Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Lynching of Wash Henley
Near this spot on the night of January 15, 1869, a group of masked horsemen lynched Wash Henley, a black Union army veteran, for running away with his white employer's teenage daughter. Henley, born about 1841 in Mississippi, had served as blacksmith for Company B, 59th Ù.S. Colored Infantry with the rank of private from March 1864 until January 1866. In 1864 he married a woman named Emily Black in Memphis. After the war he worked near Bartlett, probably as a blacksmith, for farmer Philip T. Jones, where he met Jones's daughter Susan, who was about 16. On the night of January 14, local newspapers reported, Susan Jones took $445 of her fathers money and left home with Henley. The motive for running away was not clear, although the local press reported it was an elopement.
The day after Susan Jones and Wash Henley disappeared, Philip Jones located his daughter in Germantown and took her back home. That same day six of Jones's friends captured Henley, probably in Collierville. The friends were taking Henley back to Bartlett, intending to turn him over to the authorities. However, a group of masked horsemen, estimated at 25 in number, intercepted the friends, forcibly took Henley, and lynched him. One newspaper reported that Henley was hanged and set afire before being shot. A coroner's jury found that Henley was killed by pistol balls at the hands of unknown parties. Wash Henley's body was found on January 16 near Fletcher's Creek. There were no efforts to investigate, arrest, or prosecute the lynchers. Henley's burial site is unknown.
Erected 2019 by The Lynching Sites Project of Memphis, the National Park Service and the Shelby County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is January 15, 1869.
Location. 35° 10.641′ N, 89° 50.597′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. Marker is on Raleigh La Grange Road, 0.3 miles east of Shelby View Drive, on the right when traveling east. The marker is across the street from the cemetery entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6578 Raleigh Lagrange Rd, Memphis TN 38134, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Bridgewater School (approx. 1.3 miles away); Nashoba (approx. 1½ miles away); Shelby County Hospital / Shelby County Center (approx. 1.6 miles away); St. Ann Catholic Church (approx. 1.9 miles away); Gabriel Maston Bartlett (approx. 2 miles away); Bartlett Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Lynching of Ell Persons (approx. 2.2 miles away); Oak Grove Baptist Church (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Additional keywords. Jim Crowe, terrorism
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2020, by Don Kopcial of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,426 times since then and 229 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 17, 2020, by Don Kopcial of Memphis, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.