USA > Tennessee > Bedford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
USA > Tennessee > Marshall County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
USA > Tennessee > Wilson County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
USA > Tennessee > Maury County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
USA > Tennessee > Williamson County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
USA > Tennessee > Rutherford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 33
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The clerks of the county court and their terms of office have been as follows: Robert Foster, 1799 to 1800; John C. Henderson, 1800 to 1802; John Allcorn, 1802 to 1827: John Stone, 1827 to 1831; Josiah McClain, 1831 to 1871; R. P. McClain, 1871 to 1875; Jesse F. Coe, 1875 to 1830; Abraham Britton, 1830 to 1832; W. M. Harkreader, 1892 to 1886.
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848
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Sheriff's-Samuel Rosborough, 1799 to 1802: William Wilson, 1802 to 1802 (three months); Nathaniel Perry, 1802 to 1804: George Hallum, 1801 to 1805; John V. Tullock, 1805 to 1806; Thomas Bradley, 1806 to 1819; James Williams, 1819 to 1821; Thomas Brad- ley, 1821 to 1825: John Hearn, 1825 to 1831: Paulden Anderson, 1831 to 1836; Benjamin G. Mabry, 1836 to 1839; Wilburn R. Winter, 1839 to 1840; Henry D. Lester, 1840 to 1844: John C. Lash, 1844 to 1847; Robert Halhun. 1847 to 1848; John J. Crittenden, 184S to 1854: Jonathan Etherly, 1854 to 1859; Nathan W. Mccullough, 1859 to 1866; William E. Foust. 1866 to 1870: Andrew MeGregor, 1870 to 1874; David W. Grandstaff, 1874 to 1876; Will- iam P. Bandy, 1876 to 1882; James G. Hamilton, 1882 to 1884; William P. Bandy, 1884 to 1886. Registers-John Allcorn, 1799 to 1801: Henry Ross, 1801 to 1827; James Foster. 1827 to 1836: Thomas Edwards, 1836 to 1837: A. W. Foster, 1837 to 1839; Giles II. Glenn. 1839 to 1844: Robert M. Holeman, 1844 to 1846: Allen W. Vick, 1846 to 1876; John F. Tarply. 1876 to 1886. Trustees-John W. Payton, 1799 to 1800: James Stewart, 1800 to 1814; Edward Crutcher, 1814 to 1821; John W. Payton, 1821 to 1833; David C. Hibbitts, 1833 to 1844: John Shorter. 1844 to 1848; Benjamin Tower, 1848 to 1856; David B. Moore, 1856 to 1860; Jarrett W. Edwards, 1860 to 1872; J. F. Lane, 1872 to 1874; Nathan Oakley, 1874 to 1876; J. N. Cook, 1876 to 1884: D. J. Barton, 1884 to 1886.
The Circuit Court of Wilson County convened for the first time in the court house at Lebanon. September 24, 1810, Hon. Thomas Stuart, presiding. The first case of conse- quence on the docket was that of the State against Joel Alpin, on a charge of assault and battery. Alpin was found guilty as charged in the indictment, and fined $5. In 1811 Peggy and Solomon Ray were divorced; in 1812 Thomas Martin and Joseph Davis were each fined $10 for assault and battery: in 1813 James Rather, for assault and battery, was fined $5: Isaac and Betsy Cook were divorced in 1814, and in 1815 Betsy and David Hunt were also divorced: in 1820 Jedediah Willie was publicly whipped for larceny, and Robert Easom for assault and battery was fined $10 and sent to jail for twenty days; Hiram McKinley. for larceny, in 1821, was given twenty-five lashes on the bare back and jailed; in 1826 Lewis Yarnell was convicted of murder, and was branded on the left hand with the letter M, and given four months in jail; James Nilms, for horse stealing, in 1828, was sentenced to be hung, and upon the day of execution, after having been placed on the scaffold, was reprieved at the last minute and his sentence commuted; during the same year Joe, a slave, for murder, was branded with the letter M and given thirty-nine lashes, and for horse stealing Pins Simpson was sentenced to receive twenty-six lashes, six months in jail and to stand in the pillory two hours on the mornings of Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and was branded on the hand with the letters Hand T; in 1829 Willis, a slave, was given thirty-nine lashes and branded with M for committing murder; David B. Cole was publicly whipped and jailed for larceny in 1830; John Afflack, for killing his wife in 1830, was branded with MI and sent to jail for eleven months, and for murder in the second degree Joseph C. Wilson was sent to the penitentiary for fifteen years; in 1834 Frank Mc- Cullough, on two counts for store stealing, was sent to prison for five years on each; Clay- ton, a slave, was convicted of the murder of a white man and daughter named Hunt , and was hung at Lebanon November 26, 1836; in 1837 Aaron F. Jones and James Lively were each sent to the penitentiary for horse stealing; McDaniel