Chapter 13
THE
YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER
SMITH
COUNTY, TENNESSEE
1816
On April 10, 1815, on a remote island
in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) Mount Tambora exploded,
producing the planets largest volcanic eruption in all of recorded history. The
ash and gas plum was so significant and widespread that sunlight became
perilously diminished throughout the world’s northern hemisphere, causing a
cooling shift in temperature. Spectators described the sun rising each day, as
though in a cloud of smoke, red, rayless and destitute of heat. The effects of
the eruption lasted for over two years and were so far-reaching that, in 1816,
Europe and the northeastern United States experienced “a year without summer.”
In America, the New England states
down to Virginia were most affected. In May of 1816, a significant drought
endured for 3 months with no rain from New Jersey to South Carolina, ruining
the winter grains. By June of 1816, the Mississippi River receded from New
Orleans, grounding much water commerce and travel. During that same time, reports
of crop killing snow and frost occurred throughout the summer of 1816 in New
York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Virginia experienced temperature drops below freezing for every month of that
year. On July 4th, in Virginia, snow fell while residents celebrated
Independence Day inside churches around a hearth fire. While most American
crops were crippled in the northeast, the states and territories further
inland, as well as those to the south were spared. Tennessee crops were mostly
unaffected, yet the weather would have been unusually cooler, with an
atmospheric haze that neither rain nor wind would disperse.
Conditions were much worse in Europe
and Great Brittan where the cool weather was compounded with significant
rainfall throughout the summer of 1816. Ireland had unrelenting rain for eight
weeks devastating the potato crop. England and most of Europe lost the majority
of their staple crops of wheat and corn, leading to a very real crisis of
famine and disease. In June of 1816 bread prices in England raised 3 farthings
per quarter loaf as the cost of flour increased to 10 shillings per bag due to
low wheat yield. Corn was at a high price as supply was short and the demand
brisk. Due to the coldness of the season, fever and deplorable conditions were
rampant in England and Ireland. As a result of the crop failures in the
northeastern United States and Europe, demand for food and agricultural
products would surge to record breaking prices from 1816-1819. By December of
1816 United States businessmen begin speculating on produce as news of the
short crops in England and New England became public. Tennessee, being highly
agricultural and spared from the frost, would experience a huge economic boom
during those years.
For Lewis Shapard, the year 1816
would have been an unusually frigid season not only environmentally, but also
in his relationship with his wife. Shortly after their marriage, Elizabeth
(Parrish) Shapard had begun to spend Lewis’ wealth in excess, purchasing an
overindulgence of items and carelessly buying on credit. Although Lewis was affluent
for a man of this time, he had been a responsible steward of his estate. This
financial recklessness had a detrimental impact on his security, his family and
his marriage. After accumulating a large amount of debt in early 1816,
Elizabeth deserted the Parrish plantation in Wilson County, taking her natural children
and residing in another county, possibly Davidson or Sumner. She had abandoned
Lewis and the Shapard children leaving them wifeless, motherless and financially
diminished.
Apparently, after her departure, she
continued to use Lewis Shapard’s good name to buy on credit, attempting to cast
him further into debt and financial ruin. It was a nightmare of epic
proportion. To protect himself, as well as the public, Lewis secured a notice
in the Nashville Whig newspaper on February 3, 1816, stating; “To the public.
Whereas my wife Elizabeth Shapard has forfeited the privileges of a wife, by
abandoning my house and the care of my family and had attempted to waste my
estate by contracting debts which I am neither able nor willing to pay – These
are therefore to forewarn all persons from giving her credit with the
expectation of my paying debts of her contracting, as I am determined to pay
none to which I have not consented. (signed) Lewis Shapard, Wilson County.”
Lewis found himself in a bad
predicament, compounded by the fact that since his marriage he had resided at
the Parrish plantation, being dowers property, upon which he had no legal
rights of ownership. His best recourse was to begin the process of dissolving
his marriage and move with his children to start a new chapter of his life. In
the 1800s, Tennessee law stated that a divorce will only be granted on the
grounds of impotence, adultery, or desertion. However, the desertion had to be
without reasonable cause and for a duration of at least two years. As of yet,
Lewis' broken marriage had not fulfilled the two year time requirement to
petition for divorce. Nevertheless, in 1816, Lewis departed Wilson County with
his children and migrated across county lines, settling in Smith County,
Tennessee, near the town of Carthage.
