More statements from Williams vs. Putman et al pages 30 and 31

If you have ancestors in Tennessee, do yourself a favor and search for the surnames of their neighbors in the TN State Supreme Court files at TN State Library and Archives.  Your ancestors may have given statements for them and if so they may contain information you won't find elsewhere.

The following is from the TN State Supreme Court Case(Middle District) of Robert Williams v. William Putman, et al. Filed Feb 24th 1835. Available at TN State Library & Archives(Nashville, TN) on site or thru PDF document purchase via the archives website with option of delivery via email or a printed copy(see end notes) This particular post covers the content of pages 30 and 31 and contains statements by James Sanford, John B. Nixon, Charles A Frensley, Pleasant Puckett and William B Dotson.

(Page 30)State of Tennessee Rutherford County
Be it remembered that on Monday the 15th day of September 1834 personally appeared before me Richard Ledbetter Clerk and Master of the Circuit Court of said county James Sanford, John B Nixon, Charles A Frensley and Pleasant Puckett all of lawful age witnesses on the part of the complainant and also William B Dotson witness on the part of the defendant, in the suit in Equity now pending in said Circuit Court, wherein Robert Williams complainant, William Putman and Zepheniah Anglin defendants.  The said witnesses appeared before me at my office in Murfreesborough on the day mentioned above and after being duly sworn upon the holy evangelists of Almighty God to speak the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth deposeth and saith as follows.  There being present the complainant and defendant also William Brady atty. for complainant and Andrew J. Hoover atty for defendants.  The said James Sanford being first examined

James Sanford

Question by Complainant attorney:  State the value of the horse when sold to complainant in this unsound state
Answer:  I think the horse was worth sixty dollars at the time Mr. William purchased him.  I also think the mare given in part payment for said horse worth about the same sum.

James Sanford

The said John B Nixon was next examined who stated as follows.
I think the horse worth about sixty dollars at the time he was purchased by Mr. Williams,  in his unsound condition the mare given in part payment for said horse I saw her on the day the trade was made but did not notice her particularly so I am not able to state her value.

John B Nixon(His Mark)

Charles A Frensley was next examined who states as follows.  I rode with Mr. Williams on the day he traded the horse.  Also I rode the horse to Nolensville some weeks afterwards and owing to his unsound condition at the time Mr.(Page 31) Williams purchased said horse.  I would think him worth nothing to me and the way horses sold at the time the trade was made. I think the mare given in part payment for said horse was worth between fifty and sixty dollars.  I was with Mr. Williams in 1831 when said Williams traded the horse Leopard to Mr. Dotson.  I heard Mr. Dotson ask Williams if this horse Leopard was a perfect sound horse.  Williams answer was that his limbs were sound.  Williams said after we started from Dotsons,  Dotson will say I told him this horse was a perfect sound horse and told me to take notice what he did say The horse Williams got in exchange for Leopard was worth not more than thirty dollars. 

C.A. Frensley

Pleasant Puckett witness for complainant was next examined who stated as follows.

I saw said horse Leopard one or two days after Mr. Williams purchased him owing to his unsound condition I would not give anything for him.  In 1830 or 31 I went with Mr. Williams to the District who rode said horse at which time I would not give anything for him.  I saw the horse Mr. William got for said horse Leopard about a week after he got him and I think he was worth about thirty dollars and I am a brother in law to Mr. Williams. 

P. Puckett

William B Dotson witness for defendant was next examined who states as follows.

State what you know about this horse Leopard owned by Mr. Williams

I traded for said horse from Mr. Williams I think in July or August 1831 Mr. Williams rode the horse to my house in Dickson County at which time I traded for said horse, who stated he had been riding him two weeks through the district.  I gave a young horse with about seventy five dollars.  Said horse Leopard was a dapple gray, and about five or six months afterwards I sold him to Mr. Isaac Teague(?) for two hundred dollars in property.  Mr. Williams was anxious to trade said horse Leopard stated he was sound and that he had just taken him from standing a season.  Teague when he purchased him knew he snored.  When I sold him I received one season of a mare.  He stood one season in my neighborhood and he performed well as a foal getter.  I was acquainted with the horse about eighteen months.  He never was injured with any disease he went blind about twelve months after I purchased him.  I don't believe the snoring of the horse injured him ..said horse got very fat after I purchased him and I think he was worth two hundred dollars at the time I sold him. 

