Tennessee

By Frank Vincent

This is about a boy who was crippled at the early age of seven and started out with a troubled life. His rich great-uncle considered him a useless burden. A concerned judge had him protected by the court, then he was sent to a boarding school and later to a distant college to keep him out of the way.

He met a medical student and fell in love but was called back to Murfreesboro by Judge Chamberlin to inherit the remarkable Vinson Plantation. He became a compassionate person who believed he was given a premonition by the Lord to prepare for a great impending battle. With the friendship of his servant Eli, they prepared the plantation for the inevitable war.

After the civil war began, he set up a hospital to treat injured soldiers without military intervention from either side. Later, at the special invitation from Congress, he was able to voice his concerns. Because of his accepted position of neutrality with the armies, President Lincoln asked for him to help bring the American Nation together again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638149378

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Tennessee

Frank Vincent

ISBN 978-1-63814-935-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63814-936-1 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63814-937-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2021 Frank Vincent

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

God’s Own Will

Helen’s Tears

Horace Vinson

Clem Deeter

Sheriff Patch

Jacob

The Remarkable Vinson Plantation

August 1, 1827

Rags

Rachel

Rags to Riches

Judge Louis Chamberlin

Eliezer

His Mail-Order Bride

Double Blessings

The Judge

Build Us a Church

The House of Vinson

John Smyth

Blount College

Anna Marie Calhoun

Facing God

The Meadow of Dreams

November 3, 1870

Epilogue

Prologue

The period after the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain led to maritime allegiance. One of the treaties agreed to was to use their best efforts to abolish the international slave trade. This period after the War of 1812 (1812–1815) and before the Civil War (1861–1865) was generally known as the Antebellum Period. In the 1850s, the North and South were fundamentally separate—economically, socially, and culturally. With Northern union alliances and Southern sympathies, the beautiful state of Tennessee was pushed and pulled apart and became known as No Man’s Land.

God’s Own Will

Levi Vinson, a formally ordained pastor, had recently moved his wife, Polly, and their son, Jacob (now seven years old), from Tennessee to the new settlement of Troy, Illinois. The villagers had helped build a large cabin home that also served as their church and schoolhouse. Now just five months later, the elders of Troy were huddled in prayer as the village doctor carefully tightened the tourniquet applied near the stub of Jacob’s amputated leg. As the child’s lips remained pale and still the village doctor, an elderly pioneer who had no formal medical education, had convinced the others that his leg must be removed. ’Tis the only way to save the wean [child’s] life, he said with his strong Scottish accent. He explained again that he had done this kind of operation before.

They had lifted the large ridge beam off his leg as another man pulled him from the collapsed building. Upon seeing his clothing was soaked with blood, he drew his knife from its scabbard and began cutting the material away. Observing the blood pulsating from the boy’s leg, he quickly pulled off his neckerchief and tied it tightly just above the splintered bone, stopping the flow of blood. From the knee down, it was only flesh that was holding it together.

They carried him into the nearest cabin and hurriedly placed him gently on the table. He was also bleeding profusely from the top of his head. The doctor observed a large bump and cut on his head, which seemed to be engorged with blood, as he said, Ah dinnae ken [I don’t know]. He may also have a brain injury, but he has lost so much blood from his leg. It’ll take a miracle for him to make it. Actually, ah dinnae [I don’t] see any signs the bairn [very young child] will regain consciousness.

Helen’s Tears

April 05, 1827

Pastor Levi Vinson along with his wife, Polly, the village schoolteacher, had perished in the fire of their home. It had only been three days since they brought the child into our cabin; and my husband, Graham, who is the assistant pastor, was bending over the boy. I watched as he placed his hand on the precious child’s chest to check as it appeared he had stopped breathing. The boy expelled a receding breath of air, and Graham thought he may have unintentionally forced the last breath from his lungs. A second later, he quickly pulled back when the boy made a loud sound of inhaling a deep breath. Graham said, Wife, I surely thought he was dead and gone!

I used a soft cloth to wipe some blood that had come from his head and pooled in his eye socket. As I rinsed the rag, he strained to open his eyes and saw me looking down on him as I said, Oh, Jay-ee, there you are finally! As he was trying to focus, he started retching. I believed the strong bear grease may be the reason when he appeared to hold his breath. Then he lost consciousness. Bear grease was a common salve pioneers customarily used to help kill the infection and aid the healing time, but it has such a repulsive odor.

I quickly tried to remove the bear grease by washing around the amputation with lye soap that I had recently made. I made it strong for cleaning to cut through fats and oils, so I was being careful not to touch the open wound. I carefully started spooning some warm broth into his mouth. He tried to turn away, so I laid the spoon down on the bedside table. Touching both sides of his head, I said, Oh, little Jay-ee. He seemed to be trying to ask me, What happened? But his mouth and throat were dry, and his words were not understandable.

He continued to have trouble focusing his vision. I lifted my apron to wipe away my tears, and I tried again to spoon warm broth to his mouth while using my fingers to separate his dry and split lips. I wanted to tell him about his leg, but I had difficulty controlling my emotions. I tried to say, Little Jay, the doctor had to remove…your leg, but he was unconscious again.

