From http://www.usgennet.org/usa/tx/county/mclennan/dorris/:
William Thomas Dorris moved to Texas as a child with his parents in the 1840's. On December 17, 1853 William had moved to Lockhart where he began work to build a road from the town square to the Austin County line. He joined the army during the civil war enlisting on March 25, 1864 as a private in Company E 1st Texas Cavalry becoming a Corporal five months later. He was reduced to private on January 21, 1865 and discharged in Baton Rouge Louisiana where he served as General Hamilton's bodyguard. His military record described him as five feet ten inches tall with light colored hair and blue eyes.
William made his living as a carpenter, farmer and chair maker. On August 24, 1870 he was elected as County Treasurer. William was born in 1832 in Davidson County Tennessee. He married Edia Adeline Collins on February 21, 1855 in Bastrop County Texas. She was the daughter of Watson and Mary Collins born in Coffee County Tennessee in 1840. At eleven o'clock on Saturday night on September 24, 1870 William was shot to death by an unknown assailant. Mention of his death was written in the San Antonio Newspaper, The Daily Herald and in Austins Daily State Journal.
At the time of Williams death he owned one hundred acres on Jerrys Creek in Caldwell County valued at three hundred dollars and household and kitchen furniture valued at one hundred dollars. He also owned three mares, one colt, one stallion, one cow and a calf. He also owned a horse that was in Travis County, but someone was disputing ownership over this horse. It is not known what happened with Williams widow. In the 1880 census she was listed as a widow and still living in Caldwell County. Her whereabouts after 1880 are unknown. William and Edia had seven children.