1856

January–March

 * Event 1

April–June

 * April 13, 1856

THE PRICE OF CHIVALRY

Andrew Johnson, governor of Tennessee-- later to serve as wartime military governor, vice president and president-- is leaving the capital tomorrow for a visit with his family in Greeneville. Having withdrawn $1,200 from the bank, he retires to his lodgings at the Nashville Inn, a popular hostel located on the courthouse square. The governor places the cash under his pillow and lies down to get some sleep before the long journey to East Tennessee.

A little after 2:00 in the morning, a commotion wakes Johnson. He steps out of his room to find the hotel in flames. Before he can return to his room, a female guest hails him, pleading for help. "There was no time to lose, the smoke was almost stifling, and the fire pressing," reports a local newspaper. "He gallantly went to her aid, and succeeded in escorting her to a place of safety. The result was the loss of his money and wardrobe. He was also compelled to 'lay by' yesterday, facetiously remarking that he 'was worse strapped than he had been for twenty years.'"

The Inn is completely consumed, and the fire spreads south to the courthouse and several warehouses on Market Street, destroying the heart of the business district and causing an estimated $300,000 in damage.

--by Tom Wood

Sources: Hans L. Trefousse, Andrew Johnson: A Biography (Norton, 1989); Nashville Union and American, 4/15/1856.

(Originally published in Nashville Scene, 4/15/93)

October–December

 * Race Riot of 1856