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RUTHERFORD  COUNTY 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Publication  No.  16 


(pmrn^iadi 


WINTER  1981 
Murfreesboro,  Tennessee  371 30 


The  Cover 

On  the  oover  of  Publication  Number  l6  Is  Cherry  Shade. 
This  historic  home  stood  across  the  old  highway  from  the 
Tennessee  Farnera  Co-Op  In  LaVergne,  until  1971)  when  It 
burned.  The  house  was  listed  In  the  book  "Bsarths tones"  as 
being  built  by  John  Fflll.  During  the  Olvll  War,  John 
Blrdwell's  faially  lived  here.  A  federal  soldier  from  Ohio- 
Leopold  Spetnagel  died  here  January  1)  1863 .  Later  the  W.  H* 
Cartwrlght  family  lived  here.   On  page  60  of  this  publication 
is  a  story  of  Cherry  Shade  during  the  time  of  its  occupancy 
by  the  J,  R.  Parks  Family. 

The  Rutherford  County  Historical  Society  would  like  to 
thank  Janes  Matheny  for  drawing  the  sketch  on  the  cover.  We 
also  appreciate  Mrs.  Ladelle  Craddock  for  her  work  in  typing 
and  Mr.  Gene  Sloan  for  the  index  to  this  publication. 


„,001E  TENNESSEE  STME  UNlVE«Sn, 
Z«£ESBORO.  TENNESSEE  37130 


V.  IC 

RUTHERPORD  C0DHT3f  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

POBUCATICN  NO.  16 

Published  by  the 

RUTHERFORD  C0UNT3C  HISTORICAL  SOCIETy 

OFFICERS 

President. • Mr.  Gene  Sloan 

Vice-President Miss  Aurelia  Holden 

Recording  Secretary Miss  Louise  Cawthon 

Corresponding  Secretary. •• ••• Mrs.  Susan  Daniel 

Treasurer. ..Mrs.  Kelly  Ray 

Poblicatlon  Secretary • •• .Mr.  Vfalter  K.  Hoover 


Directors Mrs.  Dotty  Patlgr 

Dr.  Ernest  Hooper 
Mr.  Janes  Hatheny 

Publication  No.  16  (Uraited  Edition-350  copies)  is  distributed 
to  menbers  of  the  Society.  The  annual  membership  dues  is  $7.00  (Family 
$9.00)  which  includes  the  regular  publications  and  the  monthly  NEV6- 
LETTER  to  all  members.  Additional  copies  of  Publication  No.  16  may  be 
obtained  at  $3*50  per  copy. 

All  correspondence  concerning  additional  copies,  contributions 
to  future  issues,  and  membership  should  be  addressed  to: 

Rutherford  Coun^  Historical  Society 

Box  906 

Murfi-eesboro,  Tennessee  37130 


82-0C50 


k 


FOR  SALE 

THE  FOLLOWING  PUBLICATIONS  AF.E  FOR  SALE  BY: 

The  Rutherford  County  Historical  Society- 
Box  906 
Murfreesboro,  Tennessee  37130 

Publications  #  1,  2,  3,  U,  5,  8  and  9—- OUT  OF  PRINT 

Publication  #  6:  Link  Community,  LaVergne,  Fellowship  and 

the  Sanders  family — $  3.50  +  $  1.00  postage 

Publication  #  7;  Hopewell  Church,  Petition  by  Cornelius  Sanders 

for  Rev.  War  Pension ■ $  3.50  +  $  1.00  postage 

Publication  #  10:  I86I4  Diary,  Peter  Jennings,  Henderson  Yoalaun, 
Early  Methodist  Church,  and  Overall 
family ■ $  3,50  ♦  $  1.00  postage 

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Michael  Lorance,  A  Country  Store,  and 
Soule  College ■—  $  3.50  +  $  1.00  postage 

Publication  #  12:  History  of  Sewart  AFB,  Goochland  and 

Will  Index $  3.50  +  $  1.00  postage 

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Monument  in  old  city  cenetery  and  Rev. 
War  Pension  of  James  Boles $  3.50  ••■  $  1.00  postage 

Publication  #  lU:  Muifreesboro  Presbyterian  Church,  Kirks  and 

Montgomerys,  Russel  Home,  John  Lytle,  and  John 

M.  Leak  Revolutionary  Pension — —  $  3.50  ■•■  $  1.00  postage 

Publication  #  15 :  Whigs  in  Rutherford  County,  l835-l8U5--$3.50  >  $1.00  postage 

Index  of  Publications  1  through  5 ■ $  5.00  +  $  1,00  postage 

iBliO  Rut>iffrfnrd  County  Census  with  Tndpy $  5.00  +  $  1.00  postage 

Deed  Abstract  of  Rutherford  County  I803-I8IO $10,00  +  $  1.00  postage 

GRIFFITH;  Illustrated  bi-centennial  publication $  2.00  +  $  1.00  postage 

COMMEMORATIVE  PLATES: 

Plate  #  2:  Tennessee  College  in  Murfreesboro $  5.00  +  $  1.00  postage 

Plate  #  3!  Rutherford  County  Courthouse,  1900—  $  5.00  +  $  1.00  postage 

AVAILABLE  FROM;  William  Walkup,  202  Ridley  St,  Smyrna,  Tenn  37167  — 

Rutherford  County  Map  I878,  shows  land  owners $  3,50  +  $   1.00  postage 

CEMETERY  RECORDS  of  Rutherford  County: 

Vol,  1:  Northwestern  third  of  cotmty  and  part  of  Wilson  and 

Davidson  counties,  256  cemeteries  with  index  and 

maps ■ $10.00   +  $  1.00  postage 

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Cannon  County,  2U1  cemeteries  with  index 

and  maps ■ $10.00  +  $  1.00  postage 

Vol,   3:      Southwestern  third  of  Rutherford   County,   193 

cemeteries  with  index  and  maps $10.00   ♦  $  1.00  postage 

ALSO  AVAILABLE  FROM;   Mrs.  Fred  Brigance,   1202  Scottland  Dr.,Mboro,   Tn  37130— 
Marriage  Records  of  Rutherford  Coxinty 

1851  -  1872 $10.00  +  $  1.00  postage 


TABLE  of  CONTENTS 


Hart's  Spring  on  Taylor's  Trace 

by:  Walter  King  Hoover , Page   1 

The  Childress  Family  of  Tennessee 

by:  John  Williams  Childress 20 

Young  Man  John  Esten  Miles  Went  West 

by:  Gene  H.  Sloan 35 

The  Story  of  Fosterwllle 

by:  Elvira  Brothers I43 

A  Story  of  Cherry  Shade,  LaVergne,  Tennessee 

by:  James  L.  Chrlsman.... 60 

Petition  of  Will law  Cocke  for  Revoluticnary 
War  Pension 

Furnished  by:  Mrs.  Hughey  King 70 


INDEX  for  Publication  No.  16 

by:  Gene  H.  Sloan 75 


HART'S  SPRING  ON  TAYLOR'S  TRACE 
Walter  K.  Hoover 

The  Big  Hart's  Spring,  located  or.e  mile  wtjst  of  Smyrna, 
Tennessee,  still  flows  free  and  clear,  its  v/al-ers  meandering 
through  the  town.   Few  citizens  know  of  this  spring  or  notice 
Hart's  branch,  because  today's  water  supplies  issue  from  a 
metered  spigot. 

The  Indians  and  explorers  frequented  these  waters  long 
before  domestic  and  industrial  life  came  to  thir  ares. 

In  my  boyhood,  I,  along  with  other  boys  of  the  vicinity, 
fished,  swam  in,  and  explored  this  spring  and  stream,   I 
recall  wagons,  with  barrels  and  buckets,  hauling  water  from 
this  stream  for  domestic  and  industrial  use.   Before  and 
after  bridges,  the  fords  provided  a  place  for  the  traveler 
to  water  his  animal,  or  to  wash  his  dusty  buggy  or  automobile, 
even  himself.   We  skated  on  the  ice  in  the  winter.   Wildlife 
and  livestock  came  daily  to  drink.   These  waters  provided 
many  an  ardent  fisherman  with  bait  of  crayfish  and  minnows. 
Many  repented  sinners  were  refreshed  by  bapti:;'-  in  t"r;?3e 
waters. 

As  you  climb  the  highland  rim,  or  descend  the  Cumberland 
Plateau,  to  and  from  Rutherford  County,  which  is  imbeded  in 
the  central  basin,  the  geology  and  topography  has  a  deep 
fascination  for  the  student  of  history.   A  knowledge  of  the 
ridges,  plains  and  streams,  add  new  dimension  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  our  restless  earth. 


In  the  early  nineteen  thirties  the  town  of  Smyrna 
employed  engineers  to  study  the  possibility  of  using  the 
waters  of  Hart's  Spring  for  the  city  water  supply.   For  some 
reason  deep  wells  took  precedent. 

Some  years  ago  my  curiosity  about  the  origin  of  the 
Hart  name  caused  me  to  investigate  its  historical  background, 
here's  what  I  found. 

Man's  desire  for  the  unknown  and  his  desire  for  gain 
caused  the  colonial  explorers  to  penetrate  the  Smokey  Mountains 
as  early  as  1673.   Some  came  this  way  to  get  away  from  the 
Crown,  and  the  Revolutionary  War.   Others  wanted  to  learn  what 
was  in  the  vast  region  drained  by  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland 
Rivers. 

The  French  from  Canada  laid  claim  to  this  territory, 
as  did  the  Spanish  from  Florida.   The  endless  forest  was  also 
claimed  by  the  native  Indians  as  a  hunting  ground.   These 
were  mainly  Cherokee,  Creek,  Chickasaw  and  Shawnee,  along 
with  less  noted  tribes. 

For  about  seventy-five  years  this  Mid-Tennessee  and 
Mid-Kentucky  area  was  criss-crossed  and  explored  by  fur 
traders  of  all  these  powers;  each  of  these  powers  vying  for 
the  support  of  the  native  Indians,  bribed  them  with  supplies 
and  guns.   This  boundary  and  ownership  conflict  subsided 
about  1775.   The  native  Indians  contested  until  about  1795. 

British  South  Carolina,  prompted  by  this  contest  for  the 
interior  of  the  continent,  attempted  a  permanent  settlement 
by  pushing  through  the  Smokey  Mountains  to  establish  Fort 
Louden  on  the  Little  Tennessee  River  in  1756-57.   Fort  Louden 

2 


fell  to  the  Indians  in  1760,  thus  bringing  to  an  end  South 
Carolina's  efforts  to  gain  this  region. 

The  push  for  claim  and  settlement  now  came  from  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia.   By  1760  Daniel  Boone  was  in  the  area. 
By  1768  William  Bean  had  a  cabin  on  the  Watauga  River  in 
East  Tennessee. 

Other  families  followed  Bean  to  form  the  Watauga 
settlement.   By  1776  Watauga  was  organized  under  a  self 
government  and  asked  to  be  annexed  to  North  Carolina  but 
was  not  recognized. 

After  Daniel  Boone  took  back  glowing  reports  of  the 
over -mountain  country,  other  people  came;  among  them  was  our 
NATHANIEL  HART  and  Thomas  Hart  and  David  Hart.   On  one  of 
their  expeditions  they  discovered  our  big  spring  and  branch 
flowing  into  the  Stuart's  Creek,  Stones  River,  and  Ciomberland 
River. 

This  occurred  about  1772,  and  from  that  time  until 
today  the  spring  and  its  branch  flowing  through  the  town  of 

Smyrna,  is  known  as,  and  referred  to  in  documentary  locations, 

2 

as  Hart's  Big  Spring  and  Hart's  Branch. 

The  Harts,  along  with  others,  Weakley,  Stone,  Ridley, 
Shelby,  etc.,  who  came  to  this  area  realizing  the  future 
values  of  land,  made  great  effort  to  secure  title  for  profit 


Thomas  Walker  named  the  Cumberland  Mountains  and  the 
Cumberland  River;  Stones  River  was  named  for  Uriah  Stone. 

2 

Hart's  Branch  named  for  Nathaniel  Hart.   I  cannot 

discover  where  Stuart's  Creek  (later  Stewart's  Creek)  got 
its  name. 


and  their  offspring.   The  town  of  Jefferson,  Tennessee,  was 
early  laid  off  and  promoted  to  form  a  base  for  land  sales. 

In  1777  Washington  County  was  formed,  with  Jonesboro  as 
the  county  seat  in  1779.   The  success  of  the  Watauga  settle- 
ment created  a  buffer  zone  between  the  coming  settlors  and 
the  dangers  beyond.   Widespread  interest  among  the  settlers 
and  land  speculators  grew  to  a  flood  after  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

In  the  fall  of  17  74,  a  company  of  land  speculators  made 
a  purchase  or  treaty  between  themselves  and  the  Cherokee 
Indians.   This  company  consisted  of  Richard  Henderson,  John 
William,  William  Johnson,  John  Luttrell,  John  Hogg,  Leonard 
Bullock,  Thomas  Hart,  David  Hart  and  Nathaniel  Hart.   This 
purchase  terminated  at  Watauga  in  March  of  1775.   This  company 
obtained  from  the  Cherokees  two  deeds.   One  known  as  the 
"path  deed",  which  had  to  do  with  land  in  East  Tennessee. 
The  other  was  known  as  the  "Great  Grant",  which  reached  from 
Kentucky  and  Ohio  Rivers  to  the  head  springs  of  the  most 
southward  branch  of  the  Cumberland  River.   This,  of  course, 
included  the  Stones  River,  Stuart's  Creek  and  Hart's  Branch 
and  Hart's  Spring  on  Taylor's  Trace. 

Later  in  the  judgment  of  the  courts  of  North  Carolina. 
in  1782,  this  purchase  was  held  illegal.   At  the  same  tiire, 
the  North  Carolina  legislature,  considering  this  land  company 
having  been  at  great  risk  and  concluding  that  they  should  have 
compensation  adequate  to  their  expense  and  trouble,  enacted 
that  they  (as  a  group)  should  have  two  hundred  thousand  acres 
laid  off  in  one  survey.   This  was  laid  off  in  East  Tennessee 
and  granted  to  the  Henderson  Company,  and  settled  all  debts. 

4 


This  same  legislature  of  North  Carolina,  in  the  same 
session  of  1782  by  Act,  allowed  the  settlers  on  the  Cumberland 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  to  each  family  or  head  of  the 
family,  every  single  man  of  age  who  was  settled  on  the  land 
before  June  1,  1780,  not  to  include  salt  licks,  or  salt 
springs  which  were  public  property.   (Nathaniel's  estate  will 
claim  the  Hart  Spring  track  under  these  laws  later.) 
Commissioners  came  with  guards  from  North  Carolina  to  lay  off 
and  allot  this  land.   They  also  laid  off  the  county  of 
Davidson  and  appointed  civil  and  military  officers. 

Nathaniel  Hart  was  much  involved  An  the  settlement  of 
Nashville.   The  articles  of  agreement  or  compact  of  govern- 
ment entered  into  by  the  settlers  on  the  Cumberland  River 
dated  May  1,  1780,  carries  Nathaniel's  signature  as  the 
second  to  sign.   This  compact  became  a  necessary  agreement, 
because  North  Carolina  offered  no  protection  or  recognition, 
nor  did  the  coloniel  Government,  they  being  involved  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.   This  compact  gave  order  to  personal  and 
property  rights,  military  protection  from  the  Indians,  etc. 

To  help  confirm  this  story  and  give  the  reader  more 
insight,  I  here  enter  this  reference.   A  mention  of  Hart's 
Spring  was  in  the  fall  of  1776  on  the  occasion  of  the  Militia 
returning  to  Nashboro  from  the  destruction  of  the  Cherokee 
villages  near  what  is  now  Chattanooga.   They  were  three  or 
four  days  on  their  return,  and  on  the  night  before  arriving 
camped  at  Hatt ' s  Spring. 

Another  mention  was  in  1792  when  the  Cherokee  Indians 
were  planning  to  attack  the  Cumberland  settlement.   General 

5 


Robertson  sent  scouts  out  Taylor's  Trace  to  learn  of  the 
number  and  intentions  of  the  Indians.   The  scouts  were 
Jonothon  Gee  and  Seward  Clayton,  who  after  going  eight  or  ten 
miles  south  of  Buchanon's  Station  contacted  the  Indians  in 
the  middle  of  the  Trace;  after  some  talk  Gee  was  shot  and 
killed  in  the  Trace.   Another  shot  broke  Clayton's  arm,  and 
he  ran  into  the  woods,  was  pursued  and  killed.   The  Indians 
hurried  on  to  Buchanon's  Station  and  attacked.   When  the 
Indians  retired.  General  Robertson  collected  what  troups  he 
could  and  pursued  them  to  Hart's  Big  Spring,  near  Stuart's 
Creek.   Not  finding  the  Indians,  he  retired  to  the  station, 

Nathaniel  Hart  never  lived  at  Hart's  Spring,  for  he 
had  a  home  at  Boonsboro,  Kentucky,  where  he  raised  a  family. 
Captain  Nathaniel  Hart  was  born  February  24,  1744.   He  married 
Sarah  Simpson  of  Fairfax  County,  Virginia,  December  25,  1760. 
They  moved  to  Boonsboro  in  1775.   Corn  raised  at  Boonsboro  by 
Hart  was  sent  by  boat  to  the  starving  settlers  at  Nashboro  in 
1779-80.   Nathaniel  was  killed  by  the  Indians  near  his  home 
in  July  1782.   He  was  survived  by  his  widow  and  nine  children. 
Sarah  Simpson  Hart  died  at  the  end  of  March  1785  at  the  age 
of  56. 

Their  children  were  Kosiah  Thompson,  Susannah  Hart 
Shelby,  Simpson  Hart,  Nathaniel  Hatt  Jr.,  John  Hart,  Mary  Ann 
Hart,  Cumberland  Hart,  Chinai  Hart  and  Thomas  R.  G.  Hart. 

Colossal  figures  such  as  Henry  Clay,  Shelby,  Brown, 
Benton,  Dixon,  McDowell,  Freemont  are  inimitably  identifiable 
by  blood  and  marriage  with  the  Harts. 

6 


A  trip  to  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in  search  of  Hart 
information  revealed  many,  many  Hart  relatives. 

Being  aware  that  many  readers  will  not  recall  the 
sequence  of  events  that  issued  Tennessee,  I  have  entered 
these  notations. 

Daniel  Boone  and  others  had  entered  the  wilderness. 
1756   Fort  Louden 

1769  Bean's  cabin  on  Watauga  River 

1770  James  Robertson  and  others  at  Watauga 

1771  1.   Settlement  of  Rougersville 

2.   Jacob  Brown's  stone  on  Nolichucky  River 

1772  The  Watauga  Association 

1775    1.   Washington  District  formed 

2.  Revolutionary  War 

3.  Henderson  Company  bought  Middle  Tennessee 
17  76   Washington  District  annexed  to  North  Carolina 

1778  Cumberland  settlement 

1779  Nashboro 

1780  1.   Movement  to  Middle  Tennessee 
2.   Battle  of  King's  Mountain 

1783  Davidson  County  laid  out  (went  to  Alabama  State  line) 

1784  1.   North  Carolina  ceded  to  Watauga  the  Tennessee 

territory. 

2.  The  State  of  Franklin  was  formed,  John  Sevier 
Governor . 

3.  Congress  closing  the  war  ignored.  State  of  Franklin. 

4.  North  Carolina  repealed  its  act  of  ceding  the 
Tennessee  territory. 

7 


1788   1.   State  of  Franklin  died  at  the  end  of  Sevier's  term 

as  Governor. 
2.   Cumberland  settlement  did  not  join  State  of 

Franklin  statehood.  4 

1790   1.   North  Carolina  again  ceded  her  west  to  Tennessee. 

2.  Ordinance  of  1778  to  be  preserved. 

3.  Federal  government  passed  act  for  territory  south 
of  the  Ohio  River. 

4.  Tennessee  capital  moved  to  Knoxville. 

1794  1.   Indians  severely  punished. 

2.  Spanish  influence  broken. 

3.  First  territorial  assembly  met. 

1795  Sixty  thousand  whites  in  the  territory. 

1796  Tennessee  admitted  as  a  State. 

1800   Nathaniel's  land  grant  from  North  Carolina. 

Since  Nathaniel  died  in  1782  at  Boonsboro,  how  and  why 
did  he  or  his  heirs  get  a  land  grant  of  640  acres  in  1800  in 
Davidson  County,  State  of  Tennessee?  After  a  search  of  land 
laws  of  Tennessee,  article  10,  Sec.  Z  of  the  first  Constitu- 
tion of  Tennessee,  established  at  Knoxville  February  6,  1796, 
when  Tennessee  became  a  State,  I  find  this  statement:   "All 
laws  and  ordinances  now  in  force  and  use  in  this  territory, 
not  inconsistant  with  this  Constitution,  shall  continue  to  be 
in  force  and  use  in  this  State  until  they  expire,  by  altered, 
or  repealed  by  the  legislature."   So  the  above  reference 
(paragraph  1,  page  5)  to  settlers'  land  claims  on  the  Cumberland 
were  still  in  force  after  Tennessee  became  a  State. 

.  8 


Also,  when  North  Carolina  ceded  the  western  territories 
to  the  United  States  in  1789  as  a  condition  for  membership  in 
the  federal  union,  she  retained  the  rights  to  grant  lands 
there  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  her  revolutionary  soldiers. 

