Post-Civil War Roster Co. I 31st Tenn Reg C.S.A. by 1st Lieutenant J.W. Moran

Yesterday was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, a battle in which John W. Moran participated and was wounded.  We think the photo taken by Theodore Schleier of Nashville is the earliest that we have of the Moran patriach. Schleier had his own studio in Nashville about 1863 and had completely removed to Knoxville by 1867. Based on that information we believe the photo dates from about 1866.

The following information was documented, post-war, by John W. Moran, 1st Lieutenant, Co. I 31st Tenn Reg. C.S.A. and was transcribed by his great-grandson, Kent Moran, back in the 1990's. At that time Kent was cross-referencing information from the list with information found in Tennesseans in the Civil War Vol II.  Recently we took another look at the transcription and have started adding additional information from other sources such as Findagrave, Fold3, Ancestry.com etc.  The information here will be updated as we find information about the men in the unit.   We have the original document and will scan it once we find it in our ever growing collection of Moran files.  

In addition to the information about the unit, J.W.M. also documented the history of the Company's Battle flag which can be found here.

Key: The numbering was on the original document

X indicates listed in Tennesseans in the Civil War Vol. II
? indicates unknown in Tennesseans in the Civil War Vol. II

Other sources are noted in the body, i.e. Fold3, Ancestry.com, IOOF etc)

** indicates my own note regarding the individual

COMPANY I 31ST TENN REG C.S.A. 

J.W. Moran enlisted Sept 19, 1861

SOLDIER and HIS FATE

1. Captain Thomas L. Bell, Discharged (X) 

(Fold3- Age 29, enlisted Sept 17 1861, Trenton Tenn, by Esqr Irvine, Discharged May 20 1862. Roster dated Oct 6, 1863-Missionary Ridge, W.V. Sims was elected at the reorganization instead of Capt. Tom Bell. **Possibly the son of Pulaski Botts Bell and Sarah Lacey Nailing, distant cousin of J.W. Moran.)

2. 1st Lieutenant James C. Simmons, Resigned (X)

(Fold3- Age 36, enlisted Sept 17 1861, Trenton Tenn, by Esqr Irvine. Resigned March 24 1862, Simmons resigned "owing to disease of the bowels which produced Piles" which he believed made him unfit for further service.  **J.C. Simmons appears in the 1860 Census for Dresden Tn, age 34, occupation Constable, birthplace Kentucky.  Also in the household: Berilla (Browning) Simmons, age 35, South Carolina and Susan Simmons, age 8, Tennessee. Family trees on Ancestry.com indicate he died Dec. 2 1877 in Weakley County TN. Appears in IOOF Ledger Book, page 189.) 

3. 2nd Lieutenant William Sims, Killed at Franklin (X) (Same as #4 in the Reorganized section)

Reorganized

4. Captain William V. Sims, Killed at Franklin (X) (Findagrave Memorial.  (Fold3- enlisted Sept 17 1861, Trenton Tenn, by Esqr Irvine.)  **Pre-War he was the postmaster at District 10, Weakley county.

5. 1st Lieutenant John W. Moran, Wounded at Perryville and Franklin and served through the war (X)

6. 2nd Lieutenant John W. Montgomery, Discharged (X)

(Fold3- Enlisted September 17, 1861, Trenton Tenn, by Esqr Irvine. Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant May 8 1862. Appears on Roster dated Oct 6 1862, Missionary Ridge.  Tendered his resignation citing health reasons Dec 21 1862 supported by W.T. Wills, Surgeon 31st Reg Tenn Vols.  Montgomery suffered from chronic disease of the large intestines/diarrhea.  Discharged Feb. 3 1863. Age 27 years on roll dated May 12 1863 near Shelbyville.)  **Believe this is possibly the John W. Montgomery that married Unity Emeline Phillips in Weakley County in 1863.  He died in 1914 and was interred at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Gleason. Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and ordered to duty on April 1 1863.

7. 2nd Lieutenant James P. Thomason, Captured after New Hope 1864 (X)

(Fold3- Name variations Thommasson, Thomasson. Enlisted Oct 23 1861, Trenton Tenn by Capt. Johnstone and/or Esqr Irvine. Company Muster Roll for May/June 1862 says he was sent to the hospital at Jackson from Corinth. Company Muster Roll for Aug 31 to Dec 31 shows he mustered in as a private and on March 28 1862 was elected to 2nd Bvt. Lieutenant and relieved from duty Aug 25 1862. Age 21 years on a Company Muster Roll dated May 12 1863 near Shelbyville.  Appears on a Company Muster Roll for Oct 6 1863 Missionary Ridge. Captured near Kennesaw Mountain June 23 1864.  Name on Roll of Prisoners Jas. P. Thomason.  Appears as James Thompson as a Prisoner of War received at Louisville, Ky.  Discharged Johnson's Isle, July 15 1864. He was released on oath June 15 1865 from Louisville.  On his Oath of Allegiance he listed Paris Tenn as his place of residence, age 23, complexion light, hair dark, eyes grey, height 5'8".) **There is a James Thomason born in 1841, son of Richard Lee Thomason and Elizabeth Smith living in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee.  He appears in the 1850 and 1860 Census with his parents and siblings.

8. 3rd Lieutenant L.B. Edwards (sgt), Served through War, Resident, Gainesville Texas 1900 (X) 
(Fold3- Enlisted Sept 17 1861, Trenton Tenn by Esqr Irvine.  Mustered in as Sergeant mustered out as 2nd Lieutenant.  Appears on a note in the record of John W. Montgomery, 2nd Lt. L.B. Edwards elected to fill vacancy left by resignation of John W. Montgomery Feb 1863.  On a May 12 1863 Muster Roll his age is listed as 18.  On an undated card he was relieved of duty by "the illegal consolidation of the 31 & 33 Regt Tenn vol" and ordered to report to Brigadier General Pillow.  In Sept/Oct 1863 he was on detached service and again in Jan-April 1864.  He resigned May 10, 1864 because he was a supernumerary officer and wanted to enlist "in a company of supernumerary officers as scouts in Genl. Forrest's command,")  **Records are ambiguous, seems there was more than one Berry Edwards, but believe this may be the Little Berry Edwards tha married Kate H. Caurthers on March 17 1875 in Weakley County TN.  Appears in the 1880 Census for Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas at the age of 35, occupation banker.  His wife Kate is 23.  Others in the household: Maggie Rice, age 10 niece; H.G. Edwards age 28 brother and a merchant; G Edwards age 20 brother also a merchant.  An L.B. Edwards was listed as a stockholder in the Dresden Bank.

