Page 139 - 88-BOOK1

The official record of his service barely scratches the surface of Captain Williams’ career and escapades, in particular his activities in Memphis. With Major General Stephen Augustus Hurlbut, Williams, serving as his provost marshal, are reported to have extorted the local
populace in Memphis. In particular, they acquired ransoms from prisoners
held at Fort Pickering and the
Irving Block Prison. They also
reportedly took cuts of cotton exported through the area
as was common on Union controlled areas in the southern Mississippi Valley. Such affairs were also
related to the presentation
of the famous Remington
New Model Army revolvers presented to Grant that were
sold by Rock Island Auction for $5.17 million in May of 2022. In
the summer of 1863 alone, former confederate lieutenant John Hallum helped residents pay more than $65,000 to Williams and others to free over 200 men held in dreadful conditions, some of them not captured soldiers but men held under the orders of Hurlbut and Williams for supposed illegal activity such as smuggling. Hallum himself later found himself on the wrong side of Hurlbut and was fined $1,000 payable through Williams and locked away at
Fort Pickering. The treatment of Hallum ultimately led to unwanted attention of
the conditions, and
Williams was removed by Secretary Stanton for “excessive cruelty to prisoners and
gross neglect of duty” before being reinstated in large part due to General Ulysses S. Grant writing in support of Williams based on Williams’ service earlier in the war. Grant
had also previously recommended
Williams to be
promoted to brigadier general. After he was reinstated, Williams broke up the extortion ring and improved conditions in the prisons.
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