Smith was sent to the peniten- tiary for four years on a charge of bigamy in 1839, and John Lawrence, for larceny, was given eight years; Isaac Mahaffy was sent to the penitentiary ten years for murder, and Stephen L. Pearson was sent for four years on a charge of forgery in 1841; Leslie Clark, for perjury, and Edward Wyatt, larceny, were sent to prison in 1842; in 1845 Garland Brown and John Jones, on charge of larceny, were sent to prison for two and six years, respectively; for murder in 1848, Britton Collins was imprisoned for ten years; in 1850 Squire Collins and James Young were each sent to the penitentiary for ten years for mur- der; in 1857 Rufus L. Watson was imprisoned for ten years for murder, and on the same charge Parmelia Smith received a similar sentence in 1858.
In 1867 Russell Sanders, Polk Evans, John Bratton, Mary North, Thomas Clymer, Frank Baird, Isham Jackson and Wash Hardy, on charges of larceny, were each im-
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S49
WILSON COUNTY.
prisoned one year. In 1868, on charges of larceny, Foster Newby was sent to prison for three years. Fayette Sneed three years, Thomas Waters one year and James Radford one year, and Nancy Elliott, for murder, ten years, and James Tarlton, for horse-stealing, three years. In 1869 Henry Palmer and Henry Sewell, for house-breaking, were each sent to the penitentiary for ten years: Henry Curtis, horse-stealing, ten years, and Frank Smith, for larceny, one year. In 1870 William Porter was sent to the pen- itentiary seventeen years for bigamy, and for larceny Sam Thompson, Ben Camper, Edward Knight, Marcus Hawkins and John Burch were given terms of impris- onment. In 1872 Hugh Bradley (colored), was sent up for four years for larceny, and Seth Williams, for house-breaking, got two years. In 1875 Jerry Belcher got ten years in prison on the charge of arson, and for larceny William Gooch, Albert McGregor, Burdine Preston and Moses Howell were sent to the penitentiary. In 1876 Porter Williamson and Burr Spinks (colored), were convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung. Williamson was granted a new trial, pending which he was hung by a mob. while Spinks was hung by law. In 1877 sentences were passed as follows: King Walsh, house- breaking, three years in the penitentiary; Jasper Williams, horse-stealing, ten years, and William Claxton, horse-stealing. three years. In 1878 Albert Gibson, for larceny, was sent to prison for three years; Davis Bass, house-breaking, was given three years, and James Scott, for larceny, received one year. In 1879 Scott Bass, for larceny, received three years imprisonment; Jere Evans, for malicious stabbing, one year; Pomp Grizzle, horge-stealing, three years and Bob Williamson, murder, three years. In 1880 John Bond, for rape, was imprisoned for ten years, William Tacheit, horse-stealing, and Lee Hardy. larceny, were each sent up for three years. In 1881 Samuel Baird, Wash Hearn, Martin Graves and Pike Ward were sentenced to the penitentiary for larceny; J. W. Con- ner, for murder, was sent for twenty years; Bob Nipps, horse-stealing, three years, and Joe Harrison, for arson, was sent for five years. In 1882 Joe Campbell was sentenced to the penitentiary for twenty years for murder; Marcus Seay, horse-stealing, went up for five years, and, for larceny, terms of imprisonment were given Jake Neal, Jack Price, Alf Jennier. William Hamler, Bill Oxendine and George Dibrell. In 1833 James Payne, for house-breaking, received three years imprisonment, and in 1884 Frank Jennings and Tom Robertson, for murder, were each given ten and three years, respectively, and Frank Johnson and Bill Davis were given one and five years, respectively, for larceny. In 1883 Berr Officer, for larceny, was sent up for one year; Bernice Richardson, murder, got a life sentence; Hardy Baker, horse-stealing, three years; James Baxter, murder, convicted and sentenced to be hung. Baxter's case was appealed to the supreme court, where the decision of the lower court was sustained. His execution was set for November 3, 1885, but he was granted a reprieve, and on June 4, 1886, was hung at Lebanon; Andrew Church, an accomplice of Baxter in the crime, was sent to the penitentiary for life: both were negroes, and their crime was the murder of Mrs. Lane, an aged widow, for the pur- pose of robbery. In 1886 George Burns, for bigamy, was sent to the penitentiary for five ycars; Kate Rhodes, infanticide, sent for ten years; Asbury Johnson, Jesse Hill, George Thompson and Robert Keith, for larceny, were sent to the penitentiary for one year each, and W. H. Smith, marshal of Lebanon, was indicted for murder, he having killed a negro who resisted an arrest.