This  territory  became  the  State  of  Tennessee  in  1796, 
but  it  was  not  until  1806  that  Tennessee  was  able  to  grant 
land  itself.   In  1803  Governor  John  Sevier  appointed  John 
Overton  to  settle  and  adjust  the  land  laws  between  Tennessee 
and  North  Carolina.   Then  in  1804  North  Carolina  gave  up  its 
right  to  grant  land  in  Tennessee.   In  1806  Tennessee  set  up 
seven  land  districts,  one  being  at  Jefferson,  the  seat  of 
Rutherford  County.   The  Jefferson  office  was  later  moved  to 
Shelbyville. 

Although  North  Carolina  granted  no  land  in  Tennessee 
after  1800,  warrants  issued  before  and  after  that  year  were 
honored  by  Tennessee  land  offices  as  late  as  1836. 

So  under  the  continuing  old  land  laws  of  North  Carolina, 
the  Watauga  settlement.  State  of  Franklin,  and  the  Cumberland 
settlement,  which  were  not  void  until  1806;  I  discover  in  the 
Davidson  County,  Tennessee,  records,  the  grant  to  Nathaniel 
Hart's  heirs  dated  May  13th,  1800,  that  has  been  pending 
since  Nathaniel's  death  in  1782.   I  also  found  an  order  that 
this  land  be  surveyed  for  the  heirs  by  Robert  Weakley  in 
consequence  of  an  entry  No.  500  (or  claim  by  the  estate  of 
Nathaniel  Hart)  dated  June  28,  1784,  about  two  years  after 
Nathaniel's  death.   The  ten  pounds  per  one  hundred  acres 
must  have  been  paid  by,  and  the  claim  executed  by  Nathaniel's 
administrators  or  heirs.   Robert  Weakley's  survey  is  dated 
March  4th,  1797. 


The  Grant  reads  thus : 

Nathaniel  Hart's  Heirs 

Grant  No.  468  May  13,  1800 

State  of  North  Carolina 

To  all  to  whom  present  shall  come  greetings,  know 
ye  that  we,  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  siom  of 
ten  pounds  for  every  hundred  acres  hereby  granted, 
paid  unto  our  treasury,  by  Nathaniel  Hart,  have  given 
and  granted,  and  by  these  present  do  give  and  grant 
unto  Kosiah  Thompson,  Susannah  Hart,  Simpson  Hart, 
Nathaniel  Hart,  John  Hart,  Mary  Ann  Hart,  Cumberland 
Hart,  Chinai  Hart  and  Thomas  R.  G.  Hart,  heirs  of 
Nathaniel  Hart  a  track  of  land  containing  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  lying  and  being  in  the  county  of 
Davidson  (now  Rutherford),  on  a  branch  of  the  Stuart's 
Creek  about  two  miles  north  of  said  creek  including  a 
large  spring  on  Taylor's  Trace,  known  by  the  name  of 
Hart's  Spring  on  Taylor's  Trace.   Beginning  at  two 
white  oaks  above  the  spring  near  the  cedar  runs,  east 
sixty  chains,  crossing  said  Trace  to  a  small  biack  oak 
and  ash,  in  the  edge  of  the  cedars,  thence  north  forty 
chains  to  Robert  Russell's  corner,  and  with  his  line, 
in  all,  one  hundred  and  six  chains,  seventy  lengths  to 
a  mulberry,  thence  west  sixty  chains  to  a  stake  thence 
south  one  hundred  and  six  and  seventy  lengths,  crossing 
the  said  Trace  to  the  beginning,  with  all  woods,  waters, 
mines,  minerals,  here  warrant  and  appendents  to  said 
land  belonging  to  Kosiah  Thompson,  Susannah  Hart, 
Simpson  Hart,  Nathaniel  Hart,  John  Hart,  Mary  Ann  Hart, 
Cumberland  Hart,  Chinai  Hart,  and  Thomas  R.  G.  Hart 
their  heirs  and  assignees,  which  land  was  surveyed  for 
the  heirs  of  the  said  Hart,  March  4,  1797,  by  Robert 
Weakley  in  consequence  of  an  entry  No. '500,  dated 
June  28,  1784.   (The  grant  signed  by  B.  Williams, 
dated  January  23,  1800,   Counter  signed.  Will  White 
secretary. ) 

From  the  time  of  the  grant  in  1800  until  1822,  I  find 
no  Hart  records  on  our  subject.   Evidently  the  Harts  were 
centered  at  Boonsboro,  Kentucky,  and  scattered  all  the  way 
back  to  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.   Some  may  have  moved  on 
westward.   Their  father's  vast  estate  had  been  divided  among 
the  nine  children,  and  a  new  generation  had  begun.   By  1822 
Rutherford  County  had  been  in  operation  for  nineteen  years, 
and  records  are  accumulating  there. 

10 


So  at  the  Rutherford  County  Court  House  I  find  an 
indenture  dated  March  20,  1822,  stating  that  Isaac  Shelby, 
first  Governor  of  Kentucky,  and  wife  Susannah  Hart  Shelby 
(Nathaniel's  daughter),  sold  to  James  Hart,  now  living  on  the 
said  land,  this  entire  640-A  grant  for  $1500.00.   James  Hart 
is  perhaps  a  male  heir  of  one  of  Nathaniel's  children;  he 
could  be  a  next  generation  relative.   I  have  not  located  a 
Hart  geneology. 

Much  search  back  and  forth,  through  the  Rutherford 
County  land  records,  show  that  our  James  Hart  sold  some  of 
this  land,  perhaps  to  pay  Isaac  and  Susannah  for  on: 
May  21,  1822   sold  to  William  Garner   50-A   $250.00 
May  29,  1822   sold  to  John  Fourville   71-A    213.00 
May  29,  1822    sold  to   John  Fly        201-A    813.32if 
July  13,  1825   sold  to   Robert  Ealm      76-A    202.00 

Totals        348-A   $14  78.32^1 
James  had  sold  about  one  half  of  the  grant  for  almost 
what  it  cost  him.   (Some  may  wonder  about  the  one-half  cent. 

The  United  States  authorized  the  coinage  of  one-half  cents 

April  2,  1792,  and  the  first  were  coined  in  1793;  a  popular 

coin  until  1857. ) 

In  1834  Hartsville,  Tennessee,  was  a  flourishing  post 

town.   It  was  established  in  1817  on  the  land  of  James  Hart. 

It  contained  twenty  or  thirty  families,  four  stores,  two 

taverns  and  sundry  mechanics.   James  Hart  was  a  brother  of 

our  Nathaniel,  not  our  young  James. 

11 


By  a  series  of  deed-  from  Hart  to  the  present  day 
owners,  I  am  able  to  establish  a  corner  of  the  original  Hart 
grant.   With  a  compass  and  the  grant  measurements,  I  have 
here  plotted  the  640-A  on  today's  map  (see  map,  page  12-A). 

Divided,  subdivided,  and  sold  many  times,  each  time 
increasing  in  value.   Nathaniel  anticipated  these  values 
over  two  hundred  years  ago  when  he  braved  the  Indians  and 
the  wilderness  to  acquire  this  land.   Speculation  continues 
today  as  values  rise. 

Diligent  search  reveals  little  of  our  James  Hart  from 
1825  until  his  death  in  1845.   It  is  assumed  that  he  had  a 
home  in  the  vicinity  of  the  big  spring,  and  that  his  death 
occurred  there.   His  estate  was  administered  by  Thomas  M. 
Hart.   Who  was  Thomas  M?  A  son?   A  brother? 

The  1820  census  shows  James  Hart  of  Rutherford  County. 
Three  males  under  10  years  of  age,  one  26  to  45  (himself), 
one  female  under  10  years  of  age,  one  female  26  to  45  (wife). 
Who  was  she? 

There  is  a  Mark  Hart  in  the  1810  census  of  Rutherford 
County  who  had  two  males  under  ten  years.   Could  one  of  these 
be  James?   Or  were  Mark  and  James  brothers? 

The  Rutherford  County  marriage  bonds  of  Rutherford 
County  compiled  by  the  Col.  Hardy  Murphy  Chapter  of  D.A.R. 
shows: 


12 


Ann  Hart  married  Samuel  Wilson      12-26-1805 

Martha  B.  Hart  married  Wiley  Sanders  2-20-1832 
Koshia  Hart  married  Thomas  C.  Wright  8-  1-18  3  7 
Frances  E.  A.  Hart  married  Radford  W.  Reed  3-  6-1839 
Samuel  Hart  married  Edny  M.  Hedgepath  12-2  3-1846 
William  Hart  married  Mary  E.  Batey  1-17-1847 
John  Hart  married  Elizabeth  Batey     1-22-1848 

William  Hart  married  Sarah  J.  Modrall  10-29-1857 
Thomas  Hart         married   Rebecca  Johnson      7-19-1867 

These  records  run  from  1804  to  18  72  showing  these  Harts 
in  Rutherford  County.   Yet  the  Rutherford  County  Cemetery 
records  show  not  a  single  Hart  burial  record.   Perhaps  they 
died  in  other  counties  or  were  buried  in  unmarked  graves  in 
the  wife's  family  plot. 

Not  finding  any  cemetery  records  of  our  James  Hart's 
place  of  burial,  I  searched  the  area  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Big  Hart  Spring  now  owned  by  George  W.  Gwyn  heirs.   They  tell 
me  that  about  1940  Mr.  Gwyn  employed  a  Mr.  Helton  to  mow  the 
grounds  around  the  present  Gwyn  home.   Mr.  Helton  in  the 
absence  of  Mr.  Gwyn  came  upon  grave  markers  (field  stones); 
and  since  his  mowing  machine  would  not  pass  over  them,  he 
pulled  them  up  and  discarded  them  in  an  adjacent  ravine. 
Bessie  Gwyn  (Mrs.  Ira  McDonald)  remembers  these  headstones. 
She  states  that  there  were  twenty-five  or  so  of  them,  in 
definite  rows,  and  that  her  family  thought  them  to  be  graves. 
None  carried  names  or  legends  to  identify  them.   This  is  the 
most  likely  spot  of  James'  burial  site. 

13 


The  records  show  that  James  died  in  1845  in  Rutherford 
County  and  that  on  March  3,  Thomas  M,  Hart  was  appointed  his 
administrator.   On  April  21,  1845,  this  administrator 
recorded  this  settlement. 


List  of  sale  of  property: 

2  weeding  hoes 

1  set  gear 

Single  tree  &  Clevis 

1  bridle  &  Martingail 

1  saddle  &  blanket 

1  saddle  &  blanket 

1  rifle  gun  &  shor  pouch 

1  lot  of  corn 

1  yellow  horse 

1  note 

1  note 


1  note 

Cash  on  hand 

One  acct. 


to  T.  C.  Wright 
to  R.  Read 
to  R.  Read 
to  T.  C.  Ward 
to  T.  C.  Ward 
to  L.  White 
to  R.  Read 
to  Terry  Wade 
to  William  Hart 
due  on  William  J.  Muse 
Jan.  1,  1845  John  S.  Russwurm 
John  R.  Newsom 


.50 

1.87 

.70 

1.60 

1.85 

8.10 

15.00 

7.50 

60.00 

400.00 

146.25 

34.72 

5.65 

10.00 


on  John  R.  Newsom 
On  the  26th  of  August,  1846,  the  administrator  recorded 
the  settlement  of  these  debts  against  the  estate. 
Elizabeth  Ralston  for  coffin  $   8.00 

John  Jones  Acct.  3.00 

J.  T.  Richardson,  M.D.  26.00 

Clerk  fees  (sale)  2.25 

A.  G.  Henderson  -  crying  sale  '50 

Allowance  to  adm.  25.00 


14 


Rutherford  County  records  show  that  James  Hart  had  two 
minor  children  at  the  time  of  his  death:   Mary  E.  and  Mark  M. 
These  children  were  adopted  by  Wiley  Sanders  and  wife  Martha  B. 
Hart  Sanders  (sister  of  James).   Wiley  Sanders  was  appointed 
guardian  for  the  dispersal  of  their  father's  estate  remaining 
to  them. 

This  brings  many  questions.   Who  was  Mary's  and  Mark's 
mother?   What  became  of  her?   When  and  where  did  she  die? 
Where  interred? 

What  was  the  remains  of  James'  estate,  and  how  was  it 
disposed  of?   Did  the  guardian  sell  or  rent?   Did  the  court 
sell  the  land,  then  turn  the  proceeds  over  to  the  guardian? 
Was  property  held  until  these  children  became  of  age  and  then 
sold  in  their  then  name  of  Sanders?   All  these  questions  and 
more  I  cannot  find  answers  for.   I  do  find  several  recorded 
settlements  with  these  minors,  yearly  by  Sanders.   By  1857 
there  only  shows  a  settlement  with  Mark  M.   Why?   What  happened 
to  Mary  E.?   Married?   Died?   Cholera?   Yellow  Fever?   Perhaps 
some  of  you  readers  can  supply  answers  or  can  inform  me  where 
and  how  to  acquire  same. 

I  feel  sure  that  many  of  these  answers  are  hidden  in 
the  uncatalogued,  chancery  court  records  of  Rutherford  County 
where  research  is  next  to  impossible. 

Having  lost  the  land  records  of  James  Hart  at  his  death 
or  before,  I  move  to  the  present  day  owner  and  try  to  run  the 
titles  back  to  James.   I  find  the  present  day  owners  acquired 
through  their  ancestors,  from  John  F.  Tucker  in  1887,  the 
remains  of  the  Hart  Spring  Track.   Here  I  run  into  the  same 

15 


problem  of  Chancery  records,  Tvhen  I  learn  that  Tucker 
acquired  the  property  from  a  guardianship  since  his  father 
died  in  1862  when  he  was  a  minor. 

At  this  point  I  have  not  been  able  to  connect  the  land 
from  Hatt  in  1845  to  Tucker  in  1887.   Most  of  you  know  that 
several  books  are  missing  from  the  Rutherford  County  records. 
This  I  can  hide  behind  if  I  am  pressed  for  lack  of  completion. 

Taylor's  Trace  was  a  path  used  by  man  and  beast, 
connecting  the  salt  spring  at  Nashboro  with  Black  Fox's  Camp 
at  Cannonsburg  and  all  points  towards  what  is  now  Chattanooga. 
It  generally  followed  what  is  today  known  as  the  old  Nashville- 
Murfreesboro-Shelbyville  turnpike,  today's  U.S.  41  South. 

Much  effort  was  made  in  an  attempt  to  discover  who 
Taylor  was,  that  gave  the  Trace  its  name.   There  was  a 
Taylor,  a  military  officer  who  was  very  active  in  this  area 
in  Indian  fighting.   Another  Taylor,  a  surveyor  from  this 
area,  later  went  with  Lewis  and  Clark  on  their  famous  mission 
up  the  Missouri  River.   Several  other  Taylors  are  found,  but 
none  definitely  connected  to  Taylor's  Trace. 

Many  generations  of  history  abound  in  Rutherford  County, 
every  turn  in  the  road  under  every  grove  of  trees,  along  every 
stream,  on  every  ridge  and  plane,  countless  people  have 
passed,  before  you  came  along,  each  leaving  his  historical 
evidences.   You  can  find  an  exciting  story  under  most  any 
rock  in  Rutherford  County.   Look  close  and  discover  a  new 
dimension  in  your  life. 

Those  ardent  craftsmen,  with  all  their  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions, helped  to  make  possible  what  you  enjoy  today.   Bless 

them. 

16 


Harf  ai  Big  Spring  On  Taylor's  Trace 

Very  Dry  Season 

(Looking  West) 


-&.• 


'irii 


aeorge  G\A/yn's  Saw  Mill  -  Harf  s  Spring  In  The 
oreground  Furnished  Water  For  Steam  Engine. 
All  Evidence  Of  This  Has  Faded. 
(Looking  West) 


Harf  s  Spring  -  One  Mile  West 

Of  Smyrna,  Tennessee 

See  Pump  -  People  Not  Identified 

(Looking  S.  West) 


THE  CHIISR^S  FAMILI  OF  TQINESSS 

eon^llsd  b7 

John  wmiaAs  Childress 

37Ca  Ollvmr  St.,  H.  W. 

Washington,  D.  C. 

I960 

Our  great  grandfather,  Joel  Childress,  was  bom  on  March  22,  1777  • 
He  married  Elizabeth  Whitsitt,  1781  -  1863,  cane  to  Tennessee  from  Virginia, 
and  settled  January  17,  1799,  in  Svunner  Counter,  vhere  his  children  were 
bom.  About  1812  he  moved  to  Rutherford,  a  newly  formed  counly,  and 
bought  a  farm  about  three  miles  south  of  Nurfreesboro,  situated  where 
Stones  River  is  crossed  by  the  Shelbyvllle  Pike.  There  was  a  large 
frame  house  in  which  he  lived  until  his  death,  August  19,  1819.  He  was 
buried  in  a  fence -enclosed  family  plot  near  the  house.  Among  his  activities 
he  was  the  Postmaster  of  Murfreesboro. 

I  well  remember  his  grave  in  the  apple  orchard,  irtiich  was  marked  by 
a  ten-foot  stone  resting  iq>on  six  coluims  to  a  base.  The  top  stone  con- 
tained the  inscription:  "Joel  Childress,  son  of  John,  son  of  Joel»  irfio 
emigrated  from  Wales,  in  his  owi  ship  with  cargo,  in  the  year  17U5."  The 
last  two  digits  of  the  date  were  very  dim  but  my  brother  and  I  agreed 
upon  "145."  His  migration  in  his  own  ship  was  of  frequent  occurrence  where 
the  migrant  had  sufficient  means  to  outfit  such  transportatlcxi,  since  it 
was  well  known  that  a  ship  and  its  contents  coiild  readily  be  sold  at  a 
profit,  thus  giving  the  emigrant  ready  capital.  He  landed  probably  in 
Virginia,  or  possibly  North  Carolina,  since  the  name  is  found  in  both  states, 
but  Joel  and  his  wife  were  both  bom  in  Virginia.  Her  mother  was  PoUy 
Sevier. 

Upon  a  visit  with  ray  family  to  Tennessee  in  1923,  I  was  distressed 


20 


to  find  no  trace  of  the  gr&^e,  but  foimd  that  the  two  large  stones  had 
been  used  by  the  then  oi«ier  of  the  nearby  cottage.  Just  built  as  fire- 
place bases.     At  least  the  inscription  above  had  been  left  t^idemea'^  and 

1 
did  not  show  at  the  floor  level. 

After  Joel's  death,  his  widow  moved  into  town  and  lived  there  until 
her  death  In  I863.     Elizabeth  VJhitsitt's  oil    portrait  is  in  the  home  of 
my  niece  and  her  great,  great  niece,  Harriet  Childress  Tune,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

There  were  six  children  of  Joel  and  Elizabeth,  but  two  died  in 
infancy.     The  others  were  Anderson,  1799-1837;  Susan,  I8OI-I878;  Sarah, 
1803-1891;  and  John  Whitsitt,  I8O7-I88J4.     All  were  given  the  best  educational 
advantages  available.     Andersen  went  to  Chapel  HiU  College  (now  the 
University  of  North  Carolina); Susan  and  Sarah  were  sent  to  the  famous   (and 
first)  girls'   school  In  the  country,  the  Moravian  Church  Acadengr,  Salem, 
N..C.     John  entered  the  1822  class  at  Chapel  Hill.     Andersen  graduated  In 
1818,  but  John  spent  only  one  year,  his  schooling  cut  to  one  year,  pre- 
sumably, by  his  father's  death  in  I819.     The  girls  and  their  brother  ibiderson 
rode  horseback  from  Middle  Tennessee  to  Salem  (some  500  miles),  he  going 
on  farther  about  100  miles  to  Chapel  Hill,  and  picking  them  up  in  the  spring 
for  return  home.     They  were  acconpanled  only  by  a  faithful  slave  to  look 
after  the  horses  and  baggage. 

In  Anderson's  class  were  several  close  friends,  among  than  James 

Knox  Polk,  later  President  of  the  United  States,  also  Jamas  Otey  and  

Green,  who  were  to  become  the  first  Episcopal  Bishops  of  Tennesse  and 
Alabama,  respectively.     By  coincidence,  my  son-in-law,  James  Otey  (Bill) 
Urquhart,  is  the  great-grandson  of  Bishop  Otey,  for  irfiom  he  is  named.     It 


^     This  tombstone  was  found  when  the  Butler  Manufacturing  Company  was 
built    and  was  placed  at  Cannonsburg. 


21 


was  also  qidta  natiiral  that  Sarah  Childress  should  meet  and  marry  Jlmngr 
PoUc  when  he  came  to  Murfreesboro — then  the  State  Capital — ^in  his  first 
political  Job  as  Secretary  of  the  State  Legislature. 

For  the  story  of  Sarah  and  James  Polk,  see  any  history  book,  but 
particularly  the  two,  "Young  KLckory"  and  "Memorials  to  Sarah  Childress 
Folk.**  The  only  other  known  copy  of  the  latter  book  is  in  the  Congressional 
Library  in  Washington. 

As  is  well  known,  Sarah  Childress  lived  for  U2  years  after  her 
husband's  death  in  I8U9,  continuing  to  the  end  to  occupy  the  fine  estate 
the  President  had  bought  shortly  before  his  term  expired.  She  lived 
singly  but,  making  no  visits  except  to  Murfreesboro  and  Columbia,  kept 
practically  open  hoiise  to  old  friends.  She  died  in  I89I.  As  a  boy  I  was 
taken  to  see  her  at  regular  intervals.  I  remember  her  with  affection.  }ty 
father  was  the  favorite  of  all  her  relatives.  At  death.  Aunt  Sarah  was 
buried  beside  her  husband,  until  both  were  transferred  to  a  Joint  tomb  on 
the  Capitol  grounds. 

