USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present : together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, V.2 > Part 35
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early in 1865. He laid aside his arms as quickly and quietly as he had taken them up. At the close of the war he returned to his home, accepted the situation, and did his best to heal the wounds left by the war. Before his death he became a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. in which faith he died.
Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth President of the United States. was born in Raleigh, N. C., December 29, 1808. His father, Jacob, Johnson, who died in 1812, was city constable, sexton of a church and porter of the State bank. Extreme poverty prevented Andrew from re- ceiving any education, and at the age of ten he was apprenticed to Mr. Selby, a tailor. In 1824, a short time before the expiration of his ap- prenticeship, having committed some little misdemeanor, he ran away and went to Laurens Court House, S. C. He obtained work as a journey- man and remained there until May, 1826, when he returned to Raleigh. During the following September, accompanied by his mother, he came to Tennessee and located at Greeneville, where in a short time he married.
Up to this time his education was limited to reading, but under his wife's tuition he learned to write and cipher. In 1828, taking an interest in politics, he organized a workingmen's party in opposition to the aris- tocratie element, which had before controlled the town of Greeneville. He was elected alderman, and two years later was made mayor. During this time a village debating society was formed, and he took a prominent part in its discussions, manifesting much of the ability which he after- ward displayed. In 1835 he offered himself as a candidate for a seat in the lower house of the General Assembly, and after a vigorous canvass was elected. During the following session his opposition to the internal improvement bill temporarily lost him his popularity, and at the next election he was defeated. Succeeding events, however, proved his views to have been correct, and in 1839 he was returned to the Legislature. From this time forth he was almost continuously in public life. He was an elector for the State at large on the Van Buren ticket in 1840. and in 1841 was elected to the State Senate. Two years later he took his seat in Congress as representative from the First District of Tennessee. a position which he continued to hold by re-election for ten years. During this time he advocated the annexation of Texas, the war with Mexico and the tariff of 1846.
In 1853 he was elected governor of Tennessee over G. A. Henry, the Whig candidate, and again in 1855 over Meredith P. Gentry. after one of the most exciting campaigns ever witnessed. In December, 1>57. ho took his seat in the United States Senate, to which he had been elected by the Legislature of Tennessee. He soon distinguished himself as the
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advocate of the homestead law, which was vetoed by President Buchanan. Although he usually voted with the Southern members on the slavery question, he was not strongly in sympathy with them. In the canvass of 1860 he supported Breckinridge and Lane, but when secession was openly proposed he opposed it with all of his ability. This caused many of his former adherents to denounce him as a traitor to his State and party, and in almost every city in the State he was burned in effigy. March 4, 1862. he was nominated military governor of Tennessee by President Lincoln, and on the 12th of the same month he arrived in Nashville. He con- tinued as military governor until March, 1865, when he was succeeded by William G. Brownlow.
On June 7, 1864, the Republican Convention at Baltimore nominated him for the vice-presidency, and on the 4th of the March following he was inaugurated. Upon the assassination of President Lincoln he im- mediately took the oath of office and entered upon his duties as Presi- dent. From his public utterances it had been inferred that he would treat the Southern leaders with great severity, but his course was quite the reverse, and then began the difficulty between himself and Congress which ended in his impeachment trial. After a long contest he was finally acquitted, on a vote of thirty-five for conviction to nineteen for acquittal.
At the Democratic Convention of 1868 he was a candidate for nomi- nation for the Presidency, but received little support. In March, 1869, he returned to his home at Greeneville, Tenn., and the next year be- came a candidate for the United States Senate. He lacked two votes of an election. In 1872 he was a candidate for congressman at large, but dividing the vote of his party with B. F. Cheatham was defeated by Horace Maynard. In January, 1875, he was elected to the United States Senate for the full term of six years, and at the extra session in March, of that year, took his seat. He died suddenly of paralysis on July 31, 1875, at the residence of his daughter in Carter County, Tenn. Mr. John- son was essentially combative in his temperament, and was rather im- patient of opposition. That he had the courage of his convictions is evident from his course at the beginning of the war, when for a South- ern Democrat to champion the cause of the Union was to sacrifice both friends and reputation. He cannot be said to have enjoyed, to any great degree, the personal good-will and esteem of his fellow-citizens, but he never failed to inspire their confidence and respect. He possessed no personal magnetism, wit nor brilliancy, and his countenance usually wore an expression bordering on sadness.