The judges who have presided over the courts of Wilson County since the organiza- tion of the circuit court have been as follows: Thomas Stewart, 1810-30; James C. Mitchell, 1830-35; Samuel Anderson, 1835-52; Hugh L. Davidson, 1852-64; Henry Cooper, 1864-68; John W. Phillips, 1869-70; William H. Williamson, 1870-78; Robert Cantrell, 1878-86.
The attorney-generals were Thomas Washington, 1810-18; Alfred Balch, 1818-24 ; William R. Hess, 1824-26; Samuel II. Laughlin, 1826-28; Robert L. Caruthers, 1525-32; Samuel Yerger, 1832-36; Thomas C. Whiteside, 1826-42; Hugh L. Davidson, 1842-18. William J. Martin, 1848-52; James L. Scudder, 1852-60; Barclay M. Tillinan, 1560-66; Horace Rice, 1866-68; James MI. Brien, 1868-69; James F'. Stokes, 1869-70; Moses McKnight, 1870-78; Lillard Thompson, 1878-86.
850
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
The circuit court clerks have been as follows: Harry L. Douglas, 1810-15; Samuel C. Roane, 1815-17: Henry Shelby, 1817-18: Harry L. Douglas, 1818-21: John S. Tapp, 1821-27; Samuel Yerger. 1827-32; William L. Martin, 1832-12; John W. White, 1842-14; James HI. Britton, 1844-48: Harris H. Simmons, 1848-49; Calvin W. Jackson, 1849-54: Phummer W. Harris, 1854-58; Joseph T. Manson. 1858-70; William McCorkle, 1870-73; Samuel G. Stratton, 1873-82: W. W. Donnell, 1882-86.
The Chancery Court of Wilson County convened for the first time July 25, 1836. at the court house in Lebanon, the Chancery Court of the State having been created during that year, having been provided for by the Constitutional Convention of 1834. Hon. Lunsford M. Bramlett was the presiding chancellor, and Jolin H. Dew was appointed clerk and master.
The chancellors have been as follows: Lunsford M. Bramlett, 1836-40; Bromfield L. Ridley. 1840-61: John P. Steele. 1865-70 ;* Charles G. Smith, 1870-75: Horace Lurton, 1875-17: B. J. Tarver, 1877-78: George E. Seay, 1878-86.
The clerk and masters were John H. Dew, 1836-38; James B. Rutland, 1838-50: John K. Howard, 1850-61 ;*. Orville Greene, 1865-70; Haywood Y. Riddle, 1870-76: R. P. McClain, 1876-83: R. C. Sanders, 1883-86.
Wilson County has furnished more than her quota of public men to the State and county. Among the more prominent was Hon. James C. Jones, who served as governor of the State from 1841 to 1845, and as United States senator from 1852 to 1858. The county has furnished six congressmen, as follows: Samuel Hogg, Robert L. Caruthers, Robert Hatton. W. B. Campbell, Edward I. Golladay and H. Y. Riddle. All of the above. including Sam Houston, Alexander Campbell, Abraham Caruthers and others, liave practiced at the Lebanon bar. The present members of the bar are Robert Cantrell, E. R. Thompson, W. H. Williamson, B. J. Tarver, P. K. Williamson, R. C. Sanders, R. P. McClain, E. E. Beard, Lillard Thompson. J. S. Gribble, W. R. Chambers, J. T. Lane, J. P. Eastman, J. C. Sanders, Samuel Gallaway and Robinson McMillin.
