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 McGhee

Aged 53 years. Residence three miles and a half from Cleveland. I am a farmer. I am not related to the claimant and have no interest in his claim.

I have been acquainted with the claimant ever since he came to this county, having lived myself nearly all that time in Cleveland.

Question by the claimant – State what you know about my carrying a petition around in the winter or early spring of 1862 to leading rebels about Cleveland to sign it asking the rebel authorities to release a number of Union prisoners that were confined in southern prisons.

Answer – I recollect the claimant came to John N. Cowan’s one Sunday about that time with a petition to release some Union men from Cleveland and Bradley county Tennessee. James M. Cowan and myself were present at James N. Cowan’s at the time. I distinctly recollect the claimants showing the petition to us to try to get these Union men out of prison. After it was read over to us, John N. Cowan and James M. Cowan signed it, and my recollection is that I also signed it.

Question – State what names do you recollect seeing on this petition?

Answer – My recollection is that the names of Dr. J.P.R. Edwards name was on it, besides other leading rebels of the town of Cleveland before we signed. John N. Cowan, James M. Cowan were honorable leading rebels and I also acted with that side, but at heart I was always a Union man.

Question – State what you know about these Union men from Southern prison being released from Tuscaloosa and coming back home and give the names of some of the prisoners.

Answer – I recollect that it was not long afterwards that these Union men were released and came home. Among these prisoners were Col. Stephen Baird, Thomas L. Cate, Dr. John G. Brown, Dr. William Hunt and Seth Bradford and some others came back at that time.

Question – State what you know about this petition being presented only to the rebels who were best disposed fowards their Union neighbors.

Answer – I recollect when we signed the petition that James N. Cowan said that he did not know whether he had done right or not in signing it but that the claimant Uncle Billie (as he called him) was his neighbor and a clean man. And the men to be got out were clean men and he signed it anyhow as it was a private matter. The two Cowans and Dr. Edwards are dead.

Question – State what you know about how James N. Cowan regarded me as to loyalty and as how you regarded me.

Answer – I recollect that at one time when I had been two or three days out trying to save a wagon and team that the rebels had pressed as they were being driven out of this county by the federals and had left a mule with a Mr. Tucker, a Union man, and Tucker got uneasy and sent it to the claimants. The mule belonged to Cowan and (Company?) of whom I was one. I saw James N. Cowan and told him I had the mule in claimant’s parts, and James N. said it was all right for Uncle Billie was a good Union man and would save him if he could.

I know that Cowan always considered claimant a Union man. I always regarded claimant as a Union man.

Question – State what you know about J.C. Steed being a brick mason and how long has he followed it for a living.

Answer – He is a brick mason and he has to my knowledge followed it for thirty years for a living.

signed,
James McGhee
before, John W. Ramsey – Spec. Comm.

Links to each section of the transcribed file:

• Introduction & Part VIII — Conclusion
• Part I — William Cate’s Claimed Losses
• Part II — Notes from the Office of the Commissioners of Claims
• Part III — Depositions Taken in 1875 Regarding Claimant’s (Cate) Loyalty
• Part IV — Opinion Submitted by John B. Brownlow, U. S. Special Commission
• Part V — Additional Testimony for the Commissioners of Claims at Washington
  • Depositions:
    William Cate ~ Joseph H. Davis ~ Leonard Carrouth ~ Capt. A. E. Blount ~ John A. Steed ~ J. F. Larrison ~ Mrs. Sidney Henderson ~ Col. D. M. Nelson ~ Samuel Grigsby ~ Andrew J. Maples ~ John A. Hague ~ Herman Foster ~ Thomas L. Cate ~ James McGhee ~ Thomas Rains ~ D. B. Oneal ~ Thomas A. Cowan ~ C. L. Hardwick ~ Joseph Calloway ~ J. C. Steed ~ Joseph R. Taylor ~ William W. Wood(s) ~ James H. Brown ~ James S. Robertson ~ John H. Craigmiles ~ John H. Parker ~ John McReynolds ~ John W. Witcher
• Part VI — Summary of All Evidence for and Against Cate’s Loyalty
• Part VII — Opinion of Witnesses by John W. Ramsey
• Part VIII — William Cate’s Letter to Judge A. O. Alder

The information in these articles was formerly linked from Bradley County TNGenWeb to a site owned by Danny Roy Williams at Geocities.  The site was last available in 2009.  It is available through the Internet Archive here.  No copyright infringement is intended.