THOMAS S. CLEVELAND was born April 25, 1840, in Bedford County, Tenn. His father Jeremiah CLEVELAND was a native of Greenville, S. C., born March, 1806, and of English and German descent. About 1833 he immigrated to Bedford County, Tenn., and located on the farm where our subject is now living. He married Miss Sallie E. STONE, and native of Maury County, born about 1815, and of English descent. To this union were born six children. Jeremiah CLEVELAND was a merchant before his coming to this State and a farmer afterward. He owned about 1,500 acres of land on Duck River, on this county, besides a large tract of 3,000 acres on the Mississippi River. He had about $50,000 of stock in the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, and was one of the first board of directors to locate the road. He died in 1878. The mother of our subject died in 1840.
Thomas CLEVELAND was educated at the Cumberland University at Lebanon, and lived with his father until May, 1861, when he enlisted in company G, Seventeenth Tennessee Infantry, and was elected as third Lieutenant of his company, and as such served twelve months. He then joined the artillery of Gen. John H. Morgan’s command, and was captured in Ohio in July, 1863, and retained until 1863. He then returned to Wartrace, Bedford County, where he has ever since remained engaged in farming. In 1867 he married Miss Annie E. WRIGHT, a native of Floyd County, Ga., and a daughter of Moses R. WRIGHT, and a niece of Judge WRIGHT. Who was a member of the United Stated congress.
To our subject and wife were born five children: Sallie S., Lizzie H., Hattie D., Annie L:. and Carrie C. Mr. CLEVELAND is a member of the Masonic fraternity, also of the R. A. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church, and live on the old homestead, consisting of 600 acres of land. Mr. CLEVELAND is a grandson of Capt. Robert CLEVELAND, and a grandnephew of Col. Benjamin CLEVELAND, both of whom served with distinction in the Revolutionary War.
Transcribed by Kathryn Hopkins
Goodspeed Publishing Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Reminescences [Sic], Observations, Etc., Etc. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988.