From Family Findings
Vol. VIII, No. 3, July 1976, pp. 4-7
Copyright, Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society, 1976
Appears on this web site by permission

MADISON COUNTY, TENNESSEE,
JULY 4, 1876

 

(Page 4)

From the Whig and Tribune, June 10, 1876

"HURRAH! HURRAH!! — A Grand Fourth of July Celebration — Old Madison to the Front."

So read the caption on a story from the Whig and Tribune, June 10, 1876 concerning preparations for the 4th of July.

At a planning meeting the first week in June, 1876 the following proposals were made:

"After several stirring pieces of martial music by the Jackson Silver Cornet Band, Capt. J. B. Inman, of Carroll Station was called to the chair, and the representatives of the Press present, requested to act as secretaries. Mr. Robert Gates stated the object of the meeting and presented a program for consideration.

"Finance Committee. E. H. Kelly, Chairman; W. H. Lancaster, Gilbert C. Anderson, W. S. Moore, J. C. Gates and J. C. Smith.

"Committee on Grounds and Dinner. Judge H. W. McCorry, Chairman; H. W. Tomlin and J. G. McCabe.

"Committee on Modern Music. Prof. L. F. Whitaker, Chairman, with power to select his choir, music, &c., and to organize the same.

"Committee on Ancient Music. D. W. Stephens, Chairman, with power to select and organize his performers and choose suitable music, &c.

"Committee on Procession. Dr. W. B. Spencer, Chairman; T. M. Gates, H. C. Anderson, T. A. Blair and F. B. Snipes.

"Marshals. Col. J. D. Ozier, of Henderson, Grand Marshal; Dr. John A. Arrington, of Jackson; W. C. Taylor and Dr. O'Neal, of Spring Creek, Dr. John Tyson, of Denmark; Dr. McCoy of Pinson, E. M. Parham, of Medon; J. P. Inman, of Carroll; E. D. Sneed, of Claybrook; John Witherspoon, of Andrew's Chapel; Sam Person of Cotton Grove and Capt. R. T. McKnight, of Harrisburg, Assistant Marshals.

"By order of the Executive Committee. W. P. Robertson, Chairman. Robert Gates, J. T. McCutcheon, Jas. G. Reid, and J. D. Askew.

"The meeting elected the following gentlemen as readers or orators: Alexander W. Campbell, to deliver the historic address; E. L. Bullock, the oration on the day we celebrate, and Col. R. I. Chester to read the Declaration of Independence.

 

(Page 5)

From the Jackson Sun, July 6, 1876
[HTML editor's note: This heading in Family Findings seems to be either misdated or an outright mistake as the material was written to appear before the celebration.]

"Committee on Contributions.
District No. 1-Pinson, R. A. Maya, T. Dismukes, Caleb McKnight and Prof. J. C. Wright.
District No. 1-Henderson, Col. W. C. Cason, Dr. J. W. Crook and Prof. G. N. Savage.
District No. 2-Tip Swink, J. T. March and Wash Eddings.
District No. 3-W. W. Weatherly and H. H. Vincent.
District No. 4-W. L. Utley, P. H. Walker and Thos. Bond.
District No. 5-A. R. Reid and Gee. I. Chapman.
District No. 6-R. H. French and R. A. Treadwell.
District No. 7-A. D. Hurt, Wiley Blackard and John Ingram.
District No. 8-H. W. Shelton, Moses Hardin, V. B. Chester and Ferd McKnight.
District No. 9-J. M. Withers and B. L. Gregory.
District No. 10-B. S. Brooks, Jno. Deloach, J. B. Inman, Jule C. Harris and S. G. Howlett.
District No. 11-Thos. Askew, N. P. Collins and James Greer.
District No. 12- Dudley Pearson, Mason W. Fuzzell and Dr. O'Neal.

"Special Orders, Procession, &c. All those who will Join in the procession will assemble at the Court-House before 11 o'clock Tuesday morning. At 11 o'clock the procession will be formed by Col. J. D. Ozier, Grand Marshal, and his assistants, on Market street in the following order
1st-The procession will be headed by the Jackson Silver Cornet Band.
2nd-Knights Templar of Jackson Commandery No. 13 and Visiting Knights.
3rd.-Stark Encampment No. 10, I.O.O.F.
4th-Madison Lodge No. 16 I.O.O.F.
5th-Speakers and Orator of the day in carriage.
6th-Mayor and Aldermen, and City officials in carriages.
7th-The 6th Tennessee Regiment.
8th-All citizens who will join the procession.