Wm B Dotson

The foregoing depositions were taken by me at the time and place mentioned in the caption and that all the witnesses were sworn before they were examined 15th September 1834.

Richard Ledbetter 

Clerk & Master

Notes:

Williams vs. Putman--TN State Supreme Court Case Middle District Ordered from TN State Library & Archives via https://supreme-court-cases.tennsos.org/ Delivery(Jan 2, 2019) via email of scanned digital images(PDF) 41 pages. (Location at TSLA Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: 2 Box Number: 375)

Location of Files Searchable---https://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/tennessee-supreme-court-cases

Other posts I've written about this case include pg (mid)19-22 and 50 Person's mentioned in Williams vs. Putman.
 

Joseph Cook --Rutherford Co TN Court Minutes--April 1811

I own a copy of Carol Wells' Rutherford County Tennessee County Court Minutes 1811-1815 and was interested in finding out if there was any additional information in the minutes books regarding the entries for Joseph Cook.  . 

From page 11 of the Wells' book
Rutherford Co TN Minute Book E  1811-1812
Referencing April 1811 Term Page 99---Deadrick and Pettway vs Joseph Cook, Wm Locke and John Gassway

• Judgt. on motion for debt-----$171.55 2/3
• & interest--------------------------12.75
• Former cost--- ------------------- 12.12 1/2

From page 12 of the Wells' book
Rutherford Co TN Minute Book E  1811-1812
Referencing April 1811 Term Page 109 Hardy Pope vs Joseph Cooke and Wm Locke

• Judgt. on motion for debt----$53.54
• & interest--- ----------------------6.45
• Former cost-----------------------7.32 1/2
• and cost of motion

I emailed the Rutherford Co TN Archives inquiring about  the Minute Book E as I couldn't find it available from home at FamilySearch.org.  The Rutherford Co Archives assistant sent me image copies of Minute Book E from the WPA for that record book with the news that the microfilm copy(which I have not yet seen as I'm unable to access it from home) and the WPA copy are the only copies that still exist today.

There was no additional information in the WPA copy.  I believe the Joseph Cook in these records may be the same Joseph Cook who dies in Williamson Co TN in the later part of 1838 without a will and who is at that time listed as Joseph S. Cook.  The 25th District of Williamson Co TN where that Joseph Cook lived had some boundary changes and you can find records for persons living in it in Rutherford and Bedford Co as well as Williamson County.  Also of note is the fact that Hardy Pope whether the one in this court record or a descendant made a purchase at the estate sale of Joseph S. Cook in 1838.  More information to add to the timeline grid for all of the Joseph Cooks in this area.

Sources:

Wells, Carol, Rutherford County, Tennessee, county court minutes, 1811-1815. (Bowie, Md:  Heritage Books, 1994), 11-12..

Work's Project Administration Records Tennessee Records of Rutherford County Minute Book E 1811-1812 Rutherford Co. TN 1937.

At a Smith Shop in Murfreesboro on Sept 5th 1831

The following is from the TN State Supreme Court Case(Middle District) of Robert Williams v. William Putman, et al. Filed Feb 24th 1835. Available at TN State Library & Archives(Nashville, TN) on site or thru PDF document purchase via the archives website with option of delivery via email or a printed copy(see end notes)

It contains the depositions(mid pg 19-22) that were given at the Smith Shop of William Gilliam Esq. in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee for the defense in the above mentioned case on Sept. 5th of 1831. While BarnaB Haley is mentioned as present at the Smith Shop during the depositions there isn't any testimony from him listed in the case papers and the sworn statement by V.D. Cowan J.P does not mention Mr. Haley as one of those giving a deposition. Comments by me are in parenthesis and I have taken some liberty in formatting to make it easier to read. The case is a 41 page file when captured in PDF format though the numbering stops on page 33 with one or two exceptions where it looks like there was an attempt to note the page numbers. An earlier blog post listing persons involved in this case can be found at 50 persons mentioned in TN State Supreme Court Case.

