William Pool was a prominent citizen of Spencer, Roane Co., West Virginia, and was killed early in the Civil War. He was the husband of Mary Ann (Woodyard) Pool (1810-1961). Their children, in birth order, are:
- Presley Lewis Woodyard ("PLW") Pool, 1832-1912, buried in Goff Cemetery
- Mary A. Pool, b. about 1843, died bet. 1850-1860 (burial location?)
- Peter Pool, 1845-1905, Confederate soldier, buried in Grand Pass, Missouri
[Notice of Gravestone Error: There is a gravestone erected in 2003 in Goff Cemetery, Spencer, with Peter Pool's name and his brother Presley's dates. See links below to their bios for further explanation].
- Martha M. Pool, 1848-1865, buried in Goff Cemetery
William's parents and sibling are described in detail at the end of this bio.
MILITARY SERVICE AND DEATH:
During the start of the Civil War, Roane County residents, even within families, were divided in their loyalties. This was the case in William Pool's family. He joined the local militia, specifically Capt. William F. Pell's company of the Roane County Volunteer Home Guards, in support of the Unionists. On Saturday, August 24, 1861, William was killed by a Confederate sniper stationed on Goff Hill in Spencer and died. There are many versions of how this event occurred (see list of reading resources below). After William's death, his pay of $15 for one month of service was given to his son P.L.W. [Presley Lewis Woodyard] Pool, according to the attached muster roll*. Contrary to the inscription on William's 2003 replacement gravestone, he is listed in the muster roll with the rank of Private and no middle initial. Captain Pell went on to lead Companies B and F of the 11th Regiment Infantry WV (note: this was after William Pool's death which is why he does not show up on any lists of the 11th Regiment). William's death was also mentioned in the Parkersburg Gazette (see attached article).
*Source for attached muster roll: West Virginia State Archives: Union Militia Muster Rolls by County 1861-1865, Roane County, p. 024, Volunteer Home Guards, Capt. William Pell's Company, Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, 1861.
William's older son Presley (aka "PLW") is listed on a Union draft registration in 1864 as age 30 and married, but there is no evidence he served (see link below to his memorial and bio).
William's younger son, Peter Pool enlisted in Charleston, WV, in support of the Confederacy. This was in July 1861, at age 15, just a month before William was killed in Spencer. During Peter's service, he was captured and became a prisoner of war. He survived, married, and moved to Missouri in the 1870s where he died in 1905 (see link below to his Missouri gravestone and bio).
PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE:
William Pool was born on May 14, 1808, in Loudoun Co., Virginia, according to a 1904 profile of his son PLW Pool on file at the Roane County Historical Society (written by William's granddaughter's husband Edward Corder under the pen name R. Josephus Jr.). The article states that William's father was Peter Pool, who immigrated to Loudoun Co. from Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century (note: the article states 18th century, but this is an error for 19th century). No mother is mentioned. The article states that the family dispersed at some point. William's brother Charles Fenton Pool left home at a young age to work as a merchant sailor out of Philadelphia and became a captain for large transatlantic ships. See Charles' Findagrave memorial #12879680. Since Charles was born in 1814/15 in Middleburg, Loudoun Co, Virginia, there is a chance that William was also born in that town, but this is speculation since there is a 6 year age difference and the family may have moved within Loudoun Co.
Upon leaving Loudoun Co. Virginia (date unknown), William moved to Wood County, WV, where he met Mary Ann Woodyard. She was born Dec. 2, 1810, in Prince William Co., VA, and moved to Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV, with her parents Presley Lewis Woodyard (1778-1838) and Ann Marie Anderson. On Jan. 5, 1832, William and Mary Ann married in Wood County where they are listed in the 1840 census. They were living in Kanawha County in 1850 and Roane County (in Spencer) in 1860. They had four known children as mentioned above. William worked as a merchant, ran a general store, served as a justice of the peace, and was president of the Roane County Court. He was known as Judge Pool according to the 1904 article mentioned above.
