William J. Edge was my gggrandfather and yes he had a colorful life. He claimed to be a member of MacBeth's SC Light Artillery, but I can find no proof of this. He left SC and moved to Round Mountain, Cherokee County, AL in the mid-1870s. William already had a brother living there. He was a successful businessman, but had a very mean side to him, especially when drinking. William shot and killed my ggrandfather, AG Whitt (William's son-in-law) over a family issue, but was not prosecuted. His KKK affiliation may have helped avoid prosecution.
Please let me know if you need further information.