Susan  Childress  married  Dr.  Rucker  and  had  two  dau^ters.  These 
girls  visited  their  Aimt  in  the  White  House. 

The  farm  and  house  on  Stones  River  were  inherited  by  my  grandfather, 
John  Whitsitt,  and  were  successfully  operated  by  him  until  his  death, 
although  late  in  life  he  moved  to  town  to  a  house  at  College  and  Academy 
Streets,  which  was  owned  by  his  second  wife.   This  house  s.tiU  stands  and 
a  picture  of  It  can  be  found  in  the  book  called  "History  of  Rutherford 
County."  The  caption  of  this  picture  reads;  John  W.  Childress  frequently 
entertained  in  this  house  his  brother-in-law.  President  Polk."  This  is,  of 
course,  an  error  as  Polk  died  in  I81i9. 

In  18$3  John  W.  Childress  built,  on  the  site  of  his  father's  house, 


22 


a  very  modem  and  inposing  two-atory  brick,  ^rfiich  I  visited  oftai  as  a  boy 
of  12  to  1$,  \A\en  it  was  owned  by  lay  cousin j  .Frank  Avent.     At  Frank's 
marriage  this  hovise  and  farm  were  given  to  him  hy  his  father  as  a  wedding 
present.     I  often  stayed  with  them  jiist  to  be  in  the  country  and  to  live 
in  the  old  place.     At  10  I  had  learned  to  swin  in  the  nearly  Stones  River, 
and  Frank,  a  great  dog  fancier  and  huntsman,  would  let  me  hunt  with  him. 
I  remember  toy  grandfather  only  at  his  funeral  in  I88I1,  but  the  country 
place  forever  stands  out  in  my  memory. 

That  1853  house  was  built  of  brick  made  on  the  place,  and  of  stone 
from  the  River.     The  portico  was  stcne,  with  3-foot  in  diameter  stone 
columns  extending  above  the  second  floor.     Inside  was  a  large  entrance 
hall,  with  curving,   "flying, "-no  visible  support-  stairway,  with  strong 
bannisters.     All  rooms  were  I6  to  20  feet  in  height,  each  with  about  two 
foot  frieze,  the  whole  being  of  such  hard  plaster  (no  paper)  that  I  have 
often  wondered  about  the  lost  skill  of  such  constiruction. 

I  don't  remember  the  size  of  the  farm,  but  it  extended  East  about 
one-half  mile  to  the  railifoad  track  and  the  same  distance  to  the  River  in 
the  other  direction.     The  house  was  set  about  one-fifth  of  a  mile  from  the 
gate  at  Pike  lAere  it  crossed  Stones  River  and  was  reached  by  a  curved 
driveway,  marked  by  red  cedar  trees.     When  I  last  saw  the  property  (1923) 
the  last  one  of  these  trees  had  just  been  cut  down  for  firewood,  but  ny 
girls  gathered  some  of  the  sweet  smelling  cedar  chips  as  souvenirs.     The 
house  had  two  rooms,  both  sides  of  hall,  both  storeys,  and  an  Ell,  with 
full  porch  in  the  front. 

The  most  outstanding  memory  of  the  house  was  that  the  portico,   the 
colums  and  the  room  walls  were  conpletely  covered  with  pencil  and  charcoal 
names  and  regiments  of  Federal  soldiers  stationed  at  or  near  the  house,  who 
had  spent  their  time  •Taeautifying  it  with  their   'art',"     Actually,  many 
names  had  been  chiseled  with  nail  and  haniner  almost  to  the  roof,  and  many 

23 


of  them  were  well  done  from  the  operators  point  of  view.     The  plaster  of 
that  day  was  so  hard  that  little  harm  had  been  done  to  the  room  walls. 

When  the  Federal  troops  took  over  Murfreesboro  in  the  summer  of 
l862j  lay  grandfather  was  forced  to  refugee  with     his  daughters  and  small 
children  to  North  Georgia,  where  he  remained  until  the  end  of  the  war. 
His  house  and  farm  were  i.iBnediately  taken  over  and  occi^ied  by  three 
'•cau9>follower"  families,  who  worked  the  farm  and  slaves  during  the  period, 
taking,  of  course,  all  benefits  from  them  as  their  profit  as  "conquerors." 
VHiile  the  land  was  overworked  and  the  servants  mistreated,  it  is  quite 
possible  that  this  occupancy  by  Northerners  may  have  preserved  the  place 
from  complete  destructicxi,  as  happened  to  many  other  Southern  owners  vAio 
were  less  fortunate. 

In  this  connection  occurred  an  unusxial  and  interesting  incident. 
During  the  war  ray  father  happened  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  and 
so  made  bold  to  ride  up  to  the  house  to  look  things  over.     This  he  could 
do  because  he  wore  a  long,  blue  Union  overcoat  ^ich  he  had  taken  from  a 
captured  Negro  soldier.     His  inquiries  of  one  of  the  squatters  as  to  who 
owned  this  place,  etc.  were  being  insolently  answered  as  became  the  sqooatter's 
right  when  dealing  with  a  private,  even  a  Unionist.     Just  then  there 
appeared,  however,  a  small  Negro  boy  who  had  come  out  to  gather  chips  from 
the  woodpile.     He  glanced  t^  and  in  astonishment  said:    "Fore  God,  if  it 
ain't  Little  Marse  JohnJ"     Whereupon  father  showed  his  Confederate  uniform, 
forced  the  man  to  go  with  him  across  tshe  river — by  wading — and  turned  him 
over  to  the  military  authoritites.     When  the  family  returned  from  Georgia, 
no  one  was  found  of  the  three  former  "owners,"     but  they  left  their  marks 
on  the  property. 

I  dcai't  know  how  and  when  this  place  got  out  of  the  Childress  family, 
for  I  remember  it  only  after  its  purchase  by  father's  brother-in-law,  James 
M,  Avent,   for  Frank.     In  I896,  while  at  school  at  Bell  Buckle,  Tenn.,   the 
principal,  Sawney  Webb,  called  me  aside  to  tell  me  Uiat,   as  he  was  passing  on 

2U 


the  train  the  night  before,  he  happened  to  look  out  of  the  window  and 
saw  the  house  being  destroyed  by  fire.  I  never  knew  how  it  happened, 
but  I  never  forgot  ray  grief  at  the  loss  of  the  old  house  I  loved. 

Grandfather  also  owned  and  operated  another  and  larger  farm  about 
ten  miles  East  of  Murfreesboro,  Most  of  his  150  slaves  were  stationed 
here,  but  only  the  overseer  staff  lived  there. 

While  ccntinviing  to  operate  his  two  farms.  Grandfather  had  other 
interests  in  town,  being  organizer  and  president  of  two  banks,  and  was, 
from  its  beginning  in  18$3»  a  Director  of  the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga 
Railroad.  His  rather  distinguished  career  is  told  in  considerable  detail 
in  a  clipping  from  a  Nashville  paper  which  will  be  found  in  my  mother's 
scrapbook,  in  the  suitcase.  While  this  obituary  is  signed  only  "A.S.C," 
it  was  written  by  Col,  Arthur  S.  Colyax,  owner  of  the  "Nashville  American," 
to  my   father's  law  partner  in  the  firm  of  Colyax,  Marks  and  Childress.  The 
other  partner,  Marks,  was  a  former  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and  Colyax  was 
a  famous  orator  and  former  member  of  the  Confederate  Senate.  I  have  always 
believed  that,  while  the  firm  had  probably  the  largest  law  practice  in  the 
State,  the  partners  let  father  do  all  the  work,  resulting  in  his  breakdown 
of  health  and  his  retirement — l86Ii  to  1888 — to  Florida.  However,  he  re- 
covered and  led  an  active  and  useful  life  for  many  years. 

By  his  first  wife,  Mary  Williams  of  Nashville  (for  whom  I  am  named), 
my  grandfather  had  four  sons  who  lived  to  full  maturity  and  two  daughters. 
Two  of  these  sons  were  my  father,  John  Whitsitt,  Jr.,  and  Joseph.  The  latter 
had  two  daughters,  Mary  Kee  and  Sarah  Polk,  but  Joe  died  when  they  were  child- 
ren. John's  older  daughters  were  Mary,  who  married  James  Monroe  Avent,  and 
Bettie,  who  married  Major  General  John  Calvin  Brown,  of  Pulaski.  Avent  took 
my  father  in  as  law  partner  \intil  he  moved  to  Nashville  in  1882.  We  were  always 
very  close  to  the  Avent  family,  my  younger  brother  bearing  that  name.  The  only 
remaining  member  (i960)  is  Sara,  who  still  lives  in  the  old  house  and  has 

25 


one  son,  Jesse  C.  Beesley,  New  York.  The  other  dau^ter,  Bettle, 
married  James  B.  Murfree,  Jr.   His  widow  STunrived  hire  until  1959.  She 
was  92  at  the  time  of  her  death*  The  third  brother  was  James  M«,  Jr. 

Bettle  Childress  married  Brown  while  refugeeing  in  Georgia,  and 
''between  battles"  of  the  war.  They  returned  to  Pulaski,  from  which  he 
was  elected  Tennessee's  Oovernor  in  1870.  Later  they  moved  to  Nashville, 
where  he  died  in  1869.  At  which  time  he  was  President  of  the  Texas  k 
Pacific  Railroad.  There  were  two  daughters,  Marie  and  Daisy,  and  a  son, 
John.  No  males  of  the  name  survive. 

It  was  while  living  with  the  Browns  in  Pulaski  that  my  father 
studied  law,  and  in  1870  was  made  Manager  (at  25)  of  Brown's  cainpaign 
for  Governor.  That  was  his  first  experience  in  politics,  and  probably 
led  to  his  25  years  as  head  (Ghairman)of  the  Democratic  Party  in  the  State. 
While  he  retired  as  Chairman  when  he  became  a  judge  in  1895,  he  was  until 
his  death  (1908)  always  consulted  and  followed  in  political  matters. 

It  was  also  at  Pulaski  that  my  father  became  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  original  Ku  KLux  Klan.  (For  the  conplete  and  torue  story  of  the 
Klan,  see  its  history  in  the  Ridley  book.  This  gives  the  only  true  history 
of  its  beginnings,  its  operations,  and  its  end,  and  could  have  been  written 
only  ty  one  who  knew  the  story  perscxially. )  I  could  never  get  father  to 
admit  his  membership,  for  the  Federal  laws  against  it  were  never  repealed; 
but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  one  of  the  boys  i*o  started  the  KKK 
in  1867,  when  he  was  living  in  Pulaski.  All  KLansmen  were  yo\mg  Confederate 
officers  and  the  original  groi^  got  together  as  a  club  or  fraternity  for 
fun  only.  The  later  KKK  activities  were  brought  about  for  protection  against 
outrages  of  the  scalawags  and  carpetbaggers  who  were  exciting  the  Negroes 
to  crimes. 

Incidentally,  this  Ridley  book  is  now  considered  a  "collector's  item" 
because  the  writer's  story  of  his  return  home  af^ar  the  surrender  of  the 

26 


Canfdderate  Army  Is  the  only  )aio\ia  account  of  that  phase  of  a  soldier's 
llfe»     Several  histories  of  that  period  quote  Ridle7*8  dlazy  for  the 
only  picture  of  a  Confederate's  thoughts  aiid  acts  after  his  parole. 
}ty  father  also  surrendered  at  the  same  time  In  North  Carolina,  but  all 
I  could  get  out  of  hire  was  that  he  burst  into  tears  many  tines  a  day 
during  the  long  trip  to  Tennessee.     Incidentally,  Ridley  wsis  also  from 
Rutherford  Cotmty  be  he  and  father  never  met  during  the  war.     He  married 
my  mother's  youngest  siifc^er^Ideyette,  while  she  was  visiting  mother  in 
Hurfreesboro.     "Uncle  Brom"  was  one  of  the  finest  and  most  lovable  persons 
I  ever  knew,  and  his  book— of  which  he  was  very  proud— is  most  interesting. 
He  was,  during  his  whole  service,  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  A.  P.  Stewart — CSA. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  mj  grandfather  married  Mary  Phillips, 
a  cousin  of  his  former  wife,  and  by  her  had  the  following  sons  and  daughters; 
William  Sumner,  \^o  married  Inez  Wade; 

The  second  son  of  William  was  Levi  Wade,  who  lived  nearly  all  his 
life  in  St.  LoTiis,  Mo.     He  died  abcut  three  years  ago,  leaving  one  dau^ter 
and  two  sons:     Wade,  Jr.  and  Fielding,  and  his  widow,  all  of  \ihom  1  believe 
to  be  alive. 

Another  son  of  John  Wiitsitt  Childress,  Eugene,  was  never  married 
and  died  while  relatively  a  young  man.     The  last  one,  Horace,  had  no  sons, 
nor  did  Annie,  nor  Ella,  and  the  baby  of  the  family — Selene — had  no  children, 
though  married  twice — first  to  Jonathan  W.  Jackson,  and  then  to  Frederick 
Wighthall. 

With  the  death  of  his  father  in  I88I4,  my  father  John  Whitsitt  Jr. 
(AprU  20,  18U5  -  March  28,  1908)  became  the  beloved  head  of  the  family 
and  was  so  recognized  by  all.     He  had  little  education  since  he  ran  away 
frOTi  Military  school  to  Join  the  Confederate  Army  and  never  returned.     He 
did,  however,  acquire  an  excellent  knowledge  of  law  while  studying  in 
Gen.  Brown's  office  in  Pulaski,  and  proved  his  capacity  when  he  served  in 

27 


Nashville  as  Circuit  Court  Jtidge  for  the  last  13  years  of  his  life,  as 
well  as  in  his  only  active    practice  after  moving  to  Nashvlll@c     But  he 
served  capably  and  successfully  in  many  other  capacities,  incltiding 
Qeneral  Manager  of  the  "American"  Newspaper,  Assistant  U.  S.  Attorney, 
President  of  the  South  Pittsburg  City  Co»  operating  the  utilities  and 
building  \sp  of  that  town  and  organizing  and  presidi^  as  President  of  a 
National  Bank  which  is  still — after  75  years — the  strongest  institution 
in  that  section  of  the  State.     In  every  capacity  and  situation  he  was  sought 
after  for  advice  and  assistance.     His  best-known  seirvice  was  as  advisor 
of  the  Democratic  Party  in  politics.     This  began  as  Caiopaign  Manager 
for  his  brother-in-law,  John  C.  Brown,  in  his  successful  race  as  first 
Democratic  Governor  after  the  war,  in  1870,  at  the  age  of  25,     From  then 
until  his  judgeship  in  1895 »  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Committee, 
at  vrtiich  time  he  gave  up  the  title  for  ethical  reasons,  \Mt  continued  in 
his  advisory  capacity  until  the  end.     Amazing  to  say,  with  all  his  political 
activities,  and  the  usual  unpleasant  feelings  thus  engendered,  I  don't 
believe  he  ever  had  a  personal  or  political  enemy.     Partly,  no  doubt,  his 
popularity  was  due  to  his  wanting  no  office  for  himself,  his  only  interest  -^ 
being  to  find  the  right  man  for  the  place  in  his  Party.     Thus,  every  Governor 
and  U.  S.  Senator  depended  ^xpaa  him.     In  fact  he  declined  appointment  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate  by  Governor  Taylor,  and  later  declined  an  election  to  that 
body  by  the  State  Legislature,  which  was  trying  to  break  a  long  deadlock 
between  two  candidates --Taylor  and  McMiUin.     He  did  not  want  the  job  any- 
way, but  spumed  the  appointment  because  both  men  were  his  close  friends  and 
he  would  be  put  in  a  position  of  profiting  by  their  defeat.     The  Legislature 
acted,  apparently,  to  get  itself  out  of  a  long  deadlock  which  seemed  endless. 
It  did  end,  however,  when  a  third  man,  Luke  Lea,  became  a  candidate  through 
the  proper  pressure  (money?)  to  break  the  tie.     Taylor,  after  three  terms 
as  Governor,   later  became  a  United  States  Senator.     McMillin,   after  being 

28 


Governor,  and  after  20  years  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  died  Just 
after  his  appointment— 1933— as  Ambassador  to  Mexico,     His  second  wife, 
Lucile,  was  made  a  TOmber  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission  in  Washington. 
McMillin  first  married  lay  cousin,  Marie  Brown  (General  Brown's  daughter). 
Both  Taylor  and  McMillin  were  devoted  friends  of  father's  and  I  also  kept 
up  my  friendship  with  them  until  their  deaths. 

In  the  late  days  of  father »3  life  he  was  often  \mable  to  hold  Court 
and  the  docket  was  so  full  that  someone  had  to  carry  on.     Volunteers  were 
welcome  and  the  man  most  helpful  in  these  emergencies  was  Cordell  Htill,  a 
young  Judge  with  13  counties  in  his  Circuit,  who  could  still  come  to 
Nashville  to  help  out.     I  realized  later  that  he  did  so  at  his  own  expense. 
Hull  was,  however,  one  of  father's  political  proteges,  as  well  as  friend, 
and  he  probably  profited  by  the  experience  and  association.     Another  sudi 
protege  was  Joseph  W.  5yms,  later  Speaker  of  the  House.     When  Hull  was 
Secretary  of  State  he  took  occasion  at  several  public  gatherings  in  Washing- 
ton to  introduce  me  as  the  "son  of  the  man  who  taught  me  all  the  politics 
I  know,  if  any."     I  recall  two  occasiois  at  the  Jackson  Day  Dinners,  and  at 
other  tiiiBS  when  he  was  a  guest  In  my  home.     I  knew  most  of  the  Tennessee 
Delegation  and  Byms  and  Hull  were  most  helpful  in  my  one  entry  into  poUtica— 
the  appointment  by  President  Coolidge  as  Chairman  of  the  D.  C.  Public  Utilities 
Commission  in  1926. 

Vty  father  was  in  1861  at  military  school  in  Nashville,  but  his  parents 
were  endeavoring  to  keep  him  out  of  the  war  because  of  his  health  and 
weighing  only  90  pounds,  and  believed  by  them  to  have  "consuTiqjtion."     They 
thought  military  life  would  be  fatal.     However,  he  ran  away  from  school  and 
Joined  the  array  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  in  October,  1861.     He  was  sent  to 
Fort  Donelscn  just  in  tiro  to  8\irrender.     From  there  he  was  sent  by  flat-boat 
to  Columbus.  Ohio,  and  then  on  to  prison  camp  at  Johnson's  Island,  near 
Sandusky,  Ohio. 

29 


At  the  end  of  nine  months  he  was  exchanged,  at  Vicksbvirg,  Miss., 
and  iranediately  returned  to  the  army.       At  the  beginning  he  became  drill- 
master  and  Adjutant  of  the  50th  Tennessee  Regiment,  and  remained  with  that 
organization.     He  was  four  times  wounded,  once  shot  entirely  through  the 
thigh,  and  in  the  head  at  Franklin.     In  the  futile  charge  over  Federal 
breastworks  he  crossed  the  Harpeth  River,  climbed  up  and  was  on  the  point 
of  Jun^jlng  down  into  the  trench  when  a  bullet  tore  away  his  right  eyebrow 
and  he  was  left  for  dead.     About  midni^t  he  cane  to  life  to  find  himself 
in  the  burial  ditch,  but,  most  fortunately,  near  the  top  and  so  able  to 
climb  out  and  crawl  back  to  the  lines.     VJhile  his  life  was  saved  in  this 
miraculous  manner,  he  escaped  the  amy's  collapse  at  Nashville  two  weeks 
later.     Despite  the  annihilation  of  the  Western  Am^r,  three  divisions  were 
gotten  together   (in  part,  of  course)  and  reached  Johnson's  Army  in  North 
Carolina,  only  to  be  surrendered.     This  formality  occurred  for  him  on  his 
20th  birthday,  April  20. 

Father  was  always  known  and  spoken  of  as  "Captain  Childres"  until  he 
became  a  Judge,  but  he  never  used  either  title  when  speaking  of  himself 
over  phones  or  otherwise.     From  the  time  he  entered  the  army,  he  was  an 
officer.  Adjutant,  but  drill -master  also  because  he  was  probably  the  only 
man  in  his  reginent  who  had  any  knowledge  at  all  of  military  matters.     The 
framed  Commission  on  my  wall  shows  him  still  a  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  in 
September,  186U,  and  it  is  pres\imed  he  was  promoted  to  Captain  after  Franklin 
on  November  30th.     I  know  that  he  was  breveted  Major  before  the  surrender, 
but  he  never  used  the  higher  rank. 

