McNairy County Tennessee - Cotton Ridge.
COTTON RIDGE
Coal Hill Arkansas, January 10th, 1931
Mr. Thomas Blakely Wilhite
Nashville Arkansas
My Dear Thomas, sparing partner and grandson:-
When I was just your age, 4 years old, I went to Memphis Tenn. My father was
in the war and was stationed at Memphis, my mother, little sister Dorah and
Aund Pagan Barham, went to see my father. My aunt went to see her son Leander
Barham who was afterwards killed in the corner of a fence -- he and a young
man, George Manus, while they were asleep killed by bushwhackers. I remember
very little about the trip, however I can remember my aunt lost her pocket
book, we camped and she walked back several miles to look for it. I do not
know if whither she found it or not. I can remember the solders and the little
tents and going down on the bank of the Miss. River I thought it was a very
large river. I was born March 25, 1859. In a little log house chinked in the
suburbs of Cotton Ridge Tenn a little town of about 29 inhabitants.
During the war my mother moved to town on a small farm where we lived until I
was 9 years old, my grand father owned a water mill about 200 years from his
home, a big 2 story log house, it was in the millpond I learned to swim when I
was about 7 years old.
My father came home in June 1865, brother Pink (Dr. Pinkney Blakley) and I was
at school when we heard my father was at home, we ran all the way home, a
distance of about 2 miles. I was not very well acquainted with my father as I
had never seen him but once as I remember that was in Memphis in 1863, you see
he left home when I was 2 years old, hence my limited acquaintance. It was this
mill pond that my father would let us boys go in swimming as often as we wanted
to if we would go in before breakfast. We went in between daylight and sun up
beginning about the first of March and continuing through but the spring, summer
and fall and about the 15th of November we would to into winter quarters, I
became an expert in the water. Could swim like a duck and dive like a fish.
The first school I ever attended was the summer of 1865, the teachers name was
John Cantiberry, a cripple caused from infantile paralysis. I did not know then
what was the cause, but I know now. Well I continued to attend the Cotton Ridge
School every summer until I was 9 years old when we moved to graves County, Ky,
15 miles from Mayfield, the county site and by the way it was in Mayfield that I
saw my first man hanged, I can well remember how he was dressed. He said he did
not do the actual killing, the man he was with was a very bad man, he told his
pal to come away and let the woman alone, but instead his pal killed her but the
real killer was never caught as I understand.
Well I can remember the move from Cotton Ridge McNairy County Tenn to Viola
Station Ky., we moved by the way of trucks pulled by a yoke of steers, one red
and a black one. The red steer was named after me "Tom" and the back one name
was Dick. It was about 125 .....1868 and the roads were very bad and muddy so we
made very slow progress. I remember we got with in about 10 miles of our goal,
Wash Peeples,(William Washington Peeples) a cousin of mine, who had been with us
left us one morning and walked a head of the moving van to tell the news. IT
sure did make us sore as when we got there we had no strange news to tell as
Wash had told it all. My grand gather and some uncles and aunts liked in Ky at
that time so when we arrived my father looked around and bought a farm from old
man Taylor. The house on the farm was a 2 story house, a big room and a kitchen,
a hall between so we was well fixed for room and shelter. Us boys worked on the
farm made and gathered crops, going to school about three months each year after
crops was made. We lived on this farm 5 years. Mother died on the 23 day of
November 1872 and was burried the nest day in a country grave yard on Brother
Pinks (Dr. Pinkney Blakely) birthday . In March 1973 my father married a Mrs.
McCalister who had 4 children. We did not get along so in December 1873 we broke
up housekeeping and moved back to Tenn. Leaving my step mother and half brother
in Ky.
Lest I forget my mother (Mary E. "Peeples" Blakley) died 3 days after my little
brother Ira was born it was my mothers request that her Sister Aunt Eunice
(Eunice "Peeples" Cantrell) take Dora (Dora "Blakley" Crook, and the baby and
keep them so she did. Taking them to Tenn where Ira died at the age of 9 months.
I remember what we were doing the day we received the letter that Ira was dead,
we were cleaning up a turnip patch and Uncle Ned Peeples (Edward D. Peeples)
brought the letter down in the field to my father.
After going back to Tenn brother Jim and I worked for my grandfather on a farm
at 8.00 ($8.00) per month made and gathered a crop for which we received 4 cents
each. I went to school that summer 2 months to a teacher by the name of Henry
?amble. He taught school in a log dwelling house. He was a fine man and teacher.