State of Tennessee Rutherford county

Be it remembered that in pursuance of the inclosed(sic) commission to me directed from the Circuit Court of Equity for the county aforesaid I have cause to come before me at the smith shop of William Gilliam Esquire in Murfreesborough in the county aforesaid on the 5th day of September 1831 Samuel Anglin, Absolom Vickery, Noah Putman, BarnaB Haley(refer to above note), and William C Cook all of lawful age witnesses in a certain matter of controversy in said Court descending wherein Robert Williams is complainant and William Putman and Zepheniah Anglin defendants who being first duly sworn upon the Holy evangelist of Almighty God to speak the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth

deposed as follows

Samuel Anglin being called

Question by defendants--where you acquainted with a certain stud horse called Leopard sold by defendant Putman to Robert Williams, Plaintiff?

Answer: I was acquainted with the horse whilst he was in the possession of Zepheniah Anglin up to the time said Anglin sold him to Putman.

Question by same---Was or was not said horse a sound thrifty animal whilst said Anglin owned him

Answer: I kept the horse at my house from the expiration of the season about the first of July 1828, until said Anglin sold him to Putman in the fall or winter of the same year and during the whole of the time the horse was sound and in good health eat hardy and continued to thrive so long as I kept him.

Question by Complainant---You are the father of the defendant Anglin are you?

Answer: I expect I am.

Question by the same---When you had charge of the horse, did you examine him minutely to ascertain whether he was deficient or not

Answer: I did not examine him minutely to see whether there was any deficiency in him not suspecting any.

Question by the same--Had you a knowledge of the horse after your son parted with him to Putman?

Answer: I was not acquainted with the horse after my son parted with him and further his deponent sayeth not.

--Samuel Anglin.

Page 20

Absalom Vickery’s Deposition

Absalom Vickery was next called in question by defendants

(Question by Defendants) Were you acquainted with a certain stallion named Leopard sold by defendant Putman to Plaintiff Williams

(Answer: ) I have seen the horse before Anglin purchased him and was slitely(sic) acquainted with him whilst in the possession of Anglin but I was better acquainted with him during the time Putman owned him than I was before.

Question by the Same Did your acquaintance with said horse enable you to form a correct judgment as to his qualities or soundness and was he or not sound and free from defect whilst owned by Putman and a the time of his sale to Williams.

Answer: I was well acquainted with the horse whilst in the possession of Putman. I frequently rode the horse and am fully of the opinion the horse was sound for I never knew the health of the horse questioned till after Putman sold him to Williams.

Question by same--Did you whilst Putman owned said horse ever gallop him any distance and if so did you perceive any defect in his wind

Answer: About two or three days before Putman sold the horse I rode him about two miles from my home and on my return I galloped him about one mile but I did not discover any deficiency in his wind or action but appeared well as usual.

Question by complainant--State if you are related to the defendants

Answer: I married Mr. Putman’s sister

Question by the Same--Mr. Vickery describe the difference of the horse at the time you speak of him,  his form, muscle, general appearance, and age and state if you know what Mr. Putman sold him for.

Answer: He was a large bone horse from his outward appearance I should judge him about five years old what he sold him for I know not . his colour was a dapple gray.

Test W. D. Cowan         Absolem Vickery (his mark)


Noah Putman’s Deposition

Noah Putman being next called on

Question by defendants--Did you or did you not keep a certain stallion named Leopard whilst owned by your brother William the defendant and if so was he sound or not whilst in his possession.

Answer: I kept the horse about two weeks whilst my brother owned him and I believe the horse was perfectly sound and healthy.

Question by same--How long did William Putman own said horse before he sold him to Williams

Answer: about six weeks to the best of my knowledge

Question by same--Were you present when Robert Williams offered to return said horse to Putman and what was the conversation between them in relation to that matter.

