History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U.S.A. : including a narrative of the bridge burning, the Carter County rebellion, and the loyalty, heroism and suffering of the Union men and women of Carter and Johnson counties, Tennessee, during the Civil War : also a sketch of the adventures of Captain Daniel Ellis, the Union pilot, and the names of hundreds of brave men and women of these counties who performed brave deeds and noble acts of heroism for country and humanity

Front matter

LIBRARY OF

KEITH M. READ

CONFEDERATE

Dedication

WE dedicate this volume, first, to the Memory of our Dead Comrades of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, and the "Gallant Third Brigade," U. S. A.; secondly, to the Heroes and Heroines, living and dead, Soldiers and Citizens, of East Tennessee, and especially of Johnson and Carter Counties (where the strife raged the fiercest), who were true to their Flag, their Country, and their Homes — " the temples of their gods."

THE AUTHORS.

ERRATA

Chapter I. Page

The purpose of this History. — To rescue from oblivion the names of the Heroes and Heroines of Johnson and Carter Counties during the Civil War, and perpetuate the memory of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry and the gallant Third Brigade 19

Chapter II

East Tennessee.- — Scenery, Soil and Climate. — Heroism of Her Sons in Former Wars. — Their Prowess on Every Battlefield. There Happy Homes, and Contented Lives 23

Chapter III

The Civil War, Its Causes, briefly Told. — Slavery and State- Rights.— Election of i860.— Mr. Lincoln.— The "Star of the West."— Preparations for War.— Fort Sumter Fired On.— States Secede 28

Chapter IV

Excitement over Fall of Fort Sumter. — How the News was Received. — Military League Formed. — Proceedings of Knoxville and Greeneville Conventions. — Names of Delegates. — Johnson and Nelson. — The State Secedes. — Vote in Carter and Johnson Counties. — Intimidation and Persecution 34

Chapter V

Reasons for Loyalty of East Tennessee. — Number of Troops in Federal Army. — How It May Have Affected Final Results of the War 47

Chapter VI

Bitter Feelings Aroused Between Unionists and Secessionists. Union Men Defiant. — Leaders Threatened. — They go North. Names of Local Leaders. — Rebel Troons Brought In. — Names of Union Men Reported to Confederate Authorities. — Bitterness More Intense. — Militia Called Out. — Proclamation Ignored by Union Men. — They Organize for Self- Protection and to Aid the Government 53

Chapter VII. Page

Bridge Burning. — Official Correspondence in Regard to It. The Plans, How Carried Out. — W. B. Carter, Gen. S. P. Carter and Gen. Thomas. — Col. Dan. Stover. — Names of Men Who Burned the Bridge at Zollicoffer and Particulars of the Brave Deed 59

Chapter VIII

Carter County Rebellion. — Organized to Protect Bridge Burners and Union Leaders. — Organized at Col. N. G. Taylor's Residence. — Names of Officers. — Fight at Taylor's Ford. — The Unionists Victorious. — Amusing Incidents. — - "Army" Falls Back to Clark's Springs, Where Col. John Sevier's Men Took Their "Mid-day Lunch" on Their Way to King's Mountain, September 26, 1780. — Army at Elizabethton. — At Doe River Cove. — How it Was Fed. — Dispersed by Leadbetter 80

Chapter IX

Situation After the Bridge-Burning and Rebellion. — Union Men Arrested and Imprisoned.— Hatred of Southern Press aind People Toward Them. — They Flee to the Mountains and to Kentucky. — Their Suffering and Persecution. — Martial Law Declared. — Provost Marshals Appointed. — How Union Men Concealed Themselves 90

Chapter X

Sentiments of Affection and Brotherhood Among Loyal People. — Expectations of Federal Aid. — Their Disappointments.— Gen. G. W. Morgan at Cumberland Gap. — East Tennessee Regiments in His Command. — Col. Hayne's Eulogy on East Tennessee. — East Tennessee the Scene of Many Tragedies 100

