John Robertson Massey
From the “History of Lincoln County, Tennessee” Goodspeed 1886
The Federals first entered Fayetteville April 9, 1862, causing a sudden suspension of business. They withdrew after about two months stay, and again occupied the town in the spring of 1863, remaining until 1865. The court house was used as a stable for the horses a part of the time, and for the protection of troops at other times. It was surrounded by a bomb proof wall about six feet high, built of brick. The whole county was almost impoverished by the foraging armies passing to and fro. Sherman s whole army, on its march from Memphis to Chattanooga, passed through Fayetteville and crossed Elk River on the stone bridge, which, affording an excellent passage over the river, caused many of the passing armies, both Federals and Confederates, to pass through here. While Fayetteville was occupied by the Federals, business was at a standstill and many depredations were committed. When requested to do anything the citizens did not wait for time to argue points. The depredations, however, were mostly committed by Brixie’s band of robbers, who in the main, claimed to be Yankees. Among the most dastardly acts, which the people suffered, was the murder of Judge J. R. Chilcoat. Afterward John Massey, a Confederate soldier, who had returned home {together with two other men named Pickett and Burroughs}, was brutally murdered- riddled with bullets. Some buildings were burned county records were destroyed and, of course, property was confiscated. Guerrillas did not injure the people to any great extent.
From the History of Turney’s 1st Provisional Army of Tennesseee
MASSEY, John Robertson. Pvt.
1ST. TENNESSEE REGIMENT
Enlisted; 29 Apr 1861 at Boons Hill, Lincoln Co., aged 30;
Transferred to artillery company on 5 July 1861;
Absent on sick leave 27 Nov 1861 with chronic bronchitis and inflammation of the throat;
At home in Fayetteville, Lincoln Co., 28 Feb 1862; Discharged 6 Mar 1862.
Killed by Union soldiers at his home, "brutally murdered, riddled with bullets in 1864";
"Lincoln County Pioneer" magazine 1976 by Jane Waller
On the 15th day of June, 1864, Gen. Paine, commanding Federal troops, came to Fayetteville, Tennessee, and had arrested three men, Thomas MASSEY, Wm. PICKET, and F. BURROUGHS, and ordered them shot.
John R. MASSEY, a discharged Confederate soldier from the 1st TN Regt. Infantry (Turney's Regt.) hearing of the order, went to Gen. PAINE and told him he had the wrong MASSEY, that his brother, Thomas MASSEY, had never been in the army, and had a family with small children, and had nothing to do with the army, but if he must have MASSEY blood, to take him, and turn his brother loose, that he had been a Confederate soldier and was discharged.
"Whereupon, the General ordered Thomas MASSEY released and John R. MASSEY shot in his stead, with William PICKETT and F. BURROUGHS, which was immediately done, without a court-martial or trial, on the 15th day of June, 1864.
He also ordered that their bodies should remain on the ground all day, evidently to terrorize and intimidate the citizens of Lincoln County, who were intensely Southern.
The citizens were afraid to carry the bodies into their homes.
"At sundown Mrs. Milly GOODRICH, widow of John GOODRICH, told them to carry the bodies to a storehouse she owned on the west side of the public square at Fayetteville, and keep them until they were to be buried, which was done. A number of young men and ladies sat up with the bodies all night. "They were buried by the citizens of the town the next day in the cemetery by the Presbyterian Church. John R. MASSEY was buried on the plot owned by John GOODRICH' family ...
"Those men were shot near Mrs. GOODRICH'S home, on the hill now occupied by the Lincoln County High School."
A Family History of John Robertson Massey
By Hans Nielsen
John Robertson Massey was the son of Thomas Massey Sr. and Thomas Massey Sr had another son, Thomas Jr., and a daughter, Christiana. Christiana Massey married John Goodrich Jr., son of John Sr. and Mildred “Millie” Goodrich, who owned a grocery store on the Fayetteville Square. John Massey is buried in the John Goodrich plot in the Old Fayetteville Cemetery.
