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Dorothy Copus Brush Brownlow refused to compromise on beliefs Billions of words have been written about
that "late great unpleasantness," the term many used
to describe the Civil War. Articles and books aplenty dwelt on
the battles and troops but it was not until 1999 that a book
appeared chronicling the part newspapers and reporters played.
Written by Brayton Harris, the title is Blue
& Gray in Black & White. It includes the story of a Knoxville
editor, William Gannaway Brownlow. Many Tennesseans were divided in their feelings
about the war. None more than Brownlow, editor of the Knoxville
Whig, which became a dissident newspaper. Called "Parson"
Brownlow because he was also a Methodist minister, he was pro-slavery,
but militantly anti-secession. His fiery editorials and speeches
added "the fighting parson" to his nickname. One prominent Confederate politician predicted
Brownlow would be hanged. Brownlow's response was, "come
what may, through weal or woe, in peace or war, no earthly power
shall keep me from denouncing the enemies of my country."
He refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy
or take the American flag off his house. A Chicago paper reported that "The house
of the celebrated, bold-hearten, and outspoken Parson Brownlow,
is the only one in Knoxville, Tenn., over which the Stars and
Stripes are floating." It continued with the story of two
men coming to the house very early one morning. Brownlow's 23-year-old
daughter opened the door and the men told her, "We have
come to take down that d-m Stars and Stripes." Her response
was to draw a pistol as she said, "Go ahead! I'm good for
one of you and I think both!" They backed off but several
hours later they returned with an armed mob. By that time the
Brownlow house was filled with a group of supporters, all well
armed. The flag continued to fly over the house. Brownlow was born in Virginia and orphaned
at age 11. He learned the carpentry trade and by the time he
was 18 he was studying on his own at night to become a journalist.
In 1826 he entered the ministry and traveled circuits in Tennessee
and South Carolina. During this time he had settled in Jonesboro
and was active in politics as well as publishing the local paper.
In 1843 he ran for Congress against Andrew Johnson but lost. In 1849 he moved to Knoxville and became the
editor of the Whig. His defiance brought about the closing of
the paper in 1861. Of that he said, "It was the only Union
paper left in the seceded States." During the next few years,
Brownlow was accused of treason and thrown in jail for a short
time and then was held at his home under guard. Finally, in 1863,
he was banished to the north where he continued speaking on political
subjects. By 1864 the Federals had occupied Knoxville and he
returned and reopened his paper. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1869 and he sold his newspaper, but when his term ended he purchased a controlling interest and continued as a newspaperman until his death in 1877. This was a man who refused to compromise on his belief that "secession was foolish and wicked." |