January 1863 Part 2 Judy Garland's Family in the Civil War

This photo of John A. Gum, Jr.
may give us some idea of his
father's appearance.

Up in Jefferson, John Alexander Gum (grandfather of Frank Gumm and great grandfather of Judy Garland) had finally joined the war as a Confederate scout. Left at home was his wife, Martha Wade Gum, and their four children: Will, 8 (Frank’s father), John, 5, Laura, 2, and baby Lucy, four months old.

While Martha had quite a few members of her family living nearly, Jefferson was a frightening place to live during the period 1862-1864. While the Battle of Stones River raged, there were numerous skirmishes in town and just across the river. The sound of shots, galloping horses, cries, curses and yells were deafening at times.

Those in Jefferson would soon learn that no one was safe in this war. Their relative, via John Alexander Gumm’s step-father and half-siblings, was Rebecca Crosthwait, who was married to Judge Bromfield Ridley. The Ridleys lived in a beautiful old house on the hill overlooking Jefferson, known as Fairmont. The plantation, founded by Rebecca’s father, Sheldon, consisted of over 3,000 acres, and was run by 100 slaves. The estate was legendary to those in the area, within a month of the battle, Union soldiers, bent on revenge, set out to destroy it.

The family felt blessed that Rebecca’s old mother, Elizabeth Thompson Crosthwait, died two weeks after the Battle of Stones River, before she could experience the worst. Rebecca’s husband, Bromfield Ridley came home, and fearing for the safety of their thirteen year-old daughter in the midst of rampaging soldiers, took her away. But Rebecca, nursing her seriously ill daughter, Bettie, refused to leave.

Murfreesboro, TN sunset   (c) Michelle Russell

One night, as the family slept, the Union soldiers set their home ablaze. Everything was lost, but with the help of the remaining servants, all persons in the home survived.  

We can imagine the shock and horror of the residents of Jefferson, especially the Gums, waking to see the house on the hill ablaze, while the “Yankee” soldiers fired guns and laughed gleefully. Later, these same soldiers would come to town and threaten to burn the rented cottage where the Ridleys were staying. Certainly, Rebecca Ridley was not perfect. Throughout her life, she continued feel she had a right to own the persons who worked on her plantation. Nevertheless, one can sympathize with the pain she suffered. Her daughter Bettie died in 1864 due to illness and the trauma of the war. Rebecca herself died five years later, followed by her husband a year after that. Though not killed in battle, many persons died young as a result of the war.

***

The Gresham mansion, of which parts were begun in 1812,
still stood when I first arrived in Mufreesboro.
Although the Battle of Stones River was fought in
every direction around this hill, the hill itself became
an oasis of peace. Many wounded man came here to
seek help and without a doubt, some are buried here.
Around 2007, the owner decided the land was worth more
without the mansion and despite all protest, one night
he had it razed.

All of Judy Garland’s immediate family member survived the Battle of Stones River, but the loss of lives during those few days was terrible: 12,800 Union soldiers, and 10,306 Confederate soldiers. The amount of wounded men was far greater. It is said that the wounded and dead lay side by side, in the streets, in churches, schools, people’s homes and front yards. There were so many wounded men, they could not be treated. As a result, they were put on trains and sent to other towns like Tullahoma. Murfreesboro simply could not hold them.

Frank Gumm’s two uncles, (Clemmie’s elder brothers) John and Joe Baugh took part in the final battle along the Stones River in which thousands of troops entered an area without seeing the fifty-eight canons lined up on the hill above them. In one hour, 1,800 Confederate men lay dead and the waters of the Stones River ran red with blood. It was here that the Battle of Stones River concluded.

                                        ***

Entrance to the Gresham Mansion.
Through these doors, (as with many nearby homes,
the wounded\were taken and operated on.
In later years, the home was used
for weddings.

Prior to my time in Murfreesboro, I did not have knowledge of this battle nor the fact that Judy Garland’s family had fought in the Civil War. In times past, being a westerner and then a “northern girl” as some in the south called me; I did not understand how people could speak about the Civil War with such immediacy.

After living in Murfreesboro, I understand it better. When you live on land where a battle took place, when you dig and find bones and buttons and bullets, when the homes you enter have bloodstains on the floor because a surgeon stood there and severed limbs, when the portraits on the wall have been slashed by sabers, then it is real. When your ancestor shed blood on the land, right or wrong, it is real, it’s not a story in a history book. In part, I think this is why northern children can read about the Civil War and see it in the past. But in the south, you can touch the past.

There are many more photos and stories I’d like to share on the Civil War some day. I would also like to state that it has not been my purpose to defend the war one way or the other. My purpose has been to bring more understanding to Judy Garland’s family-- who represent a lot of other families -- and to show what they experienced during the Civil War.

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