After  serving  ^  years  in  arny  and  prison  he  returned  to  Murfrees- 
boro,  but  soon  Joined  his  brother-in-law,  General  Brown,  for  the  study  of 
law.     Upon  conqjletion  of  these  studies  he  Joined  another  brother-in-law, James 
M.  Avent,  in  practice  in  his  home  town.     In  March  1867  he  and  a  friend, 
Jim  Moore,  decided  to  travel  and  see  the  world,  which  ended  four  months 

30 


later  after  they  had  seen  moat  of  it.  ,  His  diary  was  an  extremely  well 
written  and  unusual  document  for  a  boy  of  21,  whose  education  had  been 
interrupted  by  the  War,  and  since  he  had  run  away  frdm  school  three  months 
before  he  was  17,  and  never  agaiji  attended  school.  The  interesting  way 
he  tells  the  story  of  this  trip  indicates  the  early  use  of  a  mind  which 
enabled  him  to  become  the  useful  and  successfxil  man  for  which  he  was 
destined.  To  me  the  story  tells  of  places,  people,  methods  of  travel, 
etc.  of  which  I  had  no  knowledge.  While  Father  told  us  all  these  stories 
of  the  trip  when  we  were  small  boys,  this  diary's  existence  was  unknown, 
to  any  of  us,  and  was  not  found  until  the  death  of  my  mother,  vrtio  survived 
him  by  20  years.  When  found  then  by  Lyon,  he  fortunately,  made  copies  of 
it,  but  I  have  never  been  able  to  come  upon  the  original.  It  was  written 
in  a  small  notebook  of  the  time.  Also,  I  have  wondered  all  my  adult  life 
where  Father  got  the  money  to  make  the  trip  and  learned  only  recently  that  on 
his  majority  he  received  an  inheritance  from  his  grandmother.  I  certainly 
never  heard  him  express  regret  at  the  way  this  was  used.  I  know  only  that 
at  the  time  of  his  marriage  in  1870,  and  immediate  years  thereafter,  he 
and  his  wife  were  forced  to  live  very  simply.  Upon  his  law  partnership 
in  Nashville,  things  promptly  took  a  turn  for  the  better.  Even  with  the 
three  years  of  idleness  while  he  was  recovering  his  health  in  Florida,  he 
was  never  again  so  strapped  financially  and  was  able  to  give  the  three  sons 
proper  education.  Not  until  I  had  finished  iry  sophomore  year  at  Princeton 
did  I  realize  the  strain  that  cost  and  his  illnesses  were  causing  him.  Wiere- 
upon  I  got  a  job  and  quit  college,  Lyon  was  doing  well  in  business  and  so 
Avent  could  freely  continue  and  graduate. 

While  always  a  loyal  Confederate,  he  never  became  a  "professional," 
as  80  many  others  were  inclined  to  do.  However,  he  served  the  Cause  out- 
standingly in  one  instance.  Probably  in  his  capacity  as  manager  of  the 
largest  newspaper  in  the  State,  he  attended  the  funeral  of  Jefferson  Davis 

31 


In  I889.     It  was  there  determined  that  something  should  be  done  to 
perpetuate  the  ideals  of  the  Sough  and  collect  and  disseminate  lihe 
facts.     Father  was  Chairman  of  a  Coranittee  to  effect  these  p\irposes  and 
they  decided  to  act  through  a  magazine,  "The  Confederate  Veteran." 
Father  chose  as  editor  an  editorial  writer  on  the  American,  Scanner  A, 
Cunningham,     Through  the  efforts  and  intelligence  of  this  man,  the 
magazine  became  the  "Bible"  of  the  veteran  every%rtiere,  and  at  the  same 
time  became  a  most  interesting  and  financially  successful  literary  venture. 
Its  publication  continued  until  its  editor's  death,  and  until  the  vast 
majority  of  the  old  boys  were  gone.     I  was  very  fond  of  Mr.  Cunnin^am  and 
he  almost  worshipped  rny  father. 

My  mother  was  Mary  Adair  Lyon  (August  6,  IBU?  -  September  29,  1928), 
oldest  daughter  of  James  Adair  and  Adelaide  Deaderick  lyoft  of  Columbus, 
Miss.     It  was  while  she  was  visiting  some  Deaderick  kin  in  Murfreesboro— 
the  Wendell3~that  she  met  ray  father  and  they  were  married  in  Columbus  on 
December  13, 

David  Deaderick   (originally  Dletrick)  had  come  as  a  "Pennsylvania 
Dutchman"  from  Germany,  1720,  settled  first  in  that  state,  moved  to  Vln- 
chester,  Va.,  anglicized  his  name  to  Deaderick.     Again  migrated  to  Tennessee, 
founded  its  oldest  town — Jonesboro — and  his  son,  David  Anderson,  was  father 
of  ray  grandmother,  Adelaide,  1817  -  1907. 

Icon's  family  was  almost  equally  distinguished  in  East  Tennessee, 
but  he  put  himself  through  four  years  at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary 
(New  Jersey),  1832  -  18 36,  after  which  he  had  churches  in  Tennessee  and 
Columbus,  Miss,  St.  Louis  and  again  in  Columbus,  with  the  last  ten  years 
of  his  life  as  Professor  of  Religion  and  Philosophy  at  the  University  of 
Mississippi.     His  Journals  and  pertinent  data  are  in  the  State  Archives  at 
Jackson,  and  at  the  Mississippi  State  College  at  State  College,  Miss. 

lyon  was  almost  a  fanatic  on  education.     He  personally  educated  his 

32 


two  older  sons  to  enter  the  junior  class  at  Princeton  (then  the  College 
of  New  Jersey),  to  graduate  in  the  Class  of  1859,  the  younger  one  being 
first  in  his  class.     The  third  son  graduated  in  1872,  but  he  got  through 
mostly  on  earned  scholarships.     He  sent  my  mother  to  a  fashionable  and 
expensive  finishing  school  in  Philadelphia.     Just  how  all  this  was  done  on 
his  salary  as  a  Presbyterian  Minister  will  always  remain  a  inystery,  althou^ 
he  didn't  seem  to  think  it  so.     He  also,  almost  alone,  founded  in  Clarks- 
ville,  Tenn.,  a  Presbyterian  College,  built  on  the  lines  at  the  Princeton 
seminary,  although  he  was  assisted  some\*at  by  a  Dr.  William  Stewart  and 
by  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Wilson   (Woodrow's  father).     Lyon  was  elected   (in  1870) 
ttie  first  president.     He  pron?)tly  accepted  but  later  reneged  because  his 
church  just  refused  to  let  him  go.     His  son,  Adair,  later  became  a  pro- 
fessor there  and  I  spent  one  year  —1898-99— as  a  student  before  trans- 
ferring to  Princeton.     The  whole  story  of  the  College  and  I^yon's  part  in  it 
ts  told  in  Cooper's  history— "Southwestern  at  Menphis"— .     This  book  gives 
sole  credit  to  Lyon  as  the  real  founder.     In  1925  the  City  of  Men^jhis   took 
over  the  records,  etc.  and  brou^t  them  to  that  city,  with  a  change  in  the 
name  of  "Southwestern  at  Menphis"  from  its  old  and  well-known  "Southwestern 
Presbyterian  Itaiversity."    While  still  under  Presbyterian  auspices,  it  is 
a  thriving  co-educational  institution,  which  has  put  new  life  in  the  old 
Clarksville  school  of  which  I  and  hundreds  of  alumni  are  still  fond,   but  of 
which  thei'e  are  so  few  left.     To  illustrate,   there  was  published  in  the 
Southwestern  News,   in  1958,  a  picture  of  the  I898  football  team—of  which 
I  was  captain.     There  was  found  no  one  left  of  the  17  members  except  ityself. 
I  have  the  original  photograph. 

Yfy  mother  was  remarkable  woman  in  many  ways.     First,  she  was  a  great 
beauty  and  always  admired,  but  never  seemed  to  be  conscious  of  that.     At 
about  UO  her  hair  was  anow  white  and  set  off  her  ruddy  con9)lexion  and  black 
eyes.     She  was  vivacious,  a  great  talker  but  never  a  gossip,  and  made  friends 

33 


readily  and  permanently.    She  was  not,  however,  a  "society  woman,"  but 
preferred  churoh  work,  and  to  the  end  remained  a  "ftoidamMital  Christian." 
She  was  at  horns  in  any  gathering,  society  or  church,  and  was  greatly 
beloved,  being  a  foil  for  n^r  quiet  father.  She  was  one  of  the  last  of  the 
old -timers  who  hated  Uquor  and  worldy  things,"  even  begging  me,  for 
axauple,  not  to  dance  or  play  cards  even  after  I  went  away  to  college. 
While  we  all  wandered  away  from  our  strict  upbringing,  we  always  respected 
her  wishes  and  principles. 

The  sons  of  John  Whitsltt  and  Mary  lyon  Childress  were  Adair  lyon 
(always  called  lyon),  John  Williama,  and  Avent.  They  were  born,  respect- 
ively, August  31,  1873,  February  16,  1879,  and  November  30,  1880.  lyon 
died  in  October  19U8.  A  dau^ter  was  bom  dead  in  1872.  All  seven 
children  of  these  three  sons  are  girls  and,  therefore,  the  Childress  name 
of  the  earlier  branch  of  the  family  is  now  ended. 


31» 


YOUNG  MAN     JOHN  ESTEN  MILES     WENT  WEST 
-Qene  H.  Sloan 

Among  the  distinguished  Murfreesboro  natives  vdio  played  prominent 
roles  in  the  "Winning  of  the  West"  was  John  Esten  Miles,  who  filled  many 
inqjortant  political  and  business  leadership  posts  in  the  early  history  of 
New  Mexico, 

His  distinguished  career  included   the  Ciovemor  of  New  Mexico,  United 
States  Congressman,  Chairman  of  the  State  Democratic  party,  newspaper 
publisher,  merchant,  farmer  and  rancher. 

He  was  bom  in  Murfreesboro  July  28,   l88U,   the  son  of  James  Manuel 
and  Frances  EUzabeth   (Howland)  Miles.     His  father,  Louis  Miles  was  bom 
In  McMinnville  in  1861,  and  is  believed  to  be  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Miles, 
a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  War.     His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  Howland.     According  to  family  tradition  the  Howland 's  were  des- 
cendants of  a  Mayflower  family. 

Like  his  parents,  John  E.  Miles  received  formal  education  in  Tennessee 
Public  Schools.     His  father  was  a  trainer  of  horses  and  thus  acquainted  with 
farm  work.     From  an  early  age  John  Esten  always  maintained  an  interest  in 
horses  and  farming. 

In  1901  he  went  to  Bonham,   Texas  to  work  on  a  ranch  of  an  uncle.     In 
1905  he  moved   to  Magnum,  Oklahoma,   and  the  following  year  to  Quay  County, 
New  Mexico.     There,   forty  miles  from  Tucumcari,  he  continued  in  farming  and 
ranching.     In  1916  he  made  his  first  political  race  and  was  defeated  for 
county  commissioner.     He  bou^t  a  general  store  at  Endee,   in  Quay  County. 
This  he  sold  in  1920  after  a  successful  race  for  county  assessor. 

Miles  first  went  to  Sante  Fe  in  1921  to  serve  as  secretary  to  the 
State  Tax  Coninission,   a  position  he  filled  until  1925.      In  1927,   he 

35 


John  E.  Miles 


established  a  tax  agency  in  the  city,  but  in  1931  he  rejoined  the  Tax 
Commission  as  secretary,  this  tine  serving  imtil  1938*  In  January  193U 
he  also  served  as  chief  of  the  Internal  Revenue  Office  at  Albuquerque, 
resigning  In  July  of  that  year.  At  that  time  he  was  elected  Chairman  of 
the  New  Mexico  State  Democratic  Central  Committee. 

In  1927-28  Miles  became  interested  in  the  newspaper  business  and  for 
a  tine  published  the  New  Mexico  Democrat  in  Sante  Fe  and  the  Independent 
in  Las  Vegas. 

In  1935  he  returned  to  the  office  of  secretary  to  the  State  Tax 
Commission,  holding  that  position  until  he  was  elected  Governor  in  1938. 
His  term  ran  \mtil  19U2  and  in  19U2-Uli  he  was  chairman  of  the  New  Mexico 
Public  Service  Commission.  In  19hh  Miles  was  elected  Commissioner  of 
Public  Lands,  serving  in  that  office  from  19U5  until  19U8.  In  the  general 
election  of  that  year  he  was  successful  in  his  candidacy  for  the  United 
States  Congress.  After  two  years  in  Washington  he  returned  to  Sante  Fe  in 
1950  but  was  defeated  in  his  bid  for  Governor. 

In  1951  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  to  serve  as  enforcement  officer 
for  the  Office  of  Price  Administration.  When  he  returned  to  Sante  Fe  in  1952 
he  entered  with  a  son,  J.  Wade  Miles,  in  the  management  of  the  Chrysler 
agency.  In  1953  he  disposed  of  his  interest  in  that  business  to  become 
president  of  the  New  Mexico  Book  Depository,  Inc.  This  corporation  serves 
as  the  center  for  the  distribution  of  text  books  used  in  the  public  schools  of 
New  Mexico. 

During  his  career  Governor  Miles  had  been  active  in  the  Kiwanis  Club 
and  the  Lodge  of  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  He  had  been 
reared  in  the  Christian  church. 

Miles  made  his  last  atteirpt  for  state  office  in  1956,  at  the  age  of 
71.  He  was  defeated  when  he  ran  for  Commissioner  of  Public  lands. 

A  contenporary  of  Miles  describes  him  as  weighing  about  I8U  pounds, 

36 


with  black  hair  steaked  with  grey  over  twinkling  blue  eyas.     "Throu^out 
hla  lifetiiBS  he  prided  himself  on  loyalty  to  the  Democratic  party  and  on 
his  word  being  his  bond."    His  slowness  to  act  steraned  from  careful  con- 
sideration.    He  was  a  gifted   'conqjromiser,*   according  to  a  longtime  friend. 
Senator  Manviel  Sanchez. 

In  reviewing  his  own  contibutions  Governor  Miles  took  pride  in  pro- 
viding others  a  better  education  than  he  had.     He  saw  that  teachers  salaries 
were  raised,   that  teacher  pension  laws  were  enacted,  that  the  school  bus 
system  was  standardized  and  laid  the  ground  work  for  permanent  registration 
laws  and  the  stabilizing  of  state  financing. 

Miles  was  married  to  Susie  C.  Wade  in  June  1906  by  Judge  Jarre tt  Todd 
in  Magnum,  Oklahoma.     They  were  the  parents  of  tan  children.     A  summary  of 
the  work  of  these  children  was  supplied  by  the  family  to  the  Rutherford 
County  Historical  Society.     Two  sets  of  twins,  Floyd  Preston  and  Lloyd 
Weston,  and  Franklin  Everett  and  Jessie  Evelyn  were  bom  to  the  family. 
Jessie  Evelyn  Miles  died  in  infancy.     Seven  children  reached  maturity, 
"THE  FtHn.Y  OF  GOVERNOR  JOHN  E.  MILES" 

1.  Peggy  Frances  (TheLna)  Henrie,  111  Columbia  Dr.  S.  E.,  Albuquerque, 
New  Mexico,  87106.     Bom  August  8,   1909,  has  two  children,  eight 
grand -children,  one  great-granddaughter. 

Retired:     Worked  23  years  with  Atomic  Energy  Commission  and  the 
Sandia   (Corporation)  Laboratories. 

2.  Mildred  Lorraine  Adams,  5803  W.  State  Ave.,  Glendale,  Arizona  8$301. 
Bom  August  16,  1911,  has  two  children,  five  grandchildren,  and  one 
great-grandson,  »  r.     j 

Retired:  worked  25  years  with  the  Glendale  Schools  Health  &  Food 
System. 

3.  J.  Wade  Esten  Miles,  Rte  2,   521B  #75,  LaVillitas  de  Santa  Fe,  Santa 
Fe,  New  Mexico,  87501.     Bom  June  19,  191i4,  has  three  children  and 
five  grandchildren. 

Employed:     Real  Estate,  formerly  Ranched,  owned  Miles  Motors, 

Public  Land  Commlsaicn  and  associated  with  N.  M,  Horse- 
racing. 

U.     Annie  Margurite,  born  June  19,  1916.        Deceased. 


37 


5.  Floyd  Preston  Milosj,  2U00  Baylor  So.,  Roawell,  New  Mexico,  88201 
Bom  Aug\i3t  29,  1919,  has  two  cWidren 

Employed:  Captain  and  District  Commander,  New  Mexico  State  Police, 
Roswell,  H.  M. 

6.  Lloyd  Weston  Miles,  Box  J488,  Springer,  New  Mexico,  877U7. 
Bom  August  29,  1919,  has  two  children  and  one  granddaughter. 

Presently  emp.   Police  Chief  of  Springer,  formerly  enployed  New 
Mexico  State  Police,  City  Police  Judge,  Farmington,  N,  M,, 
New  Mexico  State  Bureau  of  Revenue,  Security  Officer  for 
Santa  Fe,  Downs  Race  Track.,  Retired  Lt.  Col.  DSA  & 
National  Guard. 

7.  MaJ.  Oen.  Franklin  Erorett  Miles,  P.  0,  Box  506l,  Santa  Fe,  N.  M. 

87501,  bom  Jan  U,  1923,  has  six  children  and  four  grandchildren. 
Enployed.  Adjutant  General,  State  of  New  Mexico,  Head  of  New 
Mexico  National  Guard. 

8.  Jessie  Evelyn  Miles,  bom  Jan.  h,   1923.    Deceased. 

9.  Edna  Irene  Green.  P.  0.  Box  373,  Columbia  Falls,  Montana.  Bom 

July  7,  1925,  has  three  children.  Formerly  enqjloyed  as  Court  Reporter, 
New  Mexico  Supreme  Court. 

10.  Baby  boy,  birth  and  decease  dates  not  available. 

George  Hooper  (1866-1910)  married  the  widow  of  James  Monroe  Miles  in 
November  189$.  Following  his  death  Mrs.  Hooper  and  her  dau^ters  lived  in 
Murfreesboro  before  moving  to  Oklahoma  City  "about  1916." 

The  two  daughters  were  Wattie  Dean  (Mrs.  W.  D.  Carter)  and  Colera 
(Mrs.  H.  A.  Gardner)  of  Bartlesville,  Oklahoma.  Mrs.  Carter  had  two  daughters 
Mrs.  Reed  Barker  and  Mrs.  V.  C.  Mcintosh,  both  of  whom  live  in  Chicago.  Mrs. 
Gardner  has  one  dau^ter  Mrs.  Fred  Dimit  of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma. 

In  addition  to  his  two  sisters  Governor  Miles  had  one  brother,  Clarence 
Miles,  who  is  deceased. 

Mrs.  Hooper  later  married  E.  H,  Eakle  in  Oklahoma,  whom  she  survived. 

According  to  Mrs.  Laurelee  Helgason  (wife  of  a  grandson)  James  Monroe 
Miles,  Sr.,  had  emigrated  to  Texas  where  he  married  Pearl  Chancellor  in  1889. 
There  were  eight  children  bom  to  this  union. 

Mrs.  Helgason  lists  these  children  of  Monroe  and  Pearl  Chancellor 
Miles  as  Fred  Fellow,  Melviji,  Louise,  Olive  Mae  (Bobbye),  James  Marvin, 

38 


Monroe J  Pearl  and  £arl.  Monroe  Miles >  Jr.  is  a  minister  in  Houston^  Texas. 
Earl  Miles  and  Mrs.  Bobbye  Miles  Fisher  live  in  the  Shreveport,  La.  area, 
Fred  Fellow  and  Melvin  Miles  both  died  in  Infancy. 

Mrs.  Helgascn  states  that  Monroe  Miles  always  maintained  his  interest 
in  horses  and  that  he  lived  in  Springfield,  Mo.  following  his  seccxid 
marriage  from  1899  until  1908.  He  later  lived  in  Shreveport,  Louisiana 
xintll  moving  to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi  about  1919  or  1920,  In  Vicksburg, 
he  and  hie  wife  ran  an  "eating  place."  Monroe  Miles  died  in  Vicksburg, 
Mississippi  June  7,  1933. 

Governor  Miles  made  his  last  visit  to  Murfreesboro  in  19^1  to  attend 
the  graveside  services  for  his  mother.  Dr.  Ernest  Hooper,  a  nephew  of 
George  Hooper,  recalls  Governor  Miles,  acconpanied  by  his  two  sisters  coming 
to  Evergreen  Cemetery  under  highway  patrol  escort.  Mrs.  Frances  Elizabeth 
Howland  Miles  Cooper  was  buried  on  the  Ed  Hooper  lot  in  Evergreen  cemetery. 
Her  funeral  services  had  been  conducted  in  the  House  of  Representatives  at 
the  State  Capitol  in  Sante  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

Mrs.  Peggy  Frances  (Thelma)  Henrie,  eldest  child  of  Governor  Miles, 
wrote  that,  "in  spite  of  his  great  love  for  his  adopted  State  he  was  always 
proud  of  being  from  Tennessee." 

Miles  continued  his  interest  in  the  problems  of  agriculture  after  his 
retirement  from  public  life.  He  owned  and  operated  a  farm  near  Santa  Cruz 
where  he  grew  chili  beans,  com,  alfalfa  and  maintained  an  orchard. 

In  a  biographical  sketch  in  the  Historical  Encyclopedia  of  New  Mexico 
a  concluding  paragraph  reads;  "As  Democratic  State  Chairman,  as  Governor  of 
the  State,  as  an  individual,  John  Miles  built  a  reputation  for  integrity, 
fairness  and  honesty  that  reflects  great  credit  not  only  on  the  man  but 
upon  the  State  he  so  ably  represented." 

Governor  Miles  died  in  a  rest  home  in  Sante  Fe,  New  Mexico,  October 
10,  1971.  Final  rites  wore  conducted  in  tiie  rotunda  of  the  New  Mexico  State 
Capitol.  39 


The  Sante  Fe  Journal  recorded  the  life  and  times  of  Governor  Miles 
in  langhthy,  profusely  illustrated  news  stories,  features  and  editorials. 
His  eulogy  was  given  by  the  Reverend  Monroe  Miles,  a  half-brother  and  pastor 
of  the  Albuquerque  d  Sombra  Christian  Church. 

