William Cate’s Civil War Southern Claims Commission File — Deposition of James H. Brown – Bradley County, Tennesseee, Genealogy & History

Additional Testimony for the Commissioners of Claims at Washington

Claim of William Cate of Bradley county, Tennessee no. 15.774 and 20702

Deposition of James H. Brown

Aged 66 years old and reside in Meigs county, Tennessee about a mile from Kincommons Ferry. I was examined in this case by Mr. Hybarger, Special Commissioner on property, having cropped on the claimant’s farm during the years 1862 and 1862 and did not leave his farm till sometime in 1864.

I am not related to the claimant and have no interest in his claim.

Question by the claimant – State what you know about the rebels bringing their cattle out and feeding them on my hay or forage, how many they brought, what they fed to them, and your means of knowing what you speak about.

Answer – In December 1862 the rebel soldiers brought sixty cattle out to the claimant’s farm and soon afterwards they brought out forty head more and after that they brought four more poor old cows. While the soldiers were there attending to their cattle and slaughtering them, they stayed at a small house about eight or ten feet from my house and I was on intimate terms with them while they stayed, which was forty or fifty days. The whole of their feeding and slaughtering was in my view. I know that the rebels fed out a very large rick, about three hundred yards from my house and about two hundred yards from Mr. J.C. Steed’s house and in full and fair view of both our houses.

Our houses were also in plain view of each other.

I often saw them feeding the stock and also saw Steed looking at them feeding on the hay. I also recollect that Steed bought a lot of the hides from those who slaughtered the cattle and often the soldiers took (?) and portions of beef to Mr. J.C. Steeds. The soldiers several times borrowed a basket from me to carry the beef to Mr. Steed. These soldiers spent considerable of their time at Mr. Steeds. These soldiers also fed away two other small stacks of hay belonging to the claimant.

My recollection is that there was by estimation in the two large ricks about twenty tons each, and I suppose there was half as much more in the other two stocks. So that in my opinion there was about sixty tons of the claimant’s hay used by them. My recollection that the claimant said to me at the time that he only got four hundred dollars in confederate money for all of his hay that they took. This was early in 1863 and it took about that time about eight or ten dollars in confederate money to pay for one in Tennessee Bank money.

But I understood that they went off without paying anything for the small stacks.

Question – State what you know about the rebels forcing their cattle upon me at that time?

Answer – I recollect that some of them came out twice to see you about putting their cattle on your place, and that claimant refused to let them come and told them that he did not have any hay to spare and at last the soldiers came out with the cattle and put them into his field against his will.

Question – Do you know whether J.C. Steed knew that these cattle were forced upon the claimant?

Answer – I heard the claimant and J.C. Steed talking about this matter and I know that claimant told Steed that the rebels forced the cattle on him.

Question – Do you know how many of these hides J.C. Steed bought from the soldiers and what he gave for them and whether the confederate officers were satisfied with these sales?

Answer – I do not recollect how many of these hides Steed got but I know that he got the most of the best hides and I heard Steed say he got them at a dollar a piece in confederate money. I know that the officers before they started raised a fuss about the loss of these hides. They came to claimant’s house searching for them but found none at his house for he did not have any of them and the claimant asked me to slip over to Mr. Steed’s and tell him what was up and that the officers were hunting for the hides, that Steed might get them out of the way and when I told Steed he said if they did not come before night, they would not find any of the hides; and the officers gave up the search and came back to Cleveland.

Question – State what you know about the claimant and J.C. Steed being on friendly terms till after the war was over and about whether Steed was not often at claimants house or not during the time you stayed there.

Answer – The claimant and J.C. Steed were on intimate terms till I left and went into the federal army about the first of March 1864. While I lived by them, Mr. Steed was often at claimant’s house to get the claimant to attend to matters at Cleveland for Mr. Steed. Mr. Steed said to me at one time that he did not know what the Union men of that neighborhood would do if Mr. Cate got into such a fix that he could not go to town; for Steed and some of the other Union men had got afraid to got to town.

