Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 11

Author: Speer, William S
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel
Number of Pages: 1278

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He himself, when interrogated as to the methods by which he had attained success. in life, said : " In boy- hood I had instilled into-me by my father a very strict regard for truth, hence I have endeavored to make my word as good as my bond and to be true to my prom- ises."

The life of his early boyhood was admirably adapted to the formation of such a character. At our first glance we find him living the healthy life of a country school-boy, sometimes riding to mill and doing other light services at his father's farm, at other times a dili- gent scholar at his father's school, and again joining in the rough and manly sports of the forest, hunting coons, opossums, rabbits, foxes, but strictly observing the Sab- bath and submitting to the firm but loving discipline of his father. All this was well adapted to building up a character in which health and strength were the endow- ment of his mind and body. Such health and strength entail moral and physical courage, and courage is the very basis of veracity-a courage which enables and in spires man to face the truth and all its consequences rather than seek the coward's refuge in a lie.

Judge Fleming said to the author of these sketches: "In the early years of my professional career I was ex- ceedingly fond of controversies before juries, but at a later period I acquired a fondness for equity, and since I have been on the bench I have spared neither time nor labor in the prosecution of that department of law. Indeed, I have been a harder student on the bench than at any other period of my life."

The bar of Columbia, at the time that Judge Fleming was called to a participation in its transactions, was an arena such as to appal the weak but to inspire the strong. To demonstrate this it only needs that the names of some who occupied it be given. There might be seen and heard Chancellors Cahal and Frierson, Chief-justice Nicholson, General Pillow, Russell Hous- toa, Judge Baxter, James K. Polk, James II. Thomas, and Judge William P. Martin, and among these, giants as they were, Judge Fleming also developed a giant's

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strength, tempering, however, its force with wisdom and rectitude.

The character of this noble specimen of the great lawyer has been dwelt on the more in detail because it is feared that such characters are becoming rare, either at the bar or on the bench, and it has seemed well that

succeeding generations may know what sort of men their predecessors have been, and by what training their characters have been molded.

Judge MeLemore says of him : "Judge Fleming is a charming man in conversation, is one of the ripest scholars and among the ablest chancellors in the State."

COL. JAMES H. HOLMAN.

FAYETTEVILLE.

J JAMES H. HOLMAN was born in Lincoln county, Tennessee, March 7, 1836, the son of Elder James W. Holman, a minister of the Primitive Baptist Church, a native of the same county, born in 1812. Elder Hol- man was a tax-collector of Lincoln county twice, a jus- tice of the peace for some twelve years, a large farmer, and one of the most successful men in the county. He is still living at Fayetteville, a man of rather rigid and exacting character, but kind-hearted, public-spirited, and punctual to every engagement of his life.

The grandfather of Col. Holman was Elder Hardy Holman, also a Primitive Baptist preacher. He was a native of Kentucky, born near Frankfort, and was one of the first settlers of Lincoln county, Tennessee.' Ile was also a surveyor, and assisted in laying out the town of Fayetteville about 1811. He also became an exten- sive farmer and large slave owner. He married Miss Betsy Wilson in Kentucky, and raised a large family of children. One of his daughters, Nancy, married Gen. William Moore, of Lincoln county, an officer in the war of 1812 under Gen. Jackson, several times a member of the Tennessee Legislature, and famous as " the mill-dam candidate." Another daughter, Martha W., married Maj. James S. Holman, a distant relative, who figured prominently in Texas politics from 1853 to 1867, when he died. Elder Hardy Holman's other sons were Willis II. Holman, who died in 1857, aged forty, and Daniel Holman, who died at the age of twenty.

The lohnans are of Swiss deseent. One branch of the family came from Great Britain before the Ameri- can Revolution and settled in Virginia, and from this family the Tennessee Holmans are descended, the great- grandfather of Col. Hohnan having come from Virginia to Kentucky, and thence to Lincoln county, Tennessee,

Col. Holman's mother, Jane Flack, was born in Lin- coln county, Tennessee, in 1810, daughter of Thomas Flack, from Guilford Court-house, North Carolina, and one of the first settlers of Lincoln county. Her moth- er, Susan Dougherty, was also a native of Guilford Court - house, and married her husband there; emi- grated first to Davidson county, Tennessee, about 1800, and settled in Lincoln county, on Mulberry ercek, about 1806 or 1807. The great-grandfather, Thomas Flack's

father, came from Ireland about 1755 or 1760. Win. Dougherty, a prominent lawyer of Georgia, and Judge Charles Dougherty, of the same State, and Judge Rob- ert Dougherty, of Tuskegee, Alabama, circuit judge for about fifteen years previous to the breaking out of the war, were all nephews of Col. Hohnan's grandmother Flack, she having been a Dougherty.