"His  life  is  a  reminder  to  us  of   some  of  his  ideas  and  ideals," 
declared  the  Rev.  Monroe  Miles,  Jr.  in  paying  tribute  to  his  half-brother. 
"The  most  characteristic  salient  of  his  life  was  his  loyalty. . .loyalty  to 
his  party,  loyalty  to  his  state.... loyalty  to  his  citizenship,  his  friends 
and  to  his  family." 

There  were  two  pages  of  tributes  to  the  Governor  in  the  newspaper  on 
the  day  of  his  funeral.     "Most  of  those  remaining  who  fought  the  political 
wars  of  20  and  30  years  ago,  both  with  him  and  against  him,  were  present 
to  pay  their  last  respects." 

Among  the  statements  of  these  great,  near  great  and  representatives 
of  the  citizenship  of  New  Mexico  were  such  succinct  but  revealing  assertions 
ass 

"He  was  a  man  who  didn't  know  how  to  quit." 

"Re  was  a  man  you  could  trust." 

"He  was  a  man  who  was  kind  and  gentle." 

"At  21  he  was  a  homesteader  at  Eiidee  and  spent  five  years  in  inproving 
his  land." 

"I've  known  hira  since  I  was  a  boy  and  he  would  stop  by  to  visit  with 
my  dad.     Hs  had  that  touch  with  the  common  man." 

"Although  he  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  political  fence,  I  considered 
hira  a  close  personal  friend.     He  was  a  great  American" — Governor 
Tott  Bolack 

"Governor  Miles  was  the  last  of  the  old  breed.     He  was  a  man  of  great 
integrity  and  strong, very  pronounced  views" — Former  Governor  David  Cargo. 

The  editorial  of  the  Sante  Fe  Journal  on  the  day  of  his  burial  read 

in  part; 

New  Mexico  laid  her  Mr.  Democrat  to  his  final  rest 
Monday.  Funeral  rites  for  John  E.  Miles  were  sijTq)le. 

Uo 


For  the  final  tins  auch  a  aenrlee  was  held  In  the 
rotCBoda  of  the  State  Capitol  with  both  State  and 
National  flaga  at  half  naat. 

QraTeslde  serTlces  were  as  siupla  at  Meotorlal 
Oardens,  the  casket  was  carried  by  his  grandaons 
between  an  honor  guard  of  National  Quardamen) 
State  Police  and  the  New  Haxico  Mounted  Batrol. 

His  fallow  citizens  prqperly  bestowed  on  him  the 
honorary  title: 

"Mr.  Democrat  of  New  MaxLcol" 


Authors  Notet 

Where  was  the  residence  of  Jamea  Monroe  (or  Manuel)  and  France  a 
Elizabeth  Miles?  One  aource  Indicates  that  James  Monroe  Milea  was  a  horae 
trainer  and  that  the  family  lived  near  the  old  fair  grounds. 

Children  and  half-sisters  of  Governor  Miles  have  been  helpful  in 
sullying  information  about  Governor  Miles  and  his  descendants  but  inform- 
ation concerning  the  17  years  of  John  Eston  Milea  life  in  Murfreesboro 
appears  vague  and  often  contradictory.  Wb  are  especially  indebted  to  Mrs. 
Peggy  Frances  Ifenria,  oldest  daughter  of  Governor  Miles,  Mrs.  H,  A.  Gardner, 
a  surviving  sister,  Dr.  Ernest  Hooper,  a  member  of  the  MTSU  faculty,  Mrs, 
Baxter  Hobgood,  Mra.  Lauralee  Helgason  of  Louisiana,  the  New  Mexico  State 
Historical  Sociely,  Murray  Miles,  information  director  of  the  Tennessee 
Farm  Bureau,  and  the  editor  of  the  Historical  Encyclopedia  of  New  Mexico. 


la 


Governor  John  Esten  Miles 


Mrs.  H.A.  Gardner 
Miles'  Sister 


Mrs.  W.D.  Carter 
Miles'  Sister 


These  two  sisters  were  also  born  in  Murfreesboro 
But  emigrated  to  Oklahoma  "about  191  6". 


THE  STORY  OF  F03TER7ILLE 
by 
Elvira  Brothers 

This  is  the  story  of  the  small  corauunity,  Fosterville,  in  Ruther- 
ford County,  Tennessee. 

Using  the  historical  approach  the  writer  went  back  Into  the  history 
of  the  consminity  to  discover  how  it  started  and  some  of  the  developments 
down  to  the  present  day.  Being  a  resident  and  former  teacher  of  this 
little  village  she  has  had  a  good  opportunity  to  know  the  people  and 
their  problems  and  their  way  of  life.  She  has  drawn  upon  the  knowledge 
she  has  gained  from  her  father  and  older  members  of  the  ccsranunity  in 
writing  this  story.  After  mudi  reading  and  research  it  is  found  that 
there  is  not  much  written  history  on  a  small  conmunity,  but  when  time 
permits  a  further  study  is  to  be  made. 

Fosterville,  the  locale  of  this  coiiBTiunity  study  is  located  in  the 
extreme  Southern  part  of  Rutherford  County,  Tennessee,  on  the  Nashville, 
Chattanooga  and  St.  Louis  Railway.  It  is  near  the  Bedford  Comty  line. 
It  is  one  mile  off  the  Murfreesboro  and  Shelbyville  Highway  which  is 
Highway  231.  The  Fosterville  road  Joins  the  highway  Just  about  half  way 
between  Murfreesboro  and  Shelbyville  which  makes  both  towns  approximately 
thirteen  miles  away. 

A  small  historical  village  located  at  the  foot  of  a  beautiful  row 
of  high  hills  on  the  eastj  the  largest  of  which  is  "Old  Soap  Stone," 
getting  the  name  from  the  kind  of  rock  formation  found  <«  it.  Young 
people  for  generations  have  enjoyed  climbing  to  the  top  of  this  high  hill 
and  viewing  the  surrounding  coimtry.  On  clear  days  one  can  see  the  smoke- 
stacks of  Murfreesboro.  It  is  always  interesting  to  look  over  into  the 

U3 


beautiful  valle^r'  below  and  vatch  the  trains  coming  around  the  curve  at 
Christiana  and  on  through  Fostervillej  and  then  around  the  curve  and  out 
of  sight  toward  Bell  Buckle. 

On  descending  the  hlU  it  is  such  a  wonderful  thing  to  quench  one's 
thirst  at  the  foot  of  the  hlU  at  "Aunt  Mat's  Spring"  which  flows  out  from 
under  the  bluff ,  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  The  spring  got  its  name  from 
Mrs.  Harb  Gllroore.  The  QHmore's  were  early  settlers  and  lived  near  this 
spring  and  were  lovingly  called  by  everyone,  "lAicle  Ikrb  and  Aunt  Mat." 
"Aunt  Mat's  %>ring"  has  been,  through  the  years,  a  place  of  gathering  for 
young  and  old;  picnics,  fish  fries,  Easter  egg  hunts,  wiener  roasts  and 
other  amusements. 

The  water  from  "Aunt  Mat's  Spring"  joins  what  is  known  as  Bally' s 
Branch  to  form  Dry  Fork  Creek  which  is  the  headwaters  of  the  West  branch 
of  Stone's  River. 

According  to  Ooodspeed,  previous  to  1780  the  Indians  held  undisputed 
sway  in  this  territory.  Traces  of  the  old  trace  leading  from  Nashville  to 
Chattanooga  can  still  be  seen. 

No  one  knows  the  date  vhea   "Old  Fostervllle"  was  first  settled  but 
the  name  Fostervllle  was  given  it  in  honor  of  a  man  named  Foster,  believed 
to  be  John  Foster,  listed  1820  census  in  this  district,  he  no  doubt  being 
the  first  one  to  establish  a  home  as  well  as  a  "Trading  Post,"  on  the  trail 
that  leads  south  from  Murfreesborough,  now  spelled  Murfreesboro;  to  Shelby- 
ville,  being  located  about  halfway  between  these  settlements. 

As  civilization  advanced  and  people  traveled  more,  the  stage  coach 
came  into  use,  there  were  as  yet  no  hard  surfaced  roads  and  travel  was  slow 
along  this  trail  through  the  wilderness  from  settlement  to  settlement,  but 
what  few  people  were  in  this  area  would  gather  at  Fostervllle  when  the 


1.  Originally  known  as  Jordan's  Valley.  See  old  map. 


Uh 


stage  coach  was  due  to  arrive,  to  get  news  from  friends  and  klnfolks 
of  other  points. 

There  is  no  record  available  as  to  wbat  became  of  Poster,  however, 
it  Is  believed  that  he  sold  to  a  young  man  named  Thomas  Edwards  and  moved 
south. 

!niis  Thomas  Edwards  being  joung  and  a  man  of  vision  was  to  ray  mind 
the  most  outstanding  man  in  the  history  of  Fosterville.  Being  a  trader 
as  well  as  a  merchant  he  saw  the  need  of  all  settlers  in  regard  to  news, 
80  he  asked  the  Government  to  grant  Post  Office  service  at  his  store. 
He  was  appointed  poatmaster,  he  also  operated  a  wagon  train  service  to 
the  South,  hauling  meat  and  lard  etc.,  and  returning  with  a  load  of  sugar 
and  all  kinds  of  cot ten  goods. 

"The  first  turnpike  in  Rutherford  County  was  the  Nashville,  Murfrees- 
boro  and  ShelbyvlUe  Pike.  The  charter  was  granted  I83I.  The  road  was 
conpleted  and  gates  erected  and  ready  for  business  in  l8Ii2." 

"The  toll  gates  were  placed  every  five  miles  to  which  a  fee  was  paid 
for  travel.  By  now  stage  coach  travel  was  dally  both  ways,  as  well  as  daily 
mail  .  .  .Rutherford  was  ona  of  the  last  counties  in  the  U.  S,  to  dis- 
continue the  use  of  toll  gates.  The  only  evidence  Is  an  occasional  house 

2 
still  standing  by  the  side  of  the  road." 

"Prior  to  the  Civil  V7ar  a  number  of  prosperous  towns  and  communities 

sprang  up  in  the  county.  The  Tennessee  Gazette  of  I83U  lists  the  towns  of 

3 

Murfreesboro,  Jefferson,  Readyvllle,  Milton  and  Fostervilla."-^ 

"Fosterville  was  authorized  by  the  legislature  to  incorporate  iii  I832, 
In  1838  a  group  of  enterprising  citizens  including  Thomas  Edwards  and  others 


1.  Qoodspeed,  History  of  Tennessee,  Qoodspeed  Publishing  Co., 
1886,  p.  816. 

2.  Ibid.,  p.  56. 

3.  Carlton  C.  Sims,  History  of  Rutherford  Coun^,  p.  39. 


'U5 


received  a  charter  for  the  eatablishment  of  the  Fosterville  Steam  Mill 
Co.  This  part  of  the  county  had  no  water  power  sites  and  turned  to  steam. 
FosteinrLlle,  however,  failed  to  maintain  a  substantial  growth  and  remained 

a  village. 

2 

Mr.  Edwards  married  Miss  Martha  Vaughn.   T^e  ceremony  being  said 

by  Esq.  J.  D.  OiLnore.  Ten  children  were  bom  to  this  co\4>le,  five  boys 
and  five  girls. 

Through  his  ability  as  a  biisiness  man  and  merchant,  he  acquired 
numerous  acres  of  real  estate,  most  of  it  by  homestead  rights  of  the  U.  S, 
Government,  some  by  trading,  "all  a  total  of  about  2liOO  acres.  He  also 
owned  a  number  of  slaves. 

In  1851  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  and  St.  Louis  Railway  was  com- 
pleted. The  new  railroad  touched  the  east  border  of  Mr.  Edward's  property 
and  having  the  guarantee  of  the  con^jany  he  saw  better  possibilities  in 
sight  near  the  Railroads,  so  he  set  about  to  move  his  home  to  the  new 
location. 

With  consent  from  the  Government  he  moved  the  Post  Office  and  store 
to  the  site  where  Fosterville  now  stands,  still  acting  as  Postmaster, 
Station  Master  for  Railroad  and  express  agent  for  the  Express  Company. 

Moving  his  residence  from  the  old  location  to  the  place  overlooking 
the  railroad  was  done  by  an  efficient  carpenter  and  the  slave  labor,  moving 
the  sills  and  floors  intact  by  means  of  ox  carts.  The  material  in  this  home 
is  of  the  best  red  cedar  selected  and  sawed  out  on  this  plantation  by  the 
mill  he  owned  and  operated  mostly  by  slaves.  After  more  than  a  hvindred 
years  have  elapsed,  this  home  is  in  good  condition;  it  being  the  only  land- 
mark to  greet  you  of  days  gene  by,  and  to  remind  you  of  its  master  (Mass 


1.  Sims,  Ibid. ,  p.  UO. 

2.  Most  of  this  information  of  the  Edwards  was  siqjplied  by  T.  D, 
Gilmore,  grandson  of  Thomas  Edwards. 


1^6 


Tom).  It  Is  known  today  aa  the  Edd  Brothers  home. 

In  i860  the  war  between  the  states — ^FostervlUe  recalls  many 
thoughts  of  those  days  of  Thomas  Edwards —  hj.3  sons  in  the  Southern  army, 
his  lands  invaded  by  the  Union  soldiers,  often  taking  his  horses  and  mules 
and  wagons  to  satisfy  their  own  desires.  General  Rosecrans  demanded  that 
he  have  quarters  in  the  house  so  he  and  his  wife  occi;^ied  the  front  room 
on  the  left  as  one  enters  the  front  door. 

When  the  war  was  over  there  was  little  left  of  any  value  in  the  way 
of  farm  animals  and  tools;  Mr.  Edwards  viewed  the  situation  with  care  and 
set  about  to  free  his  slaves,  giving  them  what  he  coiild  to  start  them  out  on 
their  own,  Mose  and  Sylvia  refused  to  go;  so  did  Uncle  Pannell  who  was 
rather  old  and  faithful.  He  kept  these  three,  set  up   Mose  and  Sylvia  in  a 
house  all  their  own,  and  Uncle  Pannell  lived  in  the  slave  house  in  the 
Northwest  corner  of  the  yard,  and  served  as  yard  man  and  gardner  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  always  humble  and  obedient. 

Thomas  Edwards  was  a  very  gentle,  quiet  person,  a  mason  of  high  rank, 
a  Presbyterian  by  faith  and  helped  to  build  the  first  church  in  the  village. 
It  was  a  union  church  and  was  located  a  few  feet  from  the  present  locaticxi 
of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

In  March,  I89O  a  violent  cyclone  blew  away  the  heart  of  the  village — 
the  stores,  post  office,  depot,  Presbyterian  church,  the  mill  and  other 
dwellings.  The  village  never  fully  recovered  from  that  storm,  A  few  days 
later  Mr.  Edwards  suffered  in  a  fall,  a  broken  hip  and  in  August  he  died  of 
the  effects  of  this  injury.  Thus  ended,  the  life  of  a  man  who  meant  so 
much  to  the  history  of  Fosterville. 


1.  Home  of  the  writer's  family, 

2,  Accoixiing  to  tradition 


U7 


Very  little  information    is  given  of  the  early  schools  at  Poaterville, 
however  the  first  achool  known  to  be  built  was  on  tiie  hi^way  at  Old 
Fosterville.     It  was  a  one  room  log  house  with  puncheon  floors.     This  was 
referred  to  as  "Seed  Tick  School"  because  it  was  built  in  the  woods. 
Two  old  teachers  were  recalled.  Miss  Rucker  Harris  and  Miss  Molly  Hale. 
Also  a  one  armed  teacher.  Miss  Betty  Webb.     What  is  left  of  this  old 
building  was  later  used  as  a  com  crib. 

There  was  a  graded  school  prior  to  1886  because  Ooodspeed  says,   "The 
public  schools  were  put  into  effect  soon  after  the  war.     The  average  salary 

for  teachers  for  188$  was  $25  per  month.     The  average  length  of  term  for 

2 
the  year  being  fotir  months. 

The  Fosterville  Educational  Institute  was  chartered  in  I883, 

Another  teacher  referred  to  by  William  Robert  Moore,  was  a  man  by 

the  name  of  Roberts. 

Mr.  Moore  is  among  Rutherford  county's  contribution  of  statesmen  to    the 

state        and  nation  since  the  Civil  War.     Hs  was  bom  in  Huntsville, 

Alabama,  March  28,  I83O.     His  father  died  when  he  was  6  months  old.     His 

mother  moved  to  Beech  Qrove,  Tennessee  and  when  he  was  six  years  old  his 

mother  married  John  Mills  Watkins  and  went  to  live  at  Fosterville.     There 

he  attended  the  coitmon  schools  of  the  county  for  about  ten  years.       He  was 

elected  to  the  Forty-Seventh  Congress  on  the  Republican  ticket  serving  from 

1881  to  1883.     In     1890  he  declined  the  nomination  for  Governor  of  the 

6 
State.     He  died  in  Memphis  June  12,  1909. 

1^  According  to  an  older  citizen,  Mr.  Edd  Edwards. 

2.  Goodspeed,  loc.  cit.,  p.  8$$, 

3.  Carlton  C.  Sims,  History  of  Rutherford  County,  p.  159. 
U»  The  poem  by  W.  R.  Moore  elsewhere  in  this  study. 

5,  William  Robert  Moore,  Odds  and  Ends  of  Poems,  p.  U5. 

6.  Sims,  22.  cit.,  p.  76. 


U8 


The  following  poem  u&s  coplad  from  his  book,   "Odde  and  Ends  of 
Poems,"  in  which  he  tells  of  his  school  days  at  FosterviUe. 


RETROSPECT,  INTROSPECT,  PROSPECT 

Standing  on  expectation's  Mount  today. 

And  looking  back  through  life's  long  devious  way, 

A  thousand  treasured  Memories  o'er  us  rush 

And  thrill  us  with  a  deep  oppressive  hush. 

We  seem  to  see,  with  retrospective  eye. 
An  artless  boy,  whose  hopes  e'en  than  beat  high. 
As  through  the  cedar  glades  he  trudged  to  school 
With  stern  resolve  to  shun  the  Dunce's  Stool 
That  Teacher  Roberts -siirple  guileless  man  — 
Had  set  in  front  for  lazy  boys  to  scan. 

Ahi  those  were  days  of  innocence  and  ease. 

When  wants  were  few  and  boys  not  hard  to  please. 

The  days  \^en  stage  coach  drivers  blew  their  horn 

To   'rouse  the  sleeping  postmaster  at  mom. 

And     notify  him  of  the  approaching  mail 

As  down  "Lee's  Knob"  their  teams  would  fairly  sail 

With  chaiTq>ing  bits  and  foaming  nostrils  wide. 

Drawing  their  human  freight,  worn  cut  with  ride. 

To  Fosterville — the  village  of  the  rocks. 

Cedars  and  Sinkholes — village  of  hard  knocks. 

The  village  school  house,  built  of  cedar  logs. 

Between  vAose  cracks  mi^t  crawl  the  boys  and  dogs 

With  Webster's  speller.  Pike's  arithmetic. 

And  "rule  of  three,"   (where  stupid  boys  would  stick) 

And  Murray's  Grammar — seemed  enough  to  know 

For  any  modest  boy  on  earth  below. 

This  good  old  teacher  taught,   and  oft  would  sing. 
That  too  much  learning  was  a  dangerous   thing; 
And  thqt  to  read,  and  cipher  and   to  write. 
Was  all  boys  needed,   if  not  too  much  quite, 
"These  college  notions,"  he  would  often  say, 
"Are  apt  to  lead   our  country  boys  astray"; 
And  then,   to  illustrate  his  sage  advice. 
And  would,   to  himself  refer,   "look  here,  how  nice." 

But  that  was  more   than  sixty  years  ago, 
When  ox  carts  ruled  and  all  the  world  went  slow, 
Before  steel  rails  were  laid  or  wires  were  strung 
That  now  fill  space  and  talk  in  every  tongue; 
Before  a  "Trust"  or  Millionaire  was  known 
Within  our  tenperate  sublunary  zone. 


h9 


Old  FostervUlel'  Wb  look  back  on  thee  now 
VJith  tender  thoughts,  and  often  wonder  how 
And  why  it  was  that  we,  together  thrown, 
ShoTxld  ever  to  the  outer  world  be  known. 

We  caU  to  mind  those  far  back  halcyon  days. 
The  'Possum  and  the   'Coon  hunts  joyous  ways. 
And  all  the  boys—they  called  one  "Butting  Ram" 
Others,  John^Bill  and  Jim,  Steve,  Bob  and  Sam. 

But  all  are  gone,  strange  things  have  come  to  pass. 
These  boys  are  scattered,  dead,  alac,  alasj 
One  of  them  fought  in  blue,  ihe  others  gray. 
But  all  now  sleep  in  church  yards,  far  awayj 
Their  strifes,  then  fierce  with  bitter  angry  hate. 
No  longer  live  to  vex  our  noble  State. 

No  matter  now,  the  rushing  world  goes  on. 
Nor  heeds,  nor  recks  the  rayrids  who  are  gene. 
Vfhere  then,   "a  hundred  thousand"  almost  stunned, 
"A  billion"  now  seems  but  a  common  fund; 
Our  Nation  then,    (Dnparatively  weak. 
Stands  strong  today,  ready  when  called,  to  speak; 
And  no  great  move,  dare  other  Nations  make 
Ihitil  of  us  they  careful  council  take. 

