Sarah E. Thompson Papers

Sarah Thompson's account of Morgan's Defeat, September 3, 1864

Greenville, TN. From Sarah Thompson's account of Morgan's defeat. Testimonial about Thompson's role in the defeat of General John Hunt Morgan with descriptions of Thompson's travels and her work for the Union. (Sarah E. Thompson Papers, Special Collections Library, Duke University)

Note: The literal transcription that follows may be difficult to read and understand because Thompson's literacy was so poor. Researcher Joan Yehl has kindly provided us with a more readable transcription, which is presented on an alternative page without page images.

September 3 1864 at greenvill E tenn on the knoxville and E tenn rode is an olde towne which I will not stop to describe tho I will say it is the home of Presedent Johnson and one of the aldus towns in Tenniss. Well it was a butifull day and as clare as a bell ever thing was vary quit untill near 3 oclok when there came a rush and ever Union haste heeped with fare for thay had lane sins had lesens in these rodes till thay larnd to fare the resultes for when thay came thay wold make you feele thare presents and fare them too well too my subgest of the day in qustan somthing near 3 I was vary bys preparing somthing for Sundy and maken tomato butar when a rush was heard in the streete and then a nock at the dore and then when I opend it I was surprised to see Jhon Morgan the rebell Rader the king of tare in that parte of the country for he was fared by all who knew him and a grate many who did not knew him for he was the lien of the South or the rebells know I dont want any harde feelen for I hav none and some of the deares friends I have was rebels

he came in and sat neare the dore and smoked his pipe it was not the pipe of pese thoe the pipe of ware and strife he tility his chare back neare the dore and said he was goan to to knoxville to change guests with generl carter and when he wold get thare he wold change things and one thing he wold doo wold bee to sende for me and give me a close home for the reste of

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the ware and see that my develes moute was stoped for if I was as good a rebell as I was a D_ _ Union woming I wold make some rebell a good wife and used a grate deele of flatery as it made mad and it did him good to tantlise me for I dissliked it very much. after a while in cam a number of rebells and took my cittle of tomato butter of of the fire and porde it out in dishes and carried it off and turnd my bread out of the Baker I mene a small Baker one as was used soth bee fore thay had stoves for I had all I had too little by little now I had no stove and so it was a small baker I was baken in at this time and they took it and turnde it out and when I cald to morging to purtect me he laff me to scorn and said I nede not fare for I had never starved and thay had to live and the Union wimman had to helpe to feed them after setin and smoken sever pips of to baco and tillide me as long as he wish he went too mrs willums has a cosin I have bin tolde of morgans to stope for the nite after the pictus was plaste on gard around the towne he and his body gard stoped at the hase of willums which is on the rare of the scall whare I lived and a hansom suthern home with butifull yard and garden and a very large vinyard in the rare of this house you can amagen the grandre of this hame for it was one of the welthy hames in this lill tone and to this elegint hase morgan and his men went and one of

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mrs willums sun was a on his staff willum willums tho was usually called Bill for short Capt Henry B Clay of Rogsville Tenss with others thay went to the hase and stoped for the knight and very thing was seteld as as thay that and was fixin for a good time when I and morgan was talking I tolde him he wold run on a snag be for morng tho he did not think it pasibill to doo for he was confident of sucess in capturn Knoxville in a few day at lest as it drad near the even I took my sun bonet in hand and wente to the street streete and met carnell willum and afte I had past the time of day I asked him to pass me out after my cow as thay was several cows on the hill and he tolde the gard to pass me out and to pass me in when I returnd and I wold gave him sam milk so I was thue the enemies lings and went on after the cow and when I got to it I thode at har and she went daw the hill and I after har and when out of site I crast over in a carn fee and went to friend hase that had aded me more then one time and gat a horse and went to are forses that was at Buls gap and sente the word in to ar forses when gilim who was genrell then when he hard the news he did not blve it as he said it was a womans tale the carnell of the 3 teness whos name is Brownlow and the 10 mishigen and seven others said they wold goo and after thay talked and at last thay started tho I must say gilimman did not diserve any of the honer of that grate ded for had it bin left to him he wald not of went and when he did goo he went be hind so far thare was no danger of any

