Article Text

due EIque finding myself very often sick with and fever and withal very lonesome and with greatly diminished comforts, I determined to look around for another compan long which I found in the person of Sarah Aun Smith, the present companion of my woes and sorrows. She was born in Goochland county, Virginia, June 24, 1806, and was the daughter of Captain George SterlingSmith, of Madison county, Alabama, a sterling family and a sterling woman I have always found her to be. We were united in marriage at her father's house on the 24th of March, 1824, by the Rev. Willie Blount Peck, the stationed Methodist minister at Huntsville; Alabama. Aul по sdore OM1 made I mo sickety os 09 01 редоль vhhich the Гелер pus chill Will OS suffered determined to return to Nashville to my old homestead, in December, 1826. After recovering my health, I waselected, in April, 1828, chief book-keeper in United States Branch Bank, at Nashville, Jno. Sommerville was the Cashier and John Nichol the President. I remained in said bank about two years at a salary of $800 per annum, when an offer was made to me of the cashiership of the bank of State, by the Legislature of Tennessee, at salary of $1,500, which I accepted and gave a satisfactory bond for faithful performance. I took charge of the bank in the spring *0881 The bank was in great disrepute by the puz officers Former sig JO bad being underthe control of the Legislature had my reports to make to that body. the end of two years, for which period was elected, the Legislature re-elected me over Daniel Graham, a strong opponent a man well qualified, by a large and factory majority. This was a triumph which I was much pleased, as it was a full endorsement of the manner in which I had managed the affairs of the bank. SEM charter the the Planters' Bank of Tennessee, with capital of $2,000,000, the stock being subscribed and payments made sufficient put the bank into operation. The Board of Directors unanimously elected me Cashier on the 4th of March, 1834, Edward B. Littlefield, President, each at "munue per $2.000 Jo Subject The bank was successfully and profitably conducted until 1837, when the country was visited with apecuniary revulsion such as we have never before or since witnessed -sns the persond II States. Petiod the u! broke pue banks mo 118 Jo pension peeple ano JO thousands was the forerunner of the bankrupt law, 01 moj JOJ force up remained years. During all this time, I was prosperous and happy, when a large commission -isnq their JO branch e THE u! ness in New Orleans, was forced by suit into bankruptcy with a liability resting me for them for over $70,000. The amount of this liability was more than my property IInj pus Sunos being ng 'purtumos p[nom epn the isupuse dn poots JO adversity, and in the course of time mounted the pressure, felt myself a free man, and rejoiced over the success that many of my friends believed that would never be able to achieve. I remained in the Planters' Bank as Cashier until Sept. 1852, when, to great surprise of the Board of Directors, handed them my resignation, to take effect the 1st October following, or sooner if Board could find a suitable man to fill place. I was retained until about the Au 04 you Following December JO had I SE ! Am against Lut other business arrangements. While an officer of the Planters' Bank, had the satisfaction to believe that pleased the 01 as 'pue Director JO Breog the side world, it affords me pleasure to that they regretted the step I bad taken. had served in the bank about nineteen years, during which time I never was sent from my post for private recreation 01 Tisit B-SAEP ten SE Suo[ ass 0000 mg Aqua Springs-but several times for a days, and frequently on business for N 1843. 01 1888 шоу 'rueq feelings ever existed between the President and myself during the period we served to gether as executive officers, and I cultivated the most friendly relations with all subordinate officers of the bank, many survive. 11!7S шоца partient- E 1859 November JO 1st the "O ship agreement commenced between ley Wheless and myself, in the private banking and brokerage business, under name of Hobson & Wheless. Our business sucured SE uojun uno pur possperons SEM a happy one. The free banking system 1829 Rebruary u! E into passed availed ourselves of all the rights and privileges in that law, and on the 1st day August, 1853, changed our business to name and style of the Bank of Nashville '000'09$ Jo notes queq Jo issue uu THE prospered beyond our most sanguine College uo punor8 personsed peterions street, and erected a banking house, which, for comfort and convenience, surpassed anything of the kind in the city. This RECEIVE g Rive pur includes 01 seemed perity to our business, but in October, a general pecuniary panic con.menced New York, and ran over the country fire in dry stubble. Our Bank fell a Credit week ene up pus force its 01 tun bank in the city shared the same fate by suspension of specie payments. The Bank had enjoyed areputation and credit that houses could have acquired in 80 short period. We put the institution into immediate liquidation, as the junior partner had agreed to unite his future destiny Hewitt, Norton & Co., of New Orleans, and take charge of a branch of their house in Liverpool, England. In a short thereafter, the unfortunate civil war broke out between the North and the South, result of which is known to have been astrous to all classes of business in South. My partner and son-in-law, Wesley Wheless, died in Liverpool, 'Indy JO 4708 em no 'purls When I received intelligence of death, I left home for Liverpool on the of April, 1861, and returned to my home the 26th of May, bringing with me daughter and children, and her husband's remains, which are deposited in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, a monument designating place of his burial. In my hurry to finish the paper, T omitted to say anything about the war with England, then SEM I 1819, III commención young to become asoldier, and consequentstruggle the in and special ou 1001 "