Legends & Stories of White County, TN - Chapter 4

Legends & Stories of White County, TN - Chapter 4


In a list of articles some years ago, Mr. Joe V. Williams2 gave some outstanding features of the Sparta bar. When Andrew Jackson presided over the Supreme Court at Sparta, many legal contests occurred there. In those days lawyers depended more on their oratorical powers than they did on legal knowledge. Some of the early attorneys were George W. Gibbs, John Catron, Nathaniel Haggard, Richard Nelson, David Aimes, Alexander Lane, Sam Turney, John Anderson, and Hopkins L. Turney. Many of them were men of special ability.


MAJOR NATHANIEL EVANS

Major Evans3, a noted soldier and a close personal friend and favorite of General John Sevier, was one of the early pioneers in this county. He was one of those heroic figures who turned the tide at Kings Mountain. He commanded Evans Battalion and he was placed with his battalion to defend the line between Nashville and North Carolina. John Sevier was captured by the British and Major Evans and Doctor Cosby took him from their clutches by memorable strategy and bravery.

Evans was elected commander of the battalion in 1785. Evans received large grants of land in the new territory, White County, for his services during the Revolutionary War. He is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, in the first district of the County.


THOMAS EASTLAND, THOMAS B. EASTLAND

One of the early pioneers of White County was Thomas Eastland4 who lived at "Clefty" and established the hotel, Old Eastland Stand, twelve miles east of Sparta. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and rose to the rank of colonel. As a reward for his service in that war he received large grants of land in White County. He built a large inn on the great highway to Washington City which became one of the leading stage station on that route. He was a great friend of Andrew Jackson and many other note characters who always stopped at "Clefty" on their journeys to and from Washington.

After Thomas Eastland’s death his son lived here many years. H e, also, was a large land owner in White County and owned many slaves before the Civil War. He spent much of his time in Nashville and New Orleans, and operated steamboats on the Mississippi River. He became a major in the Mexican War, under General Zachary Taylor. He moved to California in 1863.


NICHOLAS GILLENTINE

[See more information about Nicholas Gillentine]

Nicholas "Nich" Gillentine5, one of the early pioneers of White County, as a great bear hunter. He often went out alone and returned with a huge bear slung across his horse. On one occasion a bear took a hatchet away from him.

One morning, a Mr. Steakley went with him and they crawled into a cave where a bear was hibernating for the winder. In going in they had crawled through close quarters; at one place, they were forced to crawl; at another the walls were very narrow and they had some difficulty in passing. When they came into the presence of the bear, he objected to their presence and they were forced to retreat. Mr. Steakley had gone in last, therefore he was in the lead as they came out. He stuck fast when he reached the narrow walls, and the flight was halted. The bear was pressing closely to Nich; he turned, placed his feet on the bear, his shoulders against the man and gave one tremendous heave. Mr. Steakley went through and they made their escape in safety.


JOHN CATRON

John Catron6 was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States by Andrew Jackson; he died while in office. When he came to Sparta to practice law, he was very poor, bringing with him only a worse and his wife. He was reared in a very poor home, hence his education was limited. He practiced law for several years in Sparta, but being ambitious he soon desired a wider field for his marked ability and moved to Nashville. In a short time he was elected to the Supreme Bench of the state. It was said of him that he was as "simple minded and as simple mannered as a child." But with all of his simplicity his mind was active and vigorous and "his decisions are noted for their sharp and original expositions of the law."


THOMAS K. HARRIS

Thomas K. Harris was a soldier under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, and was one of the earliest figures from White County to become noted. He served several years as State Senator and was the first Representative in Congress from the third Congressional District. He and General John Simpson were candidates for brigadier general, and General Harris, who was successful, was commissioned on January 8, 1815. General Simpson then claimed that he had been defeated because General Harris had withdrawn from the race, and had it not been for this report, Simpson would have been chosen. Bitter feelings arose between the two, and when they met on the Public Square in Sparta, General Simpson struck General Harris with a heavy cane. At the time the generals were separated, Harris swore he would kill Simpson. After this experience, they met for the first time at a ford in Caney Fork River, near Rock Island; both were prepared for the meeting.

General Simpson7 wanted a witness to what might follow, and turned his horse and halted at a man’s house named "Hamilton". General Harris followed. General Simpson dismounted, and General Harris fired at him and missed. General Simpson then fired, inflicting a mortal wound in the breast of General Harris. General Simpson helped to carry General Harris into the house. He then mounted and rode away. When he had proceeded about one hundred yards, he turned his horse in the road to return. As he did so he heard the report of a gun, and found that he had been shot in the elbow, and that the gun had been fired from the house. Nevertheless, he returned. He found his victim in a dying condition, and was always of the opinion that the shot was fired by the man Hamilton, as General Harris must have been too weak to have himself discharged a gun. (However the sad difficulty defeated General Simpson for the office he sought.) General Simpson was commissioned as brigadier general of the Second Division of the State Militia on September 26, 1828.
The pistol with which Simpson killed Harris was, in 1902, a possession of Dr. Charles Simpson, his grandson, of Waxahachie, Texas.


SAM TURNEY

Williams gives this interesting account of one of the noted lawyers from Sparta8:

Perhaps the most remarkable man that ever lived at this place was Sam Turney, an uncle of our distinguished Governor. He was a remarkable character for several reasons the principal ones being his unbounded flow of native humor and his eccentricities of nature. Scores of funny stories are told of him, some of which would equal those related of Lincoln.
Turney was a small man and stopped of form, which was indicative of a man of study. To have seen him walk along the street, a person unacquainted with his nature would have thought him in deep trouble. He was only thinking. His studio was wherever his feet took him.

He had a lisping sound to his voice. In his speeches and law briefs he was noted for his laconic statements Turnkey, in one respect, as a typical Tennessean – he was outspoken and bold. Sometimes he would startle even the court and the jury by a strange unheard of utterance and yet, remarkable to say it had its desired effect. He was once defending a man for stealing a hog. In addressing the jury he said, "I am certain my client is not guilty, and I think this jury is certain of it, but I want to put you on your guard. Sometimes a fellow on a jury wants to sentence a man just to see him kick, and sometimes a juryman with a tough character wants to convict a poor innocent man like my client here, just to vindicate his own character. Now, gentlemen of the jury, you notice, and when you retire, if there is a man on this jury that ever stole a hog in his life, that man will want to convict my client." Of course the verdict was not guilty.

Turney was very eccentric and known everywhere for his great flow of natural humor. In his fun, however, he always liked to be the one who did the laughing. It is said that he grew very wrath once at his brother lawyers, because they so successfully played a trick on him. They had been to Jamestown Court and on their return home, across the mountain, they crossed a little stream, which like all mountain streams are, was very wide just after a rain. Turney was plodding along behind the crowd, and when he rode up to the bank he looked across and saw his fellow travelers off their horses some renshing (rinsing) their shirts other drying their pants seemingly. They told him the creek would swim his horse and he had better take off his clothes before starting across. He did so holding his clothes aloft in one hand and with the other to the bridle he stood on the back of his horse and started. When he got out midway to the creek, he found that it was not knee deep, also that his fellow travelers had departed. He was very much wrought up that he should so innocently be led into the trap.

He filed one the shortest briefs, perhaps, that was ever filed in the Supreme Court. The suit was about a right of way to a pond. The contract entered into was verbal. When Turney answered for defendant he said, "That the water being upon land savored of realty and therefore contract was void unless in writing, it coming under statute of frauds."

He was noted for the strange things he would say. He was once an attorney for an old miller, who had been sued, by the proprietor of the mill and an account for flour and other articles furnished. To the astonishment of the Court he would ask every witness if the defendant’s wife did her own cooking, and if she had cooking utensils. Of course, they all answered affirmatively. When Turney arose to argue the lawsuit he said, "Now, gentlemen of the jury, this account bears fraud on its face, because it has got this defendant here charged with 100 lbs do at one time. 25 or 50 lbs do at another and what in the name of heaven would he be doing buying do when his wife did the cooking? Didn’t I prove that she did this? What could they do with so much do anyway?" The lawyer for the plaintiff riled out that do meant ditto, the same, but before he could get through with his sentence, Turney yelled for him to sit down, that he didn’t know anything about it.

