The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-24
.FoReorrEs CAROLINA HERO
Tardy Justice TO the Memory of q Dis
ttn0ufshed Mana Gallant Soldier OF
the Revolution Practically Forgotten
Facts OF Interest To the North Caro-
lima society of The Cincinnati.
6snecial Correspondence.)

Buffalo, September 1s-
Sometime ago I received a letter from
Major Grahan Dawes, asking for intor-
nation about Major Howell Tatom. the
last secretary OF the Society OF the Cin-
cinnati in North Carolina Many OF
the facts at my command were tradi-
tons I had received from my mother.
A few days ago ! received the
from Major w. c. Tatom. who did gal
liant service in the Cuban war n is
now editor OF The American, OF Nash
VILE. Tennessee. aajor Tatom writes
me:
Briefly. his is an account OF the or
fetal career OF your great uncle. Major
Howell Tatom. Many OF the facts are
secured from the Alabama Historical
Society, Vol. II. You can verify it in
the congressional library at Washing
ton. Major Howell Tatom was proba-
bly, born in North Carolina. Particu-
lars of his early life were
The following is a Of his rev
dictionary war service in that state:
Ensign, September /, 1916; second Lieu
tenant, January 4, 1875; Lieutenant,
March %. 1776; captain, April 8, 111I;
a GU IL - VA LAG -
1850; exchanged June IA, ISL He was
breveted major. Elected secretary
North Carolina Society OF the Cincin-
natl 1871, and is supposed to have held
that office when he removed to Ten
nesse about 1870! known to have held
the following offices in Tennessee:
Treasurer Western district middle
TENNESSEE 1916; attorney general Of
same; supreme court judge May II, 1877
to September q, 1898, and afterwards
(about 1S0O one Of the commissioners
to adjust claims between Tennessee and
North Carolina. Gardeners Dictionary,
Army United States QS50) gives his
record in war of 1872: Principal topoS,
engineer (Major) Of Tennessee volun-
teers. under Genera Jackson. from Sep
TENDER 1913 to May 1914: and again In
the defense of New Orleans, and distiu-
guiShed himself in battle of Sth OF jan
uary 1873 Little is known of his fam
lily. He died in 1923, as appears from a
statement in Tennessee reports. An ef-
fort is being made to collect matericl
for a full biographical sketch. He
helped to form the Watauga constitu-
ton before Tennessee was a state. He
then lived in what is now east Tennes>
see. Have more information concern
ing him but not here, as my library Is
stiu in Knoxville"
The following facts are matters Of
record: Major Howell Tatom was the
son of Howell Tatum ap Tatom, Esq,
who owned a large plantation near Ok
ford. Granville county North Carolina.
He was a Welsh royalist who came over
with the followers Of the earl of Gran
vile. His oldest son was Hon.. Absalom
Tatom, Who was an officer in the Rev
dictionary war n was elected to the
state legislature while in the field. He
is buried in the old cemetery at Ra-
leigh. Over twenty years ago I visited
his grave and found a very old monu-
ment erected to his memoir by the leg
islature Of North Carolina of which
body he was a member for eighteen
consecutive years. Later he was a
member of congress from the Hillsboro
district. of which town HI was a resl-
dent. Then. there were several other
graves in the plot, which was enclosed
by a stone fence. One of these graves
L knew to be that of his sister. born
Rebecca Tatom, the widow of gallant
Captain Christopher Goodin, who was
killed at the battle of Eutaw Springs.
Last March 1 visited the old cemetery
with Miss Eliza Pool, a grand niece OF
Hon. Absolom and Major Howell Ia
tom, and We were amazed and chagrin-
ed to find that the old granite monu-
ment with the complimentary inscrip-
ton had been replaced with a new
m without any inscription. All
a. VI IlS SldNe u ITS
Christopher Goodin a been entirely
obliterated. The old stone wall was
gone. Captain and Mrs. Goodin left
children. One daughter, know. mar
r1ed Colonel enson Jones, Of Virginia.
an uncle Of the late Bishop Thomas
Atkinson Of North Carolina. Other
descendants I believe live in Peters
burg, Va. Major Howell Tatom was
the second son. A third son, Captain
James Tatom, also made a distinguish
ed record in the Revolutionary war and
went south or west after it closed. The
eldest daughter of Howell Tatom an
Tatom married Jasper Hicks, Esq, of
captain William Hicks, who distin-
guished himself in the battle of Gull
ford courthouse.
The official papers Of the North Caro-
lima Society of the Cincinnati are some
where among the private papers of the
heirs OF Major Howell Tatom. I learn
that Colonel Tourney, OF Tennessee ia
d randson or near kinsman and is In
oblivion.
In the court records at Oxford are
Facts about the family which the North
carolina relatives oughet to secure and
preserve. They have made no fuss
aooul IT, put the dissertation of the
caves In the old Raleigh cemetery s1g-
gested to me hat the state and their
ought at least to see to II
mat the plot in which several Of them
were buried is kept intact. No family
IN the state made a prouder record in
the revolutionary war either as officers
or statesmen.
am GLAD to hear thai Major William
!. ration, an officer of the Spanish war
and now editor Of III Nashville Amer
lean. is collecting data for a biograph-
zeal sketch Of Major Howell Tatom.
he went to Tennessee because the
continental congress voted him FOR
distinguished gallantry" thousands OF
acres Of and in that state I'm the mid~t
or which grant the city of
stands.
The career Of the Hon. AbsaIom Ia