Research and Report for the African American

Community at Glen Leven

Written and compiled by Brad Miller, intern, summer 2014

Introduction

The research and study of African American history, like any marginalized group of
people, is extremely challenging given the lack of primary source material. This challenge is
underscored by the institution of enslavement in the United States prior to the Civil War.
Human beings were considered a form of property and all means of education for enslaved
individuals were repressed, leaving only a select few the opportunity to record their
experiences. The sources from this era are mostly confined to census data, slaveholder papers,
oral histories, and archaeological investigations. Bias is inherent in all forms of evidence, but
the reliable presence of census data demeans enslaved individuals to a matter of statistics and
the slaveholders perspective is driven by an economic means of control. Following
emancipation, documentation naturally increased, but historians still face similar challenges
with the underrepresentation of African American perspectives.
The staff at Glen Leven Farm are fortunate because the Thompsons kept a detailed birth
and death record of all enslaved individuals on the property. Given the affluent and educated
status of John Thompson, in comparison to his fellow Tennesseans, he also logged his business
transactions, corresponded with family and friends, and utilized his enslaved labor for business
ventures in town. The documentation of the enslaved experience was thus increased and more
readily studied. After the Civil War, some formerly enslaved individuals remained at Glen Leven
as farm laborers, while others moved into Nashville or emigrated to a new part of the country.
African Americans continued to work at Glen Leven well into the 1980s as farm hands, laborers,
domestic workers, and caretakers.
Research Questions

There were several research questions that facilitated the project, but they certainly did
not limit the search as any and all information regarding the enslaved population or the
emancipated African Americans at Glen Leven was welcome. Historical knowledge regarding
enslaved individuals on a personal level at Glen Leven, or anywhere, is minimal. With that in
mind, the questions became examinations of the Thompson family documents. How were the
enslaved individuals treated? How was their labor utilized? John Thompson contracted his
enslaved workers into Nashville, including his own blacksmith shop on the Franklin Pike. Were
there families? Did John Thompson continue to purchase enslaved individuals or did he
eventually rely upon the birth of children into enslavement?
Questions for the African Americans emancipated from enslavement at Glen Leven can
be more in-depth. Following the Civil War, African Americans began to appear in the written
record, no longer objects of property but not quite citizens. They were able to live more freely
as independent individuals, assembling societal groups and practicing their own culture
independent of white society. Historical inquiries into this period revolve around the next
step. Where did the emancipated individuals go? What were their occupations? Why did they
stay in Nashville? Why did they stay at Glen Leven? How did they remember Glen Leven? Did
they attend church/school? More focused questions revolved around individuals who turned up
multiple times in a variety of sources (Simon Thompson, Leah and Jack Sanger/Sawyer, Martha
Thompson). The histories of these individuals and families can grow to more comprehensive
biographies because they left a larger mark in the written sources of Nashville.

Research Process

Extensive research has been conducted on the history of the Glen Leven property and
the Thompson family.
1
While some research has been conducted and synthesized for the
enslaved population and the post-Emancipation, African Americans on the property, there are
many more resources left untapped or in need of a different approach.
2

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is conveniently close and provides a
comprehensive resource for primary document research on African Americans from
enslavement through the present. TSLA also provides an extensive digital capability with access
to Ancestry.com and keyword searches within historic Nashville newspapers. The greatest
advantage with Ancestry.com is its full digital access to census data and ability to cross-
reference names across different times and places.
Local historian Paul Clements provided the staff at Glen Leven Farm with a list of
possible resources located at TSLA for the purposes of researching the African American
Community. These resources and a description of their success are listed below.

Freedmans Marriage Records, 1865-1867- M1875 and M1911 of the Freedmens
Bureau Records would hopefully contain marriage records of individuals who were formerly
enslaved at Glen Leven. Marriage was one of the few legal rights that African Americans could


1
MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, Glen Leven: Historic Structure Report and Archaeological
Reconnaissance Survey (Nashville: The Land Trust for Tennessee, 2011).


2
Katie S. Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, Land Trust for
Tennessee server.
practice following the Civil War. Marriage was never recognized under enslavement and was an
importantly rite of passage following emancipation. This resource has not been used.

M1875-Marriage Records of the Office of the Commissioner, Washington Headquarters of the
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (1861-1869), marriage reports ordered
alphabetically by state and then by surname of bridegroom, rolls 3-5 contain freedmen
marriage records for Tennessee.

M1911-Records of the Field Offices for the State of Tennessee, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen,
and Abandoned Lands (1865-1872), Rolls 13-89 contain records for subordinate field offices,
covering labor contracts, bounty claims, registers of complaints, registers of claims, registers of
unfortunates, monthly reports of orphans, registers of marriages, registers of freedmen.

Freedmans Savings & Trust Company, Index to Deposit Ledgers, 1865-1874 (mf.1379)-
This is an index to bank deposit ledgers of the Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company branches
located throughout the South and in some Northern states. Of particular interest are the
records of the Nashville banks. The index is arranged alphabetically and includes the depositors'
names and account numbers. This resource has not been used.

Freedmans Savings & Trust Register, Signatures of Depositors, Nashville and Memphis,
Tennessee, Norfolk, Richmond, Virginia (mf.1380)- The register recorded Nashville depositors'
signatures, often giving place of birth, age, occupation, and names of children and parents.
Microfilm rolls 23 and 24 are located at TSLA, with roll 24 containing the bank information for
Nashville. All Thompsons were scanned on roll 24, up until depositor No. 5831, and saved on
the server at GlenLeven>History>AfricanAmericanHistory>FreedmansBankRecords_TSLA.
Further research required.

Freedmens Bureau Records (field offices and schools)-These records serve a dual
purpose. They provide the capability of researching individual freedmen and gaining a general
sense of Reconstruction in Nashville. The records would be filed chronologically within each
field office and would require tedious reading to discover any individuals relevant to Glen
Leven. This resource has not been used.

Selected Records of the Tennessee Field Office of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and
Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872. Mf. 32
These records consist of correspondence, reports, orders, complaints, leases for abandoned
lands, and labor contracts. The correspondence, which is primarily between Bureau field agents
in different counties in Middle and West Tennessee, often concerns the problems confronting
the freedmen in these parts of the state.

Records of the Superintendent of Education for the State of Tennessee, Bureau of Refugees,
Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1870. Mf. 1038
Consists primarily of endorsements and correspondence with various aid societies, teachers,
and district superintendents. Many of the letters concern routine matters such as salaries and
school maintenance, but some were written by teachers asking for more protection or by
freedmen asking for help in establishing new schools.

African American newspapers- Colored Tennessean is microfilmed at TSLA but contains
a very limited number of issues. The issues were briefly scanned over and no mentions of the
name Thompson were present, but this should be further looked at for other known
connections.

African American Churches in Nashville (First Baptist Church, Old Trinity, etc.)-
Churches were one of the first social institutions in the African American community following
the Civil War and were a cornerstone of their culture. Records for these churches are usually
not found in archives and reside with the institution or as oral histories. These churches may
hold resources invaluable to the lives of the formerly enslaved living in Nashville through the
decades. This resource has not been used.

1891 Enumeration Voter List- The collection covered all males 21 years and older, those
of legal voting status. Only the name, age, and race of the individual was collected for Davidson
County, which were conducted by district/ward. Given a name, a researcher would only be able
to affirm the presence of an adult male in the County and his district of residence. The list
serves as the only replacement for the 1890 Census that was lost to a fire.

Southern Claims Commission- Neither Thompsons nor any affiliated names were found
in the index for the Southern Claims Commission, which was organized to reimburse citizens
who lost property as a result of the Union Army.

Slave Narratives (WPA)- The Library of Congresss WPA Slave Narrative collection is fully
digitized and does not contain any narratives from formerly enslaved individuals that were
conducted in Tennessee that related to Glen Leven. There is a possibility that a formerly
enslaved individual was interviewed in a different state, but there is a low possibility of this
occurrence.

