William Hopper was born on October 27, 1820 in Hamilton County, Tennessee. He was the son of John David Hopper and Mary Polly Davenport and one of eight siblings. John was born on July 3, 1789 and Mary was born on February 24, 1793. Both were born in North Carolina. The couple moved into Tennessee by August of 1812 when their first child was born. The family appears to have moved to Missouri in 1840, first into Lafayette County, then into the Brushy Knob district of Johnson County. John died on January 26, 1842. On January 4, 1844, William married Mary Cobb (she appears as Lettie M. on the census records) in Johnson County. Lettie was born in North Carolina on December 4, 1819. She was the daughter of James Morris Cobb and Rebecca Godfrey.
By 1850, William and Lettie lived in Jackson Township, Johnson County, Missouri, had a farm and four children (Elizabeth (f) – 5, Martha (f) – 4, Meredith (m) – 2, and Mandaville (also shown as Amandaville and Amanda) (f) – 6 months. The family was living next to William’s mother and William’s youngest brother, Robert. Incidentally, Robert moved to southern Missouri and, during the Civil War, fought for the confederacy.
By 1860, as evidenced by the census report, the family had grown by 2 more daughters: Sarah – 8 and Mary – 6. They were still living next to his mother. William’s Real Estate value was $1,600 and his Personal Estate was valued at $2,300.
With the coming of the Civil War, William enrolled in Company A, 2nd Battalion Missouri State Militia Cavalry at Lexington, Missouri on August 12, 1862 for 3 years or during the war in Missouri. He admitted to being age 42. He was sworn into service by Captain Long. As with most of the men in the unit, William furnished his own horse, valued at $100, and equipment. He was in the fighting at Lone Jack and it does not appear that he lost his horse or equipment. According to the history of Johnson County, William was hit three times during the battle. The first was across the back of the hand. The second was on the knuckles, but it was by a spent ball and did no damage. The third hit occurred when a ball bounced off the building he was standing near and hit him in the back of the head. Due to the cord wrapped around his hat and the knot therein, the bullet was stopped before it hit his head. He was knocked down, but got back up. William survived the battle and left the field with the rest of his unit. He continued to serve with the unit and was mustered out with the 2nd Battalion when it ceased to be a unit in March 1863. He had not been paid since August 31, 1862.
On the 1870 Census, the family was still in Jackson Township, Johnson County with “Liddia” (actually, Lettie) and four of the children. Their daughter, Mary died December 18, 1871, and Williams mother died March 3, 1876. According to the 1880 Census, William, Lettie and Mandaville were the only three in the household as Sarah had died on March 9, 1880. Their son Meredith and his family lived next door. In 1883, Mandaville got married and started her family.
William filed for a Veterans Pension on September 15, 1890. On the 1900 Census, only William and Lettie remain in the household. Mandaville died on March 1, 1900. They owned the farm free and clear, and they had been married for 56 years. For reference, William’s farm was where Powell Gardens is today. Lettie died April 29, 1901 and William died February 14, 1908. He and Lettie are buried in the Cobb Cemetery in Johnson County along with several other members of the family.
Biographies for Jackson Township, Pages 931-947
Kansas City Historical Co. 1881
WILLIAM HOPPER:
Mr. Hopper is one of the oldest settlers: is a native of Hamilton county, east Tennessee: was born October 27, 1820. He lived in his place of nativity until twenty years of age, then moved with his father, John Hopper, to Missouri, in the spring of 1840; stopped a short time in Lafayette county, then moved, and settled in Johnson county, about midway between Chapel Hill, in Lafayette county, and Pittsville, in Johnson county, then known as Brushy Knob district. Here his father died, January 18, 1842.
Excepting four years during the war, Wm. has always lived on the farm his father settled here. He was married to Miss Lettie Mary Cobb, January 4, 1844, and six children have been born to them, as follows: Elizabeth J., Martha S., Meredeth W., Mandaville L., Sarah A.M., and Mary Rebecca, four of whom are living, the other two are dead. The son and two eldest daughters are married. His early training in the schools of Tennessee. His occupation has always been that of farmer and stock raiser.
Prior to the war he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South; since the war he has held no membership with any denomination. During the war he belonged to the M.S.M., and was under Colonel Nugent’s command. He was in the noted battle of Lone Jack, August 16, 1862. At this battle, Mr. Hopper was struck by three bullets; one seared the back part of his hand, the second struck him squarely on the knuckles, but being a spent ball, it did him little injury. The third played a freak by striking and glancing from the side of a building, near to which he was, in the act of loading his gun, and struck him on the back part of his head, knocking him sprawling on the face to the ground. However he had nothing to do but get up again, though he was considerably shook up. He had a large cord tied around his hat, and singular as it may seem, this cord in this last shot, undoubtedly saved his life, It was tied in a knot behind, and the ball struck squarely upon the large knot; thus he received its force more as blow, with the result already related. He was mustered out of the service in 1863. Staid in Ray county until the close of the war, then came back to the old homestead in Johnson county, where he has ever since resided.
John Hopper, his father, was native of North Carolina; was born 1789; was married to Miss Mary Davenport, a native of the same state, who was born 1793. They had nine children: Jane, Sarah, Elizabeth, James, William, John, David, and Robert; the last died in infancy [MY NOTE: Robert moved to McDonald Co., Mo by 1860 census, married with family. He served in the 8 MO. Inf – CSA.] , John Hopper died January 1842, and his wife March 3, 1876, at the extremely old age of eighty-three. She died in Johnson County, and at the time was one of the oldest women living in it.
Johnston County, Missouri Biographies
http://www.Rootsweb.com/~mojohnso/biography/Biographies.html