Livingston in Overton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Overton County Courthouse

1865 Burning

Photographed by Don Morfe, July 22, 2013

1. Overton County Courthouse Marker

Inscription.

Overton County Courthouse. 1865 Burning. During the war, guerrillas supporting both sides operated in Overton County, and the residents experienced early the dangers of living in the borderlands. In October 1861, William E.B. Jones of Livingston wrote Tennessee’s Confederate governor Isham G. Harris, “We are in danger here of an invasion from the Lincolnite Kentuckians, because, by the order of Gen. [Albert Sidney] Johnston, all our troops here are now removed and we are left without troops, and constant invasion threatened. The troops in leaving here are going through the border counties of Kentucky creating a violent spirit of hatred against them and this country because troops were formed here into regiments.”, On December 15, 1863, Confederate Col. John M. Hughs’s 25th Tennessee Infantry attacked a 250-man detachment of the 13th Kentucky Mounted Infantry (US) near Livingston. In March 1864, Gen. Edward H. Hobson ordered Federal forces to move through town “to clear the country of guerrillas.”, In the spring of 1865, Capt. John Francis’s company of Confederate guerrillas rode here from Kentucky, raided Livingston, and burned the county courthouse. Federal authorities were storing documentary evidence for potential use against local residents suspected of pro-Confederate activities. When the courthouse and the evidence were destroyed, these residents avoided prosecution. The county registrar, James Richardson, had removed the deed books from the courthouse to his home, so those vital civil records were saved from the fire., The county rebuilt the courthouse from 1868-1869., (Inscription under the photos in the lower left corner) , Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston-Courtesy Library of Congress, Governor Isham G. Harris-Tennessee State Library and Archives.---James Richardson-Tennessee State Library and Archives., (Inscription under the photo in the center) , Overton County Courthouse as it appeared in 1865, by local artist Jim Loftis., (Inscription under the photo in the lower right corner) , Guerrillas supporting one side or the other operated in Overton County throughout the war-Courtesy Tennessee State Library and Archives.

During the war, guerrillas supporting both sides operated in Overton County, and the residents experienced early the dangers of living in the borderlands. In October 1861, William E.B. Jones of Livingston wrote Tennessee’s Confederate governor Isham G. Harris, “We are in danger here of an invasion from the Lincolnite Kentuckians, because, by the order of Gen. [Albert Sidney] Johnston, all our troops here are now removed and we are left without troops, and constant invasion threatened. The troops in leaving here are going through the border counties of Kentucky creating a violent spirit of hatred against them and this country because troops were formed here into regiments.”

On December 15, 1863, Confederate Col. John M. Hughs’s 25th Tennessee Infantry attacked a 250-man detachment of the 13th Kentucky Mounted Infantry (US) near Livingston. In March 1864, Gen. Edward H. Hobson ordered Federal forces to move through town “to clear the country of guerrillas.”

In the spring of 1865, Capt. John Francis’s company of Confederate guerrillas rode here from Kentucky, raided Livingston, and burned the county courthouse. Federal authorities were storing documentary evidence for potential use against local residents suspected of pro-Confederate activities. When the courthouse and the evidence were destroyed,

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these residents avoided prosecution. The county registrar, James Richardson, had removed the deed books from the courthouse to his home, so those vital civil records were saved from the fire.

The county rebuilt the courthouse from 1868-1869.

(Inscription under the photos in the lower left corner)
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston-Courtesy Library of Congress—Governor Isham G. Harris-Tennessee State Library and Archives.---James Richardson-Tennessee State Library and Archives.

(Inscription under the photo in the center)
Overton County Courthouse as it appeared in 1865, by local artist Jim Loftis.

(Inscription under the photo in the lower right corner)
Guerrillas supporting one side or the other operated in Overton County throughout the war-Courtesy Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1864.

Location. 36° 22.983′ N, 85° 19.367′ W. Marker is in Livingston, Tennessee, in Overton County. It is on Main Street east of Spring Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map.

Photographed by Don Morfe, July 22, 2013

2. Overton County Courthouse Marker

Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Court Square, Livingston TN 38570, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Overton County Courthouse (here, next to this marker); Specialist 4 James T. Davis (within shouting distance of this marker); Staff Sergeant Loval E. Ayers (within shouting distance of this marker); Overton County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of Lester Raymond Flatt (within shouting distance of this marker); Albert Houston Roberts (approx. 0.3 miles away); Camp Zollicoffer (approx. 2.7 miles away); Heart of Controversy (approx. 3½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Livingston.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,370 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.