William Butler was an American militiaman who fought in the Creek War

Creek War

The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...

. Born in Virginia, he moved first to Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 where he briefly held elected office before moving west into the Alabama Territory

Alabama Territory

The Territory of Alabama was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 15, 1817, until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alabama.-History:...

. He served as a militia leader during the Creek War from 1813-1814. He was killed by Native Americans near Butler Springs, Alabama on March 20, 1818 when a group of local settlers he was leading was attacked by Native Americans under the command of a man named Savannah Jack. The bodies of he and five others were found mutilated the next day. Butler County, Alabama

Butler County, Alabama

Butler County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Captain William Butler, who was born in Virginia and fought in the Creek War, and who was killed in May 1818. As of 2010 the population was 20,947...

is named in his honor.