John Goodrich Sr. passed away in 1857. After John Sr.’s passing, Thomas Massey and his children, Mary, Francis, and Alice, as well as John R. Massey were living with John Goodrich Jr. and his wife Christiana. Thomas was a farmer, running the very large Thomas Massey Sr. farm in Mulberry. John was assisting with the Goodrich Store as a trader, after his return from the army with Turney’s 1st Infantry.
Mulberry, Tennessee was a hotbed of guerilla activity during the war. A lot of people don’t know that after the killings at Fayetteville, General Paine and his troops rode into Lynchburg and killed 9 more men. This and the killing of Judge Chilcoat, the month before, incensed the people around Fayetteville, Mulberry, and Lynchburg. Soon after the killings, 10 Union soldiers were rounded up and killed by guerillas. They were left with notes pinned to them that read “Remember John Massey”.
On July 1, 1864, the following article was written in the Memphis Daily Appeal;
Brigadier General Paine had nine bushwhackers shot on the public square in
Lynchburg, Lincoln county, Tenn., and several in Fayetteville. Among the
number was Brigadier General Massey, C. S. A., who superintended all the
guerrilla operations in Middle Tennessee. Gen. Paine told the citizens that if
they wanted to fight the Government, to go and join the rebel army under Joe
Johnston. If they stayed inside the Federal lines, they might think, feel, die
secesh, but if they talked or acted treason he would make them houseless,
homeless and lifeless. . . .
On October 1 1864, my gg grandfather, Constant Smith Massey, and his brother Lewis Massey, both from Mulberry, joined Forrest’s Escort. John R. Massey was their Uncle. Constant Smith had turned 18 in April. Lewis was just 15 years old. This day Forrest and his men captured Spring Hill.
Bibliography
1860 Federal Census Page 207-09 GOODRICH Dist 8, Fayetteville P. O., Lincoln Co., Tenn., Aug. 11, 1860
"Lincoln County - History of Tennessee" by
Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1886
http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/lincoln/history/books/goodspeed/goodspee.txt
Memphis Daily Appeal July 1,1864
"Lincoln County Pioneer" magazine, Vol VI, Number 1(September 1976):
http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/lincoln/military/civilwar/rosters/tn1cok.txt
The Federals first entered Fayetteville April 9, 1862, causing a sudden suspension of business. They withdrew after about two months stay, and again occupied the town in the spring of 1863, remaining until 1865. The court house was used as a stable for the horses a part of the time, and for the protection of troops at other times. It was surrounded by a bomb proof wall about six feet high, built of brick. The whole county was almost impoverished by the foraging armies passing to and fro. Sherman s whole army, on its march from Memphis to Chattanooga, passed through Fayetteville and crossed Elk River on the stone bridge, which, affording an excellent passage over the river, caused many of the passing armies, both Federals and Confederates, to pass through here. While Fayetteville was occupied by the Federals, business was at a standstill and many depredations were committed. When requested to do anything the citizens did not wait for time to argue points. The depredations, however, were mostly committed by Brixie’s band of robbers, who in the main, claimed to be Yankees. Among the most dastardly acts, which the people suffered, was the murder of Judge J. R. Chilcoat. Afterward John Massey, a Confederate soldier, who had returned home {together with two other men named Pickett and Burroughs}, was brutally murdered- riddled with bullets. Some buildings were burned county records were destroyed and, of course, property was confiscated. Guerrillas did not injure the people to any great extent.
From the History of Turney’s 1st Provisional Army of Tennesseee
MASSEY, John Robertson. Pvt.
1ST. TENNESSEE REGIMENT
Enlisted; 29 Apr 1861 at Boons Hill, Lincoln Co., aged 30;
Transferred to artillery company on 5 July 1861;
Absent on sick leave 27 Nov 1861 with chronic bronchitis and inflammation of the throat;
At home in Fayetteville, Lincoln Co., 28 Feb 1862; Discharged 6 Mar 1862.
Killed by Union soldiers at his home, "brutally murdered, riddled with bullets in 1864";
"Lincoln County Pioneer" magazine 1976 by Jane Waller
On the 15th day of June, 1864, Gen. Paine, commanding Federal troops, came to Fayetteville, Tennessee, and had arrested three men, Thomas MASSEY, Wm. PICKET, and F. BURROUGHS, and ordered them shot.
