“…
Join us in August 31, 1861 when about 31 men left Madison
under the command of J. R. Chowning and J. W. Atterbury
marched to Middle Grove where they joined forces of the
Confederacy under Captain Frank Davis. Their first actual
encounter was at Boonville, where they had a skirmish with
the union forces. They were unsuccessful in capturing the
position, but they settled for the release of about ten
prisoners. J. W. Atterbury Sr., received a wound in his
ankle, having to return home. The other men proceeded to
Lexington, where they fought their second battle. Some of
the men from this section who served were, J.S. Dunaway,
Jack Overfelt, J.R. Chowning, Bill Edwards, Nick Farrell,
Lee Farrell, Joseph Hersman, Henry Wade, C.A. Overfelt,
D.T.C. Mitchell, J.W. Atterbury, Wes McKinney, Jim Elsberry,
Ed Lynch, Sam Houchins, C.L. Enochs, and G.E. Green. As the
following men: Joe Boulware, Will Klugh, Simp Dry, Neut
Turner, Curt Mitchell, Charles McKinney, Elsea Dry, Bos
Bodkins, Adolphus Elsberry and Henry Clay Bryant were
returning home, four of their comrades were drowned when
“Old Kentucky”, their boat sank on the Red River,
Louisiana, September 8th, 1865…”
“… This is from a
clipping from the Madison Times – I don’t
remember the date… There are some men from your list in
the last Appeal that I knew personally or knew of. Elsea
Dry was married to my mother’s aunt, Virginia Wright,
and we visited them on their farm near Tulip. J.R.
Chowning lived across the street from us until his
death. “Uncle” Johnny Dunnaway lived next door to
my grandmother. There was a Ben Houchins in Madison
of the right age. There was a Baker of the right age
who was a cabinet maker… I would guess he was J.W. He was
an ancestor of Thurber Gray’s first wife, Betty Hodgeman
who was the daughter of a later J.W. Baker lived in Paris.
Ed Lynch was married to a relative of mine but so far I
can’t remember which one.
… My great
grandfather, Capt. Wm. Waller, fought in the Confederate
army four years or so. (Records show he was not a captain).
Grandma told lots of stories about the war but I was too
young to pay much attention & no one recorded them. But
Willie was with her often I did remember a lot. She told me
that grandma sat up all night sewing a tent for her husband
before he left the next day in the army. Her youngest child
was born the next day and named Jefferson Davis. She was
left on a farm North of Madison with several children in a
log house with a woman slave and one man slave… Grandpa
was wounded twice. They said he had a big “dent” in the
back of his head from a minie ball. One wound resulted in a
broken leg – I think that was at (Kennesaw) Mt. An old
Negro woman took him off the battlefield and took care of
him. Grandma didn’t know if he was alive as she never
heard from him. I don’t think he was in the famous prison
camp (I can’t remember the name now) but she did tell
about his saying they washed corn out of mule dung and
roasted & ate it. I guess that stayed with me because I
thought it so horrible. He was not on the Kentucky because
he refused to swear allegiance to the Union. He was in
prison in Ill. (Alton I think.) Grandma took little Jeffie
(whom he had never seen) to Ill. and persuaded him to sign
so he could come home.
… If you read the Paris
Appeal you may have seen the letter from John C.
Atterbury in Arkansas. He evidently has done a lot of
research on his family. His letter was regarding his
grandfather who lost a leg during the Civil War. I don’t
know how much research on the Civil War he’s done maybe
just on his family. I remember “Uncle” Joe Atterbury in
the Memorial day parades. Of course the peg leg was quite a
curiosity to us children.
… Unfortunately
children and even grandchildren of many Civil War veterans
are dead too. Dr. Bob Swartz, a dentist in Paris, is a great
grandson of John Dunaway but so many young people have never
been interested in family history. So far as I know all the
Chowning grandchildren are dead. Both of Elsea Dry’s
daughters are dead. They had children but I don’t know
about them…
More
extracts from the Sophia letter…”this is a clipping form
the Madison Times… I don’t remember the date…”
Article indicates that the original History of Monroe County
information came from a clipping provided by Mrs. Ernest
Ragsdale of Madison.
…The Atterbury
brothers and H.C. Baker owed some of the finest horse in
this country. Probably no other men of the county have
contributed more to livestock industry than these men.
In 1884 Charles
Atterbury was engaged in the furniture and undertaking
business. He was one of the town’s most influential and
progressive business men. In previous years Henry Wade was
the town’s furniture dealer and undertaker. The art of
embalming was then unknown.
Madison had an Opera
House which was over the Times and K and W Store; this was
the social center for many grand occasions for many years.
There was always a community Christmas tree at the Opera
House.
The first Christian
minister was Elder Donan, who traveled over this section on
horseback, preaching for the free will offering of his
members.
The Christian Church
was organized in 1838 at a log school (unknown) on the farm
of Martin Grove, west of Madison with five charter members.
In 1841 another
church was reorganized and these charter members were men
and women who came from Kentucky and Virginia. At that time
dancing was a rock over which many of the new converts
stumbled and there are found these words after their names;
“Excluded for dancing.” And after the names of slave who
became members of their master’s church are the following
words: “black woman or black man.”
In 1873, a primitive
frame building was built on East Broadway, the only
ornamentation was (a) glass and light over the door, (the)
lettering: “Madison Christian Church”. Cicero Eubank
organized the first Sunday School.
In 1896 the next
church was built at a cost of $5,000…the first funeral
held in it was Mrs. Milton Forsyth and the last was her
husbands 14 years later (in the year 1910). Handwritten
note: Elder Wm. Featherston was ordained in this church. |