CAPTAIN DOWDY GETS HIS REVENGE

-
  Southerners have always been famous for their chivalry toward women, especially during the Civil War. The code of chivalry, however; was put to the test in December of 1864. General John Hunt Morgan was one of the most famous Confederate cavalrymen of the Civil War, second only to Nathan Bedford Forrest in the western theater. He had won a brilliant victory at Hartsville Tennessee early in the war. Embarrassing the Yankee's and he had led the deepest raid into Northern territory in 1863. Morgan was captured with his men in Ohio and was imprisoned there. He would later escape in one of the most daring prison escapes ever made, returning to lead more cavalry raids against the enemy. His raids tied up thousands of Union troops and cost the Union millions of dollars in destroyed and captured property. As a result there was a price of a 1,000 dollars placed on the heads of Morgan and his troopers. On September 4, 1864 General Morgan was staying  at the Williams home in Greenville Tennessee. He felt safe there. Morgan's men were encamped two miles outside of town. At 4:00 A.M. a Captain Dowdy rode to the Williams house to receive orders for that day. Morgan ordered Dowdy to have the troops ready to move at 7:00 A.M. Dowdy saluted and left. 

  At 6:00 A.M. the Williams house was surrounded by Yankee's. Morgan had been betrayed by Mrs. Williams for the 1,000 dollar bounty, which was a lot of money in those days. Morgan hastily grabbed his pants and boots running into the garden to hide in his night clothes. Mrs. Williams pointed to the shrubbery that Morgan was hiding behind and shouted "There he goes" to the Union troops. They shot him several times in the chest, killing him. The Confederate camp was attacked and Captain Dowdy was captured by the enemy. He was taken to an Ohio prison where he remained for four months. He managed to escape though and headed South. You guessed it, to Greenville Tennessee. On Christmas day 1864 Captain Dowdy arrived bearing an unwanted gift for Mrs. Williams. He spotted her walking up a cow path and with his arms folded, blocked her way. "Stunned she stammered "Oh, Captain Dowdy". Dowdy responded "correct ma'am". She cried out "Captain don't kill me, I'll give you the thousand dollars". Dowdy responded, "If you have anything to say you have five minutes to talk". Sensing that these were her last words she dropped to her knees and began to pray. When the five minutes expired Dowdy shot her at point blank range, killing her instantly. He picked up her body and placed it on her front porch. Crossed her hands and rode off without looking back.

  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE DEATH OF JAYNE MANSFIELD

-
Image
Jayne Mansfield   Jayne Mansfield died way too young on June 29, 1967 at the age of 34 in a gruesome car wreck, She was killed instantly but contrary to urban legend she was not decapitated. Jayne was called the poor man's Marilyn Monroe. She had enjoyed about a four year stint of popularity on Broadway and in Hollywood from 1954 until 1958. Her career was in decline in the late 50's and early 60's but she was still popular in Europe and on the nightclub circuit. She took her last name from her high school sweetheart Paul Mansfield when she married him at the age of seventeen. Her second husband was a former Mr. Universe named Mickey Hargitay who was from Norway. The third and last husband was Matt Cimber. Mansfield was highly educated, attending Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas and U.C.L.A. She supposedly had an IQ of 163 and was called the smartest dumb blonde ever. Of course she couldn't be too smart. In 1966, a year before her death, while...
Read more

CARNTON PLANTATION

-
Image
   My first association with the Carnton Plantation in Franklin was when I would see the old house while hunting for Civil War relics in the early 1970's. There is a subdivision near Carnton today in the area where I hunted when it was primarily farm land. I knew it was an antebellum home but I wasn't aware of how historic Carnton was. It was in a horrible state of disrepair and I have learned since then that a farmer was using the house as his hay barn. In 1977 the owner of the property donated the house and ten acres to the Carnton Association and they have done a fantastic job of restoring the plantation to it's former glory. Originally the McGavock's owned 1400 acres. It was built by Randall McGavock in the 1820's. He was mayor of Nashville and a close friend of Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk. Jackson on several occasions was an overnight guest in the home.    His son John took over the plantation in 1843 upon the death of Randall. In 1848 John mar...
Read more

NASHVILLE AND JESSE JAMES

-
Image
The James brothers with their mother Zerelda James   Most everyone has heard of the notorious outlaws Jesse and Frank James, however; did you know that they lived in Nashville from 1875 until March 1881? Jesse's oldest son Jesse James Jr. was born in Nashville along with his sister Mary. Jesse Jr. was born at 606 Boscobel Street on August 31, 1875. Mary was born on West Hamilton Road in Bordeaux on July 17, 1879. Jesse Jr. went by the name Tim and as far as he knew his last name was Howard. He and his sister would not know their real last names until after Jesse was killed in 1882. Jesse and his wife Zerelda would also lose two male twins in infancy.  Jesse's brother Frank lived on Clarksville Pike. While living there he and his wife Annie Ralston James gave birth to a son named Robert Franklin on February 6, 1877. For a time he would be dressed as a girl and go by the name of Mary. Why his parents did this I do not know.  The brothers were on the run. Nashvill...
Read more