The following by one of his colleagues in Congress is a fitting tribute
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to his character: "If I were to write the epitaph of Andrew Johnson, I would inscribe on the stone which shall mark his last resting place, " Here lies the man who was in the public service for forty years, who never tried to deceive his countrymen, and died as he lived, an honest man-'the noblest work of God.'"
Gen. Felix Kirk Zollicoffer was born in Maury County, Tenn., May 17, 1812, and was the son of John J. and Martha (Kirk) Zollicoffer. The father was a native of North Carolina. He was descended from an il- lustrious Swiss family, which included several of the most distinguished military men, divines and scholars of that nation. Several centuries ago three Zollicoffer brothers were granted a patent of nobility on account of distinguished service rendered to the Government, and from them de- scended the Zollicoffers of Switzerland and of America. The latter branch of the family immigrated to this country probably near the close of the seventeenth century.
Gen .. Zollicoffer, after having received such an education as the schools of his native county afforded, learned the printer's trade, and at the age of seventeen, in company with two other young men, began the publication of a paper at Paris, Tenn. Their enterprise proving a fail- ure young Zollicoffer went to Knoxville, where he found employment and remained until 1834, when he removed to Huntsville, Ala. He was en- ployed at that place in the office of the Southern Mercury for a short time, after which he returned to Maury County and located at Columbia, taking charge of the Observer. On September 24, 1835, he was united in marriage with Louisa P. Gordon, of Hickman County, a daughter of the brave Indian scout, Col. John Gordon. The next year he volunteered as a soldier, and served with the Tennessee troops during the Seminole war. In the early part of 1837 he returned and resumed his connection with the Observer, of which he continued the editor until after the campaign of 1840, strongly opposing the election of Mr. Van Buren. As editor of the Nashville Banner, he entered upon his duties January 3, 1842, and at once made a decided impression. During the gubernatorial campaign of the following year he contributed much to the election of James C. Jones over James K. Polk. For some time he had been a sufferer from an aneurism of the aorta, that daily threatened his life, and after the elec- tion he retired from the editorial chair. On the Ist of November follow- ing he was elected by the Legislature comptroller of the State, a position he continued to hold by re-election until 1849. In August of that year he was chosen to represent Davidson County in the State Senate, and during the session made himself one of the leaders of that body.
In January, 1851, he again connected himself with the Banner.
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He succeeded in inducing Gen. William B. Campbell to accept the nomination for governor, and the brilliant victory which was secured was due more largely to his efforts than to those of any other man. The result of this canvass added greatly to the influence of Gen. Zollicoffer.
The next year occurred the contest for the Presidency between Gens. Scott and Pierce. Gen. Zollicoffer had favored the nomination of Mil- lard Fillmore, and attended the National Convention at Baltimore to advocate it, but when Gen. Scott was chosen as the leader of the Whigs he supported him with his accustomed vigor and ability, and, although the candidate was decidedly unpopular with the Whig party, Tennessee was brought to his support.
On April 20. 1853. having received the Whig nomination for Con- gress in his distriet. he severed, for the last time, his connection with the press. He was elected after a brilliant canvass and served for three suc- cessive terms. He then voluntarily retired to private life. During the early part of 1861 Gen. Zollicoffer did all in his power to prevent the dissolution of the Union, and was a member of the Peace Conference at Washington, but after the call for troops by President Lincoln he es- poused the cause of the South and advocated secession. Upon the organ- ization of the State military Gov. Harris called him to his aid, and com- missioned him brigadier-general. He was placed in command of the forces in East Tennessee, where, during the fall of 1861, he gathered an army of about 4,000 men and took part at Cumberland Ford. Opposed to him were about double that number of troops under Gen. Thomas. On Jar- uary 19, 1862, deceived as to the strength and position of the enemy he unfortunately ordered an attack, and during the engagement was killed. Various accounts of the death of Gen. Zollicoffer have been published, but the most authentic is about as follows:
Gen. Zollicoffer while inspecting his lines found himself between a Mississippi regiment and the Fourth Kentucky Federal Regiment under Col. Fry, who was about to lead them in a charge upon the Confederate lines. Gen. Zollicoffer thinking the latter regiment a part of his own command, accompanied by his aid, rode up to Col. Fry and said: "You are not going to fight your friends, are you?' These men" ( pointing to the Mississippi regiment), "are all your friends." In the meantime Zollicoffer's aid, perceiving their mistake, fired at Col. Fry, killing his horse. Col. Fry sprang to his feet and fired at Gen. Zollicoffer, killing him instantly. The troops thus deprived of their trusted leader retreated in confusion. Gen. Zollicoffer left a family of six daughters, five of whom are still living. Mrs. Zollicoffer died in 1857.