Turney despised a man who was a lover of hobbies. A very funny incident was told how completely he stopped old Judge Marchbanks from always telling of the grandeur of his big farm and what mighty crops he would raise on it. The Judge had a habit, when he got all the lawyers around him, of telling them what a magnificent farmer he was. One day after court adjourned he began his regular conversation on his farm, when Sam Turney spoke up and said, "Why Judge, you ought to see my farm up in White County. You have been talking about your magnificent timber, why sir, I have a cypress swamp up there where 1000 trees grow to the acre and I have 1000 acres. You never saw such trees in your life. They are straight as an arrow and 100 yards to the first limb. And, Judge, you talk about raising corn down in Giles. I planted a crop of corn 3 years ago and made enough to do me and my neighbors ever since. You talk about 3 stalks to the hill, why I always have 10 or 12. I noticed a hill one time that had 15 stalks in it and I stuck my walking cane down in it just to see what the hill would do, and when I came back in the fall every stalk and two ears and even my waking came had a chunk of a nubbin on it." After that the judge didn’t have anything to say about his farm.

Turney’s strong power was before a jury. He never cultivated the use of fine language. He sought to be successful and always placed achievement above the utterance of action. He was slouchy in his dress, and one would have taken him at first view to have been a typical backwoodsman in those old days. He read a great deal, and was always found at his office. He never paused a moment for a choice word or swallowed for a thought. Once he was arguing a case in the Supreme Court where the White County Court had appointed and then removed some commissioners and coined this new word, "What sort of court is this? One day it will appoint commissions and the next onappoint them."


AD FISK

Mr. Williams gives a comical description of another lawyer of that time in this manner:

One of the noted lawyers of Sparta was Ad Fisk9, who practiced here just after the war. It would take Mark Twain to properly describe him in his dress and general appearance. He had no use for strings, although he always wore lace shoes. He couldn’t find use for a collar button, although he generally had on a standing collar. He preferred not to wear buttons on his clothing, not withstanding other people found them convenient at that time. He preferred beard rather than shaving and chose to spit on himself rather than in a spittoon.

When stirred his mind was active. Notwithstanding his eccentricities he lacked but one element to success – energy.

JUDGE F. L. GARDENHIRE

Again Judge F. L. Gardenhire10 is described by Mr. Williams thus:

Judge F. L. Gardenhire, of Gainesboro, Tennessee, years before and after the war lived and practiced law at this place. He is recognized all over the State for his wide learning. He is 80 years of age and has been married four times. He is still vigorous in mind and body. He is known for his scholarly attainments and courtly manners.
He was Circuit Court judge before the war and served one term in the Confederate Congress. After the war he was elected State Senator and while in this office introduced the famous Dog Law bill, which, of course made him unpopular with those who loved dogs better than sheep.

Judge Gardenhire’s discriminating powers are fine, while his acuteness and comprehension of the law are surpassed by few. The Judge tells a right humorous story of how he once heard his name recited in a Sunday School back in the mountain districts. He had casually dropped in just as the class had filed itself in a semi-circle in the little log hut. The answer to the questions were all in chorus. After the teacher had asked all the questions he could think of on the general geni of man he asked, "Who was the first man?" The class in chorus answered, "Adam." "Who was the strongest man?" "Sampson." "Who was the wisest man?" "Solomon." "Who was the meanest man?" In chorus, "Gardenhire." "Why?" "Because he tried to pass the dog law."


June 10, 2007
Wayne,

In Chapter 3, Judge GARDENHIRE is correctly listed as E. L. GARDENHIRE, the same person who is incorrectly listed in Chapter 4 as Judge F. L. GARDENHIRE. This was Erasmus Lee GARDENHIRE, Sr.; if you Google his name, either as "Erasmus Lee Gardenhire" or "E. L.
Gardenhire," you will get a number of hits that will show you without doubt that this was the person described by Joe V. Wilson in his "Scrapbook" quoted by Coral Williams.

