Author: Blake Sasse

From the “History of Lincoln County, Missouri” (1888):

Capt. William Colbert attained his growth in Lincoln County, and received a very limited education.  In 1848 he married Miss Margaret Brown, a native of North Carolina, who bore him seven children, three sons and four daughters.  Having farmed until the breaking out of the late war, he organized company B, of the Thirty-seventh Missouri Militia Cavalry, and was chosen captain of the same, serving in that capacity about a year.  He then organized Company C, of the Second Provisional Regiment Cavalry, and held the captaincy of this until 1864, when he was commissioned second lieutenant of Company A, Forty-ninth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and was elected captain on organization of that company.  He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Sixty-fourth Regiment of Missouri Militia, December 29, 1865.  In 1869 he was appointed circuit court clerk of Lincoln County, and ex-officio recorder.  Having filled that position two years by appointment, he was successfully elected four times to that office in the face of a strong Democratic majority, thus holding the office eighteen years, longer than any other man save one.  Mr. Colbert was a Democrat before the war, a strong Union man during that time and has been a staunch Republican since.  He began a poor boy and is now considered one of the wealthiest men of Lincoln County.  Besides being president, he is also one of the directors of the bank.  In 1866 his first wife died, and the following year he married Miss Mary Dregay, a native of St. Louis but of English extraction.  Four children were born to this union, two sons and two daughters.  Mr. Colbert is a member of the Christian Church, as were both of his wives.  He is a member of the G.A.R. and is also an Odd Fellow.