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CHAPTER XX.
POLITICAL HISTORY -- CONTENTIONS FOR THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPI -- SPANISH TERRITORIAL. DEMANDA-CONTEMPLATION OF THE CITIZENS TENNESSEE-THE IMPEACHMENT OF SENATOR BLOUNT -- POLICIES OF G! B- ERNATORIAL ADMINISTRATIONS -- TENNESSEE DURING THE WAR OF 1812 -- EFFORTS TO COUNTERACT LOCAL FINANCIAL DEPRESSION -EARLY QUE TIONS CONCERNING SLAVERY -- THE TARIFE AND THE DOCTRINE OF NULLI FICATION -- JACKSON'S ADVANCEMENT AND VIEWS- TENURE OF OFFICE -- PROMINENT POLITICIANS-PARTY POLICIES AND CONTENTIONS ---- THE FROG NEGRO BILL-GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SECESSION -- COURSE OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE-GOVERNMENT UNDER THE CONFERF .:- ATE CONSTITUTION-RESUMPTION OF FEDERAL AAUTHORITY -- REORGANIZA- TION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT -- THE CONVENTION OF 1805-" RECONSTHE( TION"-POLITICAL SECRET SOCIETIES-MEMORABLE EVENTS- THE NEW CON- STITUTION -- SUBSEQUENT PARTISAN PROCEEDINGS.
TIHLE political history of Temesee previous to its organization as a State is mainly comprised in the history of the Government of the Notables, of the State of Franklin and of its territorial government. But. there were political movements and negotiations conducted by the United States Government, in which the people of Tennessee, as well as those of the other Western Territories, were deeply interested. These negotiations had reference mainly to the navigation of the Mississippi River below the thirty-first parallel of latitude. Spain then owned Louisiana, and evince l a determination to claim the country up the Mississippi Valley, west of a boundary line herewith described: " A right line shall be drawn froma the eastern angle of the Gulf of Mexico to the Fort Toulouse, situated in the country of the Alibamas; from thence the River Louishatchi should be ascended, from the mouth of which a right line should be drawn to the fort or factory of Quenassie; from this last place the course of the River Euphasie* is to be followed until it joins the Cherokee.+ the course of this last river is to be followed until it receives the Pelissippi. ; this last to be followed to its source, from which a right line is to be drawn to the Cumberland River, whose course is to be followed until it falls into the Ohio."
Spain also declared that. "As to the course and navigation of the Mississippi River, they follow with the property and they will belong to the nation to which the two banks belong," and " Spain alone will be the proprietor of the course of the Mississippi from the thirty-first degree of latitude to the mouth of this river."
*Hiwasser. +Tennessee ;Clineb.
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Could Spain have maintained her claims, all of Tennessee west of the Rivers Hiwassee, Tennessee and Clinch would have belonged to Lor. Her persistence in insisting upon the exclusive right to the navigation of the Mississippi River below the thirty-first parallel, caused great un- easiness and dissatisfaction among the people in the Southern States and Western Territories, and was strenuously resisted by Mr. Jay for a con- siderable period: but at length he yielded so far as to recommend to Congress the expediency of limiting the treaty to twenty-five or thirty years, and the insertion of an article stipulating that the United States would forbear to use the river through their territory to the Gulf. On the 25th of August. 1765, a resolution was introduced into Congress in- strueting Mr. Jay to consent to an article stipulating a forbearance on the part of the United States to navigate the Mississippi for twenty years. When the vote was taken on this resolution it was found that all the Northern States sustained it, while all the Southern States opposed it (Delaware not voting), one of the first instances in which the North encountered a " Solid South."