Mary Ann died on Jan. 8, 1861, according to several family trees on Ancestry (original source?). This was seven months before William's death. She is not named in the attached listing of graves in Goff Cemetery, though she could be buried there. It is also possible that she was buried with her parents somewhere in Parkersburg, Wood Co. The burial location of her older daughter Mary A. Pool is also unknown.
William's parents are still a mystery. The 1904 article lists his father as Peter Pool but no mother. The search is difficult since wives and children were not named in the census until 1850. One possibility is a Peter Pool who married Susannah Leonard in 1804 in Fauquier Co., VA, which is adjacent to Loudoun Co. Susannah (b. abt. 1790 – d. bet. 1850-1860) was daughter of Irish immigrant Matthew Leonard. This Peter Pool died before 1826, the year Susannah remarried to Frederick Morris (FAG #259701518) in Middleburg, Loudoun Co. (Note: Middleburg is where William Pool's brother Charles was born in 1814/15). After the 1830 census, Susannah and her new husband moved to Zanesville, Ohio, with some family members. PLEASE NOTE: Although this Peter and Susannah Pool's story seems to fit the timing and locations of William Pool's early life, they should not yet be listed on William's family tree until some documentation or family records are found.
Further reading on the military service and death of William Pool:
1) "Pioneers of Roane County" 1906 by John A. House found at wvpioneers.com. See "Siege of Spencer" section:
"Mrs. Hovey [Cordelia/Ella Goff Hovey], who was describing this siege to me, said that 'Poole was commissary of the garrison. He was shot by the Confederates, and laid outside in the sun all day, no one feeling safe to try to bring the body into the fort.' When night came, her [Mrs. Hovey's] father, William R. Goff, who lived across Spring Creek a short distance from town on the Arnoldsburg pike, took the body in and buried it on the flat back of where Dr. Bailey lived in 1872. Later the soldiers re-interred him in the Goff Cemetery."
2) "The Civil War in Spencer, 1861-1865" published 2011 by Spencer Rotary Club.
3) "On This Day in West Virginia Civil War History" by Michael B. Graham, 2017, p. 114, 115. Discusses Spencer in August of 1861, not specifically William Pool.
4) "History of Roane County, West Virginia, From the Time of Its Exploration to A. D. 1927." by William Henry Bishop.
This bio was researched and written in 2023 by FAG member #49523294 who is a relative of Susannah (Leonard) Pool discussed above. Please contact me through Findagrave with any updates or questions. Note: Findagrave.com is free to join.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Bio:
Cemeteries of Roane County, WV, Vol. 3, gives his birthplace as Loudoun Co., VA.
A plaque at the cemetery says William Pool, the first Civil War casualty in Spencer, is buried here. He was shot near the present day Post Office by a Confederate sniper from this hill. It has been reported that a truce was arranged so that he could be buried here. His son, Peter L. Pool, a Confederate soldier, lies nearby [Correction: Peter died in 1905 and is buried in Missouri].
Thanks!
Marilyn E.
County Keeper, Roane Co., WV
Find A Grave
- Presley Lewis Woodyard ("PLW") Pool, 1832-1912, buried in Goff Cemetery
- Mary A. Pool, b. about 1843, died bet. 1850-1860 (burial location?)
- Peter Pool, 1845-1905, Confederate soldier, buried in Grand Pass, Missouri
[Notice of Gravestone Error: There is a gravestone erected in 2003 in Goff Cemetery, Spencer, with Peter Pool's name and his brother Presley's dates. See links below to their bios for further explanation].
- Martha M. Pool, 1848-1865, buried in Goff Cemetery
William's parents and sibling are described in detail at the end of this bio.