Negro Confederate Pension Application-Given the known mustering of enslaved
individuals into the Union Army as USCT and John Thompsons forced cooperation with federal
forces, it seems unlikely that any of the enslaved individuals would have enlisted or been forced
into the Confederate Army.

Records of USCT Regiment Muster Papers (LOC)- The muster papers for Henry, Paul, and
Simon Thompson have already been discovered, connecting them with service in the USCT,
laboring in the construction for Fort Negley, and enslaved at Glen Leven. Further research is
required to cross reference names and birth dates on muster rolls and the Thompson slave list.
Further Research Required.

Bobby Lovett Articles (African American History/USCT)-

The African American History of Nashville, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas. Fayetteville, AK:
University of Arkansas Press, 1999.

City Directories- Booklets document the inhabitants and businesses in the Nashville
area. The relevant directories begin in 1865 and help locate individuals by name, which can lead
to possible employment, status of residency, and location of housing. The names of known
affiliates of Glen Leven were manually searched for within the texts resulting in successful
discoveries of multiple African American Thompsons. The directories also detail the extent of
roads/streets that have certainly changed over the years and information specifically regarding
religious and educational institutions for individuals of color throughout the city. Further
Research Required.

Employment List for Defense of Nashville- Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes
Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1863 > Index M - Z & Misc.

*Below: Copied section from the employment list showing any Thompsons+

Thompson Aaron Thompson, J. 1144
Thompson Adam Thompson, J. 1622
Thompson Albert Thompson, J. 980
Thompson Altmore Thompson 1526
Thompson Anderson Thompson, W. 1642
Thompson Atamond Thompson, J. 83
Thompson Fall Thompson, J. 1129
Thompson Felix Thompson, M. 2683
Thompson Field Thompson, M. 603
Thompson George Thompson, W. 1865
Thompson Green Thompson, P. 1732
Thompson Green Thompson, J. 2688
Thompson Gus Thompson, J. 1848
Thompson Henry Thompson, J. 131
Thompson Henry Thompson, J. 1133
Thompson Henry Thompson, J. 2689
Thompson Jerry Thompson, M. 604
Thompson Jerry Thompson, M. 2681
Thompson John Thompson 791
Thompson John Thompson, J. 1151
Thompson John Thompson 1336
Thompson Larry Thompson, J. 114
Thompson Newman Thompson, F. 1309
Thompson Paul Thompson, J. 2676
Thompson Phil Thompson, J. 66
Thompson Rufus Thompson, W. 1619
Thompson Simon Thompson, J. 104
Thompson Simon Thompson, J. 2696
Thompson Van Thompson, N. 2690
Thompson Wm. Thompson, John 54
Thompson Wm. Thompson, J. 1410
Thompson Wm. Thompson, N. 2691
Thompson Wm. Thompson, J. 2695

______________________________________________________________________________

Manuscripts

Mary Hamilton Thompson Orr Papers, TSLA
Original documents and microfilmed copies are available
http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/155.pdf

The Following documents were discovered on microfilm from the folder on John Thompson:

Jenny

Recd of a hundred three dollars and fifty cents for taking up a negro Woman Jenny
Sept. 17, 1823 A Stanley
______________________________________________________________________________

John Thompson to Wife

At Home November 8th 1843
Dear Wife
I received your (?) of 24th last month stating you were about 120 from Mobile and that
you were a growing to remain their until the fever left which I was truly glad to hear you speak
of Caroline(?) been sick. I hope she has long since got well you still speak of Marys
improvement for which I am very thankful. I would be very glad to see you all I expect you are
all in Mobile before now as we have had some very heavy frosts of considerable ice your father
recd a letter from Ann 2 days since your last letter stating that she did not think Mary was
much better than when you left home. I was very sassy(?) to hear but at all times we should
trust to the all wise to protect us and still hope for the better our sick is all getting well say
Doctor of Daniel. Mack has not got able to give to Market yet and I cant say when he will still
complain with back. Jo is about same when you left. Mima(?) is getting a long very slow about
the negroes clothes but I suppose as well as she can. Mr. Burk will have me in a few days. I have
got up very little of my (?) as yet it rains every three or four days (?) of very cold. Your father
will start to Mobile on Sunday next and if Mary has improved as I hope she has you wife can
come home a how glad I would
______________________________________________________________________________

Doctors Bill

Nashville & Franklin Y.P. Co. Dr
To W.C. Blackman

1855.
March 16
th
to 26
th
} visits medicines &c &c for negro man Wash(?) $32.50
December 12
th
} Extracting tooth for negro man Sam(?) .50
$33.00
Jan. 1
st
56. Received Payment
W.C. Blackman
[William C. Blackman was a physician in Davidson County. He was recorded at 33 years of age in
the 1860 Census]

[The payment for $32.50 would have been a substantial amount of money. The value is
underscored by the ten days needed to complete the medical work and its comparison to the
extraction of a tooth for fifty cents. Given this information, it is possible that the medical
services applied to a large group of individuals or was detailed in nature; both explanations
place a value on the health and well-being on the enslaved population. The care for enslaved
individuals can be explained by a genuine concern for their health or protection of an economic
investment.]

Ferry Bill

March 16
th
1854
Mr. Joseph Chadwell
3


Napoleon and New Orleans Packet
To Steamer T.P. Leathers, Dr.
For Freight on: Passage of Self & 2 negroes, $8

Paid
Tucker(?)
(signature)

[T.P. Leathers was the captain of the Natchez steamboat, known for its race with the Robert E.
Lee in 1870. The bill does not mention a Thompson or a known affiliated individual.]
______________________________________________________________________________

Dear Martha, Nashville July 9th 1840

I this moment received yours of 5th instant which gave one great satisfaction of hearing
from you both. I hope by the time you receive this your (tear in paper) will be better. I hope
Mag will drink the water (tear in paper) is to be hoped (tear in paper) get well I am very (tear in
paper) attention and I hope by this time (tear in paper) completely (illegible). I dont want you
to be uneasy about her they stay till you give the water a fair trial everything is growing and
(illegible) much as usual it is true. I wish to see you very much but if Mag is to be benefited long
and if it adds anything to your comfort keep (illegible) and the carriage what signifies expense
compared to (illegible) as to you (illegible) the (illegible) Don very well except the day after you
left Charley & Lettie (illegible) fell a foul of you the largest turkey and killed five except that
misfortune we have lost none, your chicones[chickens] are doing very well. Mrs. Davis sent you
12 very fine (illegible) and the children put them in the hen house every night seems to be very
attentive. I have not sent Ann to school. I dont think I will, she does very well at home. Robert

3
According to the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Federal Census, there was no Joseph Chadwell residing in Nashville (at the
times of the Censuses). There was a John Chadwell on the 1860 and 1870 Censuses with the listed occupation of
farmer. The name on the bill is written as Jos Chadwell, but the s is not definitive.
is still working. I dont [k]no[w] whether McFerson(?) will help at the brick school house as not
he has not returned from Alabama if he should keep. I will send (?) the all agree very well the
children want to see you both very bad and (?) talks very much about how Ma and Brigg(?) (?)
and says she will write to you [end page]
Margaret (?) was down on Friday last on her way to Murfreesborough with Mr. (?) they have
returned on yesterday. She liked her bonnet very (?) Mack is doing pretty well at Market
regrettably(?) are say (?) yet he does very well. I have (tear in paper) eats all but and nearly all if
it has (tear in paper) three days and still at it we (tear in paper) after you left rather (tear in
paper) his little son a five days a good (tear in paper) generally healthy. I have heard of no
sickness in our neighborhood, Judy had a fine daughter
4
one day last week and is doing well,
Ann is doing well but not confined. (?) Betsy(?) is cutting apples and making apple butter trying
to make many. I think I will (?) and come and see you by the first of August as sooner but dont
(?) until you see me. Mag Buchanan has been staying with Ann and is still their the will start to
school next Monday. Mr. Edwin Irving and Mr. Harris (?) had a small fight on yesterday no
damage done fist and ruffle your father and family is all well. I have nothing more at present
But subscribe my (?) your affectionate husband.
John Thompson
N.B. Magg write to me and let me hear from you your must Both write your father. J.T.