When these proceedings in Congress were made known there was great excitement and indignation among the people throughout the Southern States and Western Territories, so much so that a separation of the latter from their Atlantic brethren was threatened, in order to form a union with Louisiana and thus secure the benefits of the navigation of the Mississippi River. Spain artfully encouraged these sentiments, and was not wholly unsuccessful in gaining over the Western people to an adherence to her interests. Happily, however, the policy on the part of Spain on the one hand, and the desire of the people to form an alliance with Louisiana on the other, were of short duration; and finally a treaty was concluded in October, 1795, covering the entire ground of the con- troversy, in accordance with which the boundary line between the two countries was soon afterward run, the posts surrendered, and the tiresome controversy, which for fifteen years had kept the Western country in a state of almost continuous excitement and alarm, was brought to an end.
The next political event of importance occurred after Tennessee was admitted into the Union. This was the impeachment and expulsion from the United State Senate of William Blount, one of Tennessee's first seu- ators in Congress. The ground of impeachment was Mr. Blount's con- nection with an alleged conspiracy against the peace and dignity of the United States, in attempting with others to wrest from Spain her domiin- ions in America and in conquering the same for the King of Great Brit- ain. The basis of the proceedings in the United States Congress against
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him was a letter written by him, under date of April 21, 1797, to James Carey a confidential friend. The letter hinted at some kind of plau. and it was evident that the plan was of a very important nature; but the nature of the same could not be ascertained from the letter alone. Not- withstanding this the House of Representatives on July 7, 1797, re- quested the Senate to sequester Mr. Blount from his seat, with which Is. quest the Senate on the next day complied. The Senate then proceeded to consider the report of the committee to which the charges against Sen- ator Blount had been referred. This report which closed with a resolu- tion expelling Senator Blount from the Senate on account of high crimes and misdemeanors, was sustained by a vote of twenty-five to one.
While the Carey letter furnishes abundant evidence that Senator Blount was a skillful diplomatist, it furnishes none whatever of his being guilty of conspiracy against his country. The most the letter shows with reference to the plan Mr. Blount was endeavoring to carry out is, that he desired to keep that plan secret, at least until it should be an assured snc- cess. The letter contains the following request: "When you have read this letter over three times, then burn it;" which shows that politicians. even in the early days, sometimes desired the destruction of the evidence of their designs, even though those designs were strictly honest and pa- triotic. Among the people of Tennessee, Mr. Blount never lost his popu- larity. Soon after his impeachment Knox County elected him to the State Senate, and the State Senate elected him its speaker, a vacancy har- ing been caused by the resignation of Gen. James White.
The several administrations of Hon. John Sevier as governor of Tennessee had, as a general thing, been characterized by prosperity and peaco with the Indian tribes. To this state of things the Governor al- luded in 1801, in his farewell message to the General Assembly. " There has been no trouble with the Indians during the past six years, the laws of the Government have been duly obeyed, and Providence has been bountiful and propitious in an extensive degree with respect to the pro- ductions of the earth." After recommending a law regulating the mili- tia as absolutely necessary to the safety of the State he said, "The State of Tennessee possesses every power, privilege, sovereignty and jurisdic- tion that any of the original States in the Union enjoy; and such being undeniably the case, what hesitation can there remain to prevent you from passing laws to enable citizens to obtain a fall and complete pos- session of all their titles and grants they have a right to receive and are entitled to? You will readily perceive the impropriety of other States undertaking and appointing offers for the discharge of the most in- portant business in the State of Tennessee, independently of her contra
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or subject to her laws. It is a practice inconsistent with the liberties of & free State, and never before submitted to."