Just thought you might want to know. I am descended from Erasmus's uncle George W. GARDENHIRE.

BTW, your site is quite interesting. In Chapter 5 of Coral William's thesis, she mentions Jeff SNODGRASS. This was Thomas Jefferson SNODGRASS, son of Thomas Lafayette SNODGRASS and Margaret Brown DUFF. Jeff's just younger brother, Joseph SNODGRASS, is an antecedent of my brother-in-law, John B. Hunt III, husband of my wife's only sibling. John's SNODGRASS clan and my GARDENHIREs intersected in the 1854
marriage of Capt. David SNODGRASS and Elmira HOLFORD, the latter a niece of Erasmus Lee GARDENHIRE. Small world, huh?

Thanks again for your site.
--
Bob
Robert R. "Bob" Curlee
4901 Windbrooke Ct.
Virginia Beach, VA 23462

(h) 757-671-8277
(o) 757-671-8774


JOHN R. ROGERS

Many years ago there lived in Sparta a prominent character by the name of Rogers.11 John R. Rogers and Abraham Lincoln were born and reared in the same locality in Kentucky. They grew up as warm personal friends, and after having reached maturity, they separated; Lincoln remained in the North and Rogers came South and located at Sparta, Tennessee. He remained there for several years and then disposed of his business and built a hotel on the mountain at Bon Air. There was a fine Chalybeate spring at that place and a magnificent view of the town and country toward the west. His hotel was largely patronized as a summer resort especially by visitors from the Southern states.

When the war began in 1860, large bodies of troops began to pass over this road and by reason of their annoyance, Rogers closed his tavern and moved to Rock Island a a few miles southward. B. H. Helm, a brother-in-law of Lincoln, commanded an "Orphans Brigade" of Kentuckians and when in the South made his headquarters part of the time at the home of John R. Rogers at Rock Island. Rogers had been a suitor for the hand of Elodie Todd, a sister of Mary Todd, and of Emilie Todd, the wife of Helm.

After confederate forces fell back to Chattanooga a brigade of Federal troops was stationed in Sparta and scouted the country in that locality. This was in the days of Ferguson and Beatty’s border warfare, and Rogers was killed. Each party charged it upon the other. The body was brought to Bon Air for burial.

Soon afterwards a number of citizens of Sparta and White County were arrested and sent North as prisoners. Among the number was a man by the name of Overman. He was a stone cutter by trade; he was conservative politically and had never taken part in military affairs. For this and other reasons many citizens sent a petition to President Lincoln asking for his release. Overman was brought before the President and questioned. He had been arrested without cause and charged with the commission of no offense. He told Lincoln frankly that his sympathies were with the South, but he had committed no act warranting his arrest. The President said, "I am informed by this petition that you are a stone cutter by trade. I had a friend by the name of John R. Rogers who was buried at Bon Air in a cemetery near your town. If, when you get home, you will cut and erect a suitable stone at his grave I will pardon you." Overman replied, "I cannot accept liberty upon your terms. A pardon implies that I had committed some crime. I will remain in prison until all charges are removed."

The President answered, "Your position is well taken and I will change the terms. If you will place a marble slab over the grave I will order your release."

"I would be glad to be released and would comply with your request that there is no present transportation by which a slab can be obtained. A sand-stone can be had if that would be satisfactory."

To this the President agreed and ordered an unconditional release. He also wrote with a pencil upon a card the legend which he wanted cut upon the stone. This was done and a neatly cut stone, four feet wide and six feet long was placed over the grave bearing this inscription: "Here lies John Rogers, the friend of Abraham Lincoln."

Ladies planted a border of flowers around it, but it is now so covered with vining honeysuckles, that the vines have to be pulled back to read the legend dictated by President Lincoln.

The card is still in the possession of Captain McElwee, but from much handling the pencil marks on the card are undistinguishable.


UNCLE STEVE HICKMAN

Many years ago there lived in White County a very peculiar old man, and many curious happenings center around Uncle Steve and his family. He married a woman by the name of Rebecca, but she was known to the surrounding country as Aunt ‘Becky.’ They reared a family of two boys, Ben and John, and four girls, Susie, Nancy, Betsy, and Rainey.