Chapter XI

Carter's Raid Into East Tennessee. — Burning the Bridge at Zollicoffer. — Fight at Carter's Depot and Burning of the Bridge at That Place. — Personal Mention of Gen. S. P. Carter, Col. J. P. T. Carter and Capt. G. O. Collins — Changed Conditions Since the War Began — Rye and Spice Wood Used for

Coffee and Tea 104

Chapter XII. Page

Gen. Burnside in East Tennessee — Rejoicing of the Union People.— Advance to Bristol.— Col. John K. Miller and Col. R. R. Butler Authorized to Raise Federal Regiments — Longstreet's Advance Upon Knoxville — Federal Troops Fall Back- — Recruits Fall Back With the Army — Strawberry- Plains. — Organization of the Regiment. — Field and Staff. — Death of Lieut-Col. A. D. Smith. — R. R. Butler Becomes Lieut.-Col. — Siege of Knoxville 110

Chapter XIII

March to Camp Nelson. — Without Shelter or Rations. — Much Suffering and Hardships on the Way. — Mid-Winter. — Cold and Rain and Snow. — Towns Passed Through — Incidents on the Way. — Our Appearance 120

Chapter XIV

At Camp Nelson — Major Doughty's Detachment Joins the Regiment.— Cold New Year's Day.— Oliver McClellan and Others Frozen to Death. — Rigiment Clothed. — Mounted, Fully Equipped and Paid Off. — Improved Appearance of Officers and Men. — Death of Capt. Luttrell. — Ordered to Nashville.— Fight Guerrillas Through Kentuckv — Arrival at Nashville .' 124

Chapter XV

At Camp Gillem — Camp and Guard Duty. — Religious Service.— Drill and Discipline — East Tennessee Refugees. — Dan Ellis in Camp. — Gov. Brownlow and Gen. S. P. Carter Visit the Regiment. — Small-pox and Measles. — Many Deaths in the Regiment— Move to Camp Catlett— Brigade Organized 133

Chapter XVI

At Gallatin.— Lieut.-Col. Butler Resigns. — W. H. Ingerton Appointed Lieut-Col. — Proves to be a Most Efficient Officer. Drill and Discipline. — Dan Ellis Again Visits the Regiment. Brings Recruits and Letters From Home. — Accounts of Distress in East Tennessee — 4th of July at Gallatin. — Gov. Johnson in Camp. — Regiment Again Paid Off. — Life in Camp. Brigade Detached for Special Service in East Tennessee. — Designated "Third Brigade, Governor's Guard." — Gen. Gillem.— He is Assigned to Command of the Forces in E. Tenn.

Gov. Johnson's Orders— Brigade Ordered to E. Tenn. 139

Chapter XVII. Page

March Across the Mountains.— On Towards Home— First Skirmish With the Enemy at Rogersville— Sharp Fighting at Blue Springs and Greeneville. — Wheeler's Cavalry. — Fight at Rice's Gap.— Enemy Defeated.— Col. Miller, Lt.-Col. Ingerton, Lt.-Col. Brownlow, Major Newell and Lt. Patterson Complimented for Gallantry by Gen. Gillem 155

Chapter XVIII

Fight at Greeneville, Tenn. — Death of the Famous Raider, Gen. John H. Morgan.— The Facts Told by Eye- Witnesses and Participants in the Affair. — Proof That Gen. Morgan Was Killed While Attempting to Make His Escape and While Firing on His Pursuersi. — The Fabulous Stories That He Was Betrayed by a Woman and Murdered After He Had Surrendered Disproved — Andrew Campbell His Slayer — The History of the Affair Corrected in Many Particulars 162

Chapter XIX

Further Comments on the Death of Gen. Morgan- — Extract From Lee's History. — The Statement Untrue. — Hon- A. B. Wilson's History of the Affair 180

