Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-20
GOVERNOR
The Ola Men and Statesmen Of Ten
nessee.
Tradition UnerOwned by History
Knoxville Traditions.


~ NAAA8 AEhAAAAOHMs
MEMPHIS, September 40, 1871.
Editors AppeGl-In the letter of your
travelling correspondent, L. ]. D., pub
lished in the APPEAL of Goth August,
mention was made of the tradition that
Governor William Blount did not die at
Knoxville, In the year 1900, as is inscribed
on his tombstone In the old c~hurch-ysrd
of that city; but that he went to the far
West, nj became the Chief of nation of
Indians.
This romantic story had no other foun-
dalton than the known veneratton In
which he was held by the Indians, and
that love of the marvellous which, In all
ages, has prompted the people to invest
thsir favOrtte champions with mystery
and romance. Your correspondent sug-
gests that his Impeachment in 1897, before
the Senate of the United States, OF which
he was g member, tor attempting to Wrest
Florida and Louisiana from the dominion
Of Spain, might have made IL prudent for
him to leave the country. But q conclusive
answer to this is to be found In the fact that
the impeachment proceedings had long
been dismissed; and that Mr.. Blount, in
stead of being under the ban Of the Gov
eminent or of public opinion, was more
than ever the idol of the people of Tennes-
see. The exsctions of the spanisrds upon
our commerce on the Mississippi, and
their constant intrigues with the Indian
tribes, made them the objects of universal
detsststion; and the sttempt by Mr..
Blount to subvert their dominion, was
warmly approved in the West, q es-
pecially in Tennessee. Consequently
when he returned from the Senate In 1877,
be was received in Tennessee with tri-
umphsl professions, and with an address Of
welcome, and was escorted into Knox
-sF1a -4NA a. nn.rk n-1NNa#snn . q hnNn
returning from distant conquestB. His
friend General James " bite, resigned his
seat in the State senate, to enable the peo-
pie to testify their gratitude and affection
for Mr.. Blount, by electing him to the
vacancy, which was Immediately done,
He took at ono his accustomed lead in
public affairs, and was confidently looked
TO as the mex Governor Of the STATE. when
in the spring of 1890 his career terminated
in death, and be was laid by his neigh
bors in the bosom of that State for whose
aggrsndizement be had done so much.
was interested, in 1858, in q lawsuit in
North Carolina, about some real estate,
in which 1t was necessary in dersigning
title through William BlOunG and his
wife, to prove the date of their marriage
and their respective deaths, and the names,
ages and msrrisges OF their children. In
August of that year I was at the house of
the venerable James Park, at Knoxville,
who had been the intimate and trusty
friend of the BlOunts. We conYersed at
considerable length about them, and he
told ms that he assisted in nursing Gov.
Blount in his last illness; that he helped
to lay his dead body into the coffin, and
then to conSign it to the grave. Although
I had long been connected with the
Blounts, 1 had only recently heard. for
the first time, the romantic story to which
your correspondent refers; and as those
members of the immediate family who
knew the facts accompanying the Gov
enor's death, were then dead, I was very
particular in making inquiries of Mr..
Park, and IN preserving the recollection
of his statements. 1 caused his deposit
ton to be taken, and sent to North Caro-
lima, where l suppose it is still preserved.
When I read your correspondents
letter on the day of its publication, 1
was much inclined to address you such 8
note as this, but on reflection l recOiled
from the notoriety which might result
from it. But I have unexpectedly been
furnished with a copy of the Knoxville
Press and Herald Of the 9th inst, In
which there is q reply to your correspond
ent by the Rev James Park, Of Knoxville, |
q gentleman OF high social position, /
q most worthy Presbyterian minister,
and the son of that James Park of whom
1 have spoken. Think 1t proper now TO
ask the publication of at least so much of
il as relsyes to Governor Blount, and to
preface it with this introduction. MIR.
Park says:
at is not questionable whether Gov
BloUnJ actually died and was buried
at Knoxville. The rumor you give was
circulated at the time. General Lucius
Polk, of Maury county, whose guest 1 was
for a few days in 1852, introduced this
one evening, and inquired about
the truth Of the matter. L promised to
1t from old citizens of Knox
vile on my return home. Ny father was
q personal and intimate friend OF BIount,
and be assured me that Blount died here
and was buried in the grave now covered
by the slab which bears his aameg that he
was with him when be died, assisted to
lay him out, and to put him in the coffin
and in the grave"
This statement by Mr.. PARK to his son,
so similar to what he repeated soon after
where the name OF James Park is known.
will add that this is written from no
wish TO appear in print, but because my
children inherit the blood of william
and because I owe It to them as
well as to The truth, to correct the error
before it grows into history for want Of
contradiction. VIM. b. STEPHENS.
We give place with pleasure to the
above communication from Col. Stephens.
Dur correspondent L J. D. was not at
tempting to furnish materials for history,
to vouch for the accuracy of traditional
be recited. Governor Blount was
great man in his day, aud would have
been in any age or country. He had been
4 member Of the Old Congress, of the Con
federation, end of the Convention which
ramed the Federal Constitution; was the
agent and friend Of Wsshingtcn:
the Governor of the Territory south {
west of the Ohio river, from 1899 to
-7s3, and was the first Senator in Congress
ected after Tennessee became q State
family filed a large space in g early {
of North Carolina and Tennessee. I
His brother Thomas was for many years
memOer of Congress from North Caro-
ina, when hat body sat in Philadelphia, {
md his brother, Willie, was for six years {
Of Tennessee. The fame of such {
men should bedesr to Tennesseesns, and {
narrative illustr8ve of their char 1
icter and recitative of their acts should {
'e preserved. That the story told by our I
correspondent was current in the hands I
# tradition Is confessed, and now the {
ruth OF history is evoked. Rev. Mr.. c
Park was offended, it seems, by an sllu t
ion to the condition Of the church-yard at I
knoxville, and by an appeal for the inter
-ention of some Pope of Presbyterianisnl.
lie appeared, and his bull Of xcomm
was almost as terrible as that of :
sn4Cu We Ibau III lElbbIam SQAUOFs lie a
ause of the neglected condition of the /
of former msgnstes of Ten ;
essee is explained; the existence /
( the tradition to which our b
.orrespondent referred is established t
It only remains for Mr.. Park to cor /
which he may rave done, the error
1to which he fell ia constituting cur cor
sspondsnt's statement referring to the
of Judge Hugh L. White
here was no charge of neglect intended =
} be made directly, or, implied, involv-
% misconduct on the part of the descend r
nts of Judge White. In this Mr.. Park Z
id injustice, and, beyond this, his criti- 2
Isms are not complained Of Letters =
Iritien for the press every day cannot be 0
ccurste in all details; there is no
me for that patient research which :
the name of the venerable DIR y
immortal, and that newspaper Il
ach ewes well his tasks who =
Kettles q degree of interest in important G
or other questions, which leads, a
In the case Of Governor Blount, to their =
nal solution. 7
SHELL OYSTEBSI SMELL OYSTERSI n