CHAPTER XIV.

IN THE EARLY WARS.

THE county was not in existence as such until about ten years prior to the war with Mexico, but many of those who made up its settlers had seen service in the Revolution and in the War of 1812. A large section, including Alexandria and Liberty, was in Smith County until 1835, when they were taken into the new county of Cannon. In 1837 the two first-named towns were included in the new county of DeKalb. Some years later the Temperance Hall section and John F. Goodner's land, near Alexandria, were taken from Smith and added to it.

The pioneer cemeteries and family graveyards-the latter are found on nearly all the large farms-have been long neglected. Such graves as had markers have in many cases crumbled or had the inscriptions effaced by the elements. No doubt a number of the followers of General Washington sleep in graves that were never marked. But from the wreckage of time the following names of Revolutionary veterans have been preserved: Adam Dale, builder of the earliest mill in the county (about 1800), but buried in Maury County; Thomas Dale, who owned several 640-acre tracts around Liberty (he having purchased the claims of old soldiers), buried south of that village, on the Thomas Givan farm; Philip Palmer, buried near Alexandria; John Fisher, buried in the eastern portion of the county. Also the names of the following who were

151

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

living and drawing pensions in 1840: Rev. John Fite, aged eighty-one, residing then with his son, Henry; Leonard Fite, aged eighty-one (father of the late Thomas D. Fite and grandfather of Len F. Davis, of Nashville); Col. James Saunders, aged seventy-one, living with Joseph Saunders; Elijah Duncan, aged ninety; Joseph Rankhorn, aged eighty-one; John Puckett, aged seventy-six; John Bevert, aged eighty-six; and Elijah Hooten, aged ninety-three. The last-named, says John K. Bain, an old-timer, who was register of the county before the great war, lived to be one hundred and eleven years of age, and at one hundred and eight rode horseback to the Bain home, south of Smithville. James H. Burton writes: "John Smithson, who lived on Short Mountain, either in DeKalb or near the line, was a Revolutionary soldier. He was buried with the honors of war."

As Col. James Tubb made up a company for the War of 1812, no doubt a majority of his men were from this county, but it has been impossible to secure the roster. These, however, are recalled: Benjamin Garrison, of Alexandria; Mose Spencer, of Liberty; Benjamin Prichard, father of the late Brown Prichard, near Liberty; Jacob Hearn, George Thomason, Lewis Washburn, and Silas Cooper, the last four going from Alexandria. Jacob Hearn became a loved and successful Methodist itinerant, known in old age as "Uncle Jakey." James H. Burton writes that Joshua Bratten, Reuben Evans, and Archie McIntire, of Liberty, were veterans of the War of 1812, and that McIntire was possibly in the Black Hawk War. Were

152

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

they members of Tubb's company? It is suggested that Benjamin Hale, the writer's paternal grandfather, was under Tubb, but that must be an error; for he is found to have been at the battle on Villere's plantation, near New Orleans, December 23, 1814, probably a member of Col. John Coffee's riflemen. A youth when he joined a company of Maryland revolutionists, Adam Dale made up a company in Smith (DeKalb) County and fought under Jackson in the War of 1812. (See the sketch of Liberty, Chapter III., as to his record.)

Colonel Tubb, grandfather of the popular Alexandria merchant, Livingston Tubb, was one of the best-known men of his county. Born March 18, 1788, he lived on Smith's Fork Creek, east of Alexandria and north of Liberty, and died July 18, 1867. He was possessed of hundreds of acres of fine land; and as he would not separate the families of his slaves, when emancipated they numbered nearly one hundred. He figured prominently in the musters which furnished so much interest to our grandfathers. From records in the State archives the following facts are gleaned: As captain of the Second Regiment of Militia his commission bears date of June 3, 1811, signed at Knoxville by Gov. Willie Blount, R. Houston, Secretary of State; as first major of the Forty-First Regiment it was signed at Nashville December 13, 1815, by Gov. Joseph McMinn, William Alexander, Secretary of State; and as colonel of the last-named regiment it is dated at Nashville February 10, 1829, bearing the

153

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

signature of Gov. Sam Houston, Daniel Graham, Secretary of State.