Chapter XX

Fight at Lick Creek. — Results in Defeat of a Detachment of the Thirteenth Under Col. Ingerton. — Our Officers and Men Display the Greatest Gallantry in This Engagement. — Retreat After Severe Loss. — Brigade Advances- — Robert Pride Killed At Jonesboro. — W. B. C. Smith Captured at Johnson City. Fighting Between Johnson City and Carter's Depot. — Charge at the Latter Place. — Col. Miller's and Lt- Angel's Horses Shot. — Enemy Defeated. — The 9th Tenn. Cavalry. — Col- S. K. N- Patton Joins the Brigade at Leadvale. — Another Retrogade. — Our Rear Threatened. — Brigade Advances. — Fight at Panther Springs — Gallant Charge at Morristown. — Enemy Routed 190

Chapter XXI

Bull's Gap Stampede. — Full Particulars. — Result of Jealousy Between Commanding Officers. — Gen- Ammen Censured. — Heavy Loss of the 3rd Brigade. — Brave Defense of the Gap Before the Stampede 204

CHAPTER XXII. After the Stampede. — Brigade Shows no Demoralization

Death of Col. Ingerton. — B. P. Stacy Appointed Lt.-Col. and Assumes Command of Regiment. — Many Changes in Officers.— Camp-Life at Cantonment Springs. — Preparing for a Winter Campaign 213

Chapter XXIII. Page

First Stonemaw Raid Into Southwest Virginia. — Cold Weather and Hard Marching — Fights at Rogersville and Kingsport— Death* of Capt. Jas. B- Wyatt at Abingdon. — Pursuit of Gen. Vaughn. — Fight in Marion Before Day-Light. Death of Capt. Wm. M. Gourley — Fight at Mt. Arie— At Saltville. — Gallant Charge and Capture of Fort Breckenridge. — Regiment Complimented by Gen. Stoneman. — Suffering From Cold and Hard Marching. — Return to Knoxville. — In Winter Quarters-— Social Life at Knoxville 219

Chapter XXIV

Stoneman's Second Raid Into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia- — Fight at Wytheville, Va., and Salisbury, N. C- — Pursuit of President Davis. — Destruction of Confederate Stores. — The Armistice. — Return to Tennessee. — At Lenoirs Station 231

Chapter XXV

At Lenoirs and Sweetwater. — Last Move to Knoxville. — Closing Scenes- — Muster-Out. — Goodby's — Observation on Army Life. — Summary of Service 252

Chapter XXVI

Personal Sketch of Each Officer of the Regiment, Giving the Part He Took in the Bridge-Burning, the Carter County Rebellion or Other Service, Together With the Pictures of as Many Officers as We Are Able to Get, With the Military History of Each One 263

Chapter XXVII

A Brief Outline of the Numerous Tragedies That Occurred in Carter and Johnson Counties During the Civil War, Giving Date and Circumstances Attending Them as Far as Possible- .317

Chapter XXVIII

The Heroes and Heroines of Carter and Johnson Counties in the Civil War 383

Chapter XXIX

A Sketch of Daniel Ellis' Adventures as Union Pilot, With Many Thrilling Adventures and Hair-Breadth Escapes of This Brave and Daring Scout and Pilot Who Took More Than 4000 Men Into the Federal Army From East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western Notch Carolina, and Whose Name is Familiar to Thousands of Unior Veterans All Over the

