William Benjamin Darst was born November 9, 1841 in Pulaski County, Virginia. As of the 1860 Federal Census, Darst was listed as a laborer and was living with his father, Thomas Welch Darst, a farmer, and stepmother Margaret Darst. His siblings were: John, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Gillie. William’s father was a Major in the militia. William Darst was mustered into Company C, 21st Virginia Infantry on April 17, 1861, along with his brother, John Welch Darst. William B. Darst died September 13, 1861. John W. Darst died September 1862.