When he woke up, I placed the spoon on the table; then gently supporting his weight, I placed a pillow under his head and shoulders. Trying to be careful, I put my hand on his forehead and with the other, folded the cover back off his legs. Oh…Oh… He sobbed as he saw the stub and tried to raise himself up. His pain was torturing me as I looked at his right leg, which was covered with a bandage that had allowed the blood to seep through. He shifted his gaze toward me and tried to ask, Why? Although his words were still not understandable, I could see the questions in his eyes. After sniffing and wiping at my tears, I was finally able to control my emotions. I said, Jayee, they removed your leg.

As his eyes slowly closed, I was saying, You’ve been here several days; but he had lost consciousness again. Lord, I asked, will he make it? He is so weak. I understood him to say that a light was welcoming him, but something was holding him back. He said he tried to reach up, but he couldn’t move his arms. I had taken his wrists in my hands to prevent him from flailing around in his delirious state.

I didn’t think he could hear me, but I felt I needed to let him know that I was here. I told him, I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Jay-ee, afraid that he might try to slip away for good. Meanwhile, Graham Anderson was repeating I was sure that boy was dead and gone. If he does live, it certainly will be by God’s own will. For the last three days, neither Graham nor I had any idea he would live or die.

After two more sleepless days and nights, I was aware that Jacob seemed to have finally quit struggling, and I observed that the cut on his head was no longer bleeding. I also noticed that the large bump was not quite as big as it was yesterday. I applied a cool damp cloth on his forehead, hoping to get his fever down. I had been with him for the last two days since they brought him in and hurriedly placed him on the table. After they removed and wrapped his leg, they carried him to the bed.

Today, I found that restraining him was an effort. I thought that for a little seven-year-old boy in such a critical state, he seemed so strong…but then again, I realized how tired I felt. I knew he was a gravely ill child and that his skin was hot to touch—more so, it seemed, when he was conscious. I told myself again that I just couldn’t let him die. I kept trying to spoon broth to his mouth and became aware that his eyes were open again and he was looking at me. Each time he opened his eyes, they seemed to give me a blessing of relief. I started to speak to him, but as it was before: in one moment, he was awake; but in the next, he was not.

Graham had been under the tutelage of the late Pastor Levi Vinson. He was telling his concerned neighbors again, This child’s soul is in the Lord’s care. No doubt about that. And if he makes it, it’ll truly be of God’s doing.

*****

Jacob was pulled from the partially burned and collapsed building the week prior; and later he would spend his conscious moments and hours on end trying to remember what happened—but his memory was just not there. Biblical scripture kept coming to mind. He woke up as light was coming into the room from the unshuttered windows.

I was sitting by his bedside, where I had drifted off to sleep. I nearly jumped up as he said, May I have some water, please? I steadied the cup in his hands as he managed a few difficult swallows. After he finished, he asked, Where’s Momma? I cried and prayed almost continuously over the child the last several days. This time, without sobbing but with difficulty, I answered, We are trying to locate some of your relatives so you can go be with them when you’re able. Jacob asked, In heaven? I turned away as my nose started running and tears burst forth again.

Sometime later, he was becoming conscious with intense pain in his leg. He felt that it was different from the throbbing, pulsating pain that seemed to be there every waking moment. He tensed up his back, taking in a deep breath and causing himself to cry out. Normally, it would be followed by cramping in his right ankle and foot. But then, he thought there shouldn’t be any pain down in his ankle and foot now because his leg was gone.

He pushed himself up with his elbows just to make sure that he had no right leg from the knee down. He never remembered going to sleep, but it seemed like he was always just waking up. This don’t make no sense, he told himself. He tried to picture his life when he would be able to get up. I’m almost eight years old, he told himself. Maybe I can make me a wood leg.

As Jacob spoke, looking at the ceiling, he said, Why didn’t you just let me die?

I replied, Oh, Jay, I couldn’t do that.

I didn’t mean you, Mrs. Anderson. I was talking to God.

Graham walked over and asked, How are you feeling, Jacob?

You said I was dead and gone, answered Jacob.

Oh, you heard, did ya? Well, apparently there’s nothin’ wrong with your ears. Yes, boy, he said. I thought you had gone to heaven.

As Jacob turned his gaze away from Graham and onto me, he said, She wouldn’t let me go.

Jacob’s memory flashed. Seeing his father giving a sermon on the epistle to the Romans. He was lifting his arms toward heaven and looking up when he prayed, Lord Almighty, use me and my family as we dedicate our lives to serve Your purpose. During those times when he was not sleeping, Jacob tried to understand why he did not feel a deep sorrow upon learning about having lost his parents or even recalling a familiar closeness. He remembered who they were, but he couldn’t remember who he was to them. It seemed to Jacob that his existence had just started and his memories were someone else’s.

In the last few days, Mr. Anderson had been recognized in Troy as the new pastor and was busy most days. Helen helped Jacob use the bed chamber pot and bathe every day after changing his bandages. The minutes and hours passed and turned into days. One evening, as he was waking up, he heard someone quietly whispering, No one wants the responsibility, but we just heard back from the letter we sent to the Rutherford County seat in Tennessee. They believe they’ve located Pastor Levi’s uncle. Helen interjected, saying, We could keep him, Graham! He looked at her, shaking his head to say no.

Later that day, as Mr. Anderson prayed over him again then helped him sit up with his back against the wall, he realized that he would now be able to feed himself. While sitting up, Jacob extended his amputated leg. The sharp pains and cramping he had felt in his missing foot did not happen as often as when he was lying down. Mr. Anderson came over and told him that they had received word about locating his uncle in Tennessee. Jacob did not reveal that he had already heard them talking about it today. They said arrangements had been made to take him to the Mississippi, where he would go by