9. 1st Sergeant Thomas Brown (pvt), Died in Hospital August 1862 (X)

10. Pvt. William W. Bookout, Wounded twice at Perryville (X)

11. Pvt. John B. Bookout, Wounded twice at Perryville (X)

12. Cpl. James F. Blakemore, Killed at Perryville (X)

13. John Brannon (Pvt J.H. Brandon), Unknown. Possibly killed at Perryville (X)

14. Pvt C. Bullock, Killed at Perryville (X)

15. Pvt. Sterling G. Biles, Served through war (X)

16. Jesse (Pvt Jesse Burrus), Died in Hospital (X) (?)

17. Pvt. James L. Castleman, Joined the scouts and killed (X)

18. Pvt. Car E. Callison, Wounded at Perryville and Deserted (X), (A Co. Bradfords Cav. Pvt.)

19. Sgt. Field and Staff William M. Crawford, Wounded at Perryville and served throuh war (X)

20. Pvt. William R. Clark (D Co.), Deserted (X)

21. James Covington, Discharged (?)

22. Pvt. William E. Deason, Unknown (X)

23. Pvt. Edward R. Frazier, Died at Columbus KY Feb 1862 (X)

24. Pvt. William R. Fifer, Wounded at Perryville (X)

25. Pvt. John F. Featherstone, Served throughout war (X)

26. John Eastridge, Deserted (13th Cav E. Co.) (X) (?)

27. Pvt. Milton G. Grimes, Died at Tupelo Miss (X)

28. Pvt. W. Haden Grimes, Wounded at Perryville (dead or deserted) (X)

29. Cpl. J.P. Grooms, Unknown (X)

30. Pvt. Coon E. Grooms, Died at Tupelo Miss (X)

31. Thomas Grissom, Died in Hospital at Tupelo Miss, (Possible name variations-

      Pvt. W.T. Grisham or Pvt. R.C. Grisham) (X)

32. Pvt. W.S. Greer, Unknown (X)

33. Sgt Benjamin F. Howard, Served thoughout war (X)

34. Pvt. John Harper, Unknown (X)

35. C.C. Hucker or Haden, Killed at Perryville (?)

36. Pvt. Archibald M. Hughes, Deserted (1st Cav K Co) or (19 Cav G Co.) (X)

37. Pvt. Dock E. Harmon, Died.  (Actually deserted (X))

38. James Jones (James Jones Pvt co.), Lost in the Cumberland Mountains (Possibly JJM Pvt G Co 31st Inf)

39. Pvt James S. Lynch, Deserted or Lost (X)

40. Harry Mulligan, Unknown (?)

41. James Mulligan, Killed at Perryville (?)

42. Sgt. Horrace B. Morgan, Killed at Perrville (X)

43. Cpl. T.R. Mangrum, Wounded at Perryville (X)

44. Pvt. W.N. McDuffie, Took the oath in Prison (X)

45. J.W. McCallister?, Killed at Perryville (?)

46. Cpl James T. Marcus, Unknown (X)

47. Pvt. M.L. Mayo, Discharged (X)

48. Pvt. James T. Marshall, Discharged (X)

49. Cpl. John E. Nunly, Killed at Perryville (X)

50. Sgt. Peyton B. Northcott, Died

51. Pvt. John Parks, Served through war (X)

52. Pvt G.W. Parks, Served through war (X)

53. Pvt. James C. Priest, Lost (X)

54. Drew M. Parsley (F Co.), Served through war (X)

55. Pvt. John W. Porter, Died at Columbus Kentucky

56.  Pvt James Phelps, Unknown (X)

57. Pvt Chris M. Rodgers, Died in Miss 62 (X)

58. Pvt. Mat. W. Rodgers, Killed at Murfreesboro (X)

59. Pvt. J.W. Rambo (Possibly I.W. Rambo), Captured at Chickamauga (X)

60. Pvt. H.W. Rambo, Served through war (X)

61. Pvt. William R. Redick, Killed at Perryville (X)

62. Wiley Redick, Killed at Perryville (?)

63. John Richie, Unknown (?) (Possibly J.P. Richie 13 Cav Sgt)

64. Jack Sullivan (Possibly T.J. Sullivan Co. F. Pvt, Died at Trenton, (X)

65. William Sullivan, Discharged (?)

66.  Pvt. John F. Sims, Wounded and discharged (X)

67. Erskin T. Somers (Sgt B.E.), Wounded at Perryville, Killed in East Tenn (X)

68. Pvt. J.W. B. Taylor, Died in Miss (X)

69. Pvt. H.A. Vaughn, Died at Trenton (X)

70. Pvt. E.C. Wright, Served though war (X)

71. Pvt. H. William Williams, Died in Miss 62 (X)

72. Pvt. John F. Watts, Wounded and died near Atlanta or Athens '64 (X)

73.  Pvt. Huey J. Williams, Discharged (X)

74.  W.C. Williams, Deserted (X)

75.  Pvt. Tip B. Walker, Unknown (X)

76. Doc Welch F.E. Pvt, Deserted (Francis E. K Co. 6th Cav)

77. Pvt. Rufus H. Welden, Discharged (X)

78. William Yeargin (W.B. Yergan Pvt I Co), Deserted (?)

79. Pvt. E. Dock Harmon, Deserted, Actually he was killed (X)

The following names did not appear on J.W.'s roster but are listed in Tennesseans in the Civil War vol. II

Pvt. Joseph W. Hammond, I Co. 31st

Pvt. W.H. Hammond I Co. 31st

Sgt. Quarter Master J.T. Hancock 31st

W.T. Harbert 31st Inf

E. Harmon Pvt. I Co. 31st

1859 State Bank, South Carolina, 10 Dollars

Toward the end of the Civil War John W. Moran was at Augusta, Georgia.  This $10 bank note was probably part of his last pay from the Confederacy.  The note is signed by Benjamin M. Lee, a cashier at the State Bank of South Carolina and the president of the bank, Edward Sebring.

