History of Winchester, (Franklin County) Tennessee United States of America

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Biographies:

Adelia Cleopatra Graves, author, was born in Kingsville, Ohio, March 17, 1821; daughter of Dr. Daniel M. and Mariam Amanda Spencer; granddaughter of Caleb Spencer, a soldier in the Revolution; and a niece of Platt Rogers Spencer, the originator of the Spencerian system of penmanship. She attended academies at Jefferson and Kingsville; was graduated from the latter in 1841; and after graduation married Zuinglius Calvin Graves, the principal of the academy, and in the fall of the same year became teacher of Latin and Enghsh composition there, remaining in that position till 1847. With her husband she removed to Winchester, Tenn., in 1850, where he became president of the Mary Sharpe female college. She was matron and professor of rhetoric there till 1881, and secretary and treasurer, 1881-95. She was editor of the Southern Child's Book, 1856-59, and wrote for the Baptist Sunday-school Union in 1869, under the pen-name of "Aunt Alice"' a Life of Columbus, two volumes of Poems for Children and tinder her won name The New Testament Catechism of Questions and Answers in Rhyme. She is also the author of Jephthah's Daughter (1867), a dramatic poem for the use of schools; Seclusaval, or the Arts of Romanism (1869); and Woman in Sacred Song (1885). She died in Winchester, Tenn., Nov, 6, 1895.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Nathan Green, educator, was born in Winchester, Franklin county, Tenn., Feb. 19, 1827; son of Nathan and Mary (Feild) Green, and grandson of Thermos and Nancy Green. His father was born in Amelia county, Va., May 16, 1792; was a soldier in the war of 1812; a lawyer in Amelia county, 1813-15, and in Winchester, Tenn., 1815-28; a state senator, 1827; chancellor of the Eastern district, 1828-31; judge of the supreme court and chief justice, 1831-52; professor of the law department, Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn., 1848-66, and he died there, March 30, 1866. Nathan, Jr., was graduated at Cumberland university, A.B., 1845, LL.B., 1849. He was the only graduate in the third class, and the fourth student at the university to be graduated. He was a trustee of the university, 1850-56, professor of law, 1856-73, and was elected chancellor of the university, Aug. 20, 1873. He received the degree of LL.D. from Centre college, Ky.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Williamson Simpson Oldham, senator, was born near Winchester, Franklin county, Tenn., June 19, 1813. He was brought up on his father's small farm and was entirely self-educated. He taught a country school, 1831-33; was deputy clerk of the county court, 1833-35, during which time he studied law under Judge Nathan Green, and was admitted to the bar in 1836. He removed to Arkansas in 1837, and settled in Fayetteville, where he married a daughter of Col. James McKissick, director of the Branch State bank at Fayetteville. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1838 and 1842, and speaker of the house in 1842. In 1844 he was elected by the legislature associate justice of the supreme court. In 1846 he was defeated for representative in the 30th congress by Col. Robert W. Johnson. He resigned from the bench in 1848, and removed to Austin, Texas, in 1849. In 1858, with Judge White, he prepared a digest of the laws affecting Texas and was prominent in the movement leading to the secession of the state, Feb. 1, 1861. He was elected to the provisional congress at Montgomery, Ala., and appointed by President Davis to canary out a confidential mission in Arkansas, which secured the secession of that state, May 6, 1861. On his return to Texas, he was elected C.S. senator, and served throughout the existence of the Confederacy. On the adjournment of the Confederate congress, he returned to Texas and went thence to Mexico, where he prepared "Last Days of the Confederacy," and also engaged in the business of photography. In 1866 he went to Canada, where he learned that one W. S. Old-ham had been pardoned, and on returning to New York, found that it did not refer to himself. He then proceeded to Washington, where he refused to take the oath of allegiance necessary to procure a pardon, and asked for an indictment and trial before a jury, stating that if convicted he would then apply for a pardon. He returned to Texas where he practiced law, but took no part in public affairs. He died in Austin, May 8, 1868.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor