The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-26

II Is not difficult to believe that a
| man who can dig a mighty good local
| history story out of an abstract OF title
| to real estate could ind tongues in
trees. books in the running brooks. ser:
mons In stones and good In everything"
A friend OF mine dug up the story. only
a day or so since, and as l came upon
him, laughing at him for working when
he might be practicing law or writing
for a newspaper: he said. I've found
lot of recollections. Some of them
have local coloring. II you'll promise
not to tell anybody I'll let you have 1t
in condensed form" So promised.
and. therefore. here 1t is. just as he
told IT.: I'll
Court records furnish, a source Of
valuable information to the historian
and the student of the past. Sometimes,
with the additional Information that he
can gather. they weave themselves into
Reading an Abstract.
THE examination Of an abstract the
other day brought its suggestions
which. upon further pursuit. disclosed
a story Of the Chattanooga Of Civil war
and Peter Andrews, partners as John
Beattie g. Co.. filed original statement
bill No. II In the ,chancery court of
Hamilton county. Tennessee, against
William Snyder and James s. Snyder.
in which they alleged that William sny-
der. late a citizen Of Hamilton county,
Tennessee. was justly indebted to them
In certain sums. They further charged
that said William Snyder was not then
an inhabitant of the state Of Tennes-
see; that he had so absconded or con-
cealed himself that the ordinary process
could not be served upon him; that he
was rebel and never took advantage
OF the amnesty oath SO kindly rendered
by the president of the United States;
that he was believed to be within the
lines of the so -called Confederate states.
They further charged that said William
Snyder left the state of Kentucky about
the year 1861 and removed to Tennes-
see; that during his sojourn in Tennes-
see he accumulated a large amount of
valuable property; that he resided in
the town Of Chattanooga. and that his |
residence WIS Situated upon town lot No. |
AZ In that town, fronting 10 feet on |
Poplar street and running back along |
the south line of Sixth street to Pine /
street; a property formerly owned by |
Kennedy. then by ]. c. Warner, then |
by Morris Bradt, and conveyed by him |
on the oath of December. 1852, to said |
William Snyder. 1t may be said paren-
thetically here that this Is the property
now occupied as residence by c. c.
Nottingham.
Bill In Chancery.
The bill also enumerates other prop /
erty belonging to William Snyder and
James S. Snyder, who was his son, and
among it is the Bell mill and. distil-
lery' and the lot upon which stood the |
brick rectifying house.
William Snyder was figure of con-
sequence in Chattanooga in the early
sixties. Born. and reared in the little
village of Petersburg. on the banks of
the Ohio river. In the state of Kentucky,
he became that towns most prominent
citizen. In these days the business OF
was almost invariably coupled
with that of grinding -four and meal
William Snyder owned what was for
that day a large flour mill and distil-
lery situated in this village of Peters,
burg. He was a large owner OF slaves
and other property. man of much
prominence and consequence in his
section. Back In the forties there ap-
peared in this village or district the
typical Yankee Of those days; a man of
adventurous and rowing disposition who
travelled over the country mending
clocks and teaching school.
Descendant Of John Alden.
This particular rover was Phineas
Alden, direct descendant OF the John
Alden of Plymouth Colony, who did the
wooing of Gov. Miles Standish so I'M
successfully for Miles but so entirely
he. itinerant New Highlander. wooed
and won the daughter of William Sny-
Ter. the capitalist and slave owner.
When the Civil war began Mr. Snyder
considered his situation. He was q
'outherner and a slave owner, living
lust across the river from a northern
state. He decided that Kentucky would
)e almost Immediately invaded by al
Union army, and that his property
would probably be seized that 1t would
be better for him to dispose of
lis business and find a new home in
he heart of the new Confederacy
where he would not be disturbed by the
var Accordingly. he sold his Kentucky
holdings and removed with his slaves to
where he bought the Bell
Mill and distillery, standing at that time
It the foot of a ravine between Cam
ron hill and Reservoir hill, about
where the Loomis & Hart sawmill
lands today OF course, the event
roved that instead of running away
rom the ravages of war he ran into
hem. When Gen. Wilder's light bat
cry unlimbered on Stringer's ridge 1t
egan to shell the fort which then stood
n Reservoir hill, and generous per-
entage of its shots fell far enough
hor. to hit the distilery and mill at
he base of the hill. BY the time the
ombardment of Chattanooga was over
he distillery and mill were not very
aluable. When the first federal troops
treamed into the city after its evacua-
lon by the Confederates, they brought !
he customary hunger Of the soldier
nth them.
Invade Private Home.
"a squad of them lost no time In in | {
aiding the kitchen of the Snyder home. 6
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