Nashville Tennessee

Biographical Sketch of F. N. Miller

F. N. Miller, editor of the Manchester Times and a prominent citizen of Manchester, was born at Port Hudson, Louisiana, December 5, 1853, the son of Albert and Delilah (Saunders) Miller, the former born October 18, 1822, in Indiana, and the latter May 1, 1832, in Kentucky, and still living in Port Hudson, Louisiana. The parents were married about 1846. In 1861 the elder Miller enlisted in the Confederate Company E. twenty first Mississippi Regiment Infantry, and was killed in the battle of Chickamauga in 1863. He was a successful brick mason. Our subject is the third of five children, … Read more

Slave Narrative of James Childress

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: James Childress Location: Evansville, Indiana Place of Birth: Nashville, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1860 Place of Residence: 312 S.E. Fifth Street, Evansville, Indiana Ex-Slave stories District #5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel JAMES CHILDRESS’ STORY 312 S.E. Fifth Street, Evansville, Indiana From an interview with James Childress and from John Bell both living at 312 S.E. Fifth Street, Evansville, Indiana. Known as Uncle Jimmy by the many children that cluster about the aged man never tiring of his stories of “When I was chile.” “When I was a chile my daddy and mamma was slaves and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E.J. Evans

E. J. Evans, commercial traveler for Weel, Connell & Riddle, dry goods, shoes, clothing, etc., Nashville, was born in 1850 in the District of Columbia, and now resident of Smithville. He is the son of John G. and Lucinda (Vick) Evans. The father, born in 1819, in Dekalb County, Tenn., is the son of Joseph Evans, a native of Maryland, who, when a boy, came to Tennessee and settled where Liberty, Dekalb County, is located, among the very earliest white settlers. John G. had learned the carpenter trade under his father, and after his marriage in 1844, he settled in … Read more

Biography of Dawson W. Cooley

Dawson W. Cooley is president of the Oxford Bank in Sumner County. His home has been in Kansas for upwards of half a century, and while his years have been chiefly employed in the banking business, he has also identified himself with various other enterprises for the good and upbuilding of this state. Mr. Cooley is one of the surviving veterans of the great Union army during the Civil war. He served during the first two years of that struggle in one of the noted regiments of New York State. His enlistment was in Company C of the Ninth New … Read more

Slave Narrative of Julia Casey

Person Interviewed: Julia Casey Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Tennessee Place of Residence: 811 9th Avenue, So., Nashville, Tennessee I wuz bawn in West Tennessee en wuz six y’ars ole w’en war broke out. Mah Missis wuz Miss Jennie McCullough en she ma’ried Eldridge Casey. Mah Missis’s mammy wuz a widder en she gib me, mah mammy, man sistah Violet, mah two br’ers Andrew en Alfred ter Miss Jennie fer a wed’un gif’. Missis Jennie en Marster Eldridge brung us ter Nashville ‘fore de war sta’ted. Mah Missis wuz good ter us. I’se bin w’ll tuk keer ob, plenty … Read more

Slave Narrative of Andy Odell

Person Interviewed: Andy Odell Location: Nashville, Tennessee PLace of Birth: Spring Hill, Tennessee Age: 96 Place of Residence: 1313 Pearl Street, Nashville, Tennessee “I wuz bawn east ob Spring Hill, Tennessee. I dunno in w’at y’ar, but I wuz a ful’ grown man w’en I wuz freed. (This will make him about 96 years old.). I wuz an onlies’ chile en I nebber knowed mah daddy. Mah mammy wuz sold ‘way fum me. She ma’ied a man named Brown en dey had seven chillun.” “At fust I ‘longed ter Marster Jim Caruthers. W’en his daughter ma’ied Fount Odell, I wuz … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emma Grisham

Person Interviewed: Emma Grisham Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Residence: 1118 Jefferson St., Nashville, Tennessee Age: 90s “I wuz bawn in Nashville. I’se up in 90 y’ars, but I tell dem I’se still young. I lived on Gallatin Pike long ‘fore de war, an uster se’d de soldiers ride by.” “Mah marsters name wuz Wm. Penn Harding. Mah daddy wuz sold at Sparta, Tennessee ‘fore I wuz bawn en Marster Harding bought ‘im. Mah mammy erready ‘longed ter de Hardings.” “I don’ member much ’bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a leetle ole slip wid two … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sylvia Watkins

Person Interviewed: Sylvia Watkins Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Bedford County TN Age: 91 Place of Residence: 411 14th Avenue N., Nashville, Tennessee I’se said ter be 91 y’ars ole. I wuz young w’en de War wuz goin’ on. I wuz bawn in Bedford County. Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six chillun by mah daddy en three by her fust husband. Mah missis wuz named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w’ar en w’en we went ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food … Read more

Slave Narrative of Isaac Stier

Interviewer: Edith Wyatt Moore Person Interviewed: Isaac Stier Location: Natchez, Mississippi Date of Birth: Jefferson County MS “Miss, my name is Isaac Stier, but folks calls me ‘Ike.’ I was named by my pappy’s young Marster an’ I aint never tol’ nobody all o’ dat name. It’s got twenty-two letters in it. It’s wrote but in de fam’ly Bible. Dat’s how I knows I’ll be one hund’ed years old if I lives ’til de turn o’ de year. I was born in Jefferson County ‘tween Hamburg an’ Union Church. De plantation joined de Whitney place an’ de Montgomery place, too. … Read more

Biography of William C. Darrow

WILLIAM C. DARROW. A noble class of men have built up the agricultural interests of Douglas County, and among those who have been active and efficient in the work is he whose name stands at the head of this sketch. Mr. Darrow now resides about three miles from Arno and five miles from Ava, and is classed among the successful and prominent farmers of the county. He came originally from Nashville, Tennessee, his birth occurring September 7, 1849. His parents, Joseph and Lavina (Morris) Darrow, were natives of Tennessee, as was also the grandfather, Christopher Darrow, who was a soldier … Read more

Biography of Robert Britton Buford

The present mayor of Eufaula, Dr. Robert Britton Buford, was for ten years engaged in the practice of dentistry here and he is now, in connection with his official duties, active in the conduct of the Indian Journal, of which paper he is editor and proprietor. A native of Texas, he was born in Sulphur Springs, on the 23d of April, 1879, a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Askew) Buford, the former a native of Texas and the latter of Georgia. On attaining manhood the father engaged in farming on his own account in Texas and he was active … Read more

Biography of Charles D. Post

Charles D. Post on, whose name is thoroughly identified with the early history of Arizona, and to whom we have had occasion to refer to heretofore, and will, in future volumes record his further activities, was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, April 20th, 1825. He was left motherless when twelve years of age, and soon thereafter was placed in the County Clerk’s office, where he served an apprenticeship of seven years. He was in the office of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, at Nashville, for the next three years, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. Upon … Read more

Slave Narrative of Measy Hudson

Person Interviewed: Measy Hudson Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: North Carolina Age: 79-80 Place of Residence: 1209 Jefferson St., Nashville, Tennessee “Wuz bawn’ in North Carolina en I’se 90 y’ars ole in November. W’en war broke out we kum ter Tennessee en hab bin ‘yer eber since. Wuz ‘yer w’en old Hood fi’rd de cannons. He said he wuz kum’n ‘yer ter Christmas dinnah, but he didn’t do hit.” “Mah white folks wuz named Harshaw. Marster Aaron Harshaw d’ed en we wuz willed ter his chilluns en dat we wuz not ter be whup’d er ‘bused in anyway. We … Read more