The log house in which they lived had only one large room; in this room the family lived, cooked, ate, and slept. In the back center of the room was kept a large box in which were placed young lambs and other animals which they felt needed care. The bottom covering of the room was made of split logs placed side by side and called puncheon floors. The beds were made with only one upright post, the remaining three were driven into the wall. There was no stove in the room, therefore, all the cooking was done on the fire place which was sunk far below the level of the floor and the members of the family often sat on the floor while their feet rested on the hearth below. They used a large gourd dipper in the water bucket; they had very few dishes; never used a table cloth and always stood up to eat.

All animals around them became great pets and each was given a name. The most famous in this group was Buggy, an old dog that followed Betsy and Rainey faithfully.12

Uncle Steve’s clothing13 caused much comment and excitement. He bought large boots, and cut the tops off and the lower parts into slits. He then cut the top into strings and wove and tied them into knots in the lower part of the shoe in such a manner that he had, as a result of his labors, a whanged mass not in the shape of a shoe at all. Two of his shoes were stolen by Vance Broyles and John Wilhite. One was sent to Nashville where it was exhibited at the Centennial; the other was taken to Glasgow, Kentucky, where it was placed in the window of a bank building. The shoes weighed ten pounds each and it was hard to convince people that the knotted mass had ever been used for a shoe.

Uncle Steve was always cutting up Aunt ‘Becky’s’ shoes so that he might get more leather to weave into his boots. Some one told him to go to the tannery below Sparta and Mr. Stroud would give him all of the string he wanted. He walked several miles to reach the tannery, but when he told Mr. Stroud his mission, Mr. Stroud nearly weighted him down with strings and strips of leather. Uncle Steve twisted, turned around several times, and finally got started. Soon however, Mr. Stroud was surprised by the return of Uncle Steve. "Well, Mr. Hickman, what is the matter?" he asked.

Uncle Steve swallowed a time or two and replied, "Mr. Stroud would you mind to give me another string to tie up my bunch of strings?"

Jessie Hickman14, a brother of Uncle Steve, was a Presbyterian preacher and quite noted through the Upper Cumberland section. He was mortified at Uncle Steve’s personal appearance. One day he gave Uncle Steve a brand new pair of boots, which were very stylish at the time, and told him never to come to his house again wearing "those old shoes." Uncle Steve went off well pleased with his burden. The next time he came, he was wearing old whanged shoes. Jessie was quite provoked and said, "Steve, I thought I told you not to come here again wearing those old shoes."

Uncle Steve replied, "Rally-by-Ned, Brother Jessie, these are the very shoes you gave me."

The brother was furious and pointing to the gate, said, "Go to my gate, put yourself through my gate and don’t you ever come here again in that plight."

Uncle Steve answered with just as much anger, "Rally-by-Ned, I’ll not go through your gate, Brother Jess, but I’ll climb the fence right by the gate."

At another time Jess gave Steve a new suit, shoes, hat, and razor and told him to go home, shave, and dress up before to church on Sunday. On Sunday Uncle Steve appeared in all his finery but had not shaved. After church Uncle Jess asked Steve why he had not shaved. Steve replied, "Wall I’ll just tell you, Bother Jessie, I left my razor up in a stalk of corn where I was cutting corn for the hogs last night and the girls wouldn’t wait for me to go and get my razor so that I would shave."

Uncle Steve15 always felt that his people were not helping him as they should and he often became vexed and out of humor with them. One day, when he felt that he had taken an over amount of insults from his family, he said to his wife, "Becky I’m just gonna cuss our kinfolks."

She answered, "Ah! Stephen, I wouldn’t do that."

He replied, "Yas, Becky, I’m just gonna’ cuss our kinfolks. Damn our kinfolks, Becky."

Uncle Steve16 said, "Brother Jessie sang a song, ‘Give me Jesus and you can have all the world,’ but as soon as Pap died, Brother Jessie wanted all the land and everything else."