Sebring was a transplanted New Yorker to South Carolina.  In addition to other architectural endeavors, he built an amazingly beautiful Greek Revival style home in Charleston between 1838 and 1846.  In addition to being the President of the State Bank of South Carolina during the Civil War, his tombstone proclaims that he was one of the founders of Magnolia Cemetery and its first president.  At the time of his death he was president of E. Sebring and Company, an insurance and brokerage firm.  His first wife was Caroline Secress Miller.  In 1863 he married Gertrude Richards Jessep.

Benjamin Markley Lee was born in Charleston about 1809.  His tenure with the Bank of South Carolina was a long one.  He seems to have begun as an "outdoor clerk and porter" in 1836 and worked his way up to Cashier.  He married Eliza Broome in 1852.  Lee died in 1871 and like Sebring, is buried in Magnolia Cemetery. Cemetery.

Dresden Enterprise Apr 24 1896 - The Illustrated Edition Part 13 "William Congrave Croft"

This is the thirteenth in a multi-part series featuring the April 24 1896 edition of the Dresden Enterprise.  If you missed the previous posts you can find them here: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten, part eleven, part twelve.

Most of the individuals pictured in this edition of the Enterprise also had a brief profile to go along with their picture.  William Congrave Croft did not.  The Enterprise simply reported that he was going to succeed Franklin P. Fonville as County Trustee so I had to go in search of something to say about Mr. Croft.

He was born May 6 1842 in Arkansas to George W. Croft and Elizabeth Golden.  After the death of his mother in 1847 he and his siblings were brought to Weakley County by their uncle, William Golden and raised in his household.  During the Civil War, like so many of his west Tennessee compatriots, he served in Co. K 31st Tennessee Regiment.  William signed up September 2, 1861 at Trenton, rank of private. He was appointed 4th Corporal November 1861.  In 1862 and 63 he was on detached service in Chattanooga.   In his later years, William would be an active participant and Commander for the James G. Pirtle UCV Camp #990, Fulton Kentucky, at several of the Confederate Reunions.  

Croft was married three times but he only had children with his first wife.  He married Martha Elizabeth Roberts in 1867 in Weakley County TN.  Their children were: Emma, George and Oswald Croft. Martha died about 1881.

He served as Weakley County Trustee for a number of years during the 1890's.  

He married his second wife on May 20 1885, Catharine Virginia "Jennie" Ridgeway, 1853-1908.  Jennie died in 1908:  "Mrs. Jennie Croft, of Fulton, died at her home in that city Friday night.  Mrs. Croft was born in Henry county, Tenn., April 28, 1853. She was a daughter of Hon. Wm. Ridgeway. On May 20 1885, she was married to W.C. Croft, and was a member of the Baptist church, at Fulton.  Deceased is survived by her husband.  Interment took place at Mt. Moriah Cemetery."  Hickman Courier June 5 1908

In 1905 he ran for a position on the city council in Fulton. Paducah Sun Sept 30 1905

In 1906 Croft was elected vice-president of the board of directors at the City National bank of Fulton.  Paducah Sun, January 30 1906

In the January 14 1909 edition of the Hickman Courier the following wedding announcement appeared:

"Mr. W.C. Croft and Mrs. S.A. Verhine were married at the home of Mr. Cothran in West Fulton Jan. 7. The ceremony was performed by Rev. McLeskey of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.  Immediately afterward Mr. and Mrs. Croft went to their home in East Fulton."

He and his third wife, Zilphia T. (Mrs. S.A. Verhine), appear in the 1910 and 1920 Census records for Fulton Kentucky. This was Zilphia's second marriage as she was first married to S.D. Verhine January 28, 1873 in Obion County. His middle initial appears in some places as A and others D. 

The Richmond Daily Register for April 11 1919 reported that W.C. Croft was among the members appointed by Kentucky Governor Stanley to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Confederate Home at Pewee Valley.

William Croft died July 20 1925 and is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Weakley County.  Zilphia died September 26, 1925, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Turner.

Source material:  U.S. Census Records, Civil War Service Records, Family Trees/Croft Family Bible/Ancestry.com, Tennessee Marriage Records, Kentucky Death Certificates, History of Goodspeed for Obion county, Paducah Sun, Hickman Courier

The complete list of links in this multi-part series:

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten, part eleven, part twelve, part thirteen, part fourteen, part fifteen, part sixteen, part seventeen, part eighteen, part nineteen, part twenty, part twenty-one, part twenty-two, part twenty-three.

Dresden Enterprise Apr 24 1896 - The Illustrated Edition Part 8 "William A. Thompson"

This is the eighth in a multi-part series featuring the April 24 1896 edition of the Dresden Enterprise.  If you missed the previous posts you can find them here: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven.

William A Thompson was the son of R. and Adeline Thompson born on July 4 1837 in Tennessee.  He married Sarah Jane Grubbs about 1860.  He served in the Confederacy during the Civil War.  He went in a private and came out a corporal of the 5th Tennessee.  During his time in the war he was wounded several times.  The "severe wound" he received at Murfreesboro resulted in the loss of his right eye.  He was captured. He was captured at Stone's River and spent time in jail at Louisville and then Baltimore.  In October 1863 he received the Medal of Honor from the Confederate States of America.  Thompson was discharged on August 24, 1863.  