Wilson County has a war record extending back to the Continental war of 1776, for among the pioneers of the county were quite a number of the patriots of that war, among whom were John Wynn, Edward Mitchell. John Dabney, John Harpole. Philip Shackler, Anthony Gain, Jeremiah McWhirter and James Scott, the first four of whom were com- missioned officers. As early as 1800 the county had an organized militia of seven compa- - nies, the captains of which were Capts. Bishop, Moore, Echols, Dillard, Warick. Blalock and Hood. By 1807 the militia liad increased to fifteen companies, under command of Capis. McNight, Pitman, Mann, Wilson, Caplinger, Bumpass, Leech, Branch, Alexander. Hunter, Martin, Coonce. Bandy, Joiner and Priestly. The companies had been increased four by 1810, and were commanded by Capts. Hill, Provine, Thompson, Cage, Hallum, Jones, Martin. Swingley, Quarles, Williams, Stiles, Estes. Henderson, Barnes, Smith. Bass, Spink, Davidson and Williamson. Robert Desha was the first brigadier-general of the Wilson County militia.
Wilson County furnished two full companies to the war of 1812, they being under command of Capts. Charles Wade and John Hayes. Out of the two companies only the following names can now be learned: Charles Wade, John Hayes, William and Lawrence Sypert, William Hartsfield, Zachariah Tolliver, Kit Seaburn, William Meyers, James Carson, Grief Randolph, William Martin, Thomas K. Ramsey, William Harrison, John Shackleford, Joseph Settles, William Norman, George Dillage, Fred Askins, - Will- iams, - Goldstone, ---- Kirby, -- Aigan and --- Goodall.
Two companies were also sent by this county to the Florida war in 1836. The first company left Lebanon in June, 1836, under command of Capt. J. J. Finley, and the sec- ond went out in December, 1837, under command of Capt. W. L. S. Dearing. The fol- lowing is an incomplete list of the soldiers of the county in the above war: J. J. Finley, W. L. S. Derring, T. J. Stratton, John D. Mottley, Dawson Hancock. John Willburry, P. Hearn, J. N. Kennedy, W. W. Talley, E. S. Smith. Nathan Oakley, Lewis Pendleton. J.
*No court during the civil war-from 1861 to 1865.
851
WILSON COUNTY.
H. Kennedy, William Woodkins, Samuel T. Mottley, Bern Winford, W. T. Cartwright, George Lewis, Claibourn R. Jarrett, William Powers and John W. Alexander.
Again two companies were sent out from Wilson County in the war with Mexico in 1846. The companies were commanded by Capts. Smith and Hayes, and the following is a list of the names of the soldiers as far as could be gathered after dilligent search: Ben- jamin Rice, Henry Tyree, Dr. Herbert. David K. Donnell, Gideon Alsup, John Bostick. Nathan Oakley. Coon Dillon, Pleasant Tarpley. William Reeves, W. W. Talley. Moses Reeves, Newton Thomas, William Putnam, Linsey Chapman, Thomas Jones, Calvin Jones, Ross Webb, Thomas Helms, Alexander Neal, J. M. Alsup, M. A. Byers, William J. Coleman, Jesse Alexander, William T. Hobson, William Simms, James Bryant, J. W. Ewing, W. H. George, Thomas Stroud, Farrer Carson, W. A. Willy, Monroe Shelton, Will- iam Lewis, Foster Tucker and E. S. Oakley.
When the crisis came at the breaking out of the civil war in 1861, Wilson County promptly espoused the cause of the South, and responding with alacrity to the call for volunteers made by Gov. Harris, began at once the organization of companies to assist in repelling the threatened invasion of the State of Tennessee by the Federal Army. Early in the spring of 1861 the organization of troops was inaugurated, and was continued throughout the whole year and during the year following. Portions of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-eighth and Forty-fifth Regiments of Tennessee Infantry, of the Fourth and Fifth Regiments of Tennessee Cavalry, and of Company C, First Tennessee Heavy Artillery were furnished by Wilson County.
