Nathaniel F. Williams (March 14, 1782 – September 10, 1864) was an American businessman and politician.

Early life

Nathaniel F. Williams was born March 14, 1782, in

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for ne ...

. He was the son of Joseph (born 1738) and Susannah (May) Williams. His grandfather, Colonel Joseph Williams (17081798), fought in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

in 1755. Before 1799, his brother Benjamin moved from Roxbury to 126 Lombard in Baltimore becoming wealthy in the shipping industry. Benjamin's Daughter

Susan May Williams Susan May Williams Bonaparte (April 2, 1812 – September 15, 1881) was an American heiress and the wife of Jérôme Napoléon Bonaparte, a French-American nephew of Napoléon I, Emperor of France and a Baltimore lawyer and landowner. Biog ...

, became well known for her relation to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

through her marriage to

Jérôme Napoléon Bonaparte Jérôme Napoléon "Bo" Bonaparte (also referred to as Patterson-Bonaparte, 5 July 1805 – 17 June 1870) was an American farmer, chairman of the Maryland Agricultural Society, and first president of the Maryland Club. He was the son of Eli ...

. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1801. Serving as a lawyer in Boston and Annapolis. He married Caroline Barney, daughter of Anne and Commodore Joshua Barney in 1809. With his brothers, Amos, George and Cumberland, he founded the Savage Mill on land next to the Commodore Joshua Barney House in Maryland. During this time he also served as an attorney for the Maryland Senate, Western Shore from 1811 to 1816. He served as a private, Baltimore Fencibles,

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, becoming wounded at the

Battle of North Point The Battle of North Point was fought on September 12, 1814, between General John Stricker's Maryland Militia and a British force led by Major-General Robert Ross. Although the Americans were driven from the field, they were able to do so in g ...

in 1814. He was considered dead after being shot on the battlefield in his hip. He was treated by Dr. Owens of the 5th regiment for two days, then sent home on a wagon cart. Nathaniel's brothers Cumberland Dugan, and George Williams were also on the roster of the Fencibles. When

Luther Martin Luther Martin (February 20, 1748, New Brunswick, New Jersey – July 10, 1826, New York, New York) was a Founding Father of the United States, framer of the U.S. Constitution, politician, lawyer, and slave owner. Martin was a delegate from M ...

became ill, Williams became Acting

Attorney General of Maryland The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qual ...

serving from 1820 to 1822. Williams married Maria Pickett Dalrymple in 1829. He was the District of Maryland United States Attorney from 1824 to 1841 and served on the Executive Council from 1835 to 1837. He represented Baltimore City in the Maryland Senate in 1853. He was also a trustee,

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

in 1826. Williams died on September 10, 1864. During his life he corresponded with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. his is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.Also available via Internet Archive as captured on January 5, 2020. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Nathanial American military personnel of the War of 1812 Savage, Maryland Harvard College alumni 1782 births 1864 deaths 19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly