Our Cherokee Ancestry

The purpose of this book is to explain our Cherokee Ancestry which derives from Pauline McClanahan Cooper’s (my grandmother) matrilineal line to Susan and William Reed.

Susan Reed and William Reed

    - Nancy (Reed) Davis

        - Isabella Texas (Davis) Alton

            - Leona (Alton) McClanahan

                - Pauline (McClanahan) Cooper                

DNA Profile

Based on DNA testing provided by Pauline’s daughter, Peggy (Cooper) Cox, Pauline’s DNA profile should have been approximately:

• 76% English & Northwestern European
• 12% Welsh
• 8% Irish
• 4% Indigenous Americas/North American Indian

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) follows your matrilineal line of descent. All humans descend in a direct female line from Mitochondrial Eve, a female who lived probably around 150,000 years ago in Africa. Different branches of her descendants have been assigned different haplogroups. In other words, this test allows us to trace Peggy's mother’s (Pauline McClanahan), mother’s (Leona Alton), mother’s (Isabella Texas Davis), etc. ancestral line going back approximately 50 generations. 

Peggy's mtDNA happlogroups are L - L3 - M - C. Haplogroup C is our most recent group and it is one of just 5 haplogroups shared by the indigenous people of the Americas. You can click here if you are interested in learning more about this haplogroup.

Flag of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation

1st Generation - William and Susan Reed

William and Susan Reed were Pauline’s 2nd great-grandparents.

The first people in our Cherokee ancestry that we have any records for is William and Susan Reed, and they were said to have been of mixed blood. There is no record of Susan’s maiden name. In some anecdotal accounts she is referred to as “Old Nannie.” They lived in the Cherokee town of Hightower, in what is today Cartersville, GA. They also possibly lived in Tennessee.

There is a William Reed listed in the 1817 Cherokee Reservation census, who was requesting 640 acre plot of land instead of moving West. However, according to the treaty that granted this land, it would be temporary and the rights for this land would revert back to the state after the persons death, which is why many chose to emigrate to the west.

William and Susan Reed had the following children:

• Nellie (1818-1853) m. John Wesley Davis
• Cynthia (1839-1914)
• Jane T. (1840-1894)
• LaFayette (1846-1910)
• William M. (1849-1905)
• Ellender “Ellen” (1851-1868)
• John W. (1853-)
• Nancy (1822-1864) m. Barney Davis
• Eliza (1839-)
• James (1843-1895)
• Newton (1845-1896)
• Wesley (1847-1880)
• Sara Ann (1849-)
• Tennessee “Tennie” (1857-1909)
• Isabella Texas (1859-1919)
• Barney Jr.
• Eliza (?)
• David (?)
• Johnson (?)

William and Susan Reed are listed in their grandson, Lafayette Davis’s (son of Nellie and Wesley Davis), in his application for the Eastern Cherokee Nation in 1906. William and Susan are also listed as grandparents on Tennessee Davis Gillespie’s application. Their granddaughter, Isabella Texas (Davis) Alton, lists them as simply “Reed.”

It is worth noting that there is a Revolutionary War veteran named William Reed listed in the 1840 census of Hamilton County. But this Reed only recently moved to the area, had lived many other places, and his family’s names do not match up.

In several documents it is mentioned that William and Susan both died before 1851.

2nd Generation - Nancy (Reed) Davis

Nancy (Reed) Davis is Pauline’s great-grandmother. 

The two sisters, Nancy Reed and Nellie Reed, married half-brothers, Barney Davis and John Wesley Davis. The two brothers were the sons of  James Davis. James was a decorated soldier of the Revolutionary War.

Nancy (1822-1864) m. Barney Davis

• Eliza (1839-)
• James (1843-1895)
• Newton (1845-1896)
• Wesley (1847-1880)
• Sara Ann (1849-)
• Tennessee “Tennie” (1857-1909)
• Isabella Texas (1859-1919)
• Barney Jr.

Our first evidence of Nancy and Barney, comes from the papers of William Holland Thomas. Thomas was a merchant, lawyer, and a representative of the Eastern Cherokee, who remained in the East, after the forced removal of 1838. From 1835 to 1844, he worked to enforce the 1835 New Echota Treaty and to have the remaining Cherokee recognized as citizens. Eventually, in 1866, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee were recognized as a distinct tribe and given a reservation in North Carolina.