United States 423

LIST OK ILLUSTRATIONS

Col. John K. Miller r rontispiece

The Three Adjutants Page 13

Adj't S. P. Angel "' 48

Major C. C. Wilcox " 49

Lieut. John M. Wilcox " 49

Major Eli N. Underwood . '' 65

Major Joseph H. Wagner " 80

Major Robert H. M- Donnelly " 81

Major James W. M. Grayson " 96

Major Patrick F. Dyer " 96

'Captain Jas. M. Cameron " 97

Lieut. Richard L. Wilson " 112

Gen. Alvin C. Gillem " 113

Captain W. M. Gourley " 128

Captain L. W. Fletcher " 128

Captain Daniel Ellis " 129

Daniel Ellis " '144

Captain Isaac A. Taylor " 145

Lieut. Alex. D. Frasier " 160

Captain David B. Jenkins " 161

Lieut. Geo. W. Emmert " 176

Corp. Henry Lineback " 177

Captain Richard H. Luttrell " IQ2

Captain Alfred T. Donnelly " 193

Lieut. Calvin M. Arnold " 193

Lieut. Chas- Lefler '' 208

Elisha A. Shoun " 209

Corp. Isaac A. Shoun " 209

Captain J. H. Norris " 224

Captain Thomas J. Barry " 225

Captain Frederick Slimp " 240

Lieut. Thomas C. White " 241

Captain S. W. Scott " 241

Serg't G. D. Roberts " 272

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Serg't James W. Pearce L^ge 273

Corp. J. G. Burchfield " 273

Hon. J. G. Burchfield " 288

Capt. Landon Carter " 289

Lieut. C. M. Emmert " 304

Lieut. Jeremiah B- Miller " 305

Lieut. James N. Freels *' 320

Serg't J. J. McCorcle " 321

Hon. J. J. McCorcle " 336

Captain S. E. Northington "' 337

Lieut. H. C. Northington " 337

Serg't E. W. Mulican " 352

Serg't Jesse W. Gambil " 352

Lieut. Henry M. Walker " 3^

Lieut- W. F. M. Hyder and son " 368

Captain J. B. Wyatt " 369

Captain J. W. Ellis " 360

Captain G. O. Collins " 384

Lieut. Andrew Campbell " 384

Lieut. A. C. Fondren '' 385

THE THREE ADJUTANTS OF THE I3TH CAV. B. P. STACY, S. W. SCOTT, S. P. ANGEL.

Preface

We are pleased to note that a number of books have been written since the Civil War dealing with the loyalty, heroism, and suffering of the Union people of East Tennessee during that period. Notable among these are : "The Loyal Mountaineers of East Tennessee," by Thomas William Humes, S. T D., and "East Tennessee and the Civil War," by Hon. Oliver P Temple. These are most able and valuable contributions to the literature of this period, and contain a reliable and graphic account of many of the leading events and the prominent actors in them, from the date of the "Settlement on the Watauga" to the close of the Civil War.

Had these authors entered into the details of the many incidents and adventures that transpired in the thirtyone counties that were then embraced in the Eastern Division of Tennessee, and the organization of the various regiments of Federal troops that joined the army and rendered such signal service in the preservation of the Union, their books would have necessarily grown too voluminous to be satisfactory to the general reader. Hence it is our purpose to confine our history largely to the occurrences in the two counties of Carter and Johnson with which we are most familiar, and to the organization of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, U. S. A., many of whom were leaders in the bridge burning and the Carter county rebellion and afterwards did good service as soldiers in the field.

We hope others will write the histories of other localities and other regiments, so that in the end a full and accurate history of every important event that transpired within the boundaries of our loved East Tennessee will be placed on record. These events, when fully written, will form an interesting chapter in the history of the Civil War, and will grow in interest as the years pass by.

Though the counties of Johnson and Carter were far removed from the actual theatre of war where the great battles were fought, yet they were the scene of many tragedies and conflicts that had an important bearing upon its final results. In narrating them we have no de-

PREFACE.

sire to awaken any of the animosities that were engen dered by the war, which we trust are long since dead and buried, but we make no apologies for writing them from the stand-point of Union soldiers, believing now, as we did then, that the loyal men of East Tennessee were in the right.

We lay no claims to literary attainments, but undertake to tell, in simple words, the story of the struggles and hardships, sufferings and patient endurance, of loyal men and women who loved their flag next to their God, and were willing "to dare all things and endure all things" for the love they bore their country.

It has been our aim to attain the highest degree of accuracy in relating the incidents contained in this work, and to this end we have consulted the most authentic histories of the period accessible to us. We are indebted also to Dr. Abram Jobe, Capt. Daniel Ellis, Capt. S. H. Hendrix, Hon. A. B. Wilson, of Greeneville, Tenn., Dr. N. E. Hyder, of Elizabethton, Tenn., Capt. Frederick Slimp, of Butler, Tenn., Lieut. A. D. Frasier, of Watauga Valley, Tenn., and many other comrades and friends for interesting data in regard to the bridge burning, the Carter county rebellion, the death of Gen. Morgan, and other incidents.