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harme in eny way coming at him and the Advans gard went to Mrs Willums has and did not finde him and was in a rage as it was now a bot seven a clock the morng of the 4 of septimbe as mrs willums said he was gone to Abangton virginy when I went to live geenevill the eveng be for I had give a colord woman 25 to wach him and when I got back and fond he had gone I went and aske har whare he was she said come and after goan thue the hase she panted a man under a bush or grape vine in the middl of the garden and said to take him for that was morgen now he was undress only his under close he was crurch down and I stepd to the streete and lade my hand on a man sholder and said sur if you will tar the fins dan I will in sure you morgan now the fins I speke of was a bord fens for the particen of the graps and it was vary hevy bords or plank set up ende way and it is not nesery to say it cam down for it did then I advans and shode him too the man and thay try to git him to surender tho he wold not he sat as long as he had any thing to sate then he was shot neare the midle and fell back and he did not more thin strack the grand when he was cat by too of our men and thode on the horse of the 3 party and caried to a distens of a few milles on the nox vill rode and garded him thare till gilam cam up then when he was gone the rebels too the one and the cannig balls fell thick and fast and a grate and mte rash came down and I was captured and garded at my dore and the rope was thare to hange me on the same

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limb that Fry and harmen hung for 3 days and thay was not cut dow and as the tranes wold pass the men wold strack ther ded body with thare canes and this is the lim I was to hang from so said the rebells bat god has so often cared for me and mine and he did now and thay swore and raged and shot the bulits fell like hale in a shorte time tho it semes like a longe time arond the corner of mcdalles store like a bloke clad and E J Brooks of the 10 mishig and the 3 tenness and and a numbe of othe came and capturedge me and took the men a pris ner that was garden me one of them was and I steped back in the hass to my 2 childran to in joy the freedom of a free American woman again The Unin wun the victory for he who was a tare to the pepell was now still in deth and it stood with him an his god for it maters not what man sais if god is juge he will doo all well in a short time a andevells drew [?] to the door and generl gilemman ask if mrs Thompson was in and when I stepted to the dores he asked me if I knew him I anserd I did he lade thare in the street som time then was taken from thare to Richmond and is lade in his grave thare in a haste time gilimmany sent a anvelance to my Doore and my 2 chil dran was plaste in the anvelance and was took too Buls gape as the army fell back stade thare 2 days then was sente to Knoxvill and borded in a

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a hotell and in a few days I was sent over the river to the horsepitel whare they had nothen only tents it was the holson hos pitell thare was some vary dear friends of mine in after yarse and

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went to woark in a shoe shop at Brolesvill washington co E Tenn to ceepe from goane in the ware for he did not want to goo away from home and was determend not to goo in the rebell side if he could helpe it his trall ceep him out of the serves a yere and a half then it cot so a union man could not speke his an that once they was not safe to even goo thue the county in dalite and thay was not safe at home at night for the rebells was surchen ever house to whip and kill union men and forse them to goo in ther army and they did not stop at that they pilfard and stoled all they could and a bused the wifes and darts of union men in miny ways that wold not be proper for me to state here for more then one resone the hole country was conscript and raped and men had to eathe live the conty and scate thue the montins or goo in the rebell army aganse thare will which a grate meny of them would suner die than to doo it the sufering of union men was beond descripson for it was not only sufern in the body but a sufern is the vary worst of sufern then thay could not carry a nuf of fude to last over the montins tho it look like god had a laugh to to see the pore weary soles. Just for the colerd pepell all was vary good to helpe to feed and care for the union men tho thay vary often fell in the hands of the rebel and thay was som of them shot and others too to prisons som had to goo in the rebel army aganse thae wills I can relate some vary hard sins that will be remembered as long as the world stand v

