William Cate’s Civil War Southern Claims Commission File — Deposition of William Cate – 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

Claimant who being duly sworn disposes and says my name is William Cate. I am the claimant and have been examined before but now wish to be examined in explanation further on several points.

In regard to my acquaintance with Mr. Leonard Carrouth. I never had any acquaintance with him till about Christmas 1863 when I was introduced to him at J.C. Steeds and was not in his company more than ten minutes. My recollection is that Mr. Carrouth moved to a farm adjoining mine in the Spring of 1865 but as his house was not on a route that I often traveled I did not often see him. I positively deny that I ever sympathized with the Rebellion and Mr. Carrouth nor no other man ever heard me say that I did.

But I have said and I suppose Carrouth has heard me say since the war that I desired to see the south again in a prosperous condition. It is our only market for grain and stock.

In regard to the sick wheat question. I positively deny that the federals ever came to me to purchase any wheat or to get any wheat from me. I went to the Chief commissary after the federal army was stationed at Cleveland to try to sell him the wheat I had saved from the rebels but he did not want the wheat but told me if I could get it ground into flour that he would purchase the flour.

But the rebel authorities did try to get my wheat and I saved it by having put some spoilt wheat on top of my good wheat in a large (garner?) I had so that when the rebels examined it they would not have it.

Prior to that time, there had been some sick wheat ground up at the Cleveland Mills by the Rebel General G.G. Dibrells command and the flour made a great many rebel soldiers sick and this circumstance made them fearful of sick wheat. And this circumstance enabled me to deceive the rebels that came for my wheat. I often told after the war how I saved my wheat from the rebels.

I told Mr. Leonard Carrouth about this matter in the presence of Herman Foster and the yankees or federal soldiers were not named-for if the federals ever had any sick wheat or ground wheat about Cleveland, I never heard.

After I was well acquainted with Carrouth in the fall of 1865 I told him when I heard him speaking of having to leave Murray county, Georgia that I had heard some of his old neighbors say that he had to leave for reporting Union men to the enrolling officer. After seeming confused, he said “he never reported but two, and that was to make a soft place for himself to light”.

Myself and Leonard Carrouth were on friendly terms till some 18 months or two years ago when he was pressed by W.S. Montgomery and Samuel Grigsby for considerable debts and promised them that he would get me to stay their judgements. He became very angry at my refusal and said hard things about me and since that time we have had no dealings.

In regard to the statement made by Captain A.E. Blount in his deposition taken by colonel James B. Brownlow, that he heard me say that I had never lost anything by either the Union or Rebel army, I positively deny that I ever made such a statement to Captain Blount or to any other person at anytime since Blount came back to this county. But I again and again stated in the presence of Captain Blount that I had sustained heavy losses- by the Union army. I recollect talking the matter over in the presence of Mr. Hermon Foster at my own house in the fall of 1864 and also I made the statement at the house of Mrs. Sidney Henderson where he boarded in the winter of 1864-5 in the presence of a number of Union officers and of various other times.

I suppose I have paid more tuition to Captain Blount as a teacher than has any other man in this county. We were on intimate terms when he left in the summer of 1861 to go to the federal lines and I was one of the first farmers he visited when he returned in 1864. In the winter of 1864-5 there were two or three rebel raids upon Cleveland reported, and each time Captain Blount left Cleveland and came out to my house and remained there till he would get me to come to town and see whether there was any danger or not.

We were on very intimate terms till about the spring of 1869, he often visited my house with his wife during these years. Myself and family were invited to dine with him in the fall of 1865 and myself and two of my daughters did dine with him and I found out at the time that the dinner was made especially for me and so far as I have been able to learn, myself and the Honorable Horace Maynard are the only men that have ever been invited to dine at his house since he has been housekeeping.

I first noticed a coldness in the conduct of Captain Blount towards me when a couple of his friends had urged me to become a security on his official Bond as Post Master in the Spring of 1869 and I expressed to them my unwillingness to do so. After this I saw he was cold and distant.