Col. Holman's mother, now living at Fayetteville at the age of seventy-three, has been the mother of five sons and three daughters: (1). Col. D. W. Holman,* a colonel in the Confederate service, a prominent lawyer at Fayetteville, partner of the subject of this sketch. (2). Dr. Thos. P. Holman, a physician and farmer near Fayetteville. (3). James H. Wohnan, subject of this sketch. (4). Robert F. Hlohman, who died on the bat- tle-field of Shiloh, of malarial fever, April 6, 1862. (5). Rufus M. Holman, who died August 8, 1884; was a sol- dier in the Confederate army and a successful farmer. (6). Laura Jane Hohnan, died in 1855, ten years old. (7). Susan W. Holman, now wife of Dr. Wm. A. Mil- hows, Pulaski, Tennessee. (8). Virginia P. Holman, now wife of Capt. John D. Tolley, Lynchburg, Tennes- see.

Col. James HI. Holman, after receiving a common school education, entered Union University, at Mur- freesborough, under Rev. Dr. Jos. Eaton, and studied there until February 27, 1857, when he was commis- sioned by President Pierce as second lieutenant in the First United States Infantry, his commission being signed by Hon, Jefferson Davis, then secretary of war. He was assigned to duty in Texas, under Gen. David E. Twiggs, and served on the frontier until January 1, 1861, when he obtained a furlough to visit the States, during which time he also came home. Before the ex- piration of his furlough he proceeded to Washington City. While there Fort Sumter was bombarded. Mr. Lincoln called for troops to suppress the rebellion. The furloughs of all officers were revoked, and they were required to report for duty. Lieut. Holman was required to report in Washington. By personal appeal to Gen.

" Since the foregoing was put in type Col. D. W. Holman, one of the noblest men that over lived, died September 22, 1885, aged fifty-three years. - EDITOR.

PROMINENT TENNESSEANS.

Scott, then commanding the army, he obtained another short furlough, during which time he dropped his res- ignation in the Washington post-office, and crossing the Potomac river to Alexandria, proceeded down the river on the Virginia side. Virginia had passed the ordi- nance of secession the day previous, April 17, 1861. Being in United States uniform, he was arrested by the people and detained until he explained the situation in a little speech, when they gave him three cheers, and he proceeded southward. Immediately after resigning at Washington City he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Confederate regulars by the authorities at Mont- gomery. On reaching Tennessee he found that a regi- ment, Turney's First Tennessee, was being organized, and Holman was at onee elected lieutenant-colonel of it. lle served with Turney's regiment from May 1, 1861, to May 1, 1862; was in the campaign of Gen. Jos. E. Johnson in the Valley of Virginia; reached Ma- massas July 21, 1861, just as the rout of the Federal troops had taken place, and moved next with Gen. John- son to the Peninsula, at which time his year of service with the First Tennessee regiment expired.

He was then assigned to duty with Gen. E. Kirby Smith, who was then commanding the department of East Tennessee, and served with that army in the East Tennessee and Kentucky campaigns through the year 1862. He was next ordered to Gen. Bragg's army as instructor of tactics. He is said to have drilled more men than any other man in the Confederacy.

