James Patton Taylor Carter

Notes:

Colonel James Patton Taylor Carter
(1822 - 1869)

by Dave Mathews
http://home.cinci.rr.com/secondtennessee/biocart.html
If nothing else, Colonel James P. T. Carter could boast a rich and prominent family history. His great-grandfather, Colonel John Carter, was born in Virginia in 1737 and first married Elizabeth Taylor. Landon Carter, the only child of John and Elizabeth Carter, was born January 29, 1760 but Elizabeth died during his birth. John then married a woman named Susan and established a trading post near present day Rogersville, Tennessee as early as 1769. He soon settled in the nearby Watauga area and became a prominent and wealthy settler. The original Colonel John Carter died in Washington County, Tennessee in 1781.
Landon Carter, son of John and Elizabeth, also became known as Colonel Carter. He was active in the Revolutionary War and politics in general. Landon Carter was educated at Davidson College and married Elizabeth Maclin in 1784. Carter County, Tennessee was named after Landon Carter and the county seat of Carter County, Elizabethton, was named after Landon's wife. Landon and Elizabeth Carter had seven children. Landon Carter died in June, 1800.
Their oldest child, Alfred Moore Carter, was born in 1784 and died in 1850. Alfred Carter became a prosperous iron manufacturer of Carter County. He first married Matilda M. Wendell in 1810, but she died in 1816. In 1818 he married a Virginian named Evalina Belmont Perry. The youngest child of Alfred and Evalina, James Patton Taylor Carter, was named after James Patton Taylor, the husband of Alfred's sister Mary Cocke (Carter) Taylor.
James Patton Taylor Carter, son of Alfred and Evalina Carter and Colonel of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry, was born July 30, 1822 in or near Elizabethton in Carter County. James joined his father in the iron business and eventually assumed control of it in 1850 when his father died. James Carter married twice. He first married Margaretta Dunn of Rogersville, Tennessee in Carter County on August 5, 1851. James and Margaret had only one child, William A. Carter born in 1853. James married second to Margaret Letcher of Lexington, Kentucky. James and Margaret Letcher Carter had no children. Margaret Letcher has been erroneously identified as a daughter of the former Kentucky governor who was actually childless, but she may have been a relative.
Although James Carter was a Whig, he did not formally engage much in politics. However, when East Tennesseans met at Knoxville on May 30 and 31, 1861 to discuss secession, Carter was one of five delegates chosen to represent Carter County. Carter was firmly against secession, as were the majority of East Tennesseans, and he became a champion of the Union cause. The Knoxville meeting was futile because on June 8, 1861 Tennessee voted to join the Confederacy. Carter closely aligned himself with the senator from Tennessee and future president, Andrew Johnson.
A discussion of James Carter must include mention of his two prominent older brothers, Samuel Powhatton Carter and William Blount Carter. Samuel, oldest son of Alfred and Evalina Carter, was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He became the only man in history to hold the rank of both Rear Admiral in the Navy and Brevet Major General in the Army. Reverend William Blount Carter, another son of Alfred and Evalina, was a graduate of Princeton University and a Presbyterian minister. All three Carter brothers were very active in the Civil War in East Tennessee.
Samuel P. Carter was responsible for organizing United States troops in southeastern Kentucky during the summer and fall of 1861. In August he appointed his brother, James P. T. Carter, as Colonel and commanding officer of the 2nd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry regiment. An historical review of James Carter's service as Colonel of the regiment is dubious. The appointment was outright nepotism. He certainly had no military credentials.
James Carter also had a reputation of being both difficult and often absent from duty. H. Carlisle, an examiner for the U.S. Pension Board, wrote a report dated August 9, 1886 to the Commissioner of Pensions regarding an investigation of Chaplain William Lowery. Carlisle had this to say about Carter, "In the absence of Colonel Carter (who was declared by Military Governor Andrew Johnson to be a "damned fool") these officers permitted claimant to go when and where he pleased. It is declared by Major Carpenter, and it is well known to many now living, that Colonel Carter himself was constantly absent from his regiment, which, in battles and on marches, was commanded by Lieut-Col Melton. It is notorious that Col. Melton was in command at the battle of Murfreesboro where this regiment was engaged." It is true that Carter was not in command at either Stones River (Murfreesboro) or Rogersville, the regiment's two major engagements. Melton was also in command of the regiment due to Carter's absence during the pursuit of John Hunt Morgan in July, 1863, but we do not know why Carter was not there.
That is not to say that Carter's service with the 2nd Tennessee did not have upsides. During most of 1863 he was commanding at the brigade level, and during Carter's leave of absence on November 3, 1863 Burnside's office issued a field order assigning Carter to command the Second Division of the 23rd Army Corps. When Carter did have field command during military action, he seemed to give a good account of himself. In his report in The Official Records regarding the engagement with Pegram on June 9, 1863 at Monticello, Colonel August Katz had this to say, "Colonel Carter had, however, arrived with six companies of the Second Tennessee, and this timely arrival enabled us finally to repulse the enemy. My heartiest thanks are due to Colonel Carter for his aid and assistance. He generously waived his rank, and permitted me to control and direct the troops during the engagement." The following month Colonel W. P. Sanders also thanked Carter for his performance during Sanders' Raid on July 29, 1863. Colonel Carter again distinguished himself at the Battle of Blue Springs on October 10, 1863, an important Union victory.
After the war, Carter was impoverished and in poor health. He sought and obtained another political appointment. Although bitter for not being able to land something better, Carter accepted an appointment as Secretary of the Territory of Arizona. After a long and difficult trip, he arrived with his family at Prescott, Arizona on September 3, 1866. During the next several years they spent part of the time in Prescott and part of the time in Tucson. Carter's term as Secretary was also controversial, mainly because he commuted the death sentence of convicted murderess Dolores Moore to a sentence of life in prison. At that time, he was serving as the Acting Governor of Arizona. In retrospect, the decision to grant clemency was courageous and probably the right thing to do. Both the prosecuting attorney and sheriff involved in the case supported the commutation. However, the general public in Arizona was infuriated. Because of that unpopular decision, as well as other reasons, Carter was not able to secure the formal appointment as governor that he wanted. By April, 1869 he was no longer a public official and once again a citizen.
Instead of returning to Tennessee, James Carter stayed in the Arizona area and invested in a business. He bought two thirds interest in a flour mill at Altar in Sonora, Mexico. In July, 1869 he left Tucson to stay for awhile near his business in Mexico, but he never returned. Only 47 years old, he died September 29, 1869 of illness at Rancho San Francisco, Mexico between Cabroca and Puerto Libertad. It is difficult to name the exact cause of death. He probably died of malaria or some other chronic illness picked up while in Panama. Injuries sustained in a buggy accident shortly before his death may have been a contributing factor. However, referring to his premature death, the Tucson Weekly Arizonian on October 9, 1869 noted that service incurred illness had ended his life. After his death, the family of James Carter returned to the Carter County, Tennessee area where a few of his descendants still live.

James married Margaret M. Dunn on 5 Aug 1851 in Carter County, , , Tennessee. Margaret (daughter of Gen. Samuel Dunn and Jane Maclay) was born in Aug 1832. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Margaret Letcher about 1854. Margaret was born about 1832 in Kentucky, , , ; died about 1902. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]