William Harris was the son of Samuel Harris and Rebecca Morrison. He was born October 5, 1760 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He was married September 20, 1784 to Margaret Sloan in Rowan County, North Carolina. She was born about 1763 in Rowan County, North Carolina and was the daughter of Fergus Sloan and Ann or Elizabeth Robinson. They had 13 children. McGee Harris was the 10th child.

William Harris was a genuine Scotch-Irish Presbyterian as were his ancestors for several generations. He married Margaret Sloan who was also of Scotch-Irish descent. She was a lady of great culture and education for that time. William was fond of adventure. He seemed to be the personification of strength and vigor. He was six feet, three inches tall, perfectly erect, a splendid athlete, of great moral and physical courage, and loyal to his new republic.

With his restless nature William determined to go where he had room, and as he crudely expressed it, "Where he could not hear his neighbors call hogs." William took his wife from Rowan County, North Carolina and moved possibly for a short time to Albermarie County, Virginia, where his first two children might have been born. Later he passed through the Cumberland Gap into the rich lands of Central Kentucky in Bourbon County, where several of his children were born. Just before the turn of the century he moved to Big Springs near Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee and settled.

It was in Wilson County, Tennessee, that his son McGee Harris, was born, reared and married.