"Line of March. Promptly at 11 o'clock the procession will move up Market to Main, Main to Church, Church to College, College to Stoddert, Stoddert to Smith, Smith to Hays Avenue, Hays Avenue to the grounds of the Immaculate Conception, where the celebration will occur.

"Order of the Day at the Grounds.
1st-Song by the Choir, composed of 50 singers.
2nd-Music by the Band
3rd-Reading Declaration of Independence by Col. Robert I. Chester.
4th-Music by the Band
5th-Song by the Choir
6th-Oration, or the History of the County, by Gen. A. W. Campbell.
7th-Music by the Band

 

(Page 6)

8th-Song by the Choir.
9th-Oration of the Day, by E. L. Bullock, Esq.
10th-Music by the Band.
11 th-Dinner.
By Order of the Executive Committee. W. P. Robertson, Chairman."

 

From the Jackson Sun, July 10, 1876

"At 11 o'clock the Grand Procession was formed on Market Street, and moved to the grounds in north-east Jackson where the celebration took place.

"The celebration was on the grounds of the Catholic Academy, in East Jackson. The spot is beautiful with grass that never dies, grand with trees that were born with the century----.

"From an address by Gen. A. W. Campbell on the history of Madison County:

"In 1820 the Legislature passed an act providing for the organization of new counties west of the Tennessee river. In pursance of this act Gay. Wm Carroll commissioned Bartholomew G. Stewart, David Jarrett, William Atkerson, Robert H. Dyer, John Thomas, Adam R. Alexander, Duncan Mclver, Joseph Lynn, James Trousdale and William W. Woolfolk, 'Gentlemen Justices of the Peace' for Madison county. On the 17th day of December, 1821, they met at the office of Adam R. Alexander, who was also at that time District Surveyor of the 10th Surveyors District, South and West of the Congressional Reservation Line, for the purpose of organizing a Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the new county. The office in which the first court of the county was held, was situated about two miles West of Jackson, near the Indian mounds on the land which belongs to the family of the late John W. Campbell and Northeast of the ford on the Forked Deer River which was then known as the ford at Roberson's Ferry. This ford is about two hundred and fifty yards below Campbell's bridge.

"Robert Hughes was appointed temporary clerk and the first official act of the court was to hold an election for County Clerk, which resulted in the election of Roderick McIver. The other officers elected, were Herndon Harralson, Chairman of the Court; Thomas Shannon, Sheriff; John T. Porter, Register; James Brown, Ranger; William Atkerson, Trustee; William Griffith, Coroner; George White, John Fare, Elijah Jones and Win. H. Doak, Constables. The Constables gave bond f or the faithful discharge of their duties in the penal sum of 'one hundred and fifty pounds'. Why it was that the penalty of the Constable bonds was stated in sterling currency and the bonds of the other bonded officers in Federal currency

 

(Page 7)

does not appear. I can only account for it upon the conjecture that the clerk in drawing up the bonds used the same old form book that came down from Colonial times.

"The dinner was ample for all, but owing to a shower which came up during the feast, there was great disorder about the tables and usual grabbing and a great many quiet citizens failed to get their dinner. The ladies, however, were amply provided for, and all other who reached the tables before the rain. We regret the disorder which prevented so many from enjoying their dinner, but we assure our friends everywhere that there was provisions in abundance for all, and that enough was left after the crowd had dispersed, to have fed five hundred hungry people. It is proper to state that the feast was principally furnished by the citizens of Jackson, who not only contributed baskets of provisions, but the money with which four-fifths of the carcasses for the barbecue were purchased. However, the people of the fifteenth district, outside of the city, and the people of the tenth and eighteenth districts contributed with generous liberalty. There were also scattering contributions from other parts of the county, but owing to local celebrations and other causes the county did not respond with its usual liberality to the great celebration in Jackson. We have no fault to find nor lecture to read about it, however, for we know the people of Madison county too well to question their liberality when they are interested or feel themselves able to respond.

"The day is our common heritage, and at its every annual return we should assemble around the altar of liberty, and pledge ourselves and our children, to preserve forever the love of those principles which cost our forefathers such a wealth of blood and treasure."