John R. MASSEY, a discharged Confederate soldier from the 1st TN Regt. Infantry (Turney's Regt.) hearing of the order, went to Gen. PAINE and told him he had the wrong MASSEY, that his brother, Thomas MASSEY, had never been in the army, and had a family with small children, and had nothing to do with the army, but if he must have MASSEY blood, to take him, and turn his brother loose, that he had been a Confederate soldier and was discharged.
"Whereupon, the General ordered Thomas MASSEY released and John R. MASSEY shot in his stead, with William PICKETT and F. BURROUGHS, which was immediately done, without a court-martial or trial, on the 15th day of June, 1864.
He also ordered that their bodies should remain on the ground all day, evidently to terrorize and intimidate the citizens of Lincoln County, who were intensely Southern.
The citizens were afraid to carry the bodies into their homes.
"At sundown Mrs. Milly GOODRICH, widow of John GOODRICH, told them to carry the bodies to a storehouse she owned on the west side of the public square at Fayetteville, and keep them until they were to be buried, which was done. A number of young men and ladies sat up with the bodies all night. "They were buried by the citizens of the town the next day in the cemetery by the Presbyterian Church. John R. MASSEY was buried on the plot owned by John GOODRICH' family ...
"Those men were shot near Mrs. GOODRICH'S home, on the hill now occupied by the Lincoln County High School."
A Family History of John Robertson Massey
By Hans Nielsen
John Robertson Massey was the son of Thomas Massey Sr. and Thomas Massey Sr had another son, Thomas Jr., and a daughter, Christiana. Christiana Massey married John Goodrich Jr., son of John Sr. and Mildred “Millie” Goodrich, who owned a grocery store on the Fayetteville Square. John Massey is buried in the John Goodrich plot in the Old Fayetteville Cemetery.
John Goodrich Sr. passed away in 1857. After John Sr.’s passing, Thomas Massey and his children, Mary, Francis, and Alice, as well as John R. Massey were living with John Goodrich Jr. and his wife Christiana. Thomas was a farmer, running the very large Thomas Massey Sr. farm in Mulberry. John was assisting with the Goodrich Store as a trader, after his return from the army with Turney’s 1st Infantry.
Mulberry, Tennessee was a hotbed of guerilla activity during the war. A lot of people don’t know that after the killings at Fayetteville, General Paine and his troops rode into Lynchburg and killed 9 more men. This and the killing of Judge Chilcoat, the month before, incensed the people around Fayetteville, Mulberry, and Lynchburg. Soon after the killings, 10 Union soldiers were rounded up and killed by guerillas. They were left with notes pinned to them that read “Remember John Massey”.
On July 1, 1864, the following article was written in the Memphis Daily Appeal;
Brigadier General Paine had nine bushwhackers shot on the public square in
Lynchburg, Lincoln county, Tenn., and several in Fayetteville. Among the
number was Brigadier General Massey, C. S. A., who superintended all the
guerrilla operations in Middle Tennessee. Gen. Paine told the citizens that if
they wanted to fight the Government, to go and join the rebel army under Joe
Johnston. If they stayed inside the Federal lines, they might think, feel, die
secesh, but if they talked or acted treason he would make them houseless,
homeless and lifeless. . . .
On October 1 1864, my gg grandfather, Constant Smith Massey, and his brother Lewis Massey, both from Mulberry, joined Forrest’s Escort. John R. Massey was their Uncle. Constant Smith had turned 18 in April. Lewis was just 15 years old. This day Forrest and his men captured Spring Hill.
Bibliography
1860 Federal Census Page 207-09 GOODRICH Dist 8, Fayetteville P. O., Lincoln Co., Tenn., Aug. 11, 1860
"Lincoln County - History of Tennessee" by
Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1886
http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/lincoln/history/books/goodspeed/goodspee.txt
Memphis Daily Appeal July 1,1864
"Lincoln County Pioneer" magazine, Vol VI, Number 1(September 1976):
http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/lincoln/military/civilwar/rosters/tn1cok.txt