MAJOR WILLIAM W. CARTER was born in Warren county, Ohio, Sep-
tember 10, 1836, a son of John and Jemima (Patton) Carter, the former
a native of Virginia, the latter of Indiana and of English and Welsh
lineage. His paternal grandfather served as one of the heroes of the
Revolutionary war and was with the forces under General Washington
at the surrender of Yorktown, For a short time his father was a teamster
in the second war with Great Britain, In October, 1837, he removed with
his parents to Clay county, Indiana, the family home being established in
Posey township, which at that time was an almost unbroken district.
While spending his boyhood days in that pioneer home Major Carter
learned the use of the axe, the mattock and the hoe, and in the primitive
school of the neighborhood mastered the elementary branches of English
learning, He was ambitious for an education, however, and at the age
of seventeen eagerly availed himself of the opportunity offered of becom-
ing a pupil in the literary department of Asbury University, where he
remained for two years. He then determined to become a member of the
bar, and to this end studied under the direction of Hon. R. W. Thompson
and Hon. H. D. Scott, the former at one time secretary of the navy, while
the latter was a member of congress and judge of the circuit court. In
order to replenish his greatly depleted funds Major Carter again took up
the work of the farm and when he had acquired a sufficient sum of money
to enable him to continue his studies he matriculated in the law department
of the Asbury University in 1857 and was graduated with honors in the
spring of 1859. He located for practice in Bowling Green, then the county
seat of Clay county, and a few months later formed a partnership with
Hon. D. E. Williamson, of Greencastle, Indiana. He made rapid advance-
ment at the bar and also attained prominence in public life. At that time
Clay county was largely Democratic and Major Carter established the first
Republican paper of the county—the Hoosier Patriot—which had an
existence but a few months, however, from January until December, 1860.
    After the outbreak of the Civil war Major Carter put aside all busi-
ness and personal considerations, offering his services to the government
as a private of Company D, Seventy-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, on
the 22nd of July, 1862. He was mustered in on the 18th of August and
went immediately to the front. At the first call for seventy-five thousand
troops for three months he had raised at his home a company,but the call
was filled and he was compelled to disband his company. From that time
until he became an active solider at the front he was engaged in raising
troops.The first engagement in which he participated was the battle og
Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, 1862, on which date he and a large
number of the regiment were captured, the battle resulting in defeat to
the Union troops. After the prisoners had been paroled the regiment went
to Camp Dick Thompson at Terre Haute Indiana, and remained there
until the last of December 1862. An exchange of the prisoners was
effected in the procceding September, and the regiment again went into
active service. At Richmond Kentucky, Major William Conkling had
been killed and on the 13th on December,1862,there occurred a remark-
able incident of commissioning a private solider to the command of the
battalion Private Carter being thus promoted over the heads of commis-
sioned and non-commissioned officers to the rank of major. From Jan-
uary.1863,until the 4th of July the regiment was stationed at Indian-
apolis guarding rebel prisoners. It was then recruited and became the
Sixth Indiana Cavalry. When Morgan made his raid into Indiana and
Ohio, the Seventy-first Indiana was sent to the Ohio river to intercept the
movement. During the succeding September and October the battalion
was stationed at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, and in November at Somerset
and in December in eastern Tennessee, where they suffered greatly on ac—
count of insufficient food and clothing. They then returned to Mount
Sterling and a afterward procceded to Paris and to Camp Nelson, becoming
a part of General Sherman's army, joining the main army near Dalton,
Georgia, about the 10th of May, 1864. Major Carter’s command re-
mained with General Sherman’s forces until they reached Atlanta,partici—
pating actively in most of the great battles of that memorable campaign,
after which they returned to Nashville. There orders came to procced to
Pulaski, Tennessee, where they participated in a hotly contested engage-
ment with the Confederates under General Forrest. Major Carter there
commanded a brigade and was complimented for his gallantry on the
field by General Croxton. Major Carter returned to Nashville, but soon
afterward became ill and for several weeks was confined to his bed at
home. He rejoined his command soon after the battle of Nashville and
in March, 1865, was ordered with his regiment from Edgefield to Pulaski,
where, on the last day of June, they were mustered out and sent home.
Major Carter was a brave and gallant officer, inspiring his men with his
own valor and loyalty.
    Returning to the north after the close of the war, Major Carter
resumed the practice of law in Bowling Green and attained prominence
in other lines. In 1868 he was the Republican candidate for congress and
was defeated by a very small vote, running far ahead of the party ticket.
In 1868 he became a law partner of Hon. Silas D. Coffey, which continued
until March, 1881. In May, 1877, they removed to Brazil, which became
the county seat of Clay county. In 1878 he was the Republican nominee
for representative, He was always recognized as one of the prominent
members of his party and stood loyally by its interests, although he well
knew that it was the party of the minority in Clay county. On the 5th
of April, 1883, he was appointed and commissioned by President Arthur
as collector of internal revenue for the Seventh district of Indiana. The
position is a most responsible one, but Major Carter discharged its duties
with the same ability and dispatch which marked him as an able soldier.
He deserves classification with the eminent lawyers of the state, being
recognized as a leader at the Clay county bar, while his abilities qualified
him to cross swords in forensic combat with the most distinguished mem-
bers of the profession in the state. His death occurred August 8, 1891, in
Brazil, and thereby the county lost one of its representative and honored
citizens. His widow still survives and is yet living in Brazil.