The Whites of Tennessee

The guns of war were just on the lip of the horizon. Conversations around family dinner tables bristled with the words of conflict, of coming strife, of death in the gray, uncertain months in Knoxville before America's Civil War broke across the mountains. Shouts of political rhetoric in cities across the map, the thump of foot soldiers, and the leathery rattle of mounted cavalry echoed throughout the hills and landscape of East Tennessee, either in fact or imaginations.
But for an 18-year-old whose wealthy parents had died a few years before the present crisis, it was a time of introspection, a time to turn to a personal diary, to write of herself, surroundings, feelings and thoughts on life, her town,  future and that of one of the region's most illustrious families.
The personal, hand-written diary of Eleanor (Ellen) Wilson White, daughter of Hugh A.M. White and Elizabeth Humes White, is fascinating for many reasons, but most directly for its insight into Knoxville and the region on the eve of a catastrophic event that eventually played out over four long, hard years. Her diary records a moment in history in the calm just before cannons flared and rifles blasted away peace in the American Civil War fought in a state that was second only to Virginia with the number of fierce battles on its home soil.
The ink and pencil diary, written in a swirling penmanship of a bygone era, was donated to Knoxville's prestigious McClung Historical Collection by a Knoxville family with close ties to the White, Humes and McGhee families. The intent was to preserve properly for all time the marvellous diary writings. The diary donation adds to the already impressive McClung Collection.
Ellen White, born July 31, 1842, was the great-granddaughter of Knoxville founder, James White. James White is the grandson of Moses White, formerly of Inveraray and Lochgoilhead in Argyllshire in the western lowlands of Scotland. Moses White moved to Co Londonderry with his wife, Mary Campbell, in the 17th century. His son, Moses White II, left Ireland in 1741 for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and then moved with his wife, Mary McConnell, to Iredell (Rowan County), North Carolina. One of their sons was James White, who married Mary Lawson from North Carolina, founder of Knoxville.
James White, one of the region's most prominent men, captained the North Carolina Militia in the Revolutionary War. It was during that struggle that he learned of a great, lush and abundant wilderness over the mountains into what was then North Carolina.
After the war of America's independence, White took a grant of land from North Carolina for his military service. He travelled to what is now East Tennessee to see for himself this fertile swathe of opportunity. In 1785, he moved his family to the banks of the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers that created the mighty Tennessee River flowing through Knoxville, where his progeny prospered.
White's great-granddaughter Ellen lived with her mother and father at 'Sunnyside,' a two-story, white frame antebellum home, now the site of the University of Tennessee's Jessie Harris Building of Human Ecology. After the death of her mother and father, she remained at the home to care for it and her four sisters.
Her diary, a thin, brown and marbled hardback book, opens: "Aug. 18, 1860, my diary commences."  She writes of attending St. John's Episcopal Church in Knoxville to hear the sermons of her uncle Thomas Humes, the church's first rector. Humes' father, also Thomas, was from Armagh, and was from sturdy Scotch-Irish Presbyterian stock, who came to America as a boy. His son Thomas became one of the most authoritative Anglican ministers in the mid-19th century in East Tennessee.
Ellen also recounts splendidly bright days at the 4,000-acre 'Tuskeega,' plantation in Monroe County, south of Knoxville, built by brother-in-law, Charles McClung McGhee, later founder of Lawson McGhee Library, Knoxville.
The marriage of McGhee and Ellen's sister, Cornelia White, joined two of the most politically, financially influential early families in Knoxville and East Tennessee, if not all of the Appalachian region.
Charles McClung McGhee had roots to Ulster. He first married Isabella White, great-granddaughter of James White, and Ellen's sister. She died not long after the marriage, leaving a son. McGhee then married Cornelia White, also Ellen's sister. He became a wealthy financier and eventually inherited about 15,000 acres in the Little Tennessee River Valley, part of the Tuskeega plantation.
Ellen's diary describes shopping sprees in Knoxville and expresses delight in meals of fruit and fresh vegetables with her sisters and other family members. But it is her diary entries in the days before and during the Civil War that are most riveting.
Her words speak for themselves. Portions from her original diary as Ellen White wrote them, provided exclusively for The Ulster-Scot by the McClung Historical Collection, follow:  Saturday 27: The war progresses. Troops have been organised and sent off from Sweetwater and Madisonville (small Tennessee villages south of Knoxville).
Jan. 8, Saturday: A whole month has elapsed since I last opened my journal. It was a dreadful rainy day with thunder and lightning. Events have transpired too numerous to mention. Today is Election Day. The news is 'war' all the time. Tennessee will secede today I hope.
