Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-17
THE TOMLINSONS.
The Father, the Sens and the DRugh,
ters-FamiIy Biography by One
Who Knows.

Louisville Courier Journal
HARRoDsBURG, KY, March lin
your issue Of yesterday was copied an
article, from the Chicago Tribune con,
ceroing the Belknap family-the item
headed, "HeW two of Mrs. Balknsp's
brothers were provided for" The wri.
ter evlnces total ign 0rance of the Tom
linsons, aud tells quite romantic story
about the way in which General Bel.
KNAPP made the acquaintance of his sec.
| ond wife, Mics Tomliusop, and his
present wife, Mr.. Bowers (nee Mics
TOmlinson), sister of the second wife.
| He says:
During Sherman's campaign in
| Georgia, tWoof Mrs. Belkuap's brothers,
who were both in the Confederate SER
vice, were captured, and, as prisoners Of
war, placed under charge of General
Bslkn8p ss provost marshal, The sie.
tars visited him to intercede for the pa
rolling of the brothers. It does not sp-
pear that they succeeded, but in 1870,
when one Of the young men was a clerk
at the Spencer hOu e, Cincinnati, and
the other wa] travelling for a wholesale
house, one of them received the appoint
ment of post-trsder at Fort MD Jwel :,
Arizona, said TO be at that time the
most profitable trading. post at the dis
posal OF the secretary of war, and as to
which one of the TOmlDson brothers
said they expected to make one hundred
and ten thousand dollars year out of it.
The appointment Of an eX-Confederate
to this position connected with the army
excited no little comment at Cincinnati
at the time, and there was talk OF some
job connected with it--especi8ny as
without it people were at a loss to ac-
count for the appointment, since one OF
the Tomlinson brothers who shared ia
the profits, besides being an ex-Confsd.
crate, wss reported to have killed three
men ct RarrOdsbuTg, Kentucky"
Tde above is batch Of errors from b.
ginning to end, and does Injustice to all
the parties mentioned. Having been an
intimate friend OF the TomlinsOns for
nearly thirty year,, and lived within q
stones throw Of their family r sidence, 1
can furnish some accurate details con-
corning them, not heretofore published,
to my knowledge.
DR.. John A TJmlinsOn, the father OF
the present Mrs Belknsp, was a native
OF Connecticut. He removed from that
State TO Kentucky when quite q young
man, and soon after solicited and won
the affections Of Miss Eliza Thong sop,
laHy u rare 6ACCll5ACe AuU tsgCOLl-
Ilishments, and descendant OF one OF
the first families Ct Virginia. DE- Tom.
linson represented his bounty Several
times in the legislature, and once, per-
hsps, in the Kentucky senate. AT the
commencement Of the war he was an
ardent Union man and violent CppO-
Dent Of secession. His family were di-
vided in political sentiment The Oldest
sou, Dr.. Willism NJ. Tomlinson, was,
and is yet, "a rebel to the core" and
while be hiss exerted himself to render
assistance to his unfortunate sister, Mrs.
Belknsp, his efforts we're prompted by a
brOtherly affection, and he should not
be clsssed as a sympathizer with the
party in power.
James HOmliDhOu, q twin brother Of
MIS-. Amanda Bslknsp, was a Union
soldier, and captain in the Federal army,
aud he was the travelling sgent of Mad
dox Brothers, OF Cincinnati, who was
appointed to the post-t-adership at Fort
Mcdowell, Arizona Territory, which was
a very inferior post, only one company
being stationed there, and place almost
inaccessible, and attended with such
danger that doubtless no one else would
have 1t. He wss not very grateful b
his BROTHER in.lsw fer the appointment,
and after holding the position about two