William "Bill/Billy" Sumter, sometimes spelled Sumpter, was born on 29 October 1731 in Hanover County, Virginia, the son of William and Elizabeth Doule (Iveson) Sumpter. He was an early pioneer in Burke County, North Carolina, served as a Justice of the Peace, and was, at one time, a very wealthy man having eleven farms and a mill. He lived on Mulberry Creek, which was located just miles north of Lenoir, North Carolina, which was first located in Burke County, North Carolina, and later in Caldwell County, North Carolina.

In a letter to Lyman Draper, John Sumpter, dated 25 Sept 1874, states the following:

"Capt Bill when I was boy in North Carolina, he lived on a creek called Mulberry & I think in Burke County & died there. My father married old Rubin Coffey's daughter in Burke County, NC..."

In about 1754, based on the births of his children, Captain Bill married Judith Randall, in Albermarle County, Virginia. After Judith's death, he married a second time to an unknown woman. In total, he is believed to have had 19 children. Mrs. William (Jane) Sumter, Jr. stated to Dr. Lymann C. Draper that William married a second time and had, in all, nineteen children. "I have heard him wish for one more, so he could say twenty."

Of note, one of William's children, Thomas Sumter or Sumpter, served in Revolutionary War in Burke County, North Carolina, as a substitute for his father as a private and a fifer. This Thomas Sumter has a pension with his wife, Lydia Kirkpatrick, which can be read on Fold3.com: pension file R10312, and the pension letter on pages 17-18 verifies Captain Bill's service in the Revolutionary War and his relationship as a brother to General Thomas Sumter. Also of note, Captain Bill's son Thomas Sumter had a grandson named John James Sumpter (born 1844 and died 1899), who was a Colonel in the Civil War, a lawyer, and a state legislator in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and there is a photo of him on his Wikipedia page.

William's known children, as taken from the Indiana DAR record, were:

• John was born in about 1755 and married Ann Alexander
• William was born in about 1757
• Elizabeth was born about 1759 and married Edward Owings/Owens
• Thomas was born on 15 December 1761/1762 and married Lydia Kirkpatrick
• Judith was born in about 1763 and married [given name unknown] Geren
• Fielding was born in about 1765
• James was born in about 1767
• Amelia was born in about 1769 and married [given name unknown] Randall;
• Livingston was born in about 1773 and married Charlotte Temple

During the American Revolution, William commanded a militia company in Burke County, North Carolina, commanded by Colonel James Rickard. He was also engaged in minor skirmishes with the Tories and Native American warriors during the entire period of the War. Records found among the Draper Manuscripts indicate that his sons, including Thomas Sumpter of this line, also actively participated in the Revolutionary War. Records also indicate that Captain William Sumter was the brother of General Thomas Sumter of South Carolina, known as the "Gamecock of the Revolution," whom Fort Sumter was named after, and Mel Gibson's character in the movie, The Patriot, was partially inspired by.

The Patriot died on 23 October 1820 on Mulberry Creek, about 8 miles north of Lenoir, Burke County (later Caldwell), North Carolina.

"Mrs. Carolyn Ann Haigler, North Carolina (being the daughter of John and Sarah Amelia Miller Sumter, this John being the son of John and Ann Alexander Sumter, who was the eldest child of William and Judith Sumter; a granddaughter) wrote on July 5, 1875, from Lenoir, Caldwell County, North Carolina, the following statement, "Captain Billy Sumter was a large fine looking man, and died about eight miles above Lenoir, on the waters of Mulberry Creek."