Question – State what was the state of feeling and affairs between me and Mr. Steed when you got back from the war and how you know it.

Answer – When I got back from the federal army, I first met one of Mr. Steed’s sons and in conversation asked him about Mr. William Cate and he said they had fallen out and had no correspondence.

I afterwards met Mr. Steed and asked him and he told me that he and claimant had fallen out and had no correspondence or dealings.

As I was well acquainted with both Steed and claimant I asked Mr. Steed what was the falling out and he told me it was about dogging some of his hogs. That some of the claimants hogs had died and he reckoned that they would never be friendly unless he paid the claimant for his hogs and that he did not intend to do.

Question – State what you know about my loyalty and how Mr. J.C. Steed regards me.

Answer – I was a strong Union man and I knew that claimant was a strong Union man. Mr. Steed was a Union man and so considered the claimant and was often at his house during the war, and often came through to learn the news from Cleveland for we were in the habit; a number of Union men of us, of meeting at claimant’s to hear the news, for he went to town almost every day and many of us were fearful to go to town.

Question – State what you know about Captain Norman coming to your house one night hunting me and what took place on that occasion?

Answer – I recollect that about the 1st of June 1863, I had a very sick child and sent for the claimant to come to my house and while he was at my house after dark Norman came to my house in search of the claimant and I got a torch light and Norman sorted out a package or two of letters or papers of some kind that he said had come through the federal lines and he gave them to Mr. Cate for distribution. I recollect that Norman told him to give part of these letters to Dr. G.B. Thompson.

I also saw Norman give the claimant a package of money to get changed, and as my wife was present, Norman then took Cate aside and they had some private conversation that I did not hear.

I recollect that Captain Norman came back to the claimant’s next day before the claimant got back from Cleveland and as I was expecting some medicine by the claimant I sat and talked with Captain Norman till Cate got back. When Cate got back he brought a sack of goods and he and Norman had a talk about the sick conscripts and the necessary medicine for them. I recollect Cate telling Norman that when Norman sent back the nag he let him have to carry the sack of goods home on, that he would send him a joint of meat for those conscripts.

As Mr. Cate could not get the (?) medicines needed he sent me to Candy’s Creek and I got an armful of white walnut bark for him to boil and make medicine out of which he did for the use of our families and the sick conscripts.

Question – State what you know about Captain Norman’s often coming to the claimant’s house to get news when Norman was at home and to get claimant to transact business for other Union men.

Answer – I knew that Captain Norman had been through the federal lines and I also know that Norman often came privately to the claimant’s house to get the news from Cleveland and to get the claimant to attend to matters for him at Cleveland, and that he had the utmost confidence in the loyalty of the claimant. Norman told me at one time when he had been away, that he did not let anybody but myself, claimant and one or two others know what he was about.

Question – State what you know about my taking my stock and hands and going over and threshing out Capt. Joseph Cobb’s wheat for his family while Cobb was gone to the federal armies.

Answer – Claimant took his hands and stock and hired me and went over to the said Joseph Cobb’s house and threshed out a considerable crop of wheat for his wife and small children. He stacked the straw and put the wheat in Cobb’s garner. While I was at Cobb’s working for claimant the rebels took my (mare?) from my house. I never heard of her anymore.

Question – State what you know about the ill feelings between me and Mr. J.F. Larrison during the war?

Answer – I know that they were on ill terms, not even on speaking terms. I asked Larrison as well as claimant about it and learned what it was about.

Question – Do you know how Larrison regarded me as to loyalty during the War?

Answer – I was intimate with Larrison and know that though he did not like the claimant, yet he regarded him as loyal to the Union cause.

Question – Do you know of my assisting other Union men besides those named above?

Answer – I knew the claimant aiding many other Union conscripts, many of whose names I did not know or want to know.

signed,
James H. Brown
before, John w. Ramsey – Spec. Comm.

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