Colonel Gates—by which name the subject of this review is affectionately known through all Tennessee and in many other Southern states—has lived a life that is not only eventful but full of valuable achievement for his state. Distinguished as a Confederate veteran, effective as an editor of prominence and influence, notably successful as a promoter of many movements for the economic and industrial upbuilding of Tennessee, his sum of human effort has been remarkable in kind and in result.
Though a native of Tennessee, the genealogical origin of Robert Gates is Virginian. His father, Benjamin Franklin Gates, was born in Chesterfield County of the Old Dominion state, but came at the age of twelve—with other members of his father’s family—to Henry County, Tennessee. There he grew up, adopted the occupation of farming, married and reared his family; in Hayward County of this same state he died, at the home of his daughter, in 1898, having reached his eighty-third year. His wife was Elizabeth Jackson Roper, also a Virginian, and born near Lynchburg, Virginia; her mother was a member of the noted Lewis family, which produced such men as Gen. Andrew Lewis and Col. Charles Lewis, of Revolutionary fame. Elizabeth Jackson Roper Gates passed from mortal life when her son, our subject, was sixteen years of age. His birth had occurred at the Henry County home of the above-named parents on May 5, 1840.
In the rural schools of his native vicinity, Robert Gates gleaned his preliminary education. He later pursued courses in West Tennessee College, which subsequently became Southwestern Baptist University and is now called Union University.
Having scarcely attained his majority at the outbreak of the Civil War, the young man nevertheless eagerly answered the call to arms on behalf of the South, and throughout his military experience he constantly maintained an attitude of courageous loyalty and of martial initiative. He enlisted as a private, his regiment being the Sixth Tennessee Infantry; when the Southern congress passed a law promoting members of this division to the rank of officers, he was made a lieutenant in the regular Confederate army. In this capacity he served in the Light Artillery, first with Smith’s battery and subsequently with Eldridge’s. With the latter, Lieutenant Gates continued until the battle of Murphysboro. After serving a period on the staff of Col. A. W. Campbell on special duty he then came west with General Forrest, carrying advance orders that the independent forces organized in western Tennessee assemble at Jackson. There the general organized his army, which he commanded until the close of the war. After the organization at Jackson General Forrest conducted his famous march through the Federal lines with five thousand unarmed men. As he took his men to northern Mississippi, which was the scene of his exploits for the remainder of the war, that locality was the scene of Mr. Gate’s service thereafter during the conflict, being in command of a detachment of scouts. After the battle of Jack’s Creek, Col. D. M. Williams submitted recommendations that for conspicuous gallantry on the field, Lieutenant Gates receive promotion to higher rank. This was so near the close of the war, however, that the promised promotion had no time to materialize. His war record was none the less an honorable and honored one, for his specific acts of bravery have been well known and frequently mentioned. One of these was undertaken on the need of General Forrest for more pistols than his army required; Lieutenant Gates made his way to Okolona, Mississippi, and escorted six hundred pistols back to the army. He remained with General Forrest until the surrender, being one of those who shared that melancholy experience with their leader on the field. Since those years Robert Gates has, by the general consent of all who know him, been everywhere spoken of as Colonel Gates; and the title, thus informally bestowed, has never been given to one who better deserved its complimentary significance.
The war being over, the first enterprise to which General Gates turned his attention was the very important work of a railroad contractor. The many railroads that had been destroyed during the war were rebuilt as rapidly as possible and Colonel Gates did much toward supplying the demand for ties, wood and cross timbers. This work he continued for about three years and, as the need of it lessened, he entered other lines of activity.
Being a man of decided convictions on the many public matters of importance during the reconstruction period, Colonel Gates found the press a congenial outlet for his endeavors. He had, furthermore, a personal interest in The Whig—one of the oldest newspapers in the South, and long edited by his uncle, W. W. Gates; the latter was during his activity the best-known newspaper man in the South and his political career was a noted one. The Colonel remained with The Whig for some time, passing from its offices to a newspaper establishment of his own; for, in conjunction with the Honorable B. A. Enslow, he founded the Jackson Sun, a combination of The Whig and The Tribune. For ten years Colonel Gates continued to be a proprietor and editor of the Sun. Those ten years were the most strenuous in the history of southern politics and Colonel Gates’ influence in this capacity proved to be decidedly salutary. He was one of those who finally brought about the Fifty and Three Compromise, of Gov. W. B. Bates’ administration.