Ophelia Thompson Paines Transcription w/Notes

(Envelope)
Mrs. Martha Thompson
Bon Air near
Sparta
Tenn

Dear Martha Nashville, July 9th, 1840

I this morning received yours of 5th Instant? which gave me great satisfaction of hearing
from you both. I hope by the time you receive this your appetite will be better. I hope Mag
5
will
Drink the water freely as (gap) is to be hoped (gap) get well I am very (gap) Dr. Hogg's?
Attention and I hope By this time you (gap) comfortably situated. I Don't want you to be
uneasy a bout home (gap). Stay till you give the water a fair trial. everything is gowing on
pretty mutch as usual. it is true I wish to see you very mutch But if Mag is to be benefited hang


4
Coraline, daughter of Judy and Jacob, born July 3, 1840, Thompson Slave List.


5
Mag is Margaret Adelaide Thompson, whose portrait I own. She was the first daughter of John
Thompson and his first wife Mary Elizabeth. She was born on New Year's Eve 1824 and died in April 1841 of
tuberculosis. Information from Ophelia Thompson Paine.
on + if it adds any thing to your comfort Keep Jo + the carriage. what signifyes expence
compared to benfits?

as to your poltery the have Done very well except the day after you left Charly and Little danel
fell a fowl of your largest turkey and killed five. except that misfortune we have lost none. your
chicones are Doing very well. Mr. Davis? sent you 12 very fine Sis? Betsy and the children put
them in the hen house every night seems to be very attentive.

I have not sent Ann Lis to scholl. I Don't think I will. she does very well at Home. Robert is still
working. I Don't no whether Mr. Ferson? will kepp at the Brick school house or not. he has not
returned from Alabama. if he should Keep I will send Robert
6
. the all agree very well. the
children want to see you Both very bad + Ann Lis talks very much about her Ma and Bigg sis and
says she will rite to you.

Margaret Shute was down on Friday last on her way to Murfreesborough with Mr. Shute. the
have returned on yesterday. She liked her Bonnet very mutch.

Mack is doing pretty well at Market vegetables are very low? yet he dos very well I have (gap)
my oats all Cut + nearly all of it has (gap) raining (gap) --- three days + still at it. we ha(gap)
(gap) there after you Left rather (gap). Mr. Harris? (gap) and his little son a five days ago is
generally healthy. I have heard of no sickness in our neighborhood. Judy had a fine daughter
one Day last week + is doing well. Ann is Doing well. Both not confined. Sis Betsey (??) is
cutting apples and making apple Butter. trying to make many.

I will Try and come to see you by the first of August or sooner but Don't Look until you see me.
Mag Buchanan
7
has been staying with Ann
8
+ is still their. the will start to school next Mondy.
Mr. Edwin Ewing and Mr. Harris, Editor, had a small fight yesterday. no damage don fist a cuffy.
your Father and family are all well. I have nothing more at present But Subscribe? my self your
affectionate husband
John Thompson

N.B. Mag rite to me and Let me hear from you. you must both rite often
your father J.T
______________________________________________________________________________


6
I think Robert may be Martha's son by a previous marriage. Information from Ophelia Thompson Paine.


7
Mag Buchanan is the daughter of John Thompson's second wife by her first marriage. Information from
Ophelia Thompson Paine.


8
Ann Lis is the daughter of Martha and John Thompson. Information from Ophelia Thompson Paine.


Leahs Mark

[On Glen Leven Stock Farm stationary]
Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 3, 1870

Recd this day of Mary H. Thompson $29.40 in silver and $9.00 in Tennessee money being
balance in full of a Sum of money departed with Mary H. Thompson for my benefit.

Leah X(her mark) Thompson
Witness Mary Hamilton
______________________________________________________________________________

Van Buren and Fort Gibson Packet.
(Logo)
Capt. J.D. Adams

Mr. John Thompson Richland Feb. 11
th
1854
To Steamer Thos.[Thomas] P. Ray
9
, Dr.

For Freight on 5 casks bacon, 1 Keg. ?
2 Box Maze, 1 rice
1 ? Spade Shovels, 1 ? ?
2 Collars, 1 ? ?
& 1 Trunk & ? ? }5650lbs ? $42.37
Freight on Negro (name?) $6.00
Passage of 2 Negro women & 1 little girl $7.50
Cash paid Robert & Co. $65.87

Received Payment, J.D. Adams
______________________________________________________________________________





9
Duane Huddleston, Sammie Cantrell Rose, Pat Taylor Wood, Steamboats and Ferries on the White River:
A Heritage Revisited (Conway, AK: UCA Press, 1998), accessed July 8, 2014,
http://books.google.com/books?id=tahjbazJK-
IC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=thomas+p.+ray,+steamboat&source=bl&ots=hglnLdSbKW&sig=opFmwrsiEN-
6oyz7QYW0xAXD8CA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AM6-U97AIM-
NyAS05IJY&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=thomas%20p.%20ray%2C%20steamboat&f=false.
Newspaper Articles

Nashville American, The

Glen Leven: The Home of Mr. John Thompson Becomes a Federal Hospital, September
13, 1907
Glen Leven, the home of Mr. John Thompson, is situated on the Franklin Pike,
four miles from Nashville, Tenn. On Dec. 15 and 16, 64, the hard fought battle of Nashville
raged, the closing scenes occurring two miles south of Glen Leven on the Franklin Pike near
the Overton Hills.
During the battle the federals used the raw negro troops as breastworks, forcing
them at the point of their bayonets to stand the ground. They were killed by the thousand.
The house at Glen Leven was selected as the hospital by the federals.
Mr. Thompson prepared the loom house for the negroes, and his home for the
white soldiers, but he was cursed by the men in charge, and his house filled with the wounded
negroes. Mr. Thompson was an old man, his wife was young, beautiful, and delicately reared.
She had two sons, 10 and 12 years of age.
The surgeons used her piano as an operating table and ordered her to assist
them.
When she objected to these rough methods, and groaning aloud in sympathy for
the poor negroes who would beg her to help them, tried to get away, they would curse her and
force her to obey them.
The agony of her husband was intense, he being too old and her boys too young to
protect her.
I am glad to any that the surgeons were hired Germans, and not American
citizens. This is one incident in the life of a southern woman whose distress over the condition
of her country, and trying scenes like this, made her an old woman, for when the war was over
her brown hair had become white and her joyous nature saddened.
Nashville, Tenn.
______________________________________________________________________________

