Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-07
lONEsBOROuGH AND irs OLD
PEOPLE.
A Talk With One who e Len
Alene-CoioRel Robert I,
chester.


chester.
Nashville American.
To one class Of our readers the IN.
cldsnts Of old times and old things,
related by eye witnesses, are read with
aVidity.
The writer having been born and
partly raised IN Washington county,
near Jonesborougb, in the immediate
neighbothood Con Chuckey river)
where Nola Chuckey Jack Governor
John Sevier) raised the volunteer
command which marched to Kings
Mountain and turned the tide, in the
darkest days Of the revolution, and
having vivid recollection himself Of
seeing many Of these old soldiers. as
they tottered along down the declivity.
more than fifty years ago, and more
than fifty years after that brilliant
achievement over the British Geleral,
Ferguson, and looking back through a
misty haze of hearssy and memory, a
most delightful chat with the only
living man who could give him facts
about old time people and old time
events in that land Of great events and
great men has been his good fortune
for the last few days.
Colonel Robert |. Chester settled at
Jonesborough in 1896, his father
moving there from Pennsylvania,
when he was three years old, and
though now ninety years old, he is no
only we'll preserved in body and in
tellect, but his mind is as sprightly and
quick and his memory as fresh as
when in 1914 he was made quarter
master of Colonel Bayless' regiment
aud moved under the old chief against
the Creek Indians.
One of these chats with Col. Ches
ter ran along about in this way. The
writer said TO him:
Colonel, | do not care to ask you
specially about matters of history
things that have goneinto the books
about the early settlements OF Nola.
Chucky aud Wataga. Jonesboro, il
is known, was settled before the reVo.
luton. and is by many years the old
est town in the State. The State Of
Franklin, sometimes spelled Frank
and; the contest with North Caro-
lima; the arrest of Sewer, his trial for
treason, his rescue by friends while
the trial was progressing, his long and
bitter warfare with the Tiptons. his
tight with jackson when he was Gov
ernor, and jackson on the supreme
specially the volunteer army
from Chucky and Wataga, which
turned the tide of the revolution, as
Washington and jackson both ac-
knowledged in the most emphatic
way. These are matters of history,
aud mark the town and surrounding
country, and, Of cOmse, the men oil
those times and their families with an
interest which attaches to no other
part of the State. So you see, Colonel,
it is not the notable, but the forgot
ten, incidents of that notable country
and people Il at | would like to talk
about.
Said the writer: | have a boy 5
recollection of many families whose
names have become quite familiar
that | would like to ask you about.
For Instance, David Deaderick was
a familiar name; was he the father
Of our present Chief Justice?
Yes; he was among the first mer-
chants that settled in Jonesborouph,
coming from Winchester, Va. He
had two brothers, who came to Nash.
vile, Geo. NJ. Deaderick and Thomas.
George N. was president of the FIRST
bank in Nashville, and Deaderick
street was named for him. Thomas
was a merchant, and aitergard moved
to Franklin Said the old Colonel,
with q wink, will tell you something
Of theDeaderick family. 1t makes me
look little old, but as | am not q
widower | will tell it. | called the
other day to see the Chief Justice
and talked to him about old times
complimenting him on what | had
read about his golden wedding last
November, and asked il it was true
that at the golden wedding he had
sung the same song which he sang fol
his wife at the happy marriage. Yes
ne said. and his wife played on the
piano ss s#eetiy as she had done fits
years before.
To this golden wedding, said the
Colonel, | was invited bat could not
60. which regretted, because fifty
years before | could not attend, and |
thought the family might think | was
indifferent; but, said he, there was one
event in the family that | did attend
without being invited.
When a young man | was clerk in
the store for old Davy Deaderick, aud
on one occasion there was quite a
commotion in the Deaderiek family,
and boarding in the family OF my EN-
ployer, as all clerks did in those days,
and having no previous notice of what
was going to take place, like an
awkward boy, | got right smartly
mixed up in the family affair. Ii
worried me a good deal for time, and
for long time | did not know Just
what had been done; but it has now
transpired that on that night. 10 1872
this family connection proved to be a
surprise. The Deaderick family was
larger-by ole-and the result was a
Chief ustice for Tennessee.
Colonel, what can you tell me about
an eminent lawyer at Jonesboro, in
old times, by the name OF Kennedy?
Why, he was my uncle, Judge John
Kennedy. He came from Maryland
and settled there about the time my
father died. lie was a great lawyer
and was often sent to the Legislature
when it sat at Knoxville. At one
time the boys got excited over his
election, and carrying him about on
their shoulders, and fighting it out
who should carry him, they tore all biz
clothes off and carried him into tn,
house naked. He had a beautiful
daughter, Sarah, educated at Phila
delphia, who afterwards married 10
seph Howard. She was the mother o
Colonel John Howard, killed at Per
ryville.
Colonel, tell me what you remember
about a fight between Judge Kenned,
! and John A. Mckinney, the prea
, Irish lawyer Of East TENNESSEE
Why, said he, nobody knows to tbi