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Amazing Grace: The Gospel, Civil War, Secession and the Trail of Tears

Illustration from The Circuit Rider: A Tale of the Heroic Age by Edward Eggleston
(Image from Wikipedia)

"Yet still they look with glistening eye,
Till lo! a herald hastens nigh;
He comes the tale of woe to tell,
How he, their prop and glory fell;
How died he in a stranger’s room,
How strangers laid him in the tomb,
How spoke he with his latest breath,
And loved and blessed them all in death.

~ Final stanza of a hymn about the perils of the Circuit Rider by Samuel Wakefield

While researching Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers, who I have been told was a traveling evangelist or circuit rider for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I came across these interesting vital statistics:

Henry F. Somers was born in Jackson County, Tennessee in June of 1860. This was approximately one year before the War Between the States and exactly one year before Tennessee voted to secede.

American Civil War Montage - Wikipedia




In the 1860 Jackson County, Tenn. Census his father is listed as Abe Summers (age 39 yrs.) and mother as Darcus (36 yrs.), siblings are recorded as:
Aner, 16 yrs. female
Archibald, 10 yrs. male
John, 14 yrs. male
Nancy 12 yrs. female

Another possible sibling could be Matthew A. Summers who is recorded as being born May 28, 1866 in Jackson County, Tenn.

I also found a John Summers in the 1840 Jackson County, Tenn. Census (Page 284, Line 29, Dist. 9) who is more than likely Abe's father.

Further research has shown that Abe's given name was Abraham, he was born in Tennessee (1820) and his wife Darcus is listed as being born in North Carolina in 1824* (the 1860 US Census lists Darcus' birthplace as Alabama).

*I pulled this information mostly from Census reports filed in both Jackson County, Tennessee and Butler County, Missouri where Henry F. Somers was listed as living in for both the 1900 and 1910 census.

Trail of Tears



During the journey, it is said that the people would sing “Amazing Grace”, using its inspiration to improve morale. The traditional Christian hymn had previously been translated into Cherokee by the missionary Samuel Worcester with Cherokee assistance. The song has since become a sort of anthem for the Cherokee people. - Source: Cherokee Removal / Wikipedia


While researching Jackson County, Tenn., I discovered it had originally been "Indian Land," which is an indication that the family story we come from a Cherokee heritage and that Henry was part Native American might very well be true; I suspect the "Summers" family assimilated into the white culture to avoid persecution.  The Cherokee tribal removal by the government began in that area in 1836 - 1839.

For an extensive history of the "Trail of Tears," I recommend this excellent resource which is compiled and presented by a descendent of the noble Cherokee Tribe:

(Please contact me if you have additional information about this branch of the Summers (aka Somers or Sommers) family and feel free to bookmark this page and check back often as I record more information. Thank you, AW)

Updated 7.19.2015
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