Uncle Steve17 and his boys were good workers and as they had only one mare they often did much of the work to save her. They made harness out of bark and harnessed themselves to the plow and other implements used on the farm. They gathered their corn in the fall in large bread trays and took time about harnessing themselves to the load.

One fall Uncle Jessie sent his steers and a wagon to his brother in order that he might gather his crops; also, sent word that it seemed to him that he could gather his crop much faster with a wagon. Uncle Steve immediately returned the team and wagon with this greeting, "Yah! Yah! Brother Jessie, and it seems to me your steers would eat up a lot of my corn."

Uncle Steve18 had a splendid peach and apple orchard of which he was unduly proud. A very cold wave hit the section late in the spring and he was afraid the trees would be killed, but he thought of a plan to save his orchard. He carried out nearly all the quilts to cover the trees and nearly froze his family and himself. There was a large snag in the middle of his orchard so he decided to set that on fire.

The next morning he found that many of his trees were ruined by the fire and that the burning snag had fallen on the best cow he owned and killed her.

One day Uncle Steve was passing the home of Frank Coatney and stopped to chat with Mrs. Coatney. In the course of the conversation he made this remark, "I’ll tell you, Aunt Clem, I was near death’s door last week." Mrs. Coatney asked how the accident occurred. This was his startling answer, "Last week I felt a tickling in the bottom of my boot and I just stomped and stomped before it stopped. I pulled off my boot this morning and I found a little dead snake in the bottom of my shoe. I’ll tell you, Aunt Clem, I didn’t know I was so near death’s door."

This quaint old man had the habit of going each Sunday morning to the home of Billy Simpson for breakfast; and this grew rather monotonous to the family. Just after the breakfast was finished, one Sunday morning, Mr. Simpson turned to Uncle Steve and said, "Now let’s see, Uncle Steve, our account has been standing for some time, I guess we had better settle up before it grows too big."

The eyes of the older man opened in surprise and he sputtered, "B…but you don’t charge a fellow for eating breakfast with you?"

Mr. Simpson replied, "No, not for two or three meals but when he just keeps coming I do."

Uncle Steve turned pale, reached over on the bed for his hat, and stammered, "Yah, yah and I guess I’d better be a-wenting."19

Uncle Steve never knew when he had eaten enough; he is best remembered today, perhaps, because of this fact. It is next to impossible to believe that a human stomach could hold what Uncle Steve forced his stomach to take. He was always present at every public dinner and people far and wide would come to see him eat. Death was directly brought on him as a result of one of these feasts.

The people of the county hold a celebration in honor of General George Dibrell who had been elected Representative from the county. As usual, the old man appeared bright and early. Many of the boys decided to give him all he could eat that day. Therefore, they devoted themselves to him for that purpose. The mischief makers made it part of their duty to see that Uncle Steve had something at hand to eat every moment. He ate and ate until everyone was startled. After he had eaten all the meat, cake and other foods that he could they brought him a large jar of candy; he sat flat on the ground with the jar between his legs and ate every piece of the candy. When he was making preparations to leave, the boys brought him a boiled ham and three loaves of bread. He crammed the bread in the bosom of his short and carried the ham as a fiddle in his left hand, with the butt end of the ham resting on his shoulder; then with the right hand he cut off bites of meat and broke off chunks of the bread. In this manner he left eating, but became ill on the way home and lived only three days after he was taken home.


JOHN BRADLEY

When war broke out between the states, John Bradley, then a young man, became a member of Ferguson’s bushwhacking band. He went on many raids with the leader through the Southern States but, in addition to these, he made many robbing expeditions of his own and even committed outrageous murders. At one time he met a man traveling alone an attempted to rob him. He discovered the man had only one dollar; he put the dollar back in the man’s pocket and shot him because he did not have more money.20

Bradley21 led his men into Sequatchie Valley for an invasion. They went to the home of a Federal sympathizer, a Mr. Param, who had sent sons into the Union army. They killed Mr. Param, stole jewelry from the girls and broke their fingers in taking the rings, rode Mrs. Param on a rail, and mistreated the family very, very badly. After committing these dastardly acts, they put a candle in the mouth of the murdered father and played cards on his body. The mother held a young child in her arms and told Bradley the child would grow up to kill him. He laughed in her face at the absurd idea.

