The Tennessee Militia System, 1772-1857

University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2003 Pioneers, patriots, and politicians : the Tennessee militia system, 1772-1857 Trevor Augustine Smith Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Smith, Trevor Augustine, "Pioneers, patriots, and politicians : the Tennessee militia system, 1772-1857. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2003. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/5189 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Trevor Augustine Smith entitled "Pioneers, patriots, and politicians : the Tennessee militia system, 1772-1857." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Stephen Ash, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Trevor Augustine Smith entitled "Pioneers, Patriots, and Politicians: The Tennessee Militia System, 1772-1857." I have examined the finalpaper copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements forthe degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Stephen�� Ash, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: -dZU�MJ_ ll Acceptance for the Council: Vice Provost and De Graduate Studies PIONEERS, PATRIOTS, AND POLITICIANS: THE TENNESSEE MILITIASYSTEM, 1772-1857 A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Trevor Augustine Smith May 2003 Copyright© 2003 Trevor Augustine Smith All Rights Reserved iii Dedication To Lenore for her love, patience and support V Acknowledgments The help of numerous friends and advisors made this dissertationpossible. At the University of Tennessee professorWayne Cutler introduced me to this topic and supported me with my research. My committee members, professors Paul Bergeron, BruceWheeler, and Charles Aiken offeredimportant criticism and advice, which enabled me to improve the work considerably. And finally, my major professor, Stephen Ash, carefully and patiently guided me through this dissertation. I greatly appreciate his time and effort. I would like to thank the staff at the Special Collections Library at the University of Tennessee, particularlyNick Wyman, for helping me locate sources. I also appreciate the assistance of the staff of the Hodges library in Knox ville. At the Tennessee State Library and Archives Tom Kanon, MarilynBell Hughes, Susan Gordon, and Darla Brock assisted me considerably, and helped me procure sources that would have ordinarilybeen unavailable. The History Departmentat the University of Tennessee has been very supportive throughout this process. The departmentprovided funds throughthe Bernadotte Schmitt research fellowship. Special thanks go to Penny Hamilton and Kim Harrisonin the departmentoffice. My parents, professorCharles Smith and Cecil George Smith, have assisted me far beyond what could be expected. I am especially grateful fortheir willingness to take over my business pursuits thus giving me the time to complete this project. Finally, I vii would like to thank my future wife,Lenore Reda, forher patience and support. viii Abstract Like all U.S. states, prior to the Civil War Tennessee maintained an active militia system. This dissertationexamines the establishment, function, and decline of this organization. For more than eighty years the Tennessee militia participated in a number of military conflicts. It also played an important role in the state's social and political development. The militia was among the firstinstitutions established by the early Tennessee settlers. Itbegan as an informalcollection of every able-bodied male. By 1800 the militia had grown considerably, and the volunteers, who served by choice, assumed the burden of meeting the state's militaryneeds. During Tennessee's firstyears, the militia was useful as a supportmechanism for Tennessee's bureaucratic processes. It was the frameworkby which men paid taxes and voted. Militiamen also built roads. During the early nineteenth century the militias had become important social institutions, andmilitia membership became a tool formen seeking social and political advancement. The militias eventually emerged as political organizations as well. Militiamen worked together to asserttheir political will, and volunteer companies became associated with political parties. The Tennessee militia was a very active military organization. The earliest militiamen defendedagainst hostile Indians andwere thus criticalto the survival of the white settlements. By the 1780s, however, the militia became a tool to drive the state's Indian people fromtheir tribal land. In 1838 the state used the militia in the infamous ix Indian removal. Militiamen fromthe Volunteer State also participatedin every major antebellum conflict. When in active service Tennessee volunteers typically performed well. However, during peacetime many volunteer companies did not train regularly. The state did, however, always maintain a few well-trained and well-armed companies. After the removal of the eastern Indians the Tennessee militia declined rapidly. By 1850 the state no longer needed to keep large numbers of men trained formilitary service, and the militia ceased to exist as a functional organization. X Table of Contents Chapter Page Introduction ................................................................................................. .... ....... .... 1 Chapter I: The Militia Ideal and the Creation of a National Defense System ............ 7 Chapter II: A System To Defenda Free People: The Tennessee Militia Laws .......... 33 Chapter ill:A Tool For Survival: The Militia During the Pioneer Years .................. 71 Chapter IV: Expanding Power and Influence: The Militia's Role in Creatinga State ................................................................................. 105 Chapter V: Volunteers at Work and Play: The Many Roles of the Antebellum Militiamen ....................................................................... 137 Chapter VI: Mustering the Volunteer Spirit: Antebellum Militiamen at War ........... 175 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 219 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 225 Vita ............................................................................................................................. 239 xi Introduction In July 1848, two regiments and one battalion of tired and homesick Tennesseans boarded ships at Vera Cruz, Mexico, and sailed toward home. These men had served for one year during the Mexican War as militiamen. Although they had experiencedlittle fighting, like all victorious soldiers they returnedhome as heroes. They were not only proudof their serviceto their country, but also proud of their status as citizen soldiers of their home state, forthey were part of an honored military tradition dating fromthe state's first white settlements. Inthe eyes of these men and the general citizenry, the Tennessee militia had consistently proven itself to be one of America's finestmilitary institutions, with an unstained record of victory and courage. During its long history the Tennessee militia had played a prominent role in some of America's greatestmilitary victories, including the battles of King'sMountain, Horseshoe Bend, and New Orleans. Furthermore, the Tennessee militia had produced Andrew Jackson, the most celebrated war hero of his day and to his contemporariesthe embodiment of a greatleader. 1 What these soldiers did not know was that they were the last true members of their organizationto see active service. As in other states, by the late 1840s the militia no longer served a usefulpurpose in the Volunteer State, and had thus largely disbanded. By the 1850s men who had at one time willingly invested time and money in military 1John T. Moore and Austin P. Foster, Tennessee the Volunteer State, 1769-1923 (4 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1923), 1: 437-38. 1 training no longer feltcompelled to do so. Laws requiring this training were repealed, and one of Tennessee's most significantinstitutions quietly came to an end. The militias were the foundationof the Americanmilitary from the beginningof white settlement in North America until the late antebellum era. These bodies of citizen soldiers, loyal to their state or local government, served in every military conflict and to many Americans represented the ideals of freedomand democracy. They were critical to the survivalof white settlement, as well as to the formationand development of the United States. Despite

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