William E. Duncan (1799-1879) was a native of Scotland who immigrated to Georgia in 1818. Duncan conducted a steamboat company operating on the Savannah River between Augusta and Savannah for many years. He was a partner in Duncan & Johnston, a firm of cotton factors and commission merchants from approximately 1859 until the late 1870s. The firm also served as insurance agents. In 1871, Duncan served as Vice President of the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad and as President of the Savannah Poorhouse and Hospital. His eldest son, Alexander McCrie Duncan (1837-1915), compiled the Roll of officers and members of the Georgia Hussars, which was published by the Morning News in Savannah, Georgia in 1906. His second son, William Duncan, Jr. (1840-1900), was a prominent Savannah physician, serving as Superintendent of the Savannah Hospital for thirty years and as an alderman for ten.
From the description of William Duncan letters, 1860. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 46940393