Smith County was created from a
portion of Sumner County on October 26, 1799, by the same Act of the General
Assembly of Tennessee that created Wilson County. Like most of Tennessee, Smith
was originally settled by soldiers of the Revolutionary War, or their
assignees, on land warrants granted by the state of North Carolina. The county
is split through the middle by the Cumberland River and a variety of smaller
creeks traversing the area. The land is particularly hilly in the north and east;
however, the balance of the county is level with rich fertile soil for
cultivation. Cotton and tobacco were grown early in the county’s history;
however, the land favored tobacco as its premier cash crop.
The first court was held at the house
of Tilman Dixon, being an early settler and wealthy landowner of Dixon Springs.
In 1804, a new county seat was chosen at an elevated healthy location one mile
below the confluence of the Cumberland River and Caney Fork. Fifty acres of
land was purchased for one cent, and the town of Carthage was laid out and lots
sold. The first courthouse at Carthage was constructed in 1805 and was an
impressive two-story building, made of brick that lasted until 1877. The first
jail was constructed in 1812, being made of logs and having two cells. The
first school of worth was established circa 1810 at Carthage, being named the
Geneva Academy. In the 1790s, the Methodists and the Baptists had religious
meeting houses near Dixon Springs; however, after the county seat was moved to
Carthage, the Methodists constructed the first church there.
When the Shapard’s arrived, Smith County
was on the verge of an economic boom. Carthage was ideally situated along the
Cumberland River, where goods were shipped and received at the town’s boat
landing. In 1816, river commerce was making it a location of considerable
trade. The town of 400 inhabitants boasted of having eight stores with
merchandise valued at over $100,000. Col. William Moore ran the Carthage Hotel,
known as the “House of Entertainment” due to its bar and fine stables. The
hotel itself was advertised as being “as comfortable as the country will
afford.” The town even had a chapter of the freemason society; the Carthage
Benevolent Lodge, where the local gentlemen assembled for their secret meetings.
To complement the Geneva Academy school for boys, in June of 1815, Miss Fox
established a female school in the town of Carthage, where young ladies would
receive “instruction given in the branches of useful and polite education.”
During this period of growth, mechanics of all kinds, in the form of blacksmiths,
hatters, nailors, chair maker, shoe and boot makers, brick makers, brick layers,
tin smiths, tailors, cabinet makers, carpenters, etc., were being summoned to
meet the needs of the growing community.
One
friend that Lewis had in Smith County, that may have influenced his decision to
move there, was his brother-in-law, Solomon Paine (1787-1858). Solomon had
migrated to Tennessee with Lewis in 1813. He had settled in Smith County and married
Mary “Polly” Turner (1793-?), on August 4, 1813, daughter of Fredrick and Mary
(Jones) Turner. The Turner family was originally from Craven County, North
Carolina; however, Fredrick moved his family prior to 1810 to Smith County,
Tennessee, where he claimed his land warrant as a Revolutionary War veteran and
established his plantation. Solomon and Polly Paine would reside in Smith
County until 1835, then migrate to Haywood County, Tennessee, eventually living
on land he purchased from Lewis Shapard’s brother Thomas Shapard who had
migrated to Haywood County in 1838. Solomon had always possessed great wealth
and social standing, and naturally became a valuable and highly respected planter
of Smith County. In 1820, he had 8 slaves that he increased to 23 slaves by
1840. Solomon was well connected to the
key gentlemen of Smith County, Tennessee and beyond. For Lewis Shapard, Solomon
became an invaluable resource for his insight and business connections.
Lewis
had been well connected with the intricacies and economics of the shipping
business since his ventures back in Caswell County. His brother William
Shapard, Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, had become extremely wealthy as a
commission merchant and remained an important business associate, linking Lewis
to all the buyers and suppliers of the east. In Smith County, Lewis recognized
the great potential of the Cumberland River for transporting goods in and out
of the county, especially tobacco and cotton.
The
Cumberland River originates from the confluence of smaller tributaries in the Appalachian
Mountains of Kentucky. The river flows in a western direction into Tennessee and
is navigable for 516 miles. From Carthage, in Smith County, the river flows to
Nashville, in Davidson County, to Clarksville, in Robertson County, then into
Kentucky where it joins the Ohio River for a short span before flowing into the
Mississippi River. By way of the Mississippi River, goods can reach Memphis,
Tennessee, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. In the 1810s, only wooden
barges and smaller vessels could navigate the winding nature and perils of the
Cumberland River. Transport was possible, yet had to contend with hazards, such
as, shoals (shallows), islands, narrows, low-lying tree limbs, submerged stumps,
lumber debris from saw mills, fog, etc.
It would not be until 1819 when the first steamship reached Nashville
via the Cumberland River.
