The Horners of Company C

by their descendant Alton Horner [email protected]

Thomas A. Horner was born 18 Mar 1824, in Jefferson County, Tennessee. He was the son of John B. Horner (son of Thomas Nelson Horner, son of William Horner Sr., son of George Horner, son of John Horner) and Margaret McDonald (daughter of Alexander McDonald and Hanna KirkPatrick).

On 12 May 1845 he married Caroline Williams (daughter of Francis and Catherine Williams) in Grainger County, Tennessee. His first child was James Hezekiah Horner; He was named for Caroline's brother Hezekiah Williams.

Between 1846 and 1857 Caroline bore Thomas 6 children. In 1855 Thomas and Caroline purchased 119 Acres of land in the immediate vicinity of Talbott Station. in Jefferson County, TN. Hopefully, the Horners were going to live happily ever after!

It was not to be! As our county divided along the political lines of unity and states rights, no where in the state of Tennessee, was the rift closer to the heart than in East Tennessee. Thomas A. Horner's loyalty was committed to the Union, his younger brother; James M. Horner was committed to the confederate cause. The greatest test the United States of America would ever face, a civil war, was rapidly drawing near.

In Febuarary of 1863, Thomas A. Horner and his oldest son, James Hezekiah Horner left Talbott Station and the rest of their family behind, thus committing themselves and their lives to the cause of the Union. In becoming members of Company C, 4th Tennessee Calvary Regiment they joined, Hezekiah Williams, their namesake, uncle, good friend and brother in law!

The Civil War was, as history clearly shows, the costliest war, in loss of property and life that our country had every faced. It was fought in our own yards, by our own families, and at a terrible cost of lives and property! Weapon technology had out paced war war-fighting tactics, consequently, during the fighting the armies suffered casualties in numbers never conceived of by the Generals of the day! In the military camps sanitation and hygiene were not practiced. As a result disease and infection killed more soldiers than did the fighting!

In December of 1863, the Confederate Calvary of Longstreet's Corps, were encamped near Talbott Station, they were little more than two miles from the Horner farm. On December 29, 1863 the dark, boiling clouds of this bloody civil war rolled across the countryside between Talbott Station and Mossy Creek. The thunder of artillery echoed through their little valley, the crack of musketry, and the battle cry of thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers raised a terrifying sound as the two sides met in mortal combat. Historians estimate that as many as 500 soldiers died in the Battle of Mossy Creek. After the battle the citizens of Talbott helped to recover the casualties. By the end of this terrible fighting, the family members that Thomas A. and James Hezekiah Horner had left at Talbott Station had also experienced the death and destruction of this terrible civil war!

James Hezekiah Horner was the first of this family to lose his life during the war; he died 8 Oct 1864 in Nashville, TN of chronic dysentery. He was 18 years, 4 months and 9 days old. His body was returned to Talbott, Station and is buried in Economy Cemetery, Morristown, Tennessee. The inscription on his headstone indicates his last words were, "I have nothing left to do, but to die!"

On 12 June 1865, one month before his unit was mustered out of the Union Army; Thomas A. Horner died of Chronic Dysentery at Nashville, TN. His body was returned to Talbott Station, and is also buried in Economy Cemetery, Morristown, Tennessee. The inscription on his headstone reads, " as a soldier of Jesus he died at his post."