshell though that Mary Enfield lived with Grandma Rebecca for a while, then went by stagecoach to live with her uncle John Algeo in OH. William joined in the army in Pittsburgh to fight in the Mexican war in 1847-1848, signing up under his first cousin, Captain Thomas Algeo Rowley - the regiment called themselves "The Rough and Readies." They were deployed to VeraCruz and Jalapa, Mexico under Gen Zachary Taylor. A year later, he escorted President Elect Zachary Taylor to his Presidential inauguration in 1849. William later fought in the Civil War, but not under Rowley. Rowley however became a Brigadier General and fought in Gettysburg.
William was captured by the Confederates and taken to Libby Prison (aka Salisbury Prison) where he later escaped and came back to his family in WV. to live the rest of his days. He became Cabell Co's first school superintendent and ran the first post office out of his home in Ousley's Gap.
William and his sister, Mary Enfield Algeo, were born in Hardinsburg, Ky. Their mother died in 1832 of TB. After that, their father moved them to Louisville to live with their uncle Thomas J. Lewis for about a year, then with another family not very far away due to the illnesses in Louisville at the time.
Samuel then about another year later sent them via steamboat (The Pennsylvania) to live with their Grandma, Rebecca Algeo, in Pittsburgh.
There is much history I could put here, but I just want to keep it short for this sketch.
I will say in a nutshell though that Mary Enfield lived with Grandma Rebecca for a while, then went by stagecoach to live with her uncle John Algeo in OH. William joined in the army in Pittsburgh to fight in the Mexican war in 1847-1848, signing up under his first cousin, Captain Thomas Algeo Rowley - the regiment called themselves "The Rough and Readies." They were deployed to VeraCruz and Jalapa, Mexico under Gen Zachary Taylor. A year later, he escorted President Elect Zachary Taylor to his Presidential inauguration in 1849. William later fought in the Civil War, but not under Rowley. Rowley however became a Brigadier General and fought in Gettysburg.
William was captured by the Confederates and taken to Libby Prison (aka Salisbury Prison) where he later escaped and came back to his family in WV. to live the rest of his days. He became Cabell Co's first school superintendent and ran the first post office out of his home in Ousley's Gap.
The family folklore says he was the son of a riverboat captain (Samuel Alexander Algeo) but I've not found the records that Samuel was a captain yet.
William and his sister, Mary Enfield Algeo, were born in Hardinsburg, Ky. Their mother died in 1832 of TB. After that, their father moved them to Louisville to live with their uncle Thomas J. Lewis for about a year, then with another family not very far away due to the illnesses in Louisville at the time.
Samuel then about another year later sent them via steamboat (The Pennsylvania) to live with their Grandma, Rebecca Algeo, in Pittsburgh.
There is much history I could put here, but I just want to keep it short for this sketch.
I will say in a nutshell though that Mary Enfield lived with Grandma Rebecca for a while, then went by stagecoach to live with her uncle John Algeo in OH. William joined in the army in Pittsburgh to fight in the Mexican war in 1847-1848, signing up under his first cousin, Captain Thomas Algeo Rowley - the regiment called themselves "The Rough and Readies." They were deployed to VeraCruz and Jalapa, Mexico under Gen Zachary Taylor. A year later, he escorted President Elect Zachary Taylor to his Presidential inauguration in 1849. William later fought in the Civil War, but not under Rowley. Rowley however became a Brigadier General and fought in Gettysburg.
William was captured by the Confederates and taken to Libby Prison (aka Salisbury Prison) where he later escaped and came back to his family in WV. to live the rest of his days. He became Cabell Co's first school superintendent and ran the first post office out of his home in Ousley's Gap.
William and his sister, Mary Enfield Algeo, were born in Hardinsburg, Ky. Their mother died in 1832 of TB. After that, their father moved them to Louisville to live with their uncle Thomas J. Lewis for about a year, then with another family not very far away due to the illnesses in Louisville at the time.
Samuel then about another year later sent them via steamboat (The Pennsylvania) to live with their Grandma, Rebecca Algeo, in Pittsburgh.
There is much history I could put here, but I just want to keep it short for this sketch.
I will say in a nutshell though that Mary Enfield lived with Grandma Rebecca for a while, then went by stagecoach to live with her uncle John Algeo in OH. William joined in the army in Pittsburgh to fight in the Mexican war in 1847-1848, signing up under his first cousin, Captain Thomas Algeo Rowley - the regiment called themselves "The Rough and Readies." They were deployed to VeraCruz and Jalapa, Mexico under Gen Zachary Taylor. A year later, he escorted President Elect Zachary Taylor to his Presidential inauguration in 1849. William later fought in the Civil War, but not under Rowley. Rowley however became a Brigadier General and fought in Gettysburg.
William was captured by the Confederates and taken to Libby Prison (aka Salisbury Prison) where he later escaped and came back to his family in WV. to live the rest of his days. He became Cabell Co's first school superintendent and ran the first post office out of his home in Ousley's Gap.
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