If you love Civil war history or finding information on your ancestors in Bradley county Tennessee, you'll enjoy these transcribed files on William Cate's claim against the Union taken in the years 1872-1876. I have deciphered and tried to put in a reasonable order two hundred handwritten pages that provide an insight on the lives of many citizens in Bradley County during the Civil War including my ancestor - Captain James H. Norman. Most people mentioned lived in Cleveland Tennessee or just north thereof. I make no opinions of any persons contained in this U.S. archive file which includes some rather interesting testimony taken from the below list of people and who speak of many others who lived in that area through and shortly after the Civil War.

William Cate, Joseph H. Davis, Leonard Carruth, Capt. A.E. Blount, John A. Steed, J. F. Larrison, Mrs. Sydney Henderson, Col. D. M. Nelson, Samuel Grigsby, Andrew J. Maples, John A. Hague, Herman Foster, Thomas L. Cate, James McGhee, Capt. Thomas Rains, D.B. Oneal, T.A. Cowan, C.L. Hardwick, Joseph Calloway, Justus C. Steed, Joseph R. Taylor, William Wood, James H. Brown, James S. Robertson, John H. Craigmiles, John H. Parker, John McReynolds, John W. Witcher, Jesse H. Gaut, John C. Gaut, Pleasant M. Craigmiles, Col. J. B. Boyd, Ainsworth E. Blunt, J.F. Campbell, William H. Low, W.(S.?) Montgomery, Meredith M. Legg, James F. Leeper, Captain W.L. Cate, Anthony Carter, James H. Swan, James A. Hassel

An Act of Congress of March 3, 1871 was intended to reimburse Union supporters who had suffered losses inflicted from the Union Army during the Civil War. People asking for reimbursement had to prove their case against the Union, prove their loyalty to the Union, and provide witnesses supporting their claim. Twenty-two thousand claims were made, but less than a third were paid. Only those who could prove unquestionable loyalty and proof of loss were even considered.

Part I - William Cate's Claimed Losses

Part II - Notes from the Office of the Commissioners of Claims
with Instructions on how to Deal With Bradley County Claims

Part III - Depositions Taken in 1875 Regarding Claimant's (Cate) Loyalty

Part IV - Opinion submitted by John B. Brownlow, U.S. Special Commission

Part V - Additional Testimony for the Commissioners of Claims at Washington | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Part VI - Summary of all Evidence For and Against Cate's Loyalty

Part VII - Opinion of Witnesses by John W. Ramsey

Part VIII - William Cate's letter to Judge A.O. Alder

Part VIII- Conclusion

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