You never know what you'll find at the library.  Today I was looking through a book on Alleghany Co families and found this picture of my great-great-great-great-grandfather William (Bill) Irwin.  I've never seen him until now!  (More below the picture.)



This picture was taken in 1898, and Bill Irwin is seated in the middle.  His son-in-law's parents (I think) are seated to the right.  On the left is Squire Jackson Irwin and his wife Caroline.  All those in the back are children or grandchildren of those in the front.

Bill Irwin was born in 1819 in either Wilkes or Ashe Co.  In 1830 his family was listed in the Pine Swamp area of Ashe Co, but this would become Alleghany Co in 1859.  He married Nancy Andrews in the early 1840s, and they would have six children.

On 7/13/1864, Bill was 44 years old, and too old to enlist in the standard Confederate Army.  However, he wasn't too old to join Co B, 5th NC Senior Reserves.  I believe this was a sort of Home Guard, but this regiment may have spent time guarding prisoners at the Confederate Prison in Salisbury.  At enlistment, Bill Irwin was described as six feet tall, dark complexion and hair, with brown eyes.  He was AWOL on 2/28/1865.

Forty years later (and seven years after this picture) he applied for his Civil War pension when he was in his mid 80s.  The more disabled a veteran was, the higher the monthly benefit he would expect to get from the government.  The physician reported that he "has broken leg, senile(?) ulcers, and general dibility; is totally disabled to perform manual labor; not being able to wait on himself".  I hope Grandpa Bill got a good paycheck with a checkup like that!

He died the following year in 1906 at the age of 87 and was buried in the family cemetery in Alleghany Co.