Nashville Banner, The

The Faces We Meet on a Crowded Street, September 23, 1905

But to Nashville perhaps is reserved one of the most peculiar outfits and one of the
most familiar characters of any city in the South. He is an old man, a negro, living on the East
Side.
He answers to the name of Grandaddy, though his real name is Thompson. Grandaddy
lives on Sevier street, though his place of business is just off Woodland, in the rear of
Hartmans grocery. By profession he is a wood-cutter and hauler. He doesnt know his age,
though he says that his master told him he was 30 when peace was declared. He must have
been mistaken about this, however, as he appears much older than a calculation upon that
basis would indicate.
Grandaddy was born a slave and belonged to Mr. John Thompson of the Franklin Pike.
He is old and poor, and feeble-looking: yet there is about him the unmistakable stamp of
the gentleness that marks these old-time negroes. He is a wood hauler, and his team is even
more odd than the old man himself. It consist of four dogssometimes moreand a funny
little wagon, without shafts, and with little leathern straps, that have buckles attached, and a
sort of collar for the dogs necks. There are no reins, and no bits are used. Yet the control of the
team is perfect. TO appreciate it one must go to see Grandaddy himself.
Before you go, however, learn a few facts about the old man and his outfit. Else you
might find yourself, as several others found themselves, trying to set the humane society after
him. You must understand at the beginning that the dogs would probably raise a louder howl
than anybody else if such a step were contemplated.
Once some good people got it into their heads that granddaddy ought to be prevented
from using these dogs as beasts of burden, and they set about taking steps to bring about this
reform, upon the old mans part. But he had a friend at court as it chanced. This friend
happened to be no other than the late Rev. John O. Rust of East Nashville. To him the old man
appealed. The next Sabbath at the close of his sermon, Dr. Rust told his congregation that he
particularly wanted to call their attention to a certain matter in which he was interested, that
was, the case of an old negro man, commonly known as Grandaddy. Then he explained about
the dogs, and vouched for it that the dogs were not badly treated, and requested that none of
them disturb the old man in his harmless efforts to utilize the only means within his reach of
making a living.
I want it distinctly understood, said Dr. Rust, that I am for Grandaddy, and that
Grandaddy is better to his dogs, and his dogs are better to Grandaddy than some people I
know.
Since then Grandaddy Johnson has had his dogs, big and little, in uninterrupted
possession. They have fetched and carried, come and gone, at his bidding.
But to see him you may see him almost any day driving, either in his little old cart with a
little load of wood, or in his buggy with only himself for a load.
A queer picture truly, he presents as he sits there, hands idle except for a whip with
which he directs the course of his unfiery steeds.
They turn at the word, and at the word they are off again. Not a lick not a blow, not a
bit, nor a bridle. Only the sound of a lusty voice calling something, you hardly know what unless
you stop to make inquiry. Though the dogs know for they obey with the readiness of a horse to
bit and bridle.
Grandaddy may be found, during business hours, in the big wood ard in the rear of Mr.
Hartmans grocery. If you ask him questions, suppose you put in kind o this way, as a caller did
not long since:
Where were you born, Grandaddy?
On the Franklin road maam, he will tell you: an lived here all my life, cept when I
wasnt travelin with the dogs.
Traveling with the dogs?
Yes maam, been all over the United States with them dogs. We goes in the parades,
an they has us at the church fairs, an everbody knows us an has a good word for them dogs.
But you do get into trouble sometimes?
No maam! That we dont! Its the folks what bothers us gets into trouble. Me an the
dogs behaves ourseves, we does.
Dr. Rust was a great friend of yours, I believe?
Humph! Yes, maam. In heaven now: might good man; aint no better here.
He helped you out of trouble once, I believe
Pulled me smack out, the good Lord put him thar to pull me out, an he done it, yes,
mam. How does I feed the dogs? Lord bless you mam, everybody what has a meat shop saves
scraps for them dogs.
What does I fee em on Meat mostly. Mr. Hartman, hes fed me an the dogs, too for
bout sixteen years. I worked with him sixteen years, yes, mam. How much can the dogs pull?
Two loads a day is about what I ask of em. Tell you about em?
Well, I begun with one dog. Just any sort o dog ll do, n most anybody gives em to
me. Then after while I got one more: then I got three. Now I got eight. I begins when theyre
young, cause dogs is mighty like children; you got to take em in time. After while they gets
ready; an wants to go their own gait. Now bout the management o the dogs, the Lawd he
teached me that. I never round one yet that wouldnt be trained. I make the harness my own
sef. An when I wants to go I just takes this whistle
And he puts to his lips a little silver looking whistle and blew a sharp, shrill blast.
Instantly the dogs came running, barking, whining, as eager to be off as hounds at the call of
the hunters horn. And then he lifted up the center strap, then the left, the right and so on,
calling lustily as he did so:
Mack! Jim! Dan! Bob! Brag! Julia! Look-an-See! June!
At the sound of his name each dog leaps to his own place; all but Juno, who saunters
leisurely around to the offside and takes his place. His! For oh, tell it not in Gath! but Juno is a
boy dog.
Nawm, said the old man. I dont hit em. I talks ter em. Ready to go now! And up
he leaped, seized his whip and shouted:
Come on! and the funny little team was off. Down the street he waved his whip and
shouted, Hear me! and the dogs made a sharp, sudden turn and came galloping (?) home
again, where at another call they swerved to the right and brought the little wagon home to the
wood yard.
Mr. Grandaddy is not unkind to his canine team; the dogs love him, obey him, and are
useful to him. His good friend, Dr. Rust, is no longer here to stand between him and those who
sometimes would, unintentionally, interfere with him. But he is doing no harm, and it is to be
hoped that some other friend will be found when Grandaddy needs him.
He is a devout Christian, a Baptist, and when you leave he will pronounce upon you a
sincere, if humble, God bless you, maam, that you will feel better, much better, for having
heard.
He has been employed by Mr. Max Hartman for sixteen years, and yet, whenever the
whistle blows the dogs up you will see other employees of the place come smiling out to see
Grandaddy and his dog team off. During an interview with the old man they stand by, smiling
and interested, to enjoy the old mans story, which doubtless they have heard time
unnumbered, and have never tired of hearing.
______________________________________________________________________________

Nashville Gazette

$20 Reward! July 22, 1857
I will give the above reward for a negro man named Tom, a fugitive from my
service. The said negro is about 35 years of age, six feet high, spare made and black. I hired him
from John Thompson.
M.A. Parish, or Johnson Horne & Co.

$10 Reward, July 28, 1858
On account of ill-treatment, Lizzie
10
, a servant girl about 12 years old, ranaway,
on the 22
nd
ulto, from John Thompson. The statement can be proved by the best testimony.
The above reward will be paid to anyone who will restore said girl to me and not to John
Thompson, near the N & CRR Depot.
W.H. McNairy
11


Runaway or Stolen, July 17, 1860
On Thursday last, July 12
th
, a negro woman, named Sarah
12
, about 4 feet 5
inches high, very black color, and is about 50 or 55 years of age. A liberal reward will be given if
delivered to me at Nashville, near the N.&C.R.R.
J. Thompson
______________________________________________________________________________


10
The only mention of a Lizzie on the slave list was born July 24, 1852 to Amy and Tom, which does not
come close to matching up with a 12-year-old runaway in 1858.


11
The only William McNairy that turns up in the 1850 Census in Davidson County was listed as a Druggist
with a valued real estate of $5,000, a significant figure.


12
The newspaper article would put Sarahs birthday sometime between 1805 and 1810. The only Sarah
listed on the Thompson slave list was the mother of Abraham and Caroline who were born in 1819 and 1824,
respectively.

Nashville Republican

Health of Nashville, June 28, 1835
It is not to be disguised that more than ordinary sickness prevails at this time in
Nashville, but we doubt not that the no-counts which have been scattered through the country
are greatly exaggerated. In order to correct these accounts, we give below a statement of the
interments in the Nashville graveyard, copied from the Sextons Books, which have taken place
since the 18
th
of May, the time at which the Cholera first made its appearance this summer, up
to the 19
th
of June. One death occurred yesterday, which I not mentioned in the following list
that of a mulatto woman generally known by the name of Gracy Graham.
While on this subject, we would call the attention of our Mayor and Aldermen to
the suggestions of our correspondent, Medicus, which will be found in our paper today. Our
streets, alleys, and backyards should be immediately attended to.
*List of individuals lost to disease which includes+ Female slave of John Thompson,
aged 22typhus fever.
______________________________________________________________________________

Nashville Republican & State Gazette

$20 Reward, April 24, 1831
I will give 25 dollars reward for the apprehension of the horse thief, George
Robertsonthe said Robertson is about six feet high, slender made, red complected, with a
large Roman nose, blue eyes and dark hair; his dress coat and pantaloons, a black fur hat, an old
pair of shoes and a large horsewhip. The supposed Robertson left Bishop Oldhams in
Williamson County, on Tuesday the 19
th
inst. Riding a likely bay filly, about fifteen hands high,
three years old this spring, her left hind foot white up to the pastern joint; she has a small black
spot upon her left shoulder.
John Thompson
Nashville, April 28
th
, 1831

[Not African American]
______________________________________________________________________________

Nashville Whig

$100 Reward, July 12, 1820
Runaway from the subscriber on Monday night last, four negro men, to wit:

13
Ben, a mulatto, about thirty three years old, five feet nine or ten inches high.
Davy, also a mulatto, about twenty two years old, five feet eleven inches high.
Daniel, about twenty four years old, five feet ten or eleven inches high, bow-
legged, and very black.
Aaron, a mulatto, about twenty-five years old, five feet seven, or eight inches
high.
They are all stout made and very likely ?. Their clothing is not recollected, it is
supposed they will endeavor to get to any of the states north of the Ohio river. The above
reward will be given for apprehending said negroes and confining them so that I can get them
again, or twenty-five dollars for either, and all reasonable expenses paid if brought home.
John Thompson
______________________________________________________________________________

Republican Banner

Killed, October 8, 1865
-A negro by the name of Samuel Thomson
14
, formerly a slave of John Thomson,
living near this city, with four or five others, on the night of the 6
th
, were going around the ?
knocking persons down and robbing them of their money and valuables. One man was ? to the
ground from the blow of a slung-shot used by this negro on Broad street, and another near the
Government magazine. The patrol who was sent after the party overtook and shot him.

