Additional Testimony for the Commissioners of Claims at Washington

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

Deposition of Thomas L. Cate

Age 42 years. I am a farmer and merchant. I reside in Cleveland and have resided there for the last 11 years and have resided in Bradley county, Tennessee for about 19 years. I am a nephew of the claimant and have known him all my life. I have no interest in his claim.

I was arrested about the 7th of December 1861 and sent to Tuscaloosa Alabama where I was confined several weeks under the notorious Captain Weiz. There were some 15 or 16 Union men of us sent by the rebels from about Cleveland to that place. We remained at Tuscaloosa about a month and then we were sent to Mobile from that point released about February the 3rd or 4th 1862.

Mr. Thomas H. Calloway upon my return told me that he had some petitions got up and signed by a few rebels who were kindly disposed to us to try to get us out, that he put the petition into the hands of John C. Burch who was a high officer of the confederacy and to whom he paid twenty five hundred dollars and that through the exertions of Burch we were released. I paid Calloway what was my pro rate of the money, which if I recollect right, was about one hundred and sixty six dollars. He did not mention the names of the Union men who assisted him.

Question by Commissioner – Was the claimant loyal.

Answer – I knew him well and talked with him and I know that he was always a Union man from first to last. I knew his reputation and it was that he was loyal with United States. I never heard it doubted till he voted for Seuter for Governor in 1869.

signed,
T.L. Cate
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.