But our readers will perceive how difficult the task is of obtaining absolutely reliable information after the lapse of so many years. They will also remember that different persons, viewing a battle or other event from different stand-points, will receive very different impressions of it.

We place the work in your hands believing your criticisms will be generous, and feeling our labor amply repaid if we have afforded our readers a few hours respite from the cares and duties of life in perusing a history of a time that not only "tried men's souls" but tried to the uttermost the patient, brave, and noble women of Carter and Johnson counties.

THE AUTHORS.

Knoxville, Tenn., December ist, 1902.

Introduction

By Hon. John P Smith (Lieut. 4th Tenn. Vol. Infantry ) late Chancellor First Chancery Division of Tennessee.

Governor Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, located at Johnson City, Tenn.

By request, I submit a brief Introduction to a history written by Captain S. W Scott and Adjutant S. P Angel, entitled : "History of the Thirteenth Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A., including a narrative of the Bridge Burning, the Carter County Rebellion, and the Loyalty, Heroism and Suffering of the Union Men and Women of Carter and Johnson Counties, Tennessee, during the Civil War."'

The scene where this history is laid includes my native county- Many of the loyal men and women whose names appear in its pages are my friends, playmates, and kindred, hence I can but feel a deep interest in its contents.

The peculiar situation of East Tennessee in the Civil War made the struggle there far more intense and bitter, and the suffering of the people far greater than where the people were more united in sentiment.

The bold stand taken by the Union leaders in East Tennessee, and the heroic devotion with which the men and women clung to their principles unawed by threats or imprisonment, undismayed by the deadly musket or the hangman's rope, unconquered and unconquerable through four long years of hardships and persecution, deserve a place in history. An examination of the headlines of the chapters of this work leads me to believe it will be read with much interest.

There is a deep-seated love of the heroic implanted in the human mind, and as long as admiration for brave deeds, and sympathy for suffering humanity, has a place ir the human heart, the story of the steadfast loyalty, and the unfaltering devotion to the Union, of the people of

INTRODUCTION.

Carter and Johnson counties, through a long period of unparalleled suffering and privation will be read with unabated interest.

East Tennessee, according to the Bureau of Statistics of the U S. Government, furnished 31,092 volunteers in the Federal army. These figures are probably below the actual number as many of them served in regiments of other States, and were not counted in this estimate. These soldiers maintained the proud record for courage and chivalry that has distinguished the volunteer soldiers of Tennessee since the beginning of our country's historv.

There were 28 military organizations, made up almost exclusively of East Tennesseeans. These troops performed splendid service on many battle fields. Some were with Sherman in his "March to the Sea;" some were in the long chase after Gen. John H. Morgan through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio; others were battling to redeem their homes in East Tennessee, and firing the last shots at the tottering Confederacy in South Carolina and Georgia. There is no record of their service, except a few mutilated copies of the report made by the Adjutant-General of the State, published in 1867, which gives a very inadequate idea of the services rendered by these organizations.

I commend the energy and zeal of the authors of this history, as well as the pride they have taken in the work of perpetuating the name and services of the gallant Regiment of which they were members, and the heroic deeds of the brave men and women of the two counties from which the Regiment was largely made up.

This work will be of great value in the future as a book of reference, and its refutation of the imputation that Gen. John H. Morgan was murdered by the Tennessee troops after he had surrendered will be, in itself, of inestimable value in exonerating them from a char°e which if it had been true, would have brought upon them the just reproach of every brave soldier.

A history of this kind, embracing the services of all the East Tennessee regiments of Federal troops, and all

is

INTRODUCTION.

the important events that transpired in every county in East Tennessee, would involve too much time and labor for a single historian and would not possess the local interest that a number of separate volumes, containing the services of each organization, and the history of events in the county or counties from which each regiment was organized, would possess. For this reason I trust this work will awaken an interest, and arouse a spirit of emulation among the surviving comrades, that will result in giving to the public a history of every East Tennessee regiment, and the interesting events that occurred in each county during the Civil War.