One Hundred Dollars Reward, August 14, 1856
Ranaway on Sunday the 3d inst., a Negro Man named Henry, of dark copper
color, about 35 years old 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, weighs about 160 pounds, small feet and
hands for a man of his size. Henry is a blacksmith by trade, and speaks mildly and civilly when
addressed. I will pay the above reward for his delivery of confinement in Jail so that I get him.
John Thompson
______________________________________________________________________________

Spectator (New York, New York), taken from Nashville Banner, January 6

No Title, January 18, 1845


13
There is no mention on the Thompson slave list of the four enslaved men from the newspaper article.
The closest mention is of a Little Daniel in an 1840 and 1843 letter, which may be the son of Daniel.


14
Samuels last name is listed as Thomson, but this can be explained by a simple spelling error and
affirmed by his former enslavement under a John Thomson living near this city. Glen Leven is always described as
just outside the city or 3-4 miles south of Nashville. The only Samuel that is listed on the slave list was the son
of Harriet, born March 9, 1831. This birthday would have made him approximately 25 years old at his death.
Desperate Affray. Five or six patrols made a descent upon a large gathering of
negroes in the quarter on the plantation of Mr. John Thompson, about three miles from this
city, on Saturday night, the 28
th
ult. Upon gaining admittance to the house, the negroes were
informed that runaways alone were sought for, and none others would be disturbed. Scarcely
were the words spoken when the first man who entered was knocked down, and as each of the
others entered they also received blows which felled them to the earth. One of the patrols who
entered by the back part of the house, was shot in the arm, and very severely beaten. Finding
themselves completely overpowered, (there being a very large number of negroesprobably a
hundred in the house,) the patrols retreated, the negroes following after them, crying kill them!
The negroes appear to have been all armed, but very illy armed, for one of the patrols likened
the snapping of pistols at them from all parts of the house, to the flashing of fireflies in August.
In an attempt to take on of the negroes on Monday, the officer was seriously injured,
and but for the assistance of others, would not have been succeeded.
______________________________________________________________________________

Union American

$100 Reward, November 29, 1856
I purchased a negro man by the name of Henry some time in September last of
Mr. John Thompson of this neighborhood, carried him to Tensas Parrish, La., and sold him to
Mr. Harris of that Parish, since which the boy Henry has made his escape. We suppose he will
either try to make his way back to this County or to some free State. He is about 40 years old,
rather black complexion, about 5 feet 8 inches high, very intelligent, weighs about 165 lbs, has
rather an impediment in his speech when a little excited, is quick and active, has small hands
and feet, wears No. 8 shoes. I understand, since he ran off, that he roads very well. He is a good
Blacksmith. We will give the above reward for his apprehension and safe confinement until we
get him.
Address
J.W. Dabbs, Nashville, Tenn.
P.H. Miller, Waterproof, La.
______________________________________________________________________________

City Directory (all accessible at TSLA)

1869 City Directory
-Colored Schools
-Bellview; GW Hubbard, principal
-Mckee; TR Andrews, principal
-Gun Factory; John Braden, principal
-Catherine Thompson, widow
-Mack Thompson, shoemaker

1870 City Directory
-Colored Schools
-Bellview, situated on Summer street between Jackson and Jefferson. Principal, Hubbard
-Gun Factory, situated on College street, between Ash and Mulberry. Principal, Miss
M.R. Smith

1871 City Directory
-Colored Churches
-Baptist Church, between high and summer, near Wilsons springs. Rev. A. Buchanan,
pastor
-Mount Zion, Jefferson, near McLemore
-Christian Church, North Vine Street
-Simon Thompson, blacksmith, 87 S. Front Street

1872 City Directory
-Trimble School Building, situated corner South Market and South Franklin sts. E. Perkins,
principal
-Abram Thompson, house, 162 S. High Street

1873 City Directory
-Thomspon L, (T & Solomon) house 244 Cedar
-Thompson, Samuel, (T and Conn) house Clark between College and Market
-Thompson & Solomon, (L T and Daniel S) shoemakers, 18 S. High

1874 City Directory
-Abraham Thompson, plumber, works at 54 Church, home at 152 S. College
-Abram Thompson, laborer, boards at 135 Demonbreum

1875 City Directory

Individuals in the Thompson section denoted by (c) for colored:

Thompson, Abram, teamster, wks 52 and 54 Church, h W Nashville.
Thompson, Carter, porter 63 and 65 S. Market, h 9 Porter
Thompson, Charles, boiler mkr c Front and Broad, bds 7 Jackson
Thompson, Henry, laborer, wks 74 Church, h S Cherry
Thompson, James, wood cutter, h 7 Jackson
Thompson, James, porter 46 S Market, res country.
Thompson, James, broom maker, wks 67 S Market
Thompson, John, carpenter, wks 219 and 221 Broad, h Clay, b Gay and Line.
Thompson, John, train porter, NC & St LRW
Thompson, John, wks c Front and Broad, bds N Market
Thompson, JM, broom maker, wks 4 Broad, bds 168 S. Front
Thompson, John W., shoe maker, h 178 Fillmore
Thompson, Larry, boot and shoe maker 18 S. High
Thompson, Marshall, porter Merchants Exchange.
Thompson, Mrs. Mary M, tailoress, h 273 S. Market
Thompson, Fate, driver, wks c Demonbreun and High, bds Cherry, b Demonbreun and Broad
Thompson, Thomas, wks Waggoners, h 166 S. College

1880 City Directory

Entirety of Thompson Section:

