The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-10
THE SCHOOL FUND
WAS CARED FOR ny JESSE =.
BROWN OF SHELBY,
And Was by Him Restored 60 Gov.
BrOwnIow az NRshviIIe-A State
ment by = Friend.

A correspondent, "O," writing oil
the school fund 10 the Gibson County
Herald, says: Your correspondent
and he OF the American are, IL seems
TO me, giving us some chestnuts. The
former says Senator Harris carried the
school fund, some 5000, 900 in gold,
with him when he went to Mexico at
the close Of the war. Your correspon-
dent surely never heard Gov. Harris
tell about his exodus ID the land Of
the Greasers, or he would not think IL
even possible for him 20 do il. He did
not go by railroad. Nor is it my in
formation that Granvill q. Torbett-
peace to his ashes, q good and faithful
servant q the State-returned the
fund.
will tell you what l happen to
know about 1t; Quite number OF our
cit ,ns will tell you that one Jesse +.
Brown was cashier CT the branch Bank
OF Tennessee here in Trenton, and
when the Confederate army evacuated
West Tennessee Mr.. Brown was or.
dered to move south with his bank,
which he did, and continued in charge
of the same, moving from place to
place ~ a question OF safety arose. i
met Mr.. Brown frequently during the
war and for the last time at Augusta,
Ga, on the Goth and 9Th of April,
1886. He told me then that he was
staying at Athens, a lite town up in
the interior Of Georgia, and had there
all the funds OF the mother bank and
branches, with guard OF six or eight
disabled soldiers, There were with
him in Augusta three or four officers
Of the various branch banks, but my
understanding from Mr.. Brown was
that he was the only one specially
In charge, under direction OF Col.
Fisher, cashier OF the mother bank,
and TO whom all the other officers were
under subsection. Mr.. Brown told me,
the first time | met him, q year or two
after the war, that he firtt took the
bank to Augusta and reported TO the
Federal general commanding there,
who ordered him to take the funds TO
Nashville and report TO Gov. Brown
low, the autocrat Of Tennessee at that
time, which Mr.. Brown did. And my
recollection is that Mr.. Brown said
the money was counted In his pres.
ence aud was all there-the gold aud
silver-except what had been taken
out TO pay some State officers their
salaries, the receipts being there as his
vouchers.
do no! wish to detract any honors
from Senator Harris or Col. Torbett,
but do insist tina. the honor 90 where
it Justly belongs. And | think Mr..
Brown deserves much more from the
people OF the State THAI he has ever
received, taking such risk as he did,
staying there in that little town. in
the hills Of Georgia with all that gold,
and 1t known to 80 many. Not a man
in the army was in more danger OF
losing his life than Mr.. Brown. While
many others were leaving the country,
and thousands more would have left
il II they had had the means, he stood
at his post, faithful 10 his trust, to the
last, his very guard disabled men, far
from their homes, with rothing but
Confederate scrip in the way OF money
being soldiers, they were paid ~
other soldiers. In my opinion, no
officer OF the State, civil or military,
deserves more credit and honor than
Mr.. Brown. He told me that he ex-
peCted Gov. Brownie v would imprison
him when he got to Nashville, but he
didn't
Although twenty years have passed
since these things happened, and
memory is OF course somewha.
dimmed, the above ditjointed state
ment is in the main correct, to the
beat Of my recollection. If Me Brown
is living and / knew his address
would ask him to write out the whole
matter, but do not know where he