Answer: I saw Mr. Williams bring the horse back in July following the (page 21)purchase in November, and proposed to recant the bargain with my brother. He, Mr. Williams stated the horse was not sound. My brothers reply was to the best of my recollection that if he had discovered him to be unsound he ought to have returned him sooner. Mr. Williams stated that he had not discovered it would injured him till about two weeks previous to the time he returned him and then it had fallen in his eyes.

Question by same--Will you describe the horse as to the size and appearance of and age while in the possession of your brother

Answer: He was a large horse and a dapple gray. I should judge him to be five or six years old

And further this deponent saith not.

Noah Putman


William C Cook's Deposition

William C Cook was next examined.

Question by defendant. Do you or not know a certain stallion named Leopard purchased by Robert Williams of William Putman and if so state whether your acquaintance with him enables you to form a correct opinion of his soundness whilst owned by Putman.

Answer: I have seen the horse before Mr. Anglin purchased him. I also saw the horse frequently whilst in the possession of Anglin and Putman both and I never recollect to have heard the health of the horse questioned until after Mr. Williams purchased him.

Question by same: Did you or not ever ride said horse after Williams purchased him and did you perceive any defect in him.

Answer: I do not recollect to have noticed any defect in the performance of said horse when I rode him after Williams purchased him. I rode the horse two or three times but I did not discover any difference.

Question by same: Were you present when Williams the plaintiffs offered to return said horse to Putman and if you were state the conversation between them.

Answer: I was present when Mr. Williams offered to return the horse. To the best of my recollection Mr. Williams proposed to Mr. Putman to give up the horse and take back the mare and the note that he had given to Mr. Putman for the horse but Mr. Putman would not consent to the proposal made by Mr. Williams. Putman's reply was why did you not bring back the horse sooner if you had discovered he was not sound. Williams reply was he thought he had better keep him til the season was out so as to make all he could as not to injure either of them.

Question by same--Did you or not perceive the horse when brought back by Williams to be very much diseased in his eyes.

Answer: His eyes looked very badly.

Question by same-- Did you ever hear Robert Williams State that he did not accuse nor did he believe that defendant Putman knew of any defect in the horse's eyes at the time he sold him to him.

Answer: I heard Mr. Williams state that he never accused Mr. Putman of having any knowledge of the deficiency in the horses eyes.

Question by complainant:  When you rode the horse did you not discover a difficulty in his breathing.

Answer: If he was galloped (Page 22) or whipped he breathed harder than when he was rode moderately but that is the case with any Stallion or most of Stallions.

Question by same--Did not Leopard breathe with more difficulty than would another horse rode and whipped in the same way at the time of what you speak if such horse was not injured in his wind?

Answer: He is not able to answer that question.

Question by same--Do you stand related to either of the defendants

Answer: I am the brother-in-law of Mr. Putman

And further this deponent sayeth not.

William C Cook

This is to certify that the foregoing depositions of Samuel Anglin, Absalom Vickery, Noah Putman and William C Cook was taken before me , V.D. Cowan an acting Justice of the Peace for Rutherford County in the State of Tennessee at the place and on the day in the caption mentioned and the answers were written by me in the presence of the complainant and the defendants and both their counsels and I furthermore certify that I am not interested related or any way concerned with either of the parties given under my hand and seal September 5 1831

V. D. Cowan J. P. (Seal)

Notes:

Williams vs. Putman--TN State Supreme Court Case Middle District Ordered from TN State Library & Archives via https://supreme-court-cases.tennsos.org/ Delivery(Jan 2, 2019) via email of scanned digital images(PDF) 41 pages. (Location at TSLA Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: 2 Box Number: 375)

Location of Files Searchable---https://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/tennessee-supreme-court-cases 

Source:  Tennessee State Library & Archives. Tennessee Supreme Court Clerk’s Records 1810-1955, Record Group 191.TN State Supreme Court Case Middle District Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: 2 Box: 375 Robert Williams v. William Putman, et al. (41 pages).