He was captain in the Second Tennessee Regiment from September 20, 1814, to April 10, 1815, and was at Pensacola or Mobile when the battle of New Orleans was fought. On account of inadequate transportation facillities he had to pay his own expenses for baggage and transportation. Shortly after his return he filed a claim against the government (July 14, 1816). It was made out before W. Tannehill, J. P., being for four hundred pounds of baggage from Fayetteville, Tenn., where the volunteers rendezvoused, to Fort Montgomery, thence to Pensacola and back to Fort Montgomery, thence to Fayetteville from Mobile-six hundred and thirteen miles at eight cents per mile.

Colonel Tubb and his company, like other Tennesseeans, probably took up their march toward Mobile and Pensacola in response to the call of the Secretary of War in July, 1814, for 2,500 Tennessee militia, fixing September 15 for their assembling.

Was there another company from the county? Several militia officers were commissioned from 1812 to 1815. It is tradition that Col. Abraham Overall organized a company for the war. It is seen from records in the archivist's office that on May 19, 1814, he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Forty-First Militia. His grandson, Hon. T. W. Wood, of Bellbuckle, writes: "As to the War of 1812-15, I have often heard my mother speak, when I was a small boy, of our grandfather's being engaged under

154

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Jackson in several battles, and particularly that of Horseshoe Bend, where he had a horse shot under him. He was major or acting lieutenant colonel. I remember now only the name of one man in the company, young Cook." H. L. Overall, a grandson, says: "I think grandfather was under Jackson, for I have heard my father, Horace A. Overall, speak of the intimate friendship existing between him and Old Hickory." Since the fact is almost wholly forgotten (except by their descendants) that Tubb and Dale had companies in the second war with Great Britain, it is possible that Colonel Overall was a veteran, and, thinking thus, it is believed that this relative to his ancestry would interest the public. In his great volume sketching the pioneers of the Shenanndoah Valley, Va., Cartmell says the Overalls are in direct descent from Bishop Overall, of England, who was the author of the Convocation Book mentioned in Macaulay's "History of England." He adds: "The first settlement made [in America] by this family was in Stafford County, Va., about 1700. One member of this branch came to the Shenandoah Valley as soon as it was open for settlement. This was John Overall, who married Maria Christina Froman [granddaughter of a German who owned 100,000 acres in the valley], settled on South River, and reared seven children-viz., John, William, Nathaniel, Mary, Nancy, Robert, and Christina. John married Elizabeth Waters in 1773. She was the mother of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham, the oldest son, married Hannah Leath in Virginia and then moved to Tennessee in 1805. . . . Jacob,

155

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

third son of John, married Nancy Lawrence and moved to Tennessee in 1805." Abraham located in what became DeKalb County and died in 1844. His wife died in 1837. Jacob settled in Smith County, but his grandsons, James H., J. W., and D. D. Overall, became citizens of DeKalb County.

Dekalb was represented in the Black Hawk and Seminole Wars. Levi Foutch, of the Alexandria neighborhood, was a soldier in the former, while Paschal M. Brien was sergeant in William B. Campbell's cavalry company in the campaign against the Seminoles. A few names of the troops are copied from Sergeant Brien's mess and guard book, still in existence. From the mess list of July 11, 1836: John Leach, G. W. Gray, W. G . Tucker, William Allison, Levi Pendleton, Hugh Reed, J. G. Shy, J. J. Reasonover, Peter Webster, John Coe, S. A. Farmer, Joseph Allison, James G. Ford, William G. Ford, Charles Wade, John Warren, James Owens, H. G. Owens, Francis Pugh, William Taylor, H. J. Cochran, William Baker, James Barrett, Alfred Womack, William Penile, William Wilson, Richard and James Booze, David Phillips, George Carmax, James Spradley, Isaac Snow, Hardy Calhoun, Richard Jones, Rufus Haynes, H. G. Maney, S. C. Beasley, Thomas Dale, T. G. Harrel, J. J. Coleman, and J. G. Debrunt. >From the guard list, beginning July 11 and ending July 19: J. H. Alexander, G. G. Gray, Cyrus Hazard, Seaborn Harts, W. B. Taylor, Nathaniel Parrot, Sterling Ward, Jonah Hallum, E. W. Davis, William Hallum, Daniel Coggin, William McClanahan, William Fores-