Thompson, Abraham (c), laborer New Era Mill, bds 118 S. Cherry
Thompson, Alfred, driver 300 Woodland, bds 507 Russell.
Thompson, Alonzo, barkeeper 35 Bridge av, bds 507 Russell.
Thompson, Augustus (c), driver 220 Cedar, h Belleville nr Cedar
Thompson, Benjamin (c), laborer Nashville Cotton-Seed Oil Co.
Thompson, Catherine, widow Patrick, bds 146 N Cherry
Thompson Chapel Methodist Episcopal, Rev. J Braden pastor Maple nr Lafayette
Thompson, Charles A., clerk 2 N Cherry, h 25 S Vine
Thompson, Charles A.R., (Thompson & Kelley), h Hillsboro pike 1 mile
Thompson, Charles H, boilermaker Wood & Simpson, h 180 N Market
Thompson, Cornelia J Miss, music teacher 15 S Spruce
Thompson, Daniel (c), porter 129 Broad, h Mulberry nr S Cherry
Thompson, David, bee man, h Bilbo av nr Franklin pike
Thompson, David W., fireman L&N&GSRR, bds 164 S Franklin
Thompson, Doc, laborer Nashville Cotton-Seed Oil Co, h 250 N College
Thompson, Edward (c), wks Rheas Elevator, h 118 Foster, Edgefield
Thompson, George, brakeman NC & St L Ry.
Thompson, candymaker 28 N College, h 198 Church
Thompson, George conductor L&N & GSRR
Thompson, George (c), porter 32 S Market, h Lewis nr Murfreesboro pike
Thompson, George T, h 373 Broad
Thompson, Henry, (c), barber, wks 38 N Cherry, h Cedar nr Park
Thompson, Henry, (c) laborer, h Castleman nr S Front
Thompson, Henry, (c), porter 17 N Summer
Thompson, Hugh C., architect [probably not African American]
Thompson, Ira, engineer [probably not African American]
Thompson, Jacob F, guard Penitentiary
Thompson, James, clerk L&N & GSRR, h 718 Woodland
Thompson, James C jr (c), porter 48 S Market, h 278 N High
Thompson, James (c), waiter Maxwell House, h 373 N High
Thompson, James, widow James, h 180 N Market
Thompson, Jesse, conductor L&N & GSRR, bds 206 Spring Edgefield [probably not African
American]
Thompson, John, boilermaker Wood & Simpson, h 258 N Market
Thompson, John (c), laborer S E Jones & Sons
Thompson, John A. (c) barber, wks 67 N Cherry
Thompson, John E., clerk 124 Church, bds 373 Broad
Thompson, J Hill, clerk 184 Church, bds 373 Broad
Thompson, John W (c), shoemaker 88 Lafayette
Thompson, J.C., brakeman NC & St L Ry.
Thompson, Joseph C jr (c), (JC Thompson & Son), h 54 Cedar
Thompson, Joseph C sr (c), (JC Thompson & Son), h 173 N High
Thompson, JC & Son (c), (JC Thompson sr & JC Thompson jr), restaurant 54 Cedar
Thompson, JW, telegraph operator St L & SE Ry.
Thompson, Kate (c), widow P, grocer Cedar nr Cumberland
Thompson, Lindley H, carpenter, h 804 Fatherland
Thompson, Marshall W, carpenter, h Granny White pike 1 mile
Thompson, Marshall (c), driver h Cedar nr the trestle
Thompson, Mary K, widow James M, bds 56 S High
Thompson, Mattie W Miss, teacher Hume School, bds 373 Broad
Thompson, Monroe (c), laborer BG Wood, h 124 S Summer
Thompson, Moses (c), barber, wks 118 S Cherry, bds 110 S Summer
Thompson, Pleasant (c), stonemason, h 54 Knowles
Thompson, Richard (c), driver 15 N High
Thompson, Richard (c), laborer, h 69 Lewis
Thompson, Richard, wks 65 S College
Thompson, Richard H, clerk 47 Public Square, bds 25 S Vine
Thompson, Robert, president Dixie Oil Co [probably not African American]
Thompson, Rowena E, widow John C, h 158 Church
Thompson, Scipio, clerk 46 S College, bds 408 Main.
Thompson Simon (c), wagonmaker 80 S Front
Thompson, Thomas, wks E&N Manuf Co.
Thompson, Thomas (c), wks Nashville Warehouse Co, h Humphreys nr Pillow
Thompson, Thomas H, engineer [probably not African American]
Thompson, Tillman T, carpenter, h 619 Shelby
Thompson, Walker (c), laborer, h Hayes cor Ewing av.
Thompson, Wesley (c), carriagemaker, wks 110 N Cherry, h Pearl nr Crawford
Thompson, William, boilermaker, wks 121 S Market
Thompson, William, brakeman L&N & GSRR, bds 164 S Franklin
Thompson, William (c), porter 34 S Market
Thompson, W Bennett, brakeman L&N & GSRR, bds 164 S Franklin
Thompson, William B Rev, h 1 Asylum

1881 City Directory

20-Sixth Ward [A.K.A. Black Bottom]-Beginning at Demonbreun, corner of Vine, east along
Demonbreun to Cumberland river, south along said river to Peabody, west along Peabody to
Market, south along Market to Elm, west along Elm to Summer, north along Summer to Lee av.,
west along Lee av. To Ewing av., south along Ewing av. To Fogg, west along Fogg to Spruce,
north along Spruce to Lee av., east along Lee av. to vine, north along Vine to the beginning.

Individuals in Thompson section denoted with (c) for colored

Thompson, Aaron (c), laborer 302 S Cherry, bds 227 N. Cherry
Thompson, Abram, wks 86 Church, h Hawkins nr Bellemont
Thompson Anderson, laborer, h State nr Williams av.
Thompson, Benjamin, wks 86 Church, h Division nr Granny White pike
Thompson Charles, cook, h 22 Pearl
Thompson Charles, porter 90 Broad, h S High nr Lee av.
Thompson, Dock, wks Nashville Cotton Seed Oil Ca, h Cedar nr Knowles
Thompson, Emanuel, stonemason, h Smiley cor S Seventh
Thompson, Frank, driver 196 N Cherry
Thompson, George, deckhand, h 154 S Cherry
Thompson, George, porter 32 S Market, h Lewis nr Lafayette.
Thompson, Gustavus, driver 220 Cedar, h Belleville nr Cedar
Thompson, Harrison, carpenter, h Bass nr Stevenson av.
Thompson, Henry, laborer, h Belleville nr Cedar
Thompson, Henry, laborer, h 589 S Market
Thompson, Henry, porter, h Jackson nr Clay
Thompson, James, porter 48 S Market
Thompson, James, waiter, Maxwell House, h 16 N. Front.
Thompson James C., porter wks 24 N Cherry, h 278 N High
Thompson, Jesse, laborer, h Fairmount nr Stevens
Thompson, John, barber, 136 S Cherry, h S Summer nr Broad
Thompson, John, driver 196 N Cherry, h 15 Line
Thompson, John, laborer, 53 N Front
Thompson, Kate, grocer, 267 Cedar
Thompson, Levy, fireman Jackson Flour Mills, h Lafayette nr Lewis
Thompson, Major, driver 69 Church
Thompson, Monroe, wks B G Wood, h 124 S Summer
Thompson, Moses W., barber 67 N Cherry, h 134 N McLemore
Thompson, Pleasant, driver E&N Manuf Co, h 52 Knowles
Thompson, Richard, laborer, h N Lewis
Thompson, Simon, blacksmith 80 S Front, h 420 S Market
Thompson, Wesley, blacksmith wks 132 N Cherry, h Pearl nr Trestle
Thompson, Wesley, driver 125 S Spruce, h E Hill nr Trimble Spring
Thompson, William, laborer, h Oak cor S Vine
Thompson, William, porter 84 S Market
Thompson, Willis, plasterer, h Knowles nr Hynes

Schools
Belleview School, Colored, N. Summer cor. Howard
Knowles Street School, Colored, Hynes cor. Knowles
McKee School, Colored, Morgan nr. Church
Trimble School, Colored, S. Market cor. Chestnut
Vandeville School, Colored, Spring cor. Marks

Churches
Baptist: First Church, N Spruce bet. Cedar and Union
Baptist: First Church, Stewart cor. Marks
Mount Zion Church, N. McLemore nr. Jefferson
Second Church, S. High nr. Peabody
Christian: Second Christian Church, Gay bet. N. Vine and N. Spruce
Congregational: Howard Chapel, Knowles bet. Church and Hynes
St. James Church, Gallatin pike 2.5 miles
Methodist Episcopal: Clarke Chapel, Franklin bet. S. Cherry and S. College
Thompson Chapel, Central Tennessee College, 122 Maple
Methodist Episcopal South: St. Paul, S. Cherry cor. Franklin
Primitive Baptist: Primitive Church, 335 Broad
Primitive Church, Lewis cor. Green

1890 City Directory
Thompson, Martha, widow George T, h 1408 Broad
Thompson, Martha, (c), widow Martin, bds Lime nr Fillmore.
*Please continue+
______________________________________________________________________________


Biographies

The Simon Thompsons

There were two Simon Thompsons born into slavery at Glen Leven. The first Simon was
born July 30, 1834 to parents Joseph and Mima and older brothers Henry and Paul. The second
Simon was born March 31, 1839 to mother Rachel and older brother Peter, and would be the
future older brother of Manuel (died before the Civil War) and Jesse.
15

The first Simon Thompson from Glen Leven was also among the sixteen men between
the ages of 15 and 41 years of age listed in the Ft. Negley construction records whose names
also appear in John Thompsons ledger and could have been from Glen Leven.
16
Simon, along
with his brothers Henry and Paul mustered in the early weeks of August 1863 as members of
the 12
th
Regiment, USCT. While the age for the Simon Thompson on the Muster Roll is not
given, the enrollment dates of the three brothers and the shared laboring at Fort Negley
provides strong evidence to warrant a connection. Paul and Simon were both members of
Company G, which according to Bobby Lovett, consisted of men from Nashvilles contraband
camps and laborers from the armys engineering department, who would have labored at Ft.
Negley.
17
The 12
th
USCT guarded sections of the NWRR (Northwest Railroad) near Kingston
Springs and performed duties at Nashvilles military hospitals before joining with other local


15
Thompson Slave List.


16
Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee,
1862-1863, Tennessee State Library and Archives (accessed July 23, 2014)
<http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/military/fortnegley1.htm>; Thompson Slave List; Randall, 19
th
Century African
American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 2-3.