He could read, write, sipher and spell real well. I had only 2 books to lug to
and from school, a blue back speller and a McGuffies see reader. This was 1874
so the next year I worked for my Uncle Ben Peeples and wages had gone sky high.
We Jim Pink and I all got 12.50 ($12.50) per month worked 8 months for an ever
100$. Nothing much to buy we all saved about 95 cents a piece and spent at going
to school.
The next year 1875 all of us brothers and sister stared in house keeping. Rented
what was called the Covy farm one mile from McNairy Station. We lived on this
farm 2 years. We moved to an other place and Brother Will and I got a job on a
section. I worked at this job 2 years never loosing a day. Saved all the money I
could and went to school as much as possible. I had made such great progress
that I was employed as a teacher in a graded school in the country. On of my
students finely made a Doctor out of himself and it was he that attended Mr. J.
J. Bradley in his last illness.
Well after working on the RR and teaching school I entered school again went to
the South West Baptist University of Jackson, Tenn. Went back home and during
the winter of 1879 went to Dr. J. W. Conger. It was while attending this school
that I first met a little blue eyed girl that afterwards became your Mama.
In or on the 26th day of February I landed in Knoxville Arkansas bought a car
load of stuff through for my uncle Bent Peoples (Benton Tatum Peeples (a) Owned
Store Finter Tn. (b) Owned store Johnson Co. Ar.) made a share crop with him
that year made 9 bales of cotton and 150 bu of corn. Picked all the corn
[cotton] and gathered all the corn , went back to Tennessee. Landed there on the
9th day of November 1882 attended my sisters wedding that night went to my
grandmothers funeral the next day and was married my self on the 18th of
November 1882. Came back to Ark and made 2 crops and went to work for Cozort
Brothers on the day Grover Cleveland was elected president.
Back to my first year in Arkansas after crops was laid by, a friend of mine by
the name of Sam Evans took a notion to go west, so we rigged up a one horse
wagon and pulled out for Indian territory. We went as far west as Weber Falls
and in order to make expenses we rigged up a small slight of hand show. I was
Hou?inia so I had some bills stuck which read like this: "Thomas B Blakely the
great slight of hand performer Legerdemain and Ventriloquist will perform to
night at the school house admission 10 and 25 cents." And strange to say we made
expenses and then some.
Well Thomas with the help of your grandmother keeping boarders and helping to
save money I was able to attend the medical college at Little Rock Arkansas
during the year 1892 and 1893 graduating. Ten years later I took a post graduate
course in Chicago, Ill and I am sure you have heard your mother say what a
famous Doctor I am. cure cancers, relieve ear ache, stop the colic in a 3 month
old kid. You see I finally made what my father wanted me to be. Now if I could
live to see become a great Doctor I certainly would be happy.
Tell your mother I will tell her what the wonderful salve is made of after she
is ??red but I am afraid to tell her now as the remedy is so simple she wouldn't
have in confidence in it. Now you know if I was to tell her this is what the
salve is made of she would quit using it. I sure hope her ears will get well and
stay well as I can't think of any thing I would rather see than to see her ear
well when she comes up to see us next spring and eat vegetables and fried
chickens. Don't you know it will soon be time to garden, not quite a month, the
17th day of February is the time to start.
[EAR SALVE - Sweet gum wax, Oxide of zinc, Mutton Taller and enough
molasses to make a salve.]
Thomas I hope you enjoy this letter and I will write you some more one of these
days, I will write you before gardening time as I will ?s I will be so busy then
I wont have time. When you see your grandmother look on her finger and you will
se a ring that I put on there ?? Years ago one Sunday evening while we were
hunting huckleberries.
Love to you all, your grandfather Thomas Benton Blakely.
Note by Murrell Peeples: Thomas Blakely (or Blakeley) married Mary Louise Bradley, of Purdy,
daughter of Joseph John Bradley. In 1860 when Thomas was 1 year old. He is
listed in the 8th District 1860 McNairy County Census in the household of J.P.
And Mary E.Blakely, next door to Mary's parents C.W. And Thursday Peoples.
“Wash” William Washington Peeples b. 1859 m. Elizabeth Hodges of Finger McNairy County Tennessee. Their son Edgar Clarence Peeples b. 1884 m. Oma Kirk Patrick.
Submitted by Sara Blakely Sieker, 709 S. Eudora Ct, Littleton, Co 80122
Submitted to McNairy Co. Tennessee TNGenWeb site by.
Murrell Peeples [email protected]
Contributed by Murrell Peeples
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