William Benjamin Brantley was born in Harris County, Georgia. He was the fifth of fifteen children born to Harris Brantley and Charity Cody Hardin/Brantley. They were also born in Georgia - Harris b. 11/4/1812 and Charity about 1816.

Harris moved his family to Neshoba County, Mississippi during the early 1850's with a group of families who relocated to the area of Leake and Neshoba County, Mississippi in 1853 from Marion County, Georgia.

Wm. Benjamin Brantley enlisted in the CSA as a Private in Co K, 5th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry. He survived many battles (Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and Battle of Atlanta). His regiment was consolidated with the 3rd Battalion Mississippi Infantry on 7/24/1864 due to troop losses. After Jonesboro, they participated in Hood's disastrous Tennessee Campaign, before moving into the Carolinas. What was left of the dwindling regiment surrendered on 4/26/1865.

Folliwng the Civil War, he married Pearcy Martha Rebecca Williams, better know as Mattie on 12/10/1866 in Leake County, Mississippi. She and her family resided there.

The family moved around a lot. Wm. became a Baptist preacher. Five children were born in Nesoba County. The family then moved to nearby Scott County, Mississippi where a sixth child was born in 1876. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Texas, settling in McLennan County. Four additional children were born between 1877 and 1885. After returning to Leake County, Mississippi, the last two of their twelve children were born in 1888 and 1892.

After 1892, Wm. purchased property in eastern New Mexico, near St. Vrain in Curry County. He died here on 2/6/1908. Apparently there is no marker to indicate his burial place, but cemetery records of Sted-Todd Funeral Home indicate he was buried there in a black coffin 6'3" long on 2/7/1908.

His wife died 5/4/1940 and is buried at Rosedale Cemetery in Ada, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.