MILITARY SERVICE AND DEATH:
During the start of the Civil War, Roane County residents, even within families, were divided in their loyalties. This was the case in William Pool's family. He joined the local militia, specifically Capt. William F. Pell's company of the Roane County Volunteer Home Guards, in support of the Unionists. On Saturday, August 24, 1861, William was killed by a Confederate sniper stationed on Goff Hill in Spencer and died. There are many versions of how this event occurred (see list of reading resources below). After William's death, his pay of $15 for one month of service was given to his son P.L.W. [Presley Lewis Woodyard] Pool, according to the attached muster roll*. Contrary to the inscription on William's 2003 replacement gravestone, he is listed in the muster roll with the rank of Private and no middle initial. Captain Pell went on to lead Companies B and F of the 11th Regiment Infantry WV (note: this was after William Pool's death which is why he does not show up on any lists of the 11th Regiment). William's death was also mentioned in the Parkersburg Gazette (see attached article).
*Source for attached muster roll: West Virginia State Archives: Union Militia Muster Rolls by County 1861-1865, Roane County, p. 024, Volunteer Home Guards, Capt. William Pell's Company, Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, 1861.
William's older son Presley (aka "PLW") is listed on a Union draft registration in 1864 as age 30 and married, but there is no evidence he served (see link below to his memorial and bio).
William's younger son, Peter Pool enlisted in Charleston, WV, in support of the Confederacy. This was in July 1861, at age 15, just a month before William was killed in Spencer. During Peter's service, he was captured and became a prisoner of war. He survived, married, and moved to Missouri in the 1870s where he died in 1905 (see link below to his Missouri gravestone and bio).
PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE:
William Pool was born on May 14, 1808, in Loudoun Co., Virginia, according to a 1904 profile of his son PLW Pool on file at the Roane County Historical Society (written by William's granddaughter's husband Edward Corder under the pen name R. Josephus Jr.). The article states that William's father was Peter Pool, who immigrated to Loudoun Co. from Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century (note: the article states 18th century, but this is an error for 19th century). No mother is mentioned. The article states that the family dispersed at some point. William's brother Charles Fenton Pool left home at a young age to work as a merchant sailor out of Philadelphia and became a captain for large transatlantic ships. See Charles' Findagrave memorial #12879680. Since Charles was born in 1814/15 in Middleburg, Loudoun Co, Virginia, there is a chance that William was also born in that town, but this is speculation since there is a 6 year age difference and the family may have moved within Loudoun Co.
Upon leaving Loudoun Co. Virginia (date unknown), William moved to Wood County, WV, where he met Mary Ann Woodyard. She was born Dec. 2, 1810, in Prince William Co., VA, and moved to Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV, with her parents Presley Lewis Woodyard (1778-1838) and Ann Marie Anderson. On Jan. 5, 1832, William and Mary Ann married in Wood County where they are listed in the 1840 census. They were living in Kanawha County in 1850 and Roane County (in Spencer) in 1860. They had four known children as mentioned above. William worked as a merchant, ran a general store, served as a justice of the peace, and was president of the Roane County Court. He was known as Judge Pool according to the 1904 article mentioned above.
Mary Ann died on Jan. 8, 1861, according to several family trees on Ancestry (original source?). This was seven months before William's death. She is not named in the attached listing of graves in Goff Cemetery, though she could be buried there. It is also possible that she was buried with her parents somewhere in Parkersburg, Wood Co. The burial location of her older daughter Mary A. Pool is also unknown.
William's parents are still a mystery. The 1904 article lists his father as Peter Pool but no mother. The search is difficult since wives and children were not named in the census until 1850. One possibility is a Peter Pool who married Susannah Leonard in 1804 in Fauquier Co., VA, which is adjacent to Loudoun Co. Susannah (b. abt. 1790 – d. bet. 1850-1860) was daughter of Irish immigrant Matthew Leonard. This Peter Pool died before 1826, the year Susannah remarried to Frederick Morris (FAG #259701518) in Middleburg, Loudoun Co. (Note: Middleburg is where William Pool's brother Charles was born in 1814/15). After the 1830 census, Susannah and her new husband moved to Zanesville, Ohio, with some family members. PLEASE NOTE: Although this Peter and Susannah Pool's story seems to fit the timing and locations of William Pool's early life, they should not yet be listed on William's family tree until some documentation or family records are found.