17
Bobby L. Lovett, The African American History of Nashville, Tennessee, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas
(Fayetteville, AK: University of Arkansas Press, 1999), 61-2; Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at
Glen Leven Farm, 3.

USCT regiments in 1865-1866 to exhume the bodies of soldiers from the battlefields and bury
them in the national cemetery near Madison.
18
After the Battle of Nashville in December 1864,
Glen Leven was used as a Union field hospital and according to the medical director for the IV
Corps of the Union Army, over 450 soldiers were treated at the hospital. At least fifty of the
wounded soldiers were African American and members of the 13
th
USCT, two of the injured
belonged to the 12
th
USCT.
19
The presence of soldiers from the 12
th
USCT suggest the nearby
presence of the regiment and the possible fighting of Simon and his brothers close to their
former home at Glen Leven.
In 1866, one of the Simon Thompsons made a surprising appearance in the October 29
th

edition of the Weekly Telegraph from Macon, Georgia. The article reports a wrestling match,
presumably in Nashville, between Uzile Prickett, the reputed champion of the United States
and a negro named Simon Thompson, raised by Mr. John Thompson a few miles from the
city. The majority of the seven hundred reported spectators laid down their bet for Mr.
Prickett with the odds three-to-one in their favor. Simon beat the odds and proved the crowd
wrong, beating his antagonist inside of half a minute.
20

Following the Civil War, Simon the blacksmith
21
can be found first in a Freedmans
Bureau report about the firing of African Americans for their political affiliation. A Simon


18
Lovett, The African American History of Nashville, 61-62; Randall, 19
th
Century African American
Community at Glen Leven Farm, 3-4.


19
Medical Directors report for the IV Corps of the Union Army at Nashville, 1864, accessed at Travellers
Rest Plantation; Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 4.


20
Wrestling Match: The Reputed Champion of the United States Defeated by a Negro, Weekly
Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, October 26, 1866, accessed at TSLA.


21
There is no definitive proof that both Simon Thompsons were blacksmiths, but we know for sure that
there was at least one. John Thompson used enslaved labor to run his blacksmith shop on the Franklin Pike and
Thompson employed by the boiler manufacturer, B.G. Woods of Front and Broad streets, was
recorded as discharged from employment on account of voting for certain candidates in the
election of August 1
st
, 1867. Every individual on the special report from the Freedmans
Bureau, all African American males, were charged with voting the radical ticket. The radical
ticket referred to Radical Republicans, who favored harsh punishments for the former
Confederate states and advocated for the rights of recently freed men and women. African
American suffrage led to the support of the Republican ticket and was met with widespread
disapproval from most white southerners, escalating to physical violence. Some of the African
American men discharged from employment were also fined a sum of money for their
misdoings, however, Simons case seemed to be settled without an exchange of money.
The first extensive documentation of Simon appears in the 1870 Census, with Simon and
his family living in the sixth ward of Nashville, known historically as Black Bottom (21
st
century
SoBro). The name was derived from the periodic flooding that left a muddy residue on the
streets, later becoming more aptly titled because the inhabitants were predominantly African
American. According to Bobby Lovett:
The death rate of Negroes per one thousand persons from diseases was nearly twice
that for white Nashvillians. Black Bottom homes were heated by coal stoves and
fireplaces that left a thick haze of black soot covering everything. There was inadequate
ventilation, dusty streets, and a proliferation of outdoor toilet facilities. Many residents
were illiterate, and a quarter of their children often did not regularly attend the citys
public schools. Residents held menial jobs, and unemployment was twice as high for
blacks. By 1870, the Sixth Ward had 1,844 whites and 1,649 Negroes all crowded into
741 dwellings.
22


there is a good chance that some of the enslaved individuals who left Glen Leven after the Civil War had
blacksmithing skills.

22
Lovett, Bobby L. Black Bottom, The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (accessed July 21,
2014) <http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1565>. Also see map on development of SoBro for
location of maps at TSLA, http://www.sitemason.com/files/eauzG8/PON_Neighborhoods_SoBro.pdf


At the age of 37, Simon was working as a Blacksmith and married to Jane, 30, who was
recorded as keeping house. Simons age of 37 years old matches up with the first born Simon
at Glen Leven in 1834. Also in the house were Simon (laborer, 18), Emmett (3), John (6 months),
and Mary E. (15) who worked as a washer/ironer. Simons personal estate was valued at $300
and was deemed illiterate, along with his wife Jane and son Simon.
23
The 1876 Nashville City
Directory places a blacksmith named Simon Thompson at 99 S. Front Street which may have
been his place of residence, employment, or possibly both.
24

Briefly before the 1880 Census, Simon Thompson turned up in an 1879 edition of the
Nashville Tennessean. He was among other contracted workers for the Nashville Street
Department, who provided services of mule shoeing for $10.35.
25
For an unknown reason,
Simon was one of the few workers whose bill was faced with complications and required
further information to receive payment from the city. A year later, Simon and his family was
recorded in the 1880 Census, living at 420 Market Street in Nashville. By 1880, Simon was 45
years old and married to his wife Jane, who was 41. They had four children, Hesta (19), Mary
(16), Joseph (14), and Lula (8). Simon continued working as a Blacksmith and his wife Jane was


23
Federal Census, 1870, accessed on Ancestry.com at TSLA.


24
King's Nashville City Directory, embracing an alphabetical record of names of the inhabitants of
Nashville, Edgefield and Clarksville; A Business Directory of Nashville, Clarksville, Lebanon, and all the principal
towns and stations on the different railroads centering at Nashville; an Abstract of the Stamp Duties; a Complete
List of the Post Offices of the United States and Territories, and Express Stations in Tennessee, Alabama, and
Georgia, 1876 (Nashville: Marshall & Bruce, 1876), TSLA.


25
Street Department Accounts, The Daily American, November 9, 1879, accessed at TSLA.

recorded as keeping house. While Hesta and Mary were not designated a form of occupation,
Joseph and Lula were marked at school.
26

The 1880 Census data raises questions with accuracy of the information provided in
both the 1870 and 1880 Censuses as well as the correct identity of the Simon Thompson
reported in each document. In the 1870 and 1880 Census, Simon Thompson is listed as 37 and
45, and Jane is listed as 30 and 41. These two age gaps can be explained by the timing of the
Censuses during the calendar year, but the ages of the children complicate the evidence.
Between the two censuses, Simon (the son) was old enough to move out, Emmett would grow
to 13, John to 10, and Mary was also old enough to move out. In 1880, Hesta (19) appears but
would have been 9 in the previous census, a presumably different Mary was 16, Joseph (14)
appears but would have been 4 in the previous census, and Lula (8) was plausibly born during
the interim years. The disappearance of Emmett and John can be explained by high death rates
but the appearance of Hesta and Joseph remain an issue to be explained.
In the marriage licenses report of the Daily American, a colored Simon Thompson and
Fannie Woods were married in early March of 1893.
27

A Simon Thompson, along with Will Thompson
28
and Charles Dudley, were arrested on
November 25, 1893 for gambling. Unable to post bond, the two Thompsons were sent to jail.
29



26
Federal Census, 1880.


27
Marriage Licenses, Daily American, March 3, 1893.

28
There is a William Henry, born January 15, 1842, on the Thompson slave list that is within ten years of
the birth of the two Simon Thompsons from Glen Leven.


