Person:Thomas Butler (85)

THOMAS A BUTLER, SENIOR lived in Frederick County, Maryland. He later moved to Bedford County, Virginia. He later moved to Anderson County, Tennessee.

Although William Butler, Senior, was the revered patriarch of the Butler clan, it was his son Thomas A Butler, Senior who paved the way for the families to move from Virginia to Poplar Creek in present Anderson County, Tennessee. Thomas was the initiator and leader of the family.On February 13, 1800, he bought from Charles McClung 1000 acres from the 5,000-acre tract on Main Poplar Creek and parts of Brushy Fork and Mountain Fork of Poplar Creek (Knox County Deed Book F, Volume 2, Page 8). He sold parts of his 1000 acre tract to his father, brothers and sisters who soon followed.

Thomas was listed on the Anderson County, Tennessee Tax list in 1802. He owned 1000 acres.

A well-known genealogist, Penelope Johnson Allen, made a comprehensive study of the Jacob Butler line, and stated positively that the Butlers were of German descent. Early Anderson County records substantiate this claim to a certain extent because in many of these documents the name is spelled "Boteler" which may indicate German spelling, or it could be only a spelling derived from a Virginia accent.

On April 4, 1834, Thomas A Butler, Senior, made an affidavit in a Revolutionary War pension application in Anderson County in which hestated that he was born November 11, 1763 in Frederick County, Maryland, and that his parents moved when he was young to Bedford County, Virginia, in that portion which was cut off later to form Campbell County,Virginia. He enlisted as a private horseman during the fall of 1780, and saw limited action at New London, Petersburg, and Portsmouth. He was verbally discharged after this tour of three months. Thomas again volunteered and marched with the army by old Jamestown to Williamsburg and onto the siege of Yorktown. The applicant was under the command of Col. Skipper the night that the British "spiked four of our cannons." In his statement, Thomas says that he was standing beside a man by the name of Vaughn when said Vaughn's head was shot off. He did much labor in throwing up batteries during the siege, and when the British magazine was blown up, he saw the bodies of many British soldiers flying up into theair. After the surrender of British General Cornwallis, he was unable to serve as a guard of the prisoners, and was given a written discharge by Dr. Cogswell which certificate has long since been lost. This abstract contains the high points of the affidavit.

At the end of the affidavit, his aged hand tried to affix his signature,but only the first part is legible, and the Justice-of-the Peace, Robert Galbraith, signed for him and William made his mark.

Samuel Galbraith and Charles Y Oliver submitted affidavits to the County Court to support the pension application. Four months after the above application, Thomas died (August 31, 1834) and is probably buried in an unmarked grave near the Butler Cemetery.

Thomas erected a saw mill and a grist mill, and a large iron forge at the confluence of Brushy and Mountain Forks of Poplar Creek. Matthew Rhea states that by 1830, iron produced from this forge and one other on Brush Fork was the third leading product in Anderson County. Although details are not known, the iron works were in operation over a considerable period of time and evidently required the employment of a large number of people for all phases of its operation. Under a Tennessee law passed in 1824 for the encouragement of iron works, Thomas received a grant (No.16591) for 2,600 acres on the condition that the iron works would be kept in repair and in operation. The 2,600 acre tract was located on the Northeast of the forge and between the property lines of the Galbraiths and the Hoskins lines across the Pine Ridge. This tract was still a part of the Thomas A. Butler estate after his death, and was included in the division of his estate by a Court appointed Commission.

In addition to the 3,600 acres mentioned, Thomas continued to obtain more land by State grants and by purchase including various mill sites and coal and other mineral lands in Morgan County. He entered the seven-acretract, later known as the Salt-Well tract, and a one-acre "coal bank" in 1808 which probably the earliest written reference to coal in Tennessee records. Thomas was also the promoter of the Butler Turnpike in Morgan County in 1817 which was to connect Piles Turnpike with the Cumberland Road. Thus, it may be seen that he was a big land and slave holder, and a large-scale entrepreneur of proven ability.

The 1830 census shows Thomas living with his family in Anderson County, Tennessee.

Thomas is shown in the following exchanges from land survey records from Roane County, Tennessee:

S#4 March 5, 1808. E#24 February 25, 1807. 50 acres of land on the __rkof Cumberland including the forks of said river . . . Price's Trace crosses said fork of Stockton's Valley Trace.

S#5 March 5, 1808. E#244 February 17, 1808. 100 acres on the waters ofthe Clear Fork of Cumberland, the first branch that the trace that leadsfrom Knoxville to Price's Settlement crosses after crossing the Clear Fork including the pine or maple springs. SCC: John England, Thomas England. Lifted July 30, 1813 by Butler.

S#122 no date. E# 262 March 4, 1808. 1 acre and 1 rod and 24 perches onthe Indian Fork of Poplar Creek including the coal bank. SCC: James Burnet, Jacob Kenada. Recorded April 27, 1808. Withdrawn and depositedin the Register's Office June 1809.

S#140 March 12, 1808. E#261 March 4, 1808. 7 acres on Indian Fork of Poplar Creek. SCC: Jacob Barnet, Jacob Kennady. Recorded June 14,1808. Lifted June 20, 1820.

S#145 April 26, 1808. E#270 April 11, 1808. 10 acres on waters of Mamys Creek. Beginning corner of entry of William Houston. SCC: James Shaddon, Tom Botler. Recorded June 14, 1808. Withdrawn and deposited Register's Office June 1809.

S#146 no date. E#288 April 25, 1808. 28 acres of first creek east of Spencer Hill lying on each side of Cumberland Road, each side of thecreek. SCC: James Shadden, Tom Butler. Recorded June 14, 1808. Withdrawn July 4, 1809 for Register's Office.

S#147 April 26, 1808. E#282 April 13, 1808. 100 acres on Whites Creek (or Piney) below where the Cumberland Road crosses said Creek. SCC: David Hailey, Elijah Elon. Recorded June 15, 1808. Sent to Register's Office.

S#150 April 26, 1808. E#282 April 13, 1808. 40 acres joining an entry of said Butler lying on waters of Whites Creek. SCC: David Haley, Elijah Eaton. Recorded June 15, 1808. Withdrawn and deposited in Register's Office June 1809.

S#509 January 9, 1812. E#435 June 27, 1809. 60 acres on north fork ofthe Indian Fork of Poplar Creek. Beginning south side of creek near foot of spur of Cumberland Mountain, thence up creek . . . crossing the creek. SCC: Martin Rector, Obadiah Ashlock. Recorded March 18, 1812. Assigned to Lewis Rector and Lifted by Mr. Rector January 18, 1813. Delivered July 19, 1813 to Thomas Butler.

S#510 January 9, 1812. E#436 July 8, 1809. 40 acres where Martin Rector now lives on Indian Fork of Poplar Creek where Piles Turnpike Road goesthrough gap of Waldens Ridge. SCC: Obadiah Ashlock, John Williams. Recorded March 18, 1812. Assigned to Martin Rector. Lifted by Mr. Rector January 18, 1813. Delivered to M. Rector July 19, 1813.

November 1812. Thomas Butler & wife Charlotte of Campbell sell 85 acres to Jonathan Bailey of Amherst. Campbell County Deed Book 9, page 573.

Thomas A. Butler, Senior died interstate and no precise, or official listof his children has been found. Fortunately, in Anderson County Deed Book J. Page 131, John W Butler, a son of Thomas, sold his one-ninth interest in his father's estate to the remaining legatees and devisees who are named in part.