These  things  may  well  impress  the  thoughtful  mind. 

And  charge  the  philosophic  how  to  find 

The  cause  of  these  marvels~how  they  came-- 

And  will  proportioned  futiire  growth  be  same? 

But  after  all,  it  may  be  best  that  we 

Shall  not  the  future's  far  off  secrets  see; 

"Twere  wise,  perhaps,  to  hug  the  happy  hope 

That  all  good  things  will  ccwie  within  our  scope. 

If,  patiently,  we  justly  bide  our  tine. 

And  work,  and  wait,  in  prose  as  well  as  rhyme. 

Judging  our  progress  by  the  century  past. 

We  ask  ourselves  the  question,   "Can  it  last?" 

Yet  reasoning  fairly  from  analogy. 

No  optimistic  mind  can  fail  to  see. 

That  no  far  off,  remote,  or  distant  date. 

Aerial  palaces  floating  through  the  State, 

Making  their  daily  landings  without  jars. 

At  all  Earth's  ports,  and  e'en,  perhaps,  at  Mars. 

But  these  things  pass  our  Con5>rehension,  Stop 

Let  us  retmrn  to  homely,  commonplace. 

And  meet  our  hum  drum  duties  face  to  face. 

Let  us  consider  what  we  may  owe 

To  help  the  others  as  we  cheerfully  go, 

Along  our  tortuous  journey  through  this  vale — 

Sonwtimes,  it  may  be,  with  a  loss  of  sail. 


50 


Our  duties,  if  wa  will,  are  plain  and  clear. 
The  "Oolden  Rule,"  should  to  ua  all  be  dear; 
Its  simple  teachings  point  the  unerring  way. 
Which,  if  daily  kept,  no  man  need  fear 
Qod,  man  or  devil,  hereafter  nor  here. 
Keep  out  of  debt,  owe  no  man  anything, 
Then  you  need  envy  Potentate  nor  Kingj 
And  when  the  tins  to  lay  your  burdens  down 
Cones  on  apose,  you  will  have  earned  the  crown 
Of  honor;  and  the  music  will  begin, 
•Hi/ell  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  Servant, 
enter  in." 

JanTiary  10,  1903 

— copied  from  "Odds  and  Ends" — ^book  of  poems  written 
by  William  Moore ,  pages  21,  22,  23,  2U  and  25. 

At  this  time  he  was  73  years  of  age. 


The  following  article  was  copied  form  a  Bedford  Cotmty  newspaper. 

RURAL  DELIVERY  in  1923 
—Dick  Poplin 

Mrs.  Eula  Smith,  212  Edgemont  Dr.  has  let  me  see  an  old  clipping 
ffom  a  newspaper  with  a  date  line  of  Fosterville,  Tenn.,  Feb.  2,  1923.  The 
clipping  is  a  letter  from  James  W.  lliomas  trtio  was  a  rural  mail  carrier  from 
Fosterville  and  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Tennessee  Rmral  Letter  Carriers 
Association.  Fosterville  was  jiist  outside  of  this  county,  but  the  mail  route 
extended  over  into  Bedford,  and  I  remember  Thomas  well  when  he  was  still 
delivering  the  mail  around  Caters  Crossing  and  Longvisw. 

Some  of  the  accounts  of  his  20  years  of  service,  up  to  that  time, 
shoxild  be  Interesting  the  the  readers  of  this  column. 

"Just  20  years  ago  today,"  Mr.  Thomas  wrote  en  Feb.  2,  1923,  "I  hitched 
yxp  my   gray  steed  to  a  new  mail  wagon  and  drove  to  the  little  post  office  at 
FosteirviUe  to  make  my  first  trip  for  Uncle  Sam. 

"On  my  first  trip  I  carried  about  2U  pieces  of  mail  and  only  three  men 

51 


on  the  route  were  subscribers  to  a  daily  newspaper.     I  now  have  over  70 
dailies.     The  first  month's  delivery  and  collecticai  ran  over  600  pieces  of 
mail  and  now  ray  average  is  around  7^000     per  month.     On  ray  first  trip  I 
carried  two  locked  pouches,  one  for  Midland     and  csie  for  Longview,  but  they 
were     discontinued  long  ago. 

"During  the  20  years'   service,  I  have  handled  approximately  1,700,000 
pieces  of  mail  and  have  traveled  about  160,000  miles.   In  20  years  I  have 
worn  out  lU  buggies  and  6  sets  of  single  harness  and  one  double  set.     I  have 
owned  12  different  horses,  but  had  one  real  good  one  on  the  job  and  I  drove 
him  more  than  12  years,  having  traveled  about  70,000  miles  over  the  same  road. 
"On  my  first  trip  I  had  only  32  boxes,  and  some  of  the  patrons  refused 
to  erect  boxes,  saying  the  R.F,D.  service  (will  not  last)  six  months.     VJhy, 
it  win  bankrupt  the  country.     Some  actually  wrote  their  Congressman,  Mayor 
James  D.  Richardson,  and  wanted  him  to  do  all  in  his  power   to  have  this 
foolishness  stopped.     They  scoffed  at  the  idea  of  delivering  every  farmer's 
mail  at  his  door,  but  the  service  has  grown  by  leaps  and  bounds  and  is   today 
the  most  popular  branch  of  the  great  postal  system. 

In  the  20  years  of  ray  service  I  have  used  175 j 000  pounds  of  hay,  U,000 
bushels  of  com  and  500  bushels  of  oats,     I  have  used  200  barrels  of  flour,  2U0  bu 
bushels  of  com  meal,  20,000  pounds  of  meat  besides  a  dozen  yearlings  and 
5,000  pounds  of  lard,  hence  the  patrons  can  have  some  idea  of  what  it  costs  a 
canrier  to  nm  a  rural  route, 

"Twenty  years  ago  it  took  about  $12,000,000  to  run  the  service,  now 
it  takes  $88, 000, 000... we  had  only  a  few  thousand  routes,  but  now  v;e  have  Uli,000 
which  penetrate  every  nook  and  comer  of  our  great  country  and  bring  newspapers, 
magazines,  catalogs,  merchandise,  medicines  and  letters  to  30,000,000  of  our 
population. 

"R\iral  delivery  has  been  called   'the  greatest  civilizer  and  educator'  of 
anything  in  recent  years 

52 


"I  have  been  one  of  the  great  force  of  men,  for  20  years,  who  has  done 
his  very  best  to  get  the  mail  to  his  patrons,  and  the  route  I  serve  has  not 
failed  to  be  gone  over  a  single  day  during  this  period,  and  I  have  not  missed 
the  train,  on  which  the  evening  mail  is  dispatched  but  one  time. 

"I  am  a  native  of  Rutherford  County,  having  been  bom  and  reared  near 
Rockvale,  and  have  spent  every  year  of  my  life  in  my  native  county  except 
three.  I  am  the  eldest  of  23  children,  by  one  man  and  one  woman,  the  father 
of  nine,  four  boys  and  five  girls,  the  grandfather  of  four,  three  girls  and 
one  boy. 


OF  INTEREST  TO  PEOPLE  OF  OUR  VILUGE,  NOW  AND  BY -GONE  YEARS: 

(The  following  information  was  given  to  me  by  Mrs.  Forde  Bingjiam, 
which  she  has  had  in  her  possession  for  many  years.  F.B.) 

POSTMASTERS  DATE  APPOINTED 

(This  office  first  known  as  Melons  Mills) 

David  M.  Anders April  11,  1826 

Ephriam  B.  McLean Nov  19,  1827 

(Name  of  office  changed  to  Middle ton) 

Ephriam  B.  McLean July  27,  1837 

Thomas  Edwards J'lly  1°37 

(Neune  of  office  changed  to  Fosterville) 

Thomas  Edwards July  27,  1837 

Andrew  McElroy July  8,  1865 

Leander  H.  Edwards Hay  5,  l86l 

Hugh  Neely July  10,  1897 

Alice  Edwards Feb  27,  I9OJ4 

vailie  Newby Sept  3,  1913 

Lillian  Vaughn Aug  17,  1918 

T.  E.  Kerr Aug  17,  1927 

Carrie  Kerr May  10,  1929 

Johnny  Williams Nov  $,  1936 

Johnny  Williams March  2,  1939 

Mable  Harris June  22,  1939 

Annie  Chrisman June  30,  19U8 

(Miss  Annie  now  (1978)  serving  as  postmaster  here) 


53 


NBaiOES  OF  FOSTERVILLE 

by 

Elvira  Brothers 
1970 

There  are  no  negroes  living  ri^t  in  Fosterville  now.     They  have 
either  died  or  moved  away.     Some  of  their  descendants  live  on  the  highway 
MP  on  the  hiU  toward  Christiana.     The  following  are  some  of  the  negroes  who 

have  lived  here. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  ones  being  "Uncel  Sijne"  Landrum  and  his 
wife  "Aunt  Tennie"  as  they  were  lovingly  called  by  everyone.     They  lived  down 
on  the  creek.     They  owned  their  own  home  and  lived  there  unUl  their  deaths. 
"Uncle  Sime"  was  an  ex-slave  and  claimed  to  be  about  108  years  old.     He  was 
part  Indian.     He  didn't  know  when  he  was  bom  or  who  his  people  were.     He  Just 
remembered  being  sold  as  a  little  boy.     He  wouldn't  talk  about  it  much.     He 
worked  on  the  railroad  with  the  section  crew  and  as  track  walker  to  inspect 
the  track,  even  after  he  was  too  old   to  work  he  still  would  walk  the  track 
every  day  as  long  as  he  was  able.     You  could  see  him  with  his   tow  sack  over 
his  shoulders  coming  home  about  four  o'clock.     He  picked  up  lun?)s  of  coal 
along  the  track.     Sometimes  he  would  have  a  big  bundle  of  grass  or  hay 
bringing  it  hone   to  his  cow.     As  long  as  he  lived  he  burned  a  red  railroad 
lantern  at  his  front  gate.     He  received  a  small  railroad  pension.     For  many 
years  he  was  caretaker  for  the  Woodfin  Cemetery.      He  had  always  said  he 
wanted  to  be  buried  there.     When  he  died  in  19U9,  he  was  buried  as  he  requested 
in  the  left  corner  of  the  cemetery  as  you  enter  the  gate,  with  his  white 
friends.     He  had  a  tragic  death.     Aimt  Tennie  died  a  few  years  before  he  did 
and  he  was  living  alone.     They  had  no  children.     He  was  found  one  cold  morn- 
ing in  his  yard  frozen  to  death.     His  clothes  were  burned  off  and  his  body 
badly  burned.     It  was  thought  that  his  clothes  must  have  caught  fire  and  he 


Sk 


ran  out  in  the  yard  and  wasn't  able  to  get  help.     He  always  sat  close  to  the 
open  fireplace  and  it  was  so  cold  that  he  may  have  fallen  asleep  and  fallen 
in  the  fire. 

"Uncle  Sirae's"  wife  "Aunt  Tennie"  whose  name  was  very  long,  I  wish 
I  co\ild  remember  all  of  it  but  it  ended  in  Kentucky  Alabama  Tennessee  Watkins. 
Her  ancestors  got  their  name  from  lir,  Al  Watkins  grandfather.     She  was  loved 
by  everyone.     She  always  wore  a  smile.     She  was  "Black  Mama"  for  so  many 
children  around  Fosterville,  especially  for  the  Kerr  children  and  the  Brothers 
children.     Aunt  Tennie  washed  and  ironed  for  us  for  many  years  and  I  can  j\ist 
see  her  now  at  the  wash  place  in  the  back  yard,  washing  with  a  tin  wash  board, 
three  tin  tubs  and  the  old  black  pot,  with  a  big  fire  made  from  wood  from  the 
wood  pile  just  outside  the  backyard  gate.     The  children  would  bring  water 
from  the  cistern  to  fill  the  tubs  and  pot.     We  had  to  be  saving  with  water 
so  the  water  wovild  last  all  sximmer.     Sometimes   the  cistern  would  be  dry  and  we 
had  to  haul  water.     I  can  almost  smell  the  octagon  soap  she  used  or  the  lye 
soap  made  from  the  leftovers  from  the  "hog  killing."     Aunt  Tennie  always  wore 
a  big  apron  with  a  big  pocket.     She  wore  it  wrong  side  out  and     carried  her 
switch  toothbrush  and  her  can  of  Bruton's  snuff.     After  lunch  she  would  sit 
and  rest  for  awhile  and  have  her   'dip  of  snuff.     Sometimes  she  would  try  to 
hide  it  and  if  we  saw  her,  she  would  say,   "Now  don't  tell  anybody,   I  just  have 
to  have  ray  dessert." 

She  would  usually  come  on  Monday  to  wash  if  it  was  a  pretty  day  to  wash. 
She  was  slow  and  it  wotild   take  her  most  all  day  but  she  didn't  care.     She  was 
making  her  own  money  and  she  loved  her  "whitefolks"  as  she  would  say.     She  had  a 
heart  of  gold.     On  Tuesday  or  Wednesday  she  would  come  back  to  iron  the  clothes. 
She  irotied  the  clothes  with  four  old  fashioned  flat  irons.     Her  favorite  was 
a  homemade  one  made  by  Mr.  Matt  Edwards  in  his  shop,    (l  still  have  this  iom.) 
We  would  have  a  fire  in  the  big  old  open  fireplace  in  the  big  old  Kitchen, 


55 


Daddy  would  put  on  a  big  back  log  in  the  momlug  and  pull  the  coals  out  front 
on  the  hearth.  When  Aunt  Tennle  came  she  would  stand  her  irons  up  in  the  hot 
coals  on  the  hearth.  She  would  clean  the  smoke  and  ashes  off  the  irons  by 
rubbing  them  on  a  cedar  branch  or  salt  on  a  piece  of  paper.  When  she  would 
finish  ironing,  she  would  sort  her  clothes  and  put  then  away  in  drawer  or  on 
hangers.  She  would  say  she  didn't  want  anyone  messing  up  her  nice  clothes. 
When  she  would  be  ready  to  go  home  Mama  would  gather  things  for  her  to  take 
hone  with  her.  Vegetables  from  the  garden  and  meat  from  the  smokehouse.  She 
would  have  her  supper  already.  Daddy  would  give  her  fifty  cents  which  was 
good  pay  at  that  time.  She  would  go  home  happy. 

Aunt  Tennie  loved  her  flowers  and  so  many  times  she  would  bring  a 
bouquet  of  flowers  all  squeezed  up  in  her  hand  with  just  the  tops  and  no  stems. 
She  had  sore  beautiful  peonies  but  they  would  always  have  short  stems. 

She  like  to  piece  Quilts.  Lots  of  times  Mama  would  buy  bundles  of 
remnants  for  her,  and  would  give  her  scraps  of  material  from  her  sewing. 
She  wouldn't  set  them  together.  She  just  wanted  to  piece  the  squares.  She 
pieced  each  of  us  four  children  one  and  Mama  one.  I  have  mine,  it  is  a  nine 
patch  mostly  blue  print  set  together  with  red.  Mama's  is  a  big  star  pattern. 
She  also  made  each  of  the  Kerr  children  one. 

She  had  a  little  walnut  table  vdth  one  drawer  in  it,  which  I  compli- 
mented one  time  when  I  was  down  at  her  house  and  said, "Aunt  Tennie  when  you 
get  through  with  that  little  table  I  want  you  to  will  it  to  me."  She  said, 
"All  right  Vily,you  can  have  it  but  Simon  keeps  his  insurance  papers  in  it, 
but  some  day  you  can  have  it.  One  day  an  antique  dealer  came  to  see  her 
and  wanted  to  buy  that  little  table.  She  said  No,  No,  that  is  Viley's  little 
table.  I  promised  it  to  her.  Not  long  after  that  she  came  up  and  wanted  me  to 
coma  and  get  the  table.  She  had  found  a  dresser  she  wanted  at  Mrs.  Eliza  Clark's. 
She  wanted  me  to  buy  the  dresser  for  her  and  have  Benny  Maupin  (the  negro  man 


56 


\ 


who  was  helping  Daddy  on  -ttie  farm)  to  take  the  wagon  and  bring  the  dresser 
to  her  hoTise  and  get  the  table.  I  gave  Benny  the  three  dollars  and  he  went 
and  got  the  dresser  and  brought  my   little  table.  I  had  the  table  refinished 
and  am  using  it  in  my  living  room,  I  wouldn't  take  anything  for  it.  She  died 
not  long  afterward.  She  was  buried  at  Christiana. 

Uncle  Joe  Murphy  and  Aunt  Mat  lived  in  a  house  back  of  the  old  Post 
Office  near  the  old  Lee  Edwards  house,  known  as  the  Aunt  Dolie  house.  Both 
houses  are  gone  now.  They  had  several  children  who  have  long   since  married 
and  moved  away.  Among  them  were  Bettie  M\xrphy  who  married  John  Ella  Daniel. 
They  had  three  children,  Veatrice,  Herman  and  Sam  Henry.  They  moved  to 
Nashville,  Lillie  Murphy  married  Luke  Kelly.  They  moved  with  several 
children  to  Detroit,  Michigan. 

Anderson  Tucker  and  his  wife,  Hester  lived  down  the  railroad.  They 
had  three  children,  Tom,  Jim,  and  Frances  Tucker.  V/hen  Anderson  died,  Hester 
went  to  Nashville  to  live  with  her  children  \iho   had  married  and  gone,  Anderson 
worked  on  the  railroad. 

Many  people  would  remember  Hester  Howland,  wife  of  Dee  Howland  and 
their  son,  Jimmy  Dee  Howland.  Hester  stayed  with  ray  mother  when  her  children 
were  bom.  Poor  Hester  stuttered.  She  was  hurt  when  she  was  a  girl  when  the 
bad  cyclone  blew  Fosterville  away.  She  was  staying  with  the  Elams.  Hester 
and  Dee  were  living  near  the  Webb  Crossing  when  Dee  died. 

Uncle  Will  Rucker  and  Aunt  Molly  lived  down  on  the  creek.  They  had 
three  childrai.  Bill  Rucker,  Henry  and  Jennie  Anne  who  married  Millar  Wade. 
Bill  Rucker  married  Beulah  Mai  Bracey.  They  had  five  children.  The  two  girls, 
Mary  Anne  and  Alberta  died  when  their  house  burned  after  Bill  and  Guy  Lewis 
died.  Beulah  May  was  the  daughter  of  Bertie  Wade  who  died  young  and  Beulah 
Mai's  grandmother.  Aunt  Anne  Wade  and  Uncle  Will  Wade  raised  Beulah  Mai  and 
her  brother  Billy  Sunday  and  sister  Katie  Lee.  Uncle  Will  Wade  had  a  wooden 


57 


leg.     He  died  at  Beulah's  and  Bill's  when  they  lived  next  to  Brandon's 
Chapel  Church,     Atint  Nancy  North  and  her  daughter  Frances  also  lived 
down  on  the  creek. 

Brandon's  Chapel  burned  in  September  1973. 


58 


A  STORY  OF  CHBRRY  SHADE,  LaVERGNE,  TENNESSEE 

during  the  timB  of  its  occi^jancy 
by  the  J.  R»  Park  Family 

(By  James  L.  Chrisman) 

All  of  us  lAo  love  to  reftresh  and  enlighten  our  minds  by  breaking  away 
from  the  cares  and  tensions  of  the  day,  and  glance  back  over  the  pages  setting 
forth  the  history  of  the  trials  and  acconq)li3hments  of  those  whose  marks  have 
left  an  inprint  upon  the  sands  of  time,  cheerfully  and  willingly  express  our 
thanks  and  gratitude  to  those  who  have  already  depicted  much  of  the  history 
of  this  former  splendid  old  home  in  LaVergne. 

At  the  expense  of  repetition,  I  will  set  down  only  a  few  facts  con- 
cerning the  house  itself.  It  was  built  about  the  year  I833  under  the  direction 
and  ownership  of  John  Hill,  a  grandson  of  Green  Hill,  who  migrated  to  the 
Cumberland  Territory  from  North  Carolina,  where  he  had  been  no  doubt  of  high 
political  stature,  haveing  been  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress  of  that  state.  The  house  was  built  on  land  that  was  part  of  an 
original  tract  of  309  acres  in  a  Land  Grant  to  John  Hill's  father,  Thomas 
Hill,  presumably  in  return  for  military  service. 

In  addition  to  its  attractive  appearance  from  the  front,  its  other 
unique  features  were  its  U-shape  in  the  back,  with  wide  covered  porches  facing 
toward  the  inside  and  running  back  from  the  front  rooms  on  each  side  all  the 
way  to  the  rear  of  the  btiilding,  where  there  was  a  covered  walk -way  to  a  well 
located  about  equidistant  from  the  points  of  the  "U",  so  that  it  was  convenient 
to  draw  water  with  the  rope  and  windlass  in  any  kind  of  weather.  Another 
feature  was  the  cedar  sawdust  insulation  put  between  the  inner  and  outer  walls 
of  the  house,  believed  to  be  one  of  the  first  homes  so  constructed  in  Middle 
Tennessee. 


60 


Accounts  have  already  been  written  about  the  fact  that  the  house 
was  used  as  a  hospital  during  the  Civil  War.     We  wouDxl  like  to  en^)ha3i2e 
the  point  that  the  location  itself,  on  a  direct  line  both  by  railroad  and  hi^" 
way  between  Nashville  and  Murfreesboro,  each  of  great  strategic  inportance 
throughout  the  war,  made  it  a  prime  target  for  being  within  easy  sound  or 
distance  of  shot  and  sheU  on  many  an  occasion,  leaving  small  wonder  that 
its  only  permanent  damage  was  the  large  hole  left  in  its  lower  right  front 
side  made  by  a  canon  ball. 