About July 1, 1863, he was assigned to duty as in- spector-general of cavalry with Gen. Joseph Wheeler, a position which he filled but a short time, when he was promoted and assigned to duty with Gen. Wheeler with the rank of colonel in the provisional army, and was or- dered on an expedition into Tennessee in August, 1863. On the retreat of Bragg's army a large number of sol- diers and small commands were cut off and left north of the Tennessee river, and Col. Hohuan was sent to collect them, with such other volunteer troops as he could get, into provisional commands, and operate with them until further instructions. On September 23, 1863, in a fight near Winchester with infantry and cav- alry, he was captured by the disabling of his horse, and was slightly wounded himself. He was taken to Dech- erd, where the Federal commander professed to have re- ceived orders that Col. Hohan should be tried by a drum-head court-martial and shot. Afterwards he pro- fessed to have gotten a commutation of that sentence, and orders to turn the prisoner over to Andrew John- son, military governor at Nashville, as Hlohman was a Tennessean. Johnson directed the officers to give the prisoner choice of the rope or the oath of allegiance to the United States government. Col. Holman facetiously remarked to the officer, Gen. Payne, that he " would try the rope for a day or two, and if he couldn't stand it he would give him an answer as to whether he would take the oath or not." He finally told the Federal officers

that he was a prisoner of war in the hands of the United States, and claimed treatment as such, remarking that whoever treated him differently would certainly be held responsible, having said which he declined to further talk. He was then sent to Nashville, and carried to the governor's head-quarters. A staff officer of the gover- nor waited on him, and stated that he "would be per- mitted to see Gov. Johnson next morning." Col. Hol- man replied that he did not know any man named John- von who was then governor of Tennessee, but if such a man wanted to see him he would doubtless find him at the penitentiary. The governor did not call, but one of his staff officers remarked that the governor had said that " Holman could go to h-t."

After being detained in Nashville penitentiary three weeks he was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he re- mained three weeks, and was transferred to Johnson's Island, where he remained until October, 1864, when he was put upon the sick exchange list and sent through to Richmond, being paroled until January 1, 1865. At the expiration of his parole Col. Holman was assigned to duty with Gen. E. Kirby Smith, commanding the trans-Mississippi department, and attached to the army of Gen. J. B. Magruder, of the department of Texas. He remained on duty in that department until the terms of surrender were agreed upon by Gens. Kirby Smith and Canby. Not being certain what would be the pol- icy of the United States government towards officers who had resigned from the United States army at the beginning of the war, he declined to surrender, and re- solved to go to Mexico until he could ascertain what that policy would be. Accordingly he moved to the western border of Texas, and remained there until he became satisfied that the government would not deal rigorously with him, and then returned to Houston, Texas, and surrendered to Gen, Canby, July 18, 1865, gave his parole, and received papers that were an assu- rance of protection, and returned to his father's house, in Lincoln county, Tennessee, his entire baggage con- sisting of the clothing he had on, a haversack, and a dirty shirt.

Soon after reaching home he commenced reading law. On November 23, 1865, he was married to Miss Eliza- both C. Kimbrough, second daughter of Rey. Bradley Kimbrough. After marriage his wife, like the noble woman she is, proposed to teach school to make money enough to support them until he could get into the practice of law. By the aid of such a helpmate Col. Holman succeeded, and in 1867, at the March term of the Lincoln county circuit court he was sworn in as a practicing attorney. He then formed a partnership with his brother, Col. D. W. Holman, who had been in practice for some time before the war. In August, 1870, Col. Holman was elected attorney-general of the sixth judicial circuit of Tennessee, which office he filled until October, 1877, when he tendered his resignation to Gov. James D. Porter, in order to give more time to

PROMINENT TENNESSEANS.

sivil practice, in which he has been actively engaged ever since.

. After being elected attorney-general he was indicted la the United States circuit court for the middle dis- trict of Tennessee for holding office contrary to the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States, At the same time quo warranto proceedings were instituted in that court to remove him from the office. He was arrested and gave bonds for his appear- ance before the court, when a demurrer was filed, both to the indictment and quo warranto. Judge Trige, presiding, sustained the demurrer, and discharged Col. Holman from further attendance on that court. The U'uited States district attorney appealed the case to the United States supreme court, where it is understood the decision of the district judge was affirmed, though no report of the case has ever been made.

In 1878 Col. Holman was appointed by Gov. Porter a commissioner for Tennessee to the International Ex- hibition at Paris. Hle attended the exhibition, and while in Europe he and Mrs. Holman visited the prin- cipal places of interest in Great Britain, France, Switz- erland, Italy, Austria and Germany.

In politics Col. Holman is a Democrat, as were his paternal ancestors. His grandfather and people on his mother's side were Whigs. In 1880 he was a "State credit " candidate for Congress, but was, defeated by Hlon. Richard Warner.

