The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-09-26

was Hon. Absalom Tatom, who was
an officer in the Revolutionary War
and was elected 10 the State Legisla-
ture while in the field. He is buried
in the old cemetery at Raleigh. Over
twenty years ago / visited his grave
and found very old monument
erected to his memory by the Legis-
lature of North Carolina, of which
body he was member eighteen con-
secutive years. Later he was a men,
Dor of Congress from the Hillsboro
District, OF which town he wars a resi-
dent. Then, there were several other
graves in the plot, which was enclosed
by stone fence. One Of these graves
l knew to be that of his sister, born
Rebecca Tatom, the widow of gallant
Capt. Christopher Goodin, who was
killed at the battle of Eutaw Springs.
Last March visited the old cemetery
with Miss Eliza Pool, a grand niece
of Hon. Absalom and Major Howell
Tatom, and we were amazed and
chagrined to find that the old granite
monument with the complimentary
inscription had been replaced with a
new one without said inscription. All
trace of the grave Of Mrs. Christopher
Goodin had been entirely obliterated.
The old stone wall was gone. Capt.
and Mrs. Goodin left children. One
daughter, l know, married Col. Ben
son Jones, Of Virginia. an uncle of
the late Bishop Thomas Atkinson, of
North Carolina. Other descendants
l believe live in Petersburg, Va. Maj.
Howell Tatom was the second son. A
third son, Capt. James Tatom, also
made distinguished record in the
Revolutionary War and went South
or West after it closed. The eldest
daughter Of Howell Tatom ap Tatom
married Jasper Hicks, ESQ, Of Gran
vile county, N. c., the son of Capt.
William Hicks, who distinguished
himself in the battle of Guilford
Court House.
The official papers of the North
Carolina Society of the Cincinnati
are somewhere among the private
papers of the heirs of. Major Howell
Tatom. l learn that Col. Flourney,
of Tennessee, is a grandson or near
kinsman. and is interested in pre-
serving his name from oblivion.
In the court records at Oxford, NC, i,
are facts about the family which the
North Carolina relatives ought to Sc
cure and preserve. They have made
no fuss about it, but the desecration
of the graves in the old Raleigh ceme-
terry suggested to me that the State
and their descendants ought at least
to see to it that the plot in which
several of them are buried is kept in
tact. No family in the State made a
prouder record in the Revolutionary
War, either as officers OR statesmen.
l am glad to hear that Maj. William
c. Tatom, an officer of the Spanish
war, and now editor of the Nashville
Tenn american, is collecting data
for a biographical sketch Of Major
Howell Tatom. He went to Tennes-
see because the Continental Congress
voted him ..for distinguished gallan-
try" thousands of acres of land in
that State in the midst Of which grant
the city of Nashville stands. The
career of Hon. Absalom Tatom is
equally honorable and interesting.
He was an original abolitionist. He
owned a number of slaves whom he
treated with great kindness. When
he died he left his property to be
divided equally among them. l be-
lieye his will i. on file in Hillsboro,
North Carolina.
shall cooperate with Major W. C.
Tatom in doing tardy justice to these
distinguished sons OF North Carolina
whose names are forgotten and whose
very graves are almost lost. Any
facts about them, any authentic data,
especially from the older people
around Oxford, Hillsboro or Raleigh,
will be gratefully received by Major
W. C. Tatom, Nashville, Tennessee,
or by
CHARLES EDWARD LLOYD