Career
He was the slave owner who first bought Solomon Northup after Northup, a free African-American, had been kidnapped in Washington, District of Columbia, and sold in New Orleans. Those events happened in 1841. Campbell visited the congregation in 1857, at which time Campbell was favorably impressed by the fellowship practiced between blacks and whites in the congregation.
As of 2014 the congregation continues as the Cheneyville Christian Church.
In the feature film 12 Years a Slave Ford was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. Some of Ford"s descendants have objected to the portrayal of Ford in the film as rendering him a "pompous hypocrite.
A weak-willed man unable to protect Northup and his fellow slaves from sadistic overseers in the cotton fields", in contrast to Northup"s own description of Ford as a humane man: "There never was a more kind, noble, candid Christian man than William Ford.".