Samuel Adkisson"s Civil War Letter

Samuel Adkisson"s Civil War Letter 

by DJ Hutcherson

The Papers of Andrew  Johnson 

In a letter dated January 16th, 1865 addressed to Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of

Tennessee, prominent Dog Creek resident Samuel Adkisson recounts, in great detail, his
personal grievances against Union army soldiers during the previous 3 years, and the hardships he and his family had endured as a result of the soldiers conduct.

Adkisson owned a large plantation, including many slaves, on the Charlotte Turnpike along
Dog Creek, and in 1860 claimed $5,000 in real estate and $35,000 in personal property. When the war broke out, his household included his wife Nancy, and their three sons, James, Joseph, and Samuel Jr.

Samuel Adkisson"s Grave Marker,
Dog Creek Cemetery 

The letter :

Cheatham, Co, Tenn. January, 16th, 1865,
20 miles west of Nashville
on the Charlotte Pike,

To Govr Johnson,
Dear Sir, I hate to aske favours or to intrude on the time or attention of others, & have not been to see you but once in 3 years & then to let you know about some bridge irons & timbers that was in Harpeth River near my place.

Thought as some of the U.S. Solgers have commenst taking my crop & stock again, I have
concluded to let you know alittle as to how I have acted & been treated for the last 3 years, When Govr Harris left Nashville, I put my self to some trouble & expence in trying to get my ffriendes to submit to the laws of the U.S. or go South, & have continured so to do, & there was little or no damage don near me until last December.I have taken 2 othes & given one bond for $5,000, with security, for good behaviour, for which they gave me an obligation for full protection or pay for the damage don me. signed by you & Genr Rosencrance I think, if you put your name to such apaper, I think you should know how some others have been acting, & will state some of the facts for you to think about, (I had heard that many others both black & white was intruding on you & I thought I would no.)

The U.S. solgers have taken or distroyed the most of 3 of my crops of corne, fodder, hay, oates, potatoes & turnipts, about 120 hogs, 4 mules & horses, some sheep & cattle, fowls, 3 bird guns, & other things. My fences have been burnt to the ground 5 times, parte of my slaves was made to leave me & to work for the government, of the 8 slaves that went to Nashville 7 is dead, & the other one wants to returne. 3 times my Self & familey was made to leave the house about mid night in december 1863, & to stand about 2 houres on the coal wet ground, & 2 of us sick with phisick in us, my house has been robed 5 times & I got back
but little of what was taken, & I had to send my wife & children, mares & coalts over Cumberland River, & my wife health & mind has remaind in abad condition & she with doctors in & out of Nashville, most of his time, at one time they put fire to my house, & swore they would burn us ro get $5,000, which put my wife & children of in the darke & shot at me, & treated me badley other ways, on the 30, of Novr/63 they bought 20 of my cattle, & fodder
& left the cattle with me to Starve, last fall the drovers put the beef cattle in my farme 5 times
& distroyed part of my crops.

I have fed many of the U.S. solgers & there horses at diffrent times, at one time they remained 5 days (by high water). For all of which I have Rec but $125, & one little brokendown mule, though I am glad to say that the most of the U.S. solgers & officers that I have seen have treated me as kind & as well as I could expect & I hope you will do the same, for I suppose you have the power & my
obligation & I think I have complyed with my parte of the contract, & I think you should in.part.

Though it is not my wish to produce any more illwill or contention, for I can work & live on but
alittle & will try awhile longer to comply with my oath & obligation & to get others to do so, & I
think it would be well for maney others north & south to remember they are but vain men like
my self, & subject to the power & will of God, from a Slip hear with you may learn alittle about me, & that I have been wanting to go to Virginia, pleas to forgive errours & what you may think is ammis,
yours very Respectfully, S.W. Adkisson.
A mechnic

The Adkisson Family Plot at Dog Creek Cemetery 

From The Papers of Andrew Johnson: 1864-1865, Leroy P. Graf, editor, The University of
Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 1986, pages 412 & 413