4.23.14 Tennessee Civil War Notes

        23, Ethnic competition for housing in Nashville

Fort Johnson Nashville Tenn.,

Apl. 23d, 1864

Andrew Johnston [sic]

Honored Sir,

Necessity compels me to make a few statements of facts and to request your interference in behalf of my family –

I am a citizen of Bradley Co. Tenn., and have in the United states [sic] service for more than two years. – some [sic] time in last February my family was compelled to leave home for want of subsistence. I met them at this place Feb. 18^th, and have been trying from that time to this to rent a house or room for them to live in but have, as yet, failed to get one –

I find that nearly all of the confiscated, as well as individual houses are occupied by contraband negroes, poor white soldiers [sic] families are left out of doors, more than once have I tried to rent vacant houses only to receive the assurance from some rebel citizen that they were rented to negroes [sic], this being the case I would most respectfully ask that you grant my family a pass to Charleston Tenn. And the privilege of transporting provisions over the Rail Road to them – my family consists of, my wife and four children, my wifes [sic] sister and five children, and my sister (twelve in all)[.] if [sic] you will aid me in procuring a house, or pass them back home I will ever hold you in most greatful [sic] remembrance[.]

Most respectfully Sir Your Obdt Servt

James H. Kile

1^st Sergt Battery "D" 1^st Tenn. Arty

Papers of Andrew Johnson, Vol. 6, p. 684.

James B. Jones, Jr.
Public Historian
Tennessee Historical Commission
2941 Lebanon Road
Nashville, TN  37214

(615)-532-1550  x115

(615)-532-1549  FAX