Thursday, June 6, 2013

6/6/2013 Tennessee Civil War Notes

6, 1861- Call for daily interdenominational Christian prayer meetings to shield soldiers and the Confederacy

Editors Appeal: Allow me, through your columns, to make a suggestion, that I trust will meet with the approbation of at least every Christian in the city. In this, our time of trial and need, would it not be well to organize a daily prayer meeting, having for its object, our country, and the young men who have left their homes to fight our battles. If the Lord be for us, who can prevail against us? Let us, therefore, invoke his guidance and protection for the husbands, brothers and sons that are not only exposed to the bullets of the enemy, but to all the temptations that necessarily surround a camp life. I therefore propose that all those who favor the suggestion, would meet on Saturday morning at 9 o'clock, at the Second Presbyterian Church, and take such measures as are necessary for the organization of one or more daily prayer meetings in this city. Should this meet with the approbation of the various denominations, the ministers will please make the announcement in their regular weekly meetings, or from their pulpits on Sabbath morning.  
City papers please copy.

Memphis Daily Appeal, June 6, 1861.

 

 

 

6, 1861 -  Shortage of forms delay relief to volunteers' families in Memphis

Relief of Volunteer's Families.—The veterans of the names and families of volunteers have not come to hand completely, and a delay must ensue in consequence, in allowing assistance to destitute families in many cases. As distressing results must follow, Esq. Hill last night generously undertook a journey to Randolph for the purpose of obtaining the necessary documents.

Memphis Daily Appeal, June 6, 1861.

       

 

6 ca, 1861 - "TRUE MEN OF THE SOUTH TO THE RESCUE;" Secessionist propaganda poster text in Memphis on the eve of the vote on secession

Whereas, Abraham Lincoln, President of the Northern States, has seen fit to make a call upon the States of the Union for 75,000 men, for the declared purpose of subjugating the States of the Southern Confederacy, and make them subservient to his will; and whereas such a call is repugnant to the feeling of the people of the border States, and must, therefore, be treated with contempt. And whereas, also, the Republicans of the North are heaping insult and injury upon friends of the South in their midst, and have forced them to leave their homes. in the north in consequence thereof;

We, loyal citizens of the South, who have pledged our lives, our property, and our sacred honors, in support of the Government of the Confederate States, deem it incumbent upon us to urge immediate arming of all our able-bodied men who are willing to resist the cohorts of the North; we also urge all friends of the South to be vigilant, and use their utmost efforts to preserve the honor and integrity of our United South. Our safety requires that those living in our midst, who do not wish to abandon their allegiance to Lincoln's Government, who are in favor of negro equality and the degradation of the white race, should leave this city as soon as possible. That a number of men from the North, who have made their homes in this city, are true to the South, there is no doubt; but there are others whom it will not do to trust.

They are men who, notwithstanding they have made all they are worth from Southern patronage, are recreant to the South, and in her hour of peril will prove themselves traitors. Those men must be compelled to leave here. We do not counsel force for this purpose, unless a refusal is gent to comply with such a demand.

Let the proprietors of business houses, machine, carpenter, and cabinet shops, foundries, printing-offices, paint and tailor ships, hotel and boarding houses, report immediately the names of all those who they know cannot be trusted as friends to the South. It is important that this be done -- the security of our property and the safety of our families demand it. Our gallant sons, who are anxious to march wherever the service of the South requires them, wish to carry with them the consoling though that they have not left behind them the lurking enemy, who, while lingering around their homes and firesides, would incite our negroes to insurrection, and bring the worst calamities upon our wives, our mothers, and our daughters.

"Those who are not with us are against us." Let every citizen remember that "Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty."

Rebellion Record, Vol. 2, p. 58. [1]

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

6, 1863 - Juvenile Thieves in Memphis

Young in Years, Old in Vice.

In our perambulations around town yesterday, we dropped into the station house, where we saw three boys who were confined for robbing the broker's office which we referred to at the time it was done. We were very forcibly struck with their bold demeanor. Although not over ten or twelve years of age, the seemed to bear their confinement with all the fortitude of veteran law-breakers. 'Tis a sad thought to remember that these boys have mothers, who, doubtless, have lavished upon them all the untold affections of a mother's heart. Yet, we see them, tender as is their years, confined as felons. We are informed that the mother of at least one of these young Claude Duval[s][2], is a quieter and industrious woman. Here we see a plain and direct appeal to parents to be careful of their children's associations. Let them be with the virtuous and good. It may save many a regretful sigh.

Memphis Bulletin, June 6, 1863.

       

 

 

6, 1863 -  Night Life in Occupied Nashville

The editor of the Nashville Press indulges in a few speculations about Nashville by gaslight:

Nashville by gaslight, and Nashville by day light, are as widely different as secesh and Union; in the latter attire, our goodly city looks very much like a disappointed politician, for whom nobody has a kind word or look, and who is to himself a comfortable bore. But when the garment of night is thrown about her, and the rays of gaslight fall brilliantly upon her features (!) the City of Rocks has a pleasant way, which is productive of anything else than growlery.[3] With evening comes activity and crowded streets--music and jollity; and sometimes as we contemplate the surging masses, from one point to another, we forget that we are in ancient Nashville, and unconsciously inquire, with our optics, for Fifth avenue, City hall park, Broadway, Thompson's, Niblo's, Laura Keene's etc. The charm might be lasting, if it were not that the female figure is so unfrequently to be seen in the midst of the human ocean of which we speak.

Memphis Appeal [Atlanta, Georgia], June 6, 1863.[4]

       

 

 

6, 1863 - Resolution of the Public School Predicament in Memphis

The School Question, about which there has been some discussion, has been decided, so far as the Board of Aldermen is concerned. The Mayor, who is so much opposed to common schools, has been instructed, by formal resolution, to issue scrip[5] for the support of the teachers of the schools, as heretofore.

Today there is to be an election of School Visitors, on whom it will devolve to conduct the public schools for the nest twelve months. Let every voter see to it, that in the excitement of the day, this important matter is not neglected.

Memphis Bulletin, June 6, 1863.

 



[1] The article had the following paragraph: "The process of marking [sic] the Union men on the day of the election [i.e., the plebiscite on Tennessee's secession on June 8] was by writing the name of each voter, as it was entered upon the poll book, upon the back of the ticket, with the corresponding number entered on both; so that, after the vote was counted, the Union tickets could easily be selected, and voters attended to. This design was known before the elections, and, of course, deterred Union men form voting at all, or compelled them to vote for secession." Rebellion Record, Vol. 2, p. 58.

[2] DUVAL, CLAUDE (1643-1670), a famous highwayman, was born at Domfront, Normandy, in 1643. Having entered domestic service in Paris, he came to England at the time of the Restoration in attendance on the duke of Richmond, and soon became a highwayman notorious for the daring of his robberies no less than for his gallantry to ladies.

[3] A saloon or barrel of beer.

[4] As cited in htp://www.uttyl.edu/vbetts.

[5] It is curious that the Board of Aldermen would insist upon issuing scrip when it outlawed "shinplasters" in January 1863. See above, January 6, 1863, "Memphis' 'shinplaster' ordinance declared null and void."


James B. Jones, Jr.

Public Historian

Tennessee Historical Commission

2941 Lebanon Road

Nashville, TN  37214

(615)-532-1550  x115

(615)-532-1549  FAX

 

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