Oliver Burleson

**Isaac Oliver C. Burleson** (November 28, 1844 – February 20, 1898) served as a private in Company B, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry.

## Personal life

Oliver Burleson was born November 28, 1844 in Mitchell County, Tennessee to Malcolm and Bridget (Stanley) Burleson. He married Phebe Catherine Tucker (1846-1929) with whom he had at least five children. Burleson had one son out of wedlock with Mary Jane Stanley (1856-1900).

## Civil War service

Burleson first enlisted as a private in Company I, 29th North Carolina Infantry on January 4, 1862 in Mitchell County, North Carolina. He was discharged on October 15, 1862.

Changing his allegiance, Burleson enlisted as a private in Company B, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry on September 23, 1863 in Knoxville, Tennessee for a period of three years and mustered in October 28, 1863 at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. His brother, Greenberry, also served in Company B.

He is described as 20 years old, 5' 8" tall, fair complexion, black eyes, black hair, and by occupation a farmer.

He is listed as present for duty until September 22, 1864 when he was reported as a deserter from camp at Strawberry Plains. This is contradictory to an affidavit Burleson provided in 1866 in which he stated that he was wounded in action on December 20 or 21 at Saltville, Virginia. Attorney, William Wallace Rollins of Ashville, North Carolina, provided an affidavit dated September 14, 1867 to Major General William D. Whipple, assistant adjutant general of Department of the Cumberland, that he had seen Burleson near Salisbury, North Carolina about April 1, 1865, later spoke with other men from the regiment who stated that Burleson was with Stoneman's Raid, December 10-29, 1864, and that the charge of desertion from September 1864 had to be an error. This was apparently accepted as no other mention of deserting in September 1864 has been located.

When the regiment mustered out on September 5, 1865 at Knoxville, it was noted that he had last been paid to January 20, 1864 and had received a $25 bounty. Because he was absent at the time, he was dishonorably discharged. Burleson made an appeal for restoration of duty and a discharge, which took over two years to acquire.

R. Hart, a Mitchell County, North Carolina doctor, provided certifications on February 4, 1866 and July 16, 1867 that Burleson had became sick with chronic diarrhea about May 10, 1865, that he had attended him, and rendered him unfit for duty.

On August 6, 1866, Burleson wrote to the assistant adjutant general of the Department of the Cumberland requesting to be restored to duty or called before a court martial to answer the charge of desertion. He stated that he was left at Hendersonville, North Carolina on guard duty on April 25, 1865, cut off from his company, and “owing to the squads of rebel scouts in the county” and “the country full of Rebel Bushwhackers” it was impossible for him to return to the regiment. He asserted that when the regiment left the area, he was not notified that the regiment was moving. Burleson stated that he made his way to Yancey County, North Carolina to join a detachment from the regiment but was unable to do so due to chronic diarrhea.

Burleson's attorney in Asheville, North Carolina wrote to Major General William D. Whipple, assistant adjutant general of the Department of the Cumberland, on August 16, 1866 requesting that Burleson be restored to duty without any loss of his pay or allowances; he specifically requested that pay and other allowances were necessary because Burleson's family was “poor and provisions scarce”. He also stated that Burleson's captain was unaware of the cause of his absence and erroneously reported him as a deserter.

Captain Isaac Taylor of Company B provided an affidavit on September 1, 1866 that he was unaware of how Burleson became absent from the company, that he became ill, and was thus unable to rejoin the regiment; he fully recommended that Burleson be restored to duty and the charge of desertion be removed from his record.

Sergeants Christopher Garland and Joseph Garland provided an affidavit on July 13, 1867 that Burleson was given guard duty at Hendersonville on April 25, 1865 and never ordered to quit his post. They called him a “good & valient [sic] soldier” .

Burleson's charge of desertion was removed on September 23, 1867 by Special Order No. 139, Department of the Cumberland and he was finally furnished with a discharge.

## Post-war life

Burleson was one of the first town marshals of Johnson City and was chief of the Johnson City Police Department from 1884 to 1890. He had a reputation for remaining calm in difficult situations and in one such incident in 1885, the local newspaper noted: “But for the coolness and courage of officer Burleson some one or more of them [drunks] would have been shot. He deserves great credit for arresting the parties without resorting to unnecessary violence.”

After a short career in civic office, Burleson became a produce dealer in Johnson City. It was there that he was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, S. K. N. Patton Post No. 26. Burleson was also a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Lodge 486.

In 1882, Burleson sued his wife for divorce. The outcome of the case has not been found, although her pension application at the time of his death appears to indicate that the divorce was not finalized.

Burleson applied for an invalid's pension on July 11, 1873. He died February 20, 1898 in Unicoi County, Tennessee due to accidental injuries and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee. His wife applied for a widow's pension on May 20, 1898.

According to his obituary: “Mr. Burleston left the city [Johnson City] last Friday morning to accompany his mother to her home near Bakersville, N.C., and on his return Sunday morning, as he was crossing the Iron mountain, the horses which were attached to his carriage became frightened, and ran down the mountain throwing him out, inflicting such injuries that death came within a few hours.”

## Notes

1. ↑ 1870 U.S. Census, Bakersville Township, Mitchell County, North Carolina; 1880 U.S. Census, 2nd Civil District, Carter County, Tennessee.
2. ↑ *The Comet* (Johnson City), July 9, 1885, p. 3, c. 4.
3. ↑ Named for Colonel Samuel Kelsey Nelson Patton (1816-1886), 8th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry
4. ↑ *Knoxville Daily Tribune*, May 21, 1882, p. 2, c. 7.
5. ↑ *The Comet* (Johnson City), February 24, 1898, p. 3. c. 2.