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James Moore King Papers

Dates

1766-1935

Creator

King, James Moore

Summary/Abstract

The James Moore King Papers document the life of a nineteenth-century Murfreesboro farmer who served in The War of 1812 and the Indian Wars under the command of General Andrew Jackson. Although the James Moore King Papers is a small collection, anyone looking for insight into nineteenth century life in Rutherford County and other issues will find its original content invaluable.

 

Quantity/Physical Description

Approximately 3.5 linear feet

Language(s)

Repository

Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, (615) 898-2632

Restrictions on Access

None

Copyright

It is presumed that corporate and individual copyrights in manuscripts, photographs, and other materials have been retained by the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions apply. Users of materials should seek necessary permissions from the copyright hol

Preferred Citation

(Box Number, Folder Number), Collection Name, Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Acquisition

Donor unknown

Processed By

Original processor undetermined

Arrangement

These papers are arranged by series of correspondence, legal documents, biographical, genealogical notes and correspondence, and miscellaneous.

Biographical Note

James Moore King was born on November 18, 1792, in Clinton, North Carolina.  His parents were Henry King IV and Jeanette Moore King.  In 1807, James Moore King moved to Rutherford County, Tennessee, with his widowed mother and his younger brother Henry.  Both men enlisted to fight with Andrew Jackson in the Indian Wars and in General Coffee’s regiment of dragoons for the War of 1812.  James's brother Henry was killed at the Battle of New Orleans. James continued his military service in the militia during the Seminole War.  However, the military was not the primary career that he wanted for himself; instead, agriculture was his path.

 

In a letter to his uncle upon returning to his home outside Murfreesboro, TN, after the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, King wrote, “With pleasure I inform you of my return home to the joyful scenes and pleasures of Tennessee, after a trying and fatigueing (sic) campaign of near seven months.”  At the time his home was the original log cabin that he, his brother, mother, and the few slaves they brought with them had lived in when they first moved to Middle Tennessee.  He still maintained strong ties with his family in North Carolina, as evidenced by his active correspondence with those family members remaining in North Carolina, but he considered Murfreesboro his home. In correspondence with his family from 1815-1819, King spoke of finding a wife back in Sampson County, North Carolina, and his family encouraged him to return for that purpose.  Not only was his attempt at this unsuccessful, but his one offer of marriage to a woman there was rejected.  While still remaining in contact with his extended family, by 1820, he was no longer looking for a wife or place to live in North Carolina.  In a letter from his cousin, William G. Parrish, he received the first acknowledgement of their acceptance of this. Parrish wrote, “I at one time enjoyed the pleasing hope, that we ere many years revolved, should become near-neighbors in this pleasant, and salubrious claim, but hearing that you have again entered in the delightful pursuits of Agriculture in your State, precludes all hope of enjoying that pleasure I fondly anticipated.” 

 

James took over the land that his mother had owned, purchased more slaves, assisted other family members in financial matters, and married a local woman, Martha Batey, in 1821.  In 1831 he completed Rural Rest, a two story, ornate house that became the home for himself, his wife, and their thirteen children until he died in 1877. He never ran for a political office, but maintained close ties with those who did, including his cousin, Thomas O. Moore, the governor of Louisiana.  James Moore King strongly opposed secession, but when the state did secede, he and his sons enlisted with the Confederate Army. During the Civil War, most of the King slaves deserted the plantation leaving the care of the house and the farm to Martha Batey King and her invalid son, William Henry King. When the Union Army occupied Murfreesboro, the King family was assigned a Union soldier to guard their house, but a great deal of their livestock and produce were stolen or appropriated during the war.

 

Despite these hardships, at the close of the war, James returned home and returned to a life of farming. James and Martha celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1871 with a large gathering of their family at Rural Rest. Finally, after a long and eventful life, James died in March of 1877 and his wife followed shortly thereafter in August of 1877.

Scope and Content

The James Moore King Papers is a compilation of personal letters, legal documents, and genealogy notes on James Moore King and his family. Colonel King was a prominent citizen of Rutherford County and lived in Murfreesboro from 1809 until 1877. The letters are a mix of Colonel King's personal letters, correspondence written to Colonel King and various letters written between other members of the King family.

 

The personal letters, which form the largest part of the collection, contain a fascinating look at Murfreesboro and some of its inhabitants during the nineteenth century. The letters also provide a time capsule in which events such as the War of 1812, the Seminole Indian War, and the Civil War are addressed first hand. Also discussed in the letters are the rise of the Whig party in Tennessee and other political concerns.  The legal documents found in the collection deal with Colonel King's personal taxes, inventories on property (including slaves), and documents that supply information on land grants and other legal dealings.  Last in the collection are the genealogy papers. These documents were actively collected by Dr. James King of Nashville during the early part of this century. Dr. King wrote many letters to relatives and was provided information about Colonel James Moore King and his life.

 

Series one, Personal Correspondence, consists of personal letters written to and from members of the King family.   The letters include news of illness, treatments, deaths, purchase of slaves, land purchases, crop production and other family news.

 

Series two, Legal Documents, deals with taxes, inventories and land grants of the King family.

 

Series three, Biographical, includes a typescript photocopy of the memoir of Colonel James Moore King titled, "Colonel James Moore King, A Southern Gentleman, 1792-1877," from Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

 

Series four, Genealogy Notes and Correspondence, includes notes on the King, Moore, Batey, Blackman, and other families. A Booklet Record of the Thomas family 1772 - 1903 and information taken from different family members covering the dates 1795 - 1932.

 

Series five, Miscellaneous, includes newspaper clippings and other scraps with notes and other information.

Associated Materials

None

Related Collections

Robert Baskin Collection

Subject Terms

Persons/Families

King, James Moore, King, Martha Batey, Jackson, Andrew

Organizations/Corporate Names

Places

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Subjects (General)

Farming, Rural Life, Agriculture, Jackson's Indian Wars, War of 1812

Occupations

Material Types

Photographs, Printed Material, Newspaper Clippings, Legal Documents, Correspondence

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Albert Gore Research Center

P. O. Box 193, 1301 E. Main St.
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132

Main: 615-898-2632
University Archives: 615-898-5202
Director: 615-898-2633

Location

Todd Hall Suite 128

Hours

Monday - Friday
9:00AM - 4:00PM

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