William Gaines (1824–1865) was a freed slave, minister, and community representative in Savannah, Georgia.
He was one of the 20 Black church leaders—alongside Garrison Frazier, Ulysses L. Houston, and James D. Lynch—who met with Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in Savannah on January 12, 1865 about 3 months before the end of the American Civil War.
[1] This meeting (what would later be called the "Savannah Colloquy") took place at the Green–Meldrim House, and their discussion directly led to Sherman's Special Field Orders No.
[1] Fellow A.M.E. church leader and bishop Wesley John Gaines was his brother.
He was involved in the foundation of Jackson Chapel, and family members have continued to live in the area.