Lt. William Grissom Dekle Jr

William Dekle Jr. was born on 1 April 1832 in Thomas County, GA, the youngest son of Thomas County Sheriff William Grissom Dekle, and Bethany Hollingsworth. The Dekle family traces its roots back to Prussia. The Hollingsworths were Pennsylvania Quakers who migrated to Savannah, GA, before Revolutionary War, (the one in 1776). President Jimmy Carter's ancestors were Pennsylvania Quaker immigrants as well and their tale is aptly told in his novel The Hornet's Nest. But that's another story, another war.

In the spring of 1862 William enlisted as a private in the Decatur Infantry, Company F of the 50th GA Volunteer Infantry. He was elected Lt in June of that year. The 50th, under the Command of Colonel William Manning, spent the summer recruiting and organizing and joined the Army of Northern Virginia for the first invasion of the North in the fall of'62. William and his regiment would both meet their fate September 14th 1862 at South Mountain.
The 50th Georgia was part of Drayton's Brigade and passed through the town of Boonesborough, MD, about noon on 14 Sep 1862. Originally ordered to a position in Turners Gap, Drayton's Brigade was redirected to Fox's gap, a mile to the south. It had been the scene of intense fighting that morning. General D. H. Hill had four brigades, including Drayton's align along the Old Sharpsburg Road where it passes through the gap. Once in position they were to execute a left wheel driving the Union troops from the field and the woods to the south. Drayton's brigade was to serve as the "hinge" for the maneuver. General Roswell Ripley was in command of the operation. Somehow his brigade and two of G.T. Anderson's moved too far down the west side of the mountain and lost contact with Drayton.

When musketry indicated that Drayton's brigade was under attack General Anderson attempted to make contact but found a large body of Union troops blocking his path. By the time Anderson fought his way through to beleaguered Drayton it was too late to help. Meanwhile General Ripley had moved entirely off the mountain and was not engaged at all that day.

General Drayton ordered the 50th and 51st GA regiments to take up a position on the Sharpsburg Road, on the east side of the mountain. Phillips' Legion and the 3rd SC Battalion took up a position in a field to the south of the road, The Georgians immediately began taking fire on their left flank from a well positioned 17th Michigan Infantry. This was the musketry heard by General Anderson. William, then 3rd Lt, fell in the initial volley. The 50th and 51st were routed, suffering massive casualties. The South Carolinians and Phillips' Legion had to fight their way out of the woods to the south, also taking heavy casualties.
Lt. William Grissom Dekle Jr. was buried in an unmarked soldier's grave on the field where he fell. He left a wife and two children. When his wife, Susan Donaldson Dekle, died in 1911, by her request she was buried in an unmarked grave because her husband was buried on the battlefield without a marker for his grave.