Yesterday, one week ago, during the thunder shower that visited this vicinity, the house of a freedman, surnamed Joe, was struck by lightning and somewhat “bursted up”. The electric current struck the weather boarding, passed to the inner side, embraced a gun that was leaning against the south-east corner, which it melted, darted through the floor and tore up the ground considerably. Luckily for the old negro whose name is “Uncle Joe” he nor none of this family were in the house at the time, or we might have had to chronicle some more serious damage as the result of this momentary call of the “live thunder.”

The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.), 09 June 1866, Page 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.