Further reading on the military service and death of William Pool:
1) "Pioneers of Roane County" 1906 by John A. House found at wvpioneers.com. See "Siege of Spencer" section:
"Mrs. Hovey [Cordelia/Ella Goff Hovey], who was describing this siege to me, said that 'Poole was commissary of the garrison. He was shot by the Confederates, and laid outside in the sun all day, no one feeling safe to try to bring the body into the fort.' When night came, her [Mrs. Hovey's] father, William R. Goff, who lived across Spring Creek a short distance from town on the Arnoldsburg pike, took the body in and buried it on the flat back of where Dr. Bailey lived in 1872. Later the soldiers re-interred him in the Goff Cemetery."
2) "The Civil War in Spencer, 1861-1865" published 2011 by Spencer Rotary Club.
3) "On This Day in West Virginia Civil War History" by Michael B. Graham, 2017, p. 114, 115. Discusses Spencer in August of 1861, not specifically William Pool.
4) "History of Roane County, West Virginia, From the Time of Its Exploration to A. D. 1927." by William Henry Bishop.
This bio was researched and written in 2023 by FAG member #49523294 who is a relative of Susannah (Leonard) Pool discussed above. Please contact me through Findagrave with any updates or questions. Note: Findagrave.com is free to join.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Bio:
Cemeteries of Roane County, WV, Vol. 3, gives his birthplace as Loudoun Co., VA.
A plaque at the cemetery says William Pool, the first Civil War casualty in Spencer, is buried here. He was shot near the present day Post Office by a Confederate sniper from this hill. It has been reported that a truce was arranged so that he could be buried here. His son, Peter L. Pool, a Confederate soldier, lies nearby [Correction: Peter died in 1905 and is buried in Missouri].
Thanks!
Marilyn E.
County Keeper, Roane Co., WV
Find A Grave
William Pool was a prominent citizen of Spencer, Roane Co., West Virginia, and was killed early in the Civil War. He was the husband of Mary Ann (Woodyard) Pool (1810-1961). Their children, in birth order, are:
- Presley Lewis Woodyard ("PLW") Pool, 1832-1912, buried in Goff Cemetery
- Mary A. Pool, b. about 1843, died bet. 1850-1860 (burial location?)
- Peter Pool, 1845-1905, Confederate soldier, buried in Grand Pass, Missouri
[Notice of Gravestone Error: There is a gravestone erected in 2003 in Goff Cemetery, Spencer, with Peter Pool's name and his brother Presley's dates. See links below to their bios for further explanation].
- Martha M. Pool, 1848-1865, buried in Goff Cemetery
William's parents and sibling are described in detail at the end of this bio.
MILITARY SERVICE AND DEATH:
During the start of the Civil War, Roane County residents, even within families, were divided in their loyalties. This was the case in William Pool's family. He joined the local militia, specifically Capt. William F. Pell's company of the Roane County Volunteer Home Guards, in support of the Unionists. On Saturday, August 24, 1861, William was killed by a Confederate sniper stationed on Goff Hill in Spencer and died. There are many versions of how this event occurred (see list of reading resources below). After William's death, his pay of $15 for one month of service was given to his son P.L.W. [Presley Lewis Woodyard] Pool, according to the attached muster roll*. Contrary to the inscription on William's 2003 replacement gravestone, he is listed in the muster roll with the rank of Private and no middle initial. Captain Pell went on to lead Companies B and F of the 11th Regiment Infantry WV (note: this was after William Pool's death which is why he does not show up on any lists of the 11th Regiment). William's death was also mentioned in the Parkersburg Gazette (see attached article).
*Source for attached muster roll: West Virginia State Archives: Union Militia Muster Rolls by County 1861-1865, Roane County, p. 024, Volunteer Home Guards, Capt. William Pell's Company, Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, 1861.