The first company organized was the "Blues." of which Robert Hatton was the cap. tain. Then followed in rapid succession five companies, as follows: The "Grays," Capt. John K. Howard; the "Statesville Tigers," Capt. Nathan Oakley; the " Hurricane Rifles." Capt. Daniel G. Shepard; the "Silver Spring Guards," Capt. J. A. Anthony, and the "Harris Rifles," Capt. Monroe Anderson. The above companies left Lebanon May 20, 1861, going to Nashville, from which city they were ordered to Camp Trousdale, in Sumner County, for instructions. Upon the organization of the Seventh Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, all six of the Wilson County Companies were placed in the regiment, and Capt. Robert Hatton was elected colonel of the same. Thomas H. Bostick succeeded 'to Col. Hatton's place as captain of the "Blues," and W. H. Williamson succeeded Capt. Howard in the captaincy of the "Grays." The companies were then numbered as follows: Harrison Rifles, Capt. Monroe Anderson, Company D; Statesville Rifles, Capt. Oakly, Company F; Hurricane Rifles, Capt. Daniel G. Shepard, Company G; Grays, Capt. W. H. Williamson, Company H: Silver Spring Guards, Capt. Anthony, Company I; Blues, Capt. Bostic, Company K. Remaining at Camp Trousdale until in the latter part of August of the same year, the Seventh Regiment proceeded to West Virginia, and were in their first engagement at the battle of Cheat Mountain. The next engagement was the battle of Seven Pines in Virginia, in which battle Col. Hatton, who had previously been promoted to a generalship, was killed. The Wilson County companies continued with the regiment throughout the war, and were engaged with the regiment in all its battles and campaigns, and were present at the final surrender of the army of Virginia at Ap- pomattox Court House.
Early in the fall of 1861 four more companies were raised in Wilson County. Leaving Lebanon these companies reported also to Camp Trousdale, where they went under in- structions. When the Forty-fifth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry was organized, the Wilson County companies were assigned places therein, as follows: Company B, Capt. Curtis; Company F, Capt. Oldham; Company G, Capt. S. S. Preston, and Company H, Capt. Andrew Beard. With the Forty-fifth Regiment the four Wilson County companies participated in the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg Landing, Baton Rouge, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and all the different engagements of the regiment, and were present at the final surrender at Bentonville, N. C., by which time the regiment had dwindled down from death, sickness, disappearance, etc., to less than 100 inen.
During the same fall, 1861, three companies of cavalry were raised in Wilson County,
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852
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
and reported to Camp Cheatham and were placed in the Fourth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry. They were Company B, Capt. John R. Davis: Company C, Capt. Phillips, and Company G, Capt. Sam Thompson. These companies were engaged with this regiment in the various campaigns, and sustained heavy losses.
During 1861 another company of infantry was raised in the county, and reported to Camp Trousdale. This company was given a place in the Eighteenth Regiment of Ten- nessee Infantry, upon its organization, as Company K. When Company K left Lebanon W. J. Grayson was captain, but he dying in a few months' time, William P. Bandy, at present sheriff of Wilson County, was elected to the vacancy. The regiment went first to Bowling Green. Ky., and then to Fort Donelson, where they were captured at the fall of that fort, in 1862. After the exchange of the regiment at Vicksburg Company K was re- organized, with 126 men, only one of whom was present at the surrender at the close of the war. In the latter part of 1861 another company was raised in Wilson and DeKalb Counties, and left Alexandria under command of Capt. T. C. Goodner. The company was placed in the Twenty-fourth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry as Company K. At about the same time as above another company was raised in Lebanon, and under com- mand of Capt. E. I. Golladay, reported at Camp Arrington, near Memphis, and was mus- tered into the Thirty-eighth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry as Company H. A portion of Company D, Capt. John Wiseman, was also raised in Wilson County, and joined the Fifth Regiment of Tennessee Calvary, Gen. John Morgan's command.