In 1840, he was trying to document all the Cherokee families in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina and where they were living in 1835 when the Treaty of New Echota was signed.  According to his notes, in 1840, he was in Cleveland, Tennessee on some business and travelled 15 miles to visit the families of Eastridge [Barney Davis’s family] and Wesley Davis. (The city of Ootlewah in Hamilton County, where Barney and Wesley’s families were living, is approximately 15 miles south of Cleveland.)

In his notes, he lists Barney Eastridge as the head of a family consisting of 2 people (Barney and Nancy). He also notes that Barney’s wife was part Cherokee, the daughter of William Reed, and that in 1835, she was living in Hightower, Georgia. 

The Cherokee town of Hightower was once located near what is today Rome, GA, but the people relocated to what is today Cartersville, GA, in 1792, after attacks by whites.

He notes that Wesley Davis was the head of a family of 4 (Wesley, Nellie, Eliza, and Cynthia). He also notes that Wesley’s wife was part Cherokee, the daughter of Susana Reed, and that in 1835, she was living in  Hightower, Georgia.

Typical 1800s Cherokee Home

The families of Nancy and Nelly are listed in the 1851 Silas and Chapman Rolls for Hamilton County, Tennessee. The Silas roll was a listing of those Eastern Cherokee entitled to a per capita payment based on the 1835 Treaty. The Chapman roll was a listing of all those that were approved for payment based on the Silas roll. These payments were made in December of 1851 and January of 1852 to 2,134 individuals.

Nancy’s listing:

Silas Chapman Name Age Relation Sex Blood 

1555   1609 Nancy Davis  28 wife female mixed

1556  1610 Eliza Davis   11 dau female mixed

1557  1611 James Davis   9 son male mixed

1558  1612 Newton Davis  7 son male mixed

1559  1613 Wesley Davis   3 son male mixed

1560 1614 Sarah Ann Davis 2 dau female mixed

* Isabella Texas (1859) and Tennesse (1857) would not have been born yet.

Nelly’s listing:

Silas Chapman Name Age Relation Sex Blood 

1561 1615 Nelly Davis  28 wife female mixed

1562 1617 Eliza Ann Davis 15 dau female mixed

1563 1618 Cynthia Davis  13 dau female mixed

1564 1619 Jane Davis  10 dau female mixed

1565 1620 Lafayette Davis  6 son male mixed

1566 1621 William Davis   4 son male mixed

1567 1616 Eleanor Davis    1 dau female mixed

3rd Generation - Isabella Texas (Davis) Alton

Isabella Texas (Davis) Alton is Pauline’s grandmother.

The youngest daughter of Barney Eastridge Davis and Nancy Reed Davis is Isabella Texas (b. 1859). 

Isabella Texas Alton (1859-1919) m. Robert H. Alton (1857-1921)

• Leona “Onar” Alton (1880-1952) m. George Alexander McClanahan
• James Robert (1884-1969)
• William Burdine (1885-1911)
• John Alton (1888-1916)
• Decatur “Kate” (1891-1944)
• Lina “Liney" (1894-1966)
• McKinley (1897–1916)
• Claude (1899-1959)

In 1864, during the Civil War, Isabella was 3 years old and living with her family in Hamilton County, TN. Her father was a staunch Unionist and two of her brother’s were Union soldiers. In late January, a group of Rebel Guerrillas arrested her father, along with two other men, and shot them in the back of the head. This incident is covered more in the profile of Barney and Nancy Davis. Isabella’s mother, Nancy, died the next year.

In the 1870 census, Isabella is living with her grandmother, Sarah Eastridge Davis. Isabella and all of her siblings are listed as “Indian (Native American).”

In 1883, Joseph G Hester began compiling a roll of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, those Cherokee who remained east after the Trail of Tears. Enrollees lived primarily in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Below is the listing for Nancy and Barney’s children:

And here is the listing for Nancy’s sister’s family:

In 1909, the Guion Miller roll documented all Eastern Cherokee. Nancy’s children Isabella Texas (Davis) Alton and Tennessee Davis, as well as Isabella Texas’s daughter, Ona (Leona) McClanahan, filled out detailed applications. Also, Nellie’s son Lafayette Davis applied. They were all accepted. Their full applications and sworn testimonies are in the appendix.

4th Generation - Leona Alton McClanahan

Leona "Onar" Alton McClanahan was Pauline’s mother. 