Col. Holman became a Mason in 1866, and is at pres- ent a member of the council: Religiously he is inclined towards the Primitive Baptists, but is very liberal in his opinions, and belongs to no church. Mrs. Holman is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, gradu- ated in 1860 at Mary Sharp College, Winchester, Ten-

nessee, and taught school some three years after her marriage.

Col. Holman began life without property, and resolved never to go in debt; never to spend money until he had made it; never to contract an obligation until he knew he could certainly meet it; to trust nothing to luck; to go without his supper before he would ask credit for it ; to keep out of all speculations unless he was able to lose the amount of money he invested; never to go security unless he could pay the liability of his principal; to comply with every monetary obligation on the very day promised; to deny himself none of the necessities of life.

He never brings a law-suit for a client who does not first make out his case by his own statement and proof that he is able to bring forward. He always accepts the statement of his client as prima facie true as to the facts, but gives the client no control in the conduct of his controversy. When he sees that a client is about to lose his cause, or that he is likely to make nothing by litigation, he immediately so informs him, and if he re- fuses to take advice in that emergency the client is re- quested to employ other counsel ; Holman retires from the case. He brings no law-suit, either civil or crimi- nal, for a client whose sole object is to annoy and vex his antagonist, and will not be a party to his ill-will towards an adversary. He always aids a young lawyer, and has a reputation for never giving up the cause of his client so long as he thinks he is right. There is hardly any sacrifice he will not make for a meritorious cause. He throws his whole nature into his suits, and assumes them as his own.

Col. Holman's law library is one of the finest in the State, and financially he is on a good footing, one of the few lawyers who are good financial successes.

GEN. WASHINGTON CURRAN WHITTHORNE.

COLUMBIA.

T THIS gentleman is of mingled Irish and American extraction ; his father, William J. Whitthorne, named him after the two great objects of his admiration in his native and adopted country, whose names he now bears.

He was born April 19, 1825, near Petersburg, in Lin- coln county ; thence he removed with his parents to Farmington, Bedford county, and received an average country school education there, working at his father's trade when not in school. In his fourteenth year he was sent to an academy at Arrington, in Williamson county, where he studied eighteen months, and thence to the Campbell Academy in Lebanon, which was the nucleus of the now well-known Cumberland University.

After studying there two sessions, he entered the Uni- versity of Nashville, then under Dr. Philip Lindsley, and after a session and a half there matriculated at the East Tennessee University, at Knoxville, under Presi- dent Joseph Esterbrook. Here he graduated after a two years' course.

His father had by this time removed to a house near Nashville, and from college he made a visit of three months there, and then went to study law under Messrs. Polk and Thomas, the former gentleman being James K. Polk, afterwards President of the United States. Here he studied until 1815, when he was called to the bar, after examination by Chancellor Cahal and Judge Dillahunty. . This, it will be remembered, was the year

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in which his preceptor, Mr. Polk, attained the presi- dential chair. The new President immediately consti- tuted Mr. Whitthorne one of his most highly favored proteges. He had evidently recognized in him excep- tional abilities while the young man was studying under his guidance. He first appointed him to a clerkship in the Sixth Auditor's office, whence he was soon transferred to the Post-office Department proper, and thence to the Fourth Auditor's office. Always acting under Mr. Polk's advice, bis plan was, as soon as he had saved money enough to commence the practice of his profession, to resign his office. This he did the first day of 1848, when Mr. Polk sent him as a bearer of dis- patches to the City of Mexico. He was instructed on his arrival there to inquire into the causes of Gen. Scott's misunderstanding with Gens. Worth and Pillow. As soon as he had reported at Washington, after the fulfillment of his instructions, he returned to Tennessee, and, on the fourth of the ensuing July, married Miss Jane Campbell, and settled down to the practice of his profession in Columbia.

In 1852 the presidential contest between Gens. Scott (Whig) and Pierce ( Democrat ), called him to the political arena.

In 1853 he was a candidate for representative in the Tennessee General Assembly of that year, the district being composed of the counties of Maury, Williamson and Lewis, which, at that time, was thoroughly Whig. His opponent, William E. Erwin, defeated him by a reduced majority. This never happened again in an election before the people.

