[1] A native of New Jersey, Williams had lived and traveled in the Midwest but settled in 1859 in Livingston, Alabama.

During the American Civil War, Williams enlisted in the Confederate Army and served with the 40th Alabama Volunteer Regiment.

During his service, he penned a journal that historians have praised for its clarity of its writing and keen observations about the daily life of a soldier.

[1] In 2012, the Preservation and Education Trust from Rockledge raised money to convert the historic home house into a museum,[3] which opened to the public for guided tours in December 2020.

[4] The house is located in the Rockledge Drive Residential District, in the National Register of Historic Places.