In regard to the associations and desortment that Captain Blount speaks of. I state that I have never associated with rebels because they were rebels but since the war was over I have bought from and sold to those that I do best by and for years before the war I had sold the most of my farm product to C.L. Hardwick who was the principal grain and produce merchant of Cleveland and have continued doing so since the war. About 1868 or ‘69 I was a stock holder of the Agricultural and Mechanical Association of Bradley County, Tennessee, elected with said (this sentence unreadable) said association and both of us have been officers in it ever since, and in the annual fairs and other business of the association. We have often been thrown together. This association is composed of all professions without distinction of party – Captain A.E. Blount belongs to it.

In regard to Mr. J.C. Steed’s doubts about my loyalty. I state that I never had any protection papers from the rebel authorities nor did I ever hear of any other man in this part of the county having a protection paper from them. Mr. J.C. Steed and myself were near neighbors and friends till October, 1864 when he had joined a fence to mine and some of my fattening hogs got through my fence into his corn and Steed and his sons dogged them till they got the hogs mad, and when the hogs would not run any more, they beat them up with rocks and clubs till about eleven large hogs died. The hogs were very valuable and he intimated that he did not intend to pay for them and hard feelings (?) arose between us and we have had no correspondence or dealing since.

I further state that J.C. Steed was present and saw the federals taking my hay in 1864. He and James Brown both were at the rick when four or five was taken and the larger rick was within two hundred yards of his house and in fair view of his house.

He also saw the rebels feeding out my hay in 1862-3. He was often present when they were feeding it, both he and James Brown.

In regard to the statements of Mr. J.C. Steed that I should have said in substance that I had lost nothing by the war. I positively assert that I never said such a thing to Mr. Steed in word or substance but that I had often talked to said Steed about my losses. I recollect our conversation with him about our losses in the presence of Herman Foster near Steed’s house in the fall of 1865 and another conversation with Steed in Cleveland when the Tennessee Court of Claims under the state act was in session about 1868.

In regard to any Union man trusting himself with me as stated by Mr. J.C. Steed. I state that he did know of the three Union soldiers that had been pursued from Cleveland and that I had hid at my straw stack for I told him about it at the time.

And Steed frequently came to my house to get news of what was going on about town and to get me to do favors for him when he was afraid to get to Cleveland himself. And this intimacy continued till the trouble arose about the hogs.

In regard to the Rebels butchering their cattle on my farm. I state that I expressly refused to let the rebels butcher on my farm and that they came with their cattle and fed them and butchered them on the farm without my consent. I got none of the beef and for the large amount of my hay they fed away. I got almost nothing and the hay was taken without my consent and against my will.

I positively state that myself and J.F. Larrison were not on friendly terms during the war and never had any conversations together and I positively deny that I ever told him that I had lost nothing by the war.

In regard to the contributions and sums advanced to aid conscripts and Union men the claimant states: That these conscripts were generally deserters from the adjoining counties in Georgia and North Carolina and had often escaped from the rebel army in a great state of destitution and had been brought or directed into my neighborhood north of Cleveland where they were to be carried forward by other pilots. It was often days and even weeks before a pilot could be had and they lay out in the thickets in the ridges and were supported by the Union neighbors. They were often nearly naked. The truth was the rebel officers in this part of the country had no confidence in their conscripts and took no pains to provide them shoes or clothes and they were thus almost forced to desert the rebel army and escape to the Union army for protection. I made it my business to go to Cleveland almost every day and (?) was not afraid to go; while other Union men who only went over in awhile got afraid to go and I often carried their confederate money and changed it for money that would answer them when they got across the lines. I at different times got up contributions for them and purchased shoes and blankets and other things they needed. I often did not see these squads of men but the report of their members and conditions were brought to me by such men as Alexander A. Clingan, (Melcoun?) Barid, Captain James H. Norman and other union men that I knew, and had confidence in. These men sometimes brought me the confederate money to get changed for such money as they could use on their journey and would tell me what articles these conscript must have and I would go to town and manage round to get the money changed and purchase the shoes and clothing for them.

