William Thomas Overby was a Confederate soldier from Newnan, Georgia who was hanged September 23, 1864 in Front Royal, Va. after refusing to reveal the hiding place of his unit. Overby and four others were captured September 23, 1864, along with a 17 year-old boy who had wanted to join the Confederate army. Within four hours, Overby and Thomas Carter were hanged and other four were shot. He and Carter were hanged from a walnut tree. Several years later, the tree was cut into small pieces and sold to create a memorial in Front Royal for the six men. The Fayette Citizen-News Page - Speaker: Overby revealed Southern spirit / by Carolyn Cary, Friday, September 25, 1998.
From the description of William Thomas Overby papers, 1890-1980. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 325001871