29
In the Magistrates Courts, The Nashville Tennessean, November 27, 1893.

According to newspaper reports, there is a strong probability that both Simon
Thompsons died in Nashville in 1896. The first death of a Simon Thompson was reported as
happening at 10:30am on March 17, 1896. He had lived at 1814 North High Street and died at
the age of 53 from typhoid pneumonia.
30
The other Simon Thompson died months later on July
30, 1896, at the age of 62. This Simon lived at 27 Murray Street, and died of heart disease.
31
In
his brief obituary, Simon Thompson was described as a well-known blacksmith of this city
who was held in high respect by those who knew him, both white and colored, and was a
member of the Nashville Lodge G.W.O. of O.F. His funeral was held at Clarks Chapel. The
obituary made mention of his well and favorably known brother-in-law, John Rains, who is
also a resident of Nashville.
32


Further research is required to continue the Simon Thompson family lineage.


Martha Thompson

Milly could have been among the first enslaved individuals at Glen Leven. There is no
information regarding her experiences while enslaved at Glen Leven, but according to the
Thompson slave birth/death list, she was the mother of Martha, born November 19, 1832, and
Doctor Bryant, born January 15, 1835.
33
Martha Thompson was first documented outside of
Glen Leven in the 1870 Census as a head of household in the 13
th
Civil District of Nashville.


30
Deaths Reported, The Nashville American, March 19, 1896; The Death Record, Nashville American,
March 18, 1896.


31
Deaths Reported, The Nashville American, August 1, 1896.


32
Respected Colored Man Dead, The Nashville American, July 31, 1896.


33
Thompson Slave List.

Martha, who was then 36, was a housekeeper and a mother of seven, possibly eight children.
Cain (15) was a cattle driver; Sarah (14), Carter (12), and Benjmain (8) was recorded as at
school; and children Doctor (5), Mary (3), Betsy (3 months), and Milly (5) who was recorded
out of order. Cains occupation as a cattle driver may suggest employment at Glen Leven as
there were not many places for raising cattle within the city limits of Nashville. A Milly
Thompson was also documented in the residence. Milly Thompson, 65 and at home, was
most likely the mother of Martha and Doctor Bryant
34
. According to the information recorded
on the census, Milly was born in North Carolina around 1805, which increases the probability of
her being one of the first enslaved individuals under the Thompson family.
35

By 1880, there were a lot of changes to Marthas family. Martha, who was recorded as
either widowed or divorced, was 47 and had mothered two more children, Mattie (11) and
Macon (6). Mary was now 13 year olds and staying at home with Mattie and Macon. Dock
turned 15 and was now employed as a butcher, while Benjamin (18) and Carter (21) were
employed as laborers. Ben, Dock, and Mary were also recorded as attending school within the
census year, which may suggest Ben and Dock were documented according to their main
occupation and attended school on their off hours.
36

The Sarah Thompson found in the 1870 Census may have married Marcellus Hinton
between the two censuses. In 1880, Marcellus Hinton (30) was a porter and married to Sarah
Hinton (24), a dressmaker. They resided at 21 union street in Nashville with their ten-month-old


34
Marthas son, Doc, shares the same name with his uncle, Doctor Bryant.


35
Federal Census, 1870.


36
Federal Census, 1880.

daughter, Marilyn, Marcellus 62-year-old mother, Maria, and a stranger named Hannah
Williams who was an 18-year-old servant.
Further research is needed to continue the Martha Thompson lineage.

Clem Thompson

The June 16, 1905 edition of The Nashville Banner contained an article entitled Former
Slave Comes Home: Prominent Nashville Banker Has Interesting Visitor, that described a man
named Clem Thompson, then a Baptist preacher, going to visit John Thompsons son Joseph,
whom he had not seen since Joseph was a boy. The article said that Clem left Glen Leven in
1862, right at the start of the federal occupation in Nashville, and went first to Illinois, where he
lived for several years before settling in Kansas.
37


Grandaddy Thompson

The September 23, 1905 edition of The Nashville Banner contained an article entitled
The Faces We Meet On A Crowded Street, profiled a man called Grandaddy Thompson who
was born into slavery at Glen Leven and in 1905, lived behind a grocery story off Woodland
Street on the East Side. He was a wood hauler and was known for using a wagon and team of
four dogs to haul wood. When asked where he was born, he replied, I was born on the Franklin
Road and *I+ lived here all my life, cept when I wasnt travelin with the dogs. He apparently
travelled with the dogs frequently, appearing in numerous parades.
38




37
Excerpt taken from Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 9.


38
Paragraph taken from Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 9.


Grandaddy and his wagon pulled by a trusted team of dogs
39

Photograph: Glen Leven>History>Historic Newspaper Articles>TSLA_Summer 2014


Tommie Ella May
May was born into slavery to the May family in Triune, Tennessee, near Brentwood, in
1850 before coming to work for the May-Overton families of Travellers Rest. After the Civil
War, she travelled with an army doctors family to San Francisco, where she worked and
learned to speak some Chinese. She worked briefly in Kansas and lived for a short time in Salt
Lake City with her sister before returning to Middle Tennessee sometime in the 1880s. Here she
worked for the Thompsons at Glen Leven, helping Mary MCConnell Overton Thompson with


39
The Faces We Meet On The Crowded Street, The Nashville Banner, September 23, 1905, accessed at
TSLA.
her many young children. Though census records stated she was illiterate, family papers
suggest that she taught all of the children in the Overton-Thompson and Orr families to read,
and Harriet Davis Orr, Mays last charge, said that May even taught her to count in Chinese. Orr
wrote a paper about her memories of May in 1979, saying that May was a long-time member of
Holy Trinity Episcopal in Nashville, and that once Mary McConnell Overtons children were
grown, May moved in next door with the Orr family, who she worked for until her death in
1949 at the age of 99 years old.
40


Photographs: Glen Leven>Photographs>Historic Photos from Ophelia
Other Possible Biographies
41

Only one family appears to have stayed or returned to Glen Leven by the 1870 census.
Jack and Leah Sanger or Sawyer, as it is sometimes transcribed, and four generations of
their family are living at Glen Leven. Jack and Leah were born in Maryland and would have been
close in age with John Thompson, possibly two of his first slaves, but their 46-year old daughter
Hannah, Hannahs 21-year old daughter Pauline, and most likely Paulines eldest child, Willie,


40
Paragraph taken from Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 9-10.


41
Entire section taken from Randall, 19
th
Century African American Community at Glen Leven Farm, 7-8.
were all born into slavery at Glen Leven. In 1870, their occupations are listed farm hand or
house servant. Pauline is living in a separate structure on the property with her family, a
husband named Harvey, their two children, and a woman named Patsey Sykes, a 60-year old
woman born in Mississippi. Harvey nor Patsey are in Thompsons ledger and do not appear to
have been enslaved at Glen Leven.
Also in the 1870 census, there is a young man named William Thompson living nearby, if
not on, Thompson property. His occupation is listed common laborer, and based on his age
and a William in Thompsons ledger, he appears to have been born into slavery at Glen Leven to
parents Bettie and Henry.
By 1880, all of Leah and Jacks family are gone from Glen Leven and so is William. There
are several African Americans living and working there as house servants and farm laborers, but
none of their names match those on Thompsons ledger. There are several Hadleys, likely
connected to the Hadley plantation, and one family of Browns. Weve searched for members of
Leah and Jacks family in the census and city directories but have not been able to locate any of
them yet. The last record we have of them is a receipt between Mary Hamilton and Leah, made
sometime in the 1870s. (slide 19) It appears that Leah gave a sum of money to Mary to keep for
her benefit and that Mary returned the money to her. It is tempting to think that this was the
moment when Leah left Glen Leven. The receipt has a line for (quote) her mark, where Leah,
makes an X, suggesting that she was illiterate. Interestingly, she is called Leah Thompson
here.
The 1900 census records again show a few Hadleys, a family named Lee, and possibly
some Hardings. Again, none of the people listed here appear to have been enslaved at Glen
Leven. Were still conducting research on these families to determine where they came from
and who they were.