The oldest daughter of Robert H. Alton and Isabella Texas Davis Alton is Leona Alton. Leona was born on July 11th 1880 in James County, TN. In 1900, she marries George Alexander McClanahan (1874-1963).

Leona (Alton) McClanahan

Leona Alton McClanahan (1880-1952) m. George Alexander McClanahan (1874-1963)

• Nellie (1901-)
• Earl W (1904-1967)
• Leonard Franklin (1906-1982)
• James Floyd (1911-1935)
• Paul G (1912-1973)
• Pauline (1916-1986) m. Virgil Edward Cooper, Sr. (1911-1998)

In 1909, Ona (Leona) McClanahan applied for the Guion Miller roll of the Eastern Cherokee and was accepted, along with 2 of her children (Nellie and Earl). Her mother (Texas Alton) and 6 of her underage siblings (James, John, Kate, Liney, McKinley, and Claude) are also admitted, as is her brother (Burduir), who applied on his own.

See their full applications in the appendix.

Percentage of Blood

In 1909, in testimony for his cousin, Tennessee Davis, Lafayette Davis says that her mother (Nancy Davis) was said to be 1/4 Indian. We also know, from another witness for Tennessee Davis, that the community considered Nancy and parents, William and Susan Reed, to be mixed blood Indians. If Nancy is 25% then that would mean Isabella Texas would be 12%, Leona 6%, Pauline 3% and Pauline’s children would be approximately 1.5%. But these percentages are not exact. While you do get 50% of your DNA from each parent, you do not necessarily get an even 25% from each grandparent. For example, you could get 23% from your mother’s mother, and 27% from your mother’s father. So, while we do descend from Cherokee ancestry, the Indian DNA might or might not show up at this point in a DNA test.

Appendix:

Leona "Ona" (Alton) McClanahan's 1907 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Texas (Davis) Alton 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

 Burduir Alton 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

 Lafayette Davis 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

 Tennessee "Tennie" Davis 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

(2) George Alexander McClanahan and (3) Leona Alton

 Lineage: Pauline McClanahan Cooper > George Alexander Cooper

(2) George Alexander McClanahan (my great-grandfather) was born 23 Dec 1874 in James County, Tennessee to (4) Lace and (5) Malinda (Smith) McClanahan. He only went to school up to the 4th. grade, but could read and write. He worked at various jobs during his life including being a: Coal miner, Farmer laborer, and a carpenter.

(3) Leona “Onar” Alton was born 11 Jul 1880 in James County, Tennessee to (6) Robert H. Alton and (7) Isabella Texas Davis. She grew up in Jasper City, Marion County, TN. Leona and many of her family members, on her mother’s side, were recognized members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Click here for more on our Cherokee Ancestry, 

There is a decent amount of evidence that her official first name was Leonar. She appears to have gone by the nickname of "Onar" for much of her life. She is listed as Onar in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses. She is also listed as Onar in an application to the Cherokee Nation and on her husband's WWI draft registration card. She then appears to start going by the name of Leona, without the "r," and that is even how her name is spelled on her gravestone. Her obituary and social security death record shows her as "Leonar."

George and Leona married in 1900 in Marion County, Tennessee, he was 25 and she was 20.  

In the 1900 census, George and Leona are living directly next door to Leona’s parents and only 4 doors down from George’s brother James’s family. George is listed as a farm laborer and has not been unemployed for 4 months. They are renting a house.

Leona’s Cherokee Heritage

Flag of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation

In 1902, the Eastern Cherokee sued the United States to get funds due them under the treaties of 1835, 1836, and 1845. They won that suit and were awarded 1 million dollars ($33 million in 2022) to be distributed to members of the Cherokee Tribe. A man named, Guion Miller, was appointed to take applications and decide who was eligible. Over 120,000 applied and around 30,000 were accepted. 

In 1907, Ona [Leona] McClanahan applied for herself and two of her children, Nellie and Earl. Leona and George were living in Tracy City, Grundy County, Tennessee at the time, according to the application. To make the determination, Miller took detailed records of their ancestry and compared that to earlier Cherokee rolls:

• Henderson Roll - 1835 list of Cherokee just prior to forced removal
• Chapman Roll - 1851 list of Cherokees that remained in the East
• Drennen - 1851 list of Cherokees that had moved West

On 18 Apr 1911, Ona [Leona] and two of her children, were accepted onto the Guion Miller Roll. Her application number was 33529 and her enrollment number was 1585. Her enrollment record states that her grandmother, Nancy Davis, was enrolled number 1609 on the 1851 Chapman Roll. Many other members of her family were also enrolled, including her mother, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Ona would eventually receive $133 ($4,400 in 2022).