At one time Captain Norman came to my house and followed me to the house of James Brown and and gave me two packages of letters from men that had gone through the lines, to their friends in and about Cleveland and a newspaper or two, and some money to get changed and a number of articles to be purchased for men who were lying out. I was to give part of the letters to Dr. G.B. Thompson. These I delivered to him and I delivered one to Mrs. Dr. J.G. Brown and some others and then left the other packages with Joseph H. Davis – Clerk of the County Court of Bradley County. I got the money changed and bought all the articles sent for that I could find and bought medicines and necessaries for the sick; for two of the principle men of this crowd were reported as being prostrated with the measles. I carried these things out to my house in a sack and met Norman and lent him a horse to carry the goods and (?) to these men, and when he sent the horse back I sent the men a ham of meat.

I went with Captain Norman to their camp in the ridges twice but I did not ask for a name for it was safer not to know their names.

At an earlier day-say about July 1862-Alexander A. Clingan, former sheriff brought me news that their was a squad of conscripts or Union men who had got to his neighborhood from some adjoining county. Three of them shirtless and two of them barefooted. The men he said had to tear up their shirts to tie up their feet so that they could travel and that his women were making them shirts that day. I met him at the county clerk Joseph H. Davis’s office – myself and Dr. G.B. Thompson each bought a pair of shoes for them and my recollection is that Joseph H. Davis and John Hays bought the socks. Alexander A. Clingan bought the other pair of shoes for these soldiers. I also changed off their confederate money that Clingan gave me as such as they could use on their journey and I also bought some tobacco for them. I placed the goods in Clingan’s hands and he took them to the soldiers. I saw none of this squad of conscripts.

I acted and assisted many other cases for I was engaged much of my time about such cases or business.

In regard my aiding Union enterprises, I wish to make this statement. That in the fall of 1865 when the Union soldiers had returned and were returning from the federal army, the Union men of Bradley county concluded to give them a barbecue at the farm of Colonel Stephen Barid (now dead). A preliminary meeting was held at Cleveland for arranging to get up money and provisions for the barbecue. Captain A.E. Blount was chairman. The matter was discussed and as no provisions of consequence could be had in Cleveland, J.H. Gaut, Captain A.E. Blount and myself were appointed a committee to get up money and provisions. By Captain Blount and J.H. Gaut I was made the agent of the committee to collect the money and get the provisions, both officers being too busy.

Someone present drew up a subscription papers and took down the sums that different persons present were willing to give. This paper was put into my hands to collect and I collected the money. The paper has been in my possession ever since. Some of the Union men that gave a dollar each were very poor and could hardly get bread for their families at the time.

But none of the men who impeached my loyalty were them except Captain Blount who had plenty-had drawn a Captain’s pay for years for small services and he gave fifty cents while J.H. Gaut, P.M. Craigmiles and John C. Gaut gave five dollars each and claimant gave ten dollars. I attach the paper to my deposition market “exhibit A” as a part of my deposition.

By examining the back of the paper some memoranda made at the barbecue or about that time will show what the barbecue cost the Sixth District of Bradley county – the district I acted for. The whole expense was $77.44. Of this I collected $48 on this paper. Ahe. Henry paid me $10.50 which he got contributed and James C. Gaut, J.H. Craigmiles, R.M. Craigmiles and J.H. Gaut contributed $10 more leaving unpaid to me of my actual expenses $8.94 besides the ten subscribed.

Captain Blount only paid 50 cents and neither Steed, Larrison nor Carrouth paid a cent. They did not work any more for the Union cause at the close of the war than they did when we raised the Union flag on the toll pole at the beginning of the war.

In regard to the produce I raised in 1862, I attach the receipt of Captain W.L. Brown’s, the confederate Collector of Tax in kind for Bradley County in 1862. “Exhibit B”. This receipt shows that one hundred and five dozen of oats and thirty nine thousand and four hundred pounds of hay were considered ten percent of my oats and hay for 1862.

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In regard to the threats made against me by William L. Brown. I recollect that there was only one man with him at the time and I cannot recollect whether it was son his Sam -since killed while stealing a horse, or some other man. In regard to the time of my arrest by the rebels mentioned in Brownlow’s report. I gave him the names of Charles Reynolds the Lieutenant, named by him and I also named Sam Brown since killed in Georgia. John Tibbs who lives about two miles from Dalton, Georgia and and a young man from Polk county Tennessee and some of the Epperson boys none of whom I have seen since the war and I don’t know where they live.

