(Originally posted on FaceBook on February 9, 2026)
The oldest relative I knew personally was my paternal grandfather, SFC (Ret) Henry Scott AKA William H. McGill.
So…
William McGill was born May 14 or 16, 1898 in Williamsburg County, SC.
He died Henry Scott October 20, 1980 at Martin Army Hospital in Ft. Benning, GA.
My grandfather is older than my maternal great grandparents!
I knew him as Henry Scott, Sarge, Grandpa, Papa Scott.
My brother and I would go to his house on weekends, but he was very reserved. I remember his raspy voice, his brown liquor, his cigars, his harmonica, his mini farm in the backyard on what was Mora Street across from what was then the Medical Center.
I remember he moved pretty slow because my brother and I would run all over the place. I was the more mischievous one, my brother was not, so I got us in trouble a lot.
Henry Scott is the reason I got into this genealogy thing. He and another ancestor were the subjects of a 4th grade family history project. Henry had passed away. My father passed away. I didn’t have anyone on that side of my family to talk to about my history. I was so intrigued, I haven’t stopped since.
As I got older and learned about the National Archives, I would pick the research back up and sit in the dark microfilm area, hunched over looking for his history. I would join genealogy listservs trading queries about ancestors and if fellow genealogists had information that would help.
Long story short, I could never find him. I couldn’t find him cause that joker had changed his name!
I put it together though, after sending off for his military record. It had a lot of clues in it and I began piecing his story together. It would take several more years before it came full circle.
One day, back in 2006, I connected with a cousin on Ancestry after putting out one last query. He answered, and I was able to talk to his sister who knew my grandfather as a child.
We connected, along with many of my McGill cousins AND the children my grandfather left behind — my Aunts Lula and Mary. My Uncle Carl was in New York and he was very ill.
Genealogy paper research plus DNA verified what I already found out and I have met so many more cousins.
His story is one of the most fascinating stories that I research. Now if I can just break the brick wall that is his grandfather, Louis McGill, I’d be very happy.