William and Sarah Thompson were blessed with four children: Albert, Benjamin, William and Nancy Adeline.  In 1880 the family is living in Palmersville at the home of his father-in-law, William Debarron Grubb.  William's occupation was "constable".  This began his career as an elected official in Weakley County.  He went on to hold positions such as Trustee and Sheriff and in 1897 he was a candidate for Register but I'm not sure he won that election.  William died September 4, 1910, in Palmersville.  He and many of his family are interred at Thompson Cemetery near Palmersville, Tennessee.

The following article was published in the Dresden Enterprise April 24, 1896 and shows the evolution of "Uncle Billy" from a man living in poverty and dissipation to a pillar of the community.  William Thompson overcame adversity in life to receive the accolades of the Confederacy, his family and his peers.

The Dresden Enterprise April 24, 1896

 The above named might well be called William the Conqueror, for he has been the most successful man at the polls that Weakley county ever had.  Years ago "Uncle Billy," as the boys called him, was perhaps the most dissipated, poverty stricken man in the county, and those who knew him did not think he would ever redeem himself.  He came out of the army where he served with loyal devotion four years, a wreck physically and in general ill luck.

He had been wounded as often as twice, perhaps oftener, having lost one eye by a shot from the federal enemy, as will be seen from his striking likeness in this paper, and also part of one hand. While down in the world he still had friends who stood by him, for they knew down beneath the rugged exterior beat a heart as warm, noble and true as ever was in the breast of man.  His friends finally elected him constable of the Palmersville district, and from then on until the present time he has been invincible before the people, ran one time when Lafon beat him for sheriff in the democratic primary.  

He is a Democrat, tried and true, and submitted to defeat this time by the party that had so often honored him, although we believe with his great personal popularity he could have bolted the primary and been elected anyhow, but he was too loyal to do aught but support the regular nominee.

Twice he was made trustee, and again sheriff.  He is now the nominee of the party for sheriff again, and although he had three good men to defeat he did it with neatness and dispatch, his vote being nearly equal to the combined vote of the other candidates.  He is a man of positive convictions for the right and against the wrong, and has, therefore, some few enemies, but he turns them all down, easily.   A determined fight was made to defeate him by some prominent men in the county, but "Uncle Billy" just laughed and ordered more primary election tickets.  He will be the foremost man in the August election, and will, as usual, lead the party ticket by a handsome majority.  To this office he has long been a true friend and ardent supporter, and we are more than please to tell the Weakley county public that he has made us a better sheriff each time he has been elected.  

He has not saved much money out of his earnings, for he has paid off all his old debts, got even with the world, but the world is not even with him, for he has lost many a dollar by security debts, because he was too kindhearted to say "No" many times when he should have done so.  "Uncle Bill" is all right.

The complete list of links in this multi-part series:

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten, part eleven, part twelve, part thirteen, part fourteen, part fifteen, part sixteen, part seventeen, part eighteen, part nineteen, part twenty, part twenty-one, part twenty-two, part twenty-three.

Jennings Business College Ephemera

Charles Harrell Moran attended Jennings Business College.  For more an in depth look at the College, his diploma and more be sure to look at the Jennings Business College Nashville TN post.

This is a piece of education ephemera celebrating Ratification Treaty between the Confederate States and the United States.  Side one is facsimile of a $500 CSA note.

Side two is entitled "Strong and Pointed" and has endorsements by various prominent Nashvillians.

Bishop Holland Nimmons McTyeire, while President of the Vanderbilt University, who never gave an opinion without careful study, said to a mother, whose son wanted a position: "Send him to Jennings' Business College; a certificate from R.W. Jennings to your son, recommending him for a position, will be of more benefit to him than all other influences, he could have." 

Gen. William Hicks Jackson  the distinguished proprietor of Belle Meade, says "Having known Mr. R.W. Jennings for a number of years, and being satisfied as to his business methods and efficiency as an educator of youth, to prepare them for practical business, I sent my son to his college, and it affords me pleasure to commend him to all who are contemplating the sending of their sons and daughters to such a school."

Judge Thomas H. Malone, Chancellor of this division and Dean of the law department of Vanderbilt University says: "I have known Mr. R.W. Jennings, of the Jennings Business College, for about thirty-five years.  Both as a practicing lawyer and Chancellor, I have had occasion to examine critically his statements of complicated transactions and his expositions of erroneous bookkeeping.  I always rely with great confidence upon his expert opinions, and believe that he, as an expert, has no superior among us.  I think he is eminently qualified to be at the head of a business college, and his success proves it."

Thomas D. Fite, Sr., a retired merchant of Nashville, and who was identified with the wholesale trade of the South for half a century, says:" "R.W. Jennings, the proprietor of Jenning's Business College, was my partner in the wholesale dry goods trade for six years,he having exclusive charge of the counting room, and it is needless to say his work was in the highest degree satisfactory; in fact, he has been for a long time considered one of the most scientific bookkeepers this country has ever produced.  I sent my two sons to his college for the reason that I knew the man, and knew that he had the entire confidence of the business community for thoroughness and reliability."

Mr. J.H. Fall, of the firm of J.H. Fall & Co., Nashville, one of the largest wholesale hardware houses in the South says:  "I have known Mr. R. W. Jennings, president of Jennings Business College, quite well for many years.  His long identity and close connection with the mercantile and banking world enables him to conduct a business college based upon actual experience, and this feature gives his school, in my judgment, a decided advantage.  Several of our employees were trained by Mr. Jennings, and all, without a single exception, are methodical, painstaking and reliable, I therefore, unhesitatingly endorse and commend this college to all who are seeking a business education."

For a catalogue of this noted school address Jenning's Business College, Nashville, Tenn.

Obituary and Funeral Notice of J.W. Moran, 1912

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of  John W. Moran.  Since last years anniversary blog post I have come across more items relating to his death which I would like to share today on the 101st anniversary of his passing.  

Although I've posted this picture of him before it remains my favorite and so I wanted to share it again for those who may have missed it in the past.

Here is the Funeral Notice of John W. Moran.  I have included a bit of information and links when possible about the pallbearers.

Funeral Notice

C.H. and J.H. Moran request the

presence of the friends of their father,

J.W. MORAN

at his interment on the afternoon of 

Sunday, April 14, 1912.