In the 1910 census, they are still living in Marion County, TN and George is listed as a Coal Miner. They are renting a home and have 1 daughter Nellie, and three sons Earl, Leonard, and James.

In 1917, they have (1) Pauline McClanahan (my grandmother) in Marion County, Tennessee.

On 03 Jan 1918, George and Leona’s daughter, Nellie, married Charles Anderson.

In 1918, George’s WWI draft card lists him as living in Jackson County, Alabama. He is listed as having a medium build, of medium height, with black hair and blue eyes. He is a farmer and his next of kin is listed as Onar McClanahan.

In the 1920 census, they are living in Scottsboro, Jackson County, Alabama at 1920 Guntersville Road. They are renting a house and George is still a farmer. Living with them are their two daughters Nellie Anderson and Pauline, and 3 sons Earl, Leonard, James, and Paul. Also living with them, is their grand-daughter, Mabel V. Anderson (1 year old). 

In 1924, George and Leona are listed in the Macon City Directory.

In the 1930 census, George and Leona are living  Vineville (Macon), Bibb County, Georgia at 616 Church Street. They are renting their house and George is a Carpenter. Living with them are their sons James and Paul, their daughter Pauline, and their granddaughter Mabel V. Anderson. Mabel’s mother died sometime before 1930. 

In the 1940 census, George is still listed as a carpenter. They rent their house for $8 per month ($142 in 2022). He made $814 that year ($14,000 in 2022). No one is living with them.

In the 1950 census, George and Leona are still living alone in Vineville (Macon), Bibb County, GA. George is 74 and Leona is 70.  They are no longer working.

On 31 Oct 1952, Leona (Alton) McClanahan died of breast cancer in Richmond County, GA. She was 72 years old and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Around 1961, George’s son Leonard lived in Augusta. Him and his wife came to Macon and took George out of his nursing home (Lockhart Nursing Home) and took him back to Augusta and put him in a psychiatric facility. No other family members believed that George had any mental issues and don’t know why Leonard did that. His granddaughter, Peggy Cooper Cox, got him out of the hospital and returned him to the nursing care facility.

On 29 Dec 1963, George Alexander McClanahan died in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. He was 89 years old and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

George Alexander McClanahan and Lenora (Alton) McClanahan:

1. Earl William m. Evelyn Lighthizer
2. Nellie m. Charles Anderson
3. Leonard Franklin m. Christine Silvers
4. James Floyd m. Trevie May Nail
5. Paul G. m. Mattie Lee Reynolds
6. Pauline m. Virgil E. Cooper

Family Remembrances:

Her granddaughter, Peggy Cooper, Cox, remembers that She remembers her not wanting the children to touch anything or do anything. They had a tiny house with a front yard with no grass. They had a garden in back with a chicken coop. They grew vegetables including tomatoes. They had a refrigerator with block ice.

Once her grandchildren Peggy, Virgil Jr., and Kay were staying with her. They found a bar of chocolate in her ice box. Peggy was the oldest and ate all of the chocolate, while her little brother and sister begged to have some. But the joke was on Peggy, as the chocolate bar as actually a chocolate laxative.

Appendix:

Tennessee "Tennie" Davis 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Texas (Davis) Alton 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Lafayette Davis 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Leona "Ona" (Alton) McClanahan's 1907 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Burduir Alton 1906 Guion Miller Roll Application (pdf)

Photographs:

(4) Lace McClanahan and (5) Malinda Smith

Lineage: Pauline McClanahan Cooper > George Alexander Cooper > Lace McClanahan

(4) Lace McClanahan (my 2nd great-grandfather) was born in August of 1849 in Meigs County, Tennessee to (8) Mason T. McClanahan and (9) Malinda (Gross) McClanahan. Lace was a farmer.

(5) Malinda “Linda” Smith (my 2nd great-grandmother) was born in 1853 in James County, Tennessee. She was likely the daughter of (10) Abner Comstock Smith and (11) Vina (Johnson) Smith.

In 1865, when the Civil War began, Lace would have been just 16 and too young to serve. But four of his brothers did serve. Learn more about their Civil War service in the following article: 

In 1870, Lace’s father, Mason T. McClanahan, dies. Lace is mentioned in his will along with his brothers Jehue, J.F., John, and Mason.