At the close of the war, Bradley with other bushwhackers went West to escape just punishment. In the meantime the Param boy grew to manhood and declared vengeance on Bradley as he was the only member of the party recognized and remembered. Two of the Param boys who had been at home during the unwelcome visit from Bradley, made it their life’s work to find him and bring to him his just dues. One of the boys would furnish the money for the search; the other would devote his life to the search.

When Bradley left White County, he traveled under the name of Johnson, his mother’s maiden name. Another legend says that he was under arrest for killing a negro and while he was on trial two negroes disputed his word and he killed them in the courtroom. He fled, again becoming a fugitive from the law. According to this tradition, it was then his name was changed.22

Bradley23 remained in the West twelve or fifteen years (some say thirty), until his cousin, then attorney-general, wrote him it would be safe for him to come home to see his mother and friends. He came but was only presented to his closest friends.

Flinn, a revenue officer from Sequatchie was at the home of Frank Coatney making preparation for a trip to Nashville, when Bill Wilhite came in and calmly stated the fact that John Bradley was at home, for he had seen him. Flinn, whom Wilhite had not seen, got up, gave his papers to Coatney, and told him that it was necessary that he go home immediately. It was later believed Flinn carried the news of Bradley’s return to the boys.

The Param boys come with five or seven sheriffs from Sequatchie and surrounded the Bradley home early one morning. At daybreak they sent two of their men, one of the Param boys and Flinn, to the front door to ask for breakfast. The mother told the daughter who answered the door to show them into the room where John was, as breakfast was not ready. As soon as they entered the room, John got up, put on his clothes and suddenly grabbed Flinn around the neck. He was attempting to shoot the office when the Param boy grabbed and held the arm which was holding Flinn. The sheriff wrenched himself free and placed his pistol just under Brandley’s left arm and fired; Bradley fell dead without an utterance.

The mother and daughter ran into the room from the kitchen. The daughter brought the rolling pin and began to beat Param over the head. She followed him to the porch with this treatment where he kicked her from the porch. The group left at once for their homes, but on the way they met one of the boys who had been mistreated by Bradley, and he was angry because he not been allowed to come. Some of Bradley’s relative and friends started after the Param boys but were advised to come back for the boys had stayed within the law for they had brought a warrant for his arrest and the seven sheriffs.

The Param boys sent word to the Attorney-General that they would be ready for trial whenever called. The time for the trial arrived and a small army came from Sequatchie, traveling in covered wagons, and camped just outside the city limits. All the men came heavily armed. Flinn was cleared on self protection, and the trial lasted only two days. It was said to have been the shortest murder trial in the history of the county.

The Param boy returned from the West on the same train with Bradley, but as he was traveling under an assumed name did not discover the fact until after the killing. Some people say that he had a grown daughter who believed her name to be Johnson. Others say that he married under his own name and that his family knew the circumstance under which his name was changed.


GENERAL GEORGE GIBBS DIBRELL

Any study of White County would be incomplete without a special reference to General George Gibbs Dibrell – a foremost in its history – political, moral, and military life. He was born in White County, Tennessee, on May 6, 1888. He was the son of Anthony Dibrell, a Virginian, who was a pioneer in this section. At the age of twenty-four he married Mary E. Leftwich, a daughter of Wayman Leftwich, a prominent citizen and successful merchant of Sparta.

