Jerry Gaines, Private, 16th Inf. Reg., Co. F USCT

This is not Jerry.

      As I type the title to this article, it occurs to me that filling out the enlistment papers in December of 1863 at Fort Defiance might have represented something important to Jerry. Granted, I don't know, and can't really know what Jerry was thinking, but simple empathy and what a former Professor of mine called 'moral imagination' indicates otherwise. This was the first time Jerry was shown in a record as man. No longer property, but a man. Sure, there was still, and is, a long way to go but I wonder if this resonated in him at all. I think it would've in me. The information below is largely provided by his pension record.


Jerry's Story

Jerry was born in 1845 to Eliza and Wiley Gaines. Eliza and Wiley had grown up together and were slaves on the James Norfleet farm and were married in 1844 when Eliza was 13 and Wiley was 18. This farm was about two miles from Port Royal. The next year, they welcomed their firstborn child, Jerry, into the world. Jerry was born at Dr. Philip Ford Norfleet's house, within a few hundred yards of Port Royal.

James Norfleet gave Wiley and Eliza to two of his children, Wiley and Louisa, respectively. In 1848 Louisa, or Lou, married Abraham C. Gaines who lived in Port Royal (my home today). Eliza and Jerry went with her. Wiley had already moved to Wiley Norfleet's plantation sometime earlier. In 1853, Abraham Gaines purchased Wiley from Wiley Norfleet, reuniting the Wiley and Eliza's family.

Jerry Gaines CMSR, National Archives. Ancestry.com

In December 1863 Jerry enlisted in the 16th Infantry Regiment of the USCT at Fort Defiance in Clarksville. He was assigned to Company F. He was immediately set to picket and guard duty at Fort Defiance and in the New Providence area. During this time, he contracted "black measles" and pneumonia and on Feb. 28, 1864 was admitted to the military hospital in Clarksville. Black Measles is a severe form of measles characterized by bleeding under the skin. It was most often fatal in the 19th century.

Jerry's father Wiley enlisted in the same regiment just a couple weeks prior, but in Company K. Soon after the Regiment received orders to move to Chattanooga. Due to his health, Jerry was unable join the regiment. His mother, Eliza, came to the hospital and after three days of staying in the yard, moved to Clarksville. She observed her son to be "thin (and) staggering" and "could barely speak". Amazingly, Jerry recovered and rejoined his unit in Chattanooga by May of 1864. However, he lost all hearing in his right ear due to infection. Jerry continued to serve in Chattanooga, a battle in Pulaski, and the Battle of Nashville.

Upon his discharge from the Army at Nashville in 1866, Jerry returned home to Port Royal. His mother and father were living on Dr. P.F. Norfleets place, where Jerry was born and about 300 yards from the Gaines plantation where he had spent most of his life. He took up residence with them and began farming with his father. In 1866 Jerry married Jennie Weatherford. She was the formerly a slave of William Weatherford who lived across the Red River from Port Royal at the Port Royal Mills. Jennie still lived with the Weatherford's as the "house girl". Unfortunately, Jennie died in 1868 at the Weatherford's house. Jerry told the Justice of the Peace taking his deposition for pension purposes 30 years later that the year she died "... I was cropping with my father at Dr. Norfleet's and Jennie was housegirl at Weatherford's and I'd go back and forth, all there at Port Royal." During those two years, they also had two children, but they also died during that time.

On 3/23/1869, Jerry remarried to Roxanna Manlove, former slave of "old" Dr. Manlove. Unfortunately, it's fairly evident that such loss as he had experienced took it's toll. Over the next few years, Jerry became an alcoholic. He and his father did odd-jobs in Clarksville for several years. And here's where some records disagree: The 1870 and 1880 census' both show Jerry and his family lived in and around Port Royal but Jerry's statement in his pension records says he left and went to Clarksville for 14 years. However, this does verify his wife's, Roxanna's, account of Jerry being mostly absent from her and the children's lives. Roxanna, or Roxie, stated in her deposition that until Jerry came back to the house looking for his discharge papers, she hadn't seen him in 7 or 8 years. Roxie further states that Jerry like to drink to excess and couldn't hold a job. He had bought the house she and the children lived in, but provided no other support.

Jerry's reason for leaving was that he had gone west to see Indian Territory. Roxie said he told him he had made a land claim out there (perhaps there's records of this?). Jerry also recounted this to the J.P. during his deposition. Roxie further stated that Jerry was in debt to several locals in Port Royal and she believes that was why he left.

"...indeed, he has entirely quit this community."

Another interesting deposition is that of Wm. L. Parks. Parks lived about 1.5 miles south of Port Royal and employed Jerry from time to time. Parks stated that he had known Jerry all his life and continued to see him often before he left. Since Jerry could only read print, but not write, Parks wrote out Jerry's Pension application and any other correspondences Jerry needed to the Pension Board. However, Parks seemed to have a bit of contempt for Jerry when the deposition was taken. He told the J.P. that Jerry "...worked on my sympathies..." but has since come to the conclusion that Jerry was exaggerating his illness. Jerry had come down with consumption, but Parks believed this was due to him being from a "consumptive family" - Jerry's father and two sisters had died from it. Parks believed that Jerry's hoarse voice came from the fact that his throat had been cut during a fight with Dr. J.T. Darden's brother while working there. Seeing Jerry in boxing matches and drinking to excess solidified Parks' opinion. Parks' deposition finished with his statement: "...indeed, he has entirely quit this community...".

Where did Jerry go?

Sometime around the 1900 Jerry moved near to the communities of Shiloh and Sailor's Rest in southern Montgomery County, TN. I couldn't find much of Jerry's activities during the next 20 years other than that he remained in southern Montgomery County, TN until he died December 13, 1929. He was buried in the Bibb cemetery in Sailor's Rest, Montgomery County, TN. Though this cemetery doesnt seem to be recorded anywhere, I hope to be able to find it. Records indicate he was not issued a Veteran's headstone. If I can locate descendants and they're agreeable, we can have one placed on his grave - provided I can find it.

Jerry experienced a great deal of hardship. Not only was he enslaved, but he was a soldier. He experienced a great deal of loss. I'm grateful to have gotten to know him through these few records.