Hon. Coram Acuff, lawyer, was born in Grainger County August 23, 1846, the son of Simeon and Susan, (nee Strange) Acuff, the former of German origin, born in this country in 1818, still living, and a minister of the Missionary Baptist Church. He entered the ministry about 1840. The mother was born in 1816, and died in 1882, a member of SAW church. Our subject, the fourth of eight children, received a fair education, finishing at Walnut Grove, Knox County, after he was married. In July, 1862, he joined Company D, First Tennessee Federal Infantry. He was at one time taken prisoner, but soon taken to Rutledge, Tenn., where his old teacher, Ben Peck, and his father’s family physician, Dr. J. P. Legg, procured his parole; he soon returned, and served until June, 1865. He farmed, taught and attended school until in 1874, when he was elected county court clerk of Union County, and was twice re-elected, serving twelve years. In 1886 he was admitted to the bar, having read and learned of the law during his clerkship. He was a representative of two counties in the Legislature in 1887-88. He was married to Nancy Ellen Clapp, of Maynardville, June 23, 1870, where they have since resided. They have three sons and one daughter, viz.: Charles B., Frank P., S. E. Neill and Ella Zell. He and his wife are Missionary Baptists. and he is an influential Republican. He is devoting his time to his profession as a lawyer.
Source: History of Tennessee Containing Historical and Biographical Sketches of Thirty East Tennessee Counties. Illustrated, pp. 1146-1152. Published: Chicago and Nashville: The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1887.
Return to Biographies.