General Dibrell’s business career was very successful. He was punctual in small things as well as in the larger affairs which engrossed his attention. At the age of eighteen he was clerk of thus branch Bank of Tennessee at Sparta. He served three terms Clerk of the County Court of White County, voluntarily retired in 1860. He continued his mercantile business and farming until the breaking out of the Civil War. In 1861 he was a candidate for the State Convention, representing the Union side, and was elected by a large majority. He was always outspoken in his adherence to the cause of the South but did not believe that secession was a solution of the difficulty. When the war became inevitable, however, he was the first to come to the defense of his section, and on many battle fields to come to the defense of his section, and on many battle fields he defended the South’s standard, carving with the sword an imperishable name in the annals of the war. In 1861 he was elected to the Legislature, receiving all but one vote of the votes cast. He assisted in the organization of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, and on August 10, 1861, was elected lieutenant-colonel. This regiment was assigned to General Zollicoffer’s Brigade. At Mill Springs, Kentucky, he was given control of all the outposts, and pickets, and cavalry officers of equal and superior rank were ordered to report to him. His first hard-fought battle was at Fishing Creek, Virginia. When Colonel Stanton was wounded early in the engagement he assumed command of the regiment. At Corinth, Mississippi, on May 7, 1862, he commanded the outposts that had an engagement with General Pope’s advance. Pope had telegraphed that he had routed the rebels and captured four thousand prisoners, when Dibrell had only two hundred men engaged. His loss as a result of this battle was only forty-one killed, wounded or captured. He returned home to enter the cavalry service, with letters from General Marmaduke and General Hardie, who had witnessed his fight with Pope’s advance. He then went to Richmond to obtain authority to raise his cavalry regiment. He raised the Eight Tennessee Cavalry Regiment within the lines of the enemy, and was assigned to the brigade of the great cavalry leader, General N. B. Forrest. He was engaged in several battles around Nashville, Franklin, and in West Tennessee, at Parker’s Cross Roads, Spring Hill, and Triune. On the retreat from Tullahoma, he assisted in the command of General Forrest’s old brigade, after the wounding of Colonel Starnes, and commanded that brigade until the close of the war. He was in two battles in White County, and began the celebrated battle of Chickamauga on September 18, 1863. He was, also, at Cleveland, Sweetwater, and Philadelphia. He took part in many engagements under General Wheeler at Dalton and Atlanta, George; he was under General Longstreet in East Tennessee; he was with the General Wheeler at Dalton and Atlanta, Georgia; he was under General Longstreet in East Tennessee; he was with General Wheeler and General Hampton in the campaigns through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

At the close of the war he was ordered from Raleigh, North Carolina, to report to President Davis at Greensboro, North Carolina, after the fall of Richmond. He made this eighty-five mile march in two nights and one day, an escorted President Davis, with all the archives, to Washington, Georgia, where the surrender was made and were the soldiers were paroled on May 19, 1865.

When he returned with his men to White County, he found much devastation of his home and the entire county. Most of his property had been swept away, and he found himself heavily involved in debt, largely security debts, and damage suits aggregating $75,000. These suits were brought against him by unprincipled loyalists, but he never shirked his talk, and was never sued for a debt in his life. By his rare business tact he soon became prosperous again. In 1869 he was elected to the Constitutional Convention which framed our present Constitution, and was the author of many of the most beneficent clauses in that instrument.

General Dibrell was largely responsible for getting the railroad extended to Sparta, and spent many years organizing and getting capital interested in the Bon Air Coal and Coke Company, and the extension of the road from Sparta to that point. He was the architect of this great property, now the finest coal property in the South.

In 1874, General Dibrell was elected to represent the Third District in the state Legislature by a majority of 4,600, or more than two to one, over Captain Drake, the Republican. He served 10 years, voluntarily retiring in 1884. His record in Congress was like his record in war, honorable and brilliant. He was very punctual in serving his constituents. Though a Democrat, he was as eagerly serve a political enemy as a follower. He answered all letters in his own handwriting, and his capacity for business was phenomenal. He was a very close friend of Samuel J. Randall.

In 1886 he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor, and was only narrowly defeated by Governor Robert L. Taylor. Two years later, while the State Democratic Convention was in session, news came of General Dibrell’s death at Sparta. The news threw a pall over the great body of Democrats, and the business of the convention was, at the time, forgotten. Speeches were made by a number of eminent men, and a committee was appointed to draft suitable resolutions, which were unanimously adopted. General Dibrell’s nomination at this time would have been quite probable, had he lived.

As a citizen, soldier, and statesman, General Dibrell was without a peer even in a sectional remarkable for its strong manhood and brilliant acquisition. He died leaving a character more valuable than estates, high in love and esteem of his countrymen.24