Killed by Bushwhackers: James L. Thompson, Obion County, Tennessee (originally published 2019)

When I began researching my family history, I got a lot of information from my Uncle Tom.

He told me the story of my 3rd great grandfather, James L. Thompson. He said that one night, some men came to the Thompson home and shot him. He said he heard that one of the Thompson children was holding on to James' leg when he was shot. 

This was the legend, and Uncle Tom said that no matter which branch of the family you asked, they all knew this same story. 

I have searched high and low for some sort of documentary evidence to prove this story. I cannot find any.

I know that James was killed during the Civil War, on 10 September 1864.

I know he had 8 children and his wife, Melinda, was likely pregnant when he died. That last child was named James, probably after his father.

During the Civil War, bushwhackers could have either Union or Confederate sympathies. They were not part of the military, and were often neighbors of the people they targeted.

In the spring of 2017, I made a trip to Obion County, Tennessee, where James was killed. I was hoping to verify the facts 

surrounding James' death.

There were no records because the courthouse had burned.

There were no newspapers.

I decided to visit the grave. I knew James, along with another man, donated land for the church and cemetery, and that he lived adjacent to the church. The town mayor, who happened to be in the courthouse, suggested I speak with the people living near the church. I had never done anything like that before, but I mustered all of my courage and knocked on the door.

I am so glad that I did. That man, who was not related to the Thompson family, grew up in the old James and Melinda Thompson house. He shared a similar story. He said that some men had come to settle an argument with James. They took him out into the field and killed him. He said that James made his way back to the house, where he bled to death on the floor with his wife and children near him. He said that the old house had pine floors, and his blood soaked into the wood. His mom kept the blood stain covered with a rug. 

The house had only recently been torn down.

Although I cannot verify the accuracy of the legend, I want to believe that, although tragic, my 3rd great grandfather was killed by Confederate bushwhackers. I don't know if James supported the Union or Confederacy, but I want to believe that James supported the Union cause. He was living in a southern state. He was not a slave owner himself, but that didn't mean much. Most southerners were not slave owners. 

I think my biggest piece of evidence for James' Union sympathy is that his son Thomas had a brother-in-law who was born in Obion County in about 1866 and was named Ulysses S. Stout. I can't imagine his family being friends with a Union-supporting family if James had been killed by Union sympathizers.

I have posted two of the four images before, but it was important to include 

them again to tell the story.