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Abner Clint Liles (Union) was born on Feb.18, 1945 in Roane
County, TN, and died on June 2, 1924 in Coalfield, TN. He is buried in
the Elverton Cem. in Roane County. He served as a drummer in Co. F 5th
TN Infantry, enlisting at the age of 17. He married Martha Anne Hacker
on Nov. 10, 1867 in Roane County, TN. Soon after the war, the
government granted him a large farm at the end of what we now call
Corbin Hill Rd., in Coalfield. His pension was $12.00 a month. This
was considered a large income during the Reconstruction Days after the
war when wages was 10 cents a day working on the railroad.
No one knows exactly how many children he had, but it's documented
that he had 6 daughters who lived, two sons who might have died during
infancy, and one daughter who was born dead. He has several living
descendants in Anderson, Loudon, Morgan, Knox, and Roane Counties. He
also had a brother, Major Lindsey Liles, who served in the Calvary
Division. Clint had a good friend from Joyner named Julian Barger who
played the bass drum. They both liked to attend and play music at the
Soldier's Campfire Meetings at Jonesville Church, in Roane County.
Submitted by Chester Spradlin, with the aid of: W.B. Lyles, Gayle Davis Gray, Pat Roberts
McDonald, Alexis Hacker Scholz, Marlen Suzette Passons, and Mr. &
Mrs. Darwin Davis, and Sam Davis.
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Excerpt from "The Citizen Times" Nov. 8, 1978
Ex-Soldier's Camp Fire Meeting: About 1920
………...Local veterans, and veterans from Oliver Springs, Wheat, Morgan
County, Robertsville, etc. helped to swell the crowd. Around
1920, the group was composed of veterans of the Civil War,
Spanish-American War, and World War I…..
……….Clinton Liles (Civil War) is ready to strike up a marching tune on
his little drum. Julian Barger (Civil War) is poised with his
drumstick to pick up the bass. Some say that Julian played louder
and better and stepped higher when marching if visiting his well
stocked wine cellar before he started to the Camp Fire meeting.
John E. Wright who knows about the "Wrights" said, "When
fellowship was at its highest, Thomas C. Wright or his brother, Captain
Jack, would invariably insist that Julian Barger, Clint Liles, and the
rest of the band strike up "Dixie," and thereby bring the otherwise
harmonious meeting to the verge of re-newed hostilities."
Order would be quickly restored when Julian Barger would strike up a
march, and lead a march down toward Poplar Creek and then circle back
to the church with every soldier in the parade trying his best to keep
in step.
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