William Thomas Linton was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on January 8, 1758. He enlisted in the Continental Army as an ensign and later served as a lieutenant and captain in the 3rd North Carolina Line. He later became a lt. col. for the Nash County Regiment of the North Carolina Militia, also overseeing troops in the Halifax County Regiment. He resigned his commission in June 1781. He died in Grayson County, Virginia, February 28, 1827.