John Sevier was succeeded this year in the gubernatorial office by Archibald Roane, who served two years, and William C. C. Claiborne was re-elected to Congress; but having been appointed by the President of the United States governor of Mississippi Territory, he chose to ac- cept the latter office. In 1803 John Sevier was again elected governor of the State, and served six more years in that capacity, when, in 1809, he was succeeded by Willie Blount, and himself taking his seat in the Gen- eral Assembly as senator from Knox County.
During the second occupancy of the office (in 1507), the relations between the Governments of Great Britain and the United States became unusually strained. The affair of the "Chesapeake," which occured on June 22, in which the British man-of-war "Leopard," fired on the "Chesapeake." and took from her four seamen claimed as British subjects, and the failure of subsequent negotiations to effect a settlement of the difficulties between the two nations, produced a bitterness of feeling on the part of Mr. Jefferson and his adherents on the one hand, and the British minis- try on the other, which could only, and which finally did, result in war. Mr. Jefferson had been Tennessee's choice for President, both in 1800 and 1804, and she now sympathized fully with the National Government in its struggle to maintain "sailors' rights." During this year the Legis- lature sent a communication to the President of the United States, ex- pressive of this sympathy and encouragement in the prosecution of the arduous duties of his position. On the 2d of December, the Governor informed the Legislature that, in case the Government of the United States should call for militia from Tennessee, which it afterward did, the State did not possess one pound of powder and ball for public use nor & single musket for public defense, which was immediately referred to a committee for action.
On the 7th of September, 1812, the Legislature convened in extra session and received a long message from Gov. Willie Blount regarding the war with Great Britain, which had recently been declared by the Congress of the United States. Of the 100,000 militia called out by the President, 2,500 was the quota from Tennessee. On the 9th of October, the Legislature passed a series of resolutions approving of the declara- tion of war against Great Britain as an act of indisponsible necessity to the sovereignty, welfare, happiness aud safety of the government and people of the United States, and they also resolved, " that we view any and every attempt to divide the good people of the United States, whether by a foreign government, by the State governments, respectively, or by
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any of those styling themselves citizens of any of the States, as an act, in the first place, too mean, degrading and barbarous, even to have been countenanced by any other civilized government than that of our present enemy."
When the Legislature convened September 18, 1515, peace had re- turned to the United States, and Gov. Willie Blount congratulated the members on the advantages of a republican form of government in times of war as well as in times of peace, and said "such a government is worthy the best support of freemen." During this year Gov. Blount was succeeded by Joseph MeMinn, who bad served for several years as speaker of the State Senate. On October 10, 1815, George W. Camp- bell was elected United States Senator for six years, and John Williams for two years. Mr. Campbell served two years, when he resigned to accept the mission to St. Petersburg, to succeed William Pinkney, and John H. Eaton was appointed to Mr. Campbell's place in the Senate.
One of the subjects' which engaged the attention of the Legislature was the depressed state of the industries of the country. After the set- tlement of the disputes with Great Britain, and before the disputes at home on the slavery question, this subject was likewise uppermost in the minds of the people, because painfully felt by all. The press tecined with articles defining the causes and prescribing the remedies. Opinions as to the duties of the State and of the people in the emergency were various, and sometimes antagonistie, even among the ablest citizens of the State. Among the causes enumerated were these: The embarrassed state of things in Europe; immense importation of foreign commodities; overtrading at home; neglect of domestic manufactures; general extrav - agance in living among the people; general indisposition among the peo- ple to apply themselves industriously to regular business; an attempt to grow rich without labor, and the withdrawal of foreign bank bills.
Among other remedies for the embarrassments felt by the people in Tennessee, Gov. McMinn suggested an extention of time for paying debts, the formation of a property law, and the issue of treasury notes, based on the sale of the Hiwassee lands and the public faith, the treas- ury notes to be brought into circulation by means of a loan office. In accordance with the suggestion of the Governor, the Legislature pro- posed the enaetment of an elaborate loan-office bill, by which two prin- cipal offices, with a capital of $750,000 were to be established. one at Nashville and the other at Knoxville, the later being authorized to es- tablish eight branch offices, the former "at least five." By means of these main and branch offices all portions of the State would be supplied with a circulating medium, every citizen needing money to be furnished
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