Another important phase of progress present required Colonel Gates’ assistance. In order to engage in it he resigned service with the newspaper above mentioned. This new work was that of right-of-way and subscription agent for the Ohio Valley Railway Company, in Tennessee and Kentucky. He later became right-of-way and subscription agent for the Tennessee Midland. This road—which has since become part of the Louisville & Nashville system—was given remarkable impetus through the colonel’s efforts. He made many railway speeches and secured a large subscription list for his company.
The business ability of Colonel Gates made him a very desirable secretary and manager for the Commercial Club at Memphis. This office he accepted and held for about five years. During that time he had an exceedingly active existence, successfully locating in the city of Memphis many important new enterprises. He was eventually induced to take up a broader field of promotive work, and in order to do so, he resigned his office with the Memphis commercial organization.
It was at this time that movements were on foot for the Tennessee Centennial. Colonel Gates was made one of the officials of the first organization and was in charge of the preliminary field work. When the exposition opened, he was again prominent as the head of the Shelby County and Memphis
At the close of the Centennial, a new responsibility came to the colonel, who had now established an unusual reputation for success as a promoter of public enterprises. The Louisville & Nashville Railway sought his services as a special industrial and immigration agent. In this connection his wide acquaintance throughout the state led to his service in connection with the railroad legislation of Tennessee, during the legislative sessions. He has at times been special representative in Washington, while Congress was in session, for railroads of Tennessee. For sixteen years he has been thus occupied; and although this period has been one of great upheavals, injuriously affecting many railroads, no adverse legislation has been passed in Tennessee against roads of the state. This immunity has been attributed largely to the efforts of Colonel Gates.
In combination with these definite employments above named, the colonel has done much writing and public speaking along lines relating to industrial and agricultural movements in Tennessee. Numerous articles from his pen have been published by the Tennessee department of state and its department of agriculture; many others have appeared in the newspapers of the state. When in the early ‘eighties he was particularly interested in immigration to Tennessee, Colonel Gates delivered a number of addresses to that end, in various parts of Iowa and Illinois. He organized two excursions of prospective immigrants from the northwest; one train of these visitors went through western Tennessee and the other through middle Tennessee, the residents of both sections entertaining them as guests. This was followed by a series of agricultural and industrial conventions, attended by persons from Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and held in Jackson, Tennessee. All of these were conducted by Colonel Gates, who gave numerous addresses on improved methods of farming, on conditions of labor and on immigration. He has always been deeply interested in agriculture and during his period of editorship he had devoted much space and attention to diversified farming, as a result of which the present system of small fruit and truck farming in the central counties of West Tennessee was given the needed impetus. The good results of all this activity for the general good of the state and its people is constantly noted in many ways by the people of this region. He is, furthermore, one of the founders of the Farmers’ Institute of Tennessee; these associations meet annually at Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson and during these annual meetings for fourteen years, Colonel Gates has been one of the program of speakers.
Another interesting achievement of the colonel’s eloquence is the Confederate monument that stands at Jackson, Tennessee. For some years a plan has been on foot for erecting such a tribute to the Southern soldiers. It was not easy, however, to raise the required funds, although the leaders in the movement were assisted by a ladies’ auxiliary. For two years the enterprise lived, but lagged. Finally, on a Memorial Day, Colonel Gates, with the same powerful initiative he had shown throughout his career, addressed the crowds from the cemetery and raised $1,700. The work was at once set in motion, with Judge H. W. McCorry, the late Frank B. Hamilton and Colonel Gates as the committee with full powers for erecting the monument.
It is unnecessary to say that Colonel Gates is decidedly a Democrat. His religious convictions are Episcopalian, as are those of all his family.
The colonel’s life as a man of family has extended throughout the busy years of his activity since 1867. In that year he was united in marriage to Miss Caledonia Jane Jester of Jackson, Tennessee, descendant of the Scotch families of Tait, Sutherland and Sinclair. His two children are a daughter, named Emma; and a son, named Robert M. The former is Mrs. C. A. Folk, of Nashville; and the latter is well known as a newspaper man, at present the Washington correspondent for the Commercial Appeal of Memphis. Colonel Gates has four grandchildren in the Folk family and one in that of his son, R. M. Gates. May he live long to enjoy a ripe old age as one of the best loved men in Jackson, and one who is appreciated throughout the state as one of the makers of modern west central Tennessee.
Source: Hale, Will T, and Dixon L. Merritt. A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Company, 1913. Volume 5.