Services at the Methodist Church in 

Dresden, at 2 o'clock p.m., by Revs. J.W. Irion and R.C. Douglas.

PALL BEARERS

   Active                   Honorary     

J.E. Jones            E.C. Lyon

G.S. Boyd           S.P. Scott

Shobe Smith        J.J. White

W.R. Bobbitt       T.E. Loyd

W.A. McCuan     G.W. Martin

T.A. McElwrath   Elbridge Wright

The Active Pallbearers:

Joseph E. Jones was the judge who presided over the famous  Night Rider Trials in Union City.

George Scott Boyd was a relative of the Moran family and a farmer and the cashier at the Bank of Dresden..  In 1928 he moved to Kingsport TN.

Shobe Smith was a dentist in Dresden.   W.R. Bobbitt was the druggist in Dresden and also was the proprietor of the Smith Hotel which he acquired in 1905.  He was also a one time suitor for the hand Fannie Moran, the eldest daughter of J.W. Moran.  I'm not exactly sure about W.A. McCuan yet.  I believe he may have been a tobacco farmer due to some correspondence I found relating to that topic.  I do know he owned The Kozy moving picture theater in Dresden but sold it in 1918.  Thomas Allen McElwrath owned a dry goods store in Dresden.  He eventually moved to Mayfield Kentucky.

Honorary Pallbearers:

Edward Coleman Lyon served as a Registrar in Dresden in 1904 and had served in the Confederate States of America.    Stephen Preston Scott served in the CSA and after the war was a miller in Dresden.  He was also a relative by marriage and I did a post on his daughters Cecile and Farrar sometime ago.  J.J. White had  served in the CSA alongside S.P. Scott in Company H, Russell's regiment.  T.E. Loyd was the Mayor of Dresden.  G.W. Martin has many accomplishments but the one I'll mention here is that he was the President of the Bank of Martin. Elbridge, which might actually be Eldridge, Wright also served in the Confederacy and was a farmer in Weakley County.

The following tribute was published in vol. 20, no. 6, 1912, of the Confederate Veteran.

John W. Moran

That no worthier man wore the Confederate gray than John Moran will stand all tests.  He was born in Dresden, Tenn., March 20, 1840; and died in a Nashville hospital April 12, 1912.  His father, James Moran, was a merchant of Dresden, and his mother was Miss Harriet Harris, of McLemoresville, Tenn. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood.  He was of philosophic temperament; and while performing the duties that were incumbent upon him, his humor was proverbial and he was entertaining to his associates.

He was about ready for business life when the War of the States began, and he, together with a younger brother who soon surrendered his life in the cause of the Confederacy, enlisted in Company I, 31st Tennessee Infantry, in the brigade gallantly commanded by Brig. Gen. O.F. Strahl.  His first battle of importance was that of Perryville, Ky., in which the army and his company suffered heavily.  It had perhaps the largest percentage in killed and wounded of any company in that sanguinary battle.  He was wounded in the battle of Chickamauga.  He was again severely wounded in the battle of Franklin, and was long a sufferer in the hospital.  He frequently told a good story of his experience in the battle of Resaca.  he had captured a rabbit, which he secured in his shirt bosom, and of course had fond anticipations of a feast after the fight.  The battle waxed so hot, however, and his heart became so generous toward "Molly Cottontail" that he gave her freedom. He may have been author of the Zeb Vance story in saying: "Go it, Molly Cottontail! If I had no reputation at stake, I'd run too."  At all events, when the battle was over he regretted not having the rabbit for supper, as he had more appetite then than during the battle.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. J.W. Irion, assisted by the regular pastor of the M.E. Church, South, Rev. Mr. Douglass, and Rev. G.T. Mayo, pastor of the Baptist Church of Dresden.  It was largely attended.

Joseph E. Jones in an interesting sketch of Mr. Moran states that "he succeeded along all the lines of life that are worth while.  His business methods were open and above suspicion.  As possessor of a large fortune at his death, there was not in it all an unclean dollar."

Mr. George W. Martin, a life-long friend and a man who has long given liberally of his time and his means for the cause of education, paid high tribute to the deceased at the funeral and complied with the request of the Veteran in sending the manuscript that follows:

"The late John W. Moran, who died recently at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, on his way from Florida to his home in Dresden, Tenn., was one of the most prominent and best known citizens of his county.  His father was one of the early settlers of Dresden, and for many years was a leading merchant of the place.  John spent his entire life where he was born and reared, with the exception of four years in the Confederate army.  When not at school he was in the store assisting his father, and had just arrived at manhood when the War of the States began.  He volunteered early in the struggle, remaining throughout the entire war, and from the record given by his comrades no one performed his duties with greater fidelity and bravery than he.  He spoke often of the war, but claimed little for himself.  He took great pleasure in commending the noble acts of others, as he was accustomed to do through life.  He was a man of remarkable courage, but he used it with great discretion and justice.  He had excellent self-control and possessed decided opinions on all subjects, but expressed himself reasonably and rationally and always with a view of being just and truthful.

"As a successful merchant and banker his integrity was above reproach and never questioned by any one who had business relations with him, and he performed every duty put upon him with noble fidelity.  His integrity was of such high order that if I had met him in the most remote part of the world and he had been on his way to Weakley County I would have been willing to intrust (sic) my entire fortune, great or small, to him to deliver in Weakley County without the slightest fear of his failing to comply with my request literally.  His individual wants were few and easily supplied, but he spent his life in honest toil to supply the wants of his family and to fulfill his duty to the public, which he did admirably.

"John Moran was a well-developed and an 'all-round' man.  As husband, father, citizen, soldier, neighbor, he contributed well to all these relations.  He had the misfortune to lose his wife when his children were young, and his devotion to rearing and training them cannot be commended too highly.  If there is anything that can lighten the grief and sorrow for the loss of this valuable man it is to know how well his life was spent and all his duties performed.  The influence of his life will long remain a benefit and a blessing to many."