In December, 1861, A. F. Orr, E. C. Fite, R. W. Miller, T. H. Norman, T. J. Han- kins, W. P. Skeen, D. B. Anderson, Fines Underwood, E. M. Hearn and H. M. Cart- well left Lebanon for Columbus, Ky., where they joined Company C, Capt. Sterling, of the First Tennessee Heavy Artillery. From Columbus they went to Island No. 10, then to Vicksburg, where they were captured. After being exchanged the company was re- organized and was ordered to Battery Tracy, in Mobile Bay, and from Battery Tracy they were ordered to Fort Morgan, where they were captured and sent to Governor's Isl- and, N. Y. All of the Wilson County portion, with one exception-Underwood, who died in prison-survived the war and returned to Wilson County. In the spring of 1862 Capt. Jonathan Etherly took out from Wilson County Company F, of the Twenty-eighth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry. Capt. Etherly was afterward promoted to a colonelcy.
The above is a list of the companies, their letters and captains, and the regiments to which they belonged; and for a detailed account of the campaigns of the several regi- - ments the reader is referred to the war chapter of this volume, to be found elsewhere.
While Wilson County's soldiers were at the front the county, and particularly Leb- anon, was the scene of several stirring events. In the spring of 1862 a regiment of Feder- al troops, under command of Col. Monday, pitched their tents in Lebanon and held full possession of the town for about three months. The campus of the university was select- ed as their quarters, and the college building was convert d into barracks. In the latter part of the same year, upon the evacuation of Lebanon by the Federals, Gen. John Mor- gan, with about 300 of his cavalry, was quartered in Lebanon for a short while. The Federals were at Murfreesboro, and, learning of Gen. Morgan's presence in Lebanon, sent a detachment of cavalry, under Gen. Dumont, to effect his capture. The Federal cavalry arrived at Lebanon at daylight and at once opened on the Confederates. Their pickets were driven in, and, though they had large odds to contend against, the plucky Confeder- ates prepared for action. Gen. Morgan had quarters at the Lee House, and when the skir- mishing began had not yet awakened. His men retreated from the college building into the town, and, being pressed, took shelter in the Odd Fellow's Hall, on West Main Street, near the court house, from which place they were dislodged only after a sharp fight. Gen. Morgan and the majority of his command made their escape, though it was a close call. Several on both sides were killed and wounded.
In 1863 Gen. Reynolds, who was stationed at Nashville, made frequent raids into Wil- son County, and gathered up all the horses and cattle to be found.
Unlike many of the Tennessee counties, Wilson was not injured to any great extent
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853
WILSON COUNTY.
by guerrillas and jayhawkers, though what were termed " home-made Yankees" committed a few depredations. At Shop Springs, some time in 1864, William Williams was arrested while in bed by supposed " home-made Yankees," and was led out from his house a short distance and shot; but beyond this nothing of a similar nature was done.
Lebanon, the county seat of Wilson, was founded in 1802, at which time the commis- sion appointed by the General Assembly for that purpose, selected the land of James. Menees upon which to locate the county seat. The town lots were sold at public auction on the 16th of August of the same year, among the purchasers being William Bloodworth, James Peacock, John Wright, Edward Mitchell, M. Stewart, William Crabtree, William Trigg, S. Harpole, William Gray, John Irwin, J. Providence, Peter Rule, John Impson, William Allen and others. Lebanon is situated on the east branch of Barton Creek (Town Branch), six miles south of Cumberland River, and about six miles north of the geographical center of the county, and on the Tennessee & Pacific Railway, thirty miles east from Nashville, and has a population of 3,000. The first settler on what is now the site of Lebanon, was Neddie Jacobs, who built a small log hut in 1800, and main- tained himself and wife by fishing and hunting. He was an odd character, and is remen- bered chiefly for his fiddling propensities, as he would sit and fiddle by the hour, putting aside his beloved instrument only to replenish his larder with game. The first house after the town was laid out was built by John Impson, which stood near the spring in the Public Square. Thomas Impson, Edward Mitchell, Edmund Crutcher and James Ander- son also erected houses at about the same time. The first brick house was erected in 1812 by Dr. Henry Shelby, and soon afterward another brick house was erected by Joseph Jolinson. William Allen, an Irishman, was the first man to open a store in Lebanon, and the first hotel proprietor was Edward Mitchell, these two gentlemen engaging in business in 1803. The first physicians were Drs. John Tulloch and Samuel Hogg. The first post- master was John Allcorn, and the first school-teacher was an Irishman named John Trot- ter, in about 1805. The first church was the Methodist Church, which was erected in about 1812, of which Rev. German Baker was the first preacher. Previous to this services were held at private residences and in the court house.
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