Tennessee Tall, was not a trait that would describe most of the volunteers from Eastern Tennessee. However, the long and short of the tale of Sevierville Sam, proved the exception. Young Sam stood head and shoulders above his fellow Sevier County patriots. Sam was as broad, as he was tall, in fact his whole family were huge folks. Even in lean times, the entire clan appeared to be overfed and kept on growing bigger. Tables, chairs, beds, door-ways, ceilings, clothing, forget the shoes, everything was just too small for the youngsters and parents in Sam’s family. They were all packed into a three room cabin and the only up-side was when it got cold, their proximity tended to keep them warm. Sam had two brothers and three sisters, all had a severe case of the Tennessee Talls and it was whispered that Sam’s mother had endured three days, per child, in the birthing ritual. Poor mother, the neighbors lamented.
Sevierville Sam and one of his many shorter cousins, were waiting in line to be issued their uniforms, when the Union supply Sergeant remarked jokingly, well this must be the long and the short of it. Sam and his cousin were not impressed having heard this old line much of their lives. They were handed the uniforms and went behind the livery to don the new duds. As Sam’s cousin changed quickly, Tennessee Tall, struggled with shirt, pants, coat, belts, forget the shoes, the only thing that came close to fitting Sam, was the cap. He stood behind the livery, in his long-johns, his own stretched-out shoes, and the tiny cap. The cousin couldn’t contain his laughter and taunted Sevierville Sam, to get that uniform on, one way or the other, or the Army would leave them behind.
Sam was a sight, he appeared as a tightly wrapped sausage, with too much pork hanging out the ends. The shirt and coat sleeves ended at his elbows, thank god for the belts, tied together, they held up his pants and in a flood, Sam wouldn’t have to worry about getting his pants wet. The cap topped off the whole mess, appearing much like a decoration perched on the upper most sprig, of a holiday tree.
Sevierville Sam and his cousin were issued rifled muskets and ammunition, joined the ranks, with their fellow Tennessee Volunteers and tramped southwest towards Chattanooga, not a long walk, but far enough. Training along the way, Sam learned what he could, regarding Army discipline and after crossing the Tennessee River, the Sevierville volunteers joined the ranks of Rosecrans Army, supporting General Negley, at Chickamauga Creek. The command was almost surrounded and many of the troopers escaped, but Tennessee Tall and his cousin were corralled and captured by General Wheeler’s Cavalry, shortly after taking the line.
Both young Tennessee boys were not only scared, but embarrassed by their fix. Neither had fired a shot, volunteered to fight for their country, suppress the rebellion and now they were prisoners of the enemy, that they had sworn to defeat. They sat in the dust with two dozen of their captured neighbors and who should appear, but General Wheeler himself. All the Sevierville troopers stood and glared at the Cavalry Officer, who examined his Union captives, swung down from his horse and made a bee-line for Sevierville Sam.
General Wheeler, not a small man, gawked at Sam and starting at his feet kept looking up and up and up and from side to side, amazed at the size of this young prisoner. Wheeler asked the youthful giant, who he was and where he was from and was told, Sam of Sevierville, the mountains of Eastern Tennessee, Sir. The Confederate General then inquired if all the Union folks back home were as tall and stout as himself. Sevierville Sam replied, well General, when my brothers and sisters bid me farewell, they had to bend at the waist, in order to kiss me and pat my head in goodbye.
General Wheeler smiled, looked at the cousin and then back at the mountain giant and thought to himself, now that is the best case of being Tennessee Tall or The Long and the Short of Sevierville Sam.
Bummer
That’s a pretty bad piece of luck, to be captured before firing a shot in battle, but then I think of the fact that many soldiers died of diseases during the Civil War. Not so bad a fate for Sevierville Sam after all.
Louis,
Sam was a lucky Tennessee Volunteer, both he and his cousin were exchanged, fought other battles and returned to the family farms, raised families and died a natural Smokey Mountain death. Must have been something in the water. Go figure! More later on Sevierville Sam.
Bummer