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take for example the case of a union man in knox conty who was tied upon a log his back stripped bare and cut all to pieces with hickories and when he was brot in to the callert house and his back exhibited he was told that these were revolutionary times and that he had no remedy ever man had to assert his owne rights and avenge his own wrongs or as most were compelled to to submit to insult and injury for syuads[?] of six to ten rebel troops or rebel men for thay was not allways inlisten men but they wold goo on thare one responsibilities scoured the country arrestin whom thay chose and trated them as their malice and beastly habits of life suggested thare is hundrids and thosends of cases that never will be tolde turn to history and see for yore selvs for one thar was w. g. Brownlow one of are truer suns of liberty and a man with strong will and a true hart was promest a thirty nine lashes and a coat of tar and feathers and thay did put him in Jale and another case was one in washington county E Teen was wilman milbaem a nuthes minister one of the best and trues cristans I ever new he was arested and sent to knoxvill Jaler and starved for even praying and in the church for the [...]ing and after he was cepe thar a while he prade our preched and had a revivill in Jale they said he would doo more good in Jale then harme and thay award him leve and sent him home tho thay limited

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him to goo to the doctrs black smith shop and too mill and then not too goo of the farme the church was just over the line and he could not goo to it he went to the house and the pepell came and the setts was made in the park and they met thare and had metin with thare union minister and god pored his grase down and it was wonderfull A metin number of conversons and the rebells could not hinder
Thus days and month past and still mr Thompson worked at his trade at a small plase called Brolesville E Tenn washing county and as he was a shuwe maker he escaped sevrle draff fore they was taken ever one thay cold get olde and yunge but things got worse ever day and it was not safe for a union man to even express his sentiment at all and all thay did had to bee done secrtele and thay was watched vary close by day and by nite you cold see rebells arond you house at nite to see if you was ading the union in any way tho it was surprisen to see what the union men ready to [...] sustane thar pirmissible and and many of them forsed to goo in the army a ganse thare will and and the remaner was caried to some campe to bee graded still thay wold agree to in list and thare rasons was so short it forst[?] to them to render service[?] or later and then thay beegane too goo too the other side and

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it coste amany one thare life to starte and some got thue and others was capturdge and was sente to some of the rebell prisins and in June 1862 mr Thompson wente to Kentucky and after meny days of hard travell and exposure and hard ships with blisterd feet, thay arived at a small tone in ky cald barbrvill and thare they inlisted in the co I 2n Regiment of Tennessee carvly was enrolled July 12 1862 and sune after he was sente back to his olde home to rase recuts for sade regiment and you will see that is why I am trying in a [..]ille way to note some of the truthes done that is writen in my memory with the pen of buld never to bee arast from my memory back to when and howe and why mr Thompson came home he came to helpe the union men to escape from the rath to of the enimy and he had to stay in some secret plase and and ceep his self hid as a mater of corse some one had to helpe him and as he had more confindens in me then eny one els he asked me to ade him which I did never that eny one wold knoy it I wente to the males such as I knew to bee

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true to ore case and tolde them if thay would meete me at a surten plase I would see thay wold goo thue to the union army and wee fonde a grate numbes of friends of the tense die among the colord pepell and of corse thay was slaves some of union men and some of rebels but corse we new who to trust and it is strange how these pore soles would worke all day in thare mastes servas and then goo all night for what thay caled thare ease of freedom So by the helpe of these and ore friends we fonde amonge the white we was abut to sune rase a good number of ar best men for upr est Tennesse was a good dele more then one half union and it was no truble to get a crowd to meete at a named plase and then I wold go to whare mr Thompson was and report to him and then the next thing was to cook a good lot of fude and put in saks then when the time wold come I wold meet them and see that ore plans had not bin fond out by the enamy and take them to whare thay met me, Jc and he took thue the lines and thay went to ky was mustid in the army and then that give them new life and made them see that thay

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now had somthing to strive for for thay had left thare famys and property and well did thay know how other mens famly had bin teated and of carse thay was afrade all most to hare from home and dare ones lefte behind for it was anuf for the rebels to cary off all youe had let it bee little or much it was yore all but thay much burn yor barns and a hass and ravis yor wifes and darts and hange by hes neck ar young boys to try to scare oute of them what thay did not knowe and in severl cases in washington and green countys to my nolege and by which I can prove thay hangd them and never cut them down and thay was found by thar friends ded bee case thay cold not tell what thay did not knowe when mr T. got thare and give his men over he was taken sick and was not abell to travell for a longe time and while he was sick he sente me a lette by one george kirke and as I thinke it proper I will give it
my Dare wife I arrived har and am safe the men ar all well and vary anches to come home but wee can not