While frugal in his personal affairs, he was diligent for the public, and served most efficiently as chairman of the Democratic committee of his (Weakley) County as well as publicly in many other usefull ways.

In his early thirties Mr. Moran married Miss Sophia Gunn, whose father, Dr. Gunn, formerly lived in Nashville.  She preceded her husband to the better land seventeen years.  Their five children are, Fannie (Mrs. J.B. Ezell (sic)), Ida (Mrs. W.G. Timberlake), Marion (Mrs. C.H. Cobb, Harold (sic), and James. The latter of the two sons succeeds as president, while Harold (sic) takes the place of their beloved father on the directorate of the Bank of Dresden.  He is survived by an aunt, Mrs. Virginia Wood, and a sister, Mrs. Aggie Irvine.  Not only those loved ones but the entire community sorrowed in his death as if all were of close kin to him.  The testimony at his funeral of a life devoted to uprightness and love for his fellow men was well worth his struggle for seventy-two years.

The Mystery of Mrs. Bivier and Her Divorce, 1866

Today I started sorting through some of the paperwork belonging to James T. Gunn that we saved from Moran Place.   First of all, I find it fascinating that the documents ended up with the Moran family since some of James and Margaret Gunn's children lived well into adulthood and had families of their own.  But somehow, the files ended up with James' sister, Sophia Gunn Moran in Dresden TN.  The two families were very close and Willie, James' son, was staying at Moran Place in 1880 when his father was very ill and dying in the Nashville area.

James T. Gunn Documentation
1866-1880

James was a contractor/builder and we have some of his business ephemera dating from 1870-1880.  He was also a member of the Knights of Honor and we have quite a few death notices of various members of that society.  We have a few letters from his wife Maggie and other friends and associates.









But so far, I am intrigued by the oldest piece of paper that is dated September 10, 1866, and, well, it just doesn't seem to belong.  It's a receipt for $25, payment in full for a divorce for a Mrs. Bivier or possibly Bevier from Gantt & Waddell.    I've not been able to find any information regarding this woman.

$25.00 Recd of Mrs. Bivier Twenty five
dollars being full payment
for getting divorce.
Gantt & Waddell
Sept 10th, 1866

Poor Virgil, they spelled his name Virgin.

However, unlike the anonymity of Mrs. Bivier her attorneys Gantt and Waddell left a trail.  The firm of Gantt and Waddell was made up of George Gantt, Burin B. Waddell and Virgil B. Waddell.  In addition all three served in the Confederacy.


George Gantt
The Proceedings of the Annual Session of the Bar Association of Tennessee v. 1917 has a wonderful address by the Hon. James H. Malone in regards to Colonel George Gantt.  Briefly it says that on Dec 26 1909 a resolution was passed stating that a portrait of Colonel Gantt was to be painted and hung in the Memphis Mayor's office at the city's expense.  I wonder if his portrait is still there? Before the Civil War he was elected to the state legislature and was a contemporary of Emerson Etheridge.  "He was the Aristophanes of the Memphis Bar."  He served in the Civil War, first as a  Confederate Captain and later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 9th Battalion Cavalry TN, a title which he maintained after the War.  He was captured at Fort Donelson and imprisoned at Fort Warren. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery.

Burin B. Waddell
In addition to being an attorney in Memphis, Burin Waddell was co-proprietor with Coleman Boyd of the Overton Hotel in Memphis. Source: The Huntsville Advocate, May 30 1866.   During the war, he was a Volunteer Aide de Camp with the rank of Captain on the staff of General P.G.T. Beauregard, Army of the Mississippi. Source: Fold3, CSA Military Records  Burin Blackburn Waddell died in New Orleans and is buried Denmark Methodist Cemetery in Madison County TN.

Virgil B. Waddell
Virgil B. Waddell served as Acting Assistant Adjutant General., First Brigade, First Division, Tenn. Source: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records.  V.B. Waddell appears in the 1883 Record of Permits issued for Disinterring, Shipping and Receiving Dead Bodies to and From Memphis.  Date of death is approximate, January 1, 1883.  He was 45 and cause of death was pneumonia.  He died in Birmingham, Alabama and his final destination was OK Landing, Mississippi.  Place of burial: unknown.

The connection of Mrs. Bivier to James Gunn will most likely remain a mystery.

Mathew Brady's Chair, ca 1860's

Unknown Moran relative
Photo by Mathew Brady
Washington DC

I came across a photograph taken by Mathew Brady of an unknown Moran relative.  We think he is probably a Gunn, Morehead or Turner.  The photograph was taken at Brady's Washington DC studio located at no. 352 Pennsylvania Ave.

Back of the photo
showing Brady's
hallmark.

I was intrigued by the ornate chair and clock and wondered if they appeared in other Brady photographs. They did.  Quite a few times actually by many unknown people as well as the famous.














I created a collage featuring Clara Barton with Brady's Clock and the following cast of characters with Brady's wonderful chair.  You might recognize a few of the names: Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Turner, William T. Sherman, Andrew Johnson and Adelbert Ames.

We may never know who the ancestor is but one thing is certain, he was seated in good company.

1908, The Two hams & Confederate Memories

Warner T. BOLLING received his Doctor of Divinity and became a distinguished member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and an author having written The Church and the Saloon in the 1890's.  He was born in Greene County Alabama and died in 1913 in Memphis Tennessee. He served on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War and saw action in many campaigns including Shiloh, Perrysville, Chickamauga, Franklin and the Atlanta Campaign.  Rev. Bolling kept up with his friends from the Civil war, as this letter to J.W. Moran shows, and was a member of the United Confederate Veteran's Association. From an obituary we learn he was first married to Mary Coley of Milan Tennessee (on the marriage application her name was Mary E. Pearce) and after her passing he married Willie R. Jeter who was born in Virginia.  During the last 8 years he enjoyed being a correspondent for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis.  A more detailed account of his life can be found on his Rev. Bolling's memorial.

W.T. BOLLING was a good friend of J.W. MORAN and an old comrade from the Civil War. In addition, the two men had their faith in common both being members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  This letter was written in 1908 and shows how much the War between the States continued to dwell on the minds and in the lives of those who served.