During
this era, it cannot be overstressed how important water transportation was to
the farmers and planters of Tennessee. Products such as cotton, corn and
tobacco needed to reach the larger markets of Nashville, Memphis and New
Orleans to be sold for the highest prices. These products, when fully packed in
a bale, barrel or hogshead, weighed hundreds if not thousands of pounds.
Shipment by land was possible in Middle Tennessee by way of the Nachez Trace
Road to the Mississippi River with a horse, wagon and driver, yet was expensive
due to the weight, eating away at any profits to the seller; whereas, shipping
by boat was cheap in comparison, since the flowing water did all the heavy labor.
As
Smith County, began to boom economically as a port town on the Cumberland River,
Lewis engaged in business as a commission merchant, linking sellers to buyers,
and vise versa, for a fee. It appears
that Lewis traveled frequently for business, tending to clients in Williamson
County, Wilson County, Rutherford County and Smith County. To assist in his
business venture, Lewis employed his eldest son William B. Shapard and his
step-son–in-law Samuel R. Anderson, husband of Frances “Fanny” Parish. The
young men learned the art of commerce and did most of the daily undertakings
and traveling with Lewis, securing contracts between clients for the purchase
of a given quantity of product at a given delivery time. Early on, Samuel R.
Anderson secured five annual agreements with Aaron Stockton for ten thousand
bushels of salt, each.
Although
his business life was successful, one problem that greatly weighed on Lewis was
the education, security and future success of his beloved children. He had
sought family stability in a new marriage, yet it failed terribly, positioning
his younger children in even worse circumstance. Without a mother for his
children, it was clear that Lewis was unable to properly tend to his family
while also providing an income and traveling as he so often did for business. As
their father, he felt great obligation and commitment to situate his children
in the best circumstance Tennessee could offer, proving that his decision to
move his family from the comforts of North Carolina to the Tennessee frontier
was not fully in vain. At this time, his eldest child William B. Shapard was 18
years old, Sophia Shapard was almost 16, James P. was 15, Booker was 13, Robert
P. was 11, Lewis, Jr., was 10, Martha was 8, Thelia was 7 and Thomas P. was the
youngest at 5 years old.
While
Smith County was growing, the consensus among the astute was that the town of
Murfreesboro, in Rutherford County, would be the future economic and political
epicenter of Tennessee. As early as June 11, 1816, The Nashville True Whig
newspaper was advertising; “There are great bargains to be had in property [in
Murfreesboro] that will increase in value every day, it being in one of the
most flourishing towns of its age in the western country, situated in one of
the most wealthy, fertile and prosperous counties; and in the center of the
state, and trust without doubt, before long, become the seat of government.” In
fact, Murfreesboro did become the state capital of Tennessee, succeeding
Nashville, from 1818 until 1826, after which it returned to Nashville.
Lewis
had traveled through Rutherford County numerous times and had visited Murfreesboro
on occasion for business and leisure. The town held almost twice as many
residents as did Carthage in Smith County, and twice as many shops and
businesses. It would have been an alluring place to visit for Lewis and his
children. On one such visit, in 1816, Lewis’ eldest daughter Sophia Shapard
came in contact with Mr. Joshua Harrison who owned a business on the public
square, and may have been a client of Lewis Shapard.
Mr. Joshua Norman Harrison was born
on November 20, 1789. Little is known of his early life, though it has been
claimed that he came from Philadelphia or possibly Maryland. At some point in
his youth he was educated in the mastery of making nails. He married circa 1810,
and had two daughters: Sarah Ann Harrison (c. 1811-?) and Caroline Harrison
(c.1813-1836). Joshua and his young family migrated to Davidson County,
Tennessee, sometime before 1815. In Nashville, Joshua made a business
connection with William Carroll, a colorful, astute, capitalist and the future
governor of Tennessee.
William
Carroll was born in 1788 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father Thomas Carroll
was a successful merchant, having a chain of hardware stores in the Pittsburgh
area. In his youth, William had a rudimentary education but learned the art of
business from working in his father’s store. Seeing the great potential of Tennessee,
in 1810, at 22 years old, he migrated to Nashville and opened a branch of his
father’s hardware store, making nails and selling other wares. It is believed
that he partnered with Joshua Harrison for his talent as a nail maker at his
store. Because of his connections back east, William Carroll was received into
high society and afforded every accommodation, even making quick association
with Gen. Andrew Jackson. During the War of 1812, Mr. Carroll earned the rank
of Major-General in 1814-1815 and became a hero at the Battle of New Orleans.
In 1816 he purchased the General Jackson, being the first steamship on the
Cumberland River and the first to reach Nashville. In 1817 he was a director of the newly established Bank of
Nashville. All was prosperous until the Panic of 1819 rendered him bankrupt.