It is a matter of congratulation to those who lived during the dark days of the Civil War, and to those who have grown up since that time, that the survivors of that period who were arrayed in deadly hostility to each other then are now friends and brothers, mingling in friendly brotherhood in church, fraternal, social, and business relations, with all the animosities of that dreadful period effaced, that Federal and Confederate veterans affiliate together in their reunions, and that they, and their sons, fought side by side under the old flag for human liberty, and in behalf of an oppressed people ; and that, with its heritage of great achievements and glorious deeds, performed under the stars and stripes, and under the stars and bars our united country js marching forward in the front rank of the nations of the world.

JNO. P SMITH.

Chapter I

The purpose of this History. — To rescue from oblivion the names of the Heroes and Heroines of Johnson and Carter Counties during the Civil War, and perpetuate the memory of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry and the gallant Third Brigade*

A general history containing a detailed account of the services rendered by each individual regiment engaged in the Civil War would be impracticable if not impossible. Regiments are merged into larger organizations, and in a war of such magnitude as our Civil War, the historian must, as a rule, confine himself to the important movements in which the army in its larger subdivision was engaged. Thus it will be seen that in the general history of any great war regimental organizations must lose their identity, and after a few years, except those who performed some very notable deeds of valor, even the names of regiments and the officers and men who composed them will have passed into oblivion.

History tells us of the heroism of our ancestors in subduing the savages, opening up the New World to civilization and the introduction of civil and religious liberty. We read of the heroes of the American Revolution and their long struggle for independence. How they suffered at Valley Forge; how their unexampled courage and fortitude, through seven long years of war, under the guidance of Divine Providence, finally led to the winning of their liberty, and the building up of a great Republic in the Western World.

We read of the second war with Great Britain in which the young Republic again measured arms with the mother country, then as now, the leading nation of the world. How our gallant soldiers and sailors were again victorious, achieving what was termed "our second independence."

Again we read of our war with Mexico in which our gallant army under Gen. Winfield Scott, and Gen. Zachery Taylor, after a series of unbroken victories, dictated terms of peace in the ancient capitol of the Aztecs and acquired a vast extent of territory now formed into great and prosperous States of the Union.

Of the many thousands of heroic officers and men who achieved these victories and placed our country in the front rank of the nations of the world, but few of their names could be found now outside the musty records of the War Department.

It would be interesting reading to the descendants of these heroes if they could turn to some ancient regimental history and read the names of their progenitors ; the company to which they belonged, the marches they made, the battles they fought, in short, the honorable part they took in the great dramas that have been enacted upon this Continent since the beginning of our history.

It is the design of this work to rescue from that oblivion into which 'so much of the past that should have been preserved, has fallen, the names and services of the officers and men who composed the Thirteenth Tenn. Cavalry, U. S.__A., to which we belonged, and to whom we were attached by the strongest ties of affection, made sacred by sharing with them the common dangers, hardships and toils incident to the volunteer soldier's life. We hope to leave on record, to be read by our children and grandchildren the honorable part our gallant Regiment with other East Tennessee regiments, equally brave and loyal, took in fighting for the Union and the old flag. We hope also to leave on record some glimpses of sunshine and mirth that were mingled with the sadder and sterner scenes that memory brings back to us.

We desire to pay a just tribute to that large class of loyal men in Johnson and Carter counties, who through physical infirmities, age, and other causes, were unable to join the Federal army, but, in the absence of the soldiers, were the guardians and protectors of their families ; sharing in the common dangers, hopes and fears through which the Unionists of East Tennessee passed during this unhappy period.

Many of these men contributed their all in caring for the suffering families whose fathers, husbands and brothers were in the army, or driven from home ; and in supplying the wants of refugees and "Scouters" who were in hiding from conscript officers. No men did a nobler part than these and none deserve greater praise.