Paris Tenn
5/14/008 (sic)

Dear Bro Moran:

The two hams safe to hand, I did not dream of your giving them to me, but I am not mad about it.  They are fine enough to get two disapproved furloughs on, and as I eat them I shall think of the old days gone, and of the comradeship which remains true in spite of years.

I had a pleasant letter to-day from an old comrade of the 12th Tennessee, and it was so true and pleasant that I almost cried as I read it.  Give my love to the family and to all old friends.

Yours Cordially
W.T. Bolling

Robert Barnwell Rhett

Today in Moran history.....

Robert Barnwell Rhett, the great-grandfather of Margaret Rhett Cuthbert Ezzell, died September 14, 1876 in St. James Parrish near New Orleans.  R. Barnwell Rhett was a staunch secessionist and passionate defender of states rights. He was born December 21, 1800 in South Carolina.  

He had an illustrious career in politics as an attorney general in South Carolina, a U.S. Representative and as a U.S. Senator. He was a leading fire-eater at the Nashville Convention of 1850.

He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston South Carolina.  

Willliam Gilmer Timberlake, 1871 - 1967

William Gilmer Timberlake was the son of William Poindexter Timberlake and Susan Josephine Gilmer.

His father, W.P. Timberlake, was born in 1838 in Henderson County Tennessee.  He was a capitalist cotton buyer.  During the Civil War he served under Col. Kit Williams and was a Captain in Company D of the 27th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.   In 1922 W.P. Timberlake completed a Civil War Veteran's Questionnaire which provides us with a rare look at life during that turbulent time and also includes some genealogical information for the Timberlake family.  I have included the questions and answers at the end of this blog entry.

William G. Timberlake was an educated man who became an attorney and an accomplished writer.  He married Ida "Teatot" Timberlake November 26, 1902.   He and Ida had one daughter, Dorothy Louise, who died at the age of 4 in 1910.  The couple had no other children.  William was a deeply religious man and often gave the blessing before meals when visiting the Moran home in Dresden.  Because of his deeply religious convictions he could also be somewhat long winded when saying grace.  :)

In 1947 his book "Rumination, A Book of Verse" was published.  In 1948 a short supplement to that book was released.  He sent a  signed copy of the Supplement to his brother-in-law, Charles Harrell Moran.

Supplement to
RUMINATION
A Book of Verse
By
William Gilmer Timberlake

The subjoined stanzas are presented with the compliments of the author.
W.G. Timberlake (autographed by the author)

McCowat-Mercer Press, Inc.
Publishers of Rumination
Jackson, Tenn.
1948

Proem
To those of us, whose souls are kin,
The tie that binds exists within;
And, holding fast in love's embrace,
Gives mute evidence of God's Grace.

The Means I
'Tis not the danger, which besets the way,
That robs the yoke, which must be worn each day,
That makes life's struggle so discomforting;
For danger, when sensed, may add zest to strife;
And, wearing the yoke, need not grievous be;
Since, childlike Faith, in the 'Giver-of-Life',
Will pulse from the heart of Divinity.

The Means II
Childlike Faith! God-given means to obtain
Spiritual guidance and help divine;
Which the worldly-wise shall seek for in vain,
Until they truly say: "Thy Will" not mine.
God's loving heart yearn'd for the truant man,--
Helpless wanderer--Victim of despair--;
So, childlike Faith became part of God's plan,
For the salvation of a wayward heir.

The Means III
So, when lowering doubts, and discontent,
Threaten to engulf my soul in despair;
Let me remember, --I am mission sent--,
And hasten to seek the aid of prayer;
Let childlike Faith my ebbing strength renew,--
With never a doubt concerning the how--;
For God will sustain, and carry me through
The perilous gloom that surrounds me now.

The Key I
That God is a Spirit;
Doth from man elicit
A passing consideration:
Yet, such thought is prfound,
And with truth doth abound,
In its essential distinction.

II
The flesh is as nothing;--
'Tis merely the housing
For the Spirit that dwells within;
But fleshly appetites,
Like other parasites,
Can invest man's Spirit with sin.

The Key III
Enoch walked with God,
and he talked with God:
and so can you, and so can I;
If God's way we shall seek,
And God's language we'll speak
And to service our hearts apply.

IV
Now, God's way we'll not find
In the ways of mankind:
Hence, in vain shall we seek God's way;
If God's language,--unknown--,
Be mistook for our own,
And we continue in our way.

The Key V
I am a jealous God,
And my way must be trod;
Sayeth the Lord God--'King-of-All':
They, who walk in my way,
Must my commands obey,
And promptly respond to my call.

VI
My Ray
If I may walk with God;
I may, then, talk with God;
As did wise Enoch,--long ago--;
For God's language, when known,
Will have become my own;
And the joy of service I'll know.





Civil War Veteran's Questionnaire of William Poindexter Timberlake
source: Workman Family Rootsweb Page

State your full name and present post office address:
William Poindexter Timberlake, 601 E. Main St., Jackson Tn

State your age now.
Eighty four years old, January 6 1922

In what State and county were you living when you enlisted in the service of the Confederacy, or of the Federal Government?
Tennessee, Henderson County

What was your occupation before the war?
Farmer

If you owned land or other property at the opening of the war, state what kind of property you owed, and state the value of your property as near as you can.
My father gave me two hundred acres of valuable land worth about $5000.  About six thousand dollars in personal property including Negros and money.

Did you or your parents own slaves? If so, how many?
My father owned thirty slaves.

If your parents owned land, state about how many acres.
About twenty two hundred acres of land.

State as near as you can the value of all the property owned by your parents, including land, when the war opened.
Land worth $22,000.  In cash and note $29,000 and other personality including stock and grain $3000

What kind of house did your parents occupy?  State whether it was a log house or frame house or built of other materials, and state the number of rooms.
Seven room house, two rooms built of logs, ceiled and weatherboarded.  Three frame rooms first floor, two rooms, second floor.

