Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-12-15
THE SACRED SCHOOL FUND.
Who Saved it and Who Left it At
It's Peril.

to a correspondent making inquiry as
to the care Of the Tennessee school
fund during the war, and its return
to the state after that unpleasantness,
gives the following history of the
matter, which will be found most in
teresting reading at this particular
time. The Banner says:
The impression has been made that
Gov. Harris deserved the credit for
the return Of this money, but the
statement given below, part of which
is taken from the published records,
and part of which has not been hither-
to published, but which is vouched
for by good authority, shows that the
school fund might have gone early
to the demnition bow-wows if its de-
livery had depended on Gov. Harris
attention when it was most endan-
gCred.
1t is a historical fact that in 1862,
when Fort Donelson was captured,
the state government at Nashville
was much demoralized, and left the
city in haste. The proof taken in the
case of Keith VS.. Clarke ABOUT the
"TOrbett issue" show the express
company, under the orders of Presi-
dent Torbett and Cashier Fisher,
transported the assets of the Bank of
Tennessee to Chattanooga.
The bank remained at Chattanooga
in charge of its officers until the sum-
mer of 1868, and until Rosecrans'
army was marching upon that place,
at which time the bank was removed
by its officers to Griffin, Ga, a town
south Of Atlanta on the railroad to
Macon. The bank remained at Crit
fin seven months and until Sherman's
army began to march upon Atlanta
in 1864. The bank was then removed
by its officers by railroad to Augusta,
Ga, Tor safety.
When Sherman left Atlanta and
commenced his "march to the sea"
he left Augusta to his left. After
capturing Savannah he began his
march upon Augusta and Columbia,
S. G. To prevent capture by Sher.
man the assets of the bank were
transported by wagons across the
country, back to Griffin, and deposit.
ed in the bar-rOom of a vacant hotel
near which the wagons, six or seven
in number, were stationed.
1t appears from the war records al
Washington that the federal cavalry
of Gen. Wilson captured Griffin about
the last of April, 1865. a citizen O
Tennessee not in the army was ther
staying at Griffin and was by contrac
cooperating with citizens of the vi
entity to prevent the capture of per
sons and property, and for this pur
pose scout was employed with 9th
ers to report to the Tennessean TIT
approach of danger, who was then t
warn and assemble the others.
About midnight before the day
Wilson's cavalry reached Griffin thi
scout reported that the federals would
reach Griffin between breakfast anC
dinner next day. Instructions wer,
given the parties in concert to assem-
BILE at the quarters of the Tennesseal
mention, at daybreak, after whicl
that gentleman went to the bank
about one hundred yards distant, ant
found wagoners and all sleeping. IL
gave the alarm and advised those il
charge of the bank to load the wagon
and get away as soon as possible.
About daybreak the Tennessee gen
tleman and his Georgia friends, wei
mounted, passed the bank wagon
moving out of Griffin in the direction
of Greensboro, Ga, and was after
wards informed that the wagons wen
about twelve miles that day am
camped some miles from the road i
the woods. Wilson's cavalry occu
pied Griffin from 10 o'clock a. m.
5 O'Clock p. m.-burning the railroa
depot and some other buildings-an
then continued their march to Maco
A few days afterwards this Tennes
! sean went by way of Atlanta
Greensboro, and found the bank thel
and Torbett and Fisher with it. Th
funds were deposited in store-hous
near the railroad. The night aftC
his arrival, while at the bank, til
Texas paroled soldiers and demOra
lied citizens broke into Gov. Brown
quartGrmaster stores. This create
much noise and confusion. Torbe
and Fisher feared an attack upon til
bank, and produced several army pi
tolls and handed one to each of tt