Now  in  regard  to  the  J.  R.  Park  family,  as  is  the  case  with  many 
other  fine  old  families  in  Middle  Tennessee,  no  one  took  the  time  in  his 
family  to  maintain  and  pass  on  to  us  a  con^ilete  family  history,  so  we  cannot 
delve  as  far  into  the  past  as  we  would  like  to  with  specific  names  and  dates. 

James  Richard  Park  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.     His  father  was  Dr. 
John  E.  Park,  who  was  bom  J\me  19,   l8lU.     He  was  a  gradviate  of  the  old 
Louisville  Medical  College.     James'   mother  was  Rebecca  Hubbard,  who  was  bom 
March  16,   1809.     She  was  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  >tirtha  Hubbard.     Richard 
Hubbard  was  bom  October  9,  1769.     Richard  and  Martha  Hubbard  had  a  large 
family,   consisting  of  nine  dau^ters  and  four  sons.     One  of  their  lineal 
descendants  was  Father  Hubbard,   the  Glacier  Priest. 

James  Richard  Psirk  was  bom  November  16,  I836,   in  Little  Rock, 
Arkansas.     He  was  the  oldest  of  seven  children,   there  being  five  boys  and 
two  girls.     While  he  was  quite  young,   the  family  moved  to  Seguin,  Texas,  a 
small  town  made  up  principally  of  Germans.     While  there,  Mr.  Park  learned  to 
speak  German  fluently,  and  years  later  he  tried  many  times   to  teach  his  three 
grand  daughters  how  to  speak  German,  but  they  never  retained  more  than  a 
fragmentary  knowledge  of  it, 

I  am  indebted  to  Mrs.  George  Kinnard,   formerly  of  LaVergne,  for  the 
loan  of  an  article  which  appeared  in  one  of  the  Nashville  daily  papers  in  the 


61 


early  part  of  1919*  containing  some  of  the  following  interesting  facta 
about  Mr.  Park's  early  years,  including  some  account  of  his  services  for 
the  South  during  the  Civil  Vfar: 

While  still  in  his  early  twenties,  J.  R.  Park  left  Seguin  and  joined 
a  party  of  prospectors  to  follow  the  lure  of  silver  into  Old  Mexico,     Being 
unsuccessful  in  the  venture,  he  spent  some  time  at  Nassas,  in  the  state,   or 
district,   of  Dui^ngo,  Mexico,  teaching  English  to  a  class  of  young  lawyers, 
Vfhen  the  Civil  War  came  on,  he  hastened  back  to  Seguin  to  enlist  for  the 
South.     He  became  orderly  sergeant  in  Canvpaxiy  B,  32nd  Texas  Cavalry,  Captain 
E,  B.   Millett  corananding.     At  the  same  time  he  enlisted,  his  father  and  three 
of  his  brothers  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Texas  under  Gen.   John  B.  Hood,   his 
father  becoming  surgeon  for  his  conpany.     Two  of  the  brothers  made  the  supreme 
sacrifice  for  the  Confederacy;  Thomas  J.   ^ark  dying  on  the  5th  of  July,  1862, 
of  a  wound  received  in  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mills,   in  his  eighteenth  year  of 
age,   and  John  H,   Park  dying  on  April  23rd,  1863,   in  his  twentieth  year;   an 
Arkansas  Post  prisoner.     James  R.   Park  distingvdshed  himself  for  braveiy  at 
the  battle  of  Blair's  Landing,  when,  \uider  fire,  he  and  his  captain  and 
Alcnzo  MiUett  and  Ed  Elam  returned  to  the  field  of  battle  and  recovered  the 
body  of  Major  General  Tom  Green   (brother  of  Chancellor  Green  of  Cumberland 
Ifeiversity;  also  later   Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of 
Tennessee)  whose  head  had  been  torn  from  his  body  by  a  shell,     Mr.  Park  was 
in  every  battle  in  which  his  company  engaged  and  was  never  left  behind  to 
"hold  Horses,"     He  was  honorably  discharged  near  Richmond,  Texas,   in  May,  1865, 
and  his  discharge  bears  these  words:   "By  order  of  Major  General  J,  B.  McGruder, 
having  stood   to  his  colors   to  the  last," 

The  final  bugle  call  has  been  answered  for  lo  these  many  years  by 
the  last  svirviving  Confederate  veteran.     While  the  night  wind  chants  its 
soleim  dirge  over  their  graves  may  we  enshrine  a  special  niche  in  our  hearts 


62 


in  grateful  memory  of  all  of  them  as  chair^jions  and  defenders  of  their 
hOTies  and  loved  ones,  who  were  willing  to  give  their  all  for  a  cause  they 
believed  to  be  just. 

After  the  War,  Mr.  Park  went  to  Georgia,  where   he  resided  for  only 
a  short  time,   moving  to  Normandy,  Tennessee,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  where  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  &  St.  Lo\iis  Railway 
Coii?>any.     At  that  time,  messages  about  trains  came  through  on  an  instrument 
called  a  register,  and  were  recorded  on  a  strip  of  paper.     According  to  Mr. 
Park,   there  were  then  but  five  or  six  men  in  the  service  who  could  read  the 
Morse  Code.     In  Normandy,  Mr.  Park  received  his  first  lessons  in  telegraphy 
from  Mr.  Sam  Blackman,   the  depot  agent  there.     Being  an  apt  student,  he 
quickly  becane  an  expert  telegrapher,  and  from  then  en  he  was  a  railroad 
man  to  the  core.     Just  as  in?)ortant,  while  in  Normandy  he  met  and  fell  in 
love  with  Miss  Mary  Catherine  Scott,   the  lovely  dau^ter  of  Dr.  John  H.   and 
Virginia  Ewell  Scott.     Dr.  Scott  had  seen  service  as  a  physician  in  the  Civil 
War,  and  he  was  later  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  N,  &  C.  Railroad, 
and  had  much  to  do  with   the  building  of  the  line  to  Chattanooga.     Virginia 
Ewell  Scott  was  the  dau^ter  of  Lt.  Gen,  Richard  S.  Ewell,  who  had  rendered 
distinguished  service  in  the  United  States  Army  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  and 
subsequently  as  a  commanding  officer  in  the  Confederate  Army. 

When  Mr.   Park  asked  for  the  hand  of  Miss  Scott  in  marriage,  her  parents 
registered  strong  objection  on  the  grounds  of  the  wide  difference  in  the 
religious  beliefs  of  the  prospective  bride  and  groom,  but  on  no  other  grounds. 
To  some  people  today  that  would  present  a  pretty  touchy  and  difficult  problem, 
but  to  a  young  man  who  had  traversed  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  middle  south 
more  than  once,  plus  forays  into  the  far  West  and  Old  Mexico,  facing  danger 
and  even  death  many  times,  we  need     be  but  little  surprised  to  learn  that 
he  solved  the  problem  in  short  order  by  espousing  the  religious  beliefs 
practiced  by  the  Scott  family,   and  the  marriage  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1867. 

63 


Not  long  after  Mr.  Park  married  Miss  Scott,  he  was  transferred  and 
promoted  to  station  agent  in  LaVergne.  It  appears  that  when  they  first 
moved  to  LaVergna,  he  rented  Cheny  Shado  and  later  purchased  it.  As  there 
cane  to  be  about  eleven  acres  of  ground  on  the  Cherry  Shade  property,  it  was 
acquired  in  two  different  transactions  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park,  The  first  tract, 
and  no  doubt  the  one  on  which  the  house  was  then  standing,  was  bought  by 
them  by  deed  dated  December  13,  1678,  and  of  record  in  Book  2li,  page  14i7, 
Register's  Office  for  Rutherford  County,  Tennessee.  This  deed  was  from 
M.  N.  Cowden,  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  Nashville,  and  the  recitals  in 
the  deed  indicate  that  he  was  selling  it  in  obedience  to  a  court  order,  and 
further  that  the  Birdwell's  were  involved j  they  being  people  who  had  had  many 
dealings  with  Thomas  and  John  Hill,  previous  owners  of  the  property.  The 
second  tract,  ccaitaining  about  five  acres,  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Park  from 
R.  H.  Dudley  for  the  sum  of  $200.00,  by  deed  dated  October  18,  l88l,  as  shown 
of  record  in  Book  26,  page  23«  I  have  been  reliably  informed  that  in  addition 
to  the  above  properties,  Mr.  Park  at  one  time  owned  some  acreage  farther  up 
the  Murfreesboro  Pike,  which  he  afterward  donated  as  a  building  site  for  the 
LaVergne  Church  of  Christ. 

There  were  eight  children  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park,  However,  with 
80  many  deadly  diseases  prevalent  during  that  period  of  time,  such  as 
diphtheria,  typhoid  fever,  etc.,  and  so  little  knowledge  of  preventive 
medicine,  five  of  the  children  died  either  in  infancy  or  while  quite  young. 
The  three  who  passed  the  childhood  stage  were  Mary  Virginia,  John  Thomas 
(Named  after  John  W.  Thomas,  once  the  President  of  the  N.  &  C.  R.R  .),  AND 
Clara  Dodge  Park.  Clara  died  in  1915,  and  John  Thomas  about  one  year  later. 
More  about  Mary  Virginia  farther  on  in  this  article. 

During  the  many  years  of  their  occupancgr  of  Cherry  Shade,  Mi'«  and 
Mrs,  Park  became  quite  well  known  for  their  congeniality,  friendliness  and 


61* 


hospitality.  Mre.  Park  reigned  over  the  household  with  charm  and  efflciencyi 
fuUy  exeitplifying  the  best  traditions  of  the  Old  South  in  every  respect. 
Their  home  soon  became  the  accepted  gathering  place  for  their  many  relatives 
and  friends.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park  were  great  flcwer  lovers,  so  the  big 
yard  was  kept  well  stocked  with  many  varieties  of  beautiful  flowers,  Mr. 
Park  even  insisted  that  a  suitable  space  near  the  railroad  depot  be  set 
aside  for  a  nice  bed  of  flowers,  which  always  receive  the  best  of  attention. 

Mr.  Park  was  a  man  of  high  moral  character  aiKl  unquestioned  integrity- 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  and  builders  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Chiirch 
in  LaVergne.  He  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  any  task  at  hand,  and 
commanded  the  respect  and  admiration  of  those  associated  with  him.  His 
inquisitiveness  and  desire  to  make  inqprovements  led  him  to  become  known  as 
an  amatevir  inventor.  During  his  career  with  the  railroad,  being  greatly 
ccmcemed  as  a  depot  agent  with  his  responsibility  for  the  safety  of  passengers 
and  personnel  within  the  vicinitgf  of  his  station,  he  conceived  the  idea  of 
building  a  small  framed  double  mirror  contrivance  which  could  be  placed  on 
his  desk  in  the  depot,  and  from  >diich,  without  leaving  his  chair,  he  could 
see  at  any  time  whether  a  train  was  coming  down  the  tracks  from  either 
direction.  Conpany  officials  were  so  favorabley  impressed  with  his  "gadget" 
that  within  a  short  time  they  made  it  standard  equipment  in  stations  all  up 
and  down  the  line. 

After  having  long  since  mastered  the  Morse  Code,  Mr.  Park  eventually 
became  entranced  with  the  idea  of  how  else  it  might  be  possible  to  send  and 
receive  messages,  and  possibly  to  singly  record  and  reproduce  sound;  for 
instance,  talking  and  singing  or  making  music.  Without  the  benefit  of  the 
vast  knowledge  and  e3q)erience  available  today  on  the  subject,  he  spent  many 
an  ho\ir  experimenting  and  building  different  mechanical  gadgets  and  machines, 
\intil  finally  he  came  up  with  one  which  contained  a  cylinder  and  speaker  lAiich 


65 


really  worked.     Many  tlnies  he  would  beg  and  cajole  one  of  his  granddaughters 
to  speak  or  sing  In  front  of  his  cylinder,  and  then  play  it  back  to  them. 
Those  closest  to  hin  in  and  around  LaVergne  were  much  in9>ressed  with  his 
inventive  prowess  in  gneral,  and  presumably  mostly  financial  ones,  he  never 
ventured  into  the  contmercial  field  with  any  of  his  inventions,  and  it  wasn't 
long  until  Thomas  Edison's  talking  machines  and  other  inventions  were  sweeping 
the  country. 

As  a  special  tribute  marking  the  end  of  his  long  years  of  service, 
the  railroad  conqjany  presented  Mr.  Park  with  a  beautiful  gold  Elgin  pocket 
watch,  with  his  name  and  the  emblem  of  his  Masonic  Lodge  inscribed  en  its 
bade  cover. 

Mary  Virginia  Park  was  bom  at  Cherry  Shade  June  2,  I876.     Althou^ 
her  parents  were  not  wealthy,  they  did  possess  sxibstantial  means,  and  she  was 
reared  under  favorable  circumstances,  which  include  schooling  at  Ward's 
Seminary,  later  Ward -Belmont  College.     She  became  a  beautiful  and  well- 
educated  young  lady.     In  190U  she  became  the    wife  of  James  Buchanan  Payne, 
a  s\irv^or-engineerj  a  resident  of  LaVergne,  and  a  descendant  of  Major 
John  Buchanan,  of  Indian  war  fame  in  middle  Tennessee.     This  couple  continued 
to  live  in  LaVergne  for  a     time,     but        before  long  Mr.  Payne  and  his  wife's 
brother  John, generally  called  "Jack"  Park,  also  a  civil  engineer,  succumbed 
to  the  prevailing  urge  of  those  to  "Qo  West,  young  man,"  so  they  ended  up  in 
far  west  Texas  positions  as  surveyors -engineers  connected  with  a  big 

crew  of  men  building  a  railroad  through  Yaq\il  Indian  territory.     Virginia 
Piajrtie  would  stay  with  her  parents  most  of  the  time,  but  as  she  could  get  a 
pass  on  the  railroad  anyway,  she  would  now  and  again  take  the  train  for  £1 
Paso  or  some  point  near  there  to  see  her  husband  and  brother. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  B.  Payne  were  blessed  with  four  children;  one  son 
and  three  daughters.       However,   the  son  died  In  infancy.     The  daughters  were. 


66 


Mary  A^ies,   the  oldest,  bom  June  2,  1906'  Martha  Virginia  and  Dorothy 
Alice;  all  named  after  klnfold  back  along  the  family  lines. 

Mrs.  Payne  insisted  on  starting  Mary  Agnes  to  school  at  Ward-Belmont 
grade  school,  so  she  and  her  girlhood  chum,  Marian  Pearscai,  now  Kinnard, 
would  coranute  on  the  local  train  each  school  day  for  their  first  year. 
Before  the  start  of  another  school  year,  fate  had  stepped  in  and  changes 
had  to  be  made.     Grandmother  Park  passed  away;  Mr.  Pfiirk  was  suffering  from 
a  heart  ailment,  and  needed  to  be  nearer  quick  medical  aid.     Also,  James  B. 
Payne  had  died  rather  suddenly  some  years  before;   thus  leaving  Mrs.  Virginia 
Payne  faced  with  the  task  of  taking  care  of  her  father  and  her  three  small 
children.     Between  father  and  dau^ter  it  was  decided  best  to  sell  Cherry 
Shade  and  move  to  Nashville,  where  they  would  be  near  a  heart  specialist, 
and  could  send  the  children  to  city  schools.     So,  by  deed  dated  September  5, 
1916,  J.  R.  Park  and  Mrs.  Virginia  Park  Payne  sold  (or  in  reality  traded) 
Cherry  Shade  to  W.  W,  Dillon,  Trustee,  in  exchange  for  a  house  and  lot  on 
Sixteenth  Avenue  South,   about  one  block  south  of  Grand  Avenue,  which  house 
had  beai  built  and  occupied  previously  by  tlie  Thomas  W.  Wrenne  family.     In 

the  deed  conveying  Cherry  Shade  a  part  of  the  recital  is  as  follows   " 

all  of  said  land  having  been  occupied  continuously  by  J.  R.  Park  as  a  home 

for  more  than  3li  years,  and  known  as  Cherry  Shade the  said  Mrs.  Virginia 

Park  Payne  being  the  dau^ter  and  sole  heir  at  law  of  J.  R.  and  Mrs.  

Park,   the  latter  now  deceased." 

To  bring  this  part  of  the  story  of  Cherry  Shade  to  a  close,  after  Mr. 
Park  and  his  daughter  Virginia  sold  the  property,  it  changed  hands  several 
times.     Finally,   the  Tennessee  Farmers  Co-op  built  a  large  fertilie.er  and 
feed  plant  on  the  northerly  adjoining  tract  of  land.     Because  of  the  un- 
pleasant odor  from  acid  fumes  originating  in  the  fertilizer  plant,   together 
with  huge  clouds  of  dust  being  blown  from  the  plant  when  it  was  in  full 

67 


operation.  Cherry  Shade  became  practically  uninhabitable.  Too  late  the 
many  other  residents  In  the  imnediate  neighborhood  reali-zed  their  mistake 
in  not  Tising  every  avenue  of  protest  against  allowing  the  biiilding  of  this 
type  of  industrial  plant  so  near  their  former  quiet  and  clean  air  homes. 
Eventually,  enou^  protests  were  made  to  cause  an  order  to  be  issued  requiring 
the  fertilizer  plant  to  cut  out  the  air  pollution.  In  the  meantime.  Cherry 
Shade  remained  xmoccupied  for  many  mcaiths,  and  as  usually  happens  in  such 
cases,  vandals  began  to  take  over.  First,  vnndows  were  broken,  doors  smashed 
in,  and  then  general  deterioration  set  in.  Bushes  and  briars  grew  rampant, 
and  neglect  showed  its  hand.  Finally,  on  Friday  night,  June  25,  1971,  fire, 
set  no  doubt  by  vandals  or  arsonists,  took  the  final  toll  and  Cherry  Shade 
was  no  mor«. 

Ad  with  many  another  former  pretty  landmark  in  Middle  Tennessee,  to 
those  who  remain  who  have  enjoyed  the  warmth  of  friendship  and  hospitality 
of  Cherry  Shade  in  days  and  years  gcsie  by,  as  well  as  to  all  who  have  senti- 
mental ties  connected  with  it,  it  can  live  hereafter  only  in  pictures  and 
fond  memories. 


68 


CHERRY  SHADE  -  LAVERGNE,  TENNESSEE 

Those  in  Picture: 

Seated;  James  Richard  Park  and  wife,  Mary  Catherine  Scott  Park. 

Children:   from  left:  Annie ,  Clara  Dodge,  Mary  Virginiaand  JohnThomas  Park,  children  of  Jr. 

and  Mary  C.  Park. 

Standing  on  porch:    Mr.  Park's  sister,  Martha  Park  Randall. 

Servants:  One  of  them  (believed  to  be  the  one  on  the  right)  is  Aunt  Charity  Cannon  Hibbet.  Name  of 
the  other  not  knowN. 


PETITION 
of 

WILLIAM  COCKfi 
for 
REVOLUTIONARY  WAR  PENSION 

-furnished  by  Mrs.  Hughey  King 


West  Tennessee   #  138 38 

William  Cocke  of  Rutherford  Cotinty  in  the  State  of  Tennessee  who 
was  a  private  in  company  commanded  by  Captain  Talbot  of  the  Regiment 
commanded  by  Col,  Nelson  in  the  Va.  line  for  six  months 

Inscribed  on  the  roll  at  the  rate  of  20  dollars  per  annum  to  commence 
on  Uth  day  of  March  I83I. 

Certificate  of  Pension  issued  26  of  June  I832  and  sent  to  Alfred 
Johns,  Murfreesborough. 

Declaration  in  order  to  obtain  the  benefit  of  the  act  of  Congress 

passed  7th  June  I832 

State  of  Tenn. 
Rutherford  County 
County  Court  August  I832 

On  the  2Uth  day  of  August  1832  personally  appeared  in  open  comrt  before 
Henry  Trott,   James  C.  Mitchell  and  Vamer  ?_  Cowin  Justice  of  said  court  now 
setting    William  Cocke  a  resident  of  said  county  and  state,  aged  seventy  two 
years  who  being  first  duly  sworn  according  to  law  doth  on  his  oath  make  the 
following  declaration  in  order  to  obtain  the  benefits  of  the  act  of  Congress 
passed  7th  June  I832 . 

That  he  entered   the  service  of  the  United  States  on  the  10th  day  of 
September  1779  under  Capt.  Talbot  in  the  county  of  Bedford  and  state  of 
Virginia,  and  that  in  a  day  or  two  afterwards  the  conpany  of  Capt.   Talbot 
was  marched  through   the  city  of  Richmond   to  Williams  Berg  in  the  state  of 


70 


Virginia  where  they  remained  about  two  weeks  \mder  the  conmand  of  Col» 
Nelson.     Col.  Nelson  inarched 

Capt.   Talbot's  conpany  with  one  other  company  then  stationed  at 
Williams  Berg  to  York  Town  ;riiose  distance  apart  is  about  12  miles.     They 
remained  at  York  Town  something  like  seven  weeks.     When  we  arrived  at  York 
Town  there  was  but  a  small  force  remaining  most  of  them  being  discharged 
before  we  arrived.     During  the  whole  of  ottr  stay  at  York  three  men  of  war 
belcaiging  to  the  British  fleet  were  anchored  in  the  mouth  of  York  River 
within  sight  of  York  Town. 