On 23 Dec 1874, Lace and Malinda have my great-grandfather, (2) George Alexander McClanahan, in James County, Tennessee.

In the 1880 census, Lace (32) is listed as married to Linda McClanahan (27) in James County, Tennessee. He is a farm hand and cannot read nor write. They have 3 children: James F. McClanahan (7), George McClanahan (2), and Lily McClanahan (1). His son, James F., is probably named after Lace’s brother, James Franklin McClanahan.

In 1891, L McClanahan is listed in the male voter roll in James County, Tennessee.

We do not know when Malinda “Linda” (Smith) McClanahan died, but it was before 1894, when Lace remarries.

In 1894, Lace remarries, but we do not know the name of his second wife.

In the 1900 census, Lace (50) is living in James County, Tennessee. Living with him are, his children, Lillie Combs (19), Will L. (14), Rachel (12), and Ethel (7). Also, living with them is Lillie (McClanahan) Combs’s son, James B. Combs (1). The census says that Lace has been married for 6 years (1894). Since, there is no wife listed in this census, Lace must be twice widowed. Lace is also listed as being a farmer and owning his farm.

In the 1920 census, Tom McClanahan (70) is listed as living with the family of his daughter, Rachel Kirby, in Lawrence, Alabama. This makes me think his full name was Lace Thomas McClanahan and that the T in Mason T was likely short for Thomas.

On 20 Mar 1923, Lace T. McClanahan died and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

On 5 May 1943, his son, James Franklin McClanahan died in Marion County, Tennessee and his parents are listed as Lacy McClanahan and Malinda Smith.

Lace T McClanahan and Malinda (Smith) McClanahan:

1. George Alexander m. Leona Alton
2. James Franklin m. Mary ?
3. Lillie A. m. D. Daniel Combs
4. Rachel m. William Jenkins, m. Samuel Kirby
5. William L. m. Bessie Barber
6. Ethel m. Henry Kirby

Photos:

The Fighting McClanahans of East Tennessee

It is wrong to believe that all Southerners supported secession and slavery, in the years leading up to the Civil War. In fact, in 1826, there were 143 anti-slavery societies in the United States, of which 103 were in the South. 

In many areas, in the lead up to the Civil War, the majority of people did not support secession. For example, West Virginia split from Virginia to stay in the Union. Eastern Tennessee and northern Alabama were also mostly against secession and had to be occupied by Confederate troops during the War. Sam Houston, the Governor of Texas, was against secession and refused to swear an Oath of Loyalty to the Confederacy. As a result, he was stripped of his governorship. Houston predicted the South would lose the war “after the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives.” It is worth noting, that Houston grew up in East Tennessee, in what would later become Meigs County.

My McClanahan ancestors had settled in East Tennessee starting in the late 1700s, in what would become Rhea and Meigs counties. My 3rd great-grandfather, Mason T. McClanahan and his children were living in Meigs county during the Civil War period.

Even though, only 15% of Meigs County’s population were slaveholders, the county voted for Tennessee’s Ordinance of Secession (481-267). Meigs and Rhea were 2 of only 6 counties in East Tennessee that voted for Secession. The vote of all 30 counties from East Tennessee was 34,023 against secession to 14,872 for secession. 

The state of Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Union Army than any other Confederate state, totaling 31,092 white troops and 20,133 black troops. Meigs county provided troops for both sides of the war.

It is not hard to figure out where Mason T. McClanahan stood, as 6 of his 9 sons fought for the Union. Of the other 3 sons, one had already passed away and the other two were too young to fight. Two of his sons would die in the war, Miles and Hiram.

For the McClanahans, and all the soldiers from Confederate States that fought for the Union, this would not have been a territorial war, but rather a true “civil” war. A war between communities, neighbors, and even families. They chose to go off and fight while leaving their families to live behind enemy lines.

Why Fight for the Union?

It is impossible to know exactly why the McClanahans fought for the Union, but we do have  interviews and writings of Unionist soldiers from Confederate States.

The most obvious reason, could have been simply patriotism. They loved their country and wanted to preserve it.

Another reason could have been a moral and/or religious objection to slavery. There is no record of the McClanahans owning slaves. They seemed to be small rural farmers, who did their work themselves. According to the famous abolitionist Rev. John Rankin, in his youth “a majority of the people of East Tennessee were Abolitionists.”