William's older son Presley (aka "PLW") is listed on a Union draft registration in 1864 as age 30 and married, but there is no evidence he served (see link below to his memorial and bio).
William's younger son, Peter Pool enlisted in Charleston, WV, in support of the Confederacy. This was in July 1861, at age 15, just a month before William was killed in Spencer. During Peter's service, he was captured and became a prisoner of war. He survived, married, and moved to Missouri in the 1870s where he died in 1905 (see link below to his Missouri gravestone and bio).
PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE:
William Pool was born on May 14, 1808, in Loudoun Co., Virginia, according to a 1904 profile of his son PLW Pool on file at the Roane County Historical Society (written by William's granddaughter's husband Edward Corder under the pen name R. Josephus Jr.). The article states that William's father was Peter Pool, who immigrated to Loudoun Co. from Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century (note: the article states 18th century, but this is an error for 19th century). No mother is mentioned. The article states that the family dispersed at some point. William's brother Charles Fenton Pool left home at a young age to work as a merchant sailor out of Philadelphia and became a captain for large transatlantic ships. See Charles' Findagrave memorial #12879680. Since Charles was born in 1814/15 in Middleburg, Loudoun Co, Virginia, there is a chance that William was also born in that town, but this is speculation since there is a 6 year age difference and the family may have moved within Loudoun Co.
Upon leaving Loudoun Co. Virginia (date unknown), William moved to Wood County, WV, where he met Mary Ann Woodyard. She was born Dec. 2, 1810, in Prince William Co., VA, and moved to Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV, with her parents Presley Lewis Woodyard (1778-1838) and Ann Marie Anderson. On Jan. 5, 1832, William and Mary Ann married in Wood County where they are listed in the 1840 census. They were living in Kanawha County in 1850 and Roane County (in Spencer) in 1860. They had four known children as mentioned above. William worked as a merchant, ran a general store, served as a justice of the peace, and was president of the Roane County Court. He was known as Judge Pool according to the 1904 article mentioned above.
Mary Ann died on Jan. 8, 1861, according to several family trees on Ancestry (original source?). This was seven months before William's death. She is not named in the attached listing of graves in Goff Cemetery, though she could be buried there. It is also possible that she was buried with her parents somewhere in Parkersburg, Wood Co. The burial location of her older daughter Mary A. Pool is also unknown.
William's parents are still a mystery. The 1904 article lists his father as Peter Pool but no mother. The search is difficult since wives and children were not named in the census until 1850. One possibility is a Peter Pool who married Susannah Leonard in 1804 in Fauquier Co., VA, which is adjacent to Loudoun Co. Susannah (b. abt. 1790 – d. bet. 1850-1860) was daughter of Irish immigrant Matthew Leonard. This Peter Pool died before 1826, the year Susannah remarried to Frederick Morris (FAG #259701518) in Middleburg, Loudoun Co. (Note: Middleburg is where William Pool's brother Charles was born in 1814/15). After the 1830 census, Susannah and her new husband moved to Zanesville, Ohio, with some family members. PLEASE NOTE: Although this Peter and Susannah Pool's story seems to fit the timing and locations of William Pool's early life, they should not yet be listed on William's family tree until some documentation or family records are found.
Further reading on the military service and death of William Pool:
1) "Pioneers of Roane County" 1906 by John A. House found at wvpioneers.com. See "Siege of Spencer" section:
"Mrs. Hovey [Cordelia/Ella Goff Hovey], who was describing this siege to me, said that 'Poole was commissary of the garrison. He was shot by the Confederates, and laid outside in the sun all day, no one feeling safe to try to bring the body into the fort.' When night came, her [Mrs. Hovey's] father, William R. Goff, who lived across Spring Creek a short distance from town on the Arnoldsburg pike, took the body in and buried it on the flat back of where Dr. Bailey lived in 1872. Later the soldiers re-interred him in the Goff Cemetery."
2) "The Civil War in Spencer, 1861-1865" published 2011 by Spencer Rotary Club.