As a boy and young man state what kind of work you did.  If you worked on a farm, state to what extent you plowed, worked with a hoe, and did other kinds of similar work.
When not in school, my father required me to work with his negro laborers, such as hoeing and planting and assisted in gathering the crops in fall - cotton picking, etc.  When 16 years old, I taught six months in a county school instead of farming.

Did your parents keep any servants?  If so, how many?
yes, four.

How was honest toil -- as plowing, hauling and other sorts of honest work of this class, regarded in your community?  Was such work considered respectable and honorable?
It was.

Did the white men in your community generally engage in such work?
They did.

To what extend were there white men in your community leading lives of idleness and having others do their work for them?
No idleness, everybody worked who was able.

Did the men who owned slaves mingle freely with those who did not own slaves, or did slaveholders in any way show by their actions that they felt themselves better than respectable, honorable men who did not own slaves?
Yes. Everything depended upon the moral character of the man.

At the churches, at the schools, at public gatherings in general, did slaveholders and non-slaveholders mingle on a footing of equality?
They did.

Was there a friendly feeling between slaveholders and non-slaveholders in your community, or were they antagonistic to each other?
They were friendly.

In a political contest in which one candidate owned slaves and the other did not, did the fact that one candidate owned slaves help him in winning the contest?
It did not.

Were the opportunities good in y our community for a poor young man, honest and industrious, to save up enough to buy a small farm or go in business for himself?
Yes.

Were poor, honest, industrious young men, who were ambitious to make something of themselves, encouraged or discouraged by slaveholders?
They were encouraged.

What kind of school or schools did you attend?
First a country pay school.  Attended advance school in Lexington, TN where Latin and Greek were taught and advanced mathematics.  Attended Union University at Murfreesboro, TN and graduated at Chapel HIll, North Carolina.

About how long did you go to school altogether?
About 8 years.

How far was it to the nearest school?
About half a mile.

What school or schools were in operation in your neighborhood?
Private pay school.  My first teacher, Mr. Sam Howard, who was afterwards my brother-in-law.

Was the school in your community private or public?
Private.

About how many months in the year did it run?
Nine Months.

Did the boys and girls in your community attend school pretty regularly?
The children of property owners did.

Was the teacher of the school you attended a man or a woman?
Man

In what year and month and at what place did you enlist in the Confederate or of the Federal Government?
Joined the Army at Lexington, Henderson Co., Tenn. July 1861.  Reorganized at Trenton, Gibson Co., Tenn. in August 1861.

State the name of your regiment, and state the names of as many members of your company as you remember:
27th Tenn. Col. Christopher Williams. John Sharp Williams' father was my first Captain while I served as First Lieutenant.  I was later made Captain when Christopher Williams was made Colonel.  John Barham was made First Lt., Joe Ringgold, Second Lt., Felix W. Henry, Third Lt.

After enlistment, where was your company sent first?
Went to Columbus, KY afterwards to Cynthiana, Ky and to Bowling Green Ky.  Thence to Murfreesboro, Tenn thence to Corinth, MS

How long after your enlistment before your company engaged in battle?
No important battle until Battle of Shiloh. In which I was engaged.

What was the first battle you engaged in?
Battle of Shiloh

State in your own way your experience in the war from this time on until the close.  State where you went after the first battle, what you did, what other battles you engaged in, how long they lasted, what the results were, state how you lived in camp, how you were clothed, how you slept, what you had to eat, how you were exposed to cold, hunger and disease.  If you were in the hospital or in prison, state your experience.
After the battle of Shiloh our command was sent to Tupelo, Miss. and was there reorganized.  I ran for Lt. Col of the Regiment, was defeated, remained sometime with the Regiment acting as Commissary.  Returned to Henderson County, Tenn. and organized a company. Joined Col. Wilson's Regiment of Cavalry serving under Gen. N.B. Forrest.  Never wounded or taken prisoner during the war.

When and where were you discharged?
Was with Forrest of Gainesville, Ala. when notice was given to go to Grenada Miss for parole about May 1865.

Tell something of your trip home.
Came home to Henderson Co., Tenn riding my fine horse Dallas.

What kind of work did you take up when you came back home?
Speculating in farms, mules and cotton.  While living in Lowndes Co., Miss I married 1867 to Miss Susan Josephine Gilmer, Daugher of N.J. Gilmer and wife Collen Barnett. Was in Commission, business with james Allen in Mobile, Ala, and in 1869 located in madison Co. Tennessee.

Give a sketch of your life since the close of the civil War, stating what kind of business you have engaged in, where you have lived your church relations, etc.  If you have held an office or offices, state what it was.  You may state here any other facts connected with your life and experience which has not been brought out by the questions.
Then went to Lowndes Co., Miss where I invested in land, cotton and grain and merchandised in Crawford, Miss. before my marriage in 1867.

Give the full name of your father, born at, in the county of, state of. Give also any particulars concerning him, as official position, war services, etc, books written by, etc.
Richard Timberlake, Franklin Co, NC Lived near Louisburg, NC and in 1828 moved to Henderson Co, TN, served in Franklin Co., NC as a Captain of the Militia.

Maiden name in full of your mother.  She was the daughter of___ and his wife____ who lived at,
Tabitha Trice, daughter of Harrison Trice and Gillie Barbee, in Orange Co. NC near Chapel Hill and moved to Henderson Co. Tenn.

Remarks on ancestry.  Give here any and all facts possible in reference to your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. not included in the foregoing, as where they lived, office held, Revolutionary or other war services, what county the family come to America, where first settled, county and state always giving full napes if possible and never referring to an ancestor as such without giving the name.  It is desirable to include every fact possible and to that end the full and exact record from old Bibles should be appended on separate sheets of this size, thus preserving the facts from loss.
My father, Richard Timberlake, was born in 1788.  His father Francis Timberlake married Nancy Poindexter from Petersburg, VA, and emigrated from Va to NC before the Revolution, where he taught in school.  His children were James, Eppison, Fran, Julius and Richard, my father.  His daughters were two in number, Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Fayton.