There is also some evidence that the McClanahans were Methodist. The Methodist Church was staunchly anti-slavery going back to its’ founder, John Wesley. In his 1774 pamphlet “Thoughts Upon Slavery” Wesley ended with:

“O thou God of love, thou who art loving to every man, and whose mercy is over all thy works; thou who art the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and who art rich in mercy unto all; thou who hast mingled of one blood all the nations upon earth; have compassion upon these outcasts of men, who are trodden down as dung upon the earth! Arise, and help these that have no helper, whose blood is spilt upon the ground like water! Are not these also the work of thine own hands, the purchase of thy Son's blood? Stir them up to cry unto thee in the land of their captivity; and let their complaint come up before thee; let it enter into thy ears! Make even those that lead them away captive to pity them, and turn their captivity as the rivers in the south. O burst thou all their chains in sunder; more especially the chains of their sins! Thou Saviour of all, make them free, that they may be free indeed!”

In 1845, there was a split within the church, over the issue of slavery, resulting in northern and southern branches. (The two branches would be reunited in 1939.) But surely, many southern Methodists retained their anti-slavery convictions, after the split.

On a purely economic level, prior to the Civil War, only 9 percent of the population of East Tennessee were slaves. Slavery was not as large of an economic factor in East Tennessee, as in some other areas. One reason for this is that the soil in East Tennessee did not support the growing of cash crops such as cotton, rice, tobacco, or sugar. These were all crops that were very highly labor intensive and the lack of these crops therefore produced less of a demand for slaves. As a result, the farmers of East Tennessee produced more diversified crops than in other parts of the south.

Below are the summaries of the service of each of the McClanahan brothers:

Jehue McClanahan (1830-1904)
Private, Company B, 3rd Regiment Tennessee Infantry
Enlisted Feb 12, 1862 in Flat Lick, KY for a 3 year enlistment.
Captured at Loudon, KY in Aug of 1862 and imprisoned at Camp Chase.
February to March 1864 Out sick in Knoxville, TN
July to December 1864 Absent Sick.
He was discharged on Feb 23, 1865 in Nashville, Tennessee and was paid $100.
Registered as Invalid in 1887.
1890 Veterans Schedule of US Census from Meigs County, TN shows Jahu McClanahan as a Pvt., Co. B, 3rd Regiment of Tennessee Infantry.
The 3rd Tennessee Infantry would have been part of the Army of Tennessee (Union) and would have supported  participated in some of the largest battles and campaigns of the war, including: Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Siege of Atlanta, Battle of Jonesboro, Second Battle of Franklin, and the Battle of Nashville. For much of the time, they would have served under General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Learn more about the 3rd Tennessee Infantry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Tennessee_Infantry_Regiment_(Union)

Four of the brothers, Mason, Miles, James Franklin, and Hiram, were all members of the 5th Regiment of Tennessee Infantry. The 5th Tennessee Infantry would have participated in the Battle of Spring Hill, Second Battle of Franklin, Battle of Nashville, and the Carolinas Campaign.
Learn more about the 5th. Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Tennessee_Infantry_Regiment_(Union)

Mason “Mace” McClanahan (1844-1922)
Private, Comapny E, 5th Regiment Tennessee Infantry
Enlisted on March 2, 1862 in Decatur, Tennessee and mustered in on March 29th, 1862 at Barbourville, Kentucky.
His enlistment record states that he was 17 years old, 6’ tall with a dark complexion, black eyes, and black hair. He was from Meigs County, TN and was a farmer.
In a muster roll from 1864, he is listed as the company cook.
At the time of his discharge on Apr 4, 1865, he was in the hospital sick and was in need of transportation home.

Miles McClanahan (1848-1864)
Private, Company E, 5th Regiment East Tennessee Infantry
He enlisted on March 2nd, 1862 for 3 years in Decatur, TN at 16 years old.
He mustered in on March 29th in Barbourville, KY.
On April 17, he was left sick at the hospital in Barbourville.
He had rejoined his regiment by May of 1862.
In 1863, he was a prisoner of war and paroled sick to the Union Hospital at McMinnville, TN on Oct 3, 1863.
In February of 1864 he was furloughed and returned to Meigs County, TN where he died of disease on May 8, 1864.

Hiram D. McClanahan (1842-1864)
Private, Company E, 5th Regiment East Tennessee Infantry
He mustered in March 29th, 1862 and died in field hospital in Allatoona, GA on June 9th, 1864 of wounds received in action on June 2nd, 1864. He was just 22 years old. 