In 1855 and 1857 he was elected to the State Senate, and in 1859 was elected to the House of Representatives from the district in which he had been beaten in 1853. His opponent in this contest was Fayette MeConnico, the eloquent grandson of a very eloquent Baptist orator, Elder Garner McConnico. In this Legislature he was elected Speaker of the House. It was occupied with the most momentous questions that ever came before the Legislature of Tennessee, for all the principles were discussed and acted upon which ultimately became the subjects of contention between the union and secession parties; the vehemence and pertinacity with which this contest was carried on by both sides, ren- dered the speaker's chair something very different from a bed of roses.

On the secession of the State, before Tennessee had united herself with the government of the Confederate States, and while she stood apart as a separate and dis- tinet sovereignty, viz. : during the summer of 1861, Gen. Whitthorne was appointed by Gov. Harris assist- ant adjutant-general of the provisional army of Ten- nessee, with rank of lieutenant-colonel, and was on duty in Nashville aiding in the military organization of the State, until the first call for volunteers was completed, when Tennessee united herself to the Southern Con- federacy, and her army was transferred to the control

of that government. Upon this, Gen. Whitthorne accompanied Gen. Anderson's brigade to western Vir- ginia as its adjutant. In November, 1861, Gov. Harris urged very strongly his acceptance of the office of adjutant-general of the State. At this time Albert Sidney Johnston was organizing the defenses of Ken- tucky, and requested Gov. Harris to select for him a man who knew how to organize a volunteer force. Gov. Harris sent for Gen. Whitthorne, endorsed by Gen. Lee himself, who became acquainted with Gen. Whit- thorne in western Virginia, and pronounced him the best adjutant that he had ever found serving in a vol- unteer forec.

At the time when active campaigns commenced, he, with his leader, Gov. Isham G. Harris, followed the fortunes of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's army, Gen. Whitthorne serving as volunteer aid on the staff suc- cessively of Gens. Hardee, Anderson, Marcus J. Wright and others. In western Virginia he had been at the attack on Cheat mountain, and experienced the realities of war at Nashville, Murfreesborough, Mumfordsville, Chattanooga and Chickamauga. At this last battle he was the only mounted officer in Gen. Wright's command who escaped without a wound to himself or his horse, and that though he was within forty feet of Carnes' battery at a time when all its horses were cut down. Gen. Whitthorne is no vulgar braggart, and when questioned as to his sensations on that occasion by the editor, said, with a laugh, that he never heard a shell burst or a bullet whistle past him that he did not involuntarily button his coat and try to contract himself to narrower dimensions. The truth is, that bravery and bravado are two things that have nothing in common. The test of bravery is, not to be insensible to fear, but to do one's duty steadily and thoroughly in spite of it.

At the close of the war Gen. Whitthorne was held as a prisoner of war under parole at Columbia. This was in fact a friendly durance on the part of President Johnson, who kept him in that way, subject to military law, so as to shield him from a civil indictment before the Federal court, and, in 1865, made it one of his first official acts to pardon him. Andrew Johnson was, in fact, personally friendly to the General. On the other hand, this course was more acceptable to Gen. Whit- thorne than that of temporary exile, embraced by many of the prominent Confederate officers; he knew the laws, manners, customs and. habits of the American people, and especially those of Tennessee, and preferred living among them on any terms rather than to wait in foreign and uncongenial countries the possible oppor- tunity for a general pardon.

He had now to begin the world again, and resumed with energy the practice of his profession,

The congressional district in which he lived then consisted of the counties of Maury, Lawrence, Wayne, Hardin, Lewis, Perry, Decatur, Hickman, Humphreys, Stewart and Montgomery. The people of this district

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elected him in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress, and he was re-elected at every recurring biennial election - till the close of the Forty-seventh Congress; but the State was redistricted between his first and second terms of service, so that the counties he thenceforward represented were those of Maury, Williamson, Giles, Lawrence, Wayne, Lewis and Hickman. During the greater part of his service in Congress he was chairman of the committee on naval affairs. The information and familiarity with the methods of the Navy Depart- ment which he thus acquired became of inestimable value to him when that committee was charged to investigate the immense frauds which had been prac- ticed for years in that department.

Next to naval affairs, the topic which has engrossed most of his attention has been that of the foreign affairs of the nation, and especially its relations with Mexico.

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Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 11

Author: Speer, William S Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Speer, William S
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel
Number of Pages: 1278