John Wesley Lee

No Photo Available

Company D, 8th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry, USA

1 Feb 1865-31 Aug 1865

John was son of Richard Joseph Lee and Mary Stacy.  He married Violet Roberts, daughter of Joseph Roberts and Rachel Carter.  They had four children between 1854 and 1873.

DEATH: John died on 9 Mar 1877 of rheumatism & enysipelas contacted at Nashville while in service. He was treated at Regimental Hospitals and at Carthage, Tennessee.  

Lois Anderson tells story that John Wesley was to be buried on the Tucker Ridge but confederate sympathy was against it since he served for the Union. Supposedly they had to slip at night and bury him at the Roberts Cemetery at Hickey.  His military tombstone is at Hickey although some say he may have been moved to the Smellage Cemetery in later years.  His wife (Violet Roberts) died 46 years later, never remarried, and is buried at the Smellage Cemetery. 

Affidavit of John H. McGuffey state that John "began to complain of rheumatism about the time the command was sent to Nashville and while at Nashville said Lee got so bad that when we started back to Carthage which was in a short time, Lee had to have the aid of two commrades, one under each arm to get to the warf where we went to get on a steam boat to go to Carthage.  When we arrived at Carthage said Lee was so badly aflicted he was put in hospital there and treated by Dr. King some three or four weeks when he was given a furlough and sent home." Furlough was about April 1865.  McGuffey states that he, Lee and Alfred Jones were together most all the time while in the service.

Affidavit of F.M. (Francis Marion) Roberts states that "I walked by his side and held him up from the barracks to the steam boat that carried him to Carthage, TN where he was carried to the hospital and he remained there about two or three weeks when he was removed by orders of the surgeon to his home in Putnam County, Tennessee. His hand was so badly drawed that he could not work.  He remained at home until he was ordered to Nashville to be mustered out of the service. I seen him at Nashville, Tennessee and he was still suffering with rheumatism and did not get any better but worse all the time until his death."

Affidavit of Alfred Jones states that "when he returned to be discharged he was very badly aflicted and in coming home just after discharge he give out and I procured a wagon and had him hauled home.  While said Lee was in the hospital aforesaid, I was detailed to wait upon him which I did during his stay there."