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(385) Benjamin Franklin Coleman was the third and youngest son of Charles Coleman. He was born 8/24/1818, in Madison County, Alabama. An old family legend that has been handed down for generations alleges that the Coleman's came to this country (Southeast Tennessee) by floating down the Tennessee River on a flat-bottomed boat. It could be that they ventured farther down the river into Madison County (County seat Huntsville, Ala.) as the Tennessee River runs right through the County. Nevertheless there are several documents to prove that Frank was born in Alabama.
No doubt Frank moved with his family as a young boy back to Tennessee on Walden's Ridge in what was then Bledsoe County in the vicinity of the Lewis Chapel and Flat Top communities. There he grew up and married Nancy Hughes in the late 1830's. Nancy was born around 1822 in Kentucky, the daughter of Hezikiah and Elizabeth Hughes, some of the earliest settlers of a well-known Soddy family.
Frank and Nancy lived in Bledsoe County during their early married life near his father and brothers around the Lewis Chapel-Flat Top area.
Frank farmed and was also shown as being a wagonmaker in the 1850 Bledsoe County census, an occupation that was also shown to be his brother Wash Coleman's at one time. It could have been possible that they worked together, although this is mere speculation.
Somewhere in the 1850's Frank and Nancy moved off of Walden's Ridge and into the valley at Bakewell, TN, (then known as Retro). There is an entry in the Hamilton County deed book where Charles Coleman deeded 50 acres to Benjamin E. Coleman in the 12th District of Hamilton County. This is undoubtedly some of the 640 acres Frank's father purchased in 1831. Even though the entry in the deed book is dated 12/26/1859, I believe Frank and his family moved to Bakewell a few years earlier.
Frank's wife, Nancy died 9/2/1859. Her cause of death is unknown but she was just in her mid-to-late 30's. Nancy was buried in what was then called the Hughes Cemetery in Bakewell. It is now known as the Bakewell Cemetery and is located on Retro-Hughes Road close the the railroad tracks in Bakewell.
Frank remarried early the following year. He married Mary Jones, the daughter of D. S. Jones of Bakewell. Mary was born ca. 1821 in Tennessee. They were married just a year when the Civil War broke out, and a year after that Frank became a Union soldier.
Frank joined the Union army on 2/10/1862 at Flat Lick, Kentucky, for a period of 3 years. He was mustered into H Company of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry under the command of Gen. J. G. Spears.
He spent the first several months encamped at Portland, Ohio on the Ohio River. In August 1862 his company marched toward the Cumberland Gap in Northern Tennessee. This is where Frank saw his first action on 9/8/1862 where he and his company participated in the battle of Pine Mountain, Tennessee. After the battle of Pine Mountain, Frank's company evacuated the Cumberland Gap and started marching towards Flat Lick, Kentucky, eventual destination being Portland, Ohio. While on this march Frank dropped out due to illness and was subsequently captured by Confederate forces on 9/22/1862. He was returned to his company through a prisoner exchange on 2/23/1863.
The company was at Murfreesboro, Tennessee when he rejoined them. They then marched through Liberty Pike and on to Carthage, Tennessee. While in the Carthage area, his company did some picketing, foraging, scouting and escorted a P.O.W. train back to Murfreesboro. Frank and his company remained in Carthage until September of 1863. They then broke camp and marched toward Alexandria, Tennessee, on to Liberty, McMinnville, Beersheba Springs, Jasper, Battle Creek and into Chattanooga, TN, arriving 9/20/1863. On 9/23/1863 they engaged the enemy on Lookout Mountain repulsing 3 attacks by Confederate Forces of superior number.
On 9/30/1863, they evacuated Chattanooga and marched toward Sale Creek, Tennessee, arriving 10/3/1863. They remained camped at Sale Creek for the remainder of the month. Being close to home, Frank was able to secure a leave of absence from the Army for several months duration. An entry in his service record reads as follows:
"Detached service safeguard at Sale Creek, TN. Nov. 1, 1863."
While on leave Frank was elected Constable of the 12th District of Hamilton County, TN. He was elected 3/5/1864, and sworn in 4/5/1864. It was a post he would retain only a short time as he rejoined the 3rd Infantry in June of 1864. By then his outfit was camped near Atlanta, GA, where he rejoined them. They remained near Atlanta until September when they marched through Jonesboro and Lovejoy, GA, then headed back North through Decatur, Kingston, Rome and then to Calhoun, GA. This took them into late October 1864. At Calhoun they rode a train back into Tennessee and marched to Nashville.