Sunday June 9: Tennessee has seceded. Uncle Thomas's congregation has diminished considerably on account of his persistency in praying for (Abraham) Lincoln as President. He said he would continue to do so until Tennessee seceded and then he would either cease to do so or leave the state.
Wednesday 13: Brother James (husband of her sister, Ann) brought news that a party from Roane County was being formed to burn the bridge at Loudon (important river town just east and south of Knoxville) and the company from Knoxville was going down to prevent it. It is horrible! I am afraid we will have fighting right amongst us all.
Saturday 15: Another very warm day. There was a cavalry company come up past our house from Chattanooga (Tennessee) this morning under the Southern flag. There was a man shot in town today - an innocent man. I'll declare I'll soon be afraid to go to town.
Saturday 22: Brother Jimmie brought news last night that the East Tennessee boys had had a fight in Virginia where they have been called at Winchester (near Chattanooga, Tennessee). It seems to me they get nearer and nearer to us every day. No rain yet. I am reading Mes Prisons, by Silvio Pellico.
Thursday 27: Another warm, sunny day. We need rain so much. Brother Jimmie told us tonight we must pray for Jeff Davis' (Confederate States President) success, that the two armies were within a few hours march of each other, that they could hear the drums beat. I hope this battle will result in peace. We heard carriages and buggies rambling down the road tonight.
Saturday June 29: The cavalry company from Monroe County came up this evening. It is called for Brother Charley 'The McGhee Invincibles.(cq)' They were dressed in red flannel and looked very handsomely.  We all went down to the gate to see them. One of them hollered "hurrah for Jeff Davis." I said, "hurrah for The McGhee Invincibles!" And then one of them said, "Hurrah for the ladies" and they took off their hats and got ready to hurrah when the captain said, "to move boys."
They were very orderly indeed and made no noise at all. Everyone said they were the handsomiest (cq) company they had seen.
July, Thursday 4: The once Glorious Fourth. Brother Jimmie says he thinks (Gen. P.G.T.) Beauregard will make it a Glorious Day for the Southern Confederacy. The sun shines brighter this morning.
Sunday 21: Bright morning. Brother Jimmie took tea at his father's this evening. He brought news from the telegraph office that there had been a terrible battle at Manassas (Virginia) or Bull Run (Virginia.) Eighty thousand on each side.  The great Sherman battery taken by the Confederacy. War still raging it being nine o'clock at night. Much loss on both sides. The enemy repulsed and driven back to Alexandria (Virginia).
Tuesday 23: Beautiful day. The bells were rung in honor of the victory at Manassas. Our forces having defeated the Federalists; with the loss of 7,000 on our side and 30,000 on theirs.
Thursday 25: We received more direct news from the battle today. Camp Turner (local boy) is among the slain. Little Charlie McClung was in the fight but wasn't hurt.
March 19, 1862: I had determined to leave off writing in my journal altogether, but so many events of importance are transpiring every day since I ceased to do so. I have concluded to recommense (cq) it. It rained all day today.  The college buildings are filled and running over with soldiers. Five or six soldiers came here for supper-said they had had nothing to eat since yesterday morning. Several soldiers came wanting to get (inside) the barn to sleep in and on being refused one of them 'hoped' the Yankees would catch us all. I hope we will not be disturbed tonight.
April, Saturday 26: The news is that the Federalists have taken New Orleans.
September Thursday 18: The news is our forces have possession of Harper's Ferry.
October Thursday 23: Annie and little James dined with us. We had such a good dinner. Sweet and Irish potatoes, rice, beef and pork and for dessert boiled custard and jelly cake . . . had to wait some time for the government wagons to pass. I never saw so many in my life-just going past all the time in one continuous row.  I have been eating too much.
Jan. 1, 1863: Everybody-black and white-except Luice and I left the place today. F cavalry company of Federalists have burned two bridges in or near Bristol (Tennessee). Nearer and nearer they come.
Jan. 2: Brother James says Gen. (Kirby) Smith (Confederate general) was really afraid the Yankees would attack the town last night. I forgot to mention (Gen. Braxton) Bragg (Confederate) had whipped the enemy into Murfreesboro and was fighting still when last heard from.
Monday April 3, 1865: We received news of the fall of Richmond.
That is the final entry in Eleanor Wilson White's diary.  Ellen lived out her days at Sunnyside and died, Aug. 29, 1889. She never married.

Fred Brown is a senior journalist with the Knoxville-News/Sentinel, Tennessee