3) "On This Day in West Virginia Civil War History" by Michael B. Graham, 2017, p. 114, 115. Discusses Spencer in August of 1861, not specifically William Pool.
4) "History of Roane County, West Virginia, From the Time of Its Exploration to A. D. 1927." by William Henry Bishop.
This bio was researched and written in 2023 by FAG member #49523294 who is a relative of Susannah (Leonard) Pool discussed above. Please contact me through Findagrave with any updates or questions. Note: Findagrave.com is free to join.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Bio:
Cemeteries of Roane County, WV, Vol. 3, gives his birthplace as Loudoun Co., VA.
A plaque at the cemetery says William Pool, the first Civil War casualty in Spencer, is buried here. He was shot near the present day Post Office by a Confederate sniper from this hill. It has been reported that a truce was arranged so that he could be buried here. His son, Peter L. Pool, a Confederate soldier, lies nearby [Correction: Peter died in 1905 and is buried in Missouri].
Thanks!
Marilyn E.
County Keeper, Roane Co., WV
Find A Grave
- Presley Lewis Woodyard ("PLW") Pool, 1832-1912, buried in Goff Cemetery
- Mary A. Pool, b. about 1843, died bet. 1850-1860 (burial location?)
- Peter Pool, 1845-1905, Confederate soldier, buried in Grand Pass, Missouri
[Notice of Gravestone Error: There is a gravestone erected in 2003 in Goff Cemetery, Spencer, with Peter Pool's name and his brother Presley's dates. See links below to their bios for further explanation].
- Martha M. Pool, 1848-1865, buried in Goff Cemetery
William's parents and sibling are described in detail at the end of this bio.
MILITARY SERVICE AND DEATH:
During the start of the Civil War, Roane County residents, even within families, were divided in their loyalties. This was the case in William Pool's family. He joined the local militia, specifically Capt. William F. Pell's company of the Roane County Volunteer Home Guards, in support of the Unionists. On Saturday, August 24, 1861, William was killed by a Confederate sniper stationed on Goff Hill in Spencer and died. There are many versions of how this event occurred (see list of reading resources below). After William's death, his pay of $15 for one month of service was given to his son P.L.W. [Presley Lewis Woodyard] Pool, according to the attached muster roll*. Contrary to the inscription on William's 2003 replacement gravestone, he is listed in the muster roll with the rank of Private and no middle initial. Captain Pell went on to lead Companies B and F of the 11th Regiment Infantry WV (note: this was after William Pool's death which is why he does not show up on any lists of the 11th Regiment). William's death was also mentioned in the Parkersburg Gazette (see attached article).
*Source for attached muster roll: West Virginia State Archives: Union Militia Muster Rolls by County 1861-1865, Roane County, p. 024, Volunteer Home Guards, Capt. William Pell's Company, Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, 1861.
William's older son Presley (aka "PLW") is listed on a Union draft registration in 1864 as age 30 and married, but there is no evidence he served (see link below to his memorial and bio).
William's younger son, Peter Pool enlisted in Charleston, WV, in support of the Confederacy. This was in July 1861, at age 15, just a month before William was killed in Spencer. During Peter's service, he was captured and became a prisoner of war. He survived, married, and moved to Missouri in the 1870s where he died in 1905 (see link below to his Missouri gravestone and bio).
PARENTS AND EARLY LIFE:
William Pool was born on May 14, 1808, in Loudoun Co., Virginia, according to a 1904 profile of his son PLW Pool on file at the Roane County Historical Society (written by William's granddaughter's husband Edward Corder under the pen name R. Josephus Jr.). The article states that William's father was Peter Pool, who immigrated to Loudoun Co. from Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century (note: the article states 18th century, but this is an error for 19th century). No mother is mentioned. The article states that the family dispersed at some point. William's brother Charles Fenton Pool left home at a young age to work as a merchant sailor out of Philadelphia and became a captain for large transatlantic ships. See Charles' Findagrave memorial #12879680. Since Charles was born in 1814/15 in Middleburg, Loudoun Co, Virginia, there is a chance that William was also born in that town, but this is speculation since there is a 6 year age difference and the family may have moved within Loudoun Co.
Upon leaving Loudoun Co. Virginia (date unknown), William moved to Wood County, WV, where he met Mary Ann Woodyard. She was born Dec. 2, 1810, in Prince William Co., VA, and moved to Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV, with her parents Presley Lewis Woodyard (1778-1838) and Ann Marie Anderson. On Jan. 5, 1832, William and Mary Ann married in Wood County where they are listed in the 1840 census. They were living in Kanawha County in 1850 and Roane County (in Spencer) in 1860. They had four known children as mentioned above. William worked as a merchant, ran a general store, served as a justice of the peace, and was president of the Roane County Court. He was known as Judge Pool according to the 1904 article mentioned above.
Mary Ann died on Jan. 8, 1861, according to several family trees on Ancestry (original source?). This was seven months before William's death. She is not named in the attached listing of graves in Goff Cemetery, though she could be buried there. It is also possible that she was buried with her parents somewhere in Parkersburg, Wood Co. The burial location of her older daughter Mary A. Pool is also unknown.
William's parents are still a mystery. The 1904 article lists his father as Peter Pool but no mother. The search is difficult since wives and children were not named in the census until 1850. One possibility is a Peter Pool who married Susannah Leonard in 1804 in Fauquier Co., VA, which is adjacent to Loudoun Co. Susannah (b. abt. 1790 – d. bet. 1850-1860) was daughter of Irish immigrant Matthew Leonard. This Peter Pool died before 1826, the year Susannah remarried to Frederick Morris (FAG #259701518) in Middleburg, Loudoun Co. (Note: Middleburg is where William Pool's brother Charles was born in 1814/15). After the 1830 census, Susannah and her new husband moved to Zanesville, Ohio, with some family members. PLEASE NOTE: Although this Peter and Susannah Pool's story seems to fit the timing and locations of William Pool's early life, they should not yet be listed on William's family tree until some documentation or family records are found.
Further reading on the military service and death of William Pool:
1) "Pioneers of Roane County" 1906 by John A. House found at wvpioneers.com. See "Siege of Spencer" section:
"Mrs. Hovey [Cordelia/Ella Goff Hovey], who was describing this siege to me, said that 'Poole was commissary of the garrison. He was shot by the Confederates, and laid outside in the sun all day, no one feeling safe to try to bring the body into the fort.' When night came, her [Mrs. Hovey's] father, William R. Goff, who lived across Spring Creek a short distance from town on the Arnoldsburg pike, took the body in and buried it on the flat back of where Dr. Bailey lived in 1872. Later the soldiers re-interred him in the Goff Cemetery."
2) "The Civil War in Spencer, 1861-1865" published 2011 by Spencer Rotary Club.
3) "On This Day in West Virginia Civil War History" by Michael B. Graham, 2017, p. 114, 115. Discusses Spencer in August of 1861, not specifically William Pool.
4) "History of Roane County, West Virginia, From the Time of Its Exploration to A. D. 1927." by William Henry Bishop.
This bio was researched and written in 2023 by FAG member #49523294 who is a relative of Susannah (Leonard) Pool discussed above. Please contact me through Findagrave with any updates or questions. Note: Findagrave.com is free to join.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous Bio:
Cemeteries of Roane County, WV, Vol. 3, gives his birthplace as Loudoun Co., VA.
A plaque at the cemetery says William Pool, the first Civil War casualty in Spencer, is buried here. He was shot near the present day Post Office by a Confederate sniper from this hill. It has been reported that a truce was arranged so that he could be buried here. His son, Peter L. Pool, a Confederate soldier, lies nearby [Correction: Peter died in 1905 and is buried in Missouri].
Thanks!
Marilyn E.
County Keeper, Roane Co., WV
Find A Grave
Inscription
SERG PELL S CO
11 WV INF
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