Frank was transferred from Nashville to an Army hospital in Jeffersonville, Ind., and admitted on 11/30/1864, for Chronic Rheumatism. Upon returning to Nashville, Frank's company fought an engagement near Nashville on 12/15 & 12/16/1864, in which 3 men were killed and 8 wounded from his company.
Frank remained around Nashville for the remaining two months of his tour of duty and was mustered out of service at Nashville, TN, on 2/23/1865, due to expiration of term of service.
Frank returned home to Bakewell and resumed his farming duties. On 6/19/1867, he put in a claim with the U. S. Government for an invalid pension. He stated the reason for request for pension as follows:
When I went into the Army I was a sound man, but was exposed very much and after the Missionary Ridge fight we made a very rapid and hard march to Rocky Creek, 26 miles north of Chattanooga on the north side of the river and the streams were swollen and the woods full of water and I was wet all day and all night. (It rained very hard all the time.) Then took a pain in my ankle which continued for nearly a year and then moved to my knee where it seems to be permanently settled. I suppose it to be Rhuematism and it was brought about by my exposure as aforesaid. I now have to walk with a cane "
The document was witnessed by A. A. Pearson and John Anderson. [Cy has] other documents from the Dept. of the Interior's Pension office and from the Adjutant General's office concerning Frank's request for pension, but no record of a final disposition in the matter so it is not known if he actually received a pension or not.
Frank's second wife, Mary died 9/22/1872, around the age of 50 years, in Bakewell. Cy did not know where she was buried.
Frank married for a third time on 2/29/1874, when he married Martha Gross in Hamilton County, TN. Martha was born 8/?/1847, in Tennessee. (Probably in Bakewell.) Frank was 56 years old when they were married and 29 years her senior. Frank and Martha remained in Bakewell the rest of their lives with Frank continuing to farm as best he could. In the 1880 census, Frank was listed as being "maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise disabled", so apparently his health was really beginning to fail by then, although he continued to father children almost to his death as his last child was born just 4 months before his death. Frank died at his home in Bakewell on 1/16/1883, at the age of 64 years, 4 months and 23 days. He was buried in the Hughes (Bakewell) Cemetery on Retro-Hughes Road in Bakewell.
On 2/10/1883, Martha filed for a pension for surviving widows of Civil War Veterans. She was awarded the pension and received it for the rest of her life.
Martha being only 35 years old when Frank died never remarried and lived on for another 56 years. She died 5/3/1939, in Bakewell at the age of 91. She was buried in the Ware Cemetery in Bakewell.
(385) Benjamin Franklin Coleman had 9 children, 4 by his 1st wife Nancy Hughes, 1 by his 2nd wife Mary Jones, and 4 by his 3rd wife Martha Gross.
(407) 1. Margaret Jane Coleman, b. 4/28/1840, in Bledsoe Co., TN (408) 2. Benjamin Carroll Coleman, b. 4/24/1842, in Bledsoe Co., TN (409) 3. Lewis Washington Coleman, b. 3/23/1844, in Bledsoe Co., TN (410) 4. Millie America Coleman, b. 6/29/1846, in Bledsoe Co., TN (411) 5. Nancy Easter Coleman, b. 3/03/1862, in Bakewell, TN (412) 6. Benjamin Franklin Coleman IV, b. 6/ ?/1869, in Bakewell, TN (413) 7. Amos Leroy Coleman, b. 4/13/1875, in Bakewell, TN (414) 8. Alameda (Alma) Coleman, b. 7/15/1877, in Bakewell, TN (415) 9. Margaret (Maggie) Coleman, b. 12/12/1879, in Bakewell, TN (416) 10. William Casper Coleman, b. 9/11/1882, in Bakewell, TN*Benjamin Franklin Coleman IV was the illegitimate son of Frank's oldest son Benjamin Carroll Coleman. The mother was Martha Gross whom Frank later married and he raised the boy as his own son and as a brother to Amos, Bill, Alma and Maggie even though he was actually his grandson. The boy was also called Frank and will be listed as Benjamin Franklin Coleman's son throughout the remainder of this manuscript for the sake of clarity.
(407) Margaret Jane Coleman, (408) Benjamin Carroll Coleman, (409) Lewis Washington Coleman, and (410) Millie America Coleman, appear in the photo below:
Four oldest children of Benjamin Franklin Coleman
William Casper Coleman, Amos Coleman, and Frank Coleman
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