Sumner County TN

Biograpy Sketch of James H. Kitching

James H. Kitching, a prosperous farmer and stock dealer of Alexandria, was born May 28, 1840, in Smith County. He is the fourth of fourteen children of Thomas and Mary (Davis) Kitching. The father was born in Smith County in 1809, a son of James Kitchen who was a native of North Carolina. He immigrated to Tennessee at an early date stopping first at the top of Bledsoe’s Lick, Sumner County, afterward located in Smith County, near the head of Kitching Creek, which was named for him. He was one of the first settlers in that section where his life … Read more

Slave Narrative of Scott Martin

Person Interviewed: Scott Martin Location: Tennessee Place of Birth: Sumner County TN Age: 90 Place of Residence: 438 Fifth Ave., No. “I’se 90 y’ars ole and wuz bawn in slavery in Sumner County, Tennessee and I b’long to Marster Dr. Madison Martin an’ mah Misses Mary. And I wuk’d wid de stock an’ wuz de houseman.” “I hab neber been in any truble, neber ‘rested en neber bin in jail. I knows how ter behave, but de young peeples ob terday ain’ dun rite en dey don’ ‘mounts ter much. Dar am a few dat am all rite. In de … Read more

Slave Narrative of Harriet Cheatam

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Harriet Cheatam Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Gallatin, Tennessee Date of Birth: December 25, 1843 Age: 94 Place of Residence: 816 Darnell Street Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #8 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. HARRIET CHEATAM-EX-SLAVE 816 Darnell Street Interviewer’s Comment Incidents in the life of Mrs. Cheatam as she told them to me. Interview “I was born, in 1843, in Gallatin, Tennessee, 94 years ago this coming (1937) Christmas day.” “Our master, Martin Henley, a farmer, was hard on us slaves, but we were happy in spite of … Read more

Biography of A. T. Robertson, M. D.

A. T. Robertson, M. D., physician and surgeon, dealer in drugs, medicines, etc., Ashmore; was born in Sumner Co., Tenn., June 30, 1834; his father, Rev. John H. Robertson, was born in Virginia, and removed to Tennessee with his parents when but a boy; in 1829, he came to Coles Co., and engaged in teaching school near the present city of Charleston; his name appears on the records as the second person to whom letters of administration were granted in Coles Co.; in 1832, he returned to Tennessee, where he was ordained a minister of the M. E. Church, and … Read more

Sumner County, Tennessee Cemetery Transcriptions

Tennessee Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the Tennessee county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Following Cemeteries (hosted at Sumner County, Tennessee Tombstone Transcription Project) Alden Cemetery Anderson Cemetery aka Collier Cemetery Cemetery Index Baker-Parson Cemetery Nathan Barnes Tombstone Inscription Barry Family Graveyard Jim Bates Tombstone Inscription Beech Church Graveyard aka Old Beech Church Cemetery Bethpage Cemetery Bledsoe Academy Cemetery aka Bledsoe Cemetery Blackemore Tombstone Inscriptions Bloodworth-Parker Family Graveyard aka Bloodworth Cemetery Brackentown Cemetery … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alice Douglass

Person Interviewed: Alice Douglass Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Sumner County, Tennessee Date of Birth: December 22, 1860 Age: 73 I was born December 22, 1880 in Summer County, Tennessee. My mother, I mean mammy, ’cause what did we know ’bout mother and mama. Master and Mistress made dey chillun call all nigger women. “Black Harmy.” Jest as I was saying my mammy was named Millie Elkins and my pappy was named Isaac Garrett. My sisters and brothers was Frank, Susie and Mollie. They is all in Nashville, Tennessee right now. They lived in log houses. I ‘member … Read more

Slave Narrative of Joseph William Carter

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: Joseph William Carter Location: Evansville, Indiana Age: 100+ Ex-Slave Stories 5th District Vandenburgh County Lauana Creel SLAVE STORY JOSEPH WILLIAM CARTER This information was gained through an interview with Joseph William Carter and several of his daughters. The data was cheerfully given to the writer. Joseph William Carter has lived a long and, he declares, a happy life, although he was born and reared in bondage. His pleasing personality has always made his lot an easy one and his yoke seemed easy to wear. Joseph William Carter was born prior to the year 1836. His … Read more

Governor Houston at His Trading Post on the Verdigris

Surrender of Santa Anna

In February, 1828, the vanguard of Creek immigrants arrived at the Creek Agency on the Verdigris, in charge of Colonel Brearley, and they and the following members of the McIntosh party were located on a section of land that the Government promised in the treaty of 1826 to purchase for them. By the treaty of May 6, 1828, the Government assigned the Cherokee a great tract of land, to which they at once began to remove from their homes in Arkansas. The movement had been under way for some months when there appeared among the Indians the remarkable figure of Samuel Houston. The biographers of Houston have told the world next to nothing of his sojourn of three or four years in the Indian country, an interesting period when he was changing the entire course of his life and preparing for the part he was to play in the drama of Texas.

Biography of Rev. Ira W. King

Rev. Ira W. King, pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and a prominent citizen of Alexandria, was born December 3, 1819, in North Carolina. He is the fourth of eight children born to Prof. Tho. H. And Ann (Harris) King. The father was a native of Virginia, born about 1790, of Scotch-Irish descent, a son of Henry King, also a native of Virginia. Tho. H. was reared and liberally educated in his native State. He went to Rockingham County, N. C., when a young man, where he married about 1810. In 1820 he moved to Williamson County, Tenn., and in … Read more