The official record shows that he was wounded in action on June 2nd, 1864 at Lost Mountain, in Georgia. Lost Mountain served as the southwesterly anchor of a ten-mile Confederate defensive line against Union troops marching toward Atlanta, preceding the battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27th.  Confederate earthworks remain on the property. This is precisely where Sherman’s army would have been on June 2nd, 1864 and it would make perfect sense for wounded soldiers from there to be sent to Allatoona, GA. While there was no battle on June 2nd, 1864, Hiram could have been wounded in a skirmish or as a scout, in what was the lead up to the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

In the first days of June, 1864, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman concentrated his armies along the Western and Atlantic Railroad north of Marietta to resupply after a month of heavy fighting. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston positioned his Confederate army defensively between Lost Mountain west of the railroad and Brush Mountain to the east. Sherman moved forward toward Johnston’s position on June 10. After a week of skirmishing at Gilgal Church and along Mud Creek, Johnston pulled back to a new line centered on Kennesaw Mountain, just outside Marietta by June 19. South of Kennesaw, Gen. John B. Hood struck Sherman at Kolb’s Farm on June 22 but was repulsed. Convinced Johnston had stretched his line too thin, Sherman decided on a frontal attack on the Confederate mountain bastion. After an  artillery bombardment, Sherman sent his troops forward the morning of June 27. Determined Yankee assaults reached the Rebel trenches, but were unable to break the Southern line. Sherman called the battle as "the hardest fight of the campaign up to that date.” The tactical Confederate victory failed to deliver a strategic win, namely a halt to Sherman's advance towards Atlanta. In the battle of Kennesaw mountain, 100,000 Union soldiers fought 50,000 Confederate soldiers. The union lost 3,000 while the confederates lost 1,000.

Artillery at Kennesaw Mountain

Hiram’s widow, Elizabeth, applied for pension Aug 1865, and was approved to receive $8 per month and $2 per month for each of their 4 children.

James Franklin McClanahan (1837-1901)

Private, Company E, 5th Regiment East Tennessee Infantry
He enlisted on Mar 3, 1863.
He was discharged on July 4, 1865.
He registered for invalid pension on Jan 9, 1888
James’s widow, Elizabeth, registered for his pension on Nov 29, 1901.

John McClanahan (1832-1889)
Private, Company G, 3rd Regiment Tennessee Cavalry
He enlisted on July 12, 1863 in Decatur, TN for 3 years.
He mustered in August 21, 1863 in Nashville, TN.
In most of his muster files, he was listed as a cook.
Between, February and March of 1864 he was listed as sick in Knoxville, TN

In September of 1864, the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry, 9th Indiana Cavalry, and the 111th United States Colored Troops occupied the Sulphur Creek Trestle, north of Athens, AL. Fortifications there were protecting the Nashville and Decatur Railroad, which were being used to supply Maj. General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign.

On 25 Sep 1864, Confederate cavalry under Maj. General Nathan Bedford Forrest surrounded Sulphur Creek Trestle, and after heavy bombardment the Union troops surrendered.

He was then imprisoned at Cahaba, AL. 

On 21 Mar 1865, at the end of the war, he was released from prison as part of a prisoner exchange and travelled to Vicksburg, Mississippi. In April, he and 1,965 other federal soldiers, 35 officers, and about 300 civilians boarded the Sultana steamboat. The vessel was only constructed to hold 376 passengers. 

On the evening of April 26th, the Sultana arrived in Memphis, TN and unloaded much of its cargo and some of the passengers. It then loaded the cargo with coal and headed out. Around 2am, one of her boilers exploded and caught the ship on fire. 1,169 people died in what remains the worst maritime disaster in US history. 

Picture of the Sultana taken on April 26th, 1865

John McClanahan was originally listed as one of the dead, but he actually survived. On May 7th, he was sent to Nashville, TN and mustered out there on 10 Jun 1865. He was paid $25 and the record showed that he was still owed $75.

No one was ever held accountable for the disaster and it as even overshadowed in the news by the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which had happened the day before.

To learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultana_(steamboat)

On 27 Oct 1879, he registered as an invalid and started receiving a pension. John died on Aug 3rd, 1889 and was buried in Georgetown, TN.His wife Adeline registered for his pension on Oct 5, 1889.