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tell any thing about it fore the ways of the ary is Shame and sure and men's tears wee will doo all in are power to come to ore dare ones help for it makes blud boule when wee har of the teetment you all reseve from emany I send this by ore olde friend gordge and as I am fien I want you to helpe him to get some mor of are men out of bangeg I will writ as ofen as I can send me a lette by ar friend from yor husband S. H. Thompson
march 4 1863
sumerset key
Some days after this I reseved a call from a rebel man as I thote for I had camping and as my friend was in disgise he knew the repstasan of the party at my house in simithy with the othe side he asked for somthing to eat and cursed the damed union and got me as mad as a wet hen ane pade for his diner in green back which was a sufrance [?] to a grate meny peple for it was not in circlasan in the soth in 1863 his excuse for paying me then was he said he knew I was a unon woman and he did not wante to bee pesterd with it for the rebell mony was as good as he wanted so he lefe and I did not know whare he

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was and still thar was somthing in him I cold not helpe study about and it parted ane till the 4 day and the same stranger cam agane and as I was a lane only of 2 childran he too his hat of and to a agreabell surprise I was in the present of a friend a union ofrse and a naber well it was not worth while to say I was glad to see him he gave me my leters and meny mor fore union wimen that thare husbands was gone I tode him I wold deliver them to thar aness and then I red mine and was glad and sory tou so my joy was mixted with grefe I was glad to har from mr T and sory to har he was sick tho I felte sure of his recuvery and return for I had a grate dele of fathe in prayer and I knewe that thar was a harte that was ingaged in urnst pey for him after reden the letter I asked hedrnell PC[?] what I cold doo he tolde me he was goene to look a plase so he cold take his men overe liakes redne which is a small streeme in sumer and grose to be vary large in winter so it can not be crost in winter only at surten

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ponts and at the the time I speke of it was with dificuty az it cold bee crost fore you mudt bar in minde this was in rebell lins and it was with a grat risked and danger that union men cold cross at all and while he went to cure a crosen he wanted me to goo to the nex conty which was washing conty and see his wife and take hare some thing and to cary some male and deliver it to good union familys and to gav to gorge glispy and see a colord man which was call alf and get him som men to take over the lings and I tolde him I wolde doo all I cold and as sune as he had somthing to eate I started and had good suck sess and got back on satarday and as I was locking for him I comens to git dine and in dew time he came and after eten [...] and haven a short visit I hard a nosy and on goane to the dore I say wee was in tirly suronded by rebells and one cold take in in a minite what was on hand I returnd to the hase and tolde mr kirke what what was the mat and he tolde me to take my childran and live he wold fite them I had only got a shorte distant when I was meet By one Mr Scruge and asked whar I was goane I tolde him I was not gone any whar so he said mac it gode

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back too the hase and I tolde him I wold not and he said I shold and I dost not refuse and dost a pistill at my brest and said he wold shute me thae if I did did not goo and I ask him what he wanted at my hase he said he wante my husband I tolde him [he] was nothar I wold gave him my word he cald me a damn laer and if I did not goo he wold shute me thae Just then in my dore a man stud with a pistol in each hand and too in a belt that of cas drad his atensan and he tornd from me to him and ask what you wanted you will finde out said he and as I was arested aftur and sarne I cold not say which firde first tho one thing I doo know the rebel only shot one time the his arme fell ded to his side and kirk fired six times ever one taken afert tho not mortly then walked a way loden his pistell and after claming a hill at his back[?] he stud on the top and shuck his [rilfral...s] at them and diss aperd ovr the hill and then enemmy came up and started on his trale tho thi was only a shorte distent from the river

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and the contry was raef and hilly he made his way too the riveer and crost over one the the othe side wr a Slope of contry that was caled lost that was grone up vary thick and a man cold hide thar vary well idee some hid in thar for weeaks and month

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