Though insolvent, his social status and resentment towards the banking industry
propelled him into the political arena, where he became the governor of Tennessee
from 1821-1827 and from 1829-1835. William Carroll died in 1844 in Nashville,
Tennessee.
On
March 18, 1815, Joshua Harrison was a resident of Nashville, and purchased town
lot No. 46 for his family’s home from Samuel Elam for $160. Sadly, later that year, Joshua Harrison’s wife
died, perhaps in childbirth, and he was suddenly left a widower with two small
children. Circa 1816, Joshua Harrison’s partner William
Carroll, being a very perceptive businessman, realized that Nashville was
waning as the state capital and the future capital would likely reside in
Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, being the geographic center of the state.
Together they decided to establish a business presence there early, to ensure success.
With the backing of William Carroll, Joshua Harrison moved, in August of 1816, to
Rutherford County, and opened Harrison & Company on the town square, being
the first and only nail factory in Murfreesboro. Mr. Harrison’s store was a one
story 18 foot by 25 foot cedar log structure. It was located on lot No.19 on
the north side of the public square with 31 feet of frontage. Behind the store was Mr. Harrison’s
residence. To the east was a frame house occupied by Mr. Bennett Smith; and to
the west were three small single-story shops. The county courthouse, which also
served as Rutherford’s first capital building for the Tennessee General
Assembly from 1818-1821, crowned the center of the square in front of Mr.
Harrison’s store.
In
September of 1816, Joshua Harrison asked Lewis Shapard for his daughter’s hand
in marriage. Although Sophia Shapard was only 16 years old, Lewis acquiesced to
the proposal, recognizing Mr. Harrison as a respectable gentleman, with a
caring personality, and being an intelligent worker with tremendous business
potential through his connections to the key men of the state. Their union also
would fulfill Lewis’ fatherly commitment to secure his daughter in the best
possible circumstance for comfort and rank that the frontier of Tennessee could
offer.
On
September 26, 1816, Joshua Harrison and Sophia Shapard were married in
Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Between them they would raise two step-daughters and six
children of their own: Sarah Ann Harrison (c.
1811-?) who married John T. Cannon; and Caroline Harrison (c.1813-1836) who
married John A. Taliaferro; Eleanor Paine Harrison
(1817-1896) who married David Molloy; Martha Bedford Harrison (1818-1891) who
married Stephen Johns then John Durham; Joshua Norman Harrison, Jr. (1819-1819)
died at age 5 months; William Joshua Harrison (1820-1880); Mary Harrison (1822-1866)
who married Robert Rucker; and Robert P. Harrison (1823–1825).
Back in Smith County, on November
14, 1816, Lewis Shapard was the defendant in a lawsuit filed by Jeremiah Doxey.
In court the men reached an agreement and the case was dismissed, each paying
half of the court costs. The plaintiff, Capt. Jeremiah Doxey (1752-1842) was an
English sea captain who came to America before the Revolutionary War. He served
in the Continental Virginia sea service from 1775 until the end of the war. After
the war he migrated to Edgecombe County, North Carolina where he married Miss
Rhoda Haney. In 1796, he received a land grant for his service, and migrated to
Sumner County, Tennessee to claim his property. The bounds of his plantation
fell within Smith County when it was formed in 1799. Capt. Doxey and his family
eventually migrated to Hardman County, Tennessee, and finally to Mississippi
where he died in 1842.
In November of 1816, Lewis Shapard
attended the estate sale of James Piper (c.1780-1816) who had lived on Peyton’s
Creek about two miles north of Carthage. To outfit their new home in Smith
County, Lewis purchased a little wheel for $2, five chairs for $1.62, and a cow
and yearling for $11.10. Other purchasers at the
estate sale were: Alexander Piper, Abraham Piper, John Piper, William Gregory,
Lalan Gregory, John E. Baker, Joel Dryer, Edward Carter, Claybourn Hall John
Lankford, Robert Clark, Daniel McKinnis, Alexander McKinnis, Christopher
Dudley, Jonathan Akins, Braddock Beasley and Jonathan Key.
Home life at the Shapard
household in Smith County was not the same after Sophia Shapard married and
moved away. She had assumed the mothering role for her younger siblings, after
her mother died in 1813, and then again when her stepmother abandoned them in
early 1816. With Sophia’s absence from the family after her marriage, Lewis
Shapard was vexed with how to manage his younger children and how to position
them for future success. Murfreesboro in Rutherford County clearly was the
location of greatest opportunity in the state at that time. Thus, in early
1817, Lewis decided to reside there for a few months with his children, to see
if it would be a suitable location for their permanent home.
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