_________________

Facing page 156, photo captioned:

JOHN F. GOODNER

CAPTAIN IN THE WAR WITH MEXICO AND COLONEL OF THE
SEVENTH TENNESSEE CONFEDERATE REGIMENT

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH LOANED BY MRS. LIZZIE HALE, LIBERTY

156

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

ter, William Baker, H. B. Haney, John McFarland, John B. Claiborne, David Phillips, William Dougherty, Thomas Brooks, Elijah Hollis, Robert Hayne, Samuel Allison, Peter Webster, H. Heflin, J. G. Davenport, H. J. Warren, James Davis, James Cheek, P. Snow, William Lancaster, William Wilson, and Hugh Reed.

A number of these men were from the territory that became DeKalb. Daniel Coggin was the county's first register and first representative in the General Assembly. Captain Campbell then lived in Smith County, removing to Lebanon later.

The first war to occur after the county came into existence was that with Mexico. Two companies were raised in DeKalb County. But few are surviving in 1914-Isaac Cooper, Alexandria; William (Cal.) Smithson, Gassaway; J. T. Finley, Celina, Tex.; House Akin, Missouri; and Wilson Bennett, Kentucky.

Capt. John F. Goodner's company, I, was made up at Alexandria. Thomas J. Finley, aged ninety-one, of Celina, Tex., has kindly sent the muster roll of these volunteers:

Offiers: John F. Goodner, captain; John S. Reece, first lieutenant; W. J. Johnson, second lieutenant; W. J. Wright, third lieutenant; Thomas B. Askew, first sergeant; Isaac Belcher, second sergeant; A. N. Davis, third sergeant; William McClellan, fourth sergeant; J. W. Johnson, first corporal; Wilson Jackson, second corporal; Harrison Bennett, third corporal; John S. Gill, fourth corporal; William D. Parkerson, first bugler; William Riddle, second bugler; A. T. Jackson, forager.

157

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Privates: J. T. Allison, W. C. Bennett, Frank Ballenger, A. J. Baker, Addison Batts, H. L. Bradley, F. L. Boyd, John Bostic, W. H. Cheek, W. R. Caskey, J. R. Cheek, Calvin Clark, J. S. Davis, J. W. Dougherty, J. H. Davis, G. W. Eastes, Amos Foutch, T. J. Finley, W. E. Foutch, Thomas Gwaltney, William Gates, Franklin Sky, R. B. Kyle, T. O. Kinney, J. L. McGann, W. C. Malone, J. C. Neely, James Oakley, L. O. Patey, Moses Preston, John Patton, James W. Parker, Calvin W. Hill, B. H. Akin, Isaac Cooper.

In an interview Isaac Cooper, who is one of the survivors of Captain Goodner's company, said: "I joined Company I, First Tennessee Regiment of Mounted Infantry, for service in the Mexican War about the time I reached my majority. Our colonel was Jonas E. Thomas, while our company was organized at Alexandria and sworn in at Nashville. Our uniform was gray and was made at home. We went to Tampico and crossed the Gulf to Vera Cruz. A fourteen days' storm overtook us, and we had to throw overboard the horses of Colonel Thomas and Major Waterhouse. The other horses followed on transports. After the battle of Vera Cruz we fought at Cerro Gordo, then marched to Jalapa across the mountains, I being one of the guards of four wagonloads of gold and silver from Vera Cruz to Jalapa. On our return home we took ship at Vera Cruz for New Orleans, thence by boat to Nashville. The government bought our horses at Vera Cruz, and I received about $700 for my absence of twelve months and eight days from home."

Abram M. Savage made up Company F, Third

158

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Col. B. F. Cheatham.