While the rebels held this part of the county the fighting lines was north of me so that I could not give the federals information and after the federals got control of this country they had a station at Cleveland and other points south of me so the federals always got the information first.

In regard to the things the federal soldiers and officers got from me; I state that in the last of June or the 1st of July 1864, I sold out of the crop of 1864 hay at one dollar per hundred amounting to $426 and received the money for it according to contract. The federals also bought another load a few days after out of the same crop and paid me for it. About February 1864 the federals bought about 8 mules and horses and gave me vouchers on which I got the money.

In October or November 1864 the federals paid me for about 15 or 16 bushels of corn out of the crop of 1864.

I had a hundred bushel of seed oats which the federals took from me in February or March 1864, but of the crop of 1863 they gave me a voucher and I think the same command took the oats paid me.

In regard to the poultry part of the report of Colonel Brownlow-I will state that my wife raises a great deal of poultry. She would not sell to the rebels because she would not have their money and although they stole some from her, yet when the federals got possession of this county she had a large quantity of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks and the officers of the federal army purchased a considerable number of these from her and paid her for them. I supposed out of their own money. I never thought of reporting such transactions as these. These officers and perhaps some soldiers bought from her, butter, fruits and vegetables and paid her form them and I am certain paid her a great deal more than Colonel Brownlow reports. None of the things were mentioned by me in my claim and I did not suppose had anything to do with it. In my answers Col. Brownlow I understood him only to ask me about what the federal government paid me and not as what officers paid as individuals and then said nothing about these matters.

I wish to make a statement about another important matter in my aid of Union men of Cleveland that I did not mention in my former examinations. I did not know of the importance of making a full statement of everything, and this is a matter that all the rebels that I knew or could recollect were dead or out of my reach. That signed it. [a petition]

I had a nephew T.L. Cate among a number of Union prisoners that had been arrested about Cleveland and sent to prison at Tuscaloosa – besides other warm friends. In a conversation with Thomas H. Calloway he told me if I could get up a petition by some of the rebels as a starting point he thought he could get them released. I got A. Henry privately to write a petition. I then got Dr. J.P.R. Edwards, a leading rebel of Cleveland, with whom I had had some previous transactions and who owed me a large amount of money besides my being his security for six or seven hundred dollars more, I used my influence with him, got him to sign the petition and to get other kindly-disposed persons (rebels) to sign it while I got Captain Robert McClary who I knew was Union man at heart though commanding a rebel company. I also got my friends James H. and James M. Cowan and some others. It was not intended that any rebel should see this paper except such as would I supposed would sign it.

When it was signed up, I gave it to Thomas H. Calloway and Calloway (?) on the authorities at Richmond through John C. Burch and other leading men in the Confederacy. In a short time after this the prisoners were all released and returned to Cleveland. Calloway told me that the petition had had a good effect, but that he had paid out about twenty five hundred dollars in getting it through and the prisoners released. These prisoners were such men as Dr. John G. Brown, Dr. William (?), Thomas L. Cate, Seth W. Bradford, Colonel Stephen Baird and many others of the best citizens of this county.

The getting up and handling this petition was a very critical matter and put us in great danger.

When it was heard at this place that these Union prisoners were about to be released some of the violent rebels or men got up a counter petition to prevent their release but before they got it to Richmond the prisoners got back home.

I forgot to state about the papers put before the (commission?) appointed by General G.H. Thompson at Cleveland. These papers were not vouchers but statements or receipts designed simply as evidence to them. I never saw them anymore and always understood that they were burnt in William H. Craigmile’s store till I examined P.M. Craigmiles as perhaps my last witness who then stated the papers had been turned over to General Whipple, though my recollection was he had told me different before.

Not knowing what the real fact was after speaking to the Special Commission about it I did change my statements. The papers carried off by Mr. Ewing were simply statements or informal receipts. At that time my claims would have been under two or three (loads?).

And further claimant saith not.

signed, Williams Cate before, John W. Ramsey – Special Commissioner

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