William Mayes Jones was born in Chattoooga County on November 25, 1839. He was the first of seven children born to John and Caroline Elizabeth (Dickson) Jones. His father was a wealthy Chattooga County farmer with an 1860 net worth of $31,000. As the eldest son, William was involved in his father's farming business and probably could have avoided the war. He enlisted in the Chattooga Volunteers on June 12, 1861, which was mustered as Company B, 9th Georgia Infantry. He was promoted to major on April 18, 1862, and survived all the battles from the Seven Days to Gettysburg in General G.T. Anderson's brigade. He took command of the 9th on the second day at Gettysburg, but eventually fell wounded himself. Major Jones recovered from his wounds in Richmond General Hospital Number Four, and probably rejoined the regiment for the Battle of Chickamauga. He returned to the same hospital after receiving a thigh wound at the Battle of Spotsylvania on May 12, 1864. Jones lingered until October 26,1864, when he died of his wounds. He was the last field officer buried in Hollywood Cemetery during the war. Jones youngest brother, John, was the adjutant for the regiment for much of 1862. Major Jones was single at the time of his death. All of the above mentioned information on Major Jones is from Chris Ferguson's book on Hollywood Cemetery.