Officers: A. M. Savage, captain; Reuben Simpson, first lieutenant; W. M. Bailey, second lieutenant; John W. Kennedy, third lieutenant; John England, first sergeant (appointed February 4, 1848); Benjamin Adcock, second sergeant (in hospital at Jalapa April 13, 1848); Elijah B. Hudson, third sergeant; James H. Wood, fourth sergeant; Chester F. Bethel, first corporal; Joseph Coger, second corporal; Anthony P. Adcock, third corporal; Thomas F. Kennedy, fourth corporal; Tillman Cantrell, musician; Alex Ferguson, musician.

Privates: W. D. Allen, J. W. Allen, David Adcock, William Adcock, McDonald Adcock, Perry Adcock, James Adcock, Henry Adkins, Martin Brown, James L. Blunt (died at Molino del Rey March 8, 1848), David Barrett, Eli Barrett, J. W. Barrett, Anderson Burnet (died at Rio T- June 4, 1848), Martin S. Bonham, William Ballard, Congelius Burrip, Hiram Bethel, Jim Cantrell, Ben Cantrell, Elisha and Elijah Chambers (twins), B. F. Cummings, Moses H. Cummings, Moses C. Cummings (died in Mexico City June 30, 1848), Carrol Caskey, John H. Dosier, John Atnip, Edmundson Elkins (died at Molina del Rey April 18, 1848), John A. Edwards, J. E. Edwards, Henry Edwards (died at Molino del Rey March 5, 1848), J. S. Ellige, Thomas Fisher, Thomas Fowler, Thomas Giles, James Gibson, Dillard Gannon, James R. Gapway, Moses Hutchins, William Hendrixon, William W. Harris, Hardy Johnson, Robert Jones,

159

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Ed Jones, William Koger (died at Molino del Rey April 15, 1848), J. W. Lance, J. R. Looney (died at Molino del Rey July 12, 1848), James Mannon (died at Molino del Rey February 24, 1848), J. B. Mullins (died at Molino del Rey May 11, 1848), Green Melton, John Melton, Peter Maxey, Iradel March, William Markham, Ebenezer Moss, Alex Neal, W. H. Neeley, Joshua R. Neely (died at Molino del Rey April 28, 1848), Joseph Pack, Thomas Pack, James Pitman, John Barton, Abe Parton, James Pistole, W. M. Pettit, (died at St. Augustine May 19, 1848), William C. Smithson, David Smithson, J. H. Sullins (died in Mexico City March 7, 1848), Joshua Simpson, Jacob Taylor, W. H. Tate (died at Molino del Rey May 5, 1848), J. A. Tate, J. B. Tate, T. G . Vance, S. Brown Whaley, William Wommack, John K. Bain (discharged at Molino del Rey February 2, 1848), E. E. Phillips and William Richard (discharged there February 2, 1848), William G. Givan (died in Mexico City February 15, 1848), John T. Hudson (died in the same city January 16, 1848), Richard Taylor (died there also January 14, 1848), Jesse W. Taylor (died there January 24, 1848), John C. Sullins (died at Molino del Rey February 7, 1848), James Young (died in Mexico City January 20, 1848.)

This company was mustered into service October 8, 1847, rendezvousing on the Nolensville Pike two and a half miles from Nashville. Taken to New Orleans by boat, it proceeded to Vera Cruz. Here a brigade was formed, but it did not reach the City of Mexico until that place was captured.

160

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

A barbecue was given the Mexican volunteers at Liberty in 1847, a heavy downpour spoiling the occasion, and a number of town cows were foundered on the damaged food. Dr. Foster writes that on this occasion "Henry Bratten, son of Isaac Bratten, was the color bearer and rode a small, prancing claybank. The cavalry presented an imposing appearance-before the rain." Seven Adcocks from about Smithville are listed, it will be noticed. Perry Adcock, father of Hon. B. G. Adcock, a prominent lawyer of Cookeville, later raised a company of Confederates at Smithville, becoming captain. It has been asserted that in the war with Mexico nine Americans died where one was killed. The above record is indicative. In memory of William G. Givan, who died in the City of Mexico, as seen, an empty coffin was buried in Salem Cemetery, at Liberty.

161

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Go to Chapter 15

Return to Index Page

Return to the Dekalb County Page