From  York  Town  Capt.  Talbot's  con55any  was  marched  back  to  Williams  Berg 
lAere   they  remained  2  or  3  days  thence  through  Richmond  back  to  Bedford 
County.     No  engagements  took  place  during  this  tour.     In  this  csu»5)aign  I 
served   three  months,  but  do  not  know  exactly  what  time  we  were  discharged 
but  know  that  we  received  3  months  pay. 

Again  about  2  years  afterward  in  the  month  of  February  1781  as  well  as 
he  recollects  he  enlisted  as  a  volunteer  in  county  of  Bedford,  State   of 
Virginia  under  Capt.  William  Jones  whose  conqiany  was  attached  to  Col.  Lynch 's 
Regiment,  and  in  Col.  I^ynch's  Regiment  which  consisted  of  500  men,  he  marched 
through  Halifax  county  State  of  Va.   crossed  Dan  River  at  Irvin's  ford   thence 
into  Caswell  County  State  of  North  Carolina  where  he  joined  Gen'l  Green.. 

We  found  Col.  Washington  at  the  head  of  the  horse  under  Gen'l  Green. 
These  forces  were  in  that  section  of  the  state  for  sometime  and  went  thence 
toward  Guilford  courthouse.     He  was  at  the  battle  of  Guilford  which  he  says 
was  fought  on  the  15 th  day  of  March  in  the  year  1781.     The  circumstances 
attending  the  battle  that  made  the  most  inqsression  upon  his  mind  were  these 
(to  wit)   that  Col.  Green  was  commander  in  chief.     Col.  Washington  commanded 
the  calvary  and  if  he  is  not  mistaken  Gen'l  Lawson  commanded   the  militia. 
(Kevins  ?   )  was  present  and  as  he  understood  was  wounded  in  the   thigh  and 
his  horse  was  shot  under  him.     The  captains  belonging  to  Col.   Lynch 's 


71 


Regiment,  Capt.  Jones,  Moon  and  Helium  were  slain  at  the  battle  of  Guilford. 
The  British  forces  remained  upon  the  ground  after  the  engagement  and  the 
American  forces  evacuated  in  confusion  about  8  or  10  miles  north  of 
Gilford  C.  H. 

He  does  not  recollect  the  precise  time  when  he  was  discharged  twt  thinks 
'twas  about  the  last  of  April;  that  he  received  pay  for  3  months.  He  was 
discharged  at  a  place  called  (Duck  River  ?). about  UO  or  50  miles  south  of 
Guilford  C.  H,  He  does  not  recollect  to  have  received  any  other  than  a 
verbal  discharge. 

Again  In  August  about  the  1st  he  believes  1781,  he  volimteered  into  the 
United  States  service  in  the  county  of  Bedford,  state  of  Va.  under  Col, 
Quails.  They  remained  in  the  county  of  Bedford  and  Pittsylvania  engaged  in 
collecting  beefs,  putting  them  in  pastures  and  branding  them  upon  the  hams 
with  the  letters  U.  S.  The  cattle  were  to  be  sent  to  the  army  which  was 
some  where  in  the  neighborhood  of  Richmond.  He  was  in  no  engagement  during 
this  term  of  service.  He  was  discharged  sometime  between  the  Ist  and  15 th 
of  November  of  the  same  year.  He  does  not  recollect  to  have  received  any 
but  a  verbal  discharge.  He  has  no  documentation  evidence  and  knows  of  no 
person  whose  testimony  be  can  procure  who  can  testify  to  service. 

He  hereby  relinquishes  every  claim  whatever  to  a  pension  or  annutity 
except,  the  present  and  declares  that  his  name  is  not  on  the  pension  roll  of  the 

agency  of  any  state.  Sworn  to  the  day  and  year  aforesaid. 

) 

)  s/  Vfilliam  Cocke 

s/  J.  R.  Lau^lin  ) 

We,  Martin  Clark  a  clergyman  residing  in  the  County  of  Rutherford, 
State  of  Tennessee  and  Granville  S.  Crockett  residing  in  the  same  do  hereby 
certiiy  that  we  are  well  acquainted  with  William  Cocke  who  has  subscribed 
and         sworn  to  the  above  declaration.     That  we  believe  him  to  be  72  years 
of  age  that  he and  believed  in  the  nei^borhood  where  he  resided 


72 


to  have  been  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  that  we  conciir  in  that  opinion. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  the  day  and  year  aforesaid. 

s/  Martin  Clark 
s/  0.  S.  Crockett 

And  the  sd  court  propounded  the  following  interrogation  to  William 
Cocke  the  within  named  applicant  for  a  pension  in  open  court  on  the  day 
and  year  aforesaid. 

1st.  Where  and  in  what  year  were  you  bom? 

— In  the  county  of  Hanover,  State  of  Va.  in  the  year  1759. 

2nd,  Have  you  any  record  of  your  age  and  if  so  where  is  it? 

— I  have  a  record  of  ray  age  in  a  family  Bible  at  ray  house  In  this 
county. 

3rd.  Where  were  you  living  at  the  time  you  were  called  into  service? 
Where  have  you  lived  since  the  revolution  and  where  do  you  now 
live? 

—When  I  entered  the  sevice  I  lived  in  Bedford  County,  State  of  Va., 
remained  there  for  some  years  after  the  revolution  and  then  moved  to 
Rutherford  County,  State  of  Tennessee  where  I  have  resided  ever 
since  and  **iere  I  now  reside. 

lith.  How  were  you  called  into  service;  were  you  drafted,  did  you 
volunteer;  or  were  you  a  substitute,  and  if  a  substitute  for? 

—In  my  Ist  canpaign  under  Capt.  Talbot  to  Yorktown,  I  was  drafted. 
But  in  the  campaign  to  Guilford  and  in  the  service  under  Col.  Quails, 
I  volunteered,  was  never  a  substitute. 

5th,  State  the  names  of  some  of  the  regular  officers  who  were  with  the 
troops  where  you  served,  such  continental  and  militia  regiments 
as  you  can  recollect  and  the  general  circumstances  of  your  service? 

— Qen'l  Green,  Col  Washington  and  Col  Leigh  Gen'l  Kevins  was  with  me 
at  the  battle  of  Guilford.  Gen'l  Lawson  commanded  the  militia  at 
Guilford.  Troops  of  the  Maryland  line  served  at  Guilford,  I  do 
not  recollect  any  inportant  circumstances  except  such  as  is  mentioned 
in  the  above  declaration, 

6th,  Did  you  ever  receive  a  discharge  from  the  service  and  if  so  by 
whom  was  it  given  and  v^at  has  become  of  it? 

—I  do  not  recollect  to  have  received  any  other  than  a  verbal  discharge. 

7th.  State  the  names  of  persons  to  whom  you  are  known  in  your  present 

neighborhood  and  who  can  testify  to  your  character  for  veracity  and 


73 


their  belief  that  you  served  ia  the  revolution. 

•I  am  known  by  Ma  J.  Dance,  ffertln  Clark,  Solomon  Beesley  Esq,  and 
to  many  others,  also  to  Granville  Crockett. 


IL 


INDEX  for  PUBLICATION  NO.  16 


Adair,  James  32 

Albuquerque ,  N .  Max 36 

Anders,  David  M $^ 

"Aunt  Mat  Springs" UU 

Avent,  James  M 2^,25,30 

Avent,  Frank 23 

Barker,  Mrs.  Reed.«.. 38 

Bartlesville  ,  Okla 38 

Batey,  Elizabeth 13 

Batey,  Mary  E 13 

Bean,  William 2 

Beasley,  Jesse  C 36 

Beasley,  Solomon 7U 

Beech  Cirove.. U8 

Bedford  Co\inty,   Tenn U3,73 

Bedford  County,   Va 73 

Bell  Buckle iiU 

Bingham,  Mrs.  Forde 53 

Birdwell's 6U 

Blairs  Landing 62 

Blackman,  San ••  63 

Black  Fox  Camp l6 

Boone,  Daniel 3 

Boonesboro 6 

Bolock,   Gov  Tom hO 

Bonham,   Texas 3$ 

Bracey ,  Beulah  Mae 37 

Brothers  Children 55 

Brothers,  Edd hi 

Brothers,  Elvie l43 

Brown,   Jacob 7 

Brown,   John  C.   Gen 2,25 

Brown,  Mary 28 

Buchanan,   John 66 

Buchanan's  Station 6 

Bullock,   Leonard h 

Byms,  Joseph 28 

Cannonsburg l6 

Cargo,   Gov  David UO 

Carter,  Mrs.  W.  D 38 

Chancellor,   Pearl 38 

Caters  Crossing 51 

Cherry  Shade 57,6li,67,68 

Chrisman,    James  L 60 

Chrisman,  Annie 53 

Christiana 5U 

Clgrk,  Mrs.   Eliza 56 

Clark,  Martin 72 

Cocke,   F.  William 70 

Colorado,  Denver 36 


Colvin ,   Varner 7k 

Crockett,  G.  S 73 

Cowder,  W.  N 6U 

Climber  land  Presby  Church.  65 

Cyclone,.  Jo  sterville U7,57 

Chapel  Hj.ll  College 21 

Cherokee  Indians U,   5 

Childress,  Annie 27 

Childress,  Anderson 21 

Childress,  Bettie 26 

Childress,  Elisabeth 21 

Childress,  Eugene 27 

Childress,  Ella 27 

Childress,  Horace 27 

Childress,   Joel 20 

Childress,  John 20,21 

Childress,    John  V/.    Jr....   25 

Childress,   Joseph 25 

Childress,  Mary  Kee 25 

Childress,  Mary  Lyon 3U 

Childress,  Sarah 21,22 

Childress,  Susan 21 

Childress,   Sarah  Polk....   25 

Childress,   Selene 27 

Childress,  William  S 27 

Clayton,  Seward 6 

Clarksville  College 33 

Colyar,  Col  Arthur 25 

Coolidge,  Pres.  Calvin...  28 

Confederate  Veteran 32 

Cunningham,   Sunner  A 32 

Davidson  County 7,9,10 

Daniel,    John  Ella 57 

Dance ,  Ma j  or Tu 

Davis,  Jefferson 31 

Deader ick,  David  A 32 

Demit,  Mrs.  Fred 38 

Dillon,  W.  W 67 

Dudley 6U 

Eakle,  E.  H 38 

Elam,  Ed 57,  62 

Elam,  Robert 11 

Edwards,  Alice 53 

Edward  s ,  Leander  H 53 

Edwards  Slaves U7 

Edwards,  Matt hi 

Edwards,  Thomas hS,hl,S3 

Elks,  B.P.O.E 39 

Endee,   Oklahoma 36,IiO 

Ewell,    Lt.   Gen  T.  S 63 


75 


Fisher,  Bobbye  Miles  39 

Fly,  John 11 

50th  Term  Regiment 29 

Foster,  John IiU,5l,53,51i 

Fosterville U3  -  53 

Fosterville  Cyclone U7 

Fosterville  Schools U7,l48 

Fosterville  Mill 16 

Fourville,   John 11 

Franklin,  State  of 7 

Franklin,  Battle   of 29 

Gardner,  Mrs.   H 38, UO 

Gaines  Mill 62 

Gamer,  William 11 

Gee,   Jonathan «..  6 

Gilmore,  Mrs.  Herb UU 

Gilmore ,  J.  D • U6 

Goodspeed  History. hSth^ 

"Great  Grant" k 

Green,   Bishop 21 

Green,  Ma  J.   Gen  Tcxn *.  62 

Ga*een,  Chief  Justice 62 

Guilford  Courthouse 70 

Owyn,  Bessie 13 

Gwyn,   George  W 13 

Gwyn's   saw  mill I8 

Hale,  Molly U8 

Hart,   "Big  Branch" 2,3 

Hart,  Cumberland U>10 

Hart,   Chinai 6,10 

Hart,  David 3,   h 

Hart,   Frances  E.   A 13 

Hart,   James 11,12,13,11 

Hart,   John 6,10,13 

Hart,  Mary  E lU 

Hart,  Mark 11, Ih 

Hart,  Martha  B 13,11^ 

Hart  Springs 1-19 

Hart,  Mai-y  Ann 6,10,13 

Hart,  Samuel 13 

Hart,   Sussanah 10 

Hart,  Simpson.... 6,10 

Hart,    Thomas h 

Hart,   Thomas  M 11,13 

Hart,  Thomas  R.  G 3,   U,   6,10 

Kartsville,  Tennessee 11 

Harris,  Miss  Rucker ii8 

Henderson,  Company.. ••*•••#•  li6 

Henderson,  A.  G Ill 

Henderson,  Richard h 

Hedgepath,  Edy  M 13 

Helgason,  Mrs.  Lauralee. ....  38, UO 
Henrie,  Thelma  Miles 39, UO 


Hill,  Green 60 

Hill,  John 60, 6h 

Hill,  Thomas 60,6U 

Hogg,  John h 

Hooper,  George 38 

Hooper,  Dr.  Ernest 39, UO 

Hoover,  Walter  King 1 

Howland,  Frances  E 35 

Howland,  John 35 

Howland,  Hester 35 

Hubbard,  Father 6I 

Hubbard,  Rebecca 6I 

Hubbard,  Martha 61 

Hubbard,  Richard 61 

Hull,  Cordell 28 

Jackson,  Jonathan  W 27 

Jefferson U,  9,U5 

Johns,  Alfred 70 

Johnson,  Rebecca. ••••.•••  13 
Johnson,  William. ........     h 

Jones,  John lii 

Jonesboro h 

Jordan  Valley UU 

Kelly,  Luke 57 

Kerr,  Cairrie 53,55 

Kerr,  T.  E 53 

Kevins,   General 73 

King,  Mrs.  Hughey 70 

Kings  Mountain 7 

Kinnard,  Mrs.  George 6I 

Khon,  Alberta  and  J UlA 

Knoxville 8 

Ku  Klux  Klan 26 

Landrum,    "Uncle  S" 5U 

LaVergne 60,6[t,67 

Lea ,  Luke 28 

Lee  Knob h9 

Leigh,  Colonel 7U 

Longview 51,52 

lioudon,   Fort h 

Louisville  Medical 61 

I^yon,  Adelaide  D 32 

Lyon,  Mary  Adair 32 

Marks,  Governor 23 

Maupin,  Benny 56 

Magnum,  Oklahoma 35 

McGruder,  Gen  J.  B.......  62 

McDonald,  Mrs.  Ira.. 13 

McElroy,  Andrew. 53 

McLean,  Ephrain 53 

McMillen,  Lucile 28 

McMinnville 35 


76 


Mexico,  Durango...... 62 

Miles,  Anne  M.... 39 

Miles,  Colera 38 

Miles,  Clarence. 38 

Miles,  Darlene lilA 

Miles,  Earl 39 

Miles,  Elizabeth  H 35 

Miles,  Edna  I.  Qreen........  38 

Miles,  Family  Photo UlA,ltLB 

Miles,  Maj.  Gen  Frank 38 

Miles,  Fred  Fellow 38 

Miles,  James  M 35,38,39 

Miles,  Monroe  Jr 38,39,UO 

Miles,  Jessie  Evelyn 37,38 

Miles,  John  Esten 35  -  UO 

Miles,  J.  Wade 36,37 

Miles,  Louise 35,38 

Miles,  Lloyd  Weston 37,38 

Miles,  Mary UO 

Miles,  Melvln 38 

Miles,  Mildred  Adams 37 

Miles,  Olive  (Bobbye) 38 

Miles,  Patricia UlA 

Miles,  Peggy  Frances 39 

Miles,  Murray hX 

Miles,  Pearl 39 

Miles,  Thomas. 35 

Miles,  Wallie  Dean 38 

Millett,  Alonzo 62 

Millett,  Capt.  E.  B 62 

Milton,  Tennessee U5 

Midland 51,52 

Middleton 53 

Mitchell,  James  C 70 

Modrall,  Sarah  J 13 

Moravian  Academy • 21 

Moore,  Jim 30 

Moore,  Congressman. .........  U8 

Murfree,  James  B.  Jr 21 

Murfreesboro,  Tennessee 3...iiU 

Murphy,  Dolie 57 

Murphy,  Bettie 57 

Murphy,  Lettie 57 

Murphy,  "Uncle  Joe" 57 

Murphy,  Mat 57 

Nashboro • 7,l6 

Negores  of  Fosterville 5U,55,57 

New  Mexico 35,36,38 

New  Mexico  Book  Dep 36 

New  Mexico  Democrat. 30 

New  Mexico  PSC 36 

Newby,  Willie 53 

Newsom,   John  R lU 

N.  C./St.  L.  Railroad U6,63 

Norris,   Jim  and  Sarah UlA 


North,  Nancy  &  Frances...  57 
Normandy,   Tennessee 63 

"Old  Soap  Stone" Ii3 

Otey,  Janras 21 

Overtcn,   John..... 9 

Park  Family 60, 6U 

Park,  Clara  Dodge 6U 

Park,  Mary  Virginia 6U,66 

Park,  James  Richmond 61 

Park,  John  E 61 

Park,  John  Thomas.. ......  6U, 65,66 

Park,  Thomas  J 62,63,6U 

Park  talking  machine 65 

Pamell,  "Uncle  Ed" Ul 

"Pal*  Deed" U 

Payne,  Dorothy  Alice 67 

Payne,  James  Buchanan....  66,68 
Payne,  Martha  Virginia...   67 

Payne,  Ifery 67 

Pearson,  Marion  Kinnard..  67 

Phillips,  Mary 26 

Polk,  James  K 21 

Poplin,  Dick 51 

Presbyterian  Church......  U7 

Pulaski,  Tennessee 25,26 

Quay  County,  New  Mexico..   35 
Quails,  Colonel 7k 

Radford,  W.  Reed 13, lU 

Railway  Safety  Device....  65,66 

Ralston,  Elizabeth lU 

Richardson,   J.  T Ih 

Ridley's  History 26,27 

"Retrospect,   Introspect".  U9 

Richardson,   James  D......  52 

Richmond,   Texas.. 62 

Robertson,   James... 7 

Rogersville   Prospect.....  ti9 

Rosecrans, General U7 

Rucker,  Alberta 57 

Rucker,   Henry............  59 

Rucker,  Jennie 59 

Rucker,  Mary  Aim 57 

Rucker,  Doctor,. 22 

Rucker,  William  Medley...  57 

Russell,  Robert 10 

Russwurm,   John  S. lit 

Rural  Mail  Delivery 51,52 

Rutherford  Covin ty 9.. 70 

Sandusky,   Ohio 29 

Sante  Fe,  New  Mexico.....  35 

Sante  Fe  Independent 36 

Sanders,  miey 13, lU 


77 


Saw  Dust  insiilation.. 60 

Sevier,  John 7,  9 

Sevier,  Polly 20 

Shelby,  Isaac. 6,11 

Shelby,  Susaiuiah.Hart 6,11 

Sims,  Carlton  C kSt  U8 

Sinpson,  Sarah 6 

Scott,  Mary  Katherine. 63 

Scott,  Dr.  John  H... 63 

Scott,  Virginia  Ewell 63 

Stewart,  Gen  A.  D 26 

Stones  River 3 

Stewart,  Dr.  William 33 

South  Pittsburg  Co 27 

Southwestern  University.....  33 

Stuarts  Creek 3 

Sloan,  Oene  H 35 

Smith,  Bula 51 

Talbott 70 

Taylor,  Governor 27 

Taylor's  Trace 6,10,16,17 

Texas,  Seguin 61,62 

Tennessee  Farm  Co-Op 69 

Tennessee  Gazette. U5 

Thomas,  James  W 51 

Thompson,  Kosiah 6 

Todd,  Judge  Jarrett 37 

Toll  gates ii5 

Trott,  Henry 70 

Tucker,  Anderson 57 

Tucker,  Hester.... 57 

Tucker,  Tom,  Jim,  Fran 57 

Tucker,  John  F 15, 16 

Tune,  Hewitt 21 

Tucumcari,  New  Mexico 35 

Vaughn,  Lillian 53 

Vaughn,  Martha U6 

Wade,  Anna 57 

Wade,  Billy  Sunday 57 

Wade,  Fielding 27 

Wade,  Inez • 27 

Wade,  Levi 27 

Wade,  Miller 57 

Wade,  Susie 37 

Wade,  Will 57 

Wade,  Katie  Lee 57 

Wade,   Terry lit 

Ward  Belmont • 66,67 

Washington  County h 

Washington  Distrtct 7 

Walker,  Thomas..... 3 

Watkins,  John  M IS 

Watkins,  K.  A.  T 55 


Watauga  Settlement  ......  3,  h,   7 

Weakley. » •....  3 

Webb,  Betty U8 

Webb,  Sawney 2k 

White,  \fill 10 

Whitsitt,  Elizabeth 21 

Williams,  John..... k 

iN'illiams,  Mary 25 

Williams,   Johnny 53 

WLlliamsburg 70 

WighthaJl,  Frederick 27 

Wilson,  Samuel...........  13 

Wilson,  Dr.   Joseph 83 

Wight,  Thomas  C. 13, lU 

Woodfin  Cemetery 51i 

Wrenne ,  Thomas 67 

Yaquri  Indians 66 

Yorktown 70 


Urquhart,   James  Otey 21 


78 


DATE  DUE 

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MAR  2  6  2001 

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HIGHSMITH       #  45220 


3  3082  00527  7065 


82-00501; 
therford  County  historical 
society  publication  No,  16 
Winter  I98I 


MAR  82