William Brickly Stokes
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Col. William B. Stokes was in many ways a typical Middle Tennessee politician.
Born in North Carolina in 1814, his family moved to Tennessee in 1818, settling in the Liberty community in nearby DeKalb County.
Raised a farmer, he turned to politics and was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly for two terms before his election to the State Senate.
When the Civil War began, he was representing the Fourth District of Tennessee in the U.S. Congress.
“When the war broke out, he took a decided stand for the Government, and has been an unconditional Union man ever since,” wrote John Fitch in the Annals of the Army of the Cumberland. “He worked and spoke earnestly against separation, and was the only ex-member of Congress in Middle Tennessee who made a regular list of appointments for public speaking.”
Stokes lost his seat in Congress when Tennessee seceded and remained in private life until July 22, 1862. On that date, the former Congressman was commissioned a colonel in the Union army.
The former congressman had little trouble raising a company of troops from Rutherford, DeKalb and Davidson counties.
Three of Stokes' regiments—Co. A led by Capt. J. H. Blackburn, Co. B with Capt. Shelah Waters, and Co. K led by Capt. E. W. Bass ¬— were made up of DeKalb County men.
As a cavalry unit, Stokes’ men fought at Stones River and even at Nashville, but the Tennesseans excelled in a less glorious purpose, the pursuit of Confederate guerillas like those lead by the notorious Samuel “Champ” Ferguson.
Branded an outlaw by the United States, Ferguson evaded Stokes and other Union troops until the end of the war. Ferguson surrendered in May 1865, believing that he would be treated according to surrender agreements and paroled. But he was arrested in Nashville and tried as a guerilla. He was convicted and executed Oct. 20, 1865.
Ferguson was one of only two Confederates who were executed by the Union Army, the other being Henry Wirz, commandant of Andersonville Prison. Federal authorities honored Ferguson’s last wish to be buried beside the Calf Killer River in White County, Tenn.
Stokes’ Fifth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry had greater success catching other Confederate guerillas.
No quarter was given, meaning that captured guerillas were executed on the spot.
The regiment was ordered to Sparta, to break up the guerrilla bands under Ferguson, John M. Hughes, and W.S. Bledsoe.
While Stokes failed to capture Champ Ferguson, a number of guerillas were executed.
In a February 1864 movement, Stokes sought out Confederate irregulars in White and Putnam counties with some success.
“We killed 17 of the worst men in the country, to wit, Capt. James Davis (chief of Confederate scouts, brother of A.L. Davis of Nashville), who had on his person a pass with the oath indorsed; Capt. Conley, Jack Coger, Bill Allcorn, Milt. Hawkins, Neely, Dyer, Melton, and others. Most of these men are known to have been engaged in number, robbery, and rape; in fact, all were accessory to the outrages committed through this county. We took 12 prisoners and captured about 20 horses and mules,” Stokes reported.
After the Civil War, Stokes even managed to return to Congress.
He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867, and commenced practice in Alexandria, Tenn. in DeKalb County.
Upon the readmission of Tennessee to representation, he was elected as an Unconditional Unionist to the 39th Congress by Tennessee's Third congressional district. He was re-elected as a Republican to the 40th and 41st Congresses. He served from July 24, 1866 to March 3, 1871.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1870 to the 42nd Congress. He also was the supervisor of internal revenue for Tennessee. He resumed the practice of law and died in Alexandria on March 14, 1897. He was interred in East View Cemetery. |
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