A familysearch.org pedigree file for this William Sumter that is in the author's possession and fairly well cited indicates Captain Bill's burial occurred on 25 October 1820, and his burial was in the Lower Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, North Lenoir, North Carolina. It should be noted that the author searched findagrave.com memorials for this memorial, cemetery ID 1979390, and found some of the Sudderth family is buried in this cemetery, one of which is Abraham A. Sudderth, b. 1820, d. 1898, Findagrave.com Memorial ID 57060328. Based on a cursory search of DAR.org records and reading the article shared below, this family appears to be related to Revolutionary War Patriot John Sumpter (DAR Patriot A111053), who was born in 1740 in Virginia and died after 1809 in Burke County, North Carolina. This John Sumpter seems to be a brother of William; therefore, the Sudderth family is related to him. See the article in sources entitled, General Thomas Sumter. A Brother and Other Members of the Family Lived in Caldwell County., North Carolina.

An Interview conducted by Lyman C. Draper in Union County, Indiana, with James Sumter, son of Leviston Sumter, grandson of Captain William Sumter (brother of General Thomas Sumter), dated September 1871 and cited in sources, James Sumter states the following on page 385:

"Wm Sumter (brother of Gen. T. Sumter) moved to Burke Co. N.C. in 1777 - must have died not earlier than 1820 - illegible, lived to over 90 + died in Burke Co; illegible.
Gen Ths. Sumter once visited his brother Wm. + have him a fine thack of [illegible]?. At one time Capt. Wm Sumter was quite wealthy, having eleven farms and a mill."

Later on the same page, James states: "Capt. Wm Sumter served in the Revolution under Gen. Chs. McDowell."

On the next page (page 386), James states in a sentence, "Capt. Sumter was a Justice of the Peace." Later on the same page, in a story about the Tories and Captain William Sumter, James states that they (the Tories) "demanded Capt. Sumter to surrender, to which he steadily refused, when they said they would shoot his son if he persisted in his refusal."

Sources:

1. Sumpter, William - a roster of Revolutionary ancestors of the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution, vol. 1, pages 619-620.
2. General Thomas Sumter. A Brother and Other Members of the Family Lived in Caldwell Co., N.C., The Lenoir Topic Lenoir, North Carolina, 27 Apr 1897, Tue, Page 1, Newspapers.com.
3. The Watchman and Southron, Sumter, South Carolina, 21 Aug 1907, Wed, pp. 1-3. Newspapers.com. The biography about Gen. Thomas Sumter, his brother William, and their family is on page 2 under the historic address delivered by Hon. H.A.M. Smith, of Charleston, South Carolina
4. Cemetery Records for "Lower Creek Cemetery" in Lenior, Caldwell County, North Carolina (where this William Sumter is believed to be buried)
5. Wikipedia Page for Thomas Sumter, brother of Capt. Bill (Family Section)
6. All About Old Times. Material for History. A Collection of Facts, Traditions, Records, Historical Contributions, &c., Relating to Past Events in Western North Carolina. Old Diary Kept by William Greenway and Alfred Hartley. William Sumter Death Notice, The Lenoir Topic, Lenoir, North Carolina, 26 Mar 1890, Wed, Page 1. Note: I suspect that in William's death notice, the word "country" is a typo and should be "county." This would make more sense given that William was an early pioneer of Burke County, North Carolina
7. Draper, Lyman C. Interview in Union Co., Ind. with James Sumter, son of Leviston Sumter, grandson of Capt. William Sumter (brother of Gen. Thomas Sumter). Draper Manuscripts, Thomas Sumter Papers, Sept., 1871; 8VV382-389 [285-292]
8. The American Revolution in North Carolina, Capt. William Sumter, Carolana.com
9. Thomas Sumter Papers - Draper Manuscripts Sumter, John James. Hot Springs, Ark. Letter to Lyman C. Draper. A.L.S. 3 pp. Nov. 30, 1871; 18VV163-165 [75-76]
10. Wikipedia Page for the great-grandson of Capt. Bill Sumter, John James Sumpter.
11. Letter to Draper, Sumpter, John, Sept. 25, 1874, 18VV224-225, Sumpter Papers, pp. 224-225, Draper Manuscripts, Thomas Sumter Papers. A copy of this letter and others can be ordered online via the Wisconsin Historical Society.