MAURY COUNTY NATIVES AND FORMER RESIDENTS INTERRED ELSEWHERE.

GENERAL GIDEON JOHNSON PILLOW

Gideon Pillow, who was born on 8 Jun 1806, was reared in that part of Williamson County that later became Maury County. Early in life he found that he liked politics and, although he never sought election to any office, he was of great assistance to his friends, especially to James Knox Polk. Pres. Polk rewarded this help by appointing him a Brigadier General in 1846 and he served valiantly as Major General during the Mexican War. He became a General in the Confederate Army in 1861 and, although his reputation was tarnished somewhat when Ft. Donaldson fell, he continued to make his contribution, as officer and philanthropist. He spent most of his resources (more than $300,000.00) and lost four cotton gins, 409 slaves, 500 cows, 2000 hogs, 10,000 lbs. of bacon and 2000 bales of cotton in the lost cause. He was left a near-pauper. His way of life gone, he moved to Memphis, where he practiced law for a number of years. He died on 8 Oct 1878 in Helena, Ark. And was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.

Information gathered and sent in by Mary Bob McClain Richardson, 30 Jul 2010. Posted 3 Jan 2011