To the noble and patriotic women in these counties, whose untold suffering would fill a volume in itself, we offer our highest praise. Most of them have passed beyond the reach of praise or adulation to "that bourne from whence no traveler returns," but we hope to give their names and record their deeds, as far as possible, so that generations yet to come may honor them and revere their memory. No night was too dark, no danger too imminent, and no labor too arduous for these self-sacrificing heroines to perform, when the opportunity was presented to lend a helping hand to the hunted and starving Unionists.

The story of their trials, persecutions, hardships and dangers; their suffering and anxiety, can never be told. Their hearts though brave and true, were tender and loving, and ever open to the appeals of distress; their willing hands ever ready to give aid and comfort to the sick and suffering, the helpless and needy.

O, .brave, loving mothers and maidens of Carter and Johnson counties, who faced the tempest of hatred and persecution, during the Civil War; whose willing hands were always ready to minister to the suffering and distressed; who carried food to the hunted and famishing Union men ; who wore the home-spun fabrics wrought by your own hands; who, through weary years of watching and waiting, never faltered in love and faith and duty to home, friends, or country, we would weave about your memory a chaplet of love, honor and lasting remembrance ! Your heroic devotion, your unparalleled suffering and uncomplaining toil should furnish a theme for poets, more thrilling than the Iliad of Homer or the Epics of Virgil that have enshrined the names of Grecian and Roman matrons and maidens in immortal verse.

The deeds of the loyal men of Johnson and Carter counties, could they be told in all their thrilling details, would rival in patriotic interest the stories of Robert Bruce, William Wallace, or the brave Leonidas, who with his three hundred Spartans held the pass at Thermopylae against the hosts of Persian aggressors.

Chapter II

East Tennessee. — Scenery, Soil and Climate. — Heroism of Her Sons in Former Wars. — Their Prowess on Every Battlefield. There Happy Homes, and Contented Lives-

"East Tennessee, secluded land, Of gentle hills and mountains grand; Where Nature's richest verdures grow, And coolest springs and rivers flow; Where golden wheat and waving corn Are liberal poured from plenty's horn. Land of the mountains and the glen, Of lovely maids and stalwart men ; Where beauteous sunsets greet the eye In golden splendor on the sky. — Nelson.

Because of its picturesque scenery, lofty mountains and beautiful streams East Tennessee has been called "the Switzerland of America." The resemblance to that marvelous and beautiful land does not end with its mountain scenery and productive soil, so far-famed, but is illustrated in the heroism of her sons, a prominent characteristic of the little Republic in the Alps.

Carter and Johnson counties, where the scene of the greater part of our history is laid, are situated in the extreme eastern part of the State, bordering on Virginia and North Carolina, and under the shadow of the highest peaks of the great Appalachian range of mountains which extends from Canada to the foot-hills of Georgia. A part of the area of the proposed great Appalachian Park or Reservation, which through the influence and untiring energy of Hon. Walter P Brownlow, Congressman from the First District of Tennessee, it is hoped will soon be made a Government park to be known as the "McKinley Park," will lie within these two counties.

Almost every spot in East Tennessee is heroic ground, made sacred by some heroic deed of valor. The grandeur of her lofty mountains, the music of the streams, the brightness of her skies, have ever been themes for poetry and song. Her poets and orators have woven about her name a halo of love and beauty, set in rarest gems of rhythm and eloquence.

East Tennessee is the birthplace of the history of the State. It was on the banks of the Watauga, in what is now Carter county, that the first permanent settlement was made on the soil of Tennessee. The pioneers from Virginia built forts along the Watauga river in 1769, and, remote from either the colonies of Virginia or North Carolina, not knowing even to which of these colonies the territory belonged, they erected forts and dwellings, trusting in God and their own strong arms for protection for themselves and families from the savage and treacherous Indians. They met at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga river and enacted laws for their own government, and elected officers from among their number to see that the laws were duly executed. This was the first convention held upon the soil of what is now the State of Tennessee.