Additional Testimony for the Commissioners of Claims at Washington

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

Deposition of Leonard Carrouth

Who in answer to the questions deposes and says, my name is Leonard Carrouth age 53, residence Riceville Tennessee, deposition was taken by Col. James B. Brownlow. I have known the claimant since the summer of ‘64. I first met him at Mr. J.C. Steed’s perhaps in December 1863, it was after the Mission Ridge Battle. I moved to my place near claimant about December 10, 1864.

Question by claimant – Did you ever talk about my losses?

Answer – I recollect seeing the claimant hinting some of his hogs that had been taken, or he said had been taken, by the (Hogback?) or 5th Mounted Tennessee Infantry.

Question by claimant – Did the rebels speak of me as a rebel?

Answer – I heard James N. Cowan speak of the claimant as a rebel neighbor and said Mr. Cate blowed hot and cold. Mr. J.C. Steed who was a Union man spoke of the claimant as a rebel. I do not recollect now hearing any other person.

Question by claimant – Do you recollect how I managed to save my sick wheat from the rebels?

Answer – I never heard you say anything about that.

Question – If you know of my saving my wheat from the federals state what you know about it.

Answer – I understood him to say that some soldiers came after his wheat, perhaps a few days before that I understood they had got some sick over towards Candy’s Creek and had it ground and it made them sick. And when the soldiers came with an officer after his wheat and he told them it was sick wheat and that his hogs would not eat it and if it would do them any good they could take it. And they said if it was sick wheat they did not want it.

I don’t know whether it was wheat or flour that was sick that they got. I don’t know what mill it was ground at. I only know that it made them sick.

I don’t know what command got the wheat. All the information I got about the sick wheat I got from the claimant himself and I understood it was federal troops got it.

Question – Do you know about any other mills making flour but the Cleveland mills?

Answer – I understood that Johnsons & Triplets mill made flour. Don’t know whether these mills ever ground any for either army.

Question – Where did you come from when you came to the county?

Answer – I came from Murray county, Georgia.

Question – Was Murray county Union or Rebel?

Answer – It was Union, at the start but became strong rebel towards the last, or after the state seceded. My own District was a rebel District strong.

And further this deposent saith not.

signed,
Leonard Carruth
before, John W. Ramsey – Special Commissioner

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.